I thought finally getting Joe bleeping Morgan sacked from his job was validation enough and then I read Michael Lewis' afterword in Moneyball and I knew that the author, too, jumped for joy and punched the air triumphantly too when that happened. But I guess I am getting ahead of myself.

Having done a number of book-to-script adaptations I am often more than a little intrigued to see how others do it. I knew some of the Billy Beane story when I saw the movie this past summer, but I hadn't read the book until this past week. It truly is a fantastic story -- even if you're not a baseball fanatic -- and if Brad Pitt got you to see the film (how much did I like it? Didn't want to punch Jonah Hill, playing Beane's right-hand man Paul DePodesta, in the face once the entire time (I think I may have mentioned that previously)) and you want to go a little deeper, than I really recommend picking up the book and going in-depth.

But, for me, the afterword was like the cherry on top when the author shares some of how the baseball establishment reacted to the tome, most notably Morgan. I have long decried the diminutive second-baseman as one the absolute worst announcers ever because when he makes his "point" he rarely permits what is actually happening in the game affect his take despite all evidence to the contrary. The former Big Red Machine flag-waver never read the book although he lambasted Billy Beane for writing it and he proved to the actual author, Lewis, as he did to me that the more Morgan spoke, the more he got it wrong. I am not claiming to be the expert that Lewis became spending a full season in the know, but it was good to see fine minds thinking alike when it came to Morgan. So there!

On the flip-side, I read the first two Stieg Larsson books before seeing the Swedish movie versions of those two (having lent the 3rd book to someone, I am waiting to get that back so I can finish up the trilogy of books and original films) and was rather disappointed by the films. They stripped so much of the complexity from them leaving mostly plot points. And while they got part of the all-important Lisbeth Salander's physical attributes right in my mind (yes, I am writing about what should be her almost-freakishly small breasts) the Swedish actress looked too old and too tough for the part.

So I was intrigued to see what David Fincher would do with the material; I had not known that Steven Zaillian had penned the script before the movie started. I was concerned that it would be more than Americanized -- I feared that it would be set in the States which would have forced many, many changes. But I was more than pleasantly surprised by the resulting film; It's one the very rare cases where the American re-make is not only necessary, but also surpasses the original language film. Sure there were changes made and, much like the Swedish movie, the filmmakers here also chose to give away the same major plot point 650 pages into the second book in the first film. I am glad I had already devoured that as well.


In my own writing, I think I am starting a new project for the coming year. At this point, I am undecided as to creating a new top-secret blog as its platform or if it's just going into a notebook.

That is all...

B.

Perhaps Brian Cashman is channeling the spirit of "Stand" Pat Gillick as player after player that the NY sportswriters pegged as possible Yankee targets this off-season sign here, there and every-where but the Bronx. Why do I suddenly feel like Carlos Zambrano is going to be fighting for a spot in the rotation come spring training. Although as I wrote that, I could almost picture a fist fight between the Big Z and AJ. Perhaps, like how Giants fans (who must be steaming over giving up a prized prospect for a few weeks of Beltran productivity) hope and pray that the next time Zito gets in a car accident that it's more serious.

The Twins are probably going to be even more of a bunch of sad sack twinkies in 2012 than last season and that is saying something. If Morneau and Mauer come back strong they could bolster the team that has lost a lot of its heart and soul this winter with the defections of Cuddyer and Kubel.


Went to see the well-written "Young Adult" this week. Diablo Cody, re-united with her "Juno" director delivers a pretty scathing character piece. I didn't actually know that it was set in MN, nor did I even know that about their previous venture. At that point, living in the Bay Area and having never visited this state I didn't recognize the place. Looking forward to Fincher's "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" this week as well. Having just read the first two Stieg Larsson books and watching the Swedish film versions of both, I hope the screenwriting brain doesn't just play the compare and contrast game. I was pretty surprised to see a MAJOR plot point that isn't revealed until about 650 pages into the second book in the FIRST movie, but there you go.

Okay, hope your halls are decked...

B.

It's been great seeing all the people I invite come down to the writing work space I've been a part of downtown. Oh, wait-- right -- I haven't actually gotten any events off the ground so you at least have an excuse. Me? A few, but I'm sure I've "shared" them here already. But since the headline on this page says I am sometimes here to kvetch about people here we go:

One of the 5 studio mates has made our shared work space into his personal clubhouse. He has spent what I thought was his own money to make some modifications and then says our private  work space is an after-hours club. My desk and all my possessions are moved all over the place every other time I go in. I had clearly stated and was in before anyone else that this is supposed to be my steady work space. One person has changed all that. And although this time when I went in my desk was still where it was supposed to be, but my work area should not be used by this other person for storage. I have 100 square feet in a 2000sq foot (all approx.) studio so my space should just be left alone. That is not much to ask for especially since I am paying for the privilege.

This past Saturday we had a holiday party that was supposed to be our joint affair. And again this same one person had too people there who were not kept in line. When the organizers of the party have to all not get what they want so one person can it is unbalanced and unacceptable to me. This was supposed to be a mellow, watch movies on couches affair. There should not have been fire breathing and such nonsense. That was last week's party --- not this one. The rest of us did not want to be breathing in white gas for hours; I sure as shit did not want to wake up with black crap all up my nose.

Someone this inconsiderate and clueless that they are is something I don't have the strength to battle. Right or wrong I am going to lose so now I am strongly considering backing out of something that I was very interested in doing and despite getting in on the ground floor all I feel is stepped on.

Thanks for nothing
B.

Well, since it hasn't happened yet, changing the name of the salon isn't the worst thing in the world. Yes, Malcolm McClaren said "establish the name" as an important tenant, but when Nick freakin' Punto, who I had actually thought retired when he disappeared from the Twinkies only to show up in the playoffs with the Cards, joins the hated Bosox I can't spread his name and fame. So there. And as a baseball move, Punto ain't gonna solve the sox' problems as their utility guy; getting rid of Lowrie seems like a downgrade. And bringing ex-Yankee middlin' reliever, Mark Melancon into their pen doesn't send shivers down my spine. And as much as I disliked Papelbum for his ugly mug, I won't mind not seeing him come out of their pen.

Angels dumped a lot of money on Pujols and CJ Wilson. I am intrigued in getting to see one of the best hitters in baseball on a more regular basis; I don't watch much NL ball so I haven't seen him play too much. The best comment I saw out of all that commentary came from Pujols' wife who was crediting God for bringing her hubby to below the Orange Curtain to play ball; she said it was only right that it would be for the Angels. Good one!


Had the interesting, still recuperating from flu experience of being able to read a book and then watch the movie in the same week. The original Swedish version of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" made the book seem so much better. What was a multi-layered, slowly unraveling tale became a lot more straight forward; I am a little intrigued now to see what David Fincher does with the American re-make that is out now or soon. I'm halfway through the second one and the Swedish film version of that one is on Netflix instant as well.

The casting of Lisbeth was right on in some ways. I was pleasantly surprised to see them be faithful to the novel in casting a tiny-framed, tiny-breasted woman for the role, but she seemed too old; I would never mistake her for a 14 year old except in some of the more flattering (read: dark) lit scenes; she seemed to have an aged bitterness that didn't exactly fly with my vision of Miss Salander.

Off to my first practical class at bartending school today; I suspect they water down the drinks; I expect to do some additional homework, happy hour research afterwards...

Cheers,
Brian

I swear I used to look at insomnia as just a way of getting over on just about everyone else. Why you were sleeping, I was thinking. Of course I could write a 50,000 word novel in a month; of course I could complete a work-for-hire screenplay in 5 short days: I never stopped working on it, even when I may have looked like I was sleeping.

But there comes a time where it starts losing that novelty and becoming an issue where you can see insanity poking from around the corners. It's cute during the 2 week phase where I will find myself losing common, every day words. These are snippets of actual conversations I have had during that phase:

"You know the thing you put food in? You open the door and the light comes on?" I get a look, I get you, 'You mean a refrigerator, Brian?" Well, duh, of course that's what I am almost talking about. I once had to describe an item as "the thing the food is listed on with the costs..." Menu is sometimes hard to grasp out of a sleep deprived mind.

