My Own Manifesto

Professionalism people!

2012-01-23T05:12:00.000-06:00

While watching the AFC championship game, I can't help but shake my head at Bill Belichick. I know that his signature clothing choice is a hooded sweatshirt. I understand that it is very, very comfortable. Hell, Jim Rome refers to him as 'The Hoodie' instead of by coach Belichick. But dude looks sloppy. The hood is so big sometimes that it reminds me of the Emperor from Star Wars. It does not look professional. And he isn't the only one. Other NFL coaches do not dress professionally. Most of the time, you see head coaches (and other coaches) in baseball caps, polo shirts, or turtle necks, khaki pants, etc. It's what most people would refer to as casual professional.

If you look at the other three major sports, there is no other head coach or manager that looks so under dressed. Baseball managers wear a team uniform, have a number, wear the team's either home or away hat. They look like they are one of the team. Some of the younger managers look like they could take the field, or at the very least, pinch hit or run. Basketball coaches dress up too. Most of the professional coaches are seen wearing suits. I'm talking button up shirt, tie, suit coat and matching pants. College coaches vary from suits or sweaters, but that is a different thing all together. Hockey coaches all wear suits too. Now, when I'm talking about coaches, I'm not just referring to the head coach or head manager, I'm talking the entire staff. Every assistant coach, or batting coach, or goalie coach. They all wear suits. It is professional looking. It makes them look in charge. The football coaches don't dress up. It sucks. They look like bums compared to the rest of the coaches in the professional sports.

During the 2005 season, Mike Nolan, head coach of the San Fransisco 49ers, had to ask permission from the NFL to wear a suit (seriously?). Here is a complete explanation from Wikipedia (because who doesn't get all their information from Wikipedia) because I don't feel like writing a ton about it.

Following his hiring by the 49ers, Nolan asked the NFL for permission to wear a suit and tie on the sidelines as a tribute to his father. The league initially denied Nolan's request because of the contract it has with Reebok for its coaches to wear team-logo attire, a ruling that was changed during Nolan's second season as coach. In the new NFL policy, coaches were allowed to wear a full suit for only two home games per season. The suits were designed, marketed and labeled under the Reebok corporation. Nolan debuted the suit in a game at home against the Seattle Seahawks on November 19, 2006. A day later, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio sported another Reebok suit on Monday Night Football.

I'm sorry, but wearing a suit and looking professional, looking like you are in charge of a sports team's decisions far outweighs wearing a team's logo. Doesn't it? Reebok needs to suck up the fact that everything doesn't have to be about making money. Aren't they making enough money as it is? Let the coaching staff wear suits and give them pins to wear on their lapels. Even if they aren't wearing a team's logo on a polo shirt or hooded sweatshirt, they would look like the coaches of old that most of them idolize.

I'm sure that if Tom Landry or Vince Lombardi were to see these coaches now and the way they dress, they would do one of two things. They would either walk away shaking their heads or would pummel them all into submission.

And when they were done with all the coaches, they would knock on Roger Goodell's door.

Hockey on TV

2012-01-22T14:07:00.002-06:00

Right now, Washington and Pittsburgh are playing on NBC which is fine because I will never turn down hockey being played on national television. NBC has been scheduling these two teams ever since Crosby and Ovechkin have come into their own. The problem is that both of these players are having horrible years. Crosby has practically been out since last January with a concussion or concussion like symptoms. Ovechkin has been having a down year in the scoring columns. Both are still very skilled. Both still have drawing power. Both suck this year. So who wants to watch Washington and Pittsburgh play if the two biggest names aren't playing or playing well? For NBC, I guess, it doesn't matter because they can try to put a new spin on the rivalry. I know that today there aren't many games being played so they just have to go with their plans, but if there were a slew of games, why would they not find a game between two contenders?

Right now, in the Eastern Conference, two of the top teams are the Rangers and Flyers. They played the Winter Classic game this year. Both are in bigger markets. And it's a great rivalry, both as cities and as sports teams. I know that you are going to see some east coast bias when it comes to sports, that's just how it goes. Bigger cities and bigger markets means bigger returns for the television. I get it. And I think that if you have a choice between a New York/Philadelphia game and something like a Vancouver/San Jose game, obviously a national network would take the New York and Philadelphia game, it just makes sense. But if Vancouver and San Jose are fighting for first place in the conference and New York and Philadelphia are struggling overall to make the playoffs, a true hockey fan would want to see the former game as opposed to the latter. But why doesn't a network see that? In the end, it's all about the money.

And that's too bad.

Ligament damaged season

2012-01-17T23:06:00.000-06:00

Every Detroit Tiger fan was sent running for their fallout shelters to await the 2013 season as word came down that Victor Martinez tore his ACL during an off season workout and is most likely out for the year. And by most likely, I think one hundred percent out for the season. I don't want him to rush back before he is recovered all the way. In fact, I think it would be an asinine if he were to try to rush back. So please, Victor. Recover all the way. There's always next year.

So of course the minute this story hit the wire, there was all kinds of speculations and theories of who the Tigers could run out and sign for their now void designated hitter's spot in the lineup. Lots of free swinging, hard hitting bats that would only be a band aid on the wound that is the number five spot in the lineup. or. Or. OR. What they could do, is stick with the batters that they have now. Can any of them replace Victor Martinez? Absolutely not. What they don't need to do is rush out and sign some over priced batter who could possibly ruin the chemistry that is in the Tigers' clubhouse right now. Why not run out Brennan Boesch or Delmon Young on a rotating schedule? It will take Young out of the field which can be beneficial to the defense and can keep Boesch fresh. Why not have in concentrate on just hitting instead of playing the field as well? There are options for the team within the organization. I think it would build a lot of confidence and trust with the players if Dave Dombrowski and Jim Leyland gave someone within the organization an everyday chance in the line up. Of course, if they do that and it backfires, fans will be calling for their heads. I will not be one of them.

While this is a huge blow to the Tigers for this year, I don't think it is the end of the world. The division is just going to be closer than last year. The Tigers have answers within the clubhouse. They do not need to run out and sign someone that has the possibility of ruining the greatness that the Tigers are bound to repeat this year. They are still in the driver's seat within the division. The only other team that is not in some kind of rebuilding process is Cleveland. And let's be honest. It's the Cleveland Indians. They haven't been good since. Well, since Victor Martinez played for them.

How ironic.

How to best the books and timelines

2012-01-17T11:28:00.001-06:00

*Author's note: this is the 600th post at My Own Manifesto. Kind of a big deal*

So I made a resolution to read six books this year. Not the greatest resolution ever and kind of setting the low for an entire year, but reading one book in two months is a decent clip for me, so I'm sticking with it. Besides, resolutions don't have to be an earth shattering goal. Sometimes smaller, easier goals are the way to go.

The best way that I can see going about this is setting a day to day goal for the books. The one that I am reading right now is 450 some pages. So, I figured that if I read ten pages a day, I would be able to finish the book in a month and a half. Right now, I'm on page 145, so I'm a little behind. To be fair, I worked closing shifts most of the week last week so it threw a kink into the plan, but I have the day off today so I might find some time to pick up the slack. Besides, there is still a fifteen day grace period between the second a third month in which I need to finish this book (if I keep on the pace of two months per book). But that's a bad way to look at it. Plus, it isn't like I'm going to wait for the two months to end in the event that I finish a book a little early. That just means that there is more time to read the next book.

With the novels, it might be a little more difficult to just read ten pages a day. Just reading ten pages can leave you in the midst of great story development or a character revelation. Who wants to stop half way through that? With the history books, you are reading for knowledge. Pretty dry stuff despite the fact that it is really interesting. It's history, it has already happened. It's not going anywhere you don't expect it to take a big twist. That is part of the fun with the history books. It is more about analysis and opinion than it is about the main character and story line.

At least I find it fun.

I've seen this before

2012-01-08T09:44:00.000-06:00

Of course everyone knows about the Detroit Lions' 0-16 season. There wasn't a week that went by this year that some sports talking head didn't mention it. And with good reason, they were the first team to do so. Not the first team to go without a win in a season, that would be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, just the first to go 0-16. This year was great for the Lions as they went 10-6 and made it to the playoffs. They played last night and were bested by the better team, the New Orleans Saints. Going in, there was a small part of me that believed they could pull it off, but for the most part, I knew that they were major underdogs. My wife put it best with this: 'Your heart wanted them to win, but your brain knew better.' And it's true, if I were to have bet on the game, I would have gone with New Orleans. It was a good season and they have come a long way from three years ago going 0-16. The bar has been set for years to come with this playoff berth and it reminds me of one other team.

The Detroit Tigers in 2006 started playing unconscious baseball in October and made it to the World Series only to lose to St. Louis. Three years prior to the World Series, they put up the most losses by an American League team in the history of baseball. After 2006, Tigers fans have expectations that their team will make it to the post season. They got that taste and now want it every year. They were close for several years before getting back this year. It use to be that if the Tigers won half of the games during the year it was successful. Now, making it to the playoffs is a successful year. If the playoff runs continue, how long before making it to the World Series is considered normal and expected?

The Lions might be on the same path. Their fans have tasted the playoffs for the first time since 1999 and even though they didn't win, it was a successful season. The fans will want postseason play every year now. It is going to be very difficult for them to make the playoffs every year because they play in a conference with Green Bay (same division) and New Orleans, two very tough teams built to go to the Super Bowl every year. The Tigers have an advantage because they are on top of their division and built to stay there for some time.

There is a shorter season in the NFL, so mistakes are more glaring than during the MLB season. Going through a six or seven game losing streak in baseball can be recoverable, not in football. A three game losing skid can derail a team's playoff hopes. If the Lions continue to stay healthy, draft smart, beat the teams they are suppose to beat (and beat one or two that they aren't suppose to) they will continue to make their fan base happy.

Seven and eight wins in a season is not going to be the rule anymore for the Lions. Nine or ten wins will be. Making the playoffs is a good start and a good turn around for the franchise and it'll do for a few years, but it will only be a matter of time before just making the playoffs won't be enough. The fans will want wins. One win, then two, then a conference championship. And who knows, eventually they will make a run to the Super Bowl.

And win.

Sleepless Morning

2012-01-04T04:15:00.001-06:00

One of the few times I have the opportunity to sleep in during the week and I was wide awake at three thirty. There haven't been many mornings when I have woken up extremely early and not been able to fall back asleep since moving to Minnesota.

I don't always know what to do with myself at this moment when this happens. There are a few options. I can try to go back to bed. Tossing and turning never leads anywhere and can just infuriate you to the point where you say 'fuck it, I'm getting up.'. This usually works out for me when I have to be to work at six in the morning, I just add some more water to the coffee pot, throw in an extra scoop of coffee smelling Colombian children's tears, start brewing, and browse around the internet or write. It kills a few hours, I go off to work and catch up on sleep that afternoon with a nap or go to bed earlier that evening.

There are mornings when I can't get comfortable in bed and come out to the living room and sleep on the couch. In fact, I might do that after finishing this up. The couch isn't the most comfortable, it isn't the Nap Couch we had at the cabin growing up (my family knows what I'm talking about), but it works for a few more hours of sleep. Even falling asleep on the couch doesn't totally resolve the issue because it isn't a deep and complete sleep to get fully rested for the day ahead. It's like several naps crammed into one.

I know there are some people that read when they can't sleep, but I don't like to go that route. It would wake my brain up even more and not want to go back to sleep. Even typing this, I can feel a part of me getting more and more awake. Reading would kind of do the opposite of trying to get back to sleep. That isn't much of an option.

I will just suffer through a few days of going to bed early to try to regain the sleep I am losing today. Three hours isn't enough for someone closing in on thirty. Hell, I don't even know if a college kid can survive on three hours of sleep and be productive for the next few days.

Sports eliminations

2012-01-04T03:45:00.000-06:00

On ESPN's show, 'First Take' on Tuesday, they discussed eliminating field goals and place kickers because one of the people thought that field goals shouldn't determine a game. His thoughts are that the place kicker isn't really a part of the team because he isn't on the field for the majority of the game. A quote of his: 'Other players fight for fifty nine minutes and fifty nine seconds and to have all that work come down to one kick isn't fair to them.' I don't completely understand his reasoning, but I don't get paid to give my sports opinion.

Some of the more exciting games in football have been at the end with the weight of the game (or season for that matter) being placed on a field goal. Some have been monumental victorious kicks and some have been crushing defeats. Think of all the wide rights and wide lefts you have seen in your lifetime. Now imagine if those kicks never happened. Kind of boring, right? Imagine if the team was forced to go for it on fourth down instead of putting points on the board with a successful field goal.

If you go outside of football, can other plays or players be eliminated? Let's look at free throws in basketball. A lot of times in basketball games, if a team is losing by one or two possessions (two to four points), they will start to foul the other team in order to stop the clock and also there is a chance that the opponent will miss one or both of the free throws giving the team that is losing a chance to tie or win the game. Why not eliminate free throws in the last five minutes of a game? Free throws can determine a winner or loser in a basketball game just the same as a field goal can. If a player commits a personal foul, just take it out of bounds and continue to play. It would also speed up the last five minutes of a game which we all know would be good because basketball games take forever with all the stoppage and free throws in these types of close games.

What about icing in the last few minutes of a hockey game? Icing doesn't give an advantage to a losing team, but what it does is not allow for the team that iced the puck to not change their players on the ice. Let's take the last three minutes of a one goal game. During the last three minutes of a game, why would you let an icing call stop the momentum of one team? I'm not going to say that an icing play is going to determine a game, but it slows it down to the point where players get stuck out on the ice and can lower the level of play and can lead to penalties and soft goals. Just let the clock continue to run in the event of an icing in the last three minutes of a game. It still allows a team to change their players, but they lose the time on the clock.

All of these topics and ideas will never happen because everything written about is part of the sport. Everyone always has their opinions on what they would do to change a sport, but if the sports changed, what would we complain about? Politics? I don't think so.

Onward resolution makers!

2012-01-03T10:26:00.001-06:00

New year resolutions are a joke. I think that is why they are broken so easily. Not everyone has the tenacity to keep up year round on what they decide to do at the beginning of the year. I think one factor is that resolutions aren't specific enough. Some people want to lose weight over the course of the year, but does weighing 210 pounds in January and weighing 208 pounds at the end of December constitute a completion of a weight lose resolution? When people talk about losing weight, they don't target two pounds as a goal. What about exercising more? If you didn't work out at all the previous year, going to the gym once fulfills the resolution. For every failure there are successes too, don't get me wrong, but if you talk to people in June about how they are doing on their resolutions, how many of them just flat out laugh about it?

This year, I want to read a bunch of books, and by a bunch I mean a handful. I'm okay with the fact that I am a slow reader, but I have picked out six books I want to read over the course of the year. Six books doesn't sound like a lot, but it is a good goal for me.

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
Tell All
Damned
A Little Matter of Genocide: Holocaust and Denial in the Americas from 1492 to Present
Suttree
Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation

Again, six books doesn't sound like a lot, but there are three history books on this list and are heavy reading. I've started with Guns, Germs, and Steel and cheated a little bit because I started this book in December. Now, let's talk strategy. What is the easiest way to get through this list (no, reading faster is not the answer). Is it read all the history books first and blast through the novels or vice versa? Or alternate between the novels and history books? Or some other pattern. I think that going with two history books followed by the three novels and finishing off the year with the last history book is the way to go.

So it begins. *Dramatic movie music*

Writing recap

2012-01-01T10:57:00.001-06:00

We have turned the page on another year. It's 2012. Ignore the end of days jokes that have been flying all around Twitter and Facebook. Here's a quick rundown of what I think are the best entries from 2011. Self serving? Yes. But you're the one clicking the links. Enjoy.

January: Historic Baseball
February: Fate, free will, or somewhere in between
March: You can (always) never go home again (For what it's worth, this is my favorite of the year and one of the best pieces I have written so far)
April: Weather worries
May: Online panhandling
June: Father's Day
July: Baseball milestone
August: A nice note before it gets messy
September: As Luck would have it
October: The new counterculture Part One and Part Two
November: The Visor Debate
December: Reading more (quickly)

Sometimes the best entries are the ones that remind you of why you write.

Childhood movies

2011-12-31T19:16:00.000-06:00

We just finished watching a good portion of 'Newsies' on the TV. Not the best movie ever made, but I loved it when I was younger. Loved it as in watched it a couple of times a month or at the very minimum once a month. I don't know why, I just loved it. It has catchy songs. Nice storyline. Maybe this is where I got a taste of fighting the Man. Watching it just now, is it a good movie? Not really. Was it fun to watch again and have just a split second for the lines and songs to come back? Yes. My wife just rolled her eyes.

It made me think of some other movies from my younger days that I still enjoy. Let's start with 'The Goonies'. This is another movie that was on a constant loop in our house (much to my mom's chagrin, I'm sure). Who doesn't like this movie? A bunch of kids on an adventure to find lost gold of a pirate to save their homes? Sure. And let's be honest here, One Eye Willie sounds worse when you are grown up as opposed to when you are in your innocent childhood adolescence.

'The Great Muppet Caper' was my first real exposure to Jim Henson's headliners. I vaguely remember Fraggle Rock (but watching it in adulthood made me think Henson was on some serious drugs), I never saw The Dark Crystal, I never was around when The Muppet Show was on, so 'The Great Muppet Caper' was it. While I don't remember watching this as much as some of the others from my childhood, I still list it as one of the tops from my youth.

Oh Jackson!

2011-12-26T10:32:00.001-06:00

Alright, in an attempt to quench my thirst for baseball to start up again, I went rummaging around for the greatest call of this past year from Mario and Rod and found it. Austin Jackson makes up for his high strikeout rate with an amazing glove and a cannon for an arm. I love that hockey being played right now, but baseball just needs to get here and replace the basketball games on the television.

So here it is. Try not to get goosebumps when Rod goes ape shit.

The Christmas Post

2011-12-25T08:05:00.000-06:00

*Author's note: I wrote this back in 2008 and I have since made it my Christmas Eve or Christmas day post. It is simple and makes it easy for me to say that I at least wrote something for the holidays. Enjoy the day everyone. Be sure to keep the television off as long as possible and love being with family and friends.*

We are watching A Christmas Story right now, and there is nothing better in this movie than the nostalgic feel of the Christmas morning scene. More than the kids ripping apart the wrapping, it is the expressions on the faces of the mom and dad. Just the joy that they have watching their kids.

As much as people think it is all about the Red Rider BB gun, the movie is more than that. It's about family, more than anything.

