A sampling of good, interesting reads ...
From the tube ...
a NBC's '2.0' may be a zero
a Couric needs some urgency ... uh, ya think? This story says it all ...
a Roseanne Barr Returns to TV Comedy
From the diamond ...
a Krazy George celebrates starting the Wave cheer 25 years ago
a Dave Krieger: Aaron a reminder of what baseball was
a The game's benefited from Selig's tenure ... I've never been a big Selig fan, but this one makes some good arguments to like him, including the eye-popper that gives way to an eye roll in the last line ...
a Poll: Half of Fans Rooting Against Bonds ... and I'm one of them.
And from the World Series ...
a Cardinals fans revel in first title in 24 years ... Yeah, so I was rooting really hard for the Tigers. But being a Missouri native and having a lot of friends who are Cardinals die-hards, I have to smile a little at the sight of it all ...
a It's OK to say it out loud now, Cardinals fans
a MITCH ALBOM: Dream over ... it was fun, while it lasted.
10.29.2006
10.28.2006
Game over
Congratulations Cardinals.
Dang.
... ah, well. Last night's Tigers loss was made a little easier by the fact the Tigers were so awful in their four losses, they didn't deserve to win the series ...
... A World Series record five errors by the Detroit pitchers! ... When Weaver slapped that ball back at Verlander in the fourth, I braced and it was as though I could see the future. Then Verlander threw to third to try getting Molina and it happened -- the ball went past a diving Brandon Inge and Molina scored. ... An identical play to Zumaya's errant throw past Inge in Game 3!!!!!!!!!
... I pounded my fists on the couch and about went ballistic ...
... Best sign of the night: A Cardinals fan held one up that read "Hit it to the pitcher!"
... You can make an argument that the Cardinals didn't really deserve to win the series either, barely squeaking into the postseason and having the worst record ever for a World Series champion ... then again, you gotta admire LaRussa's managerial genuis, the franchise has a lot of likable players and they've been knocking at the door for a couple years now ...
... Since I first started watching him with those glorious 2002 Angels ( ... I loooooved that team), I don't know that there's a player I've admired watchng more the last few years then David Eckstein -- mostly because we're both little guys and I see so many similarities in our styles of play -- and midway through last night's game I declared to Kates: 'Eckstein's gonna win the series MVP' ... he did. Congrats David, on one 'Eck' of a series and winning one for the little guys ...
Hard to believe it's over for another year ....
Dang.
... ah, well. Last night's Tigers loss was made a little easier by the fact the Tigers were so awful in their four losses, they didn't deserve to win the series ...
... A World Series record five errors by the Detroit pitchers! ... When Weaver slapped that ball back at Verlander in the fourth, I braced and it was as though I could see the future. Then Verlander threw to third to try getting Molina and it happened -- the ball went past a diving Brandon Inge and Molina scored. ... An identical play to Zumaya's errant throw past Inge in Game 3!!!!!!!!!
... I pounded my fists on the couch and about went ballistic ...
... Best sign of the night: A Cardinals fan held one up that read "Hit it to the pitcher!"
... You can make an argument that the Cardinals didn't really deserve to win the series either, barely squeaking into the postseason and having the worst record ever for a World Series champion ... then again, you gotta admire LaRussa's managerial genuis, the franchise has a lot of likable players and they've been knocking at the door for a couple years now ...
... Since I first started watching him with those glorious 2002 Angels ( ... I loooooved that team), I don't know that there's a player I've admired watchng more the last few years then David Eckstein -- mostly because we're both little guys and I see so many similarities in our styles of play -- and midway through last night's game I declared to Kates: 'Eckstein's gonna win the series MVP' ... he did. Congrats David, on one 'Eck' of a series and winning one for the little guys ...
Hard to believe it's over for another year ....
10.27.2006
Heartbreaker
The Tigers had the game tonight ... they totally had it ...
Then the seventh-inning slip in the outfield by Granderson, the bad throw by Rodney (... saw that one coming from a thousand miles away ...) and Monroe's oh-so-close dive at that line drive ...
Ouch.
If history is right (... in the previous Tigers-Cardinals series the winner of Game 4 lost the series, and the Cardinals haven't been so lucky in seven games series ...) here's hoping Leyland can rally his troops and get the series back to Detroit ...
* * *
... Would the writers just shut the book already on Kenny Rogers hand in Game 2?
Good Lord.
... There is no controversey. The cameras zoomed in on his hand in the first inning and spotted the goop on his palm. La Russa immediately went to the umpires between innings and asked them to check it out. They did. Rogers washed it off without question and proceeded to blow away every Cardinals batter after that ... It was over and done. No issue.
Move on people.
That's my two cents. I'm done.
Rogers reads ...
Rogers, pine tar make for media furor
What's the ruckus? Let's get past Rogers' incident
Rogers' story just doesn't wash
Baseball buried its head in pine tar
Then the seventh-inning slip in the outfield by Granderson, the bad throw by Rodney (... saw that one coming from a thousand miles away ...) and Monroe's oh-so-close dive at that line drive ...
Ouch.
If history is right (... in the previous Tigers-Cardinals series the winner of Game 4 lost the series, and the Cardinals haven't been so lucky in seven games series ...) here's hoping Leyland can rally his troops and get the series back to Detroit ...
* * *
... Would the writers just shut the book already on Kenny Rogers hand in Game 2?
Good Lord.
... There is no controversey. The cameras zoomed in on his hand in the first inning and spotted the goop on his palm. La Russa immediately went to the umpires between innings and asked them to check it out. They did. Rogers washed it off without question and proceeded to blow away every Cardinals batter after that ... It was over and done. No issue.
Move on people.
That's my two cents. I'm done.
Rogers reads ...
Rogers, pine tar make for media furor
What's the ruckus? Let's get past Rogers' incident
Rogers' story just doesn't wash
Baseball buried its head in pine tar
10.26.2006
Lost & sleepy
... Is it just me or was "Lost" horrible last night? ...
... Worst episode ever. Not only was all the torture hard to watch, none of it made sense ... I've never been so uninterested and close to just turning it off as I was last night ... (... EW liked it for all the reasons I didn't. Ugh.)
And there was no baseball game ...
...so I caught up on my sleep. I was already dozing on the couch befor "Lost" even came on at 8.
I was in bed at 9:20. That might be a record for me ...
... Worst episode ever. Not only was all the torture hard to watch, none of it made sense ... I've never been so uninterested and close to just turning it off as I was last night ... (... EW liked it for all the reasons I didn't. Ugh.)
And there was no baseball game ...
...so I caught up on my sleep. I was already dozing on the couch befor "Lost" even came on at 8.
I was in bed at 9:20. That might be a record for me ...
10.25.2006
A 'Beautiful' day
These are the days I live for …On assignment yesterday and under a warm fall sun, my favorite photog, Kevin, and I boarded a train for Chicago and headed to North Clark Street to review the new and improved Chicago History Museum …
I’m a modern history buff to begin, but if it wasn’t for having a train to catch and my evening plans, I could’ve spent the whole day there …
Just inside the lobby visitors are greeted with a colorful collection of signs and billboards from throughout Chicago’s history. Then, past the front desk is a handful of Lincoln artifacts, including the bed in which he died (… I know he's from Springfield, but the bed is an item you would think Washington, D.C., had, not the Chicago Historical Society!?). There’s also a small, heavily interactive children’s area (which can get horribly chaotic and loud if you’re there at the wrong time like we were) and the there’s the history center’s legendary dioramas …
Also, adjacent from the lobby is a small gallery featuring rotating exhibits to showcase the historical society’s world-renowned clothing collection. It’ll be a sure draw for fashion students; on display now is an exhibit of Christian Dior's work …
But the real treat is on the second floor. There, visitors will find the restored el car which was among the first in Chicago to take people to the World’s Fair. Surrounding the el car are five, wonderfully laid out, thematic galleries, each one filled with fascinating relics and stories detailing the relatively young city’s history. … It starts with the era of the Native Americans, the railroad boom in the 1840s and the rise of Chicago’s meat-packing, steel and furniture industries. Another gallery shows the city’s crises and challenges -- from the Chicago Fire, to the Eastland disaster, to the gang violence to the 1968 Democratic Convention. There’s a gallery dedicated to the diverse Chicago neighborhoods, and then a gallery depicting the city’s innovations from the department stores of Marshall Field’s and Crate And Barrel to the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright and the modern skyscraper. The final gallery delves into Chicago’s culture -- the jazz and blues, the World’s Fairs, the majestic theaters and the sports (… among the artifacts are Michael Jordan’s shoes, a piece of the floor from old Chicago Stadium and an unopened bottle of champagne from the Cubs’ 1984 postseason) …
… Great stuff. A definite must-see when you’re in Chicago …
* * *
… Kevin and I caught our train out of town. And by the time I got home I had just enough time to check up on my e-mail, MySpace and download some directions before I was off again -- to the place I should have been on Sunday night …
The Rave in Milwaukee … I had snagged some tickets to see James Blunt.
