Drone1047

....or maybe not.

2006-02-27T20:04:00.000-08:00

It never happened. Too many ideas, too little time.

I have another idea....lower-maintenance. Good idea, though. We will see.

Coming Soon

2005-12-23T15:13:00.000-08:00

I think I have bored of this site and this format.

My blog is moving...

New Title

New Format

New Blog

...the loyal will be rewarded with the new address.

The disloyal can kiss my @$$.

###

File this under "dumb bitch got what she deserved"

2005-12-08T05:41:00.000-08:00

...but not nearly enough of it.

from today's Chicago Tribune:

Ann Coulter Cuts University Speech Short

By SHELLEY K. WONGAssociated Press Writer

December 8, 2005, 4:10 AM

CSTSTORRS, Conn. -- Conservative columnist Ann Coulter cut short a speech at the University of Connecticut amid boos and jeers, and decided to hold a question-and-answer session instead.

"I love to engage in repartee with people who are stupider than I am," Coulter told the crowd of 2,600 Wednesday.

Before cutting off her speech after about 15 minutes, Coulter called Bill Clinton an "executive buffoon" who won the presidency only because Ross Perot took 19 percent of the vote. Coulter's appearance prompted protests from several student groups.

About 100 people rallied outside the auditorium where she spoke, saying she spread a message of intolerance.

"We encourage diverse opinion at UConn, but this is blatant hate speech," said Eric Knudsen, a 19-year-old sophomore journalism and social welfare major who heads campus group Students Against Hate.

____

It goes on, but you get the idea.

Ann, you're a f*cking nazi, and you deserve to be booed off the stage every time.

(Clinton only got elected because Perot...? Why do I have the feeling she glossed over how Bush blatantly stole the election in 2000 in Florida by refusing to allow every vote to be counted? We're bringing democracy to the world, but we don't practice it at home, etc.)

What I'm Reading Now

2005-12-07T19:41:00.000-08:00

Right now, I'm reading Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield. Its pretty good.

For a long time now, I have wanted to read a book by sequential art superstar Frank Miller called 300. Frank Miller is known for many works, including The Dark Knight Returns, which I used to think was one of the greatest graphic novels ever, and Sin City which was recently a movie starring uber-skank Jessica Alba. I didn't see it because I didn't want to contract a venereal disease. (For those of you who don't know the code, "sequential art" and "graphic novel" both mean "comic book." For the literati.)

Anyway 300 is out of print, and I don't feel like paying the going rate at ebay. It is available at half.com and elsewhere, but sometimes I'm just lazy. Besides, I found out Gates of Fire is pretty much the same story (kinda) and Barnes & Noble is just down the street.

As Bill Cosby used to say, I told you that story to tell you this one. Both 300 and Gates of Fire are about the Battle of Thermopylae. Never heard of it you say? That's because it happened in Greece 2500 years before you were born.

Things weren't looking good for the Hellenic world. The Persians were invading. (That's Iran to you and me today.) Thermopylae was a resort town in the northeast of Greece. Hot springs and whatnot. It was also strategically interesting in that there were jagged mountains to the south and cliffs to the sea to the north. And you have to cross that strip of land to go by land to the rest of the penninsula.

Now comes the really interesting part: as the legend goes, 300 Spartan soldiers (tough bastards, those Spartans) held off 100,000 Persians there for a week. A whole week. Also as legend goes, when the Persians arrived at the scene, they called for the greeks to lay down their arms and surrender. The Spartan king replied, "Molon labe." Translated, that means come and get them.

I told you they were tough.

Anyway, good read so far. And quick. Check it out for yourself before Hollywood ruins it.

I would be reading this or this, but I'm afraid my brain would asplode.

Now go read something for yourself.

The Office

2005-12-06T19:40:00.000-08:00

The best part about The Office on NBC?

Each episode is better than the previous episode. Its as if the television gods have given me the perfect gift: a television show in which each episode...is the best episode ever.

Check it out on Tuesdays (soon to be Thursdays) on NBC.

Coded Message Mondays - 12/5/05

2005-12-05T13:58:00.000-08:00

Back by popular demand, for all of my nonexistant agents in the field...

104 44 30
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Battlefront II

2005-11-13T22:57:00.000-08:00

Mrs. 1047 bought me Star Wars: battlefront II for the Xbox quite unexpectedly today.

I will see you all again when I emerge from my den next spring.

Screw the FCC

2005-11-11T18:16:00.000-08:00

Remember last year when local ABC affiliates were "afraid" to air Saving Private Ryan because they were afraid they'd get fined for indecency by the FCC?

Yeah, well that hack Colin Powell Junior quit this year.

So be sure to watch SPR this weekend on TNT.

And here's to Powell being indicted under the next administration. He can join Libby, Cheney, Brownie and all the other deserving Bushies in the pokey as far as I'm concerned.

****

Update: I'm pretty pissed at FOX, too, for cancelling Arrested Development. Other than an occasional Simpsons episode or new episodes of It's Always Sunny... over at FX, I can think of precious few reasons to watch their networks for anything anymore. Burn in hell, FOX.

Kansas

2005-11-08T19:36:00.000-08:00

Intelligent design is anything but. Its a wedge issue dreampt up by Karl Rove. It won't last. The GOP is headin' for a beating nationally next year. They're gonna be beat like a retarded red-headed step child.

Prediction: after the dems retake the house and the senate, and after Dick Cheney is sent to prison, GWB will get the impeachment and conviction he so richly deserves. Denny Hastert will become the next POTUS, and the world will collectively laugh at President Frumpy.

I'm not back, I'm pissed at Kansas. Just because you don't want evolution to be true doesn't negate the science, my sunflower countrymen.

And then there was one.

2005-10-27T13:24:00.000-07:00

I remain unrepentant.

I intend to take some time off. I have become quite an asshole lately on matters of baseball and religion. I don't want to be.

But AJ Pierzynski is still a douchebag.

Those of you who fell for the media's progrm of pacification...shame on you.

The Cubs will win the World series one day. And when they do...all of you who chose to support the White Sox this year...YOU WILL NOT BE WELCOME ON THE NORTH SIDE.

I will return to the blogosphere when I'm good and ready.

Convinced

2005-10-25T20:12:00.000-07:00

If you weren't convinced before, you should be now.

The fix is in. So the Commissioner has the "authority" to order the roof open. Why is it he has an interest all of a sudden? There was no interest in the status of the roof for the NLDS or the NLCS. But suddenly...

I have heard that Douchebag #1 was just being a "gamer" by running when the 3rd strike wasn't dropped, and it wasn't interference, and in a third example (!) he was "safe" even when he was called "out".

Fine.

Then the owner of the Houston Astros also has a right to leave the dome closed for his .800 win % team (dome closed) as opposed to his .500 win % team (dome opened).

But nooooo.

The fix is in.

I remain unrepentant,
drone1047

Coded Message Mondays - 10/24/05

2005-10-24T07:07:00.000-07:00

For all of my nonexistant agents in the field...

Did you have a good time at the Darbanville's ball this year?

Did you have a good time at the Darbanville's ball this year?

###

Weekend Blogging

2005-10-21T19:25:00.000-07:00

Blogging for the weekend should be lite...if I post anything at all. I have a bitch of a home improvement repair to do tomorrow. I will see you all on Monday...that's Coded Message Monday to all my nonexistant agents in the field, BTW.

In the meantime,

1. Remember to root the MIGHTY Houston Astros on to victory tomorrow night (and Sunday). Otherwise, this guy wins:

2. Entertainment Weekly has a long article on Alan Moore's The Watchmen. Check it out.

Goodnight everybody!

Theology Thursdays

2005-10-20T21:08:00.000-07:00

Yikes!

From the SJ-R Bernard Schoenburg Column
Thursday, October 20, 2005

Brady: God, Bible ‘critically important’ in schools

When state Sen. BILL BRADY had a clergyman say a prayer to begin his announcement of candidacy for governor in Springfield in July, that was a hint that the Bloomington Republican is not shy about religion.

Oh, boy, here we go.

That was made even more crystal clear in a radio interview this week. JIM LEACH, WMAY-AM news director and a talk show host, asked Brady on the air if it would be OK for public schools to teach “intelligent design” as a theory in science class.

They talked about a definition of terms, and Brady said he saw intelligent design as “in other words, teaching the Bible.”

It's not a theory. Just for the record. It's religion masquerading as science.

“I think we should teach the Bible in our schools,” Brady said. “One of the basic, fundamental voids we have in our school system is bringing God into the system.”

Dear Senator Brady,

You may integrate
church and state
when I can start taxing the collection plate.
What indeed shall be the rate?
Eight and a half sure sounds great!

Sincerely,
Drone 1047

...That ended the telephone interview with Leach, but I contacted Brady later to get more on what seemed a pretty strong view.

He said any teaching about the Bible “should be left up to local school board, but I don’t think there should be a prohibition against them teaching the historical significance of the Bible or any religion. …”

“I believe in school prayer. I believe in the Pledge of Allegiance. I believe there ought to be the freedom for local school boards to make those decisions...

Ha! Ha! Did you get whiplash changing direction that fast?

“I don’t know if it’s science,” he added. “It’s certainly history.”

Damn straight.

...Another candidate for the GOP nomination for governor, JIM OBERWEIS of Aurora, also talked about intelligent design on WMAY-AM this week, on the PAMELA FURR show.

I can't believe they used the words "intelligent" and "Jim Oberweis" in the same sentence.

...“I believe in a God, and in creation, but there’s nothing inconsistent in my mind between believing in creation, and at the same time believing in evolution,” Oberweis said...Oberweis told me later that there is “very strong evidence” of evolution, “but there’s nothing inconsistent between evolution and a creator or a God, in my opinion.”

To quote Harvard professor Steven Pinker, "Many people who accept evolution still feel that a belief in god is necessary to give life meaning and to justify morality. But that is exactly backwards. In practice, religion has given us stonings, inquisitions and 9/11. Morality comes from a commitment to treat others as we wish to be treated, which follows from the realization that none of us is the sole occupant of the universe. Like physical evolution, it does not require a white-coated technician in the sky."