Idolizing the father
Having a life long understanding with your mother
And the fighting with your brother

And the final scene of the mom and dad relaxing with the Christmas tree alight and the snow falling at night. Magic.

Yoga for Kids

2011-12-24T04:28:00.000-06:00

For the longest time I have been wanting to write about this, but have always found other subjects and this just kept getting pushed to the back of the shelf. Well, when I woke up two hours before my alarm went off, I found this idea kicking around my head and finally am getting around to write about this.

We sell yoga videos for kids at work. Well, not videos. Video. One, but if you can find one there's bound to be more. When I walk past it, I can't help but think that it's both good and bad. It's good because it gets kids up and about. It gets them off their asses and exercising, you can't argue that point. But I don't remember growing up and having an exercise video I watched to keep me active. I went outside and played or I went downstairs and ran around down there. In fact, I can remember my mom owning a few workout VHS (look it up people not born before the 90s) but I do not remember her saying 'here kids, watch this and work out.' She sent us outside to play with the neighbor kids. Even in the winter time, we went outside. We dug tunnels in the back yard. We went to the Michigan Bell building and went sledding on the huge snow piles from the parking lots that I have always hoped the workers made for the neighborhood kids.

When you are young enough, you don't realize that you are exercising and that it is good for you when you are playing. You go out and run around because you are having fun. You are playing with other kids, but you are outside. Now, here is where I think that having an exercise video for kids is bad. If you have a kid exercising using a video, they are still inside. As people talk about our kids living a more sedentary lifestyle the easiest way to put an end to that is to get them out of the house. Make them go out and play kick the can or kickball or dodge ball or tag (or freeze tag, or tv tag, or one of the thousands of types of tag we use to play as kids). Make them get out of the house and get some fresh air, it does a body good.

Either way, it's good for kids to get away from sitting around and exercising. Even if the exercising takes place in front of the television that is the root of some of this evil.

Sports at Christmas time

2011-12-21T09:27:00.000-06:00

The NBA needs to take a page from the NFL. This year, Christmas falls on a Sunday and what day does the NFL generally play on? Sunday. So looking at that, they have moved all but one of the games to days around the twenty fifth. There's a game on Thursday, the majority of the games are on Saturday, one on Sunday, and then one on Monday. Now, the game on Sunday night is Green Bay against Chicago, so it's not like the teams have to travel cross country. I wonder if the Bears players are going to have to be in Green Bay a day or two before the game or if they have the option to spend Christmas morning with family or friends. Because that would be nice if they could do that. I mean, come on, what can they learn from going through a practice or walk through on Sunday morning at the field?

The NBA has played on Christmas day for most of my adult life, or for as long as I care to remember. I have never understood that. Well, I can't say I don't fully understand it, I understand that if they are the only sport on television on Christmas day, they'll get all the ratings and viewers. I understand that. However, and I feel like I'm writing a bunch of themed posts here, but Christmas is all about being with your family and friends. I know that it's all about making money and having a captive audience that is in need of sports, but it's just one day. Let your players have that time.

I don't ever remember watching sports on Christmas, in fact, I don't really remember the television being on Christmas day. Well, the CBC channel use to have the crackling fireplace and soft Christmas music on most of Christmas day and we turned that on once or twice to have some ambiance. In fact, you can find something similar to this on Netflix watch it now if you feel so inclined. Just type in 'fireplace for your home' and enjoy. I thought it's a great idea. Anyway, I don't remember the television being on Christmas day until late in the afternoon. You obviously have present opening in the morning, then there was breakfast or brunch, and then we would always play with our new toys or try on the clothes that we got from Santa. Eventually the clean up would be underway and that could take some time because who wants to clean up versus play with new stuff? So it wasn't until late afternoon or early evening that the television would be turned on and I don't remember what we watched, I just don't remember watching sports.

Or maybe we did and I was just too engrossed with my Legos.

Music Time

2011-12-20T08:52:00.002-06:00

One fun thing about the holidays is that there is music that you don't listen to any other time of the year. With music there is always going to be songs that you like and songs that you don't. Christmas is no exception. Everyone has their absolute favorite song. We were talking about it last night at dinner. My mother in law's favorite song is O Holy Night, my father in law loves a slower version of All I Want For Christmas is You. I've tried to think of one absolute favorite song. I think I have come up with it, but who knows, it might change next year or the year after that.

With the exception of the first year we lived down in Wichita, we have not been home for Christmas since our college days. So it works out that one favorite song recently has been I'll Be Home For Christmas (If Only In My Dreams), the Bing Crosby version, because is there any other? It just fits our situation perfectly because it's what we deal with every year. We can't go home because of my job which has always been a downer, but we have had family come visit and it's been nice to have that little bit of home every year.

Along with number one favorite songs, everyone has their list of songs that they love and can fight for the top spot in each person's heart. If not favorite songs, favorite albums. I've been a fan of Crosby's 'White Christmas' because that's what I grew up with, but then again, didn't most everyone? Along with that, 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' album has always been fun because the television special has always been fun.

And to think, Charles Schultz wasn't a fan of jazz music.

These nuts(cracker)

2011-12-17T21:38:00.002-06:00

I have always liked the traditional feel that Christmas can bring. Old handmade, handed down ornament. Family traditions. And the things that go with the holidays. Like nutcrackers. Growing up, we had a nutcracker that was very old. Like fall apart if you even looked at it old. Very traditional looking, very European. He has a beard, a black hat, and a rifle on his shoulder. Like the nutcracker from The Nutcracker. It was never used to crack nuts like it's original purpose. I always thought that it was the coolest decoration that we had.

So I have been disappointed the past few years at work when different kinds of nutcrackers have been produced. Firefighters, army men, policemen, teachers, etc. Even other holidays have nutcrackers. Halloween themed nutcrackers are making their appearance. Vampires, mummies, frankenstein's monster. All sullying the traditional feel and purpose of the nutcracker.

We have two nutcrackers that are meant to be decorations and they look very traditional. A nice throw back to a part of my childhood during the month of December. I'm sure that there are people buying these new themed nutcrackers and they will eventually be a part of their child or children's memories and traditions for Christmas, but doesn't fit in my mind.

In the end, it doesn't really matter as long as the tradition continues to be passed down from generation to generation because that is what being a family is all about. Christmas in part is about family. And families pass things onto the next generation. That's what a tradition is.

A what Christmas?!

2011-12-14T05:47:00.000-06:00

There is a possibility of a green Christmas this year. No, this is not a re-posting from my years down in Kansas, this is this year. 2011. In Minnesota. Is that even legal? Last year around this time, Minnesota got slammed with a blizzard that dropped somewhere between fourteen to twenty inches of snow. Enough snow to collapse the roof of the Metrodome. Where's it now? Why can't there be enough snow to collapse it one more time? That's all I would want.

One of the reasons we moved here was to have white winters and white Christmas days to wake up to. Nothing is more depressing than waking up on December 25th, a day full of happiness and excitement, and seeing dead grass and wet sidewalks from the night's rain. Those are the Christmas mornings you don't want to remember. You want it to be like your childhood memories. Looking out in the late morning and seeing the sun reflect off the fresh snow and it being almost too bright to look at. You want it to be so cold that when you open the door, your lungs tense up a little bit, your nose hurts just a little bit as it adjusts to the cold air. You don't want to look outside and see the remnants of the fall season. That time has come and gone, you want cold. You want white. You want what Christmas should look like. Last year, we left the blinds drawn and dealt with having no snow for what we thought was the last time.

We got just a burst of snow a few weeks ago, but that has since melted away during our recent 'heat wave' (it got up into the mid thirties). All right Mother Nature, I know you and I have had out differences over the years, but you have eleven days to get your shit in order and bring down the snow. I demand it!

Please.

The curious case of Todd Bertuzzi

2011-12-10T18:56:00.001-06:00

For the longest time, I hated Todd Bertuzzi. There are several reasons why. He played for the Vancouver Canucks for several years and gave the Detroit Red Wings and their fans fits because they always seemed to match up perfectly in the regular season and the playoffs. He played like a goon, but had the talent to play and not fight. And the incident with Steve Moore. No one can forgive him for that.

When he played with Vancouver, he and Markus Naslund were both just so big and physical and talented that they offered a one-two punch that most teams could not match. Bertuzzi would just plain knock the guy off the puck and skate away, Naslund would use his stick and brain to pick pockets and skate away. How do you counter that? Bertuzzi was also there to protect Naslund, the role of the enforcer/goon. He's what some would call a power forward. He can beat you with his skills and his fists, a great physical combination. The problem is that he came into the NHL about a decade too late to be called a true enforcer and gets labeled a goon because the style of the game had changed. I'm not going to say that there isn't a place for enforcers in the NHL now, they are just more of an anomaly than a frequent sighting on teams. And while he may have relished his role as an enforcer, it put a damper on his career and put his skills as a passer and a scorer not on a back burner, but on a smaller burner perhaps.

Let's talk about enforcement. Let's talk about the Steve Moore incident. It is quite possibly the worst on ice incident I have ever seen. It was retaliation for a hit Moore put on Naslund, a hit that was considered legal by the referees and did not draw a penalty. The hit gave Naslund a concussion and a bone chip in his elbow. A week later, half way through the third period, Bertuzzi punched Moore from behind and drove him to the ice, breaking his neck and ending his career. Bertuzzi became enemy number one throughout all the sports world, regardless of which major sport people were talking about. Bertuzzi held a press conference in which you can tell he was remorseful for what he had done, but the damage was done. His reputation had been tarnished forever.

After that, he was suspended indefinitely and was eventually reinstated. He was traded after the 2006 season and bounced around a little bit (Florida, Anaheim, Calgary) before eventually landing with Detroit. I don't think he could have stayed in Vancouver after this incident. It would have sent a bad message around the league. They wouldn't want to appear to be a safe harbor for dirty players, even if they have been instrumental in your team's success the past few years. He's still a strong, physical player but you don't see him fight. He uses his skills now while playing for the Wings and it's good to see. He has help invigorate the spin-o-rama move during overtime shootouts. It's a thing of beauty to see a huge man use some skills.

He has stayed down since the incident and has quietly put together a nice career, it's just too bad that his name will forever be linked to a bad decision.

The Donation Question

2011-12-10T09:00:00.001-06:00

Last month, Andrea and I went to the Minnesota Institute of Art on a weekend afternoon. We needed to get out of the apartment for a little bit and now living in a bigger city, there is more to do. We got into the car and just drove downtown until we found something to do. We walked in and found that there was no admission to get in, which is awesome, but a donation box is at the front desk. There is a printed sign that states 'suggested donation is five dollars.' I'm not going to lie, I felt a little bad not putting any money in the donation box. I just expected to pay using a card so didn't have any cash with me. Now, they do have a traveling exhibit and charge admission into that, so there's that at least.

The question that comes into play here, is how much do you give and is it ever appropriate to not give? I'll answer the latter first because that's an easy one. As we were leaving I mentioned that I felt a little guilty about not giving any money to which Andrea replied 'everyone should get at least one free visit.' Makes sense and it's something that everyone should be able to get on board with. I think that this is a place that we could visit every once in a while. It won't be an every weekend thing, or even a once a month thing. It might be a once or twice a year thing. It's big enough that you can't see and appreciate everything in one day so going there multiple times isn't out of the question. So five dollars, at most twice a year in this written scenario, isn't much. Twenty dollars for the two of us. Money well spent.

Now, as far as how much to give, I think that it depends on how often you go there. If you are there once a month, do you give the recommended five dollars each time? Do you stiff them and don't give anything at all (dick move, don't do that)? Or do you give just a little bit every time you go there? It'll all depend on the person visiting. If they are a huge art fan, they may give more than five dollars as they visit. If they are more like me, not a huge art fan but can still appreciate the talent and skill that most of the artists use (more on that in just a second), and go there quite a bit, a dollar or two each time would be worth it. It, once again, all depends on the person but I would think and hope that any visitor with a conscience would throw some kind of money into the bin. If they're a visitor from out of town, what's the harm in showing some appreciation for the institute and give a few dollars? The amount one gives should be relative to how often they are there, but at the very least, if you are past your 'first time free' visit, throw in a dollar. It's tons cheaper than going to the movies and you'll be better for it.

I am not even going to put myself in the same universe as the majority of the artists that have work hanging at the MIA. I can draw stick figures very well and that's about it. Even the majority of the modern and post modern artists are fantastic. HOWEVER, there is some art there that my nephew and nieces could do. There were two pieces, not joking, that was masking tape strips torn and made into words on a white canvas and framed. I don't always 'get' art but try to find appreciation for the work that the artists does, but not these pieces. Two pieces of art by this guy that were the same style, one just had blue tape instead of the regular masking tape. And then there are the pieces that are just one color on a canvas. Seriously?

I would hope that if the zombie apocalypse ever happens, the classic artists come back and just devour those who have defiled the ways of their craft. Or at the very least, gnaw their hands off.

Reading more (quickly)

2011-12-07T04:56:00.001-06:00

I haven't ever really kept tabs on how many or how quickly I have read books. It's always been one of those things that I have done slowly, but it's one of those things I have enjoyed doing. I have people in my life, like my mom and wife, who can breeze through any book that they pick up. I know my mom will bring two or three books with her on vacations because she has always enjoyed reading and reading at long periods of time. That's why we got her a Kindle for Christmas last year. That way she can just bring that little tablet as opposed to her small library that she has back home. My wife is the same way. She can sit down for a couple of hours and just read. I've had to kick her out of bed a few times in the past because I had to get up early in the morning and she was still reading at midnight. It's just one of those things that some people can do for great lengths of time.

Not so much me. I think that part of the problem is that I read at night. I will want to keep reading, but I know that if I do, it wouldn't take long before it's eleven or later and I have to get up in four hours. So I read a chapter or two a night and call it good. Now, depending on the size of the book and the amount of chapters, that can take a very long time to get through just one book. And then there are the books that are broken up into three or four parts as opposed to chapters then it's all about finding a good stopping point. With a well written book, that is hard to do at times. It's usually about finding a page with a sentence ending it.

Around Christmas time and my birthday (only two months apart), I get several books or gift cards to a book store. I rush out to get books and add them to my collection. The problem? I still have books on the shelf from last Christmas and my last birthday that I have yet to read. I counted them out when we moved to Minnesota and if I remember correctly, I have fourteen books on the shelf that I haven't read yet. Some of them have been hanging around for more than a year. The bad thing is that I see them there collecting dust and I try to tell myself that I will read faster to get to them. The problem? Once I get to them, I will slow right down because there are more history books than novels. It's going to be heavy reading. It'll be like I'm back in college, but with no paper or discussion circle around which historian the author hacked or what facts did the author leave out to make their point or why book 'A' is more important than book 'B'. It'll be for pleasure. History reading for pleasure? Yeah, it happens.

I think that the best way to go about reading more in a year is to set aside more time during the day to read. During my weekends off finding time to sit in the bedroom away from the television and the computer and lose myself in the pages. You hear people say that they just want to curl up with a book and read the afternoon away and it can be easy for some people to do. I just never have because I am a slow reader and take my time reading through the piles of books that never have an end to them.

Wrapping presents and winter weather

2011-12-06T14:04:00.001-06:00

If music imitated present wrapping, my ability to wrap presents would closely resemble some high school garage speed death metal music. As opposed to my wife, whose ability to wrap presents is more closely related to Mozart or Beethoven. It's just a talent I have never possessed. Refined abilities escape me very easily, and I'm okay with that. That's why whenever we give birthday presents or presents at Christmas time, she wraps them for us. I'm the reason department stores offer gift wrapping.

This year I have been in more of the holiday spirit because of the weather. It's because of the snow. In the past several years, I have waited to the week or so before Christmas to get my shopping done and I think it is in part to it not feeling like winter. There wouldn't be any snow on the ground and it would still feel like the fall. It wouldn't cross my mind to go Christmas shopping and not be one of those people that does all the shopping on the twentieth of December. Being up in Minnesota now, it has felt like winter because we had some snow on the ground at Thanksgiving time! It's been in the twenties or below the past week and it makes me happy.

So here I sit, in the bedroom taking a break from my death metal wrapping to write a little bit about being happier because we are some place that reminds me of my childhood in the sense of it feeling like winter more than a week out of the year.

Sorry Kansas, but that's another strike against us ever moving back.

Scary commercial

2011-12-04T20:02:00.001-06:00

Has anyone else seen the new Motorola Razr that refers to the phone being more 'self aware'? Here it is if you haven't. Okay, show of hands, who else does that freak out? Hopefully anyone that has seen any of the Terminator movies had their hands shoot up in the air before they realized what was going on.

Maybe it is because I just watched Terminator Salvation the other day, but seriously it's freaky that Motorola would advertise their phone like that. And maybe they want it to be as a sort of wink at the movie series. With that said, technology is slowly taking over the world and everyone knows it. Think about all the electronics you carry with you on a daily basis. Cell phone. Ipod or Ipad. Laptop for work maybe? Everyone at one point or another has said something close to the following: 'I don't know what I would do if I didn't have my *fill in the blank*.'

It's so nice to have a phone with you at all times and be connected twenty four hours a day if need be, but how long can you go without your cell phone? It's always nice to disconnect from the world but it is awfully difficult to do so for long periods of time because we have become so use to having instant communication whenever it is needed.

So maybe the machines haven't risen against us (yet), but they control our lives more than some would like to admit. I have no problem admitting that. I actively check Facebook during the day. I'm on Twitter (@Litzner). I just recently got a smart phone (I held out as long as I could). And obviously, there's My Own Manifesto. Everyone needs to disconnect every once in a while.

And if you can't, just sit tight, John Conner is on his way to save you.

Sleep cycle

2011-12-03T05:37:00.001-06:00

I have been trying to break my old sleeping cycle as of late. I have always been under the impression that getting eight hours of sleep each night was more of a guideline than a recommendation, despite what you hear or read. I would shoot to get somewhere between six and seven hours and call it good, but lately I have found myself sleeping in later and having to hurry around the house a little bit before going to work. In an attempt to get to a point where I'm getting between seven and eight hours of sleep each night, I'm trying a few things.

I'm not taking a nap after work. I love naps. Half an hour or forty five minutes zonked out on the couch completely oblivious to the world around. You wake up afterwards and feel refreshed. However, last week these little naps went from being half an hour to an hour long. So what's the big deal? Well, if you fall asleep for your nap around four thirty and wake up an hour later, you feel like you can stay up an hour later that night (at least I did). Before you know it, you're going to bed at eleven o'clock and the alarms goes off at five. Six hours. Not good. Foregoing the nap makes me more tired earlier in the evening and I go to bed earlier and end up crashing hard at nine thirty at night. So, the alarm goes off at five and I'm looking at seven and a half to eight hours of sleep. Boom, problem solved, right?

