Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Reading And Playing The GM

Deuteronomy 8-10.


This was a fun exercise at Viva El Birdos.  I remember 8-10 years ago, the whole internet was full of fun things like this to do.  It seems not so much now.

Of course, it was also full of all kinds of bloggers back then.  For most it was just a fad.  Only us die-hards remain.  I always kind of wanted to keep a journal, and this is the closest thing I've ever done to doing that.

At any rate, the idea was to create one Cardinals line-up for all-time.  The rub was you had a salary cap.  Each player was assigned a dollar amount it would cost to have him, and you could not exceed that limit.

Here's what you had to work with, with a $27 limit:

My starting 9:
P Gibson $5
C McCarver $3
1st Hernandez $1
2nd Schoendienst $3
SS Renteria $2
3rd Pendleton $1
LF Coleman $1
CF Edmonds $5
RF Musial $6


Had to have Musial.  Hernandez was such a bargain, I couldn't pass that one up.  So I left Albert off for that reason.

Edmonds was over-priced, so I almost took Willie McGee.  I decided on Edmonds over Brock only for defense and power.  Since I needed some speed I took Coleman instead, and he wasn't pricey.

Had to have Gibson to pitch.  That left only $9 for four other positions.  Pendleton was too big of bargain to pass up also.  That left me with McCarver, Schoendienst and Renteria with the other $8.

I could have spent another few hours coming up with other iterations.  I still might if I get bored.

So my lineup would be:
Schoendienst
Renteria
Hernandez
Musial
Edmonds
Pendleton
McCarver
Coleman
Gibson

Of course, I could take Yadi if I downgraded to Herr and McGee.  Hmmm...

Monday Reading And Secretariat

Deuteronomy 7.


It's been 5 years since I posted about it, but Saturday's Triple Crown failure makes this moment all the more miraculous.

It was 41 years ago today, by the way.

This Week's Reading And The Finals

Numbers 36-Deuteronomy 6.


Looking forward to the Finals the next 2 weeks.  Both of them.

I would like to see a Spurs win in the NBA.  I think San Antonio is as nuts about the Spurs as St. Louis is about the Cardinals.

And unbelievably it's been 20 years since the Rangers killed "the curse". 

Allegedly.

Because if the curse were really dead, it wouldn't have taken 20 more years for them to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals.

The first curse lasted 54 years.  If they don't win this year, they'll have only 34 more years to go.  They are rapidly reaching the 1/2 way point.

But that's okay.  Because at least they won one.

Like one of the signs in the Garden that night 20 years ago, no matter what happens, "Now I can die in peace".

Weekend Reading And My Calendar

Numbers 33-35.



Most people have January through December on their calendar.

My calendar is simpler.  It has just a few entries. 

These would include the start of the seasons, the holidays, including Opening Day.

And today- the start of Food Network Star.  8 PM CDT.

Monday To Thursday Reading And The Danger Of Experimentation

Numbers 29-32.


From the great Gizmodo.

The following is worse than Frankenstein's monster.  Hybrids are just no good.



What a bad idea.  You can't cross a couple of bands and expect something better than the originals.

And they cut out Jimmy's guitar solo, one of the highlights of Whole Lotta Love.  A much worser idea than the overall concept of this.

Take a bath in this, you'll lots feel better.

This Week's Reading And Rush

Numbers 22-28.


Rush is not my favorite band.  Rush is not even my favorite Canadian band.

But don't misunderstand- I do like them.

I only have two of their albums- Moving Pictures and Signals.  I think they went too synthesizery after that.

Still, Moving Pictures is one of my favorite albums.  It came out my senior year of high school.

I rarely listened to "side 2" of the album because "side 1" is so impressive.  Red Barchetta is my favorite song on the album.

I never even saw a red Barchetta until the internet appeared.  When Gran Turismo 2 came out, I had to create one to drive and it was my favorite vehicle.

Yesterday morning while channel surfing I ran across a movie chronicling the band's history.  I didn't intend to watch the whole thing when I ran across it.  But I did.  Because it was solid enough to hold my attention. 