So five nights straight of good, minimum 8 hour sleep is like a godsend. I compared the feeling via text to a friend this morning that I feel like the "new"  battery in my "new, refurbished" laptop and its ability to take a charge. I have gotten a good charge and it feels alright...

Now what am I going to do with it? Ikea...

Cheers,
Brian

Well, so much for this morning's meeting. As he set the time for it etc. and is looking for something for nothing upfront I think waiting on the "line" for half an hour is adequate; we'll see if that gets re-scheduled or not. But really value my time why doncha?

The top-secret MN Burning Man Decompression camp-out meeting was sparsely but enthusiastically attended. Further details will be noted as they come. Did find a pretty good bar close to the studio space and got to see the end of yet another Giants loss; glad I was wearing a Yankee shirt among the Green Bay gear.

Marlins signed Reyes for a lot of money. Can't say that was a surprise to anyone although one of these days some GM is going to learn that long-term contracts for speed guys who are already prone to leg injuries is bad magic. Oh, Davey Collins, I'm *still* talking to you.

Someone just called him "poo-holes" and someone is going to sink a lot of money into that grumpy, young man too. The smart money is on the Cards; bad news for the champs should he move to the Cubs. With a new manager that teams needs his "leadership" such as it is.

And if you think Cashman is really satisfied going into 2012 with that starting rotation then you're really not paying attention. Someone must be crazy enough to take AJ Burnett off our hands. If Vernon Wells can get traded you'd think a guy who can eat innings would be worth the risk, right? Right?

Snow falls...

Cheers,
Brian

I'm looking for a word that takes "irony" to 11. This isn't necessarily a complaint per se, but a few weeks back I decided that I would stop pursuing new writing work as my efforts were being met with silence of all my ears could bear. I am not saying I am stopping writing or that I won't yet again attempt to get paid for my efforts but for now the brick wall wins; I'll clean up the small bloody/hairy patch and move on to something satisfying, like bartending.

So, amusingly enough I go see "Hugo" and get slapped across the face with a lesson and in 3D no less.

A few days later I am in my favorite LES beer bar for "one." That one turns to another as it turns out the bartender is also a writer; there's a surprise, right? The next guy who comes in - the beer salesman and his ringing cellphone and electronic cigarette - and he's a writer, too. As a matter of fact, he's just published his first novel; he retrieves a copy of it for the bartender. He wants me to read the first chapter right there in the bar, but I tell him I don't want to give it short shrift; I can't really concentrate with the bartender's 50's rock n' roll and the beer salesman's phone calls.

After the third or fourth, he and I wander up to another bar where for $10 one can get "a book and a beer." I take his novel hone with me and perhaps the gig of adapting it to the screen. Just finished the book and liked it a whole lot more than I'd hoped for and feel a lot of places where it really speaks to me; places where I feel that I would indeed be the right screenwriter for this. Small ol' world; the people who sit down next to you in bars.

A few days later I get a response from a CL ad I had responded to prior to commencing my hiatus from such things. Guy requests a writing sample, gets right back to me, wants to meet in LA. We schedule a video call for early the next week. He has me google him; I tell him that he's indeed rather google-able (even more so than I in some regard) as he's the bf of a pretty famous pop diva.

Now, he's got no money and he made that clear eventually, but I will speak with him anyway as the world is not beating a path to my door currently. Perhaps he does have some connections and those are worth $omething. My pile of scripts do me little good sitting in the proverbial drawer.

Now, I have to review my first bartending lesson.

Cheers,
Brian

Just sitting here still shattered by the fact that a single email can decimate years of work and struggle...

It didn't hit the newspapers yet, but all indications from his facebook page (or was it his wife's tweet) but Jorge Posada is hanging up the spikes and the 'stripes. Congratulations on an excellent career and for carrying on that tradition of great, hard-nosed catchers most exemplified by the late, great Captain-- Thurman Munson. That is as far from faint praise as it gets.

Red Sox lose their jackass of a closer, Papelbum, to the Phillies. Good! Couldn't stand that guy; same goes for Big Ploppy-- wonder where he winds up. Looks like Reyes goes to the new (and trying to improve) Miami Marlins; they're having all the major free agents come and check out the new field, eat at some great local restaurant and then get a contract offer. They are doomed if everyone says yes so it should be interesting to see how it all plays out over the hot stove. The fact that the collective bargaining contract is still up in the air adds another dimension.

So, the book. Yeah, not so great this week. Trying to write a happy "wish fulfillment story" when the real world keeps poking its freaking nose into my personal life is somewhat akin to pulling teeth out along with a hair from your head: pointless, painful and far from the most direct route.

I had been far behind after the first week. Now, I find myself behind after week two. I did get it together enough yesterday morning to scribble myself past the 20,000 word mark which is good, but not where I want or need to be especially with the holiday upcoming and travel and all that. I guess in the long run writing over 50 pages of novel in under 2 weeks is good, but I can - and must - do better.

Meanwhile, maybe I am also doing research on the caving movie and that could be ... fun.

Go read a book.

Brian

Trying to write a book that takes the most positive angle on a grown-up, committed marriage and family while real life refuses to imitate art is a far more difficult proposition than the whole "write what you know" thing. Trust me on this one. And although, technically I am still on target to complete the 50,000 words of Nanowrimo by the end of this month, it has become a slog and a struggle to get the words out of the mine. It's been up and down: Tuesday was the first day that I couldn't squeeze a single word out; the morning brought an email that took the wind and the words right out of me. I made it up for it the following day by scribbling out 3,000 words over the course of the day, which has been my highest total in the first week or so. But then yesterday which followed a rough night from other ends of reality and life was harder than heck to just get out half the words I was supposed to, a whopping 800+.


Jorge Posada told the world this week that the Yankees haven't contacted him about a contract for 2012 and he says they won't be. The Yankees officially didn't respond to any of that meaning they will let their longtime, core four catcher hang up his pinstripes. It would feel so wrong to have him in any other uniform; he has come out saying the same thing. He is a veteran presence and there is something left in his switch-hitting bats so it will be interesting to see if any other team makes a run at him.

And if this is truly the end, it was a mostly majestic career spent entirely in the Bronx which is something most modern ballplayers don't ever get to do anymore: spend their entire career with one team and the only one that matters. Torre came out saying that Jorge is Hall of Fame worthy and who can argue with Joe? Not I...

Okay, I'm going to try and squeeze out some words, some paragraphs and a chapter or two.

Thanks,
B.

Two years ago, I waited all day long for something I knew not what. But I knew to wait and I listened to myself and I waited. And she appeared and I listened to her and I waited. And it spelled hope in the sky and it was etched in me along a perforated line. And it stayed there for as long as it could and then it was put away because it wasn't for then.

And it  stayed away before it reappeared and hope blossomed again. And then there was vision and vision transformed hope into a word that bears some resemblance and in some ways mean a lot of the same things.

And I fell. The problem with falling is that when no one is there to catch you, you hit and you make a sound, but it can't be heard.

Now, I cannot wait. I just must be...

Brian

Sorry for the week away from saying anything here. What was there to say? Did I mention that the Yanks re-signed CC Sabathia before he could opt-out? Did I say they performed the no-brainer and picked up the $14M option on Robinson Cano and the probably-took-some-deliberation $10M on Nick Swisher? Possibly.

I did get to see a little of last night's broadcast of the MLB stars in Taipei, China. CM Wang being as big as Jeebus back home got knocked around with 2 out in the 2nd inning and gave up 3 runs.


Meanwhile, with all this free time I've been working on a polish on my friend Sparrow's novel adaptation. It was pretty "funny" to me that some of her themes and even some specific lines in her book reminded me much of the last novel that I wrote this time last year. More amusing is that I sent that to Sparrow to read -- the only person and clearly the right one -- so I will wait to see if she picks up on some of the similarities; they are ones that come as much from our living as our writing...

Speaking of writing, I am 13,000+ words into the new novel, "Warm Button Issues," and although it's been a struggle, I have been putting ass in chair and bang-banging away at this thing. Here is the opening paragraph. Enjoy it and don't consider it blog-padding...