What about the weekends? Who wants to go to bed at nine thirty on a weekend where you don't have to get up for anything the next day? I certainly don't. So trying to find that right time to go to bed on the weekends has been a little strange. I think some time between ten and eleven works out because it isn't too far from where I am trying to go to bed during the week. Plus, I sleep in so I'm still getting enough sleep where I don't over sleep and can't fall asleep Sunday night before the work week starts.

I feel a bit old manish writing about trying to get more sleep and going to bed earlier in the evening, but at the same time, doesn't more sleep keep you healthy by not getting you run down? I will risk being called an old man and going to bed before ten at night if it means I stay healthy during the winter months. No one likes being sick, and getting enough sleep each night can help out with that, apparently. I never understood why, I have always just gone with it.

The visor debate

2011-11-29T10:33:00.000-06:00

Earlier this month, Chris Pronger returned to the ice after missing close to two weeks worth of play with an eye injury. An eye injury that was caused by an inadvertent stick to the face. One of those injuries that everyone talks about as a career ending injury if it had been just a few inches either way, it certainly could have. When he returned, he had a visor attached to his helmet. Just recently, Ian White of the Detroit Red Wings, missed a week's worth of games for accidental blocked a shot with his face. It broke a cheek bone, another reason you can never question a hockey player's toughness. So, it has brought up a debate of whether or not visors should be required for all NHL players.

It seems to be one of those things that players acknowledge is a good idea, but can hinder their play. Visors apparently cut down on their peripheral vision, and vision is key to the game of hockey. Those no look passes don't create themselves. It also can create issues with the enforcers. If they get into a fight, how can your fist go through their face if there is a piece of plastic in the way? Any argument you hear is just a mask for the real argument against the visors: it's not manly. I know that hockey is a game of manly men, but there also has to be a point when safety comes before masculinity.

I wasn't around for the debate about everyone being mandated to wear helmets, but I'm sure it went the same way. It blocks my vision, it doesn't feel right, if I punch someone the helmet hurts my hand. Everyone got over it and it was for the better. You can't tell me that helmets are a bad idea. Visors are the same way, it's a smart safe advancement for the players. I think that they should be mandated for every player. I don't want to hear this debate again after a player can't lace up his skates anymore because of an eye injury. All the league would have to do is grandfather everyone in. Anyone who is playing in the NHL right now, doesn't have to wear a visor, but anyone who comes into the league from this season onward must wear a visor.

The big thing that I don't understand is that in the lower leagues, they wear visors or cages, so what is the issue? I don't know if they restrict vision of the players, but it will keep them safe and that is what the commissioner should take into consideration. No one will question any player that wears a visor. I sure wouldn't. Would you want to be considered manly for not wearing a protective visor and having a shorter career because of eye or facial injuries or be considered less manly and have a longer career because your face is safe?

Almost got away without it

2011-11-26T10:04:00.001-06:00

The NBA has tentatively reached an agreement to end their lockout. The agreement, if approved, would start the season on Christmas day. All of this is according to ESPN. I'm sure we'll hear more about this as the story progresses.

We almost got away with no NBA season and how glorious would that have been? Further more, if they do reach this agreement, why would they start on Christmas day? How horrible of an idea is that? Why not just start on New Year's Day and play later into the calendar year? It'll give them more time to get back in shape. I understand that they have played games on Christmas for years and years, but they have been just two or three marque games and are meant to draw a huge amount of numbers and television numbers, but are they going to have every team play?

Outside of the fact that they are starting to play, how many fans did they lose with this lockout? There are going to be the die hard fans that will watch regardless of the lockout, but what about the fans that are just casual? It will take a long time to get those fans back. Baseball and hockey both dealt with it after their lockouts and it took years and years to get the fans back. Basketball will deal with it too. The arenas will be filled from time to time and for teams that are really good, but the teams that are bad, their arenas will be emptier than they would have been if the season was not in a lockout.

You know, I think that they should just cancel the season and do nothing but train for next year. It's the best for everyone involved.

Early decorating

2011-11-22T17:42:00.001-06:00

How early in the winter season is it okay to decorate for Christmas? I understand people get really really excited for it and jump the gun, but is two weeks into November too early? I think so. Some apartments around our complex have lights on their decks or porches or trees in their windows and I thought that it was time to lay down the law on decorating. And it's real simple: Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is so close to the end of November that why not just wait? It's not like there is a ton of decorating people do for Thanksgiving, but they just need to take a break. A few days into the month of November the Halloween decorations come down and it should be time to take a break. Realize that your house or apartment does not always need to have lights hanging off of the eaves or pictures in the windows. I always thought that December was the time for Christmas decorating, not November. Christmas decorations stay up through the majority of December through the new year, but not too long past the new year. Within the first week. Growing up, the decorations were always down before my brother's birthday which is 10 January, so there's a week and a half window in which to take everything down.

We got our first snow last week and I immediately thought about decorating for Christmas. It was the first time in years and years that there was snow on the ground before Thanksgiving. Snow brings out the spirit of Christmas and the decorating that goes along with it. However, it's all about timing. Decorate too early and you seem too eager, decorate too late and you lose out on how long your house looks like a fun holiday house. I think that the best time frame for decorating your house has to be some time in between the 7th and the 11th of December.

Not to be too particular or anything like that.

Life milestones

2011-11-19T20:48:00.001-06:00

A few months from now, I will be thirty. It's one of those life milestones that gets overshadowed unless it's happening to you. Normally, when you hear people talking about their life's milestones, it's twenty first birthdays, sixteen, eighteen, forty, etc. Thirty can be big if you want it to be, but it seems to be more of a second thought with all the other age milestones.

I want to make my thirtieth birthday a memorable one. I want to get a tattoo [inspired by my sister who has a few so blame her for that mom! :o)]. I have a few ideas rolling around in my head of what I want. If anyone had asked me about seven or eight years ago if I would ever get one, I probably would have said no. I don't know why, but it's something that I want now. I was told once that if you can picture what you want, where you want it, for at least six months, you are definitely ready for ink.

And who knows, two months from now, when my birthday does roll around, I may change my mind completely. But then again, I could have a tattoo in mind that goes shoulder to shoulder.

Why cold is great

2011-11-17T05:51:00.001-06:00

It's getting cold outside. I checked the weather this morning and it showed that it was twenty degrees, but felt like it was ten. It's an exciting time. I think that I have always enjoyed the cold. I know that as an adult, I prefer the cold to warm or hot weather. With cold weather, you can bundle up. Put on a heavy coat, a scarf, gloves, hat, etc. When it starts to get hot outside, you just walk around in shorts and short sleeve shirts. There is no way to walk around with a portable A/C unit in your pocket (or is there.....).

One thing that I have noticed in the early mornings when it is cold outside is that everything just sounds different. It's quiet but there is something weird about the quietness. I can't really explain it, but everything is just that, different. There's something in the air when it is cold outside and I love every second of it.

I love putting on a heavy coat, a wool hat and scarf. I love having just a little slit to look through in between the hat and scarf. Just that little bit that reminds me of a cartoon character that gets shooed out the door by their mom as they have to walk to school in a blizzard.

The one thing above all else is that makes it great when it is cold outside is being in your own house and kicking back in a pair of sweatpants and a hooded sweatshirt. It's great coming home from a long day of work and relaxing on a couch with your favorite sweats and grabbing a beer or a scotch and putting your feet up in your slippers and just letting it all go.

Permanent move

2011-11-13T09:41:00.001-06:00

What constitutes permanent residency? I pose this question because we went and got our Minnesota driver's licenses last week which is one of several steps I think it takes to become a resident of a state.

It was interesting because despite the fact that we both have been driving for more than a decade, the state of Minnesota requires everyone who is getting their license for the first time in the state to take a forty question test. You need an eighty percent to pass the test. We both passed. With an eighty percent. BOOM! The test had some questions that you would never think of. Like, 'how many feet are you suppose to leave between you and someone biking on the road?' It's something you never really think of. Then they would have a question like, 'true or false: Alcohol impairs your judgement when operating a vehicle.' There were some questions that were no brainers and others which made me think how did I pass this course in the first place when I was fourteen and didn't have the experience?

So we both got our licenses, but that is just one of things it takes to be a permanent resident. The biggest thing has to be living somewhere. The first two weeks we were here, we lived with my uncle so we didn't technically live anywhere. We were out of our lease in Wichita and had no address in Minnesota. We missed our one opportunity to get off the grid and disappear forever. At the beginning of September, we moved into our apartment and step one was completed. Although there are some that would not consider living in an apartment a move towards a permanent residency because you could just be here for a year and be gone. However, we're here for the long haul, so I'll count it. Step one: completed.

Step two and three go hand in hand. Driver's license and license plate for your car. Both of these things expire eventually, so no matter how much you delay, you eventually have to get them both. These are the things that are the biggest road blocks when it comes to becoming a resident just because they cost quite a bit of money to get. Okay, so not a ton for a driver's license. It was twenty five dollars. License plates can be expensive, around one hundred dollars. I am waiting until July to get my license plate because that is when it expires. The license plates in Kansas come with property tax and it cost around one hundred twenty to one hundred fifty dollars depending on how new your car is, so I am getting my money's worth out of my Kansas license plate.

So it isn't until those three things fall into place that you become a permanent resident of a state when you are an adult. You can't hold kids to these standards because they can't drive.

Writing barrage

2011-11-10T20:23:00.001-06:00

Every single year, I try to write at least the same number or more posts than the previous year. The goal is one hundred and twenty three this year. Looking at the number of posts I have now, it's going to be quite a busy month and a half coming up here at My Own Manifesto. Enjoy or be disgusted, don't really care.

I have an issue with the Veteran's Day sales that stores have. Specific two or three day sales that are plastered with savings. Now, when I think of Veteran's Day, I don't think of going to Macy's or Kohl's or a furniture store warehouse to save money. I think of men and women serving their country. Not just the United States, but any person that has served in any branch of their military in any country. It's a day to remember any person that has fallen in the defense of their country, for something that was bigger than they were. It's a day to thank anyone you know that has served. It's a day not for going to stores to do your best to save some extra money on something you want to buy.

This holiday falls in line with the Columbus Day sales you see advertised. And President's Day sales. What is the connection to people coming in and saving money on a couch and Christopher Columbus mutilating, raping, and killing his way into the history books? Do you think that if George Washington could be here now he would be so happy to see that you can save an extra twenty percent at the local department store during President's Day weekend? Do you think a veteran of the first Gulf War gives two shits about any of that? I think not.

The one nice thing that I have seen is what some restaurants are advertising that they are doing for vets. It isn't anything major, but still, it's a sign of gratitude. Some McDonald's (okay, not a real restaurant) here in the Twin Cities are donating portions of their earnings on Veteran's Day to the Minnesota Military Family Foundation. A nice gesture. Kind of makes me want to go find one of these McDonald's and clog my arteries for a good cause. Many restaurants are giving veterans free meals on Veteran's Day. It's a great way to say thank you in the best way that their business can.

I just think that the best way that you or I can say thank you to a vet is to just say that. Thank you! Thank you to all the men and women around the world, no matter what country you are from, thank you. Thank you so very much for thinking of your country before yourself.

Up goes Frazier, up goes Fraizer!

2011-11-08T22:21:00.000-06:00

Joe Frazier has passed away at the age of sixty seven. 'Smokin' Joe Frazier is spoken about in awe and reverence amongst sports people. From all accounts, he was a great athlete. I never got the opportunity to see the man box. I have only seen clips of some of his fights. He was a true warrior, apparently.

Boxing is a sport I will never truly understand. I could not be paid enough to stand in a ring and get punched. Repeatedly. Can't do it. But some people can. Frazier was one of them. When boxing was big, he was bigger than the sport. The first man to beat Ali. Olympic champion. I will never understand the sport because I did not grow up with it. I did not grow up seeing the big names on Friday nights or Saturday main events. I did not get to see the rise or fall of the men of the ring.

Once again, it is one of those situations when you read or hear about some great person before your time passing away. You hear the stories that others have of these people and wish, just wish, for once that you can tell these same types of stories. But for that to happen, someone has to pass away.

And no one wants that.

Early holiday

2011-11-05T20:24:00.002-05:00

I worked in close proximity to our seasonal department today. I died inside a little bit today because of it. Christmas spluged all over. (if you don't understand that statement, just move on). I enjoy the Christmas holiday, it's just that it starts so damn early in the retail world that by the time the end of December comes around, when you should be really excited for it, you just want it to be over.

Everyone has their favorite holiday. Whether it's the fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Columbus Day (let's not kid ourselves on that one, not even Italians like Columbus Day) or another holiday all together. Christmas is my favorite. And I'm not even talking about it from a kid's stand point, because what kid doesn't like Christmas morning? As an adult, it's always just been fun because it's about family. We've been lucky enough to have my in-laws come visit us down in Kansas the past four years because they are retired and my brother-in-law even came over from Colorado. It's just been nice to have some family there. The second year we lived in Wichita, we didn't get to go home and no one came to visit. It was depressing because we didn't have family around and it didn't help that there was no snow on the ground. Luckily, we don't have to worry about the no snow thing anymore.

This year, I planned on not letting the early Christmas set at work get to me. And that lasted all of a week.

Dammit.

It could be worse....

2011-11-04T15:30:00.003-05:00

One more little tidbit on the Occupy Wall Street movement then I promise to move on. And it's not like this is some big lengthy post, it's just a link. A link to the past and what the occupiers could face if we lived in a shitty country. Maybe not shitty, maybe if we lived in a more oppressive country. Yeah, let's go with that.

Hit it. And be thankful this isn't the case.

Deer driving

2011-10-31T13:48:00.003-05:00

Growing up and learning to drive in Michigan, one of the biggest dangers we were warned about were the deer. And it's true, you look at the sides of the highways and you see the dead deer, especially in the fall. Most of the deer are pretty big too. They can get up to one hundred and fifty pounds. That's the size of a grown adult. You run into one of those going down the road and it can do serious damage and can even kill you.

As we drove back to the Soo, we planned to stop a little over half way because we didn't want to be driving at midnight or one in the morning because the deer are moving around and when it gets dark, they move even more. The last forty five miles were the most tense I have been behind the wheel in a long long time. Even with your headlights and high beams on, they are difficult to see. It's not like they got a ton of white hair on them to reflect back, oh no, they have to be brown. They are very tasty, but I don't really think about that when they are splattered along US 2.

I've driven in blinding blizzards, no problem. Pouring down rain, sure why not? Icy roads? Just go slower and don't crank the steering wheel. Hell, I've been stopped on the Mackinac Bridge with the wind not only moving my car, but the bridge as well. I've heard the stories from my parents about the wind being so bad that it actually pushed a car over the side. No seriously. In 1989, the wind came up through the grates and threw a Yugo over the edge. The reason that these things aren't much of a problem for me is because I can help control what is going on. I can realize that the weather is bad and can slow down and take my time driving. When dealing with the knowledge of deer running out onto the road, you can't control that. You have to be on extra high alert for anything that moves.

When it gets dark this time of year, you keep your eyes on the sides of the road. A downed tree can look like a deer. A clump of tall grass takes the shape of a deer. The reflective discs on guardrails look like eyes. It's a sense of alertness and paranoia.

You can never be too sure when one will run in front of you.

The new counterculture (part two)

2011-10-29T12:23:00.001-05:00

This is the second part of the Occupy Wall Street posts. Here's the first one.

I like the idea of the Occupy movement but there is something missing in it. For the longest time, I couldn't put my finger on it. Then it dawned on me. It wasn't some great epiphany or in the middle of the night and I shot up in bed with this great idea. It just popped in my head when I was reading some articles on the movement. They aren't doing as much as they should be.

It is great that there are so many voices in so many places finding a purpose. Not only are they finding a purpose, but it is the same purpose. A unified front speaking out against those they feel have let them down. Or at the very least, looked down on them from their corner offices and downtown penthouses.

The movement is great, but you can only say so much before needing to take action. They must realize that marching in the street, camping night in and night out in a town square, and making funny yet poignant signs can only get you attention. Going on political talk shows gets the attention that you need, but you need to take that next step and get your voice heard by those who really can make the change you want. If you are there just to protest that's fine, but if you want actual change, you need to take your anger and your voice and present your case, whatever it might be, to the government. They aren't going to sit up on capital hill and eventually change the way they do things just because there are protests all around the country. They can wait it out.

Do I think this will actually happen? I don't think so. I know that the thought process behind the movement is that it is suppose to be a leaderless movement. No one person is the voice of the Occupy movement. They are a collective voice. There are local leaders I guess you would call them, but there is not one or two big time leaders, but that is what they need. They need just a handful of people to meet with lawmakers and get these changes made. The only way just flat out protesting will get anything accomplished is if it is a violent protest. With guns. And that won't happen. It worked in the Middle East, but that is an entirely different world compared to the one that the Occupy movement is dealing with. The Middle East protests started violent and used violence to end oppressive and violent regimes. You can't go from being a non-violent protest movement to taking up arms. That would be disastrous.

In the end, the important thing to take away from the Occupy movement is that thousands of voices can find a common theme. And what they say can change the country if they find the right people to lead them.

The new counterculture (part one)

2011-10-26T22:21:00.001-05:00

I wanted to break this up into two because I got half way through and realized it would be too much for one post. I also think it's worthy of two posts just because it is an interesting topic and can be so much more in the end.

One of the greatest things about this country is in the first amendment of the constitution. The rights to free speech and the right to assemble. Since the first movement of Occupy Wall Street took form in New York I have been passively following it just because I'm obviously not in New York and cannot participate. Occupy Minnesota has been going on for a few weeks, but it has not had the coverage that some of the larger city occupations have gotten. Mainly because it isn't as interesting as some of the others. All across the country there have been hundreds, if not thousands, of arrests of protesters for various infractions and at Occupy Oakland there have been violent clashes with the police. This is just the latest case of violence and I'm sure there have been minor clashes throughout the country and the world.

I can't help but feel like the occupiers are the new counterculture. Just like the hippies of the sixties who were out and about protesting the government, Vietnam, civil rights, and whatever else they felt like, those protesters had a voice and a cause and were willing to clash with the government over it. The occupiers are starting to find that same voice and that same fight. They have found something they think is worth fighting for, worth getting arrested for, worth getting their skulls bashed in for.

