Glorious

A few thoughts for the arrival of the greatest time of the year:

"I see great things in baseball, It will take our people out-of-doors, fill them with oxygen, give them a larger physical stoicism, tend to relieve us from being a nervous, dyspeptic set, repair those losses and be a blessing to us."

"In our sundown perambulations of late, through the outer parts of Brooklyn, we have observed several parties of youngsters playing base, a certain game of ball. Let us go forth awhile and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms. The game of ball is glorious."


--Walt Whitman, Died in Camden, NJ and buried a few miles from where I currently sit



For the next six months there will be something in my day that hasn't been there the past six months. In the words of that other great poet, John Fogerty, "We're born again and there's new grass on the field."

Not So Sure

I've come across this video clip from "ER" on a couple of different blogs. Initially, it does make a compelling case against the flaky-ness (not to mention intellectual inconsistency) that often comes with a "there are no eternal/lasting consequences for our actions" worldview. The individual who posted it on YouTube labels the clip "ER discovers the flaw of postmodernism." Maybe, or maybe not.

I have not seen the episode, just the two minute clip. However, I do think there is an alternative interpretation. It may actually be an idictment of the old man, and his old way of thinking. The reason I believe this may be the case is that the old guy isn't likable, he isn't nice, he isn't easy to look at, and frankly he's old and dying. And maybe ER is saying that his way of thinking is old, unkind, ugly, and ultimately dying. The woman (who I believe may be the hospital chaplain?) is sharp, pretty, and patient in the face of strong verbal attack.

The message may be in the appearance of the messengers, maybe?




EDIT: Ok, I just watched it a second time after writing the above, and I feel a little less certain of my "alternative interpretation." I was feeling good about it until the word "atonement" was used by the old-timer, and that isn't a word that would get tossed around too freely and without specific intent.

College Ball

I also have to have a little rant against those who fill out numerous NCAA tourney brackets. I don't want to hear about your "money bracket" and that you picked Davidson to go to the sweet sixteen in your espn.com bracket and on and on.... The tourney is inherently excellent, and doesn't need the additional "excitement" from wannabe "bracketologists."

I'm also sick of hearing the pundits say things like, "there's a possibility that West Virginia could make a final four run, they're that talented. However, they would have to win two tough games to get there, which they may not be able to do." That's a lot of hot air to say nothing definitive.

So after those two rants, "One Shining Moment" and announcers like Gus Johnson and Bill Raftery make college basketball great. Drink in this gem of a call (Raftery at his finest....a "taiwan special"):

The Pledge

Took a quick weekend in Nashville this weekend, to hang with some good, good friends. While killing time on Saturday afternoon, we wandered around the Tennessee state capital building. The three of us came across a statue that looked out over the city. The statue had a plaque on the bottom upon which was inscribed the following:

"The SOUTH is a land that has known sorrows; it is a land that has broken the ashen crust and moistened it with tears; a land scarred and riven by the plowshare of war and billowed with the graves of her dead; but a land of legend, a land of song, a land of hallowed and heroic memories.

"To that land every drop of my blood, every fiber of my being, every pulsation of my heart, is consecrated forever. I was born of her womb; I was nurtured at her breast; and when my last hour shall come, I pray GOD that I may be pillowed upon her bosom and rocked to sleep within her tender and encircling arms."

--Edward Ward Carmack (1858-1908), United States Representative, Tennessee


I'm pretty sure my two friends, both southerners, walked away with misty eyes.


While I don't own the same element of sentiment toward the southland, I did have misty eyes at my lunch this afternoon, which consisted of two bowls of the finest ramen noodles ever created. A favorite treat while I was serving time back in the big country:

Good Times

A and I went out for a few hours last night to a local open mic night. Our neighbor is trying to get her music career rolling, and she was headlining the open mic night (meaning that she had a pre-set time for her show). She's pretty good, and we enjoyed the opportunity to hang a bit with our neighbors.

I also enjoyed the other acts, although A didn't like them as much. I really enjoyed the "spoken word" act of one dude, who had us all yell "BLOOD ON THE WALL" every time he raised his fist throughout the act. I love this kind of stuff.

However, to wash away the stain of some of the less talented music acts of last night, I am listening to U2's live version of "Bad" - a top ten song of all time, without a doubt.