“Cut,” the little voice ordered. He was lost, he didn’t hear her. “Cut,” she whined drawing out the u-sound for what felt like a three count. He had the children’s safety scissors enveloped in his arthritic right hand like Andre the Giant operating a pair of hedge-clippers, but he was seeing something else. How he could miss those brilliant gray eyes, eyes that looked nothing at all like his own big, brown eyes, starting plaintively up at him from the Persian carpet that annexed most of the bowling alley smooth hardwood floor of Lily’s playroom?

Thanks,

Brian

I could go back and read what I wrote yesterday in regard to CC Sabathia staying put as a New York Yankee, but I won't bother: The Big Man signed what amounts to a 1-2 year contract extension. Yes, he could have opted out of the contract (sure, I mentioned that part) but his family and his heart are in New York and although by the time the contract expires, potentially 2017, he could be the biggest (editor: fattest) Yankee pitcher ever; he may require more pinstripes on his 2015, 2016 uniform than anyone else, Babe Ruth or David Wells included. Don't know if there's a way to check this on an old Bambino, or Boomer home togs, but I will stand by that until proven wrong.

Across the river, the Mets are moving the fences in the help their hapless hitters although, to me, it also smells of the fact that they know they will not be able to re-sign and retain the triples-hitting speed of Jose Reyes; he is the guy who most benefited from the original outfield configuration as it really aided and abetted his ability to hit three-baggers.

Bye-bye LaRussa; glad to see ya go, but if this means I have to deal with listening to his idiotic, although successful, take and tactics of the game as a broadcaster next season, I will be campaigning for his dismissal -- check that: his Exile - from Spring Training (editor: when is that?!) 'til he's shown the door like Joe Bleeping Morgan.

Welcome to November which is often and is this year, the month for Nanowrimo.org -- National Novel Writing Month. I've mentioned it before (editor: and he'll mention it again, and again. Someone should edit this guy...) but you and many other writers and soccer moms around the country commit to penning a 50,000 word novel during the penultimate month of the year. I have a title, "Warm Button Issues," so that's 3 words; only requiring 49,997 more to go. Guess I should get to it, although this was so not the week to break my french press. Should someone lend or give me an unbroken one, I will name a sympathetic character in the book for you. What a deal!

Cheers and happy November to you,
Brian

The Texas Rangers let it slip through their hands. I think that is the main lesson to be learned. They had the Cards pinned - a few times- let them up, let them breath and let them win. Yes, I am loathe to offer any congratulations, despite begrudgingly admitting that they "earned" them, to LaRussa and his squad. But they came back home loose and ready and never said die. There was some pretty intense baseball and if you missed it, well, your loss.

The Yankees will announce Brian Cashman's new contract as GM today; yesterday they picked up the 2012 options on Robinson Cano (duh) and on Nick Swisher. The latter a little on the fence as Swish's failures year in and year out in the post-season had some of us wondering the New York team would let him go. But the ink is signed and I approve although wouldn't be shocked if the Yanks traded him this Winter; his play and numbers make $10M a "bargain" in today's economic baseball world.

Oh, so I  had applauded the set designer of "Moneyball" for the Strummer poster in Billy Beane's office and for the wonderful Bill Gallo cartoon of Thurman Munson in Art Howe's office. Turns out Howe, who can't really be pleased in how he comes off in the movie, never had that piece of art in his private space, but it at least made him look good in my eyes.

Time to turn toward the hot-stove league and a long Winter's worth of words, whiskey and hopefully equal doses of that other lovely W-word...

I'll save some foodie restaurant reviews of Heidi's, Barbette, Moto-I and Muddy Waters for some other time, but I can fully endorse each and every one of them, so that will have to suffice for now.

Out biking while it was snowing in Brooklyn is kind of sweet; much like East Coast kids who have Halloween off from school for an early snow day.

Enjoy it!
Brian

At some point during Game 5 it actually hit me: this is a rather pivotal game between Texas and St. Louis and it's late and it's so close that a blunder or a break here or there could make all the difference in who hoists the trophy and who waits 'til next year. And seeing that the blunders committed seemingly most egregiously by Misters LaRussa and Pujols were all the breaks the Rangers needed.

Now up 3-2 in games and heading back to St. Louis requiring but one more win for Texas' first world championship it's pretty much all do or die from this point forward. And I am hoping I get a chance to see a chunk of those games but I have my brother coming to visit from Brooklyn and he doesn't take the world seriously...

 Seems like the cool old punk guys and the recovering addicts (perhaps all one in the same) tend to work at bike shops. Pretty great guys at Recovery in the Nordeast, but went and met and got some work done at Sunrise Cyclery in Uptown - they fixed the rear tube issue which Recovery did not, but I won't hold that against those guys ... much.

And it's probably the waning days of warmish and easy bike riding so I will be getting out on the Schwinn today and cruise around the lakes.

Last night's meeting about Batting for Punto was postponed again; this time not by me, but I must admit I was beat and wasn't totally feeling it myself, but would have gone and met. But I have an idea for an MC (instead of me and other writer/partner) and would like to move that forward, get some other commitments and set a date for November and keep it. Now, that has to work around a week long trip back East, but such is life interrupting art.

Need to see what is happening with the Rose book cover; plans for Modus Locus involve having the book-release, reading/selling/signing there as well are all waiting on having the actual book to have to hold and to sell fer chrissakes...

Okay, I am going to get out into the sun and try not to spend $50 as I do so.

Cheers,
Brian

Well, okay -- I admit it: it's a World Series after all, although when the Yankees are not involved I do think that for baseball fans and even for the televising network's benefit reducing the thing to the best of 3 (or even 5, I guess) like it has become is the way to go. Now, I am interested; hadn't really been much before that. Could also really just be the sleep-deprivation talking there; plopped out in front of the TV for much of the weekend was about all I had in me.

But the Cards, with a little assist from an umpire (and bully for Mr. Torre for coming down on the "pool reporter" (I like how they didn't name the guy although he named the ump and his hometown)) and a blown call and an error by Texas' catcher playing first helped toward a Saturday night blowout; more like a football game. And yes, Alberta (still smarting from so much bad press for bailing after less than stellar play in game 2) did hit 3 homeruns in a WS in a row but to compare him to Reggie? Nah, I don't think so. Game 3 heroics in the bandbox that is Arlington is not in the same ballpark as Mr. October doing it in a Game 6 and on three swings in a row. Yeah, I am biased but still... Pujols is just looking for the payday.

As will CJ Wilson, the Rangers' ace who has not pitched like one in the post-season, who knows he could not only leave his team in a hole with a bad outing, but he could also cost himself a lot of money. Yes, the Yankees will be going after the free-agent-to-be lefty starter, but NY is a team built with the important Fall games in mind but he's got to step it up.

Fan favorite (and one of mine since he was an Athletic) Nick Swisher may find himself on that very same bubble: impressive during regular season, non-existent during the post-season. If the Yankees jettison Swish due his lack of hitting in October, it may be hard to spend the money on a starting pitcher who can't help the team over the hump.

The hot-stove league doesn't get going until after the World Series and I guess there will be plenty of time for those discussions then, so for now-- let's watch the last few games of the season. February when pitchers and catchers report is still a far, far off land...

Thanks
Brian

Well, if you're coming here -- and why would you -- for World Series news all I can say is: why would you? I know at some point I will watch some of it (why would I?) and have something to say. So far the most interesting tidbit to come my way is the fact that 400 year old Arthur Rhodes, who has one of those records for appearances without one of them coming in the Fall Classic (until this year), is double-dipping his chip. As part of the Texas Rangers until his release in August, the old reliever gets a ring no matter what -- win or lose -- as the Rangers have voted him a share in Texas as well as his due for coming out of the Card bullpen.


So, I took my favorite 10 year old to the movies yesterday and while I will say that "Dolphin Tale" is pretty good family fare it was rated PG and I wish someone had guided me a little; without getting into too much detail let's just say that neither she or I expected the movie to take us to a VA Hospital while her folks were at the VA Hospital. It's bad enough that my life imitates my art; I didn't expect that to be contagious, but there you are...

I have "committed" myself to another Nanowrimo; did I say that last time? All I have at present is a title: "Warm Button Issues." Perhaps it's SciFi, but I don't really think so. And yeah, I keep writing books that I don't do much with and barely let people read, but it just dawned on me that I probably wrote ten scripts to learn, then hone my craft without any real driving need to have anyone read them. Some stuff is to stock the drawer, right?