I arrived just as the opening band, Starsailor, was launching their set. And when I surveyed the room, I was pleasantly surprised to see the room wasn’t crammed with wide-eyed teenage girls. Rather, this was a couples night (unfortunately my significant other was toiling away at her masters class …). In some parts of the crowd, there were perfect rows of guys standing behind women, arms around their waists. And still, there was refreshing mix of plain and single people just wanting to see and hear plain and simple good music …
Another pleasant surprise was Starsailor, the Brit quartet that opened for Blunt with a 45-minute set. It included “Four to the Floor,” a No. 1 hit for them two years ago in France. The band’s sound, with its mostly upbeat, keyboard-heavy rock tunes, differed little from other English chart-toppers Coldplay and Keane (… keyboard bands are coming out of England the last couple years the way Beatles copycats and moptops were coming out of there in the 60s …), but lead singer James Walsh’s strong vocals are all his own (He reminded me of Glen Phillips…). And the crowd, whose heads bobbed throughout the set, clearly approved.
… During the 30-minute intermission, the crowd was treated to a trailer of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” on the big screen behind the stage. I discovered afterward that Blunt has been promoting the film throughout his tour … Five minutes after the trailer, Blunt’s band appeared and Blunt himself stepped onto the stage a few seconds later to the delight of the crowd. He promptly revved up his guitar for the opening track, "Breathe," and rushed to both corners of the stage, greeting the crowd …
The first song complete, Blunt paused briefly to shout “Hello, Milwaukee!” Then he delved into “Billy” and “High” without stopping. Both songs drew loud singing from the crowd. Renditions of “Cry” and “Goodbye My Lover,” which featured Blunt behind a piano and alone on the stage, also were well-received. On “Lover” the cell phones came out (for the uninitiated, brightly lit cell phone screens have replaced lighters at concerts), and Blunt let the crowd sing the last verse on their own.
While Blunt performed the entire track-listing from his platinum-selling, debut “Back to Bedlam,” his four-piece backing band moved through the set with ease, their strong accompaniments and tight harmonies making several of the songs seem fresh.
But for all the talent and chemistry the band exuded, the guys rarely jammed or strayed from Blunt’s album versions. Though Blunt mixed some new songs into the set, only the ultra-catchy “1973” (with a repetitive guitar section that could be easily confused for the marimba-backed riffs on the Stones’ “Under My Thumb”) seemed to strike a cord with the crowd.
Blunt’s other new tunes differed little from the acoustic guitars and falsetto-heavy, love ballads that have propelled the British crooner to the tops of charts and into the hearts of millions of soccer moms and their daughters. After “Lover,” however, the band returned and suddenly seemed to find a new energy. Blunt, still at the piano and starting to sweat, removed the gray jacket he wore over a red T-shirt and said to the enthusiastic crowd, “I’ll take mine off if you take off yours.”
Without introduction, the band stormed into the instantly recognizable “Breakfast in America,” a feisty cover of Supertramp’s 1980 hit, and it just might have been the highlight of the night. Though the band finally showed some range by rocking out a bit, only a handful of people in the crowd seemed to know the song. It wasn’t until Blunt left his piano and went front and center with a group of fans in the front row -- while encouraging the crowd to clap to the beat -- that the crowd showed some life. He kissed a young woman on the cheek , and jumped back on stage.
Blunt followed that with “Tears and Rain,” another new song, and then “Out Of My Mind,” getting the crowd to sing the da da das at the end.
Introducing one more new song, Blunt told the crowd he would play a new guitar and pledged he would not brake it. Apparently, Blunt’s not good at keeping promises -- he tore the strings from the guitar almost immediately, making it look as if he was trying to break the guitar. When the song ended, and with the state of the guitar, it would have been appropriate for Blunt to smash it on the stage. Instead, he simply handed it off to a crew member, and exchanged it for another.
Next, Blunt was going solo on the piano again, playing “No Bravery” in front of a giant screen showing time-stamped 1999 footage of a war-torn landscape. The band returned and introduced “Where Are You Now?” with a nice jam.
“So Long Jimmy,” capped off the first set, and the band showed another glimmer of life when Blunt’s drummer nearly broke every drum pad on his trap set to finish the song. Then the band waved good-bye, said thank you and left stage. Without playing “You’re Beautiful?” Yeah right.
In no time, Blunt and his bandmates were returning to the stage to deafening cheers. A couple more new songs and finally a video appeared on the screen -- this one, shot from under water, showed Blunt crashing into the ocean, an obvious sequel to where Blunt’s now-famous “Beautiful” video left off. The crowd seemed to recognize the intro immediately, and Blunt strummed the opening chords of “Beautiful.” The cell phones promptly came out again, and the crowd sang the “f#@*ing high” line with emphasis …
As the guys left the stage, they appeared more grateful than plenty of other bands I’ve seen. Blunt jumped off the stage to put his pic in the hand of a 5-year-old girl who, with her mother, had been in the front row all night, holding a sign that read “James Blunt’s littlest fan.” Other band members followed by handing the girl their set list and a pair of drum sticks.
“Thank you for coming. Thank you for having us,” Blunt told the crowd as he left.
Some James Blunt reads ...
a James Blunt adapts to wowing bigger crowds
a Singles place James Blunt in the company of Sir Elton
a Singer James Blunt enjoys a 'Beautiful' career
* * *
After the show, I spent a couple minutes walking around the club to scout out the tour buses. I’ve had good success catching musicians after their shows there and figured I had a good chance on Tuesday night too …
So I grabbed my copy of “Back to Bedlam,” a Sharpie from my car and joined the three or four people who also were waiting on the sidewalk outside the buses. A few more gathered and we waited …
We had been waiting for barely an hour and were hardly watching for Blunt, or any of the other band members for that matter, when all of a sudden appeared this young, shaggy-haired man from behind one of the busses. He was bundled up in a down jacket and stocking cap (it was pretty cold …), but there he was, James Blunt.
“Hey guys,” he said, stepping up to our group as if we were old friends.
Blunt declined to pose with any of us for pictures, but graciously and quickly (I'm pretty sure he just wanted to get back inside where it was warm … ) signed everything we threw at him.
Another autographed CD added to my collection … yes!
* * *
I cruised home, with only one thing on my mind -- watching Game 3.
Again, I set the DVR to record the game … because, hey, there’s nothing like coming home late with no knowledge of how the game ended, watching it commercial-free, as if it was live, at 2 in the morning …
Turns out I didn’t miss much. The Cardinals were in control all the way. I was out by the seventh inning …
10.22.2006
Sunday reading
Some of the reads that caught my eye during the past week ...
In TV ...
a ‘Grey’s’ actor as busy as a medical intern
a TV theme songs are practically a lost art ... darn right! I have a huge collection of them on my iPod, which can make for some fun road trips ...
a The People's Republic of YouTube
a 'Friday Night Lights' is on the ropes ... Frankly, I hardly care. Weren't a book and movie enough? ... and if NBC is so giddy about this "splendid for-all-ages, family friendly show," why did it kill of the gem they had in "American Dreams" ... I'm just asking ...
a 'Heroes' separates from the pack to find its own way
a It's gonna get really ugly in TV land
a "Studio 60's" fictional focus on ratings is becoming a real-life scenario at NBC ... pretty much.
a Couric needs some urgency ... ditto.
a Bob Newhart covers his life, career, comed in book ... I love Bob Newhart.
