clincher

I know I should have posted this two days ago...but I had a weekend full of thinking too much, sleeping not at all and a well-timed bout of food poisoning.

The thought that got me through it all?

CUBS CLINCH!








Congratulations, you 2008 National Central Divison Champs, you!
7 games left of regular season play...and then on to the playoffs!
The 100 years war is far from over...but a significant battle has been won.

The List is Life

With the stock market in a current free fall, the daily harangues from my Republican father, Ike's death tolls, McPalin, off duty cops capping their own kids - all buzzing in my cranium, I need to focus on something positive.

Seems like lots of good stuff is actually peeping out at me today. What the hell. I'll give Oprah's methodology a shot and make a list. See if that exercise makes me appreciate the universe 8.5% more than had I not.

In no particular order (with the exception of number 1):

1. #4 - aka the Cubs magic number. Could clinch NL division this week!
2. Rachael Yamagata - This former vocalist for Chicago funk band Bumpus, is dropping her new solo album like it's hot and playing at the Lakeshore Theater on October 1st. Tix are $20. Right now, I'm a maybe for the concert, but a definite for her new album.
3. Dave Lykins - They made him put a label on it...and he named it "Subversive Country." If you like Steve Earle, you'll want to do yourself a favor and pick up Mr. Lykins' new cd, Blurry White Guy. I'm in for two copies, yo!
4. Darwin Award Nominee - SUV BMW, meet Cal-Sag Channel. Cal-Sag, meet BMW.
5. Marriage - I know have friends on every side of this coin, but two people I know who adore each other are getting hitched this weekend, and even though I won't be there to witness it, just thinking about it fills me with a large amount of happy.
6. The Forecast - After driving past the floodplain that is my hood last night, I'm ecstatic that we have dry skies and warm temps for the next week. Let the waters ebb, my brotha.
7. Improv Everywhere - Is bringing it's mp3 experiment to Chicago next month. I'm not sure if I'll have the stamina after that day long voter reg event in Michigan...but I'm putting it on my calendar.
8. Plan! - My three-tiered plan starts on Friday with Fake Lake!
9. Shirt! - I'm currently wearing my new favorite shirt. I call it "Ode to Alan Alda." While it isn't a match, it reminds me in color (blue and white) and tone (kimono style) of something I recall "Hawkeye" wearing a lot. Last weekend, I wore it with my army green khakis -which led to this Alda-related epiphany. I had to stop myself from giggling out loud and pulling people aside to tell them, "If my outfit were a tv show, it would be M*A*S*H."
10. Mad Men - Disk 3 of Season 1 should be in my mailbox when I get home. I can't wait until after the CAPS meeting to dig back into it!


Okay, I'm sure there is more, but my computer is making googley eyes and running super slow...so I'm going to post this before el-crasho-mundo.


This is an older song of Rachael's that I really love.
Click here for Rachael's new video (if you are in a maudlin mood, steer clear. )

HOPE: A Play In Two Acts

Act One: The 'Alaska Women Reject Palin Rally'
This rally was organized by a small group of women, talking over coffee. These women hatched the plan, printed up flyers, posted them around town, and sent notices to local media outlets. One of those media outlets was KBYR radio, home of Eddie Burke, a long-time uber-conservative Anchorage talk show host. Turns out that Eddie Burke not only announced the rally, but called the people who planned to attend the rally “a bunch of socialist baby-killing maggots”, and read the home phone numbers of the organizers aloud over the air, urging listeners to call and tell them what they thought. The women, of course, received many nasty, harassing and threatening messages.

The rally was a huge success and had a bigger turn out that the GOP plotted "Welcome Home" rally for Palin.
GOP/Asshole Talk Show Hosts 0, Mammas for Obama 1.




My mom once dressed up in a gorilla suit and came to my grade school (the other mom's were dressed up as "cute" witches and cats.) So you'll have to excuse my bias to the mom who dressed up as a polar bear. Hells, yeah.





Act Two: The No Hitter



I believe. I believe. I believe that This. Is. The. Year.

buzz

100 years war

I've been meaning to post about the Cubs sweep of Milwaukee last week...but I've been too high from the sheer joy of it. And the last two games against Houston? It's was like watching Lupus catch that fly ball! You just want to jump up and down with glee! 69-46! Such. Lovely. Numbers.


Here's the odd thing though. Normally, I would be sharing all the ups and downs of the season with my grandmother Wanda. I can hear telling me how good her boys were today...and how those lousy bums need to learn how to field already! Her voice is like a song that gets stuck in your head. It fades in and out, but it's constantly swimming around in there.

Wanda passed away just over 3 years ago and in her absence I've been calling my Pop (her son) to commiserate and celebrate accordingly. It's not the same. First off, my Pop is more a Bears fan than a Cubs fan. Sure, you can be both, but in this case, I think he'd end our season early, if it meant getting to football season faster.

