Thursday, July 30, 2009

To be a Den-tist! Think Steve Martin!

Hi. I'm in the dentist's office, waiting.
What for?
To have some teeth extracted. Some teeth that broke due to my diabetes.
I just can't help but think of Steve Martin's dentist in "Little Shop of Horrors".
This is actually a nice office with nice people in a nice suburb.
But I still don't have to like it.
And I really don't.

Friday, July 24, 2009

A TRULY perfect game

In baseball, there are those rarified events that make the game so much fun. Triple plays, shutout games. They don't occur all that frequently, which makes them more fun.
Perfect games... are very infrequent. Since the National League was founded in 1876, there have been only 18 games where a pitcher did not allow anyone on the opposing team to reach first base. Not on a wild pitch, not a walk, not a hit... nothing.
Number 18 came yesterday, when White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle hurled one for the ages against Tampa Bay.
I'm not saying no one hit the ball - that isn't true. Matter of fact, the first hitter in the ninth nearly ruined Buehrle's effort by smacking a home run - which was caught by one of the most amazing efforts I have ever seen. Dewayne Wise runs up the wall, catches the ball and pulls it back into the park, loses the ball from his glove, and catches it with his free hand! Awesome!
This from a guy who had previously run into the wall and injured himself. This from a guy who was not about to let his teammate's perfect game be spoiled in the ninth!
That's what makes baseball a team sport, after all. Buehrle's a great pitcher, but he had eight more guys behind him.
I'm not even a Sox fan.
But I am a fan of good - nay, great baseball.
And you gotta admit - that was a game for the ages.
Out of the thousands of games that have been played, there are just 18 perfect ones.
Congratulations, Mark Buehrle.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Four in a row!

Heck, it was only the Nationals, but the Cubbies won four in a row and are now in sole possession of second place.
Of course, now they have to play the Phillies for three in a row.
Worst to first.
I'm betting that they'll take only one, possibly two, from Philly.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

A Con Game

This year, it seems, the hype about the San Diego Comic Con is in full swing no matter where you ook. TV, magazines, the Internet - especially the Internet!
And this year I really, really wish I was going.
I know the Con is sold out, even if I wanted to go, and I really hate - well, maybe that's too strong - how about truly do not enjoy? - what's turned into Hollywood South, with the movies and the wrestling and the Crapanimation and furverts and a . My friends are skipping this year, so I wou1dn't even get to see them. There are no big comic events I am remote1y interested in, no persona1ities I want to see (perhaps no one a1ive).
What, then, is the big attraction? Why go?
I think it's basica11y that I get to wander around for a few days in some superhero T-shirts and just enjoy being a fan of comics.
I just turned 47 a week ago. Forty. Seven.
Seems a little bit old to be reading comic books.
And I don't so much anymore. Reading very few of them now... I went into the store Wednesday And they had nothing in my saver save the weekly Wednesday Comics.
But the ones I do get? I read them probab1y five times, at east, before they get fi1ed away.
I enjoy a 1ot of obscure comics. Knights of the Dinner Tab1e a1ways has me ro11ing. Frank1in Richards, Son of a Genius? Darn funny. There's a Comic Book History comic I like, infrequent as it is.
I just enjoy comics. War comics like Sgt Rock and B1ackhawk. Superhero comics 1ike Batman and Robin. Oddba11 comics that can't be c1assified, 1ike the aforementioned Comic Book History. Comedy comics 1ike Knights of the Dinner Table and Franklinl Richards and Ambush Bug.
and I like the opportunity to wander around a city and see 120,000 other dorks who don't mind letting the world know they like comics too.
I SO want to go.
Next year, though, my friends will be there, and that's the best part of a11. Can't wait!
And by that time maybe I'll have my L key fixed.

The Perfect Game

You know, it's really amazing when I think about it, but the modern ballfield is the most perfect setup one could devise.
Ninety feet between the bases, and the throws usually arrive about the same time the runner does. If it was farther, say, 100 feet, the batter would be out much more often than not. If it was eighty, he'd get to first base almost a the time. But ninety? Perfect.
Similarly, the distance from the pitcher to the hitter. That pitcher is throwing a ball that sometimes reaches 100 mph! That doesn't give the batter much time to see where the ball is going and to try to take a swing at it (This also explains why curve balls and sliders and the ike are so effective - the batter has to commit to swing long before the ball actually arrives, and if the ball's not where he thought it was gonna be he's outta luck.).
The pitcher is just far enough to make things interesting. Farther out, and he'd lose speed and more importantly, the batter would gain time. Any closer and no batter other than the Flash would have enough time to decide whether to swing.
The nine players on defense are spread out around the diamond just enough so that it's possible to catch nearly every hit, and it's also possible to hit into areas where the fielder can't make the play. Again, any change in the number of fielders and you wouldn't have this balance.
On any day, any team stands a chance to beat another team - or be beaten.
It's truly the perfect summer game.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

The Break

It's the All-Star break in baseball, a time midway through the season when everyone stops battling each other for a while and takes some time off for the All-Star game.

I like the All-Star break. Sometimes it falls on my birthday, sometimes not, but it's a good place to stop and look at your life.

I also like the All-Star game, where baseball's favorites (I hate to say best in this case!) get together and the American League wins. (Heh - only half-kidding). I thinkit's fun to watch all these guys play in a game together.

Friday, July 3, 2009

Independence!

Happy Fourth of July, everyone!

Fly the flag proudly, pay attention where you light those fireworks, and have a wonderful day!

KC