The occupiers and protesters feel wronged by the top tier (or one percent) of this country and are sick of the greed that they have used to their advantage. This is where the 'We are the ninety nine percent' theme came from. Groups of people have unified under one banner that most of us can identify with. This isn't something that the normal person hasn't thought about before. Everyone wants to shake their fist at the government in a public place. They want to be seen, they want to be heard and that is what the Occupy movement has allowed many people in cities throughout the country to do. New York, Columbus, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Oakland. It has gone global. London, Madrid, Melbourne, Berlin. That's the beauty of the internet within this movement. It's allowed for worldwide unity against the rich.

But there is a downside to this movement that I will get into next post. Before I get into that, I have a quote from Gangs of New York which I think is appropriate for the movement. 'The earth turns, but we don't feel it. And one night you look up. One spark and the whole sky is on fire.' Just think on that for a little bit. Absorb the context. Until the next post.

Interested in learning more? Click it.

A little late

2011-10-21T22:44:00.000-05:00

I always take a moment at the beginning of October to remind everyone that this month is Domestic Violence Awareness month. And I also try to point out the fact that it is overshadowed by Breast Cancer Awareness month. You don't see yogurt tops to be sent in to the local YWCA in support of a women's shelter which is sad.

Want some more info? Here's some links:

Look, both causes are good causes. Both causes should be prominent in our society. Both causes can be really really scary. I don't have much more to say about it I just want everyone that reads this to take some time and get informed about domestic violence.

And if you're moved by this, get off your ass and do something about it.

A good year

2011-10-17T18:38:00.000-05:00

Despite the fact that the Detroit Tigers did not make it to, and eventually win, the World Series (because I think that they could have beaten either National League team), it was a good year for the team. Going into the season, they were seen by most professional analysts to finish either second or third within the division and not make much noise. We all know how that turned out. We'll hang our hats on that divisional banner, thank you very much. It's funny that no one really started talking about the team until they overtook the Cleveland Indians and subsequently ran away with the division.

I will give Texas their due, I knew going in that it was going to be their bats that would keep them in the series and that if Detroit didn't take at least one of the first two games, it would have been hard for them to get to the Series, so hopefully they beat St. Louis and bring the championship back to the American League. The one thing that surprised me was their bullpen. I didn't pay much attention to the team because they play in the AL West so I didn't see them or hear about them that much. If they can win one of the first two in St. Louis it'll be done in five, even if they don't win I still think they win, but it'll be in six.

Back to the Tigers. It was a good year and I can already hear the analysts next year forgetting about them again. They'll talk up the White Sox again and their great acquisition of Adam Dunn *snicker snicker* and how Jake Peavy is going to bounce back. Again. *snicker snicker* They cannot overlook the starting five that Detroit can potentially run out there. Verlander, Fister, Scherzer, Porcello, Penny. Yes, yes, yes, maybe, and not so much. That, I think should be the rotation. You could even switch Porcello and Penny, but how long can they hold back Jacob Turner? I guess as long as Penny's contract is. Brad Penny is next year's Phil Coke. The guy that'll give me gray hairs because of his inconsistency.

They need to get in Austin Jackson's ear and get him a better eye if he is going to stay at the top of the batting order. The Tigers can't have a guy striking out that much at the top of the order. I think with Magglio re-braking his ankle he'll be done in Detroit as a major player. If he resigns, his play will be limited because players like Don Kelly and Andy Dirks and Brennan Boesch are ready to play full time and I don't want any of those players to go away just because Mags wants to play even though he's slowing down. Once again, I love Magglio. He's my Tiger, he'll be my Tiger until he's retired or moves on, but for a functional team, they can't keep rolling him out there just because of the past.

The young players are growing up and they are hungry. Hungry and angry. Just how they need to play next year.

And for years to come...

Keep it up!

2011-10-11T16:52:00.002-05:00

Thank you so much NBA for having two greedy sides on the negotiating table. The first two weeks of the regular season has been cancelled. With that, now is the time for the NHL to step up to the plate. Note the references to three of the four major sports within one paragraph, it just kind of happened. Touchdown! There.

The NHL needs to take advantage of the NBA dealing with this lockout. For the longest time, hockey has been seen as the fourth of the major sports. Looking at the ratings for the sports, hockey does come in last and the major part of that is the television contracts that they have. The NHL has a contract with NBC and Versus. With NBC, you see the games at the end of the season and into the playoffs, which is cool but if you don't have Versus you're sunk. And I suppose if you live close enough to Canada, you get to see the games on the CBC and CTV.

So what can the NHL do to help boost their numbers? Talk with NBC and get as much exposure as possible. They have taken steps in the right direction with the 'Winter Classic' and I know that all the games cannot be played outside, but they need to showcase the great teams. They need to stop showing Washington Capital games. They aren't that good. They need to delve deep into talented teams and get them in the national spotlight. Take Tampa Bay for example. They have young hungry players that are talented beyond belief. I would watch them play. They make the game look fun and energetic.

They need to get rivalry games like Detroit/Chicago. Buffalo/New York (Rangers). Boston/Philadelphia. Games that are intense from the first drop of the puck to the last drop of the gloves. I know that NBC loves Pittsburgh and Washington because of Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, but you can only watch those games so many times because they focus just on those two players and the game is more than that.

All I know is that the NHL cannot sit idly by while the NBA bickers over billions of dollars. They need to see into the future and show the world that there is more to the sports world than football and basketball during the winter time. They need to smell the blood on the ice and hook the disenfranchised basketball fan base.

Do you hear me Gary Bettman? Get off your ass and do what's best for the sport that hates you.

Is my Tiger done?

2011-10-10T16:00:00.000-05:00

Two nights ago, Magglio Ordonez re-aggravated his reconstructed ankle. Several years ago, this would have been devastating to the team, but with some additional players, it's not so bad. Plus, he is getting older so he is not as key to the offense as he was in 2006 when the Tigers were last in the playoffs.

When the Tigers started the 'Who's Your Tiger' campaign, I immediately went with Mags as my Tiger. I liked his style of play. High batting average, smart glove, and some pop in the bat. I also like that he is not one of those players that are all about 'me, me, me'. He's a team guy. So, unlike a fair weather fan, I have stuck by him even in his down years. It makes me sad that his injuries have lowered his productivity and playing time, but if you play a sport for fourteen years, your body would wear down too.

This leads to my question, is my Tiger done? Not done just in Detroit, but done done. Forever. His play and playing time has dwindled in the past couple of years and the Tigers cannot hold back some of their younger players any longer. Not only has his playing time gone down, but the injuries are piling up. It will be a sad day when he does walk away from the game and I will have to find a new Tiger. And some names have come to mind, but I won't spoil it for you.

You'll have to wait...

A good start

2011-10-08T17:40:00.003-05:00

While everyone, myself included, celebrated the Detroit Tigers victory over the New York Yankees like it was the World Series, we must look at it in a serious way. Not that they beat New York (which is absolutely fantastic), but that they now have to go up against another tough lineup.

I was hoping that Tampa Bay would win their series against Texas, but the baseball gods were so focused on Detroit that they forgot to concentrate on other things. I feel that the Tigers matched up against Tampa Bay better. And by better, I mean that they are a ton better than their batting team than Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay isn't as deep of a batting lineup as Texas is. Texas is just as scary as New York when it comes to hitters. If you get past Hamilton, you have Young. Get past Young? Still got Beltre. And Kinsler, Andrus, even Mike Napoli. Scary up and down.

I know that the pitching staffs don't seem even. The Tigers have a slight edge and I think that is where they need to win it. The Tigers can rake just like the Rangers can, but their pitchers cannot have any missteps because if they do, the Rangers will capitalize on it. I love Rick Porcello, but his inexperience is the weak link in the rotation.

But I have faith in the Tigers, don't worry. It will be a good series, a series of close games. I don't want to make a prediction of who wins the series because I'm superstitious like that. All I will say, is that it will be done in six games.

Occupy!

2011-10-06T20:36:00.000-05:00

The Occupy Wall Street movement has started to spread across the country and it is intriguing me. It has made it's way to Minnesota. If you live in the Twin Cities and want to get involved in giving the top one percent the middle finger, here's a link to Occupy MN.

I'm not gonna lie, if I had a job that did not involve a ton of responsibility, I would think of calling in. But I can't, I need money for bills. I highly encourage anyone to take up the cause. It's a great expression of freedom of assembly and speech. And apparently the Minnesota government is okay with it. As long as everything is peaceful and doesn't get violent, they're going to let it happen. Not like the New York cops who pepper spray peaceful protesters.

And you wonder why I hate New York.

A better win

2011-10-04T20:04:00.001-05:00

I meant to write this a few days ago as a follow up to my post about the Lions' win against Minnesota not being a good win because they shouldn't fall behind a bad team like that.

This past Sunday, the Detroit Lions fell behind the Dallas Cowboys early and looked to be at the end of their perfect beginning of their season. With a combination of collapse and comeback, they ended up winning the game. I was scared about the game because I saw how far behind they were and thought 'well, Dallas knows what they're doing, the Lions will be three and one and that will be respectable.'

This was a better win for the Lions because the Cowboys are so much better than the Vikings. Because the defense carried the offense for the majority of the game and sparking the comeback with two pick sixes. And because of Calvin Johnson's one on three touchdown catch. Seriously, there were three Cowboys defenders around him in the end zone and he comes up with it? Beast mode my friends.

Beast mode.

So that happened....

2011-10-03T18:13:00.002-05:00

Hank Williams likened Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler today. No, seriously. And there are consequences to idiotic statements like getting your song pulled from Monday Night Football. Sports and politics crossing lines once again. I want to write how stupid this is, but that's pretty straight forward. And he did it on Fox News. But what else would you expect from them?

Now, everyone is right to have their own opinion, but at what point is it okay to go on national television and compare anyone, anyone, to the worst person ever? I don't care how much you hate someone, there is no one on earth that is in the same level as Hitler.

I just don't get people sometimes.

The best caffeine?

2011-09-28T11:01:00.000-05:00

Caffeine is not the real solution to being wide awake and perky. Sleep and exercise is. Apparently. Who has time to exercise everyday? Not me, cause I'm fucking lazy. When I was exercising, I never felt really good afterwards. I was tired and sweaty and was in need of a shower. I didn't get to the end of exercising and felt good. I didn't like it. And who has it planned out to sleep for eight hours a night? I try to, but end up staying awake until ten thirty or eleven and wake up at five thirty in the morning. Not exactly eight hours of sleep. So what do we do as people when we need more energy? We drink caffeine.

I bring a thermos of coffee to work each day and people look at me like I'm some kind of nut for bringing that much coffee. I make half a pot of coffee each day, drink a cup before work and bring the rest. Drink a cup for my first break and usually have the rest at lunch time. I say usually because there are days when I don't, but for the most part I do. It saves on spending money on water or pop or whatever, but I also drink it because I enjoy coffee. I enjoy the taste of it. The caffeine is just an added bonus. And it's a natural. It comes from the coffee beans that the young children of Latin or South American slave over so I can enjoy it. So it's natural and is proven to be good for you, but why don't more people drink it?

Why are more people turning towards drinks like 5 hour energy, Monster, Red Bull, etc.? Is it the marketing? I know I see ads for energy drinks more often than for coffee and they advertise that they are better at keeping energy up than coffee. I have a problem with it because it doesn't seem natural. Here is a list of ingredients. You'll notice some asterisk next to some of their claims to helping to keep the person taking it stay awake and energized. And when you look at drinks like Red Bull and Monster, the majority of the ingredients are sugar or sugar-like products.

Now, I know that sugar is a naturally occurring ingredient, but it is processed so much that it gets away from being natural. Coffee beans are just roasted and ground. That's it. That's all. And that's why coffee is better than energy drinks.

Plus, douche bags sponsor energy drinks. You don't want to be a douche, do you?

Not a good win

2011-09-25T17:16:00.000-05:00

Now, don't get me wrong, this week's win against the Vikings was excellent. It was exasperating, it was inspiring, it was stress inducing, it was only possible against the Vikings. This is the pattern for the Vikings so far this year, and you know what, I'm not gonna complain. The Vikings are 0-3 after blowing three straight games when leading big time at halftime.

However, if the Lions were down by twenty to the world champion Green Bay Packers, they would have just poured it on and the Lions could have lost by thirty or more. If they were playing the Pats and were down by twenty at the half, it could have been worse. But it wasn't, thankfully. I know that the Vikings are fast starters so far this year and can't close the game even against a college team, but the fact that the Lions had that many problems against a team that is so much worse than them, it's scary to think about what is gong to happen when they play good teams.

The big factor from what I saw was their inability to stop the running game. I know it was against the best back in the game right now, but it was hard to watch what little bit I could when I was on lunch at work today. I don't think Jim Schwartz will be happy with the way the team performed today, but a win's a win.

And I'll take them any way they come.

A little letter

2011-09-22T17:20:00.001-05:00

Dear NBA:

Please don't reach an agreement. The sports world is better without you and your spoiled whiny players.

Sincerely yours,

Litzner

Life without cable

2011-09-21T13:04:00.002-05:00

We went about a month without cable television. And you know what? I didn't really miss it. Well, there were some aspects of it that I missed, but all in all, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would have been. It's not like I sat in the corner in the fetal position because I was missing a show or a sporting event, but I was also looking forward to watching some stuff and then had an 'oh wait' moment.

It wasn't that big of a deal when we were down in Wichita because it just came with the apartment (one of the benefits of living in a nicer place) and it was always there. We got accustom to having it and the shows we found and loved. Up here in Woodbury, we're in a cheaper place and one thing that we have to pay for is the cable. One of the problems you come to realize when you try to save money on a place you live is that you give up some nicer things. Such as having a washer and dryer. So instead of having a washer and dryer in the apartment, we have to pay through the nose for the cleaning of our clothes. Thanks cheap apartment complex! Maybe we should look into a laundromat. Don't know if it would be cheaper, but what could it hurt?

We debated on whether or not to get the cable, but in the end we found a cheapish deal for internet and cable so we went with it. Once again, it's not like we needed it, it's just nice to have because you can only watch so many PBS specials before you start to need something mind numbing like a sporting event. So it's nice to have again just to feel connected to the world again. There is a little part of me that just wants to get rid of it all together, but what would be the point? Maybe it would lead to reading more books? Doubtful. I think I would still flip through the channels looking for something to watch.

It would just take less time because there would be less channels.

What about books?

2011-09-20T11:26:00.000-05:00

While we were getting the cable hooked up last week, we were talking with the cable guy about shows and movies. Our movies are on display in our living room because, well, it makes sense that's where the television is. We were waiting for the cable channels to update or whatever and just started talking about movies like we were long lost friends. Movies are always the way to break ice amongst people who don't know each other very well. People who like the same movies have a tendency to get along. That's all well and good, but what about books?

If people take a look at your book collection, shouldn't there be something there that can spark a conversation? For example, a very good friend of ours hates The Catcher in the Rye which happens to be my favorite book. I connected with it in high school because I enjoyed the writing style and the main character that was disinterested in the world around him. She didn't like it because the main character is a self absorbed, rich, shallow person who whines about his privileged life. I am well aware of his privileged life, but wasn't focused on it. And that is perfectly alright. Everyone has the right to their opinion, especially if they are well thought out opinions like she has. Totally respect that. At the end of these discussions, I always feel mentally better because the discussion revolves around literature, not around the latest Michael Bay explosion-fest.

But that is the world we live in now. The majority of people want to spend just two hours watching overpaid actors and actresses as opposed to taking some time to read a book. For me, it takes weeks and weeks to read a book. I'm a slow reader. It always feels like an accomplishment finishing a book. It's great to get to that last page and close the back cover and go find a new book to read. With a movie, you feel a little bit of satisfaction when the end credits roll, but you never sit through them all. And I guess at the end of it all it took one person pouring their heart and soul into a book as opposed to a movie.....

Which employes more than a local hospital.

As Luck would have it

2011-09-13T11:31:00.000-05:00

While watching Michigan pull off an unbelievable comeback after giving the game to Notre Dame last Saturday, I had a discussion with a friend about Andrew Luck. Andrew Luck is the quarterback for the Stanford football team and he is a senior this year. He had the opportunity to leave college and enter the NFL draft last year. He was the projected number one overall pick worth millions upon millions of dollars. However, he decided to return to school for his senior year to complete his architecture degree.

The debate was intense on all the sports shows at the end of the college football season earlier this year when he made this decision. The majority of people were talking about how bad of a decision he made because he was the number one overall pick. Guaranteed millions and millions of dollars. And it makes sense. Why not forgo your last year of school and make all that cash money? However, I like what he did. I liked that he said 'nope, I want my education.' And why not? It's free for him. He's got a full ride scholarship to a great institution in Stanford. It can't be cheap. And it's not like he is going to school for a business degree or a sports recreation degree. It's architecture. He wants to design buildings for a living. I don't know anything about architecture degrees or the type of classes that you have to take to get that type of degree, but it can't be easy.

So the discussion with my friend was all about how if he left school for the NFL he could make millions of dollars and even if he only last for four year (roughly the average length of an NFL career) he will have that money and he can just go back. This is my friend's statement/argument. A very valid argument. And it's true. If he went into the NFL, made millions of dollar for four years, maybe didn't get hurt, and retired, he could roll onto the Stanford like nobody's business and re-enroll in the classes. Hell, they may let him coach the football team too. But he would have to pay for it. It would be a drop in the bucket for sure just because of all the money he made the previous four years. So let's say he finishes up his degree after football, goes into the real professional world, and bombs. He can't get a job or he just flat out fails as an architect. He still has his millions of dollars, but he is a twenty five year old out of work millionaire. Is that going to be the case? No. If he has the financial resources, he can keep himself afloat.

But that is where our society is at right now. Get the money, get the money, get the money. Who cares about your immediate education? I think he is role model for education. He is getting it for free, sure. He gets to do what he loves on Saturday afternoon and can probably get away with more than you or I could in college. But he is still there. He is putting that degree, that education, ahead of making money in the NFL. The NFL is going to be there when he graduates. A very strong argument against his staying in school is what if he gets hurt this year? A crazy random play where he lands wrong on his shoulder and is out for the year. Two words: Sam Bradford. Bradford pulled the same move as Luck and in that year suffered a few injuries that cost him a good portion of the season. After his junior year, he was projected number one overall pick (like Luck) and even after missing most of the senior season was still the number one overall pick and he is doing just fine in St. Louis. Or what if he has a bad statistical senior year much like Jack Locker. Another projected number one overall pick. He had a bad senior year and went from being the number one projected pick to number eight when he was drafted. He has a four year, twelve million dollar contract. Poor guy missed out on all those millions.