Also, I don't know which my father is more frustrated with, my support of Obama (he's for McCain and still can't figure how he raised "such a freaking liberal")...or for my complete and utter optimism for the Cubs going all the way this season.

Instead of enjoying what a phenonmenal year it continues to be, he watches games and reports back to me with nothing but contempt and the assurity that they are going to blow it out their old wazoos....any day now. It's like he won't allow himself be hopeful on any level.


Just you watch. They'll blow it yet.

In a way, I think my Pop has taken a lot of hits in the past few years - his health, his ability to work and care for himself and in general, just being a bit lonely. Because of these things, he really doesn't want to have any more hopes dashed. I can't blame him, but I wish he could just allow himself to enjoy the moment.


More importantly, he's totally killing my buzz, yo.


Go Cubs! Kick some Cardinal ASS this weekend! For Wanda, kids. For Wanda.

show-off

There are only SIX peformances of Metaluna left! That's the thing about short runs...they are muthascratchin'...short! I'm going to enjoy every minute left of these folks...even with this stupid sinus cold that will not jump ship.


If you haven't seen it, you only have a few more chances:

Tonight! Friday, Aug 8 - 8:00pm
Saturday, Aug 9 - 8:00pm
Sunday, Aug 10 - 7:00pm

Thursday, Aug 14 - 8:00pm
Friday, Aug 15 - 8:00pm
Saturday, Aug 15 - 8:00pm - CLOSING NIGHT

I'm gonna miss these fools and foolishness.

keep hope alive

The Cubs are hanging onto their lead over Milwaukee...next week's four game series looks to be a pretty exciting match-up. This is usually about the time of the season when the Cubs start tanking and making sure we're on a path to be mathmatically eliminated...or so my father keeps reminding me.

It's just hard for some folks to hang onto that hope...but what else is there, but to hope! Especially when they've been delivering since spring.

The only pill I have to swallow (constantly) is my complete disregard for Zambrano as a person. As a pitcher and player, he's immensely skilled, no doubt. But, to quote a nasally delivered line from a favorite movie, "I can't STAND 'im!" I try to look past his oafish, annoying qualities and try to think of him solely as a player who is working hard to take the team all the way to the playoffs. We need his consistancy more that I need to like him off the field.


It's funny to discuss being positive and hopeful about this season, when we've been at the top of the heap all season long. How we have to keep ourselves in check...just in case. Well I call bullshit. They are going to defend (and win) the National League pennant and we'll be playing ball in October. You just gotta believe.


Bottom of the 8th against the Marlins...2-2.

Let's Go Cubs!!

ongoing
While I'm very happy that Obama had finally secured the nomination and while I'm thrilled this historic moment is getting it's due on the morning news, something still struck me like a stone in my gut today.

This morning, when I was getting ready for work, I didn't hear one news report about Iraq. I heard about Iran. And I heard about Israel...but nothing about a country where our soliders continue to be stationed and where people - who's lives and homes and livings have been destroyed and continue to deteriorate.

It astounded me. So I went looking.

I just read this article about a young Iraqi man who is now living in Philadelphia. I encourage you to take a few minutes to read it. It's both a window and a mirror that more Americans need to study and react to.

I think the only way we are going to extract any measure of progress out of this fucked up situation is to listen to the Iraqi people. And to our people working with them on the ground. To put ourselves in their shoes and engage our leaders to make the right choices in the coming weeks, months and years.




After reading this article, it occured to me that my tongue-in-cheek reference of this season of the Cubs as a "war" might offend someone who has a direct link to the ongoing war in Iraq or has lost a loved one or friend. That was never was my intention. War is horrific and painful and as a country (where bombs aren't going off on a daily basis) we are often cavalier in our respects towards the casualties on all sides of this action.



I call it 100 years war, because the Cubs connect me to my grandmother, Wanda, whom we lost 2 years ago last February. Her life in some ways seemed like a struggle to me. And while she never had to deal with suicide bombers, she did have more than her share of tragedy, heartbreak and loss. Still, she was a huge fan and every time I think of the Cubs - watch a game or even see someone just wearing a Cubs logo - I think of her. And for the last couple of years, it's made the loss of her something that becomes tangible in that moment.

My brain just zips right to her yelling at the TV or the radio. Calling them bums one minute and then telling me how fantastic they are and how they're good boys. In a way, being a Cubs fan has always equated with struggle...and at the same time, a hopefulness. So, in a way, loving the Cubs is connected to my love for her...and (I'm sure I'm not the only one who foists these feelings upon their home team) the struggle for them to make it to the world series seems like an ongoing battle with a strong emotional and personal impact.