The article goes on to talk about that other GOP candidate for Illinois' top job, Steve Rauschenberger...

“Steve is a big believer in local control of schools,” Proft said, “So certainly, there would be and should be deference paid to parents first and teachers and local school board members in terms of curricula.”

He said children should be exposed to as many credible theories as possible about human history, and “what specific class it’s taught in is less relevant than exposure.” He said discussion of various views could help people understand the thoughts of Christians, Jews and others.

“Steve’s opinion is you should always err on the side of expanding the marketplace of ideas,” Proft said.

Ha! ha! ha! ha! I did hear he was running on the Hypocrite Party ticket this time...

As for prayer in school, Proft said of Rauschenberger, “I’m sure that he is open for a moment of silent prayer.”

I hope so, after all, he's the guy who wants concealed carry for teachers!

That's it for this week! Tune in for next week's installment of Theology Thursday when we visit the Planet of the Apes for some wallnuts, MSNBC sets phasers on Armageddon, and we catch up on some old friends while God-Blogging.

The Garden Spot of Illinois

2005-10-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

Is it just me, or did Springfield smell an awful lot like Decatur today?

P - freakin' -U!

No Parking Zone

2005-10-20T20:37:00.000-07:00

Why is it all the rednecks in Springfield want to park their cars backwards all the time? You know, so the front end of the car is where the back end would normally be, so they can put it in drive to get out of the parking lot? Is it really that taxing to put it in reverse? I mean, unless you are lucky enough to spend all of your life on circular driveways, you gotta put it in reverse at some point, right?

Numbskulls.

Schadenfreude

2005-10-19T22:31:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful thing.

Astros 5
Cards 1

...and poor widdle Davey Eckstein went 0-3. Too bad widdle Davey!

And the good news keeps on coming!

Good News Everyone!

2005-10-19T21:52:00.000-07:00

Old news, but still welcome...

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia got picked up for a 13-episode season on FX.

Be sure to check it out!

Pat, You Ignorant Slut

2005-10-18T23:19:00.000-07:00

This is from the Trib today. Its part of a piece by Pat Sajak. Pat Sajak is a moron.

SOX LAST ROW WORLD SERIES FAN'S JOURNAL

Sox have golden opportunity to overtake Cubs
BY PAT SAJAK. Pat Sajak hosts "The Wheel of Fortune"Published October 18, 2005

Is this the year the White Sox finally step out from behind the Cubs' shadow? Is this the last season the Sox will have to fight for a pennant in front of thousands and thousands of empty seats while the Cubs struggle to reach .500 in a sold-out ballpark?I'll say this: If it doesn't happen now, it never will....

Something else is going on that could work in the White Sox's favor, and that is, after Boston last year and Chicago this year, losing may not be considered as lovable as it once was. If the Sox can prevail in the World Series, that would leave only the Cubs with the stigma of measuring failure in terms of multiple generations. Maybe fans will decide that futility is nothing but . . . well, futile.

It never will.

And real Cubs fans don't believe in curses, futility, or voluntarily cheering the White Sox.

Trailer Park

2005-10-18T22:02:00.000-07:00

I just got back from seeing Serenity again. Needless to say, I like it. It has a quality the Star Wars prequels lacked that the originals had...oh, yeah...Han Solo. The only thing I don't like about it...the only thing...is the cowboy talk. It kind of grated on me the second time around. I think in the future we should speak the King's English. Now, too.

Here are the trailers that played with Serenity, and my opinion of them, which I feel you are entitled to:

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - Pass. I could care less. Its all just an advertisement for the cult anyway.

Jarhead - I want to see this one. Its directed by Sam Mendes. At first, I thought it looked like a recruitment piece. But American Beauty isn't exactly an ad campaign for suburban living, now, is it?

Zorro - Catharine Zeta-Jones won an Oscar, didn't she? Pure crap.

Doom - There has never been a good video game movie. Ever. And this won't be the first.

Desert Island

2005-10-18T21:54:00.000-07:00

We played what 3 books would you take with you if you were stranded on a desert island. Its so hard to narrow it down to three.

I would take a cookbook, a book on baseball, and Moby Dick.

Why Moby Dick? Because I already read King Lear. And some things are just too hardwired to let go.

A Good Book Is Hard To Find

2005-10-18T20:02:00.000-07:00

The last book I read was Three Nights in August. Nothing has really taken since then. Two books on prime numbers...the first didn't take, I'm considering abandoning the second. There are so many to choose from, too. Maybe The DaVinci Code. I'm a little behind the curve.

The State I'm In

2005-10-17T23:12:00.000-07:00

...is all fucked up right now, buddy. If you didn't know it...fix it.

Buzzkill

2005-10-17T22:55:00.000-07:00

Wow.

Have you ever considered the circumstances (which I won't discuss) that have to be present to turn a moderate buzzkill (like the Cards beating the Astros) into a complete desire to committ suicide (a full 3 minutes after the game)?

Neither had I. But the step from A to B isn't as far as you'd think.

I didn't even think that when the Cubs collapsed 2 years ago. (I just smashed the VHS tapes with a hammer. True story.)

I'd like to welcome the 11th hour to the mix. Welcome...and I wear the badge "smartass" as an honor. Although, to be honest, I've always considered myself something of a dumbass.

E pur si muove!

2005-10-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

I think there is something to be said for the human spirit.

But my friend at The State I'm In informs me that 53% of Americans believe human beings currently exist as god made them, leaving evolution completely out of their personal cosmology.

53% of Americans are wrong.

For the record, religion gave us the Crusades, the Inquisition and 9/11.

Also, in 1633 the Inquisition forced Galileo Galilei to recant his position that - gasp - the Earth revolves around the sun. No one apologized for such a shocking misunderstanding of science until the pope apologized for the gaffe in 1992. Idiots.

Meet the Fockers

2005-10-17T19:55:00.000-07:00

My neighbor has been doing some home improvement projects. He waited until the sun went down to do tonight's project. He's filling in the area around his new above-ground pool so there's no cavity at the base of the pool. With free dirt he's getting from the cornfield behind us.

This is next to the new basketball court he put in. Cement court, permanent hoop. Mrs. 1047 especially likes that one, as she works at night and sleeps during the day.

My neighbor is a meat-head. That means nothing but meat between the ears. He's a meathead.

I have half a mind to anonymously tip off the city...you don't actually think he has a permit, do you?????

Deal with it

2005-10-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

I don't care for the Beach Boys, James Bond (unless its Sean Connery) or Elvis.

Deal with it.

Coded Message Mondays 1

2005-10-17T13:10:00.000-07:00

A new feature for all my nonexistant agents in the field:

John has a long moustache.

John has a long moustache.

The chair is against the wall.

The chair is against the wall.

###

Email

2005-10-17T13:06:00.000-07:00

Also, I get a lot of emails at work. A lot of people do.

I get a lot of email from people in very bad situations, many who have no control over theor own destinies, and they're just looking for a little help to get back on track. Fine.

But this email I got today was from a guy on disability, trying to live on $1k a month. Which sucks, I know, I'm not far from that (but not on disability).

He said his power has been shut off and he's chaining himself to a post and alerting the media.

Wait for it...

Wait for it...

Wait for it...

So how the fuck is he getting me a fucking email about it?

They Hate me

2005-10-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to tell you much about my job...but I will tell you this. I think the guy who delivers the mail is out to get me. He's always giving me the stinkeye. Wishes I were fired. He can't do anything about it, but I know that's what he's thinking.

FARK stole MIGHTY

2005-10-17T12:58:00.000-07:00

I said the Astros were to be called MIGHTY. Then some numbnuts stole my idea over at Fark, and applied it to the White Sox. I hate those Fark guys. I suspect they were spying on me and stole that headline. Douchebags.

The Mighty Houston Astros

2005-10-16T22:53:00.000-07:00

Lewis Black was the one bright point in my otherwise shitty weekend.

The other was the Houston Astros, who henceforth will be known as the Mighty Houston Astros.

Lewis Black

2005-10-16T22:45:00.000-07:00

...was hysterically funny Friday night. That's the second time I saw him. The first was two years ago in Rosemont.

There were some mitigating circumstances preventing me from enjoying it to the maximum.

And is it possible for a celebrity to be about town without The Autograph Whore being there? Seriously, to each his own, but he's an idiot. If I ever get rich and famous, I absolutely will not sign his shit.

Also, I saw several work friends there, all of whom either didn't want to talk to me, or ignored me completely. This from my friends. One of whom I was the first to tell about Lewis Black to several years ago.

The whole world is out to get me, I swear to god.

Sox win

2005-10-16T22:44:00.000-07:00

I hope you're all very happy now.

The sox go to the world series. Just another event in an already shitty weekend.

Personally, when the Cubs win the World Series...and they will...I hope it is entirely controversy free. I certainly want to get there with more dignity, class and respect for the game than those douchebags did.

That's right, I said dignity and class and then called them douchebags. Its called irony. Look into it.

Sighted about town

2005-10-16T22:36:00.000-07:00

I saw two signs on Church marqees around town recently. One said "Evolution is a myth" and the other said "Who lit the fuse for the Big Bang?"

You know, I think its cute when the Christianists impose their science on, say, matters of cosmology.

(Evolution, by the way, is a fact.)

But the following I say out of complete altruism:

I sincerely hope they don't try to impose their version of science on say, civil engineering or aviation. That dam isn't being held up because it was blessed by the pope, and airplanes don't fly because angels lift them across the sky.

I swear we are on the brink of a new dark age, guided by fairy tales and barbarian myths.

ALCS, Game 5

2005-10-16T22:10:00.000-07:00

Top of the 8th

Douchebag #1 AJ Pierzynski was out. Out out out.

