Down goes Staunton

The Bulldogs lost Thursday night to Litchfield by a score of 53-47.  It was close to the end, and they led after three quaerters, but they just could not pull it out.

They gave it their best and were playing as well as they have all season at the end.  I think that means their season was a success.

So my nephew's high school career is done.  I am happy for him that he was able to have this experience, of doing well in his last season, so he can remember it for the rest of his life and use it as a lesson to do his best no matter what he does in life.  And I have no doubt that he will.

 

Live from virtual hell

To update my experience trying to buy Cub tickets online today, I gave up at 5:30, after actually buying tickets to one game and spending the rest of my time in the virtual waiting room.  I'll be watching the Cubs take on the Giants on the evening for May 18th from Wrigley, otherwise I'll be in the virtual waiting room.

But again, no real complaints about this.  It beats actually standing in line, or getting a wristband, I guess.

Some other quick baseball notes:

Jeff Kent proves he is an idiot and makes me hope the Cubs beat the Astros even more.  Is he sticking up for Barry Bonds?  It didn't seem like they got along when they were both in SF.  Has Kent ever seen a picture of Babe Ruth?  This is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard a professional athlete say.

Kerry Wood will not be a free agent after this season.  This was the biggest possible distraction for the team this summer.  Jim Hendry is as good a GM as there is in the game right now (And YES, THIS IS A BIASED CUBS FAN OPINION!), and all he needs to do right now is get Derek Lee signed.  Maybe my virtual waiting room needs padded walls...

But we're "compassionate", remember?

Doesn't really surprise me that the US will not support a ban on land mines.  Bothers me, of course, but doesn't surprise me.  And like the Kyoto global warming treaty, I'm getting tired of the "if everyone doesn't have to do it, then we don't have to either" excuse. 

It is truly ironic that we can be leaders when it comes to avenging botched assassination attempts on fathers-who-just-happen-to-be-ex-presidents, but when we really need to set an example, we just turn away.

I'm really getting sick of being so cynical. 

From the Republican inside me, dying to get out

Why is anyone thinking of voting for Blair Hull in the democratic primary race for US Senate on March 16?  I knew very little about him until I read a profile in the Sunday Trib last month.  I couldn't believe what I was reading about his life.  Here are some samples:

-He was a professional blackjack player for a short period in the 70's

-He started a commodities trading business, which was later fined exensively for rules violations

-He's been married and divorced several times, twice to the same woman, who filed an order of protection against him during their last divorce.

-He moved to Illinois in 1980 but did not register to vote until 1995.  He also didn't vote in the 2000 election.

I'm not saying the guy is a criminal, but he certainly does not have an impressive resume.  Yet he leads in some of the polls.  Why?  Because he is shown in a commercial busing seniors to Canada for their prescription drugs?  Well, partly.  He'e leading for one reason, and one reason only: he is spending the most money.  And a lot of it is his money.  He's on television the most, so he is the most recognizable.  And if it wins him the nomination, the Republicans will slaughter him.   If the Democrats of this state are dumb enough to nomiante him for Senate, they deserve the pounding that will result.

I think it's a shame that Peter Fitzgerald, the incumbent GOP, is not running for re-election.  He's done a great job.  I disagree with him about O'Hare (he is dead against it) but I admire how he has stood up all through the debate and not wavered his stand at all.  And he had the guts to appoint a US Attorney in Chicago that was not part of the Daley machine.  He's been helpful to all people of the state.

How ironic is it, then, that the primary reason Fitzgerald gave for not running for re-election was that he has grown tired of the constant fund raising competition in politics.  And we show him how much we care for his opinion by christening the candidate the man with the most money one of the front runners to succeed him.  And we deserve it.  Until we decide to take this process much more seriously, we deserve it.  I hope the results of the primary prove me wrong and that the nominaion is not bought. 