In Music ...
a First Beatles remix is set for release ... looking forward to it!
a Who knew? The Who returning at end of October with first album in 24 years
The World Series ...
a Trammell sings praises of Leyland
a Fired Trammell insists he’s proud, not spiteful
a '84 Tigers reflect with pride on achievements of '06 team
a Tigers have shot at emulating 1984 World Series champions
a Detroit Tigers would like to recapture magic of '84 World Series team
a Tigers' success a novelty for younger generation
a Cards might as well go all the way
a Cards Straggle Into Detroit for Series
a Leyland and La Russa Downplay Friendship
In TV ...
a ‘Grey’s’ actor as busy as a medical intern
a TV theme songs are practically a lost art ... darn right! I have a huge collection of them on my iPod, which can make for some fun road trips ...
a The People's Republic of YouTube
a 'Friday Night Lights' is on the ropes ... Frankly, I hardly care. Weren't a book and movie enough? ... and if NBC is so giddy about this "splendid for-all-ages, family friendly show," why did it kill of the gem they had in "American Dreams" ... I'm just asking ...
a 'Heroes' separates from the pack to find its own way
a It's gonna get really ugly in TV land
a "Studio 60's" fictional focus on ratings is becoming a real-life scenario at NBC ... pretty much.
a Couric needs some urgency ... ditto.
a Bob Newhart covers his life, career, comed in book ... I love Bob Newhart.
In Music ...
a First Beatles remix is set for release ... looking forward to it!
a Who knew? The Who returning at end of October with first album in 24 years
The World Series ...
a Trammell sings praises of Leyland
a Fired Trammell insists he’s proud, not spiteful
a '84 Tigers reflect with pride on achievements of '06 team
a Tigers have shot at emulating 1984 World Series champions
a Detroit Tigers would like to recapture magic of '84 World Series team
a Tigers' success a novelty for younger generation
a Cards might as well go all the way
a Cards Straggle Into Detroit for Series
a Leyland and La Russa Downplay Friendship
How sweet it is ...
… I’m feeling so exhausted tonight I want to cry …… I had a couple of free tickets to see OAR at The Rave tonight. I’d been looking forward all weekend to getting a second shot at seeing the band I fell in love with the minute I first saw them live last spring … But after being out late Friday night and being up even later last night, and then today’s full slate of events -- church activities, an afternoon with the in-laws -- the notion of driving the hour to Milwaukee, sitting through two opening acts I hardly cared for, dealing with the college-aged crowd OAR draws and returning home with ringing ears was hardly appealing …
Darn. It could’ve been a blast …
… So here I am. Lying on my favorite couch, wrapped in a blanket, laptop in my lap and Game 2 of the World Series on the TV …
It’s OK. Last night, we saw a legend …
* * *
… I learned a few weeks ago James Taylor had announced the Chicago Theatre as one the stops on his “One Man Band” tour. Kates has been a JT fan for as long as I’ve known her, she wished to see him every time his name came up. We missed him at Summerfest a couple years ago, and again last spring when he stopped in Chicago.
I had to pull the trigger this time. I jumped on it the Saturday morning tickets went on sale. And then sealed my lips.
… Even while I went on a kick of listening to James Taylor for several days in a row. For days I had “Your Smiling Face” playing in my head. And on one afternoon I walked to meet Kates at a downtown joint for lunch, humming the song all the way -- funny thing, the moment I walked in the door of the coffee shop, the song was starting up on stereo. Crazy!
… So on Saturday the big night arrived, and Kates, knowing only that we were going to a show of some kind, looked beautiful. … Before leaving the house, I sweetened the deal -- it was Sweetest Day, after all -- a little bit with a Hallmark card and James Taylor’s new Christmas CD …
“Is this a hint!?” Kates said.
I couldn’t keep the secret any longer and handed her the tickets.
* * *
We drove to Chicago with James Taylor on the iPod all the way …
… Unfortunately, we didn’t time the drive and pre-show dinner plans as well as we should have …
… We parked the car at the theater district parking garage and trekked to Bennigan’s for dinner …
The show was scheduled to start at 8 p.m. We were seated at our table about 7:20 and ordered our food immediately, telling the waiter we were on a tight schedule. The food arrived at our table about 7:35, and the throwing down began … The food was great, we were just sorry we couldn’t enjoy it more. By 7:55, we were paying for our food, throwing on our coats and rushing out the door, walking as fast as our full stomachs would allow …
… At almost exactly 8:00 we were walking up to the theater with barely enough time to enjoy the splendor of seeing the words JAMES TAYLOR ONE MAN BAND lit up on the famous marquee. … Luckily we weren’t the only ones showing up late. The theater lobby was still packed with people asking the ushers for directions to their seats.
Soon enough Kates and I found our seats in the theater’s balcony, a perfect view overlooking the stage …
Then the lights dimmed …
* * *
Applause took over the auditorium the moment Taylor appeared from behind the red curtains at center stage. Waving to the crowd, he walked to the front of the stage, shook hands with some of the front row fans and generously signed a few autographs. After a couple minutes, Taylor took his seat on a stool and reached for his guitar, tuning it as the crowd continued yelling the obligatory “We love you, James!” song requests and, well, requests for other things too …
“Well I‘m certainly enjoying this back and forth with you tonight,” Taylor said. From that point and for the rest of the evening it was very apparent that Taylor’s sense of humor and wit is charming and entertaining as his music …
Finally, some of the guitar strumming that accompanies that classic baritone voice. Taylor opened with “Something In the Way She Moves,” his voice still sounding as good as it did on some of his first albums …
Beginning with the second number, Taylor was joined by Larry Goldings on piano, adding accompaniments that were sometimes jazzy, and always wonderful. And while Goldings sat at the piano to Taylor’s right, a screen on Taylor’s left served as the launch pad for the songs he performed. He used the screen to show pictures of the frozen man he once saw in a National Geographic magazine, gorgeous landscapes and country scenes, family photos, home movies and Richard Nixon. At one point during the show, Taylor clicked through shots of him with pals Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and other members of his 70s band -- their long, stringy hair and the men’s dark, bushy mustaches prompting Taylor to quip, “This is what happens when you don’t have mirrors.”
But aside from the pleasure of simply listening to Taylor, there wasn’t much for the audience to get excited about during the first set, which was filled with Taylor’s lesser known and newer songs, including “The Frozen Man” and “My Traveling Star.” He concluded the first set, however, with an amped-up, bluesy rendition of “Steamroller,” bopping all over the stage and dropping to his knees every few bars while his electric guitar cried out …
After a 20-minute intermission, during which I survived a long line for the men’s room and didn’t even dare get in the drink line that was even longer, we were back to our seats. Taylor returned to the stage the same way he took it to start the show, greeting fans in the front row and signing autographs. But this time, Taylor spent so much time with fans prior to beginning his second set that the audience appeared to get restless and a security officer eventually had to shoo away the fans who were now leaving their seats and coming up to the stage for a chance to snag a quick autograph from Taylor…
Finally, Taylor was seated again, showing those snapshots of him and his pals, and explaining how he taught himself to play “You’ve Got A Friend” by listening to Carole King perform it. He then kicked off his second set with his rendition of the song.
The second set quickly turned into a parade of hits that included the beautiful “Sweet Baby James” (the song, Taylor explained, was actually written for his nephew), “Country Road,” “Shower The People,” “Secret O’ Life,” and “Line ‘Em Up” (a song Taylor said he was inspired to write after watching Nixon -- whose walk he compared to common poster illustrations depicting Cro-Magnon man -- resign and walk to his waiting helicopter amid a line of White House staff …)
Taylor ended the second set with “Carolina In My Mind” and left the stage …
Clearly there were still songs to be played, however, and the audience did their best to let him know it -- three more times, practially standing, applauding and cheering for the remainder of the show.
Taylor returned to stage again, signing yet a few more autographs for the fans lucky enough to be near the stage. Then he took his seat once more and played “Fire And Rain.”
Taylor left the stage and repeated the sequence another time -- return to stage, sign autographs, play song -- with “Copperline.” And one final encore with “You Can Close Your Eyes,” which, lyrically, seemed to be a perfect cap to the evening.