Either way, he is going to get his millions of dollars playing the sport that he loves. Why not take advantage of getting a free education in the process?

Playoff push

2011-09-10T13:37:00.001-05:00

The Detroit Tigers are twenty games over five hundred right now. They are nine and a half games up on the Chicago White Sox. Their magic number before tonight's game is ten. They have gone nine and one in their last ten games. They are playing out of their minds right now.

All truths that everyone knows right now. All truths I am scared of. I have been scared this entire season until recently just because teams like the Sox and the Indians were so close, but now the Tigers are pulling away as the season winds down. I don't want them to have such a large lead in the division that they really stop playing, and they could coast the rest of the way if they wanted to. I want Jim Leyland to keep in the players' ear and keep them going through the next month. The last time I saw the Tigers play in the month of October, they were throwing the ball all over the place as they were rolled by the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. Since then, I have wanted them to get back in the playoffs to redeem themselves.

The moment ESPN analysts started talking about how good the Tigers are playing right now, I tensed up. ESPN is a curse on my Tigers. I want them to leave my Tigers alone and stay focused on the Yankees and the Red Sox. They are going to get either the Yanks or Sox in the first round and it is going to be tense. Both of those teams are neck and neck and I hope they burn themselves out trying to win their division because the Tigers are playing so loose and relaxed right now and everything is going right for them that I know the Yanks and Sox don't want to play Detroit.

I think that boasting about how great your team is playing is a jinx and I don't like to do so especially around playoff time.

Not until the game is in hand anyway. Then it is on.

Lake rage

2011-09-09T22:41:00.001-05:00

While I was at the beer store tonight (cause that's what I do), I saw beer brewed by the company 'Great Lakes Brewing Company'. I thought ;that's awesome, where in Michigan is it brewed?' And you want to know why? It's not because I'm from the greatest state in this country, but because the state touches four out of five of the great lakes. And seriously, who cares about Lake Ontario?

Lo and behold, the beer is brewed in Ohio. To make it even worse, it's brewed in Cleveland. Cleveland! Where do they get off? They're Ohio. The only great lake they touch is Lake Erie. Seriously. Lake Erie sucks. It's the Ohio of the great lakes. They don't deserve the company name.

Even if the beer is great, I won't touch it because the last good thing that came out of Ohio was....well....

I guess that ends this conversation.

One more move

2011-08-29T19:49:00.000-05:00

Wednesday is going to feel like deja vu. We have to pack up a U-Haul trailer and move the next day. Feel like you've read this before? I know it feels like I have typed this before. We have been staying with my uncle until the first of September when we can finally move into our apartment.

The two weeks we have been spending here have flown by and just when we get use to everything it's time to move. The nice thing is that it is going to be a bit more permanent than the first move. We signed our lease last week and got to do a walk through of a similar size apartment in comparison to the one we will be living in. Going from a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment with a washer and a dryer to a one bed/one bath no washer or dryer is going to definitely be a change. Not only are there less things like that, it is also about three hundred square feet smaller, but there are some benefits. Like having a storage garage for all the tubs of ~~shit~~ holiday decorations we have. There is also a nice big walk in pantry to make up for the lack of cupboards in the kitchen. The biggest benefit though? The amount of money we will save on rent. The endgame is a house (whether it is renting or buying) in the near future.

While apartments are nice because they require little upkeep, a house is a house. It's the adult thing to do. Once you get to a certain age, I think that it sounds a little funny to say that you live in an apartment. As you start to get older and get more established the next step in life has always seemed to be house ownership. And you can go from there and expand your family if you want via a pet or via the human pet (also known as a kid).

I wrote about wanting a house earlier this year and I still want to live in one. In the two weeks we have staying with my uncle, it has been nice to live somewhere that has stairs in it not going up to it. It breaks everything up and separates everything. Which is kind of why people who live in houses acquire more shit. It all gets spread out and it looks like you have less than what you have. Oh well.

Wednesday. The last part of our escape from the flat state of Kansas.

Religious humor

2011-08-23T19:37:00.001-05:00

I don't know what made me think of this today, but it popped into my head and made me chuckle. Everyone remembers a few months ago when the rapture was suppose to happen, right? Remember how pretty much everyone was going to be stuck here and not taken into heaven because of the horrible lives we have led? Okay, now that you are all with me, enjoy this.

In the last week or so in Kansas, I noticed more and more of the 'In god we trust' license plates. Which is fine. If that's your thing, that's your thing. Just don't push it on anyone else. That's not the humorous part. Around the license plate, the license plate holder thingy that people buy that usually has a sports team or an annoying phrase like 'princess' or 'you wouldn't understand, it's a rich person thing', there was the phrase 'in the event of rapture, vehicle will be unoccupied'.

Knowing where I was at, I knew that this person had to have bought it half as a joke and more than likely half being serious.

And I don't know which is scarier.

Love and hate for Kansas (part two)

2011-08-21T18:48:00.002-05:00

After writing why I enjoyed moving away from Kansas a few days ago, I figured I would follow it up with why I enjoyed living there.

A stepping stone. It was a good place to start our professional lives. Out of college, we agreed to move to the first place that gave either of us a decent paying job. As it turns out, it was Wichita, Kansas. The major downside from the get go was the distance from home. The furthest we had lived from home was in college and it was only a three hour drive. To go from that to practically four states away was rough to start with, but it was part of growing up. Wichita is big enough to get a big city feel, but still small enough where you didn't have to worry about a ton of traffic or too much urban sprawl.

Broader horizons. We saw part of the country that we would not have ever seen. And who would blame us? Who wants to go on a vacation to see Kansas or Missouri when you have no family or friends to visit? Because we lived down there, we visited Colorado to see my brother-in-law, took several trips to southwestern Missouri for float trips, hell Andrea went down to Oklahoma to go wedding dress shopping. We got to see Texas first hand when we went down there for a birthday weekend to see the Red Wings play the Stars. Nebraska was a stopping point for a weekend five years ago when I was playing vintage base ball (yes, it's two words when you play old school style). So the southern mid-west was explored and would have remained just some crazy right wing states that we never went to if we never lived in Kansas. Were they the greatest trips and vacations? Not really. They were mostly for a weekend and there was purpose to them, it was not to just go and relax. But we got to do these trips with friends and that is what counts.

Our friends. Wherever you go, you are always going to make friends. When you leave, you must obviously leave these friends behind. Sometimes, these friends keep in contact for a few years only to start drifting away to the recesses of your memories and stories. Other times, they stick with you for the rest of your life. I hope that our friends stick with us. I know that it is a two way street with keeping in contact, and it is hard sometimes to really go that extra mile which is why things like Facebook, Twitter, and blogs are so helpful these days. If we need a reason to go back to Kansas, that would be the only one, friends. There is no point in visiting if you can't see the people that made the state worthwhile. The nice thing about moving up to Minnesota, is that we already have some friends from high school that are here. It's good to have that little base just in case it takes a while to settle in at work and find people that are worth hanging out with (that sounds snooty and pretentious but I'm sticking with it).

You know, I tried to balance the love and the hate out by coming up with equal numbers, but I can only think of three reasons why I enjoyed our time in Kansas. I came up with four hates, although two of the four kind of go hand in hand. But, such is life.

And besides, I don't live there anymore so I don't have to worry about it.

A nice note before it gets messy

2011-08-19T18:47:00.001-05:00

Dear Hipsters:

Give us real men back our beards. Stick to your skinny jeans that will hopefully cut off circulation to your genitals to help prevent your breeding aspirations and keep your thick rimmed glasses and give us back the most masculine thing a man can do. If you do not, I will start to hunt you all down with trimmers and a rusty disposable razor.

Sincerely,

M. Litzner
Future Hipster Hunter and Shaver

P.S. Give us back our Chucks, you don't deserve them.

Love and hate for Kansas (part one)

2011-08-17T10:32:00.001-05:00

We have officially left the state of Kansas and moved to Minnesota. We are currently in between apartments while we wait for our new living quarters to open up. My uncle was nice enough to put us up for a couple of weeks because we could not get a lease until 1 September. In the mean time, we live in limbo with no address. I told Andrea that this is our one chance to get off the grid and live a life away from the government. She didn't go for it.

While we took the ten hours to drive up here, there was some time to look back at the six years that we lived in Kansas. As always, there are pluses and minuses to anywhere you live. There are a few places in this world where you can honestly say 'this is the perfect place to live for the rest of my life.' Kansas was not one of those places for us. However, there were some nice things about living there (look for that post in the near future).

Because I would like to end these entries on a positive note, lets take a look at some of the negative things about living in the Sunflower State.

The hardest thing about living there was being so far away from family. In college, we were just a three hour car ride from home. A weekend trip was something that could be done very easily. We left after class was done on Friday and had three full days at home. Being in Kansas, we could only go home for vacations. Having to work, we only made it home twice a year. Maybe. Our parents came down to see us a few times a year, so we got to see them and they got to see a state that they would have otherwise may not have ever seen.

The weather. This summer has been extremely hot. Hotter than usual. About a month and a half (possibly more) of days over the one hundred degree mark. That's too much, but we have grown accustom to having a few weeks of that kind of temperature, but a total of six weeks? Way too much. And then there is the winter, or lack thereof. Growing up in the U.P., we are use to see two to three to four feet of snow in December and into January. Kansas doesn't have that. If there was two inches of snow on the ground at one time, it would be a good week.

And let's talk about the government. When the governor states that he would sign any law that came across his desk that was anti-abortion, without even reading everything that was involved, you know there is something wrong. The law could say that for every abortion that is stopped, a puppy gets punched in the face and he would pass it. You can be pro-choice or pro-life, I don't care, but the minute you put out a blanket statement like that, there is something wrong with you. It is all about pushing his agenda and not what is best for the people in the state. This is also the governor who went down to Texas for Rick Perry's day of prayer. Nothing like separating church and state...

Speaking of church, the religious nut jobs that are in Kansas pushed me further and further away from the First Estate. I found some great people and friends that are quiet religious and they were not beating people over the heads with their bibles and religious beliefs and those are the kinds of religious people that I enjoy. People I can have a discussion with. However, those people are few and far between. The state is populated with religious extremists. I'm not talking about Islamic extremists that Fox News is trying to scare you with, I'm talking about the Christian extremists. They are out there. Case in point: Westboro Baptist Church. There is nothing good about them. They are the worst people in the world. Not all the religious people in Kansas are as bad as the WBC, but oh do they love to judge those of us who do not share their same views. I know that any state you go to is going to have these people, but in Kansas, they just seemed to be concentrated.

A do nothing weekend?

2011-08-05T22:06:00.000-05:00

I have the weekend off. I don't want to do anything. I have a ton of stuff to get done around the apartment. See my dilemma? I need to find an apt time to get things done around here.

I do not want to do anything in the morning. I want to sleep in a little bit, make a pot of coffee, and just relax. Maybe watch a movie. I do not want to do anything in the evening. The Tigers are playing the Royals this weekend, and they are on TV. So my evenings are booked solid for at least three hours starting around six thirty watching the game and getting a little drunk. By the time the game is over, it's ten o'clock or right around there and it's close to bed time.

That just leaves the afternoon. The hottest part of the day and there are things that I need to do outside as well as inside.

Some of the things that are on my list this weekend:

Dishes
Laundry
Recycling
Donations to Good Will

I lead a rough life. I really do.

Shame, shame, Notre Dame

2011-08-04T17:07:00.001-05:00

Notre Dame reinstated wide receiver Michael Floyd after suspending him during the off season for being arrested for drunk driving. Read that again. He was suspended by the university during the time of year when he was not playing the game he is going to school for. Anyone else see a problem with this?

If it were a first offense, I would still have a problem with this. HOWEVER! This is his third alcohol related offense, and he is only twenty one. What does that tell you? Here comes the rant kids, hold tight...

I know that Notre Dame is all about their football program and I know it has not been relevant since the 1980s, but are you fucking kidding me?! This isn't the kid getting caught cheating on a test, or missing a curfew, or selling memorabilia. This is against the law, not the first time happening, public endangerment drunk driving. It wasn't that he had just a few beers and made a horrible decision, he was twice the legal limit when given a breath test and made a horrible decision.

Ohio State football players got kicked off the team for getting free ink in exchange for game worn jerseys and this guy is reinstated after not missing any games?! Don't just kick this kid off the team, blacklist from the sport. Take away the one thing that you know he wants and send him off to jail. No more chances, no more meetings, no more fines, no more college. Jail. Just jail. He has had three chances. Get him off the street and out of the parties and into that cell.

See, this is why if I ever have kids, I will steer them away from having an athlete as a role model. They see them getting away with this and they could think 'that it's okay'. Obviously not every athlete is getting pulled over for drunk driving or getting busted for drugs or hookers or illegal gambling (*cough cough Alex Rodriguez cough cough*), but it is scary to think of how many kids talk about professional athletes being role models. Why not look to family members, teachers, coaches, or religious leaders for role models or mentors? Is it because they aren't making millions of dollars playing a game? Just a game? That shit ain't right.

I honestly hope that the NCAA takes a strong hard look at this and not only gets this guy out of the sport but goes after Notre Dame for thinking that this is okay to happen with no consequences.

Worst question in the world

2011-07-31T22:03:00.002-05:00

While we were home on vacation, we took a side trip to St. Paul to find a place to live and I had an interview with my new district manager. Not a huge deal, it's all the rage within the company now. I didn't have a ton of details as to how formal or informal this interview would be. I didn't have know what to expect, I went in blind. I liked that feeling. If I am given any kind of insight as to what might be ahead, I start to over think things. If you go in blind, you have to think on your feet and I have found that the first answer that comes to mind is the best. As opposed to that rehearsed bullshit you have rolling around that noggin of yours because you over think ever possible question and try to find the 'best answer'. The best answer is going to be the first thing that you think of that you can expand on.

The interview ended up being very relaxed, not insanely formal, but I was asked the one question that I absolutely cannot stand.

'Where do you see yourself in three to five years?'

Oh come on! How can you honestly answer that? It is almost a trap question. Do you give the answer that they look for? Do you say to them, 'I see myself moving up the corporate ladder.' or possibly answer with something like 'I see myself doing the exact same thing I am doing now.'? Those kinds of answers satisfy those who ask them. What would they do if you answered with an off the wall comment? 'In a ditch dead being humped by a meth head.' 'Cashiering at Wal-Mart after a nervous breakdown.' 'In the hills wearing an aluminum foil hat watching the sky.'

But you are in an interview. You are at the mercy of the person across the desk from you. Depending on how desperate you are for a job, you'll give them the answer they seek. But you can't see that far into the future.

For all we know, the alien army just landed at Area 51......again.

Heat week

2011-07-31T07:02:00.003-05:00

I turned on the Weather Channel this morning to check out how hot it was going to be today. It's something I do nowadays. Probably because I'm getting old. There was a weather bulletin that came up that stated the following.

Excessive Heat Warning in effect from 1 PM this afternoon to 7 PM CDT Wednesday.

That covers four days! FOUR DAYS! The projected temperatures for this week are the following (this is Sunday through Saturday): 105, 107, 109, 101, 100, 99, 96. Yeah, finally, on Friday the heat starts to break.

When we first started thinking about moving, it was because Andrea needed to find a job. No big deal, people do it all the time. People that I work with ask me why we want to move and that is always the first reason I give them. We would like to have two incomes. It helps keep our heads afloat. The second reason I tell people is because we will end up being close to our families. Instead of being a twenty hour car ride, it's only nine and a half hours. And in the past month or so, I have been telling people that another reason is because it is way too hot here. There have been over thirty days of one hundred degrees or more temperatures.

And people ask me why I hate Kansas. It's too damn hot.

Not a cat person....apparently

2011-07-27T20:59:00.001-05:00

Our cat, Libby, is a one person cat. She hates everyone else. Her person is Andrea. No one else can pick her up, no one else really pets her, and it's whatever. For the two weeks that Andrea is gone after I get back from vacation, I see the cat just a handful of times.

I just had the funniest and greatest situation with me and the cat today. While I was sitting on the couch tonight watching television, she came slinking out of the bedroom. Stopped. Looked at me. And walked back into the bedroom to hide under the bed.

I couldn't help but laugh a little bit.

The great disconnect

2011-07-24T13:13:00.000-05:00

While we were celebrating Dad's retirement at the cabin last weekend, I made it a point not to have my phone on. It was some of the better four day spans in recent times. Not having to check my phone because I thought I heard it ring or vibrate, not having to look to see what time it was by grabbing my phone, not having to worry about it at all. It was just a nice disconnect from the world. The other thing I was away from was the internet. And you know what, I didn't miss it that much.

The way our lives and the world is now, we are connected all the time. I laughed at my brother several times because even though he was on vacation, he still was doing work having to take phone calls from some of the morons that he works with. Granted, he is going to get a full day's worth of vacation time back because he did spend close to eight hours over the course of the week on the phone doing work, but that is still time that he set aside to come home and escape from the working world. I don't have a job that demands that kind of responsibility, which is nice. I didn't have a care in the world for the four days we were at the cabin. I find myself thinking more and more about using the internet less and less. I shouldn't say 'using' the internet less and less, I should say 'being on' the internet less and less. It's a time killer for sure. Facebook is nice, but I find myself checking up on it two or three times a day. I want to get away from that dependence to see what everyone is doing every waking hour.

I will still write as much as possible, but instead of going from useless website to useless website, I may read a book or go for a walk, or explore the city we are going to be moving to in August. It's time to get out and enjoy the world. Take a look in the mirror. How much time to spend looking around the internet? Can some of that time be spent reading a book or going for a bike ride? Maybe it's time to take up a new hobby? Have you ever wanted to learn how to change the oil in your car? What about basket weaving, or maybe underwater basket weaving? Take some time to better yourself and get away from the glow of the screen and the lure of the internet.

What are you waiting for?

Quiet month

2011-07-23T22:38:00.002-05:00

Looking back at the month which is almost done, I haven't been writing too much. I have been on vacation for the past two weeks which has taken up most of my time, which is great. It's been relaxing. I really don't care that there haven't been many writings.

Even if I hadn't gone on vacation, I don't really think I would have a ton to write about. The government is falling apart, which is cool with me, they need a slap in the face from reality. They need to get all their shit together and just realize that taxes need to be raised on the upper class to help out the budget. Even if they don't want to give up their million dollar homes, their coke addictions, and their thousand dollar an hour hookers, they need to think of what is best for the people. The people that they are suppose to represent.