If comparing a sporting event to an unjust and unending action in the Middle East is offensive to anyone reading this, I again extend my apologies. I do discern a vast difference in them and want to make that clear.

she's a stacy

Last week some folks I know were talking about Hilliary and her unwillingness to exit the race. The Tribune compared her to a cat that refuses to die after being run over. How she's alienating Dems right and left and may in fact be damaging the party wholesale.

Ouch. My comment was that instead of making the smart move and bowing out with some/any semblance of grace or stewardship, she seems bent on going out like that heinous stereotype of the clingy ex-girlfriend (re: Stacy from Wayne's World.) And I'm not the only one with that belief. She's become the psycho girlfriend who can't stop calling.

As much as it's a boon to women everywhere to have had a viable female candidate running for the White House, she's now (much like Bush trashed the world's support after 9-11) causing more and more damage and trashing the gains. After decades of listening to lame jokes of what a woman leader would be like [insert bit about menstruation, shopping, chocolate, etc.], she is truly injuring the perception of a woman in the presidency. Turning what could be a proud moment for American women into a throwaway joke for a stand up.

[in my best Ron Burgandy voice] Get classy, Hilliary. For the love of all that is right, class your shit up.

100 years war

Please excuse this small outburst. MUTHATRUCKA!! WE SWEPT THE DIAMONDBACKS!!! WOOT!!! A sweet, sweet victory - which puts us back up at the top, tied in first with St. Louis. It's silly how a ballgame can make you feel lousy or fantastic...but I'm glad we're on the right side of that coin! And to sweep a team that's been playing as well as the D-backs...and it IS the D-backs (after they booted us so unceremoniously from the playoffs)...I'm walking on muthafuckin' sunshine!

Not to say I told you so, but I totally told you they just needed some home games to reset that on the road bullshit. Word.

be a man, be a klug-man!

I've been feeling a bit under the weather - not really sick, but bordering on it. Just groggy enough not to realise that I missed celebrating my most favorite of holidays on Sunday. Jack Klugman's Birthday! A long time ago, I figured if folks were celebrating things like Licorice Day, Baby Massage Day, Wear Your Pajamas To Work Day, National Hairball Awareness Day - all actual holidays, by the by...that I would be entirely in the right to celebrate Mr. Jack Klugman!

a few reasons why I continue to honor Klugman:

1) Quincy, M.E. freaking ROCKS- way ahead of it's time (20yrs ahead of all the CSI-style shows)

2) Was married to Brett Somers (the comic foil to Charles Nelson Reilly on Match Game) for 54 yrs (although they split up after 20-some yrs...neither ever filed for divorce and they worked together and remained close friend until her death.) As a little girl, my two biggest influnces on what kind of "girl" I wanted to be when I grew up was Laverne DeFazio and Brett Somers. I wanted to be a wiseass that could kick ass...whose father owned a pizzeria and bowling alley. Dream Big People.

3) I once learned he had a "bitter feud" with Norman Fell. I find that fascinating to this day.


If you need more reasons, rent any top-rated TV show from the 50's. He probably had a guest star spot in at least one episode. Or better yet, rent Quincy. I recommend Season 2....that's when he really starts getting his righteous indignation on with all the bells and whistles.



100 years war

Cubs are back home tonight playing the Brewers. Right now, we're at 16-9 (again, just celebrating a day at a time.) We're statistically tied with St. Louis for the division (pending the results of tonights game, of course), and are 2nd in the NL overall - Arizona is at 19-7.

Not too bad for the end of April, Chicago. Not too bad at all.



you don't know jack!

A group of friends have been, well, obsessed with playing QUIZZO (the pub trivia game) - for the past few weeks. Right now (according to our glorious leader), we are 2nd in our Division (Midwest States) and 4th in the National standings (statistically, we may be sharing 4th with multiple teams at this time.)

We've always finished in the top 3 - once in 3rd, most in 2nd, with 3 WINS! We've also set the pub record for high score on our second win, which has yet to be breeched.

Anyway, the National Finals are in Atlantic City the first weekend in June. Right now, there's no way I can go - I just can't afford it right now. But everyone's excited about the prospect of going, so folks are talking about holding a fundraiser to offset the cost of going. Hell, we've even started talking about renting an RV! Which in my mind, is a bad 80's disaster comedy waiting to happen.

We'll see if we can pull it off. It sounds crazy to haul all the way to AC for a silly trivia contest...but then again, why else would you drive half way across the nation? I mean, besides the Las Vegas style gambling? Personally, I suspect I may be too old to embrace the road trip...with 6-10 bodies. As the years pass, I'm really good about sharing everything I have...except my personal space. I'm a cranky old goat when it comes to that. Time shall tell...