I would give it two thumbs up if I were two movie reviewers.  I'll daresay it was excellent.  Watch it if you ever run across it.

I am still not the band's biggest fan, but I do respect their intensity and musicianship.  They definitely deserve their Hall of Fame recognition.  Especially for a 3 man band.

To me, though, something about the music always seemed a little too perfect, like in a mechanical way, to me.  Like a computer would generate or something.  Which is why I rank April Wine and Triumph above them.

It's just a personal taste thing.

Weekend Reading And Our Modern World

Numbers 19, 20 and 21.


I am considerably amazed at the advances on the march in our world today.

May the work of geniuses always be appreciated.

This was an awesome experience.

Tuesday-Thursday Reading And An Anniversary

Numbers 16, 17 and 18.


I was going to post this Tuesday, which was the 10th anniversary of this situation comedy's passing.

I've loved a lot of sitcoms along the way.  Andy Griffith.  Dick Van Dyke.  Mary Tyler Moore.  All In The Family.  Bob Newhart.  Cheers.  Cosby.  Seinfeld.

But I think with the perspective of time tesing all candidates, this one is king of the mountain.

Recent Reading And The Non-Clutch Cardinals

Numbers 6-15.


I didn't write this article, but I could have.

I like linking to articles that support my opinions.

Wednesday To Friday Reading

Numbers 3-5.


Why bother watching NBA playoffs when you already know the end result?  Even though there could be some exciting games and series along the way, it will all soon be forgotten.

Sunday, Monday And Tuesday Reading And Winter Soldier

Leviticus 27, Numbers 1-2.


Saw Captain America: Winter Soldier recently.  I haven't been to an action movie that was so relevant to the time it was released.  The parallels are so staggering to our world today, I'm actually shocked Hollywood made it.

This Week's Reading And No Surprises

Leviticus 20-26.


The season's unfolding has been worse than even I forecasted.

So far this year, in 25 games played, the Cardinals have scored:
0 runs 3 times
1 run 7 times (including the last 3 games)
2 runs 3 times
3 runs 2 times
4 runs 2 times
5 runs 1 time
6 runs 3 times
7 runs 2 times
8 runs 1 time
9 runs 0 times
10 runs 1 time

They've scored 10 runs this week in 7 games.

I believe this is all due to the absence of Carlos Beltran.  The presence of Beltran for 2 years made opposing teams pitch to this lineup differently.

This year there is really no one to fear.  And by that I mean no one with any power to hit home runs consistently.  So pitchers can throw strikes without fear of severe consequences.

Which isn't bad if you have pitching, speed and good defense to counter your anemic offense.  The 1980s teams had only one power hitter in the lineup and did just fine, because they had all three of these attributes.

This year's team is loaded with pitching, but so lacking in the latter two categories that I fear this is a .500, or worse, team.

It reminds of the late '70s Cardinals again.  Which is not a compliment.

Mid-April Reading And Hymns

Leviticus 9-19.


Although you might get the idea my favorite time of year is Opening Day, it is actually Holy Week.

Some of my favorite hymns are played this week, as well as during Easter.

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
Stricken, Smitten And Afflicted
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
Jesus Christ Is Risen Today
I Know That My Redeemer Lives

Lotsa Reading And Flip Or Flop

Leviticus 4-8.


Pretty pumped about Flip or Flop, as there is a new season starting tonight.  I got hooked on this show last spring.

It has all the elements of what I love about HGTV.  Buying a house (sometimes sight unseen), renovating with the inherent unexpected costs/disasters, then the pressure of trying to sell it.  All in 30 minutes.

Since these two supposedly put up their own money on these flips, and often find they have a flop on their hands, it's kind of fun to watch.  Especially when Tarek starts to get nervous.

The only thing I'd change would be to give later updates when episodes end without the house selling.

Wednesday And Thursday Reading And My Contempt Is Showing

Leviticus 2 and 3.


I thought this was the best April Fool's joke I saw this year:

Anyway, for more Cub-bashing, this is a good start.  Too easy.  And too much fun.