(… I was a little disappointed I didn’t get to hear my two most favorite Taylor tunes -- “Your Smiling Face” and “Mexico” … a group of 30-something guys walking out of the theater alongside Kates and I must’ve been feeling the same way. They tried filling the void for all of us by singing “Smiling Face” on their own. It wasn’t nearly as good as Taylor would’ve done, but it held up …)
( ... From a critial standpoint, these other views from the Daily Southown and the Tribune are almost dead on in their descriptions of the show and the mood ... both reviewers mention the tank-like drum machine -- which I didn't mention here -- that Taylor used on two songs ... I disagree, however, with the Tribune writer on the use of the recorded choir to accompany “My Traveling Star” and “Shower The People.” Although the choir added a little to “Star,” the extra vocals drowned Taylor and ruined “Shower the People.”)
* * *
Driving home, I fought not fire, but rain. A hard, pounding rain. … Not so fun.
A pit stop midway at the Oasis for some caffeine and Kates I continued home, still listening to James Taylor on the iPod and rehashing our favorite points of the concert …
Back at home, Kates night was over, but mine wasn’t. While she curled up and fell asleep next to me on the couch, I switched on the DVR and watched Game 1 of the series as though it was being played right then and there at 2 in the morning -- commercial-free, of course.
The Tigers lost ... but Joe Buck, as promised on Friday night's Conan, wore LaBamba's tie -- HA-larious!
I finally got myself to bed around 4 a.m.
No wonder I’m so tired …
10.19.2006
Cards to the series
Ok. So I wasn't watching the NLCS as closely as the ALCS. ... I was sort of rooting for the Cardinals, only because I admire LaRussa and lot of the guys on that St. Louis team, and I have roots in Missouri ...
... But man did I feel bad watching the Mets lose the way they did in the ninth. What a let down. They were the team in baseball this year. They deserved to be playing for the World Championship. And then to see them lose a heart-breaking game seven to a team that couldn't buy a win throughout most of September ...
Go Tigers.
... But man did I feel bad watching the Mets lose the way they did in the ninth. What a let down. They were the team in baseball this year. They deserved to be playing for the World Championship. And then to see them lose a heart-breaking game seven to a team that couldn't buy a win throughout most of September ...
Go Tigers.
10.17.2006
Piniella takes over
So the Cubs hired "Sweet" Lou Piniella ...
Great.
Now all the people who flock to Wrigley to get drunk can get a side show with all of Piniella's antics too ...
Fine. Maybe he'll light the fire the Cubs need to start playing up to their potential ...
Like Piniella today, Dusty Baker pretty much promised a championship when he was hired four years ago. I'll believe it when I see it ...
And what's with all the sudden talk of A-Rod coming to Chicago to reacquaint with Piniella!?! I'll believe that when I see it too ... And if it does happen, I can't imagine Cubs fans being any easier on him than New Yorkers ...
I do like the sound of Jason Schmidt on the mound and Alfonso Soriano in the lineup ...
But Soriano is not a leadoff man. The Cubs have got to keep Juan Pierre -- along with Jacque Jones, Aramis Ramirez, Matt Murton, Derrek Lee and Michael Barrett ...
Great.
Now all the people who flock to Wrigley to get drunk can get a side show with all of Piniella's antics too ...
Fine. Maybe he'll light the fire the Cubs need to start playing up to their potential ...
Like Piniella today, Dusty Baker pretty much promised a championship when he was hired four years ago. I'll believe it when I see it ...
And what's with all the sudden talk of A-Rod coming to Chicago to reacquaint with Piniella!?! I'll believe that when I see it too ... And if it does happen, I can't imagine Cubs fans being any easier on him than New Yorkers ...
I do like the sound of Jason Schmidt on the mound and Alfonso Soriano in the lineup ...
But Soriano is not a leadoff man. The Cubs have got to keep Juan Pierre -- along with Jacque Jones, Aramis Ramirez, Matt Murton, Derrek Lee and Michael Barrett ...
Bears comeback scores well on TV
Last night's Bears game is the talk of the town today ...
... While most people apparently were turning their TVs off with the Bears down to start the fourth quarter, I was the one returning home from a late night at work and turning the game on ...
I could hardly believe the Bears were losing so badly -- to the Arizona Cardinals!
... and then right before my eyes, the Cardinals crumbled and the Bears defense stepped up ...
... what a finish.
... While most people apparently were turning their TVs off with the Bears down to start the fourth quarter, I was the one returning home from a late night at work and turning the game on ...
I could hardly believe the Bears were losing so badly -- to the Arizona Cardinals!
... and then right before my eyes, the Cardinals crumbled and the Bears defense stepped up ...
... what a finish.
10.16.2006
Fall TV
So I just finally got around to watching Wednesday night's premieres of 30 Rock and Twenty Good Years ... I doubt I'll be watching 30 Rock again, which is too bad for all the star power and talent involved. The premiere hardly made me laugh. The jokes were dumb. And Rachel Dratch's talents were wasted. The whole thing plays like Tina Fey said 'Hey, I wanna do a sitcom, I'm going to steal some people from SNL, we'll just mess around and see what we can do ..." ... Twenty Good Years, however, has some potential. Ok, so the jokes weren't much better. But the carpe diem plot is intriguing -- John Mason, the surgeon, is forced into semi-retirement, and judge Jeffrey Pyne is dealing with the death of his wife. And Jeffrey Tambor and John Lithgow seem to have the type of chemistry that could carry the show for awhile ...
And now my fall TV-watching schedule is a little bit clearer ...
... On Sunday nights, a lot has changed. Then again, not much has changed at all ... West Wing is gone. And three weeks in, I'm still trying to get used to the void that used to be the start-to-the-week-pick-me-up that was Grey's Anatomy (which is holding its own on Thursday nights ...) ... Kates and I still have Amazing Race. Love the ethnicity this season. And it wouldn't be Amazing Race without a trashy couple bickering in every show. The Beauty Queens, the Cheerleaders, Alabama -- they all drive me nuts at some point. And the coalminer and his wife -- well, it's all entertaining ... Glad to see Desperate Housewives has returned to its former self. Before the season started, I heard a radio interview with James Denton that had him talking about how messy and chaotic things were behind the scenes last year. Cast members were getting scripts handed to them as they were walking on the stage. Things were screwed up and the show suffered because of it. Denton explained how the writers and everyone involved knew the show had to be turned around. And they've delivered -- the quick wit is back. The deep mystery, the suspense, the tension -- all of it is back, mostly compliments of Orson, who gives me the creeps just looking at him ... Then you have Brothers & Sisters. Eh. The premiere was pretty decent, but ultimately it's probably going to be Sally Field, Calista Flockhart, Rachel Griffiths and the interesting dynamic among the brothers and sisters that keeps us watching, plus the fact that it's on after Desperate Housewives ...
... Come Monday, Kates and are still attached to the CBS sitcoms ... The Class, a pleasant surprise, is charming and fun to watch with its cool and quirky ensemble of characters ...How I Met Your Mother -- Love it. As good as ever ... Two And A Half Men is still strong ... As for The New Adventures of Old Christine, I watched the first couple episodes last spring and barely watched much more. When it won an Emmy, I didn't understand 'Why?' But some of this season's episodes have had us laughing 'til we cry ... At 9 p.m., we're switching to NBC for Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip. The cast is phenomenal and it's hard not to love Aaron Sorkin's racing, walking-the-halls dialogue ... But I think the best new show on television is, by far, Heroes! A sci-fi, comic book, X-men fan I am definitely not. But I've liked watching Hayden Panettiere since Remember The Titans and I was again drawn to the ensemble cast. I watched the first episode and I was hooked! I love the complex characters, although some a more than others (Hiro rocks!) and every twist and turn blows your mind more than one before ...
... on Tuesdays, there's nothing on. Whew! ... at least until According to Jim and Scrubs return mid-season ...
... Wednesday comes and we're all about Lost, dude. Kates and I had half my office over and hosted a Lost party to watch the premiere (... apparently I wasn't the only confused one...). It moves as slow as molasses, but it's a darn fascinating show. Classic story-telling. Fantastic character development ...