And I am near about to ask a new friend who actually seems to enjoy such endeavors to be the MC for Batting for Punto; of course no one including my co-conspirator in the writers salon knows of my plan. I guess you do now too, but you are awful quiet. Sometimes I doubt you have hands or mouth...

Okay, I'm going to run along a lake before it freezes...

Cheers,
Brian

First blog scribbled in the new place. Thurman locked in the bathroom being far too quiet for my comfort as the landlady's handyman/husband puts door closers on my front door. I had started to ask someone what a door closer was and found myself about to ask how frequently the Weekly World News comes out or when Saturday Night Live is on (although if you asked my opinion I'd say it went off the air twenty years ago). But that's what's happening as I write this.

And I can write this as I finally installed my internet and wireless. And yes, it had been activated last night and I did attempt to install, but doing so in the dark (literally as I haven't got much in the way of anything outside of "mood lighting") and having had some whiskey with a visiting friend (I am so central that friends keep stopping by and as long as they bring whiskey and beer and stuff it will be great for winter) I apparently was trying to put the phone Jack into the Jill -- if you catch my drift.

But even with the still very spartan surroundings -- and I don't plan on taking it that much past that -- I have a good spot from which to type: facing doors, facing windows out to the street all bode well. But, in two weeks I also move my desk into the downtown loft space and expect to have some good and quiet writing ahead of me there. It does coincide well with the start of Nanowrimo (www.nanowrimo.org) and even though I have nothing I want to write (outside of the Cave Girl movie) but I guess I have a week or two to come up with something resembling a plot...


Okay, okay - yes I am aware that the World Series starts tomorrow. And I suspect that I will watch some of it, but rooting for the Texas Rangers has very little appeal; I would rather Ron Washington touch that trophy than goddamn LaRussa but it's only the lesser of two evils. And the Rangers winning it all may embolden Nolan Ryan into not only trying to keep CJ Wilson (who, really is going to cost himself a lot of potential Yankee cash if he doesn't pitch well in the Series) and into going after CC, should he opt-out of his contract.

Cheers,
Brian

I missed much of yesterday's games having a social life. Sorry. Hope you watched; I wouldn't have been happy with either result; the ALCS game was tied late the last I had looked. Oh well. Instead of the sought-after Mid-West battle it's starting to look an awful lot like a St. Louis vs. Texas World Series is in the cards; I would have to root for the Rangers by default, but I doubt I'll seek out watching much of it. When's the Super Bowl?

Things are getting uglier and uglier in Boston after Francona was sacked and Theo Epstein was permitted to leave to the Cubs. Guess the thinking in Chicago is if he could break their curse he can break their's too; I'd call that unlikely-- at best.

Indian Summer looks like it's met its trail of tears. Cold, gray, windy and rainy and that's just 'til the snows come. I'm hoping I'm covered for that. Well, not covered by snow... not totally.

I feel a big rant coming on. It won't be today of that I am certain, but it's bubbling up and this may be the only forum on which I may let it fly. You'll be the first to know and mind you-- it ain't baseball related. Nope.

Okay, that's it for today. Need to get back to packing I suppose although that activity is feeling awfully familiar...

Thanks,
B.

So much for my baseball predictions. Alberta answered Tony Plush so loud it's probably still ringing in Nyjer Morgan's ears and the Cards made the Brew Crew look very beatable especially heading to St. Louis for the next three games.

Meanwhile, Texas came back against Detroit, forced extra innings and Nelson Cruz became the first in MLB post-season history to hit a walk-off, grand slam. The Tigers are ailing, but need to turn it on as the ALCS shifts to the Motor City.

In the world of the New York Yankees there are conflicting reports of whether Brian Cashman will return as GM. His 3-year contract expires at the end of the month and while he is still on the job, and initially word had hit the NY papers that a contract was in the works, but Cash' told the same papers that that simply is not true.  He claims that there has been no communication and no progress either forward or back. I am not sure whether re-signing Cashman is the way to go or not.

In some ways being the GM of the Yankees is the best and easiest job in the biz: you have all the money and the prestige behind you, but in other ways it's always a losing proposition unless you win the World Series each and every year. Other teams use the Yanks as a negotiating tactic, agents and the players they represent do the same thing.

And I do give great respect to Cash' for what he pulled off this year. In the Yankee brain, we "lost" both Andy Pettitte and Cliff Lee in the off-season; they were both "supposed" to be in Pinstripes in 2011 and despite all the great efforts of Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia (who Cash' signed off garbage heaps and they helped the Yanks to the division and the best record in the AL) and the other castoffs that wound up filling the bullpen; a bullpen that wound up being the best in the league DESPITE getting nothing from Feliciano and Marte and injury-plagued seasons from Joba and Soriano. And he did that while being saddled with some huge contracts (including Soriano for 3 years which the GM was quite opposed to, but he did sign the lame Feliciano so... a push at best?) and plucking guys who came to the Bronx hungry and performed above all expectations. I'm talking about Ayala, Wade and that other guy here in case you're wondering.

Hmm... I maybe just talked myself into backing Brian Cashman into re-signing the GM. It's not like Billy Beane would work in NY. By the way, hadn't read "Moneyball," but enjoyed the movie far more than I expected to; I can really recommend it and it's rare that that happens...

Ok, I've got boxes to fill and emails to wordsmith to potential muses; better than a gub at the back of your head.

Cheers,
Brian

Well, now that the baseball season is officially over (Yes, I know the playoffs are going and Yes, I have watched quite a bit of even though the online package is essentially done-with (Yes, I do have the Tigers/Rangers game on the online radio. And if I had my way it would be an all Mid-West World Series, and No, I don't mean the Cards and LaRussa. Rooting for Tigers vs. Brewers in the Fall Classic and for Tony Freakin' Plush and the new Brew Crew to hoist the trophy if someone has to...) and you're probably wondering how I spend my time during the off-season.

I have a cave by a lake all picked out and it seems as if the sun is playing along. Could be that it's a gloomy-ish day, but Thurman was just requesting dinner more than an hour before dinnertime. I tried to explain how the digital clock on the stove works to him with less than stellar results.

Skipped out on the second rain-delay in game 1 of the ALCS; went to a party and spent a great portion of the evening in a hidden away hot-tub with a lovely, free-spirited young woman. Who won the game? Texas? Oh... Okay.

Meanwhile I was dog-sitting for some friends and despite a real fear of the seizures one of the pups was having we had only one real scare, but he was only "playing dead." No, I didn't kick him...

Tonight I'm going to try out the best local brewery's new release Surly Wet along with some food pairings, some cooked with the brewery's beer.

And I got to take a spin in a dear friend's brand-spanking new-fangled ulta-high-tech wheelchair; it's one of the kinds that can go up hills, lift up, stop on a dime et al. Goes about 6mph on the straightaway (perfect for TTITD) and can spin you around in a circle. I tried to break it, but only wound up stuck in a cut-out in the pavement and spinning my wheels in the leaves on the ground...

Okay, I'm going back to the baseball game...

Cheers,
Brian

Well, that's that- the Yankee season came to a grinding halt last night in the Bronx. It was win or go home and the Bombers did just that and they are going home. And although that old adage of "good pitching beats good hitting" very well may be true, but the Yanks were a hit here or there from taking the series and failed. Do I blame A-Rod? To some degree although sitting here there's no way to tell how healthy and ready for the series he actually was. But from that same seat, when A-Rod looked like he had nothing in the clean-up spot (he got 3 rbi early on but none from hits; his only 2 were late in a blow out game) and although I didn't have George's Ghost tweet it or write it here, I was privately calling for his benching and substituting the lefty Eric Chavez at third especially against the Tigers all right-handed starting staff.

I didn't hear one other commentator call for that. And feh, it probably would have been easier had AJ just been his inconsistent self; the Tigers would not have had the chance to celebrate on our field- first time at the new Yankee Stadium coincidentally.

And as the Yanks are built to take the ring, this is now 5 times in the last decade that they've been bounced in the first round. Cashman's contract is up and while there's talk that it will just be extended, this could be the chance to look around and see if there's anyone out there more up to the task of supplying this team with the tools (ARMS!) that they need to get the ring.