Watching paint dry

I've been floating in a virtual waiting room on the Cubs website since 9:30 this morning.  It's an interesting concept.  When I logged on to try to buy tickets I received a message that due to enormous demand, all online customers are being randomly selected to buy tickets.  Then a clock counts down thirty seconds and when it expires, my browser refreshes.  So far I have yet to be lucky enough to get into the virtual ticket office.  And I am losing my virtual mind.  I've paid my bills, cleaned out a file cabinet, and read a few old magazines, all within a few feet of my laptop.  This is truly the first time that I crave a wireless connection.

I only want to go to three or four games at most.  I had partial season tickets for the prior five years, but while last year was a success for the team, it was horrible for me.  The Cubs were 3-10 in games I attended last year, including two playoff games.  I've been going to games for a long time, and I never had worse results.  So this year I am only going to attend a select few (a virtual few perhaps) and let the rest of what I hope will be a historical season play out before me on my television.

Hey, hey, I'm in!  Let's see what happens...

OK, it's 20 minutes later.  I wanted to get four tickets to the game against the Giants on the night of May 18, but I could not get four together anywhere in the park.  I had to settle for two down the right field line, ironically not far from the same seats I have sat in for the last five years.  After being informed that I could not get four seats, it took fifteen minutes to see if two were available because of "high traffic errors."  No idea what that means.

Not that I am complaining.  I'd rather spend a wasted Friday trying to do this inside my apartment rather than camping outside, which I always avoided in the early 90's (it was my job, I swear, not the fact that I don't camp ever, especially not in mid-February.  Hello, Donny...) and was fortunate enough to have a friend or two to get me some tickets.

Let's hope I can get to a Cardinal game.

BOOM!

Tomorrow they blow up the "Bartman Ball."  It is my hope that this ridiculous stunt ends once and for all any discussion of the events of Game 6 of last years playoff series between the Cubs and the Marlins.  It's time to accept the fact that the Cubs blew it and the Marlins were the better team.  No foul ball should overshadow the rest of the deciding action on the field.

Actually, I am surprised at how quickly I got over the fact that the Cubs blew their best chance at a World Series in my lifetime.  It took me less than two weeks.  I'm sure it is because that unlike prior Cub playoff teams, this one seems primed and ready for many years of success.  I've never been more excited about a season as I am this one (and yes, I do realize that I may indeed be setting myself up for an incredible fall, but you can't enjoy the view if you don't get close enough).

With spring training underway, I have no desire to rehash the events of last October, and surely I no longer want to hear anything about a curse.  Unfortunately the media and those involved in the destruction of this baseball seem committed to never allowing us to forget.

So here's what I hope happens tomorrow, when all the media is gathered at Harry Caray's restaurant to watch the ball go boom: a mistake in calculations leads to too much of a charge placed in the ball, and the walls of the restaurant come tumbling down.  While no one is hurt, the collapse seals everyone inside.  Hey, it's a restaurant, there will be plenty of food and water available for everyone for quite a while.

Excavation will be tricky.  It should take at least until the end of October before anyone emerges from the rubble.  Amazingly, everyone is OK.

And I will be even better, because they'll miss the entire baseball season.

 

Mr. Huckabee, God on line 2

I saw something on "Countdown" on MSNBC (and if you are not watching this, you are missing the best news show on television) last night that I have not seen anywhere else, nor have I read about it anywhere.  At the meeting of Republican governors Monday night, Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee received a phone call on his cell in the middle of his address to the group.

The phone call was from God.

Yes, the Almighty decided to blow a call into the elected official with the goofiest surname in America.  Unfortunately Governor Mike does not have a speaker phone on his cell so we had to listen to him repeat God's words.  Predictably, God told Huck to make sure that the GOP governors continue to work to keep the country safe, keep taxes low, and most importantly (say it with me), keep marriage sacred!

It continues to amaze me how Republicans continue to believe that they are the party of God, and it amazes me more that the Democrats do not question them on this at all.  Clearly the idea of separation of Church and State is as much under attack as any other social issue in this country.

And I don't understand why this idiotic and insulting stunt from Huck is not receiving more exposure.