... Thursday night arrives ... Five years ago, Survivor didn't stand a chance of showing on my TV, then Friends went off the air, NBC tanked, the Survivor producers added some new twists, added the whole exile island and reeled me in last season. And here I'm back again for this season, even though the point of the racially-divided tribes was ... ? By merging the tribes, the producers rendered their little experience pointless. Either way, I've been rooting hard as heck each week for the Aitu tribe. Yul, Becky, Flica, Jonathan, Candice, Ozzy, Sundra -- what a likable group ... Then the marathon continues when we pickup The Office on the DVR at 8, followed by Grey's Anatomy and the ancient, but rarely dull ER ...
... And on Fridays ... we rest.
TV reads ...
10 fall tube tips
NBC Completely Revamps Fall TV Schedule
TV Commercials Move Beyond the Box
What’s new next fall? Shows to get your blood pumping
And now my fall TV-watching schedule is a little bit clearer ...
... On Sunday nights, a lot has changed. Then again, not much has changed at all ... West Wing is gone. And three weeks in, I'm still trying to get used to the void that used to be the start-to-the-week-pick-me-up that was Grey's Anatomy (which is holding its own on Thursday nights ...) ... Kates and I still have Amazing Race. Love the ethnicity this season. And it wouldn't be Amazing Race without a trashy couple bickering in every show. The Beauty Queens, the Cheerleaders, Alabama -- they all drive me nuts at some point. And the coalminer and his wife -- well, it's all entertaining ... Glad to see Desperate Housewives has returned to its former self. Before the season started, I heard a radio interview with James Denton that had him talking about how messy and chaotic things were behind the scenes last year. Cast members were getting scripts handed to them as they were walking on the stage. Things were screwed up and the show suffered because of it. Denton explained how the writers and everyone involved knew the show had to be turned around. And they've delivered -- the quick wit is back. The deep mystery, the suspense, the tension -- all of it is back, mostly compliments of Orson, who gives me the creeps just looking at him ... Then you have Brothers & Sisters. Eh. The premiere was pretty decent, but ultimately it's probably going to be Sally Field, Calista Flockhart, Rachel Griffiths and the interesting dynamic among the brothers and sisters that keeps us watching, plus the fact that it's on after Desperate Housewives ...
... Come Monday, Kates and are still attached to the CBS sitcoms ... The Class, a pleasant surprise, is charming and fun to watch with its cool and quirky ensemble of characters ...How I Met Your Mother -- Love it. As good as ever ... Two And A Half Men is still strong ... As for The New Adventures of Old Christine, I watched the first couple episodes last spring and barely watched much more. When it won an Emmy, I didn't understand 'Why?' But some of this season's episodes have had us laughing 'til we cry ... At 9 p.m., we're switching to NBC for Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip. The cast is phenomenal and it's hard not to love Aaron Sorkin's racing, walking-the-halls dialogue ... But I think the best new show on television is, by far, Heroes! A sci-fi, comic book, X-men fan I am definitely not. But I've liked watching Hayden Panettiere since Remember The Titans and I was again drawn to the ensemble cast. I watched the first episode and I was hooked! I love the complex characters, although some a more than others (Hiro rocks!) and every twist and turn blows your mind more than one before ...
... on Tuesdays, there's nothing on. Whew! ... at least until According to Jim and Scrubs return mid-season ...
... Wednesday comes and we're all about Lost, dude. Kates and I had half my office over and hosted a Lost party to watch the premiere (... apparently I wasn't the only confused one...). It moves as slow as molasses, but it's a darn fascinating show. Classic story-telling. Fantastic character development ...
... Thursday night arrives ... Five years ago, Survivor didn't stand a chance of showing on my TV, then Friends went off the air, NBC tanked, the Survivor producers added some new twists, added the whole exile island and reeled me in last season. And here I'm back again for this season, even though the point of the racially-divided tribes was ... ? By merging the tribes, the producers rendered their little experience pointless. Either way, I've been rooting hard as heck each week for the Aitu tribe. Yul, Becky, Flica, Jonathan, Candice, Ozzy, Sundra -- what a likable group ... Then the marathon continues when we pickup The Office on the DVR at 8, followed by Grey's Anatomy and the ancient, but rarely dull ER ...
... And on Fridays ... we rest.
TV reads ...
10 fall tube tips
NBC Completely Revamps Fall TV Schedule
TV Commercials Move Beyond the Box
What’s new next fall? Shows to get your blood pumping
10.15.2006
Sunday reading
Some of the stories that caught my eye this last week ...
In the news...
a Plane hit home of parade victim ... poor woman.
On TV ...
a 'SNL' sitcom '30 Rock' is right address ... Seriously!? Has he seen the other TV shows?
a Couric Is in an Unfamiliar Place — 3rd ... and she'd better get used to it.
In Music ...
a Mann of the Hour
a Fleetwood Mac guitarist hits midlife with intensity
a Colvin Re-Emerges After Depression
Baseball ...
a Sponsorship deal calls for White Sox to begin games at 7:11 p.m. ... what'll they think of next?
In the news...
a Plane hit home of parade victim ... poor woman.
On TV ...
a 'SNL' sitcom '30 Rock' is right address ... Seriously!? Has he seen the other TV shows?
a Couric Is in an Unfamiliar Place — 3rd ... and she'd better get used to it.
In Music ...
a Mann of the Hour
a Fleetwood Mac guitarist hits midlife with intensity
a Colvin Re-Emerges After Depression
Baseball ...
a Sponsorship deal calls for White Sox to begin games at 7:11 p.m. ... what'll they think of next?
10.14.2006
Still roarin' !!
... I've been making a practice of it this entire postseason, so why not try it again today ...... Kates was busy this afternoon with errands, so I kept the homefires burning, doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen, and doing the laundry. With all the chores, I knew I wasn't going to be able to pay attention to the Tigers-A's game, so I set the DVR to begin recording the game ...
A little after 5 o' clock -- 90 minutes after the first pitch had been thrown at Comerica Park -- I started watching the game from the beginning. Fast-forwarding through the commercials, I watched as the A's quickly took their 3-0 lead. And then the Tigers crawled back to make the score 3-2 and Magglio Ordonez tied it at 3 in the sixth with a solo shot ...
... Then we watched. And waited. The game still going, and still chasing real time by fast-forwarding through the commercials, Kates and I sat down for dinner (salmon cakes, perogies and salads). We watched the teams go scoreless in the seventh and eighth ...
While the A's were going down scoreless in the top of the 9th, Kates joked that we should click on the remote's "live" button to see if the game was still going. But I wasn't taking that chance, in anticipation of catching one of those oh-so-unforgettable postseason moments. I knew all the Tigers needed was one run and it was over ...
The bottom of the ninth came. One out, two out. Craig Monroe singled, Placido Polanco singled. And then Ordonez came up and ...
Oh my, my.
The moment he connected with the ball, I shot up from my rocking chair, hands in the air and screaming. There was no doubt about it ...
As the ball sailed over the left field wall, the players and Detroit crowd went crazy. Kates burst out in laughter. And I was speechless with, yes, of course, as usual, the happy tears slowly starting to stream down my cheeks ...
... We finished the game at about 7:30 p.m. DVR time, about 45 minutes after the game had actually ended. But it was just as sweet no matter what time it was ...
Go Tigers.
Good Tigers reads ...
a NY Times: Tigers Clean Up Behind Ordóñez
a Tiger mania crosses Canada
a Brooms Anyone? Tigers fans call for sweep
a Tigers fans revel in World Series berth
a Tigers help Detroit revamp its image
And while I'm surfing for baseball news ...
a Hall to recognize O'Neil's legacy ... It's unfortunate it took his death to make it happen, but thanks, Hall of Fame.
a Piniella could be Cubs' skipper choice ... Ugh. I still think Joe Girardi or Bruce Bochy, or even Bob Brenly would be better choices. But I'm not running the Cubs ...
10.13.2006
Pale Force!
For fans of Conan O'Brien and Jim Gaffigan, there's good stuff here ...
* * *
Katie Couric was her old perky self on Letterman last night, and funny as ever. Talking about her plight to find the perfect sign-off, she mentioned fielding viewers suggestions and read some of them to Dave. Among them:
"Here kitty, kitty, kitty" (If you watch Letterman regularly, you'll understand ...)
"Oh snap, look what time it is"
"True that peeps!"