IF you believe that quirky things happen in the course of a ballgame, and

IF you believe those quirky things are legitimate to the outcome of the game

THEN you must hold true to the 1st base umpire's call. He was out.

OTHERWISE, if you do not, you so much as admit that Pierzynski, who used such quirkiness to his advantage earlier and repeatedly in the series, was cheating.

PERIOD.

Decorum

2005-10-16T22:05:00.000-07:00

Decorum prevented me from saying what was really on my mind this morning, as I watched This Week.

What was on my mind?

I hope Hot Karl Rove is ass raped daly once he finally makes it to prison.

Hi! I'm AJ Pierzynski. I'm a...

2005-10-15T22:45:00.000-07:00

That's right. A giant douchebag.

Wha? Huh? Oh, no...he dropped it. Trust me. I know. I'm not cheating, I'm just getting away with it.

Wha? Huh? No, I certainly didn't touch his bat with my mit. It's a fair ball!

Douchebag.

In fact, tonight he surpassed Hot Carl "Dinosaurs aren't real because they weren't in the bible" Everett for that very honor.

Assholes.

Its nice to see the Sox finally found a way to win...through a total disregard for the rules of the game. Great job guys! Go Sux!

ALCS Game 4

2005-10-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

Bottom of the 2nd

It was catcher interference.

The umpire fucks the Angels again.

ALCS Game 2

2005-10-12T22:07:00.000-07:00

Sox 2, Angels 1

The replay clearly shows glove between the ball and the ground.

At no point does the ball touch the dirt.

The umpire calls it a dropped third strike, allowing the winning run to get on base.

We may not be in the post season, but at least the Cubs don't have to cheat to win.

Adrien Creffield

2005-10-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

I don't know who this jerk is, but between him, spider over at IMD, and all those jerks at DC who consider the last issue of flash a real gem, and the flying batmobile in ASB&R #2 to be a great idea, I have decided to take the rest of the month off from blogging.

I expect to return in November with significant format changes. The faithful will be updated. The moronic can go screw themselves.

On Alternate Teams

2005-10-02T00:42:00.000-07:00

The 1047 Sports Mannifesto, Part Three

A buddy of mine mentioned that while he's a Cubs fan, he also roots for the Boston Red Sox. My response, while harsh, was correct: I don't believe in "alternate" teams.

It was while I was on the red line coming back from a game this summer (a very difficult 8-2 loss to the Cincinatti reds on Aug. 10) that I was faced with a thoroughly ridiculous scenario: I was caught in the middle of a disagreement between a 40-year old stoner, about 6'6" tall, with a white fro, and a tiny little waif in a halter top. She was claiming to be a Cubs fan, who also roots for the Red Sox (not my buddy, the Boston thing seems to be an epidemic) and he was claiming to be a Cubs fan who also roots for...the Yankees. The Yankees.

I don't know how that's even possible. It's like saying you like numbers greater than 7 but less than 3. It's like saying you like David...and Goliath.

The T-Shirt doesn't lie, folks: the Yankees suck.

Anyway, I'm caught up in the middle of this ridiculous conversation on the red line, hoping and praying that the Washington Street stop gets there faster. It didn't, and I had to listen to two idiots claim to be fans of two teams that they didn't even see play that day.

(Which was just an episode I wanted to tell to illustrate the absurdity of the theory. The epiphany itself happened many years ago.)

Let me be more clear: by claiming to be a fan of more than one major league team, you reduce your loyalty to both. You can only be a true fan of one team. For me, that's the Chicago Cubs. I don't even allow other teams' logos in the house.

I urge anyone and everyone who subscribes to the theory that you can back two or more teams to rethink their thinking on the subject. Pick one. Back that team. When they finally do win a World Series, you'll feel that much better for it.

If you want to nitpick, I also consider myself a fan of the game. So in a sense, I consider the other 29 teams my second team. But I can honestly tell you that other than keeping an eye on how it effects the Cubs in the standings, I could care less who wins or who loses on a nightly basis. Plus, I like the variety inherent in the various Major League ballparks, and I hope to visit many of them. With the Cubs as the visiting team, preferably.

I suppose that's all that needs to be said on the topic, except to say that I kind of lied when I said I don't have a second or "alternate" team. I do: the Fighting Illini. Basketball only, of course.

That's the only way to have an alternate team. If they can never, ever go head to head. Because they are in different sports. And even then, its not really being a die-hard fan. College basketball is just a distraction for me, a way of keeping my mind occupied from October to March.

Update on the psychologist in the article I posted previously: I wasn't paying attention, at the end of his thing, he says, "I personally pay more attention to whichever team is succeeding."

Parse that one any way you want to, that's the very definition of a fair-weather fan.

The "Genius" of Tony LaRussa

2005-10-02T00:19:00.000-07:00

A Review of Buzz Bissinger's 3 Nights in August

It stinks.

Tony LaRussa is not a genius.

I'd go into more detail, but no one reads this thing anyway.

OK, a few people do, but it takes a lot of work to do a review, and the rewards aren't obvious.

Let's just say I didn't believe the arguments raised in this book, which is ostensibly a rejoinder to Michael Lewis' Moneyball. Love it or hate it, the fact of the matter is, the numbers don't lie. So when Tony goes against the numbers and lucks out, he's suddenly soooo much smarter than everybody else.

Whatever.

OK, Now this is completely ridiculous...

2005-09-29T19:10:00.000-07:00

I read this on the Trib's website:

Q: If a Cubs fan living in Chicago pulls against the White Sox, does it indicate he or she might be mentally unbalanced?

A: "If the teams are not directly competing against each other, the idea of a Cubs fan rooting against the White Sox becomes a little pathological," says Dr. Robert Burton, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Northwestern University. "Technically, it probably stems from some unresolved sibling rivalry kind of thing. Otherwise, you have to wonder what a Cubs fan has to gain by pulling against the White Sox. Not too much, really, unless it's to feel better about himself. If the White Sox lose, then they're both in the doghouse."

A resolved sibling rivalry would let you enjoy the success of your neighbor, or whomever, and root against each other only when you're going head-to-head. Any kind of sibling rivalry is commonly referred to as arrested development. Then, you get history and other issues layered on top of everything, and it can compound things. I personally pay more attention to whichever team is succeeding." -- Mike Conklin

I'm afraid I have to call bullshit on this one. The Cubs and Sox aren't "neighbors"...they're in competition with one another - whether they are playing each other or not. By his logic, we should want St. Louis, Milwaukee, Detroit and Minnesota to all do well, too, when we aren't playing against them.

We are in competition with them - each team gets 162 games. Only one team makes it to the top. So every game is connected in a complex web, an equasion with 2,430 opportunities for varying outcomes. They also compete for the best players in the offseason. That's how you build a good season, and make it to the postseason.

One of these teams is going to finally win a World Series, and it will be a cold day in hell before I see the Sox get there first.

Which is to say nothing of competing for the hearts and minds of the fans of greater Chicagoland.

Damn eggheads should know when to shut up. I wonder if he feels any loyalty to any team at all. He sure doesn't know what baseball is about.

And for the record a) I want both the White Sox and Cardinals to lose in spectacular fashion and b) Arrested Development is a great show more people should wacth.

Sudoku II

2005-09-28T15:54:00.000-07:00

CNN did a piece on it. You can see it here. I am both addicted and offended by the fact that everyone else is doing it too.

Check out the new links!

2005-09-27T21:54:00.000-07:00

I will be adding a whole bunch of new links over on the right in the next couple days. But before I do, here's a brief rundown:

You can play one of the greatest video games ever here. It only includes the first level, which kinda sucks, but its still a lot of fun.

Do you like the City of Chicago, but just thought it was too damn big to bring home? That problem is solved right here.

Want a firsthand, ringside seat to watch a crooked old man get what's coming to him? Check this out.

Movie reviews for the mentally impaired can be found here. Seriously, these can be pretty funny...for a while. Then its just sad.

Old Disney rides that were around for a while, then went to that great Fantasyland in the sky can be found again right here. Horizons lives forever in the hearts and minds of people like me. But you won't find it at that website, because its all about Disneyland in Anaheim.

I added a number of baseball-related websites, including this one. That's a box score for the very first baseball game I went to. Yeah, it was on the south side. I'm not proud of it, but it is history.

This is one of the greatest baseball songs ever. I don't care what anybody says. And I want it played at my funeral. In 2109.

Find all of the ballparks of baseball at this site, past, present or future.

The Society of American Baseball research can be found here. I'm thinking about joining. Because I'm a stat-nerd.

Scorecard play-by-plays for games going way back can be found here. Try doing that with your footmaball games, jerky!

And finally, if you have some extra cabbage just laying around, feel free to buy something for me from here. I think it would look good in my basement.

I will also be adding multiple websites where you can buy cool stuff. What are you waiting for?! Help drive the economy today! Or then! Whatever!

Problems

2005-09-25T22:57:00.000-07:00

I've had some problems with spammers on my comments section, so I've switched to Haloscan.

I'm not happy with the spacing between the comments and the previous posts' title, but I'm living with it for now.

And if you are one of the spammers, know this ahead of time: you're a jerk, and you should get a real job.

NUMB3RS

2005-09-25T16:29:00.000-07:00

Or, an exploration of certain phenomena taking place ay US Cellular Field this week.

This all started as part of a discussion over at CapitolFax. Actually, I'm sure it started somewhere else...I can't be the first person to point this out, but stay with me, as I believe the numbers bear out my argument.

This was the exchange:

Faith, my Comrades, Faith; it ain't Hope, that's for the Billy Goaters.Faith and action - small ball if you will - that will keep the Sox in the fight. Sox fans don't need box seats - only a radio and the box-scores.

To which I answered:

Say what you will, but there is such a thing as team loyalty on the north side. The south side fans seem to be all fair-weather.
They just need box scores? In a pennant race in late September? If they were real baseball fans, they would be filling that place. Puh-leeze.