The greatest news for this month is that we are going to be moving in August! Moving to a suburb outside of Minneapolis. Partly for my work, partly so Andrea can find a job. Bigger city, closer to home, and in weather that we grew up in. Gone are the winters with two inches of snow, gone are the months of too much heat, gone are the obnoxiously loud and overt Republicans who hate women and the working force. It's exciting and very stressful. We have been packing up our apartment for the past few months in the event that this situation happens. It has, so we are a little ahead of the game, but there is still a little bit to be done down in Wichita. I start up in Minnesota in a month and once again, it'll be nice to get some place new and start anew.

Baseball milestones

2011-07-09T20:26:00.002-05:00

Derek Jeter today collected his 3,000th hit. While he plays for one of the most hated organizations in all of the major sports leagues, as a sports fan you have to be happy for him. *Sigh* I hate being happy for someone who plays for the New York Yankees, but his professionalism far outreaches the uniform he wears. He isn't the first person to reach the milestone, but he is the first to do it as a current Yankee which surprised me, but whatever.

I got to thinking about the greater feats in baseball and which are the most impressive. Because this started out about the 3,000th hit, I am going to keep it on the offensive side of the game. There are two feats that come to mind for me and they are Joe DiMaggio's fifty six game hitting streak and Ted Williams being the last player to hit for a four hundred batting average over the course of the year. Not only are they the holders of two of the more impressive records, they also had pretty awesome nicknames. 'Joltin' Joe' and 'Teddy Ballgame' amongst others.

DiMaggio's fifty six game hitting streak is so impressive not only because of the length of the streak, but checking into the statistics, he hit over four hundred. Four oh eight to be exact according to the baseball almanac. And he had a slugging percentage of seven seventeen. So it wasn't like he was going one for four for fifty six straight games.

With Williams' four hundred season, I concede that this isn't the only one in major league baseball history nor is it the highest batting average total for an entire year, but to be able to go up to the plate game after game and get a hit four times out of ten, damn that's good stuff. Consider the fact that a three hundred batting average nowadays is a 'very good season' it makes four hundred look untouchable. And take a look at the longevity of this streak. 1941. There have been some very excellent hitters since 1941, but no one comes close since Williams in 1941. What did he do to follow up this great season? Oh nothing. Unless you consider fighting in two wars something of note. No big deal. Like your freedom? Thank Teddy Ballgame.

Unless you want the terrorists to win....

Why I couldn't be a broadcaster

2011-07-07T21:03:00.004-05:00

While watching the the Tigers/Royals game tonight, I came to the realization that I could not be a professional sports broadcaster, not that I have plans or dreams to be one.

In the second inning, Ryan Raburn crushed a home run to left field. The first words out of my mouth were 'Oh! He hit the shit out of that one!'

That was in the second inning so it wasn't like I had a handful of beers because we all know that one thing that comes out after a bunch of barley pop it's swear words.

'A' looked at me and told me that all I would have to do is just substitute the swear words for catch phrase words. I responded with 'You mean like "Oh! He hit the snot out of that one!"'. She looked at me and said: 'That's just gross babe.'

Wimbledon

2011-07-01T22:26:00.000-05:00

I do my best to try to watch sports that do not interest me. From basketball to soccer to tennis. I have found a nice little place in my heart for soccer recently. I think that it has to do with the fact that it is played in two nonstop halves. It is nice because it is something that I can turn on and have in the background if I have an urge to listen/watch some sports.

Basketball I can never get into. There is always going to be the college basketball tournament which is intriguing because of the brackets that everyone fills out.

And then there is tennis. I tried. I really did. I tried to watch some matches at Wimbledon this year and even last year. I just cannot keep interested. I think that it is the starting and stopping constantly. There are very few rallies in the matches that can really keep going past a minute or two. I am not going to say that I hate tennis, it just bores me.

Kind of like basketball.

Never fails

2011-06-28T11:39:00.000-05:00

The Wichita Eagle newspaper always has this fun little column called the 'Opinion Line' in which people can email the paper with random thoughts whether it is about local or national politics, sports, bad drivers, whatever. It is fun to read from time to time and is frustrating to read because some people are idiots. It never fails to amuse and infuriate at the same time. Being called the opinion line, you have to look at it just like that, it's an opinion. But at the same time, if you are going to write in and have it possibly published for everyone to see, wouldn't you want to do a little bit of research on what you are writing about? So maybe you will look like an educated person and not some ignorant, flag waving, 'USA! USA!' person that doesn't want to see anything change, even if it is for the better? Case in point is this opinion line gem from Saturday's paper:

'Any laws still in effect that were enacted during the terms of George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, and Andrew Jackson should be negated, because those men weren't born American citizens.'

When I first read this, I laughed a little at myself because I knew that this just wasn't true because they were all born on this continent. The more I thought about it however, the more irritated I became. Now, I don't know if the writer meant that they were born before the United States was actually in existence, but I read it as if the writer thought that they were all born somewhere other than the American continent. If you take just a little bit of time to go to Wikipedia or research it using, oh I don't know, a fucking encyclopedia or possibly your high school history book, you will find that all seven of the men mentioned in this comment above were born on this continent.

The United States of America was recognized as a country in 1783, eight years after first declaring independence from England. During the revolution, the warring parties are commonly known as the British and the Americans. Before the war ended and we became an actual nation, the thirteen colonies were known as the American colonies. So when did America come into existence? Was after the American Revolution was ended and a peace treaty was made in 1783? Was it when the Declaration of Independence was written in 1776? What about going back a little further to when Jamestown was founded, or how about when the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock? Or maybe when the Native Americans were first here? But us Indians don't count, so we'll take that notion out of this post.

So at what time do we look at for the first 'real' American president according to this comment? Do we go by the first president that was born after 1783, after the United States of American came to be? If that were the case, our first 'real' American president was John Tyler, born in 1790. He was the tenth president in America.

I'm happy to think about George Washington being the first president of this country, not John Tyler. What did Washington do during his presidency? He only helped keep the country together. Helped to establish the greatest modern day democratic state. Got the ball rolling for where we are today. Let's take a look at Tyler's presidency. What did he do for America? Well. Ummm, he was around when Texas was annexed. So that's something. I guess. Without William Henry Harrison's death, Tyler would not have taken office. There was no real concrete idea of succession upon the death of the president before and when Harrison died in office Tyler was sworn in two days later. It brought about the twenty fifth amendment which brought a concrete way to succeed the president. That is something else, but now I am drawing at straws.

Even if the seven men mentioned weren't born American citizens, shouldn't they get a pass? All they did was just help to establish the fucking country. No big deal.

Reading ADHD

2011-06-24T23:50:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading the book 'The Handmaid's Tale' and while I enjoy reading a novel, I have a big place in my heart for short stories. Before I get into this writing, if you want to read a great science fiction novel about religious suppression and governmental realignment (amongst the more overt topic of the book), this is for you. It had been a while since I had read a sci-fi book, and this book held it's own.

Short stories are great for a reader just because they are something that are quick to pick up, get to the point, and wrap up. They are perfect for the end of the day, just need to relax before going to bed situation. Or if you are lying by the pool or at the beach during the summer while having a drink or two. You can't beat short stories. The nice thing about short stories is you can buy anthologies at bookstores so you can shop by genres. Earlier this year, I finished up a short story anthology that revolved around noir stories. So, they were very dark stories which was right up my alley. A few years ago, I read a book of spy short stories, which was something that I had never really read and it was something different than what I was use to. The books are fairly cheap if you shop right and can be economical for how much you spend on the book. If you can get twenty short stories for twelve dollars, it's worth it.

On the other hand, there are novels. The upper hand that novels have over short stories is development. Just overall development. Story development and character development. Novels really draw you in and can connect you to the characters. With short stories, it is over just as quickly as it began that there is no real connection you can make with any one character. You don't always have to identify with the main character of a novel, but it is easy to do. It is great to find a secondary character to connect with and find real meaning for them being involved in the story. The one downside to novels is how long it takes to read. You take a three hundred page novel versus a ten page short story, it's obvious which is easiest to get through, but in the end, you can get more satisfaction with reading a novel. There is just so much to get through and analyse as you are reading. I know when there are times when I want to go back and re-read something that I thought I read but cannot remember where it was and if you are half way through a novel, that can be difficult trying to find.

In the end, I am never going to turn down reading a book. I think one thing that keeps me going back to short stories is the ease of reading them. From start to finish, you can get through the short story in half an hour at the most. Novels on the other hand can take me a month or so to read. I am a slow reader, I admit it. I have always used the term reading ADHD or ADD when it comes to reading. I like reading novels, but I get distracted and bored at times with them. Especially if it is a slow moving novel at the beginning of it. If it takes sixty to seventy pages to get going with the storyline, it can drag on for quite a while.

Father's Day

2011-06-20T21:25:00.000-05:00

I meant to write this yesterday, but whatever. I had to work, I was tired, I felt like doing nothing last night and that's what I did. It was nice. I called my dad. We talked. No big deal, just borderline awesome. It's always fun to talk with him. We talk a lot of sports, weather, fishing, idiot politicians. Stuff like that.

I know at one time or another during all of our lives, we have all said the following: 'I don't want to be like my parents.' Now that I have I grown up (kind of) I am going to put this out there. My dad is one of the greatest role models I have had in my life. I know that growing up, most kids want to say that movie stars, athletes, writers, etc. are their role models, but the greatest one that you can have is your dad.

Dad raised us all to be good, moral adults, but when you are growing up you don't think about that. You want to grow up to be some rich well known person and have an easy life, but guess what, life isn't easy. The only way that you can get through having a rough go at life is to be raised by a strong person that you can look back and say to yourself 'if I go about my daily life like my parents did, I can get through this.'

Much like my dad, I don't get that emotional, so if you are trying to picture me sniffling and crying a little bit while writing this because I am thinking back at my childhood and writing about how much I look up to my dad now, you can get off it. It doesn't work that way. These are just the facts. Some of the best times of my adult life are having beers and talking with dad. Just about random stuff. Case in point: the last time my parents came down to visit, we went to a baseball game, drank one dollar beer, talked about the sport and how independent teams like the ones we were watching are the great teams because they are playing because they want to play not because they are making millions of dollars each year.

This post is for you Dad. Thank you for raising me to be just like you, as scary as that is to think about.

Ahead of the pack

2011-06-14T21:39:00.001-05:00

The Tigers took over first place in the American League Central division today behind another extremely strong outing by Justin Verlander. They are now sixty seven games into the season with the majority of it still ahead of them, so I am nowhere near calling the season a success.

If there is one thing that I have learned watching the Tigers in recent years, it's that they need to play all one hundred sixty two games. The past few years, they have come out of the gate strong, leading the division for a good portion of the early summer months only to collapse near some time after the All Star break. If there was only a way to play the season without the dastardly All Star game that has it in for the Tigers and will stop at nothing but disrupt a strong start to their season.

As long as they keep up the strong consistent play and the divisional foes play horribly.

Urban bug out bag

2011-06-11T15:34:00.000-05:00

With the weather in Kansas prime for tornadoes and severe storms, it is necessary to be prepared for the possibility of not being able to be back in your house for quite some time. When being forced to leave your dwelling, the thoughts start running through your head of what is important and what can be left behind.

Just the other night there was a nasty storm that kicked up north/north west of Wichita which developed the 'tornado hook' on the radar. It was in the county so the sirens went off and the coverage was all about the speed of the storm, the wind, the wall clouds, and possible tornado that these types of storms can create. In anticipation of needing to go to the storm shelter (which was not needed), we gathered up what we thought was needed. I like to think of it as an urban bug out bag. It's just a backpack full of stuff that we find important.

A traditional bug out bag has stuff for about three days including food, water, first aid, and fire starting equipment. Because we're in a city, we packed stuff like our laptop and charger, the phones and phone chargers, some food. Minor things. We have important documents like passports, car titles, birth certificates, marriage certificate in a small lock box that we can grab if absolutely necessary (the keys for it are easily accessible as well). And for those of you who are concerned about it, the cat's carrying cage is out and we found out it's not as difficult to get her in it as it once was. During the first major storm I half joked and was half serious about filling both of my flasks with scotch to throw in the bag. I think I may keep them out and easy to find to fill up. At the very least, it can be passed around to calm nerves. Plus, you can clean out wounds with it, I've seen it done in the movies (so it must be true!).

You can never be too prepared if you have to leave your house or apartment, but you don't want to be lugging around a suitcase full of shit. The major items that I think you need are the follow:

First aid kit
Water
food that requires no cooking
ways to communicate (phone and charger)
important papers

Field of Dreams

2011-06-10T23:38:00.000-05:00

I'm a big fan of the show 'How I Met Your Mother' and in it, they make reference to the movie 'Field of Dreams' in several different episodes which is one of the best sports movies of all time. All. Time. I will even go out on a limb to call it the best sports movie. I got into a discussion with some people at work about sports movies and started talking about which was the best. One person spouted out that 'Brian's Song' was the best sports movie, but I disagree on the sole fact that it involves the Chicago Bears. Yeah, I'm that petty. And I'm just going to put this out there, but 'Field of Dreams' is one of an extremely short list of movies in which it is okay for men to cry during. Encompassing all sports, baseball has the best movies. They top all of the basketball, football, soccer, boxing, or whatever sports movies.

So, the list. The list of the greatest sports movies of all time. At least the top five.

Field of Dreams
Bull Durham
Slap Shot
Raging Bull
Hoosiers

I feel really really dirty putting a movie about basketball on the list, but it's so freaking good that I couldn't not put it on the list. Who can argue against a movie with both Gene Hackman and Dennis Hopper? No one. That's who.

Important writings

2011-06-09T20:23:00.000-05:00

I have always wanted to write about things that are important to me. Things like sports, history, a little bit of politics here and there, but there are times when I get half way through writing something and think 'who am I pissing off?' I giggle a little bit and publish it anyway. There are so many things that are going on in the world right now that anyone can pick and choose a certain topic and focus mainly on that, but that's not really my thing. I like to find a topic, write on it once maybe twice, and move on. Is that bad? If someone reads something, is there ever any hope for a follow up? So, here is a quick rundown on some important issues that I would like to explore a little bit more.

Unions

Love em or hate em, unions have their historic place not only in our country, but throughout the world. Do you enjoy your eight hour work day? Thank a union. Do you enjoy working in a safe environment? Thank a union. Unions in the late 1800s and early 1900s paved the way for the working world we have today. However, unions today carry a stigma in this country today because they have a quick trigger finger to call for a strike when negotiating for a new contract and working terms for those that they represent.

Nationalism

'Merica! That's why!' Something that the right wing of the political world is ~~standing~~ hiding behind is the flag. Well, they stand behind that and scare the shit out of everyone with the thoughts of terrorism. The one bad thing that has come out of the extreme nationalism that we have seen in the past decade is the Patriot Act. It's an all inclusive scary act that gives government agencies rights to spy on us. It is Orwellian, but you all knew that already. Maybe not as bad as spying on us, but there is more wiggle room for them to do nasty stuff.

Sports

It seems recently that there are just scandal after scandal in the sports world. I always want to write about it, but the overkill and over analysis from sportswriters to sportscasters just want me to stay away from the stories. I really wanted to write about the downfall of The Ohio State University football program (snicker snicker), but I just got so sick of reading and hearing about it that I gave up on writing about it.

A thing or two about facebook

2011-06-04T16:58:00.001-05:00

When I was in college, I vaguely remember hearing something about Facebook. It was something about sharing information with other people and didn't think much on it, because I was more focused on things like graduating as opposed to something on the internet.

That was seven years ago (yeah, that long ago) and now Facebook is all over the place. I enjoy hoping on there once or twice a day to see what is going on with people I am 'friends' with. It's a great way to keep in touch with extended family members I do not get to see very often. The biggest thing I have against Facebook is how people just add and add and add 'friends' until they have hundreds if not thousands of people that they are connected with. Now, I understand people that run a business or are in social groups that use Facebook for ways to get information out, but just people like me, I don't think having tons of 'friends' is all that important. It's fun to see people that type up a status along the lines of 'if you are reading this, you survived the friends purge.'. I've given up on that. I just delete people from my list because there is little interaction. Right now, I sit at right around one hundred and sixty friends on Facebook. And every time I look at my list, I try to find someone here or there that I don't interact with or that aren't very active and unfriend them. Do I care? Not really. I still think I have too many friends, but what can you do?

What is the main idea of Facebook? Many people play games on it, some people just try to get as many friends as possible. Personally, I use it to keep tabs on family. It's great to see what family members that I only see maybe two or three times a year are up to. It is really difficult to live as far away as we do at times, but Facebook does allow us to at least keep up on the biggest news, so that is good, despite the coldness and distance the internet provides.

So, congratulations Facebook. At least you allow me to snoop in on what my extended family is doing. Even if you are something that I could live without.

Online panhandling

2011-05-24T11:40:00.000-05:00

Blogger posted this earlier in the week and it made me a little sad. I don't write to try and make money. I do it because I enjoy writing. If my brain is good for anything, it's for this. I get these thoughts floating around up there and put them on this virtual paper. That is how I stay sane. But to read this post from Blogger I thought who needs to do this?

If you need to put some little app on your blog to try and get some change from people, you need to re-evaluate your life and profession. There are successful professional bloggers out there, but they are professionals first. They become a professional blogger because people know them because these professional bloggers are journalists, comedians, politicians. They aren't some thirty year old sitting in the local coffee shop hoping to break through on the internet. I would never put 'professional blogger' on a resume. How would you explain that in an interview?

'So, I see you have been self employed as a professional blogger the past five years, explain that.'

'Well, I got fired from my last job because I couldn't make it in on time so I wanted to take my life in a different direction. I started a blog and wanted to make money off of it so I started doing that professionally for the past half decade.'

'What's that like?'

'I live in a cardboard box right now in a back alley behind a Starbucks but I still have my laptop and can get free wi-fi. I'm close to breaking through though. I made thirty dollars the past two weeks from donations. I can feel it gaining momentum, I just would really like to have this job as a fall back in case the blogging doesn't work out.'

This thing that Blogger has put up is not for their users to make the big bucks, it's just to get a couple of dollars in the back pockets. It's cool if you want to do, I guess, but you'll never see anything like that here. I always thought that blogs were started as a way for people to get their thoughts out there on the internet for people to read, but that's just me.