(via Letterman) "Suck on that, losers"
"Thanks for watching. I'm Katie Couric. And I'm not just for breakfast anymore."
(via Bob Barker) "I'm Katie Couric. Thanks for watching. Don't forget to spay and neuter your pets."
... good stuff. Still not a fan of her broadcast. And I'm not surprised it's slipping in the ratings.
* * *
... Kates and I saw one of the funniest commercials we've seen in a long time last night ...
... The opening shot shows a woman knelt over her flower garden and putting a spray on the plants. A neighbor looks over the fence and asks, "Hey, where'd you get that fertilizer?" The woman answers, "Oh just something I found at the store." ... then a pan of the woman's yard shows the flowers disintegrating, the house falling apart, bare trees and a clump of leaves falling on the woman ...
... Replay the opening shot again. The neighbor looks over the fence again and asks, "Hey, where'd you get that spray?" This time, the woman answers, "It's something I found on Yahoo." And suddenly the entire yard springs to life, the flowers bloom. And a little white dog climbs out from beneath the ground, comes to all fours and shakes the dirt off. The woman, still knelt over her garden, has a puzzled look and says, "Scruffy?" Then a little girl runs from her nearby swing and exclaims "Scruffy, you're alive!"
HA-larious!
* * *
Katie Couric was her old perky self on Letterman last night, and funny as ever. Talking about her plight to find the perfect sign-off, she mentioned fielding viewers suggestions and read some of them to Dave. Among them:
"Here kitty, kitty, kitty" (If you watch Letterman regularly, you'll understand ...)
"Oh snap, look what time it is"
"True that peeps!"
(via Letterman) "Suck on that, losers"
"Thanks for watching. I'm Katie Couric. And I'm not just for breakfast anymore."
(via Bob Barker) "I'm Katie Couric. Thanks for watching. Don't forget to spay and neuter your pets."
... good stuff. Still not a fan of her broadcast. And I'm not surprised it's slipping in the ratings.
* * *
... Kates and I saw one of the funniest commercials we've seen in a long time last night ...
... The opening shot shows a woman knelt over her flower garden and putting a spray on the plants. A neighbor looks over the fence and asks, "Hey, where'd you get that fertilizer?" The woman answers, "Oh just something I found at the store." ... then a pan of the woman's yard shows the flowers disintegrating, the house falling apart, bare trees and a clump of leaves falling on the woman ...
... Replay the opening shot again. The neighbor looks over the fence again and asks, "Hey, where'd you get that spray?" This time, the woman answers, "It's something I found on Yahoo." And suddenly the entire yard springs to life, the flowers bloom. And a little white dog climbs out from beneath the ground, comes to all fours and shakes the dirt off. The woman, still knelt over her garden, has a puzzled look and says, "Scruffy?" Then a little girl runs from her nearby swing and exclaims "Scruffy, you're alive!"
HA-larious!
10.12.2006
Grey's matter
... a fellow Grey's Anatomy die-hard told me today she would scream if Meredith was pregnant ... Thankfully, Meredith's sickness ended up being just an appendectomy ...
But seriously? We're starting to think Grey's has lost its mojo ... We're now four episodes into the third season and, so far, only the second episode has had any substance or remnants of the old Grey's -- fast action, quirkly cases, good-old fashioned fun and, the best part, Bailey's Nazi-ness ...
Seriously? The whole Meredith/Finn/McDreamy love triangle is getting really old fast. And, until tonight's out-of-the-blue Mr. Nice Guys heart-to-heart talk between Fin and Dreamy, the whole anything-you-can-do-I-can-do-better things was terribly childish ...
And above all, Izzie is beyond CRA-zy ... Looney. Tunes. ... The Grey's writers officially lost their way the night they decided to have Izzie fall in love with her heart patient, Denny (who they should've killed off after his first or second episode). Then she steals a heart for him. He dies. She spends a day laying on the bathroom floor in her prom dress. And then, she stands outside staring at the hospital all day ... If I was Chief, there's no way I'd let her get near my hospital, unless she's checking in to get some serious counseling ...
Tonight's storyline with Izzie meeting Denny's father made no sense. Surprise. None of the Denny storyline has made sense. Yeah, they should've killed him off after the first or second ...
... and oh, how convenient (and predictable) was it for Chief and McSteamy to meet up at the hotel last week and ... oh, look at that. McSteamy is the newest surgeon to join the hospital staff.
Ugh.
... at least the story involving Burke, with his battle to rehab his hand and his relationship with Christina, was finally compelling tonight ...
... it came out today that Patrick Dempsey and Isaiah Washington were fighting on the set. My cohorts and I could only hope they were fighting about the direction of the show ...
But seriously? We're starting to think Grey's has lost its mojo ... We're now four episodes into the third season and, so far, only the second episode has had any substance or remnants of the old Grey's -- fast action, quirkly cases, good-old fashioned fun and, the best part, Bailey's Nazi-ness ...
Seriously? The whole Meredith/Finn/McDreamy love triangle is getting really old fast. And, until tonight's out-of-the-blue Mr. Nice Guys heart-to-heart talk between Fin and Dreamy, the whole anything-you-can-do-I-can-do-better things was terribly childish ...
And above all, Izzie is beyond CRA-zy ... Looney. Tunes. ... The Grey's writers officially lost their way the night they decided to have Izzie fall in love with her heart patient, Denny (who they should've killed off after his first or second episode). Then she steals a heart for him. He dies. She spends a day laying on the bathroom floor in her prom dress. And then, she stands outside staring at the hospital all day ... If I was Chief, there's no way I'd let her get near my hospital, unless she's checking in to get some serious counseling ...
Tonight's storyline with Izzie meeting Denny's father made no sense. Surprise. None of the Denny storyline has made sense. Yeah, they should've killed him off after the first or second ...
... and oh, how convenient (and predictable) was it for Chief and McSteamy to meet up at the hotel last week and ... oh, look at that. McSteamy is the newest surgeon to join the hospital staff.
Ugh.
... at least the story involving Burke, with his battle to rehab his hand and his relationship with Christina, was finally compelling tonight ...
... it came out today that Patrick Dempsey and Isaiah Washington were fighting on the set. My cohorts and I could only hope they were fighting about the direction of the show ...
How great thou art
... Oh, DVR, how we love thee ...... Sure, Kates and I have five shows we watch on both Mondays and Thursdays. Have no fear, DVR is here...
... On Tuesday night, I had some other work to finish before I could sit down to watch Game 1 of the ALCS. So I set the DVR to reord the game ...
When I finished my work, I took my seat in front of the tele, started up the DVR -- an almost 90 minutes after the first pitch had been thrown and proceeded to watch the Tigers throttle the A's. Commercial-free, I might add.
It was great.
... Wednesday night. Kates arrived home from work. We made a road trip to DQ to use some coupons. Then with a couple grilled burger baskets and moo-lates (mmm. mmm. good) in hand, we were catching up on part of a Conan from last week, Monday night's Letterman with Robin Williams (HA-larious. We laughed with tears in our eyes ...) and Tuesday night's "Daily Show." And then it was on to the baseball ...
... One of these days we'll get to the episodes of "Heroes" and "Six Degrees" stacked up on our DVR ...
Noted with an interesting piece in USA Today this morning, it's a whole new era for TV. Put all the best shows at 8 p.m. on Thursday night if they want, we'll find a way to watch 'em. On our time. Time slots barely matter anymore with DVRs, and downloadable TV shows on the network Web sites. The best TV shows get richer and the worst shows get canceled after two weeks ...
10.11.2006
Go Tigers!
... they nearly gave me a heart attack, letting the A's load the bases with two outs and Frank Thomas coming to the plate ...
... but hey, we're up 2-0, baby!
... but hey, we're up 2-0, baby!
Cartoon sampler
... when the world is in such chaos, it helps to have a few good political cartoons to make you laugh ...
... without a doubt, the greatest portrayal of Kim Jong-Ill came in "Team America" (... rent it if you haven't already! It's HA-larious ...), but these'll do too ...
... without a doubt, the greatest portrayal of Kim Jong-Ill came in "Team America" (... rent it if you haven't already! It's HA-larious ...), but these'll do too ...