Which was met with:

Seriously, the idea that you can judge how big of baseball fans a group of people are because one park's attendance is better is silly.Are a couple of newly-minted Big-Ten grads with a night of drinking and taking in the game on their minds better fans than a blue-collar family of four with kids to feed and put to bed?

...which apparently means that Sox fans support their team more, because they show up less.

The numbers seem to tell a different story than my antagonist would have you believe. To wit, here are the Cubs' last 5 home appearances and results (through Saturday; 6 games listed to give the chart a baseline):

Date vs. Results Attend Flux
8/24/2005 Houston Astros L, 3-8 39,263 +641
8/23/2005 Houston Astros W, 5-4 38,622 +440
8/18/2005 St. Louis Cardinals W, 7-4 38,182 -1,087
8/17/2005 St. Louis Cardinals L, 1-5 39,269 +1,189
8/16/2005 St. Louis Cardinals W, 5-3 38,080 +231
8/15/2005 St. Louis Cardinals L, 1-6 37,849 n/a

Here are the Sox's last 5 home appearances and results (ditto):

Date vs. Results Attend Flux
8/24/2005 Minnesota Twins W, 8-1 37,699 +9,696
8/23/2005 Minnesota Twins W, 3-1 28,003 +2,891
8/22/2005 Minnesota Twins L, 1-4 25,112 -11,431
8/21/2005 Cleveland Indians L, 0-8 36,543 +10,396
8/20/2005 Cleveland Indians W, 7-6 26,147 -9,601
8/19/2005 Cleveland Indians L, 5-7 35,748 n/a

So, what can we learn from this?

Well, admittedly, this is a brief list, and far too small a sample to draw any really strong conclusions. But it does show that over the time period in question, the Cubs' daily attendance never went up or down by more than 1100 between games, and never went up or down by more than 1400 over the entire haul. Each time they drew near capacity crowds.

True, the Cubs lost and their attendance dropped by about 1,000. But not by much, indicating a large number of people who will show up to see them play day in and day out, regardless of the outcome. The argument that the people are really just showing up to see the ballpark is just...silly. It's an old park. We get it. (I suspect that line of argument is bolstered by feelings of inadequacy rooted in their own park, only 15 years old, and undergoing "renovations" like chopping off the top 10 rows...and still not filling the place.)

And to the argument that it was the Cardinals they played, a team not too far away, so many of their fans showed up, I say this: the Cubs' season has been over for weeks. You would expect less fans to show up because of this fact. The Sox are in the thick of a division race. You would expect more people to show up - regardless of the outcome the night before, as each new day brings a new slate. Which brings us to the Sox.

Three losses, and attendance drops off by about 10,000. And when they win, many thousands more show up. This didn't happen once this week...it happened four times. Conclusion? Again, its not entirely conclusive...but anyone who thinks there aren't a good deal of fair weather fans on the south side need look no further than the numbers.

I have nothing personal against any Sox fans, in fact, I consider many friends among them. But if they really are the blue-collar, working class, call a spade a spade type of people they claim to be, then to ignore these numbers is to ignore a very persuasive argument indeed.

I rest my case.

Format Changes

2005-09-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

I was considering a format change...all math, all the time.

I'm not kidding.

I'm also considering all baseball, all public policy, all movies, or all comic books. But probably not the latter, as I am trying to grow the hell up lately.

Of course, screw it that nobody is reading. My blog, my rules. Schwartz's quote should be enough of a mission statement.

Why Hockey Is Dead To Me

2005-09-25T01:40:00.000-07:00

The 1047 Sports Mannifesto, Part Two

Hockey is dead to me.

Here's why:

Two World Wars couldn't stop the Stanley Cup finals from being played. The Great Drepression couldn't either. But a labor dispute did last year.

I understand the plight of the working men and women of this country; I do, I really do. But this wasn't Joe Blue Collar negotiating a fair salary to keep food in his children's mouths and a roof over their heads. It was one group of millionaires out to get the other. Screw 'em. Screw 'em both. Greedy bastards.

Greed, taken to its logical conclusion: There are too many teams. There shouldn't be any NHL teams where ice doesn't occur naturally. In a perfect world, the following cities would lose their NHL teams: Los Angeles, Anaheim, Dallas, Phoenix, North Carolina, Atlanta, Nashville, Miami, and Tampa. St. Louis, Columbus, San Jose, and Washington, DC would be suspect as well.

The NHL overexpanded and severely depleted the talent pool, to the point that you can't tell minor league players from major league ones. Which brings me to my next point.

Also confirming the fact that hockey is dead to me was the night the Wolves first outdrew the Blackhawks. It happens fairly regularly these days. (Not counting the lost year.) The NHL is supposed to be the pinnacle of professional hockey, at least in North America. But in Chicago - one of the three biggest media markets in the nation, its a minor league that has the higher home attendance.

The Chicago Blackhawks have so many problems. The primary one is that they do not want to win. Period. When Chris Chelios left Chicago for Detroit, it was a wakeup call that the Blackhawks really don't care about winning. I had suspected that for some time, but the Chelios deal shouted it from the rooftops.

Bill Weurtz is the single worst pro-team sports owner on the planet.

His adamant policy against broadcasting home Blackhawk games is straight out of the stone age. he should get a clue. A little exposure would go a long way toward bringing fans to the arena. But even after last year's labor stoppage, the Hawks' dinosaur of an owner still won't put home games on the teevee. Talk about missing a golden opportunity.

So there you have it - labor dispute, Chris Chelios, too many teams, upside down minor league and no home broadcast tv games. I could go into the whole 1998 Winter Olympics debacle, too, but that would be overkill.

Regardless, hockey is dead to me.

That's not as detailed a list as my rant against football, but it will do.

Say what you Will (& Grace)

2005-09-24T22:27:00.000-07:00

Say what you will about the teeveee program Will & Grace. Love it or hate it, the show contains the funniest non-porn alias ever devised: Karen Walker's alter ego, "Anastasia Beaverhousen."

A Love Letter to Jerry Reinsdorf

2005-09-24T15:54:00.000-07:00

Borrowed from a certain Chicago newspaper:

Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said he is not concerned about his apparently fragile manager.

"Why would I worry about Ozzie?" Reinsdorf said. "He wants to win, and he loves the White Sox. He feels like he came home to his family. He's going to be fine."

After a short pause, Reinsdorf elaborated.

"A lot of the stuff he tells the media, he's just making it up. You don't know what to believe and what not to believe. Look, if we win the World Series, I might retire. Let's win a World Series first, then we'll see if he's serious."

I'd almost take that barter.

Jerkoff.

Maybe he'll take Bud Selig with him.

Focus

2005-09-24T02:14:00.000-07:00

So how would one describe this blog?

Part sports, part Battlestar Galactica, part comic books?

And does that suck?

I want to be myself, but I don't want to be a geek. I also don't want this blog to suck.

So how do I focus? And what do I focus on? Baseball? Statistics? Pop culture reviews? All of the above? None of the above? I ask, because I think this site is sorely lacking a focus...

The best blogs I've read are pseudo-news/politics sites or sports. Some pop culture. I just don't know. Stay tuned...

Back to our regularly scheduled blogging

2005-09-23T22:39:00.000-07:00

Well, the season ender for Battlestar Galactica just ended and it kicked ass...as usual.

I haven't kept up with my posts this week, but rest assured, I have a whole bunch in the hopper, including:

A review of The Elegant Universe
A review of 3 Nights in August
A continuing series: The 1047 Sports mannifesto, hopefully on Sundays
A rant against some internet big boys

Some very interesting surprises

So stay tuned, we'll be right back...

BSG on DVD

2005-09-22T17:15:00.000-07:00

Battlestar Galactica is now available on DVD. You can buy it here, or rent it anywhere today. You won't be disappointed. I swear "33" is one of the heaviest, most paranoia-inducing television episodes ever.

Why I Hate Football

2005-09-19T18:22:00.000-07:00

The 1047 Sports Mannifesto, Part One

I do not care to pick who is going to win any game, any weekend.

I do not care who you think is going to win.

When I tune into a football broadcast, such as Monday Night Football, I can't tell if I'm watching a concert, a commercial, or a sporting event. Cross-promotion has become so prevalent, the line between genres isn't just blurred, it's erased. Is this ESPN or MTV?

Pee-wee football takes over the park down the street from my house every Saturday and Sunday.

Two words: stage parents.

I was at Barnes & Noble the other day. I heard him coming before I saw him: "buuuurrrrpppp."

Then I saw him. Some 12 year old kid. His parents must have had to get a book really bad, because they didn't bother to take their kid home first, didn't make him shower, and didn't even have him change out of his shoulderpads before coming inside the store. Idiots.

Football is for people with short attention spans. Sixteen games in 17 weeks...wow! How meaningless. Tune in for 162 gut-wrenching games if you want to know what a real pennant chase is like.

Are there any non-felons in the NFL? I'm sure there are, but tune into any 1 day's worth of programming on ESPNews and tell me if you can avoid seeing a story regarding an NFL player's legal problems.

And don't tell me the news media doesn't glorify the punk-side of the NFL. It does.

The Chicago Bears suck.

The city of Chicago's propensity to venerate sports heroes, mostly the 1985 Bears, well past their deserving, is deplorable.

Dave Wannstadt sucked any joy that was left out of the sport, out.

Neal Anderson is an asshole.

Mike McCaskey is a jerk, and he was left in a key decision-making role for way too long.

Any love I had for the Bears died with Walter Peyton...the only one who had any class.

Yeah, thanks Ditka...William "Refrigerator" Perry really deserved that touchdown in the Superbowl over #34.

Ditka is a fascist idiot who deserves nothing but contempt.

Super Bowl Sunday is the most overrated sporting event in western culture. It is not Christmas Day. I do not care about the outcome.

Fantasy Football is Dungeons and Dragons for jocks.

And one last thing: you might think from the bitterness of this bullet-point rant that I detest football for supplanting baseball as the national sport. I don't. On the contrary, I appreciate all of the knuckle-draggers claiming football as their own.

It leaves baseball to a better class of people.