We're going to be saddled with A-Rod's albatross on a contract and after he most likely opts out so that he may opt right back in with an extra year and some extra money CC will most likely not be the same pitcher he's been four, five years down the line.

But this off-season one would have to imagine beside re-signing CC (and you have to figure the bosox will attempt to pry him away or, at the very least, drive up his price; it's the off-field battles between NY and Boston clubs that have maintained the animosity; one could say the sox owe the Yanks one for Crawford) that the Yankee GM will go very hard after Texas lefty CJ Wilson. A 2012 starting rotation of: CC, Nova, AJ, Hughes and CJ Wilson is a nice mix of righty/lefty and youth/experience. The bullpen was rock steady this year and hopefully will get something out of the oft-injured parts of the pen we haven't seen.

Anyway, I will leave the hot-stove stuff until the season is officially over. Now? Now I root for an all Mid-West World Series -- and I don't mean the Cards, although I'd be fine with them knocking out the Phillies but to a lesser degree since the Yanks, sadly, won't get to face either.

So yeah, let's go Brew Crew and yeah, I'll root for the Tigers now. WI vs. MI has a nice ring to it and at least the games will be in my time zone. Sadly that's all that's left...

Brian

Well... Batting for Punto: A Salon is officially postponed yet again. The silver lining is that when it does happen -- and it will -- we won't be going off half-cocked, so there's that. November, if it's not snowing, seems a much better month to sit inside and hear people talk about baseball and apple pie; I don't know if there's really any good season to talk about Mom...

But speaking of baseball it was a good thing that I decided to forego HSBG this year as the music would have been in direct conflict with the Yankee post-season ALDS schedule. So I got to see Freddy Garcia have just enough to lose to the Tigers yesterday and the bats finally wake up against the Tiger bullpen in the 9th which turned out to be just about enough to lose interestingly. You can't complain too much when you're able to bring the tying run to the plate in the 9th in the big bat of Robinson Cano; interestingly enough, Detroit skipper Jim Leyland actually considered walking Cano, putting the tying runs in scoring position and taking their chances with A-Rod still in the clean-up spot.

But Cano grounded out to second to end the game.

The upside of Friday night's rain-out was getting the tough Verlander out of there setting up this crucial "re-match" tonight between he and CC Sabathia for the Yankees. And I'd bet that the big lefthander has the same thing on his mind that I do: the loss of the off-day for travel means that AJ Burnett gets the ball and the start in tomorrow's game 4. It's bad enough for the team, the fans and my liver that Burnett gets to pitch; if the Yanks are down 2-1 the season rests in AJ's rather unstable hands and head. I expect CC to stand up like the #1 he is and make things really tough on the Tigers. The Yankee bats need to continue what they started in the Bronx and make Verlander throw a lot of pitches and get into their pen. That is the formula.


In script news, at least I am getting some interest on a few projects. "Crawlspace Charlie" has been passed upstairs at one production company and just went out to another. I have a sample scene to submit for a horror movie work-for-hire that would be just what the doctor ordered should I get the gig. "Head On" also went out as a sample today in a attempt to secure another gig for a company with a decent sized upcoming slate. Keep 'em crossed for me...

Okay, go read a book and then watch some baseball.

Cheers,
Brian

Apparently no one asked Mother Nature for her predictions for the ALDS. Rain washed away the first inning and a half of game 1 of the Yankees/Tigers series and with it the big question of how the Bronx Bombers would do against Cy Young-to be Justin Verlander, potentially twice in the series. The inclement weather denied the answer to how perennial Cy Young-also ran CC Sabathia would match up against the youngster.

So tonight we get Ivan Nova vs. Doug Fister; not quite the marquee match-up we were all expecting, but them's the breaks. Nova, who has shown remarkable poise throughout the season, gets the shot to put the Yanks up tonight should Mother Nature let them play. The absolute worst part of the whole weather debacle (and another rain-out could, potentially change this again) is that it almost assuredly forced Joe Girardi's hand into starting AJ "Pass me the Scotch" Burnett in Game 3. If the Yanks are up 2-0 it's okay, but...

Yeah

But if Matt Moore the surprise rookie starter of the Rays could tame the Rangers, who says Nova -- or even AJ -- cannot as well?

As for the NL serieses. I think I want them all to lose but the Brew Crew.

Yeah, that's all I got this morning. Lots of baseball to watch...

B

In an effort toward pushing the premiere of Batting for Punto: A Salon forward last night I missed out on the most exciting conclusion to a MLB season possibly ever and for that I am sorry for me and sorry for you, my dedicated readers. I should be telling you about something you missed from the tag-team action of last night's late night conclusions.

I can tell you this: I made and brought flier for the event for next Wednesday, Oct 5th in Minneapolis and if you're reading this from anywhere close to that, stop on by, hear a tale, buy a beer...

And in my defense, when I left home last night the Yankees were holding a 7-0 lead over the Rays, who had mustered but 2 scant singles over 6 innings and looked done; all over but the shouting. And the Orioles/Sox game was in a rain delay and with the weather being what it has been it seemed like I chose the correct course of action. I could not have been any more wrong. I chose poorly...

And although getting updates from NY were grand (it's usually me supplying them to others) it wasn't like watching; for once in front of this machine would have been more enjoyable than even a night in a treehouse with good beer and friends. Oh well...

So, the playoffs start tomorrow and I no longer have Tracy Ray's great tattoo studio from which to watch. I'll be utilizing that TBS on-line feed of their extra cameras and the broadcast sound. At least this year they've made the "bonus features" very affordable; I suspect I'll be watching much of this in bars which is not so inexpensive but will have no choice when freakin' Fox takes over from TBS. Meh...

I'll write about AL/NLDS predictions and thoughts tomorrow; today is not the day for that...

Cheers,
Brian

Spent the weekend on the road as quasi-tour manager, part roadie and mostly just hanger-on with my friend's Prog-Math-Metal instrumental four-piece Zebulon Pike. And although I won't ('cause there ain't really much: Editor) divulge dirty road stories since a few of them are married with children (oh, so metal!) and I don't want to get them in hot water. Uh-hem...

And yes, we did hit the road the first time having forgotten the bass player but not for too long. But for me having seen so many bands, put band members up in my house, been put up by bands when I was the one on the road and even set up some gigs for visiting bands and put them up as well, this was the first time I had actually been in the van with the band and that was fun; wish I had brought the video camera to capture some of it.

First night was in a small and stinky joint not far from the Capitol Building in Madison, WI called The Frequency. This was the warm-up for the bigger show the following night. Good hoppy beer on tap and the Brewers clinching the NL Central on the TV and a really, really bad (see: guys in matching headbands and a fan blowing their hair when removed) by-the-book heavy metal  was the main highlights of the evening,

Chicago's North Side the following night was a horse of a richer hue. The Abbey, which I'd heard had been featured on some reality TV show about saving bars, was a legit sized stage and a real room with a great sound system-- if you like heavy metal. Zeb Pike aren't really, but the bands that they played with are and I was happy for earplugs and for the pole that was situated from my spot behind the merch' booth and the center of the stage where I was blocked from the primping and pompous lead singers. I can deal with the guitars and the loud but the "singing" is where they lose me. Even the band with the 2 screaming (not kidding) singers - one who looked something like a college prof' and the other, maybe 4 months pregnant (it's hard to ask exactly when mom's chain-smoking) - were not my thing although I was able to stand about 3 songs before hearing, seeing enough.

But all in all it was a great experience of a weekend through a few states and some bars and a lot of time back in the same green van that I had just returned from Burning Man in - so there.

Baseball playoffs start this week so I will be picking up that mantle again and telling you about all the things you either missed or that I feel you need to know more about. Yeah, something like that; mostly I'm just trying to wake up after a weekend of rather limited sleep, road food, booze and the last 10 innings of the Yanks sox series which were, it seems, the only 10 innings worth missing.... Damn you heavy metal!

Cheers,
Brian

The Yankees clinched the AL East a couple days ago with an impressive sweep of a day/night double-header in the Bronx combined with yet another crushing defeat of the reeling redsox by the mighty Orioles. Can't believe I was happy to see a smile on Buck Showalter's face; what's so much worse is that any bosox fan worth his weight in chowder was rooting for the Yanks this week. That has got to be so hard to stomach: in one game they had to cheer A-Rod; oh, the indignity of it all...