Cory Lidle killed in crash
Unbelievable ...
One moment I'm in our office teasing my cohorts for crowding around the TV to see the CNN coverage of a plane crash in Manhattan. The obvious question on everyone's mind centers on terrorism, and I'm cracking jokes about CNN's tendency to blow small stories out of proportion with non-stop, repetitive coverage ...
The next moment I'm home and trying to catch a little bit of Sportscenter and the nightly news before going to the gym. Officials were now saying Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle was killed in the crash. Suddenly I was the one who couldn't pull myself from the TV ...
My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved ...
One moment I'm in our office teasing my cohorts for crowding around the TV to see the CNN coverage of a plane crash in Manhattan. The obvious question on everyone's mind centers on terrorism, and I'm cracking jokes about CNN's tendency to blow small stories out of proportion with non-stop, repetitive coverage ...
The next moment I'm home and trying to catch a little bit of Sportscenter and the nightly news before going to the gym. Officials were now saying Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle was killed in the crash. Suddenly I was the one who couldn't pull myself from the TV ...
My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved ...
10.09.2006
Images from Chicago
Chicago, Chicago that toddling town
Chicago, Chicago I'll show you around - I love it
Bet your bottom dollar youll lose the blues in Chicago
... as soon as we could get out of town Sunday afternoon, Kates and I were crusing to Chicago to celebrate our anniversary/Columbus Day/freedom from at least one day of the real world. All of the reservations were made weeks ago and couldn't seem to come fast enough ...
... The weather was picture perfect, and as usual, so was the city ...
... The weather was picture perfect, and as usual, so was the city ...
... we checked into our hotel on Michigan Avenue, dropped our bags and promptly took to the streets ... strolling along Michigan Avenue ... We took in the views from atop the Hancock Center, and then fulfilled our 5:30 reservation at the Signature Room. Our window-side table offered a breath-taking view of Navy Pier and Lake Michigan. Kates had the pork chop. I had the salmon ...
From there, we hailed a cab -- with a classic taxi driver who mused about George Bush, the Iraq war and led us to believe he had it all figured out -- and were off to Second City ... for not the most memorable Second City show we've seen. It was a Sunday night double-header that, as far as we could tell, starred the "B" cast or perhaps the comedians in training. ... the first show was a one-man act. Something with a guy portraying multiple characters (an eccentric cooking instructor, a zealous financial planner ...) at a community center. But instead of falling out of our seats from laughing, we were squirming and trying to keep from leaving ... The second show featured a cast of two gals and two guys doing a varity of quick sketches. Although it was a slight improvement, the awful standup acts in between the sketches didn't help the mood ... ... we had more fun back at our hotel, watching "Cast Away" ... great movie. It's a shame Tom Hanks didn't win an Oscar for it ...
Monday arrived. Another picture perfect day. Summer-like temperatures.
... We ran across the street from our hotel for a quick breakfast at Dunkin Donuts. Some tasty cofee cake and we were walking the streets again. We strolled the plaza outside the Tribune Tower and NBC studios. We did Millennium Park. Paid homage to The Bean. Navigated the gardens. Basked by the fountains ...
Some Chicago-style pan pizza for lunch ...
... and we let the iPod carry us back home ...
10.07.2006
Here me roar!!
Tigers win!! 
YES!
... what a turnaround. And I called it ... :)
... If I heard the Fox broadcasters say "Everybody picked the Yankees to win this series" one more time I was gonna barf/scream/drive to Detroit myself and woop 'em upside the head ...
... Ok, so I wasn't 100 percent sure about the Tigers beating the Yankees -- given the way the Tigers blew the AL Central lead down the stretch -- but looking at the Yankees overhyped roster, lack of chemistry, and history of fading in the postseason, the Tigers weren't exactly underdogs in this series either ...
... watching Bondermann pitch a gem of a game ...
... seeing the fans going crazy ...
... watching the team carry Leyland off the field ...
... the celebration in the clubhouse ...
... a sign that read "Jim Leyland for Governor" ...
... the players coming back on to the field and dousing the fans with champagne ...
... Kenny Rogers dousing a security guard ...
Sights to remember. One down, two more to go. Go Tigers.
By the way, has anybody found the Twins offense?
Buck ...
... a sad sigh came from my mouth last night as we were getting ready for bed and I saw on the ESPN crawler that Buck O'Neil had died ...
... he was one of the greatest ambassadors and personalities every to grace the game of baseball ...
... it's a mistake he's not in the Hall of Fame ...
... he was one of the greatest ambassadors and personalities every to grace the game of baseball ...
... it's a mistake he's not in the Hall of Fame ...
10.03.2006
Marlins fire manager Joe Girardi
Marlins fire manager Joe Girardi
...The Marlins are like a real-life 'Major League.' Idiot owner who's only interested in getting his new stadium or he'll move the team, so he fills it with a bunch no names and young players ... except in the Marlins case the team didn't get to the post season, the manager gets booted ...
...The Marlins are like a real-life 'Major League.' Idiot owner who's only interested in getting his new stadium or he'll move the team, so he fills it with a bunch no names and young players ... except in the Marlins case the team didn't get to the post season, the manager gets booted ...
10.02.2006
Streaming from my baseball consciousness ...
To start, a good column from Tim Dahlberg: Goodbye to a season, era; hello to good times
* * *
... So Dusty was officially fired today. No surprise ... at midseason, I was fighting it, but watching the wheels fall further from the bus as the season plodded along -- I've accepted it. The Cubs need a change ...
... And of course the rumors were flying about who would replace Dusty, even before Jim Hendry sat down with him this morning to say 'you're fired!' ... Leading candidates appear to be Joe Girardi and Lou Pinella, along with the whispers of Bob Brenly. If you ask me, all would be top-rate choices, but I'm eyeing up Girardi for a few simple reasons: He's a former Cub and he knows Chicago, which should make it a little easier for him to deal with the relentless fans and media. He did wonders for the young Marlins this year, even while no one in Florida cared. And he's experienced winning in a top-notch organization, sitting next to Joe Torre and the New York Yankees ...
... The real shocker -- to me, at least -- was Andy MacPhail resigning as President yesterday. Kates and I had been out and I turned on the TV, hoping to catch the end of the Cubs game. Instead, there was MacPhail at the microphone announcing the decision. I collapsed onto the coffee table and didn't move for the next 10-20 minutes, sitting glued to the proceedings on the TV ... OK, so you look at his record during his tenure with the Cubs -- two postseason appearances in 12 years -- and it's not great. But with the legacy and respect he commands in baseball, it was hard for me to ever doubt him ... I'll miss him, but if John McDonough follows through on what he virtually promised yesterday -- to bring a World Series title to the fans -- all will be forgotten ...
... Seriously. You absolutely cannot blame this disaster that was the Cubs season on Dusty Baker and Andy MacPhail, nor Jim Hendry. Flat out: Injuries blew up the core of the Cubs lineup and rotation, and you can't expect to win with a lineup full of inexperienced minor leaguers ... Given the way the team looked on paper, I was as optimistic as ever when the season arrived, but the air went out of it the night Derrek Lee went down. The pitching couldn't hold us up in close games. And Aramis Ramirez's horrible start didn't help either.
As for next year? ... First things first, let's get rid of Prior and Wood and rebuild the rotation while we can. Face it, both their arms are so diced up, they're never going to be the same ... From there, the Cubs need to do everything they can to keep Ramirez -- no one can argue he's the best third baseman this team has seen since Ron Santo and he's an easy fan favorite ... and say all you want about Juan Pierre's lack of productivity at times, but he's the kind of leadoff hitter the Cubs have been lacking for years. The dude can flat out bunt and run. He makes things happen and he's not a bad center fielder either ... Matt Murton should be playing left field every day ... Michael Barrett should be named Captain ... and c'mon, the way Ryan Theriot has played to finish the season, he should be a no-brainer at second base ... and if you've got some money left, then you go for Alfonso Soriano as a solid shortstop ...
... Can't wait 'til next year ...
* * *
... I cannot believe the Tigers didn't win the division. They had it in the palms of their paws! ... What a let-down for Detroit. ... If they don't at least get to the World Series, it'll be a lost season ...
* * *
... the continued steroid allegations and mysteries is just plain sad ...