The Long Halloween

2005-09-17T09:58:00.000-07:00

by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale

I know, I know, I promised reviews of Ex Machina and Justice; both have been released since that claim, and no reviews from the Drone yet. I'll get to it.

Batman Begins was a great movie, maybe my favorite movie of the summer. It was largely based on Frank Miller's run on Batman titled "Year One." It was based on the same spirit, anyway, if not the actual script.

The movie also owes a certain debt to Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's Batman: The Long Halloween. I was familiar with Loeb's run on Superman/Batman, and his collaboration with Jim Lee on Batman, "Hush." (Both are good, some parts better than others.)

The Long Halloween is 13 parts long, with each part more or less corresponding with a holiday on the calendar. One murder occurs on each holiday, leading to the killer to be dubbed, perhaps unoriginally, "Holiday."

Most of the villains - and this is the connection to the movie - are gangsters, not supervillains. Sure, most of Batman's rogues wander in and out of the story...you'll see Joker, Catwoman, Penguin, Riddler, Scarecrow, Two Face, Mad Hatter, Solomon Grundy and perhaps others...but at its heart, it is a story about organized crime.

That aspect, combined with the mystery of "Who is Holiday?" combines to create a hard boiled mystery worthy or Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe, or Lew Archer. And for those of you in the know, like the limo driver in The Big Sleep, I'm not sure that all the questions were ever answered int he end; but it also didn't take away from the experience.

I've heard that Two Face may make an appearance in the Batman Begins follow up. So will the Joker. (Aside...I don't think it will happen, but I like the idea of Mark Hamill as the Joker.) These two, along with organized crime, form the nexus from which the story flows. As such, it would be impossible not to draw on this story in the sequel.

The story has strong characterizations, beyond what I'm used to in the monthly title. To its credit, the story is very much tied up with the fall of Harvey Dent, Thomas Wayne's interactions with less reputable segments of Gotham society, and Bruce's relationship with Selina Kyle. Surely you notice a lack of aliases in that last sentence. Also a strength. I think that came through in this summer's movie, and I hope it continues in the sequel.

Let me say that I very much like Tim Sale's art. It was very artful the way that, once Holiday struck, at the scene of the crime everything goes black and white while some holiday icon remains in ghastly technicolor.

In the end, how we see Batman in TLH is how I see Batman: a dark avenging angel, intent on quelling the demons he can never fully subdue. The story might have its faults, but not many of them. Regardless, I have purchased the follow up to The Long Halloween, known as Dark Victory. I have high hopes, but in the end, I just hope to be entertained in a way I couldn't be by sitting in front of a teevee screen for a couple hours.

For the really curious, you can read more about it at an exceptional website here.

New Battlestar Tomorrow

2005-09-15T21:54:00.000-07:00

Battlestar Galactica is all new this week. It was new last week, too, after some time off. That was an episode with Lucy Lawless, a.k.a. Xena, Warrior Journalist.

I thought it was going to be just another "setting x meets journalist y to produce documentary z." I've seen it before. "er" did the same thing, right about the time it went to crap. Ditto "The West Wing."

I'm not going to go into the whole thing, because I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but the BSG version had a certain added depth to it those other shows didn't have.

This Friday's is the ninth new episode this season. It is still kicking some serious ass. Check it out this week. And next week, fasten your seat belts, because the original series' episode "The Living Legend" has been re-imagined...cue the Battlestar Pegasus and Michelle Forbes as Lloyd Bridges.

Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue!

St. Louis Union Station

2005-09-14T21:47:00.000-07:00

As I said in a recent post, we went to St. Louis for a couple weekdays recently. We stayed at the Hyatt at Union Station. Union Station was the main train station in St. Louis until the mid to late 1970's. Then it was abandoned, run down, condemned and almost met with the wrecking ball.

That is, until some rich old guy had a layover. I forget his name. Anyway, he wanted to see the city, so he asked the cabbie to show him around. He saw Union Station, recognized the potential, bought it for millions and had it remodeled. In fact, it was remodeled by HOK, a prominent St. Louis architecture firm that is best known for designing ballparks like Camden Yards, Minute Maid Park, Citizens Bank Park, and many others. Union Station was to become a center for entertainment, commerce and lodging.

The Great Hall at Union Station, now the lobby of the Hyatt.

For the most part it succeeds. It is home to the aforementioned Hyatt, Landry's seafood restaurant, the Hard Rock Cafe, Houlihan's and Hooters. It has the official Cardinal's souvenir center. It is also known for the Fudgery, which is surely one of its most lucrative sites.

But that's about it. I mean, it has a food court, and a lot of shops selling knick nacks, but that's it. In fact, it seems like every time I go, two stores have closed down and one new bric a brack store has opened. There is a prime restaurant location near the enterance...to the right of the south enterance...that has remained vacant for years. With the number of empty storefronts and whatnot, I can't imagine how the place stays open. It must be the Hooters, catering to the Blues-Cardinals-Rams-Neanderthals crowd. That's the only thing I can think of.

The main promenade of Union Station.

It doesn't even have a bookstore anymore. But if you want pencils that say "St. Louis" on them, this is the place.

Hell, if I was Union Station, I'd lobby to have Amtrak drop off there. Its only about 200 feet off the main line. It seems like they could use the captive audience.

Sudoku

2005-09-13T20:36:00.000-07:00

So when I was in St. Louis, there was a big Lifestyles-section frontpage piece in the Post-Dispatch on something called Sudoku. That's Japanese for "goddamn difficult number puzzle."

Here's what it looks like.

It's a grid 9x9. Every row has every digit 1-9 listed only once. Same for every column. The same goes for every group of 9 squares, in a 3x3 pattern through the puzzle. They give you a few numbers. They say they give you the numbers as clues to solve the puzzle, but I suspect its just to taunt you.

I've tried several of these, and I come close, but I'm never quite able to put it over the top. (And I haven't done the one above, so don't ask me for the solution.) (Update: I did solve my first puzzle yesterday. It says "easy" but I found it somewhat difficult.)

According to the article, these things have taken off like wildfire across the American landscape, going from virtual unknown to 4 of the New York Times' bestsellers overnight. No offense to any of my middle-school teacher friends out there, but I suspect that last tidbit is because school is starting again and teachers need something new to hold kids' ever-shrinking attention span. They're big on that kind of crap.

I did notice, though, that while these things are supposed to be quite the rage the Post-Dispatch saw fit to print one on Wednesday but there was none to be found on Thursday.

They are addictive, but I can't even solve the easy ones yet. You can try them for yourselves at this Sudoku website.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

2005-09-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

...is a very funny show on FX. It airs Tuesday nights (and several others). You should be watching this! It is the funniest thing I've seen since Arrested Development!

Seriously, you will be doing yourself a favor...especially if you can find the episodes "Charlie Has Cancer" or "The Gang Finds a Dead Guy." I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.

Renewed Mission Statement

2005-09-10T13:35:00.000-07:00

It has recently come to my attention that I may have a few new readers out there, so I thought it would be good to restate my original mission statement.

Take something you love, tell people about it, bring together people who share your love, and help make it better. Ultimately, you'll have more of whatever you love for yourself and the world.

-Julius Schwartz (1915-2004)

Julie Schwartz was a comic book pioneer, and I like the philosophy. I can't guarantee this is what the 1047 blog will always reflect, but I would like to believe it will try to reflect it.

Also, I just kinda hope my blog doesn't suck.

Cubs This Week

2005-09-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

This week Mrs. 1047 and I travelled to St. Louis, Missery, to see the ChiCubs take on Albert Poo-Holes and the St. Louis Cardinals. My initial pessimism last week was greatly misplaced.

The Cubs improved their record with Drone 1047 in attendance to 4 wins and 2 losses following the 2 wins in the Show Me State I saw Tuesday and Wednesday. It was a great way to end the season, and a great way to end the historic series at Busch Stadium (II). Busch has been historically bad for the Cubs...who have won only about 1/3 of their games there over the last 40 or so years. My parents dragged me there to see several games as a kid, many of them against the Cubs. But it's a dump, and I'm glad to see it go.

A funny aside...the Cards gave the Cubs organization a commemorative plaque Wednesday to honor the occasion of the two teams' last match at Busch. It was a Franklin Mint miniature replica of the stadium, about 5 inches across. It looked like an ash tray.

How fitting.

Anyway, 5-2 was the score Tuesday. Glendon Rusch was perfect through 6 innings. Let me tell you, that's a wierd feeling to look at your scorebook and see perfect frame after perfect frame. And the fans in my section were respectful of the tradition...we didn't mention it outright, but we all knew what was going on.

But it was not to be. That little bastard David Eckstein, my new least favorite Cardinal, blew it with a hit to center in the 7th. A great cheer went up from the faithful. Idiots.

We wound up winning anyway.

Is the Nomar era in Chicago quickly coming to an end? Nomar no more? Only time will tell.

The story of the next night was equally impressive. I wanted so badly to see Greg Maddux win one, especially given the supreme outing I was present to witness on Aug. 27 - which he wound up losing to the Marlins, 2-1.

But it was the Cubs that won 2-1 on Wednesday. And it came right down to it. The great Poo-Holes was in the on-deck circle with a man on third and the score 2-1 at the end of the 9th when the umpire called strike three on Abe Nunez...I couldn't believe he called strike three. Neither could most of the home team fans.

And like that, baseball for me is done for the year. Well...its never done. I'll watch the Cubs off and on for a while, but the spark is definitely gone. I'll watch the playoffs and maybe the World Series. But the odds of me making it to another major league game are greatly diminished.

But my fascination with baseball statistics is still strong...and just now reaching a critical mass. More on that over the fall and winter, but for now, the baseball season is quickly coming to an end.

Will Jim Hendry make any blockbuster moves in the offseason? Only time will tell.

Elegant Universe

2005-09-09T19:31:00.000-07:00

Last year, I saw a preview for a film called "What the bleep do we know?"