The Yanks pretty much took last night's game off and handed it to the Rays. Well, Colon maybe didn't mean to but he looks like he is pitching with nothing left in the tank. His body language sure showed it to me, but maybe he's being wise and holding something back for the post-season. And maybe that is a little wishful thinking because we need someone to step up. I believe when the bell tolls, CC will be ready to be CC again and when it really matters. Ivan Nova looks so sharp these days and really has taken the next step but who knows if he is ready and will have the poise to keep it up when the ALDS starts next Friday night.

Because after CC and hopefully Nova things get a little less promising. Hughes had an old herniated disk issue pop up and may not be able to pitch. This could be devastating to the Yanks' post-season as Garcia, much like Colon looks like he doesn't have much left and please, please, please don't get me started on AJ "Pass me the Bottle" Burnett. I don't want to see him on the playoff roster, let alone starting a game; thank heavens for the bullpen but that is not how championships are won.

And while I am on the subject of the bullpen, here's a big tip of the hat to Mariano Rivera. Mo, who has  long been considered the greatest closer the game has ever -- or will ever -- see and now, having carved save #602 (passing Trevor Hoffman for 1st all-time) giving him the numbers to back up all comers, all arguments he really is the best ever. Congrats Mo!


As for me, I am off for the weekend (missing the sox/Yanks weekend series, but gosh it would be great to sweep 'em and knock 'em out of the playoffs like Russell "I hate the red sox" Martin has hoped for) "tour managing" Zebulon Pike through Madison, WI (tonight) and Chicago, IL (tomorrow night). Math-metal is the order of the weekend...

Cheers,
Brian

I missed history being made in the Bronx yesterday as the game against the Twinkies was blocked out locally on my MLB package. I could have gone to a bar to see Mariano Rivera carve his name next to 602 saves in the record books. Mo is far from done even at the age of 41 so he will further distance himself from Trevor Hoffman, but it's not like there had been any doubt who was and is the greatest closer the game has ever seen. It's nearly incomprehensible that some pitcher will eclipse all that Mo has done over the last 15+ seasons. Look at the post-season record and then look deep into the rear-view mirror which is where all the other closers in the history of the game sit...

Going to get to at least one more regular season Twins games this week- a businessman's special on Thursday afternoon; a good opportunity to root for the hapless home team. They have really gone down in flames this year.

Speaking of going down in flames, the bosox maybe salvaged their chances in unloading on the O's during the night-cap of a day/night double-header last night. Again I hope it really galls bosox fans as they HAVE to root for the Yanks vs the Rays this week and into next.

Had a pretty good surprise of night out in the NE; actually couldn't get into Grumpy's NE on Saturday night when I went, I didn't have that problem last night. 1/2 priced MN beers which means $2.50 for a pint of Furious got me in the door, the cool-kid bluegrass band playing out back kept me there. I was meeting a friend and turned out she was friends with the band; turned out I knew one of them too from Recovery Bikes here in the NE.

Wound up back at the "big house" where 6 of these kids will be hibernating for the winter; yes, there was a "little house" as well. A couple of them were Burners; one a virgin this year, the other was just back from her 2nd burn. Neither of them really knew any burners in the 612, didn't even know that there was such a big and tight community of long-time and newer burners out here. I will make that connection for them and not only because one of them was a very pretty tall girl. Nope, that will have nothing to do with anything.

Today will be spent doing an edit pass-through "Giving In," the novel that maybe needs to be read. I am caught up in the whirl of it wishing that I could share some of what I had written before I even knew what I was writing about, but I will just have to sit on that "knowledge" until the timing is right. You may get to read it before she does...

Cheers,
Brian

Well, sorry it has been a full week since the last post. Hopefully you've been watching the Yanks and keeping an eye on those dreadful Bosox as they collapse like it's April all over again. Johnny Damon had the quote of the day with this one: "They couldn't root for me when I played for New York. Now they have to root for the whole team." 


And it's funny cause it's true. With the Yanks playing the fast-charging Rays 7 times out of the last 10 games, the "nation" must root for the Evil Empire. Gosh darn, but I hope that hurts... real bad.


But it has also dawned on me this past week or so - or maybe I've been distracted (Editor's note: Yes, he has been "distracted.") - but it's seeming like something of a ho-hum baseball season, but I suppose the post-season should amp all of that right up...




I had to push the maiden voyage of "Batting for Punto: A Salon" back from September 22 to a date to be determined this week as I personally dropped the ball and didn't get the event of my own personal part of it where they needed before disappearing off into the desert for 2 weeks and really, the subsequent following 10 days of attempted decompression.
Yes, I still have the faded mohawk atop my head and blue polish on 2 of my finger nails. Sue me...


But it is Autumn clearly and time for work as soon as I am able to settle into a new place to live and a new place from which to write. Hopefully both of those will be solved sooner rather than later; saw an apartment that I want on Friday night and had a meeting in regards to the studio space, but the previous sharer in that has yet to move out. This is fine (to some degree) as it means I didn't have to yet pay for a space that I am not mentally prepared to move into.


But all this will change -- and soon! Watch this spot for some real updates. Yeah!


Thanks
Brian

I have seen others having those painful, extended far-wells at Burning Man; it's sometimes hard not to stare when you see two people who probably just met that week holding on to each other for dear life. It is from some of those "hurts too much to say goodbye" goodbyes that lead to a slew of people picking up and moving to another city or in some cases, just never returning to what had been home until that week in the desert...

Last year on Sunday night after the Temple was reduced to ash and the dust devils had their way I had a surprising farewell that left me feeling exhilarated, hopeful and blessed. This year, I had a far more extended version with the same person and although it left me feeling blessed yet again, the sense of hope has changed into something more concrete and yet hard to hold and pick up; parting was sweet indeed but it was also topped off with sorrow. Had this long-playing, see you next year moment  occurred when the commissary was open and teeming with DPW crew, it probably would have gone down a little differently.

They would have demanded -- much like seagulls screaming -- that I kiss her, but I can't and I won't until I can and that is that...

And whilst some very big questions got replied to this year, I returned home with an equal number of still unanswered ones and new ones. I know what I need to fully settle and I almost feel like there is something like a ticking clock; it's music in 4-4 time and the chairs are being re-arranged and two weeks ago I thought I knew exactly where I wanted to be sitting when the tone arm gets lifted and the serenade ceases.

I know what needs to be done with what is in my control to handle and I have to trust the road after listening to the dust along the journey...

Yeah, it's good to be home and it's amazing that so much came back with me because at this precise moment it does feel like there was less waiting here and more that I need to create. And while I make it practice in the desert to ask for what I would like or for what I think I need, I need to bring that back with me, dust it off and put it into action in the so-called default world as well...

A dusty cheers to you,
Brian

Thanks for stopping by; I'm not here and I won't return for at least 2 weeks. I'm sure I'll have much to tell you the 2nd week of September...

Cheers,
Brian

Spent the majority of the weekend at Target Field giving the home fans mostly what they seem to expect: The New York Yankees coming to town and acting like they own it. It's a little sad because the Twins fans tend to be rather well spirited despite an clear inferiority complex; even the guy selling the "Yankees Suck" t-shirts out front as a little smirk on his face.

For our side, we really don't taunt the Twins and their fans as we would many other teams. I almost felt like it was overkill to employ mojos against the Twinkies, but old superstitions die hard and I wouldn't any loss other than the expected one to be my fault.

And mostly I had great conversations with the 612 fans. They know their team but it pains me to hear them so down on Mauer and Morneau and to boo them. They lustily boo Derek Jeter too, but I think that's because they really want to dip his pigtails in the inkwell.

Friday night was a nice, yet game-delaying tribute to Jim Thome in honor of recently hitting his 600th home-run on the road. The lone boos during the ceremony was when A-Rod came out to congratulate and hug Thome for joining the club. Outside of a reversal call on a HR that almost evens the score for getting ripped off in Kansas City, the game was in CC and the Yanks hands: 8-4 F

Saturday night Phil Hughes was lights out, gave up a solo shot in the 1st and then didn't allow another hit until the 7th, the Yankees hit and rolled to an 8-1F. Sunday was the game I told the crestfallen ushers and concession workers that they would win. AJ Burnett is the freaking kiss of death and acted the part, giving up 7 runs in an inning and 2/3rds toward an eventual 9-4 F.