... yeah, I've heard the rumors about Clemens too, but he's just always seemed to be too much of a classy guy to me to be so stupid. Same with Petite ...
... Grimsley, on the other hand, seems like kind of the shady character to me. You think!? He was caught with steroids and HGH ...
Now there's this ...
* * *
America's nightmare continues ...
Barry Bonds will be back in 2007
... I'm so furious about what Barry's done to the sport, I'm speechless ...
... wake me up when it's over.
Meanwhile the soap opera in San Francisco continues ...
a Giants part ways with manager Alou
a Giants won't rebuild team around Bonds
a Time for Magowan to kick Bonds habit ... Great, great column. I'm hearing millions of baseball fans cry out "Amen!" right now.
* * *
Playoff predictions?
My dream World Series would be those inspiring Tigers and my first love, the L.A. Dodgers ... but the way both played down the stretch, I'm not holding my breath ...
The National League is a mess ... The Mets seemed to be a given as World Series Champions until Pedro went down for the season. And they haven't exactly been hot since they clinched the division in, like, what, June!? ... The Cardinals nearly imploded ... and the Padres and Dodgers -- annual story of the NL West -- weren't exactly blowing teams away all season ...
Perhaps Tony LaRussa and Willie Randolph can rally their troops for a good run, but my gut tells me the Padres -- they've got gamers: Todd Walker, Mike Piazza, David Wells, Trevor Hoffman -- are going to scratch their way in ...
In the American League, any one of them has a strong chance at the World Series. All four teams are deeply competitve, well managed and chock-full of fun players to watch ... yes. Dare I say it. Even the Yankees ... But. Right now, it seems as though the Twins are on a mission and can't be stopped ...
When the World Series comes: Twins over the Padres in five games.
* * *
... So Dusty was officially fired today. No surprise ... at midseason, I was fighting it, but watching the wheels fall further from the bus as the season plodded along -- I've accepted it. The Cubs need a change ...
... And of course the rumors were flying about who would replace Dusty, even before Jim Hendry sat down with him this morning to say 'you're fired!' ... Leading candidates appear to be Joe Girardi and Lou Pinella, along with the whispers of Bob Brenly. If you ask me, all would be top-rate choices, but I'm eyeing up Girardi for a few simple reasons: He's a former Cub and he knows Chicago, which should make it a little easier for him to deal with the relentless fans and media. He did wonders for the young Marlins this year, even while no one in Florida cared. And he's experienced winning in a top-notch organization, sitting next to Joe Torre and the New York Yankees ...
... The real shocker -- to me, at least -- was Andy MacPhail resigning as President yesterday. Kates and I had been out and I turned on the TV, hoping to catch the end of the Cubs game. Instead, there was MacPhail at the microphone announcing the decision. I collapsed onto the coffee table and didn't move for the next 10-20 minutes, sitting glued to the proceedings on the TV ... OK, so you look at his record during his tenure with the Cubs -- two postseason appearances in 12 years -- and it's not great. But with the legacy and respect he commands in baseball, it was hard for me to ever doubt him ... I'll miss him, but if John McDonough follows through on what he virtually promised yesterday -- to bring a World Series title to the fans -- all will be forgotten ...
... Seriously. You absolutely cannot blame this disaster that was the Cubs season on Dusty Baker and Andy MacPhail, nor Jim Hendry. Flat out: Injuries blew up the core of the Cubs lineup and rotation, and you can't expect to win with a lineup full of inexperienced minor leaguers ... Given the way the team looked on paper, I was as optimistic as ever when the season arrived, but the air went out of it the night Derrek Lee went down. The pitching couldn't hold us up in close games. And Aramis Ramirez's horrible start didn't help either.
As for next year? ... First things first, let's get rid of Prior and Wood and rebuild the rotation while we can. Face it, both their arms are so diced up, they're never going to be the same ... From there, the Cubs need to do everything they can to keep Ramirez -- no one can argue he's the best third baseman this team has seen since Ron Santo and he's an easy fan favorite ... and say all you want about Juan Pierre's lack of productivity at times, but he's the kind of leadoff hitter the Cubs have been lacking for years. The dude can flat out bunt and run. He makes things happen and he's not a bad center fielder either ... Matt Murton should be playing left field every day ... Michael Barrett should be named Captain ... and c'mon, the way Ryan Theriot has played to finish the season, he should be a no-brainer at second base ... and if you've got some money left, then you go for Alfonso Soriano as a solid shortstop ...
... Can't wait 'til next year ...
* * *
... I cannot believe the Tigers didn't win the division. They had it in the palms of their paws! ... What a let-down for Detroit. ... If they don't at least get to the World Series, it'll be a lost season ...
* * *
... the continued steroid allegations and mysteries is just plain sad ...
... yeah, I've heard the rumors about Clemens too, but he's just always seemed to be too much of a classy guy to me to be so stupid. Same with Petite ...
... Grimsley, on the other hand, seems like kind of the shady character to me. You think!? He was caught with steroids and HGH ...
Now there's this ...
* * *
America's nightmare continues ...
Barry Bonds will be back in 2007
... I'm so furious about what Barry's done to the sport, I'm speechless ...
... wake me up when it's over.
Meanwhile the soap opera in San Francisco continues ...
a Giants part ways with manager Alou
a Giants won't rebuild team around Bonds
a Time for Magowan to kick Bonds habit ... Great, great column. I'm hearing millions of baseball fans cry out "Amen!" right now.
* * *
Playoff predictions?
My dream World Series would be those inspiring Tigers and my first love, the L.A. Dodgers ... but the way both played down the stretch, I'm not holding my breath ...
The National League is a mess ... The Mets seemed to be a given as World Series Champions until Pedro went down for the season. And they haven't exactly been hot since they clinched the division in, like, what, June!? ... The Cardinals nearly imploded ... and the Padres and Dodgers -- annual story of the NL West -- weren't exactly blowing teams away all season ...
Perhaps Tony LaRussa and Willie Randolph can rally their troops for a good run, but my gut tells me the Padres -- they've got gamers: Todd Walker, Mike Piazza, David Wells, Trevor Hoffman -- are going to scratch their way in ...
In the American League, any one of them has a strong chance at the World Series. All four teams are deeply competitve, well managed and chock-full of fun players to watch ... yes. Dare I say it. Even the Yankees ... But. Right now, it seems as though the Twins are on a mission and can't be stopped ...
When the World Series comes: Twins over the Padres in five games.
10.01.2006
Good reads
Sometimes fun, mostly just interesting and insightful reads from the last week and beyond ...Cubs stuff...
a Why Cubs deep-sixed in '06
a Depression in a shade of Blue ... by buddy Matt (he's a Mets fan ...) sent me this one. If you're a Cubs fan you can relate ...
Baseball stuff...
a Absence of 20-game winners: emerging trend or statistical anomaly?
a Fun stats, facts enliven baseball
Baseball from The Onion ...
a Bud Selig Nervously Informs Ozzie Guillen That White Sox Aren't Making Playoffs
a Frank Thomas Credits Recent Power Surge To Steroids
a Trevor Hoffman: 'I Want To Be A Hall Of Famer Right Now'
Politics ...
a A textbook definition of cowardice ... Keith Olbermann comments on Bill Clinton's Fox News interview ... you hate to play the blame game with who was more responsible for not stopping the 9/11 attacks, but watching Bill Clinton lash out earlier this week was bliss ... ... and seriously. It was not an attack on journalists. Whah, whah, whah ...
Entertainment ...
a Absurd TV ... the things we hardly seem to notice about our favorite TV shows ...
a "Itsy Bitsy" mistake: Songwriter still alive ... oops! More proof that what goes around comes around ...
a The French and Germans have remade the BBC series. Why?
a He's just a Jersey Joe ... good stuff on Zach Braff.
a 'Cause I said so ... John Mayer’s musings
a 'Sunshine' star shines as a sweet kid
Other stuff ...
a These Badgers exhibit band loyalty ... undoubtedly one of the greatest marching bands in the world. The story of their boot camps and loyalty is legend ...
a Microsoft's Zune player to cost $249.99 ... I'm not buying it. The iPod rules the world. And don't even get me started on Microsoft software ...
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