Slowly but surely

2011-05-23T06:58:00.000-05:00

After realizing that I started off this idea to lose ten pound in the worst way possible (mainly not doing anything), I have been really forcing myself to go workout. I have been easing my way into working out in general by hitting the stationary bike. It is extremely low impact which is good for my knees, and let me tell you, I ran on a treadmill for about ten minutes last week and it felt like my knees were going to explode. I blame my dad for genetically bad knees.

I find it hard to get the ambition to workout on days that I work. I have no problem getting out there when I have the day off because I have nothing else to do. I do not find anything exciting about working eight hours and then going and exerting more energy. I want to just laze around and do nothing during the evening. I once again, do not enjoy working out. I do not feel more energized afterwards. I do not better about myself, my self esteem isn't higher than normal afterwards. I feel...more tired. SURPRISE! However, the results will be there and I know that and that is the reason I go. Well, to see the results and to look good in my European man thong, but whatever.

One small thing can snowball into more and more. I will continue to get out and workout. I want to lose the weight and I am going to get there.

The end is nigh....or not

2011-05-21T13:45:00.001-05:00

This was just spoken on live television during the Royals/Cardinals game referring to umpires Angel Hernandez and Angel Campos:

'With the end of times predicted for today, it's nice to know we have two Angels on the field.'

You know your religious thoughts and predictions are a joke when sportscasters are poking fun at you.

Idiots.

Jury duty (part two?)

2011-05-19T22:17:00.000-05:00

Once again, I enjoyed my time as a juror and when I got a piece of mail from the Office of the Clerk earlier this week I thought nothing of it. On the outside envelop it has pasted 'official business important information do not discard' front and center. I looked at this envelope and could tell that there were papers inside. My first thought was maybe it was some sort of survey of how I felt about the jury duty process. But, oh was I wrong.

It was a juror selection questionnaire. What. The. Fuck. I've been tabbed again for possible jury selection, but on a larger level. Instead of being on the local level, it's on a state level. Two things came to my mind when I read through it.

1.) This selection process isn't random and it is done using some mathematical algorithm that I do not understand (nor do I care to).
2.) I was fucking awesome as a juror and word got out so they want to call me up to the show.

Oh yes, jury duty has a minor league and major league system. If you can hack it in the local court rooms, you can hack it anywhere. So, the possibility that the jury selection is done through some sort of complex math problem is more likely than there being a JDL (Jury Duty League) and that is what I am going with. How is it really done? I have no idea, but to have my name randomly pulled within a few months for two different levels of court systems is suspect. It's like a dark skinned, long haired, fully bearded college kid getting randomly selected for addition screening.

As they explained how our names got pulled for jury duty it got me thinking that I want to live in a tent in the woods. Or maybe a cabin. It's done through your driver's license being in the system and the fact that you are a registered voter.

So, if you need a reason to live off of the grid, this is it. GET OUT NOW!

Breaking News!

2011-05-17T11:46:00.000-05:00

This just in: The NFL lockout is still in affect.

In a related story: I do not care.

Sports analysts are frothing at the mouth over the fact that the NFL lockout is over two months long. I don't know if they realize this or not, but it is only May. It isn't like this lockout is taking place during the pre-season or regular season where the work stoppage means no games during the week. And let's be honest, there is a little bit of each of us that wants this lockout to continue on towards the regular season and here is why. It puts them in their place. About ninety nine percent of the players in the NFL don't do it for the game, they do it for the money. If the lockout happens to carry over to the regular season, how can they afford their million dollar mansions and their five cars that cost more than a regular house?

The only time I am going to pay any attention to these stories of the NFL lockout and court decisions is when they come to a real conclusion. Wake me up in September.

Skipped out of town

2011-05-16T17:42:00.000-05:00

We just got back from a weekend in Springfield, MO. We went for a couple of reasons. One, to see our friends who moved out there last year and two, just to get out of Wichita for a weekend. It was just a four hour (or so) ride out there and we left Friday after I finished with work and we got there in time for some beer and a few left over pieces of pizza. A great way to start a lazy weekend.

Saturday was spent around the town. We walked the downtown area a little bit and grabbed some food. The afternoon was spent checking out a brewery that just opened up. It is not a brewery that has a restaurant, it's an actual brewery that just bottles and sends out the booze. It never rained, but it was overcast and windy all day. Not one hundred percent fantastic, but tolerable.

Sunday we drove down to Branson. Not to see any shows that the city is known for, but to check out some of the shops in the area. They have a nice open air mall with typical shops, but once again it was nice to just get out and see something different.

The weather was not the greatest, but it was nice enough to get outside and walk around both days. Would it have been more enjoyable has it been in the low seventies and sunny all weekend? Absolutely. It was in the low fifties and cloudy all days that we were there except for Monday, when we had to leave. Figures. It was nice to drive back home when it was sunny as opposed driving in the rain.

Getting out of the city is always nice especially when you have no real plans. And, as always, it was great to see some friends.

Too hot too early

2011-05-09T07:02:00.000-05:00

At six thirty this morning, it was already seventy degrees outside. Today, the high is suppose to be one hundred. One. Hundred. Degrees. To say that it is too early in the year for it to be in the triple digits is a vast understatement. Living in Kansas for the past five years I have gotten use to the extremely hot summers. There is always a week or two when the temperature spikes in the triple digits and it stays there and it is miserable. Those are the weeks when I want to find and kiss the person or persons that invented air conditioning. But that is in July or August, not May. It's suppose to cool back down tomorrow, but still. Too hot.

In an unrelated note, Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers threw a no hitter on Saturday. He had a perfect game into the eighth inning when he issued a well deserved, twelve pitch walk. I say well deserved because the batter fouled off pitch after pitch and they were pitches that would have sat down a lesser hitter. This is Verlander's second no hitter of his professional career, but that isn't the important thing. The important this is the way he celebrated the feat. With a fist pump and a smile. They were playing in Toronto, so the half full stadium was kind of in a buzz but it would have been louder and a larger celebration would have happened had they been in Detroit. I say his celebration was important because it in no way showed up the other team. It was classy. I like that.

Jury duty

2011-05-04T19:41:00.000-05:00

I finished up my first ever tour of jury duty. You always hear about jury duty and how absolutely horrible it is. It isn't though.

Yeah, you don't get paid much. Kansas pays ten dollars a day, plus two dollars for meal stipend, plus mileage. So, it's a losing effort if you go in thinking you'll make some bank off of your state. Yeah, the first day is really long and boring. I brought a book and the ipod and it went by quicker than I thought it would. Some even brought laptops to do some work. I would equate the jury assembly room to an airplane. You are stuck next to someone you don't know and unless you get a talker, you keep to yourself. Luckily, I was not next to a talker. I hate talkers. Hate is a strong word, but I have a strong feelings about it.

The assembly room was boring and very quiet. After being selected for a jury pool, we went up to a court room and were interviewed by the defense attorney and district attorney. It was a little intimidating. It wasn't like they asked extremely embarrassing questions or anything like that, but it was monotonous. Imagine hearing the same question asked twenty four times. Not an exciting question, but a question like 'what is your living situation, where do you work, have you ever served on a jury.'. BOOOOOORING! After getting the information, they started to ask questions that would weed out anyone that they deemed to have a prejudice thought or answered a question that they did not approve of. That took four hours. Four. Hours. With one little break in between.

That was the rest of the first day. And they didn't even finish up the jury selection. That went on into the second day, but it was not for very long. Second day was hearing the testimonies and the start of deliberation. Testimonies went on for six hours and we were able to start deliberation, but did not get very far. It was difficult to just sit and listen and not be able to discuss anything with the rest of the jurors. I think we all felt that because the minute we got into the jury room, there were about three conversations going on and nothing really happened.

Today was the last day of the trial, and it didn't last all day. Luckily. We were able to deliberate when we were all present and we started around nine fifteen. The deliberation was much more calm and organized with people who thought the defendant was guilty able to present their arguments to those who thought he was not guilty. It was organized, it was calm, and for the most part, it was one conversation. We deliberated for close about an hour and a half and came to the conclusion that the defendant was not guilty because of lack of evidence.

Overall, it was an experience that was enjoyable. Well, I think that enjoyable isn't the right word. Tolerable is a better word. Do not look at like an inconvenience. If you don't want to participate, and you get called, go in there and answer the questions they ask as horribly as possible. And there were some people like that. The way that they answered some of the questions, I just knew (and I'm sure the lawyers did too) that they were trying to get out of being there. Listen, it's not a big deal. It's an experience. An experience that you'll have to do eventually and will have a year off from that.

My only advice is when they ask the jury to select a head juror. Everyone in the room kept saying that they didn't want to do it, so I took the reins. Creepy, right? Me in control of something. I was determined to keep everyone in line the last day when it came to deliberation. It drove me nuts when everyone was talking. Keep control of the conversations and be a dick. When they got off topic, I brought them all back with this great phrase I have picked up from work. 'That doesn't matter, let's focus on what is important.' It shut everyone up and got us back on topic.

ten pound fail (so far)

2011-05-01T22:27:00.001-05:00

It has been twelve days since I brought up the ten pound challenge and I am very thankful I didn't set any real date on completing it because, well, I've done jack shit about it. I shouldn't say that, I have been watching what I'm eating, a little bit anyways. I haven't gotten crazy healthy, but have curtailed the portions on some foods and eaten a few more salads. So, baby steps I guess.

Once again, I hate hate hate hate working out. Some people have said they love it, that it releases stress and it's addicting. For me? Not so much. It's an inconvenience. If I could get to a pool that's not located in a gym that you would have to pay a membership for, I would be all about that. I love swimming. I love (and miss) smelling like chlorine. I miss smelling like clean all the time. There are two major gyms in the Wichita area. There is the YMCA and Genesis Gyms. YMCA is up front with their fees, close to forty dollars a month for adults. Genesis? Not so much. I checked their site, I checked for forums or FAQs via Google, and still nothing. So I just gave up on looking for it and decided that if I am going to do this, I suppose I will give up hope of finding a cheap pool and just use the workout room that is in the apartment complex.

On a side note, news just came on that Osama Bin Laden has been killed and his body is in U.S. custody. A significant day, but nowhere near the end of any kind of fighting in the Middle East for America. A moral booster for sure.

Are you there Andy Oliver? It's me, Tigers fan.

2011-04-27T14:04:00.017-05:00

As much as I have loved Phil Coke ever since he came over to Detroit in the Curtis Granderson trade, he is not a starting pitcher. Even when he was pitching in New York, there was something about him that I just enjoyed. It's his energy. Coming out of the bullpen, that is what a team needs in the middle of the game. Someone to come out and bring in energy. But that's all he is. A reliever who can pitch two or three strong innings and give way to a set up man and then the closer. And that is what I saw tonight against the lowly Seattle Mariners (sorry Lauren, it's true). He pitched well enough for four innings and then BOOM! Implosion, party of one.

I don't know if Andy Oliver is ready for the Show, but if he is the next big thing for the Tigers organization, why not? Have him be the fifth starter and learn. I know that Coke is a veteran and can handle the pressure of being in the spotlight, but a starting pitcher he is not.

So far this season, the bats have woken up and can keep the Tigs in the game, but having a couple of starting pitchers that are shaky (Brad Penny and Rick Porcello I'm looking your way too) puts more pressure on the other pitchers and the batters.

Futbol!

2011-04-26T12:28:00.000-05:00

I found myself watching a soccer match on ESPN2 the other day. It wasn't the World Cup, it wasn't the MLS, it was a European match. There are way too many leagues across the pond to keep track of unless you are hardcore about soccer. It was just fun to watch.

I have watched some MLS games every once in a great while and it wasn't anything great to watch. It was entertaining, yes, but compared to the games that are played in Europe, it was nothing. And why? It's because of the atmosphere. During an MLS game, there is not ninety minutes of loud continuous cheering from the stands. And by cheering, I mean chanting. Watching the European games, the fans (absolute definition of fanatics) stand for the entire match. They have chants and songs of which are a ton better than the vuvuzelas that plagued the World Cup. Just thinking of those noise makers sends shivers down my spine. And when a goal is scored? Holy shit, the cheers can shake the walls. It's engrossing. It's addictive. It's what sports should be. True dedication by the fans at the game for the entire game. Think of all the sporting events you have gone to. Are you on your feet for the entire time? No. It's a lot of sitting and sporadic standing up or jumping up and cheering.

I don't think this kind of fandom will ever catch on here in the U.S. The fans here are not that dedicated. Even the biggest fan of the best team will not stand for an entire game. I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't stand for an entire baseball game or a hockey game. It's not ingrained in our sports watching. We sit around, we drink beer, and swear at the officials.

At least sports fans got that last one right.

But...you promised

2011-04-26T00:20:00.000-05:00

The one thing that has baffled me since I have been old enough to be interested in politics (so, around twenty five or so) is how upset people get when politicians do not fulfill campaign promises. It's not one political party or the other. It's all of them. Republicans, democrats, libertarians, tea party (douche bags), communists, socialists, nihilists. From the uberconservatives all the way to the far left tree hugging hippies. Whomever. It's all of them. This is a blanket call out on all politicians. They're the high school boyfriend that promises to bring a condom to the prom after party but 'forgets' to and tries to convince you that it's okay. Just as long as he pulls out. Crude analogy, but pretty hilarious.

If there is one reason to not trust any politician, this is it. And it's not like they don't try to make some of their promises stick, it's just that everyone expects them to keep all of their campaign promises, which is pretty much impossible. Especially as divided as the country is today. The political parties argue in spite of themselves. They do not have the interest of the people in mind. All they care about is arguing the opposite point of the other party.

As long as we the ~~sheep~~ people go along with the thoughts that the politicians have our best interests in mind, we will continue to vote for whomever has the best promises. Or whomever hides behind the flag more. America! Fuck yeah! Grimace all you want, you know it's true. I will concede that it is difficult to pass legislation through the government when all they do is battle each other.

But if we can get signs that there is some progress, or at the very least, some efforts to fulfill these promises, you will keep you supporters. However, if you completely screw the pooch and do not make an effort to get something done, even the smallest promise, you will be cleaning out your desk. The people are fickle.

That's democracy for you. And you can thank yourselves, politicians. You made everyone hate you by being useless.

Take your ham and shove it!

2011-04-24T17:19:00.000-05:00

One of the nice things about not being close to family around the holidays is the fact that a big meal is not really needed. During Christmas, we have family in town so we do get to have a big holiday meal, which is great, but there is a ton of effort that goes into it. Plus, it takes most of the day to cook the food. On the holidays when no family is in town, we have a few options.

Our friends K & M are usually around town and we can have a meal with them, and we do. And it's great. It's nice to have them and we refer to them from time to time as our 'Wichita family' especially when it comes to the holidays.

The other option is to find something to cook just for ourselves. This is what we are doing this year. I went out and bought some nice rib eye steaks and despite the fact that it's a little cloudy and windy outside, the grill will be on and the meat will sizzle with greatness.

Enjoy the day everyone!

Anniversary trip

2011-04-19T17:04:00.028-05:00

I proposed to A that on our five year anniversary (which is next year) that we take a vacation somewhere. Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Boston, New York, Chicago, wherever. I thought that if we started to think of it now, we can start saving now and not have to worry about having to pay for stuff if we do go through with this idea. Vacations are expensive.

We haven't really had a vacation since we got married. We went down to St. Thomas with our families and it was glorious. When we do leave the state of Kansas, it is always to visit family. These vacations are always great just because we live so far away from everyone and we only see them about two or three times a year. However, we haven't taken a trip for ourselves to go to a new city to explore. I always love going home and seeing our families, but I haven't ever been to Boston or New York. I want to visit Independence Hall in Philadelphia. I want to find old Yankee Stadium and take a piss on it (no, not really [or do I?]) or at least flip it off. I want to get an authentic Chicago deep dish pizza and visit the Friendly Confines, I want to see a politician in a strip club in D.C. taking in the lunch buffet.

We don't have kids right now (nor do we plan to have any in the near future) and right now is the best time to take these kinds of trips. All we have to worry about is the cat, and she self sustains. We have over a year to think about this, and a lot can change in that year. Moving, jobs, etc. This will be in the back of my mind for the next year or so until it comes to fulfillment.

The ten pound challenge

2011-04-18T18:46:00.000-05:00

While making the transition from winter clothes to spring and summer clothes, A collected a box of items that were just a little too tight to fit into. I asked her about the box and she said it's full of clothes that she wants to keep, but needs to lose about ten pounds. We then joked a little bit about a ten pound box and went into the whole 'yeah, we really do need to start exercising and losing weight' discussion. I then started to think about some clothes that are in the closet and dresser and came up with a mental ten pound box of my own. We're getting old, our metabolism is starting to slow, beer tastes good, exercising sucks. Whatever excuse you want to make for yourself, the fact is the majority of us out there can afford to lose ten pounds.

One reason why I thought of this was because I couldn't sleep last night. I tossed and turned just about every hour. I would fall asleep for a little bit, wake up, and then turn over and fall back asleep. Repeat this process for five hours and you have my evening. During one of my moments of being awake, this thought came to me, why not set a goal of losing ten pounds to fit into these clothes that we have held onto?

I know that when I got my physical this year, one of the things my doctor stressed, other than getting a colonoscopy next year, was losing weight. He wasn't exactly friendly about it, in fact, he came off rather dick-ish about it. At any rate, over the past five years (or since I've been living in Kansas, is there a corelation, who knows) I've put on about fifteen pounds. I guess you never really think of it when it's just four pounds here, or two pounds there, but the shit adds up.

So here is the plan. Lose ten pounds. That's it. Through exercise, smart eating, and portion control (something I apparently have a problem with according to A). The toughest part will be exercising. I do not enjoy it. I don't understand people that do enjoy it, but alas, that's just part of the game.

Early season observations

2011-04-16T21:08:00.000-05:00

From what I've seen so far this season, some teams in the AL Central are making progress and some are struggling. The teams that are struggling are making me smile too. It's great when anything from Chicago doesn't do well.

Cleveland Indians:

Their fast start has given some hope, but I don't think it'll last.
The first thing to come around when a team restructures, like the Indians have been doing so for the past six years, it starts with the batting order. They have some young talent in their catcher of the future Carlos Santana and some veteran leaders in Grady 'my knees continue to fall apart' Sizemore and Travis Hafner has come back from the dead
The pitching staff still doesn't have that one true ace that can pitch well enough to stop a losing streak.
It's a marathon season and I can see them fading away close to the All Star break

Kansas City Royals:

Another fast start to the season, but it'll last longer than Cleveland's.
Their pitching staff is young and hungry and the bullpen is throwing lights out so far
The real future is still three and four years away, but the players that are in KC right now can keep them out of the basement of the division.
This is another team that doesn't have that true ace to help start a winning streak or stop a losing streak.
The true test will be the first losing streak. This team is young and it will be interesting to see what happens when the loses start to come, because they will.