Ivan Nova proved yet again why he must stay in the starting rotation. He was nothing short of phenomenal. When the Yankee outfield put him a 2nd and 3rd situation he notched it up further, stuck out the next two and then closed out the inning with a weak grounder to 1st. Granderson hits an inside-the-park homerun (which sent the 1 obnoxious Twins fan in my vicinity home; my withering look maybe helped him out of his seat) and Tex follows with a blast and the Yanks take the series 3 outta 4 with a 3 zip W.

It was great to overload my baseball before taking my 2-week hiatus from such things...

Cheers,
Brian

Of all the other major league parks in which I get to see Yankee road games, Target has become possibly my favorite. Yes, it's close by and I can even bike there; I didn't last night as my face is still recovering from some dude in a face mask cutting me open, gouging me out and stitching me back up-- unlike a mugger though, this time I didn't have to pay the oral surgeon and even got some lovely, take-home prizes. I will bike to at least 1 of the 4 game series this weekend, possibly even 2 or 3. And it's a gorgeous new park dab-smack in the middle of downtown Minneapolis (yes-- there IS a downtown Minneapolis and just because it's clean doesn't make it not a downtown, he said with a barely discernible wink) and yes, the Yankees tend to have their way with the Twinkies, although it is hard to sweep a 4-game series and no, that is not a concession. Speaking of concessions, last night in deference to my mouth it was just sub-standard cheese curds but a few nice Summit EPA's to wash 'em down with. Should step up to the chili from Loon's tonight and then be in shape for the brats from the local Polish place that I won't even attempt to spell, but it starts with a K and ends with one too, I think.

In the stands though, is where the Twins fans differentiate themselves. Actually, even before you get into the place, about the most hostile person you will see is the guy hawking "Yankees Suck" t-shirts and even he knows they don't actually mean it. I have never been given less crap as a visiting Yankee fan (and last night was 3 pieces of flair: hat, t-shirt and #31 jersey) at any park I have ever been to and that includes World Series games on the road too (hello San Diego. How are you today?). Twins fans expect to lose to the Yankees and they expect some good-natured ribbing from the horde who root for US Steel.

And after having a reviewed home-run call go against the Yankees in KC the night before (and erroneously I may add) last night a ball that was originally deemed out of the park was reviewed and benefited the Yankees. I could read Morneau's lips in the dugout when he said that the ball went over the foul-pole, but the umps saw it differently and after Morneau returned to the plate to strike out it was if most of the wind went out of the Twins sails as Gardenhire argued the review, which you're not permitted to do.

8-4 was the final, the Yankees showing how to actually hit home-runs in the spacious Target Field. Tonight is game 2- Hughes vs Slowey and I'm in my favorite seats: high up but directly behind home plate. Another beautiful night for baseball by early indications. Come buy me a beer now that you know where I will be sitting.

Cheers
Brian

I have posted short-shrift blogs before but this one may take the cake -- as long as it's a soft cake. The ongoing trial that is the situation in my mouth garnered another chapter yesterday. Four months after having my wisdom teeth removed (yes, that could explain a lot) I was still having complications and pain, etc. So, yesterday after exhausting all other options, I got the gas and I got the local and I got cut open, gouged out and then stitched back up. I write this to you this morning on more antibiotics, pain-killers and with a near-Dizzie Gillespie chipmunk cheek.

Such be life...

But "doctor's orders" means I can be on the man-kave couch, watching day baseball, scribbling a little, icing my face more than that and eating squishy food ... again.

And fortunately the "for medicinal purposes only" Scotch last night was pretty much just that: usually I must drink when AJ Burnett pitches and in the 5th it looked like I may actually have to switch to doubles on the lovely Cragganmore, but Girardi had seen enough as well while still in the 6th and then pen and the bats did the job to make it a good, solid W - and one that put the Yankees back in a tie for first. Bosox game starts in about a half an hour and a L there puts the Yanks in sole possession of first. How about the Rays sweeping the Sox in their double-header today and a Pinstriped W and we have a breath of breathing room. That's my plan for the day.

Ok, that's all you get today. Sue me; you get what you pay for.

Cheers,
Brian

Well, the plan was to do a pretty big (but no where nearly as glutinous as what my friends had performed a couple months back) crawfish boil yesterday in celebration of my friend David's birthday. And after making what seemed like the safer bet: having the good, local seafood place order the live mudbugs for pick-up as opposed to having them shipped to me directly from New Orleans on dry ice -- I was rather saddened and disappointed when I received bad news from the seafood place: the 30 pounds of crawdadas were D.O.A.

So, we had to change the plan: it became a shrimp boil (8 pounds of pretty brown shrimp) with a few dozen oysters tossed in to sweeten the deal. But at least this was lucky: went to the same seafood place for the substitutes and ordered the shrimp (a bigger order than what was up front) and requested the oysters. They had about 8 different varieties (a few each from both coasts) and when asked which I wanted I told the guy serving me to give me a good variety. He told me he would pick out the best ones for me and it was then that I quipped, "well, good- you owe me a favor after my crawfish debacle."

The counter guy turns around and says, "that was you?" Luck was shining on me in that the guy who I had spoken to turned out to be the same guy who was helping me in person. He was very apologetic and seemed near as sad as I that the planned crawfish-boil wasn't going to happen. Additionally, he took 20% off our total which was pretty cool of him. The shrimp were fantastic and the oysters divine and buttery so I will give props here to Coastal Seafood and will return for the next crawdad-deserving bash and for Dungeness crabs come November.

I also picked up an oyster knife there and I shucked the first dozen oysters. I caught the most uneven of the mollusks but kind of got it down (first time I have shucked oysters properly) and the 2 friends who did the other 2 dozen had easier, more uniform ones to shuck and did an even better job that me.

Breaking in Paul's new stand-up, pretty intense double-burner outside cook stove (one 60K BTU burner, the other still a mighty 30K) the shrimp were boiled in a good heaping amount of Bay seasoning (I kept adding more for each round of shrimp; I lost count, but I would guess 5-6 rounds as I didn't have the biggest pot to cook in), some really fragrant and bright green young celery (leaves and all), a lemon or two halved and squeezed and some white vinegar which makes it easier to peel the shrimp when they're done.

The veggie pot also contained the Bay seasoning, but less early in the day, more as I was feeding only adults and not kid-palettes. Into the other (too-small) pot when about 3 dozen ears of fresh sweet corn, a nice mix of both new & pink potatoes and some more of the young celery. Toward the end of the night and after I had probably spent too much time in front of the dual burners, I forgot about the pot of simmering corn until it was too late. All the water had boiled away, the corn was starting to join the pot in being burned when I found them and rescued the ears. Now, the pot is going to take some work to salvage: it's a very nice All-Clad and it is now very burned on the bottom, but the corn? Amazing deliciously spicy! All the seasoning and everything else that had gone into pot #2 over the course of the day had reduced into something of a mole. The corn was great and I hope I remember it well as I am using up a day's worth of elbow-grease restoring the pot to its previous condition.


I've actually only caught highlights of the last 2 Yankee games and what I've read in the NY Papers. The salient stuff we missed? CC got rocked by the Rays on Friday night, but again like Mo, that is just a "blip" -- it's the new Yankee buzzword for the week. But Hughes righted the ship with 6 solid innings toward a 9-2 victory yesterday- the star of the show though was the previously-benched Jorge Posada who made a big show of it with 3 hits, 6 rbi's including a game-opening grand slam.

Girardi caught a little bit of a break with his decision-making progress in regard to re-reducing the 6-man starting rotation to a proper 5-man: although I think AJ Burnett has earned a demotion out of that starting core, apparently Freddy Garcia cut his finger in a kitchen mishap and will miss at least 1 start. AJ got spared; let's see if he, like Jorge, can shine when given an opportunity to redeem himself and perhaps his season.

Today's series finale vs the Rays was washed out so I can go to an art & music fair (Slim Dunlap, guitarist #2 from The Replacements is playing on his 60th birthday) with a clearer conscience.