It looked pretty neat. It tapped into my inner geek, asking great cosmological questions that theoretic physics is only beginning to answer.

The film was total crap.

Fast forward to last New Years'. I'm suffering, unknowingly, from a bronchial/sinus infection, and, let's face it, I was near death. Hacking, dry heaves, fever, chills, the works. I couldn't sleep for days on end it was so uncomfortable. It was miserable.

I did, however, see a film on Nova called "The Elegant Universe." In my sickness-induced dementia, I realized it was the film I had been looking for in "What the bleep..." I was pretty out of it, though, so I didn't get to see all of it.

I had been looking for it for the last 8 months. I finally found it this week, at the Discovery Channel Store at Union Station in St. Louis. (How that mall remains open is beyond me. Maybe a post for another day.)

So, I have begun to watch this film again, and I will post a review once I have completed watching it. The early reviews are quite good. (I know, I know, I promised a review of The Long Halloween. I haven't given up yet. Like the eminent Dr. Teeth once said, "Ain't nothing to it but to do it!")

Is it even possible...

2005-09-05T22:21:00.000-07:00

...that the highest jurist in the land kicked on Saturday, and it wasn't until 12:15 am Tuesday that I noticed?

I'm not going to speculate too much on the future of, say, civil liberties in America at this point, but I am not optimistic.

I am happy that I won't be in the office this week to hear about it. A certain office chatterbox would talk my ear off about it. And who needs that? Not me.

I'm off to St. Louis. I'm not optimistic about that, either. After Wednesday, I think I'll be taking some time off from baseball. Well, just until the playoffs when I will become a furious fan of whoever is playing St. Louis or the White Sox. Its not classy, and I'm not proud. But it is what I've been reduced to.

For now.

Why?

2005-08-29T18:43:00.000-07:00

Why is my sidebar always down at the bottom?

Anybody?

It's pretty damn annoying, and I don't speak HTML well enough to fix it.

Watch this space

2005-08-25T20:54:00.000-07:00

Watch this space next week for a review of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's Batman: The Long Halloween. It's widely rumored to be the inspiration for the sequel to this summer's Batman Begins.

Sorry its so late. Too much going on this week.

This and that

2005-08-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

...or, "A whole lot of nothing."

I finished another book on baseball this week, "A Mathematician at the Ballpark" by Ken Ross. It was good, but a little too much math for this part of the season.

There were a lot of concepts that I want to learn, including a good deal about probability, but I kind of skimmed the last half. I want to learn some of this like the back of me hand, so a more in-depth reading will have to take place in the off season.

Speaking of baseball, has anyone noticed that since my last trip to Wrigley Field, the cubs have gone 6 and 2? I don't want to jinx us by pointing this out, but we need to keep up that percentage over the next 40 or so games, if we hope to make the playoffs. It doesn't look good, though.

Also, it doesn't look good for Nomar these days. If you read between the lines, I think the Nomar era in Chicago is quickly coming to an end. And did anyone read Phil Rogers column in yesterday's trib? Good stuff. Stuff I've been thinking for a while.

This is the view from 3637 Sheffield, where I had the privilege of watching the Cubs lose in spectacular fashion to the Cincinatti Reds on August 10.

And finally, the Mrs. and I have been having some problems with a certain Diamond dealer, including bad communications and bad customer service. I won't say who it is, but suffice it to say, don't go to them if you want good service.

So I took her to see a movie, "The 40 Year Old Virgin" starring Steve Carrell. Hysterical. My gut still hurts from how hard I laughed. Interesting side note, too: this is the first comedy to come out of Hollywood in 10 years not to star Ben Stiller.

Oh, and one other thing...

How do you develop a readership on one of these things?!

The Numbers Game

2005-08-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

by Alan Schwarz

Baseball is a game played from sandlots to Yankee Stadium, and about a million venues in between. It is a game that has evolved since it began 150 years ago. It has become big business. Naturally, the tools that describe the action on the field (I mean statistics, not Tim McCarver and Joe Buck) have evolved as well over that time.

The Numbers Game is a history of baseball through the development of sophisticated statistical analysis. Numbers we take for granted today, even something as elementary as batting average, wasn't always part of the game. From Henry Chadwick and the first box score to Bill James' Abstracts to Clay Davenport and the Equivilent Average, if someone made a contribution to the statistics behind baseball, they are in this book.

I became aware of this book after reading Moneyball by Michael Lewis. That book argued for a srtictly statistical approach to long-term strategy. The Numbers Game has done nothing to dissuade me from that point of view. In conclusion, I think there is a direct correlation between the fact that the Boston Red Sox is the most statistically sophisticated team in baseball, and the current World Series Champion.

And how did you spend your Wednesday?

2005-08-10T03:38:00.000-07:00

I am spending mine watching a game at Wrigley Field from a rooftop luxury suite!

Worship me as a god, mortals!

To paraphrase Ike on the Korean War, "I must go to Wrigleyville!"

(You know, to end the Cubs' craptastic losing streak.)

Stay Tuned

2005-07-20T23:33:00.000-07:00

...that is, if anyone is listening. Building a fan base seems to be the biggest challenge to blogging.

Anyway, I am taking the rest of July off, as I am getting married this Saturday. The future Mrs. 1047 is a special lady, and I need to devote a whole bunch of time to the wedding the next couple days to make sure it is done right, and done the way she wants it.

I hope to have pictures and stories from our exotic urban vacation honeymoon to share with the blogosphere.

See you in August.

More Galactica

2005-07-18T15:06:00.000-07:00

The internets are still abuzz with talk of Battlestar Galactica.

SciFi Channel's official Battlestar Galactica website can be found here.

There is a great article with Battlestar Galactica recurring guest star (and original BSG regular) Richard Hatch over at Hollywood North Report. As the erstwhile Apollo states, "A good show is a good show. No matter what you think, or like, or don’t like…a well-written, well-acted, well-produced show is going to win over the majority of the core audience eventually." Amen to that, brother.

For an interesting archive of a couple of interviews with Ronald Moore, the re-inventor of Battlestar Galactica, see the transcript over at "Slashcity." I haven't read the whole thing, but it re-hashes Moore's split with Paramount...surely there has to be a few good nuggets of wisdom to be found where there is that kind of fertile source material.

And for the truly die-hard sci fi fans among us, see this post over at Trekweb for a postmortem on the recently-cancelled Star Trek:Enterprise. The article is a news story to come out of last weeks San Diego Comicon. I didn't think it was possible, but they managed to hit the nail on the head ("it wasn't enough like Battlestar Galactica!") and miss it completely (it wasn't Star Trek anymore, it was a cash cow that Paramount milked dry) at the same time.

As I said over at Fark, Star Trek (like the NHL) is dead to me. I think that franchise needs to go away for a really long time. I hope it is gone at least as long as BSG is on the air with new episodes.

(I wanted to include a link to a good, spoiler-free review of last week's episode, but have yet to find one. I'm sure it is out there, I'm just a little pressed for time this week and can't do the research.)

So there you have it. Happy reading, fellow bloggers.

This ain't your mama's Battlestar!

2005-07-15T20:16:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting to write this all summer.

Battlestar Galactica is back, and if you're not watching it, you should be.

It all started back in 1978. Television executives were looking to the box office, and saw that the original Star Wars was virtually printing money for a (mostly) then-unknown named George Lucas.

So they did what most tv execs would do, and they said to themselves, "how do I get on that gravy train?"

So they hired their own GL, Glen Larson that is (of eventual Knight Rider fame), to dream up a half-baked allegory of the Mormon trek to Utah, which they filled with a bunch of cheesy dialogue, bad acting, obvious sets, and (for television) adequate special effects. It was so successful that it lasted one whole season.

Then the franchise went dormant. Other sci-fi franchises came and went. There were two more Original Star Wars films, then a break of 16 years, then two prequels. Star Trek spawned 4 new series and ten films. The entire run of Futurama was created, ran, was jerked around by Fox, ran some more, and was cancelled. And someone actually made a Lost in Space movie.

Then a couple years ago, the Sci Fi Channel had one of its best ideas ever. They hired Ron Moore, an old Star Trek hand, to re-imagine Battlestar Galactica.

Did he ever!

Poor production values? Gone.
Aliens with four arms and four eyes? Gone.
Stock melodrama villains (Baltar)? Gone.
Laser blasters? Gone.
Cylons that sound like Berserk? Gone. (Mostly.)
Frequent dialogue like "centons" and "daggits"? Gone. (Except "frak;" everyone needs a good swear word now and again.)

And the result? The new Battlestar Galactica is currently one of the best dramas on television.

The new BSG functions as most of the higher science fiction works do; they take a fictional situation, plug in science and technology, and show how they effect man and the society around him.

In this case, the technology is artificial intelligence. What happens when you create beings meant for menial labor and grunt-level combat, and give them enough ai to succeed in the world? Unfortunately for our protagonists, the end result is rebellion. A rebellion of genocidal machines.

It also functions as an allegory for many issues of the day. It is, on the surface, the story of 47,000 people and how they are desperately trying their damndest to avoid annihilation. Indeed, more than one reviewer has (correctly) pointed out that BSG wouldn't be nearly as relevant were it not for the horrifying realities of the post-9/11 world.

But it's not all 9/11. There is so much more.

How do you maintain a democracy in a society on the brink?
When is the military in charge, and when is the civilian government in charge?
How do you weigh civil liberties versus survival?
When an enemy looks like you, how do you deal with that? (McCarthyism, anyone?)
How does someone lead, especially in the face of not only the impending doom of her follwers, but of her own cancer-riddled doom?
In the case of Dr. Baltar, what is madness?
Is a traitor that was manipulated into what he did still a traitor?
And some of the most interesting and mind-bending questions raised by the series involve...religion...pitting the polytheistic humans versus the montheistic Cylons.

The original, I'm sure, found it hard to examine the issues of its day while concocting high noon shoot-'em-ups between Apollo and cylons on the "western planet."