Monday And Tuesday Reading And 2014

Exodus 40 and Leviticus 1.


Today is day 91 of 2014.  So we are in effect 1/4 of the way through the year.  Time to take inventory.

This is post number 59 for the year, putting me on pace for 236, well above my goal of 200.

I am at 5000 push ups and 5000 squats for the year.  I'm on target on push ups but will fall short on squats, but I decided that's okay.

I've kept up with reading a chapter a day.

Just got to keep it up.  We're entering the slow blogging season, when finding time to post gets scarce.

Weekend Reading And Set Up To Fail

Exodus 38 and 39.


We're just hours before launch of a new baseball season.  And I'm ready for a regression in results this year. 

A lot of pundits consider the Cardinals to be superhuman and unstoppable.  Just like the Natinals were last year, who wound up sitting at home in October.

They forget that until the last week of the season the Central Division was up for grabs. 

They forget the Cardinals got hot at the right time of year in 2013.

They forget that until last year the Cardinals had not won this division since 2009, relying on the wild card to get in the post-season.

They forget the Cardinals scored so many runs due to a once in a generation ability to score with 2 outs.  That won't happen this year.

They forget the Cardinals have in effect replaced David Freese with Kolten Wong.

They forget the team didn't hit many home runs last year and did nothing in the offseason to improve that.

The pitching, while good, will not be as good as last year, as the rest of the league starts to figure out these young pitchers.  Who will then have to adjust.

So my prediction is they won't win 97 games again this year.  I don't even think they will win their division.  I didn't think they would last year, and I really don't this year.

But I'll be happy with a wild card again.  And if that doesn't happen, only then will it will be a disappointing year for me. 

I'm betting for everyone else they will end up calling such a finish a near disaster.

Thursday And Friday Reading And The Tournament

Exodus 36-37.


I chose Wichita State, Creighton and Iowa State in my bracket to make the Final Four.  As it turns out, it was just wishful thinking on my part.

But I can't help but root for teams that would stick a thumb in the eye of the NCAA, the most corrupt and indefensible of organizations the mind can conceive.

Which leaves me conflicted.  I want UK to win the tournament, partly because they're my favorite and partly because I'm hopeful their coach will leave for the NBA if they win again.

But UK winning will probably make the NCAA happy.

Welcome to my mind.  It's complicated in here.

A Bunch Of Reading Up Through Today And The World's Best Bracket

Exodus 31-35.



They're calling this the world's worst bracket.  I disagree.

That would be mine.

But it is the funniest one I've ever seen.  My favorite part of it is BYU beating Oregon in the first round, but then Oregon advancing on into the sweet 16.

Thursday And Friday Reading And I'm OK With This

Exodus 29 and 30.


I'm OK with Duke losing.  And I'm OK if you want to do this, also.

Wednesday Reading, With Apologies To Wichita State

Exodus 28.


Bracket is done, I'm ready for the games.

But I do have to apologize to Wichita State.

It's not that I am not picking them.  I am.  Which is the reason I apologize. 

Because I have officially jinxed them.  I only remember picking the winner of this thing a couple of times, and both times I think involved Kentucky.

But I can't help myself.  I watched more college basketball this year than I have in probably 10 years.  And they were by far the best team I watched play.

They look big enough, strong enough, fast enough and experienced enough.

And did I mention they were Missouri Valley?

So despite the NCAA's attempt to destroy the strongest Mid-Major in modern tournament history, I look for them to get on a roll.  Even though no one else is picking them, I am.

Which means they are sure to lose.

But I can't help myself.  It's what I do.

Monday And Tuesday Reading And Ron Paul

Exodus 26 and 27.


Call me stupid (OK, now let's move on), but who can argue with Ron Paul's logic?

Weekend Reading And Cardinals Miscellany

Exodus 24 and 25.


I didn't realize I had such influence on the club.  A Celebrity of the Month bobble head night coming this year, undoubtedly inspired by my January post.

I wouldn't mind going to this one either.

But I think they are scraping the bottom of the barrel of ideas with this last one.