Detroit Tigers:

After a slow start, Detroit has put together a nice little winning streak to get back to .500 baseball
The first team in the AL Central standings to have a true ace and another strong pitcher to back him up. A great one-two punch that starts winning streaks
The lineup will produce runs in the middle of the order. The top of the order is young and learning and the bottom from seven to nine can kill a rally inning real quick.
The weak spot is the bullpen and the back half of the rotation. The middle relief will be up and down all season and will be the cause for a lot of late inning losses and close games.

Chicago White Sox

Focusing mostly on their offense this off season, their bullpen has been imploding all two weeks of the season.
Ozzie is pissed at the bullpen, which makes me smile, just because I hate Chicago. I want him to throw a tirade and get fired because it just needs to happen.
Their bats and starting rotation will keep them in games, but the bullpen will remain an issue.
Right the ship in the bullpen and this team will start to win games in bunches and contend the rest of the year.

Minnesota Twins

In a very unfamiliar spot right now bringing up the rear of the division.
Everything that can go wrong with their team (offense, defense, pitching, injuries) has gone wrong.
I don't know what to make of the Twins so far just because they don't have issues like this. Ever. In the past, if their bats aren't going, their pitching keeps them in games and vice versa.
Because it is such a long season, and they have a great managerial team, they'll pull out of this funk and continue up the ranks of the division.

The division is ass backwards right now, but it's nice to let the basement dwellers come up and check out the top every once in a while. By the midway point of the season, it'll be back to normal.

What makes my world go 'round

2011-04-11T19:28:00.001-05:00

I'm currently watching a baseball game involving two teams (Boston and Tampa Bay) that I don't really care about. So why is this important? Because it's part of the three greatest parts of living in America. Baseball, beer, and brats. What more could one ask for?

It's not a close game, but it's fun to relax in the best way I know how. By watching sports and getting a little drunk.

Missing the mrs. or missing the mrs?

2011-04-10T21:46:00.000-05:00

This weekend, I hung out with several friends that all knew A was out of town, but were unsure of how long she was gone. We went out to dinner and for the first time in quite a long time I was the fifth wheel. It was two couples (eventually a third couple met up with us) and me. And of course, I had to deal with the 'when does your wife come home?' question. I've been barraged with this question ever since I got home a couple of weeks ago. It got me thinking while I was out tonight drinking a few beers and watching some baseball. Where does the line between dependence and independence lie in each relationship?

One of the greatest things about the relationship I have with my wife is the independence we have from each other. Not since high school have we been the couple that needed to be with each other twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. And even then, we had the same friends, so it wasn't like we ran in different crowds. In the past year, she has gone home for longer periods of time than I have because she hasn't been working. We have both developed a little more independence because of that. At least at home, she can help get her parents with house updates with stripping wall paper and painting random rooms. Outside of that, there will be nights when people from work will get a hold of me and want to go out to the bar. I'll say yes the majority of the time because it's nice to hang out with friends (and let's face it, I like to drink), but I always make it a point to see if she wants to go out. There will be nights when she says yes and nights that she says no. Regardless of what she decides, I'm out the door when the time comes. A little bit of a dick move sometimes, but it shows that neither of us have the need to be with each other every minute of every day. She hasn't ever looked at me and said, 'I'm not going and neither are you.'. There will be nights when she just flat out does not want to go and I will get the response, 'no, and have a good time.'. What more could a husband ask for? And when she does come out, she is involved with the conversations throughout the night, so it isn't like she sits in the corner brooding.

Every relationship needs to have that kind of separation and independence, and I'm sure that most do. To counter that, I'm sure there are relationships where both parties do not feel comfortable being out without their significant other. Those are not fulfilling relationships. It's one thing to say 'I don't feel like going out, but thanks' to people that invite you out for a beer or four and it's another thing to say 'We don't feel like going out, but thanks.' That's not a healthy independent relationship. That's co-dependency.

You want to test out where your relationship is? Gather up some people at work or some friends you know will be wanting to go hang out for a couple of hours, but do it when you know your significant other won't be in the mood to go out of the house. If they say something along the lines of, 'I don't feel like it and I think you should stay home too.' you may want to have a deep conversation with that person. It is one thing to be in a couple (whether you are married or in a non-married relationship) and it's another thing to be one person. Find that line where you know it's okay to go out and play cards with the guys, or go out to a bar with co-workers on a Friday (or a Tuesday) after a long week at the office. That is where the relationship lies. I don't want to say that you want to treat it like a trust game, but you need to treat it like as a relationship game. I think a great relationship depends on independence from each other, but still knowing that if you want to, it's okay to turn the phones off and hang out for the evening with each other.

The excuse of 'my husband (or wife) doesn't feel like going out so we are going to pass.' is absolute bullshit. The exception to that rule is if early work is involved. And by early I mean early. Like four in the morning early. This weekend, I went out to hang with friends on Friday night and Saturday night. Both nights, I was up until at least one in the morning and went to work before eight. I'm getting to the point where I have to pay for it just because I'm getting old, but it was great to know I can still do it. Both nights were great and I would not hesitate to do it again. And I know that A would have been up for both nights. It wasn't like I was up hitting the strip clubs with a bunch of guys, we were out drinking beer and socializing. It was fun and laid back.

So it has been nice to have the run of the apartment and be able to do whatever and go wherever I want, but come Tuesday, it will be nice to have my wife back in town. To have these past two weeks alone and independent from anyone it's allowed me to cut loose a little. Drink at home a little more, eat dinner whenever and wherever. And to know that I can do that whenever I want is great just because we have that relationship that has the flexibility to go out and do our own thing if need be.

And it's also nice that she will always be around for the 'I don't want to do anything but stay at home' evenings or weekends too.

Weather worries

2011-04-09T15:59:00.000-05:00

As the thoughts of winter and the lack of snow disappear in the minds of Kansans, their attention is brought upwards. It is spring time, or as I like to call it 'that time of the year when my mother worries'. It's storm season or at least the beginning of it. We had severe weather advisories last night. It was hot and humid all day and then the temperature dropped and of course the weather radios were going crazy with thoughts of thunder storms and possible tornadoes. It's too early for tornadoes though.

I love the warm weather because that means shorts and tee shirts. If I love one thing as the summer months approach, it's shorts. It's a nice departure from the winter months when it's nothing but pants. I quote the one and only Homer J. 'Don't you hate pants?'

So don't worry quite yet mom. Tornado season isn't for another month or so. And it only lasts for two months after that.

Out of doors.

2011-04-05T10:21:00.000-05:00

After reading this article, I want to move to a more outdoor friendly area. I'm not going to get crazy and start wandering around the Amazon or the Artic Circle, but getting out to nature and camping has always been a fun thing for me, especially in my adult life. Last summer, I took a weekend trip to Elk City and camped for a couple of days and went on a hike on their one trail. It was hot as hell, I got into a little poison ivy when I went off the trail to check out the views of the lake from a small cliff (not the brightest idea I have ever had, but I would do it again. The view was phenomenal even by Kansas standards), but at the end of it all, it was great. It may have been because it was close to one hundred degrees at mid day or that it was a small nature trail, but I didn't come across anyone. Very secluded. I got up to the top of the trail and there was peace and quiet. Far from the noises of the city and traffic. Far from the daily distractions of cell phones, work, and the internet. It was everything that camping should be about.

Sitting amongst the rocks and trees and the little critters roaming about, I wondered if this is what the ultimate goal of the trip was. I wanted to go camping that summer just to do it. To get use out of the tent and sleeping bag and play with fire and cook over that open flame. But was there something in my deep conscience that drove me to find this campground with a trail? All I know was when I got back into town at the end of the weekend I was in a different state of mind. Very serene. Can the outdoors have that affect on people? I think so.

Camping with friends is always a great experience. Sitting around and drinking and talking and all that fun stuff can bring you closer. That is one kind of camping. The other kind is just going by yourself. Just getting out there and let everything else slip away. It can bring out the best in you. It allows you to sit back and think. At least it did for me.

All alone

2011-04-03T20:18:00.001-05:00

While it is nice to live with someone, especially someone you love, a break is welcomed when it comes. Are there benefits to it or is time alone all that I need? Who knows. All I know is that I enjoy having the place to myself, but also am aware the downside to it as well. It all depends on how long the time alone is. I got back down to Wichita on the night of the twenty eighth and A is coming back here on the twelfth. Essentially, it's two weeks. One of the longer stretches of her staying up there to help her parents take care of some interior house projects and just all around hanging out. Normally it's in the seven to ten day area for her staying there, so what's a few more days? Here's some pros and cons to being here alone.

Pros:

I don't have to wear pants if I don't want to. Won't even lie about, I've already not worn pants quite a bit since getting back down here.
The t.v. switches from just a couple of channels. Mainly ESPN, ESPN2, history channel, Fox Sports Kansas City, weather channel.
One dinner lasts about a week. I made goulash Tuesday night and just ate the last of it for dinner tonight.
Dinner is whenever and whatever. We don't have a specific dinner time, but generally it's around six thirty or so. Right now? It could be at five. Or nine. Last night I ate at ten o'clock because that's when I got hungry.
Playing records. While A was employed, I would get home a couple of hours before she would and every once in a while would throw a record on the player just to listen to the clicks and cracks of the old LPs. I got to do that again this week and it's been nice.
Contemplation time. Not having someone to talk to on hand sucks a little bit, it allows for time to just think. I'll be growing my full beard back for my friend's wedding this summer because I'm in it and don't want to be 'that guy' in the wedding pictures when he looks back at them twenty or thirty years from now. So, after the wedding, I've determined to grow my beard out a little bit. Not as much as a couple of years ago, but a little bit fuller. I love having facial hair.

Cons:

Less dishes means more actual dish cleaning. It takes quite a while to pile up enough dishes to run the dishwasher and not feel bad about running a half empty one.
Feeding the cat.
Lack of human contact. Work doesn't really count no matter how many people you work with or talk to.
Days off are boring. I didn't work this weekend and the days drug on a little bit.
Grocery shopping. Ugh. I tried my best to avoid the frozen section because I don't want to be that guy that relies on frozen foods while my wife is away. How lame and stereotypical is that? Although I did buy one frozen pizza. It was BBQ chicken and it was delicious.
My liver. I've been drinking a little more than usual the past couple of days. Mayhaps not so good.

In the end, it's all good. It's something that I would never really want to nor have had to do. I have never lived alone. Our second year in college, we wised up and moved out of the dorms at CMU and rented an apartment. It was cheaper and we didn't have to deal with all the bullshit that dorms come with. We did have to deal with all the bullshit that college apartment complexes came with, but that's just how it went.

Opening Day

2011-03-31T21:01:00.000-05:00

The baseball regular season started today! If I get excited about spring training, I get uber-excited for opening day. In fact, I think it should be a holiday. I've talked about how in college, I use to skip class on opening day to watch all kinds of baseball. While living and working the 'real world' I can't call in just because of a baseball game. With that, I leave you with the following. Enjoy.

Some things that MLB should look at adopting in the future to shake up the system:

Bringing back the double header. Not the morning/evening game. I'm talking about a game starts at one in the afternoon and the second one starts afterwards.
Adding a second wild card team to the post season. It would make it more interesting as the season winds down. I know that Bud Selig is looking at this and it has been mentioned, but it needs to happen.
Firing Bud Selig. Is that possible?

My Tigers lost their first game. It was a close one up until the seventh inning. The bullpen let me down, but there are still on hundred and sixty games left for them to make up for it. The game gave me a little hope because they kept up with one of the better pitchers in the American League today (C.C. Sabathia).

Six of one

2011-03-30T21:57:00.000-05:00

At the beginning of this month, I wrote about the revolution taking place in northern Africa and the Middle East and how dangerous and scary the whole concept really is. I wrote about it because I try my best to keep up on the world outside of the United States. The main reason? It's boring here. Sure, we have the whole governors trying to get rid of unions for public workers, but, you know, that's sissy stuff compared to what else is happening.

There was the earthquake and corresponding tsunami that hit Japan that is gathering headlines across the world. A horrible situation, and it happens on more than one occasion. I thought to myself the other day, why don't I really care about that as much as the violence across the other ocean? I racked my brain and tried to come up with an answer. I think I have one, but it's not very well formed and can come across as cold.

I didn't care as much about the earthquake because it's out of control of the hands of actual people. If there is anyone out there that can stop natural disasters, I am willing to hear you speak up. It's something that just happens and all people can do is react to it. To pick up the pieces and try to get them back together again. With the revolutions, that is in control of the people. It's up to them to decide what happens. Once again, that is scarier than an earthquake. And that's not to say earthquakes aren't scary, I'm sure that they are. I just think that if something like that earthquake and subsequent tsunami is going to happen, what can we do as people except react and deal?

So these worldly issues are six of one half dozen of the other to me. Until they personally affect me, I think I will stay a little disconnected with the goings on across the globe. I can only watch the news and listen to what is happening.

You can (always) never go home again

2011-03-25T11:16:00.090-05:00

We're home right now. Not home as in Wichita, home as in The Soo. It's under unfortunate circumstances as A's grandfather passed away last weekend. So while were home, I took advantage to get measurements taken for the wedding of my best friend which is taking place this summer. Its nothing major, something I've done many times before.

What was funny about it was that it was at the one tuxedo shop in our hometown. When I walked in I had to smile to myself because I remember going there in high school and getting measured for winter formal and for prom. It was such a grown up and exciting thing to do. Now? Who cares. While I stood there and had the tape measure run around me and up and down my leg, I started thinking about hometowns and the old saying 'you can never go home again.'. It's fun to come home a couple of times a year and see family and drive around town and see what things have changed and what things mostly haven't changed. Small towns do not have major changes. A few years ago, an Applebee's came into town and holy shit you would think that was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Can you go home again? Thinking about living and working in my hometown makes me wince a little bit. Not that it's a bad town, I love it. It's small and ~~stuck in a rut~~ traditional. It's a place to raise a family. Small enough to know a lot of people, but big enough where you do not run into everyone you know every time you go out to the grocery store. The problem comes with growth. How long can one go knowing that the newest restaurant in town is an Applebee's? When will the next new business get here?

Can you go home again? Living outside of your hometown should come with a sort of expiration date for return. A hometown return policy of sorts. After three years, you cannot go home without seeing it in a different light. Living in a city with close to five hundred thousand people changes your view of your hometown of fourteen thousand. There are less options for shopping. Less options of eating (although there are more local restaurants and less chains, which is great). But more options for closeness. More options for learning to live again in a small town.

Can you go home again? Living in a town that you longed to get out of. I'm sure most people growing up in a small town think of one thing. How long til I get the hell out of here? Branching out, finding a new city. The bright lights and big city living. It's nice for a while, but then you start to compare. Your hometown starts to look better and better as the glitz and glam wear off and you become just another drone in the big city.

Can you go home again? To get out is one thing, but to get back in is another. What would drive someone back home? Homesickness. Lack of a job. Falling out with the city life. Some people are wired to love the small town. Anything outside the city limits is only worth seeing and not living. Once you get back, its all about readapting to the small town living. It can be tough and it would only be a matter of time before you would forget about all the highways, the skyscrapers, and the hustle and bustle.

Can you go home again? Yes. Yes you can. No matter what anyone says, there will be a part of you that can never leave. A part of you that will want to get back. A part of you that will will you to stay. And a part of you that will want you to get the hell out once you get back.

You can always go home again. Anyone who thinks different is full of shit.

The youth and the future

2011-03-24T11:20:00.000-05:00

As spring training winds down, the farm system for the Detroit Tigers looks promising. I know that the farm teams don't win games and championships for the Tigers right now, but it is nice to know that the youth is there. The big name players for the Tigers aren't getting any younger, but none of us are.

There were the big name pitching prospects like Andy Oliver and Jacob Turner that showed improvement, but everyone knew that they would end up back at the farm. It'll give them time to develop into big leaguers. Which is good. Rushing them up to the big leagues can be bad news, especially if they are not mentally ready for the regression they will have as the professional hitters tear them apart. It will happen. It always does. When it does happen it can be either good or bad. If they have the thick skin and the brain to deal with it and evolve into a decent pitcher, they are a feel good story. If they can't deal with it, then they just burn out and become a wasted pick. Rick Porcello dealt with the regression last year and he is slowly developing with the Tigers. I think that part of it is that Jim Leyland and Dave Dombrowski don't want to admit they made a mistake rushing Porcello and they just let him set in the third spot in the rotation and watch Verlander and Scherzer throw. As long as he learns, that's all I care about.

On the field, there are some young hitters that are on the cusp. Scott Sizemore, the eventual owner of the middle infield, was sent down to the farm as spring training winds down. They tried him out last year in the big leagues and he struggled. I mean STRUGGLED. It didn't take long of Leyland to send him down, well aware he wasn't ready yet. He needs more plate discipline. There was the complete opposite situation with Brennan Boesch last year. He started on a tear. Then the pitchers figured him out and he faded away to nothing the second half of the year. The question remains 'why didn't he get sent down?'. I think it was another one of the situations where Leyland didn't want to admit he made a mistake. And it's fine. I love Jimmy Leyland. Mainly because he scares me. His stare can stop people in their tracks. He is so calm and collected and then the wrong question or statement is said to him and he will rip a head off.

There are plenty of young and hungry players in the Tigers' system. I cannot wait to see them start to make their way up to The Show. Some on the verge of breaking through are players like Andy Dirks. Slowly making his way through the system since being drafted in 2008, he has been turning heads this spring. I got to see him a little bit in college. He played at Wichita State, which has had a fairly decent program for several decades. A program that doesn't win college world series' but competes each and every year within their conference and make it to the post season. He is a player who is smart at the plate. He doesn't carry a big bat, but can go yard. He is more of a contact hitter, which is what I like to see. I would rather see someone that can move the base runners as opposed to try to hit it out of the park. Last year in the minors he hit just below .300. He may not be known right now, but book him for making it to the Show in the fall.

Then there are players like Will Rhymes, Casper Wells, and Scott Sizemore that have been traveling in between Toledo and Detroit for a couple of years that continue to tease. I don't know much about all the farm teams, but I have faith in the owners and the managers that they are making the right decisions for the club.

In Leyland I trust.