Yes, there are significant differences between the original and the new. Starbuck is now a woman. Cylons look like humans. Boomer is now a woman. And a cylon. Edward J. Olmos is the commander of the BSG. "Apollo" "Starbuck" and "Boomer" aren't names anymore, either...their callsigns, just like real combat pilots have. Laser blasters are out. Military technology more like our own (bullets, nukes) is in. Cheesy special effects are out, too, in favor of documentary-style space effects shots (Vipers have reaction control systems, just like the shuttle; in space, everything is silent).

Which leads me to the next point. There is a certain organic nature to the whole endeavour that the original never had, either. The characters are deep. They seem real. They have flaws. Starbuck's hormones caused Zack Adama's death. Dr. Gaius Baltar is delusional. Colonel Tigh is a drunk. (My favorite character, actually.) And you can identify with them, as they try to solve the problems, big and small, in their world.

And when you boil it down, what it really comes down to for me is...dirt. Just like the original Star Wars, in this series, things get dirty. It is hard to keep the future all shiny and chrome-y when you have to conserve your resources and you don't know if you'll live to see tomorrow.

BSG, much like the starship Voyager of Star Trek fame, is lost and searching for Earth.

Sorry, Captain Janeway, I never really bought it that you were lost. There just wasn't the dirt to back it up.

Catch Battlestar Galactica on SciFi Channel on Fridays at 9pm Central. The second season started tonight.

I saw the sign

2005-07-14T15:11:00.000-07:00

Wow. That's profound.

...actually, no, it's not.

Comic Service, Part 3

2005-07-11T20:37:00.000-07:00

As I said before, Marvel has really gone downhill. They have taken their properties and sold them down the river. For instance: The New Avengers. The members of the Avengers are now: Captain America, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Wolverine, the Sentry, Luke Cage and possibly some others. Was this done for dramatic reasons? Is this good storytelling?

No. It's stunt casting. It's contrived, manipulative and artificial. And it helped drive me away.

On the other hand, there are alternatives.

I found myself turning more and more to the DC Universe over the last year. And the point where that relationship was solidified was the Identity Crisis mini. Good stuff. You should pick it up. That, in turn, acted as a gateway to a number of titles. So without further delay, here are a number of titles I am currently getting from DC (or will in the near future) (WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD!) (But only if you've really really been out of it for the last six months.)

Batman – Batman couldn't be better right now, as far as I’m concerned. Every month I come away thinking just how compelling it was to read. When you go back and look, most of the significant events in the Batman family happen in this title: Year One, a Death in the Family, Hush, Long Halloween, No Man's Land. So as the flagship title of the Batman series, I intend to keep it for a while. Right now, the issue at hand is the new Red Hood and the very real possibility that Jason Todd is not dead. (Note: I know, I know, I trashed Marvel for bringing back the dead. But at least when DC killed Jason, he stayed dead for a while.)

Superman/Batman – I re-read all of these recently, and this is one of my favorite titles, ever. Pair the big S up with Batman, and you’ve got…the World’s Finest. The first story got rid of “President” Luthor which I never really bought into, and the second brought back Supergirl. The third was a time-travel thing, but the last page with Kingdom Come Superman and the “Man of Tomorrow” just about made it perfect. I understand the next arc is a dig at The Ultimates, which is fine. I love Jeph Loeb’s run, and desperately hope they can keep him after #25, but if they don’t they had better get someone really, really good.

All Star Batman & Robin – Jim Lee and Frank Miller? I hope it lives up to the hype. Aside from that, I couldn’t be more pumped. In stores this Wednesday.

Flash – I’ve just been getting this for about 6 months now. “Rogue War” - the current arc - is a great story spinning out of the events of “Identity Crisis” (mostly because Captain Boomerang is a Flash baddie). I love Geoff Johns and was disappointed to hear he’s leaving. I hope his successor is a good one, because I like the character and really want to keep the book. But I’m going to have to re-evaluate it in a few months. Also, there is a Crisis on the horizon, and DC execs have hinted things might go bad for the speedster again. I hope that's just a - ahem - red herring.

Teen Titans – Geoff Johns kick ass again. I love the characters and the dynamics, and the stories continue to be top-notch. I have loved the whole ID Crisis-implications stuff, so it stands to reason that I loved the Dr. Light arc, especially when all the Titans showed up to kick ass. (Aside: I hope they keep the core lineup, or I could turn on this one. There have been too many peripheral characters over the years, or so it seems.) And, to touch on one of my running themes, an exception to prove the rule: my favorite arc has been the Titans of Tomorrow storyline from #17-19; it is an exceptional time travel/alternate reality story, that (seems to) feeds into the whole ID Cr./Countdown/Inf. Cr. Storyline quite well. If you haven’t read that storyline, read it as soon as you can. (Another aside: That bastard Rob Liefeld is doing 2 issues coming up; don’t despair, I think it will only last 2 issues.)

Ex Machina – This is one that, for economic reasons, I want to cut, but after reading every issue, I feel compelled to keep it. It weaves politics with super-heroics, and it creates a whole new world I want to learn more about, with a hero I want to see more of. But I think the best part is the art. It has a unique style to it that keeps me coming back for more. The first arc is better than the second, but the third sounds as interesting as the first. Anyway, issue 11 is a stand-alone if you were curious.

All Star Superman – I like Grant Morrison, too. Not enough to get the Seven Soldiers Maxi serieses, but enough to wish I had gotten JLA: Classified 1-3, and enough to make me glad I got a smattering of New X-men. So, for all these reasons, I am greatly looking forward to his run on this new title. But that’s probably all I’ll get of it, unless the follow-up team is just as compelling.

JSA:Classified – I am looking forward to this A LOT. I discovered Power Girl about the time I discovered girls. So needless to say, I dig her a lot. She’s always had a questionable origin - so they are going to try again with the first arc of this new title, and I couldn’t be happier. I’ll probably only get the first arc…and possibly the first arc of Supergirl. Power Girl is supposed to show up there too.

Justice – Geoff Johns, Jim Lee, Steve McNiven, Mark Millar, Jeff Loeb, Frank Cho and…Alex Ross. Those are my favorites (lately) and so no list would be complete without Ross. He’s not the only one doing it these days, but as far as I’m concerned he was the first to paint comic books, and he’s still the best. I didn’t get his oversized stuff, but I did get Marvels, Uncle Sam, and Kingdom Come (KC is probably the best, but I loved the FF story part of Marvels) and couldn’t be looking forward to this more. I even have some of the figures (pricey) but I think they are worth it. Life won’t be complete unless I get the Batman figure. And if you haven’t picked up Alex Ross’ “Mythology” you should (at least read it at the bookstore); you won’t be disappointed by the richness of the material.

OMAC Project – I wish I could get all 5 mini titles tying into Infinite Crisis, but economics just won’t allow it. So I have committed myself to getting just OMAC and Villans United. I’m intrigued by the story, but I don’t like the art. In fact, if it was about the art alone, I’d drop this one. But the story holds a lot of promise, and I can’t walk away from that.

Detective Comics – I was into this for a while, and essentially cut it for economic reasons. The first 4 issues of the City of Crime (?) storyline were pretty good, but the backups about some sideshow freak (all due respect to side show freaks) wasn’t very good. But I will pick it up in August for the 2 issues of the Batman crossover “War Crimes” which is a sequel to War Games and should shed some light on how Stephanie Brown bought it. And recently I found out that Grant Morrison and one of the Kuberts will be on this title around the new year, so I will definitely be getting those issues.

Infinite Crisis – This is the big one. Everything over the last two years (if not longer) has been building to this event miniseries, and again, I hope it lives up to the hype. I am confident it will…everything else (ID Crisis, Countdown, Flash & Titans tie-ins) has.

JLA – Speaking of tie-ins, I will be picking up the Geoff Johns run of 115 to 119. Batman confronts the League on the mind wipe. Should be good.

Adventures of Superman - Greg Rucka has done what no other author could for me - make a solo Supes book compelling. I'm going to keep this...but just until All-Star starts up.

Like I said, DC is where it’s at these days, because of superior writing and a certain organic quality - the very opposite of contrived, manipulative and artificial - to the storytelling to the whole ID Crisis/Countdown/Infinite Crisis storyline. I have no qualms about spending more on DC these days, especially when it seems like Marvel is so pale by comparison.

As for comic book reviews, I love reading the Superman Homepage for their reviews of Superman-related comic books. Unfortunately, they are always slow to print them and there are seemingly far too few of them to satisfy my tastes.

I also have to keep in mind my readers at this site, if any. I don't want it to be solely about comic book reviews, as I am sure that would bore everyone to tears.

So I have decided that I will be reviewing Alex Ross' Justice (a bimonthly title) on this website, and possibly 1 or 2 other monthly titles (probably Ex Machina and either Flash or Teen Titans). I am also going to try to incorporate my take on the comic industry as a whole within the reviews. The business is always in flux, and what goes on behind the scenes is often just as interesting as what goes on on the page. We'll see how it goes at first. if reaction is positive, I will probably go to the high end of that estimate. If not, we'll leave it at Justice.

I thank you, and I hope you have ebjoyed this foray into the world of comic books...as I see it. Now go to your local comic book shop, and pick one up...you just might enjoy it too.

Comic Service, Part 2

2005-07-07T17:01:00.000-07:00

Which brings us to the present. This is Comic Service. If you are ever in Springfield, Illinois, and need a fix of comic books, this is the place to go. There are other places you could go, but they don't offer the same friendly service. Not even close. At Comic Service, you'll find Comic Service Jim. If you go there long enough, and with any consitency, he'll get to know your pull list. In fact, he'll save more than just your list if there are other tie-ins, and then its up to you to decide if you want the title or not. Kinda like your own personal Tivo, except it's just on Wednesday afternoons.