And I wish I'd been on Jeopardy this night for this question.  I'm not sure whether this was a top or bottom of the board question, but to me it had to be a top, no?

Thursday And Friday Reading And Sheets Of Integrity

Exodus 22 and 23.


We're nearing time for the sheets of integrity.

No, not these.

These. 

So go here, nerds, and fill out your bracket.

Tuesday And Wednesday Reading And Case Closed

Exodus 20 and 21.


The Bears just proved my point again.

Let me summarize.

They fire Lovie Smith for going 10-6.

Then they hire a Canadian Football League coach.

They get rid of Urlacher after that.

Then when this year's season seems lost, they play a backup quarterback (Josh McCown) who keeps the team in the playoff hunt, only to be benched in favor of JAY CUTLER, who loses the last 2 games!

So, they go 8-8 and miss the playoffs.

After that sad outcome, they sign Jay Cutler to a contract for $22.5 million a year.  JAY CUTLER FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!

Then they release Devin Hester.

Then they let McCown get away.

And now they release Julius Peppers, the sacks leader for the Bears the past four years (37.5), including last year on a team that HAD NO DEFENSE to begin with (because they cut loose Lovie and Urlacher!).

I love how the ESPN article cites the reason for letting Peppers go is that his salary was "unsustainable" for the Bears.

UNSUSTAINABLE?!!!  That is hilarious.  A team that pays JAY CUTLER $22.5 million a year!  Priceless.

The Bears have become the Cubs.  Or at least the anti-Cardinals.  Because they have no clue what they are doing.

I wish I could laugh instead of cry.  But I have no idea what I'm going to do the next several years on Sundays, because I predict the Bears are about to become unwatchable.  That's saying a lot, because I've suffered through some miserable seasons as a Bears fan and still managed to watch.

We'll check back in this December and see if I was right.

Sunday And Monday Reading And More From Sirius

Exodus 18 and 19.


Another memory bin exploded thanks to Sirius 70s on 7.  Heard this for the first time in 3-4 decades on Friday.

Gotta hand it to Leo Sayer, he had a few really good hits.

Friday And Saturday Reading And TV's Greatest Moments

Exodus 16 and 17.


The only thing more hard to believe than Ed actually hitting a pitch from Sandy Koufax is the fact they got the latter to participate in the following farce.

Good thing Ed was not playing on last year's Dodgers, or they most certainly would have taken down the Cardinals.

A couple of years ago I posted about TV's funniest episode and moment.  Those probably still are, but at the time I wrote that I had forgotten about the following, a worthy rival for the title.

Wednesday And Thursday Reading And It's Official

Exodus 14 and 15.


Yes, it is official.

They've removed all doubt.

The Bears are idiots. 

How many more Cub-like moves can they make?

Monday And Tuesday Reading And The Funnies

Exodus 12 and 13.


I was reading an old newspaper article about an old NFL bowl game in the 1960s when I saw a couple of comics on that page.  One was Priscilla's Pop and the other was Out Our Way. 

I had not had a thought about either one in years, probably decades, but remembering them did lead me to Google both, and lead me to an interesting website about comic strips.

Just going to the website and seeing the strips listed there joggled my memory about some others.

There is Captain Easy.  Alley Oop.  Apartment 3G (I think it must have been a chick strip, I never read it but remember it taking up useful space in the local paper's funny page).  Gil Thorp (was in the Chicago Tribune I read in high school, I don't think it ever ran locally).  Our Boarding House.  Nancy (never liked it but for some reason always read it).

The whole thing makes me wonder how many other things are stored in bins up in my mind that I will never access again unless I'm reminded somehow of them.

These things are the "Apartment 3Gs" of my brain, just sitting there taking up space right now.  Hoping they will be useful again some day.

So somebody say or write something clever to make me remember, huh?

Weekend Reading And 2014 Goal Tending

Exodus 10 and 11.


Been keeping up with reading every day.  Check.

Been keeping up with posting.  44 so far.  On track.

I'm at 3325 push ups and squats at 60 days.  I'm on track for push ups, but behind on squats.

The really good news is my shoulder feels great.