Which brings us to New Comic Book Day. Wednesday is the day of the week the new books are released. At CS, you line up at the counter, and Jim "runs down" the new books behind the counter. Which might sound strange, but it keeps everyone's mits off all of the new stuff. And Jim knows a lot - A LOT - about his wares, so browsing through it wouldn't help you that much anyway. So anyway, if you're ever in Springfield, Comic Service is the place you should buy comic books in Springfield.

(I'll consider this my good deed for the day. Jim's a good guy. I feel bad because the State Journal-Register interviewed him a few weeks back when Batman Begins was released, and then didn't use it for the story. Shows what they know.)

I read comic books because to me, its all about the story. If it's not quality storytelling, it's not for me. For example, I bout Jim Lee and Brian Azarello's arc on Superman, and got burned. Great art, poor story.

Literature is art, and paintings are art, but for some reason there's a preconception that when you put words to pictures, it's juvenile. Anyone that says so is obviously mistaken. It's just as legitimate a medium of entertainment as books, movies, television or the stage. Also, it's an expensive hobby, and your average 10-year old just doesn't have that kind of disposable income.

As for what titles I buy at Comic Service, I am sad to report that the "House of Ideas" - that is, Marvel to the uninitiated - isn't doing to well these days. They are falling back - relying, really - on their old, tired story tactics, and it is dragging the whole company down as a result. The old standbys (standbies?) I am speaking of are "alternate realities" and dead characters who don't stay that way.

Marvel's big summer event is called "House of M." It deals with the Scarlet Witch, and how her "reality-bending" powers have gone amok, and everything in the MU has just gone "haywire." For example, Peter Parker is now apparently married to Gwen Stacy. And Hawkeye is back from the dead, after bowing out about a year ago.

You know what? I've seen it before. Sorry, Marvel, but between House of M, Steve McNiven abruptly being taken off Ultimate Secret, and the things I hear about the X3 movie ("Stacy X")...I think I'm going to give you guys a rest for a little while. Right now, the only titles I'm reading over at Marvel are Fantastic Four and Marvel Knights 4. Both are excellent takes on that team. (I don't think I can say as much for the movie, either. I'm sitting that one out.) There is also a sequel to Black Widow (from the same creative team as the original) coming out this fall, and I hope it live up to the original. I am also finishing up Shanna, the She Devil, the awesome Secret War and Mark Millar's run on Wolverine. But that's it. I wish Joey Q and his pal Avi the best.

Which is OK, because as far as I'm concerned, DC is where it is AT these days.

Monday: My must-read list, Part 2 and My Comic Reviews

Comic Service, Part 1

2005-07-06T15:07:00.000-07:00

My history with comic books is a long and sordid one. It pretty much began wth my 8-year-old's sense of wonder and love of all things Star Wars. That was in 1980. My aunt got me a subscription to Marvel's Star Wars title. It was touch and go for a number of years.

The title was cancelled in 1986, and I completed the run in 1991. By then, I had discovered other titles, mostly Uncanny X-Men, The Invincible Iron Man, a little bit of the Fantastic Four and a few others not worth mentioning.

Then I went into remission for a few years. By sheer luck, I picked up a sci-fi magazine in about 1996 that had a review of Alan Moore's Supreme. It was a thinly veiled take on Superman...at a period in time when DC clearly wasn't delivering the goods. (The big S went from super-mullet to super-dead to the ice capades in a little under 3 years.) I had, by that time, read Watchmen; graduate school was one of the most boring periods of my life; and there was a comic book shop directly across from campus. The perfect storm.

So Supreme was a gateway drug if you will. I started picking up 1 or 2 books a month. Then I got a hold of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman. Once I picked that up, I couldn't let it go. Then came the first Spider-Man and X-Men movies. All was well. They were good, but nothing compared to X2:X-Men United. It was all over at that point...and I have never looked back.

Next...Comic Service, my must-read list, and I finally decide on a format for comic book reviews...

Not to be a complete dick or anything...

2005-07-04T20:53:00.000-07:00

But Todd Walker really burned it up tonight, going 0-for-4. Going back to Saturday's game, when he went 1-for-4, that makes 1-for-14 in his last three games. Way to go!

To be fair, I haven't run the numbers on the rest of the team over a comparable time frame. I just happen to have keyed into this particular stat. It may not even be the worst out there. But it can't be helping, either.

My List

2005-07-03T17:59:00.000-07:00

Here's a list of the people that are really pissing me off today:

1. My asshat neighbors. How these guys made it out of the trailer park is beyond me. Right now, they are lighting off fireworks in their back yard - which wouldn't really be a problem for me, if it weren't right next to a cornfield. Again, not really a problem, except that is hasn't rained since, like, April. I swear, if they catch that field on fire, I will gladly pick these douchebags out of a police lineup.

2. Todd Walker. Sure, going into today's game he was batting .312. Sure, that's 11 points above league average. Sure, we've had some injuries this year, but we have for the most part, played through it and managed to hold onto second place for most of that time. But you know what? 0 for 6 with a strikeout and a HUGE error in the 11th - 11th! - inning just doesn't cut it. And the fact that it came down to his last at bat in the last at bat and he wiffed just proves it to me.

That is all.

More Milwaukee

2005-07-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

The Cubs lost yesterday...but should have won. Or at least, they should have been allowed to continue their comeback. Jeromy Burnitz hit a home run as far as I'm concerned...that ball was over the foul pole. In nearly 30 years of watching Major League Baseball, I have never seen a call like that reversed...especially against the home team. Asshat umpires.

More from Milwaukee...

OK, so I realize photos from a year-old vacation might not actually count as cutting edge, but nevertheless, here we are.

This is the clocktower from Miller Park. I suspect - but cannot prove - it is based on a similar clocktower on the original Wrigley Field...in Los Angeles, California. That park was the home of the minor league Los Angeles Angels, and home to the major league Los Angeles Angels for one season. Unfortunately, it has gone the way of most old stadiums...

We saw the Cubs play the Brewers on a Thursday afternoon with 42,000 other people, and the we saw the Brewers play the Pirates with 34,000 people on a Friday night. Methinks the Brewers' faithful have some closet Cubs fans in their midst.

Might I also recommend the Miller Brewing Company? If you're ever in Milwaukee, it is the place to go. This is a picture of Brew Valley. The sign atop the building is visible for miles...including from Miller Park. The grotto beneath the big evergreen is a cave used to cool beer in summertime, in the days before refrigeration. The free beer is across the street.

To be fair, the Budweiser Brewery may be just as good, but it isn't the Champaign of Beers. I'm just saying.

And these are the bears at the Milwaukee County Zoo. The fiance and I have visited a number of zoos across the midwest, and we had a good time at this one. True, it is no St. Louis Zoo, but it isn't bad.

There were no real animal highlights at the zoo...but the humans were at least as entertaining. Or scary. Take your pick. We got to see excellent parenting skills from some of Milwaukee's finest citizens, such as the woman who kept yelling at her crying 3-year old, "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" We also overheard some white trash lady after the sea lion show tell her grandkid - cue the gravelly voice - "Nana needs her cigarettes!"

All in all, an excellent time - and we didn't even make it to Summerfest.

What are you waiting for! Visit Milwaukee this summer. Remember, it's the Cubs' home away from home.

Drone 1047 - Brewers fan?!

2005-06-29T18:49:00.000-07:00

Today, at work, I was accused of being pro-
Brewers.

This was an accusation made by, for lack of a better term, one of my best Chicago Cubs friends in the world.

Of course, he did have the privileged viewpoint of watching the game at Wrigley Field Monday night, while I pretty much watched it on DVR while falling asleep on the couch.

And it is true that I was pretty zealous in my promotion of Miller Park when I came back from Milwaukee last year. (I still back it. It is a fun time!)

But me as a Brewers fan? Never. Not unless I get a job with the Mayor of Milwaukee and my wife lets me move to Milwaukee and buy season tickets. And I consider that highly unlikely.

My pursuit of perfect Cubness this year will not take me north of the Cheddar Curtain. It will take me to the Friendly Confines for three games in July and August, and the last two games the Cubs ever play at that crap-fest in St. Louis that passes for a stadium.

But I am not a Brewers fan.

(Also, I just wanted to see if I could post a picture!)

Day 2

2005-06-21T15:24:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Day 2 of my brand new blog. All of the previous kinks seem to have been worked out for now, and I am able to post at will. When I first started, there may have been a glitch preventing me from viewing right away.

The way I see it, I am still in the process of getting up to speed on this project. So this post is mostly about treading water, and keeping my reader updated on what's going on. So here's what's going on: I have my interests and movies profiled pretty well, and books are next. I'm no damn good at music; never have been, so don't hold your breath there. I hope to do the picture thing soon as well.

My fiance just called from the store. She was going to surprise me and buy me a copy of Hellboy. Isn't she sweet? And that's after I got her Reno 911! last week. And further good news, tonight, we're making waffles! (No innuendo there. Literally, that's what we're having for dinner.)

Cheer up happy reader! I promise it will get more exciting in the near future!

June 20, 2005

2005-06-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

Drone 1047 is on the air.

Hello and welcome to my brand new blog. I am not a very techno-savvy person. I think it would shock my friends if they knew just how un-technologically advanced I am. But I want to learn - at first I was resistant to the idea of blogs. Then I started reading them. Then I started reading them obsessively.

My boss likes to say either get on the train, or you'll be thrown under it. So I'm choosing to get over my techno-fears and get on the train.

I can't promise this will be the best blog ever. I can't promise anything. But I will do everything in my power to make sure that this blog doesn't suck.

This is the part of the program where a lot of people would post some self-serving over-indulgent pseudo-intellectual quote. Instead, I am chosing to post a more modest quote that will serve as my statement of principles:

Take something you love, tell people about it, bring together people who share your love, and help make it better. Ultimately, you'll have more of whatever you love for yourself and the world.

-Julius Schwartz (1915-2004)

My interests are far-ranging and diverse. Sometimes they get out of hand. But as my faithful readers, just don't hesitate to call me on it, should I ever stray from that principle.

I don't know where this blog will take me, but I can't wait to find out.

Drone 1047 is on the air.