Cheers,
Brian

Ivan Nova has made the decision hard on Girardi or, maybe, it's easy: keep pitching the guy who looks poised and confident out there who keeps putting up wins or stay loyal to the higher-paid veteran who can't be trusted even with a 10 run lead? My campaign to dump AJ Burnett out of the starting rotation is hopefully starting to get some traction. But how can a guy who musters zero confidence be considered your #2 starter? I don't even want to see him riding the bullpen bench: designate him for assignment, put him on waivers and see if some other team thinks they can cure what ails him and pick up the remaining years on his $65M contract.

Speaking of sitting on the pine, it looks like that's where Jorge Posada is going to stay for awhile - if not the rest of his career. Posada is in the last year of his contract and although last winter he spoke openly about not being done and was even willing to entertain the notion of signing with another ballclub after this current contract expires. The way it appears now, Jorge is going to get to spend a whole lot of time with his family. I don't mean that disrespectfully; it is just what it is...

Maybe the Giants can trade Beltran (when he's healthy again) for someone who can hit.


Working on my piece for "Batting for Punto: A Salon" and hoping that we can still pull off the maiden voyage of that ship next month. I have a meeting tomorrow night with my partner in that project and hope that leads to pushing forward. I have one "applicant" already; a poetess friend of a friend and although I will mainly be the written-word lead, she has my vote already.

Working on the "Rose" cover also. Hopefully I have a pretty far along mock-up by the time I get back from TTITD in early September.

And somehow, rather inadvertently, I think I have become something of a fan of "mumblecore," a film splinter of small, quiet, contained films, through the work of actor/writer/director/etc. Joe Swanberg. His films only came across my radar in doing some of my watching/research for "Caving" my own movie and I don't know if I fully intend to play in that particular sandbox but I do know that I am considering it. Crap! I am even considering reaching out to Swanberg; I think our sensibilities may match up and I think he is venturing out into some genre fare that is even more up my alley.

And speaking of the whole screenwriting game, for the first time in months I have been getting some nibbles on some scripts, both spec' stuff as well as potential works-for-hire. Nibbles are just that and I don't get excited too much about any of the smoke until there is actual fire, but it's better than having every query ignored. Glad that someone is reading "Crawlspace Charlie" as I am pretty freakin' fond of that one and think it is a very viable project.

Ok- that is all...

Cheers,
Brian

No Yankee game last night so I went to see Harry Potter 7, pt. 2 last night in all its whole imax 3D thing. And this is not a pan by any stretch of the imagination, but it's not really a rave; the whole question of imagination became very glaring to me during the course of the long movie. Although with the 5 mile power ride to the theatre and the refusal to but the 44oz coke to get me through it, I didn't have to leave my seat once.

But nor was I really transported to another world. I was struck about halfway through the movie with a kind of discouraging thought: now that all the books have been turned into movies, will people read the novels the way they have? I really do wonder if lazy parents will now just plop Junior or Sis down in front of the netflix box and let them just watch the whole thing unfold rather than reading them the seven, increasingly lengthy tomes chapter by revealing chapter? I have this fear that is exactly what is going to happen.

And whilst Miss Rowling got a lot of say as to how the screenwriters adapted her words for the screen, they're only that: adaptation. There is so much lost in that translation I find - and I don't really mean plot points; I don't care as much about that as I do the magic that is on the page.

Over the course of the years that the films have been made technology has added many tricks to a filmmaker's palette - none as obvious as the IMAX 3D with which I saw last night's edition. But here's the thing: for all the special f/x and optical enhancements, none of it is as good, as special, as magical as what we paint in our minds. I may be biased but still and all with all this technology, I can create something far more wonderful, enchanted and never before seen in my mind. How about you? Will you re-read the books or will you just watch the movies? Will you give the dvd or the collected novel collection to that special young friend or niece or nephew? It will be interesting to see which way the tide rolls...

Go read a book instead of watching the movie!

Thanks,
Brian

File this one under: glass half full- The Yanks lose 2 outta 3 to the hated bosox and I force myself to think: they're saving their wins for the stretch drive. Beat them the first game behind Colon and the combined forces of the Yanks mighty bullpen. But Saturday behind CC was the game we were supposed to take especially against Lackey. And then last night, when it seemed like the Yanks were going to return the favor -- beating Beckett behind Freddy Garcia (clearly a pitching match-up that favored the home team) -- the Yankees took a 1-run lead into the 9th only to have Mo (the sox seem to have his number more than any other team in the league; a microcosm actually of this season's contests) blow it and then Hughes lose it in the 10th.

Still we're only a game back with 50 more to play so it's not the end of the world per se, or the season for that matter, but the Yanks need to step up and figure out how to beat their top rivals in 2011.\

In other related Yankee news, Jorge Posada has been benched. It's not like you couldn't see it coming- he hit for a while after the last incident- but he's been reduced to a bases-clogging singles hitter over the last 6 weeks or so. The timing - much like earlier - was odd though. Girardi, who does have an icy relationship with Jorge, informed the long-time catcher turned designated "hitter" of his benching before a nationally televised game against their biggest rivals. At the very least, it took some of the back page heat off the failures on the field and into the clubhouse.

Word is that clubhouse may soon have #1 prospect, Jesus Montero, up from AAA before the rosters expand on September 1. We do need another bat on the bench, been carrying 13 pitchers, so there is space for the maneuver. So we will see...

****

Had never really been blown away by a human beatbox (yeah, the guy who did those TV commercials years ago was entertaining, but more a joke to me than art) until this past Friday night. Caught 2 sets from local "super group" Saltee fronted by Karnage (it could be "Carnage" but for some reason, I suspect the intentional misspelling) and I have to change my mind there. Pretty amazing what this guy could do with his mouth and some tape loop.

The new pictures were sent to my graphic designer friend in NYC last week for the Rose book cover. Because I am apparently supposed to have more delays than a Delta airlines flight, the disc that was supposed to arrive by Friday, still has yet to show up. Strange, but true...

I'll keep you posted.

Cheers,
Brian

So I usually get to blow off a lot of my more angry Yankee steam on my twitter account (@GeorgesGhost) but last night left estimable run-off and I just have to take this blog to expel some of it. I won't even deal with the latest A-Rod tale. He is something of a lightning rod - he is easy to dislike - and he seems none-too-bright and really insecure which under the bright microscope of the New York media is a rather volatile stew-pot. He's just not bright enough to keep things from the papers, or his ego doesn't permit him to do so. Either way, he winds up on the back of the paper these days for his off-field antics than his bashing of baseballs.

But what really got my ire up last in what should have just been a laugher against the Chisox was AJ Burnett. There is all this ongoing conversation about who should be in the rotation: Phil Hughes or Ivan Nova. Both of them are young guys with good stuff and great poise. Whether Hughes has come all the way back from the "dead arm" situation that landed him on the DL or not remains to be seen. Yes, his last start against the woeful hitting Sox was excellent. He was hitting mid-90's with his fastball in the 1st inning and still in the low-90's in the 6th. But that game got shortened and personally I would have like to see what he had in the 7th and/or 8th. But that said, I am looking forward to his next start to see if he can follow that up; you get the sense that he can.

But I never have that sense with AJ Burnett and it's a crying shame and it makes no real sense but he cannot be the Yankee game 2 starter in any series-- let alone a playoff one. Listen: he has great stuff, that can't be denied -- his fastball is in the low to mid 90's, he has one of the nastiest curveballs in the game and can sometimes get some off-speed stuff over the plate, making him harder for a batter to know what's coming and yet? Somehow he just can't put it together. Whether it starts or ends in his brain is beside the point now. The Yanks blamed the last pitching coach, Rothschild was brought in to make matters right and it's still the same old unreliable Burnett. He has fire and the stuff but he continues to get in his own way and the Yanks can no longer afford to have him messing up the rotation. I call for his immediate removal!

And at least while he was in the game last night, trying with all his might to cough up the 10+ run lead the Yanks handed him he distracted me from the blah blah blah that is Micheal Kay. Honestly-- I can't see how anyone can enjoy a game listening to him. He harps on stats and he repeats himself and he tries to prove his points even when they're wrong-- and he's wrong quite a bit. He takes me out of the game and he bugs the shit out of me. I am almost to the point where I may consider watching the opposing team's broadcast (unless it's against the Bosox because I will still rather tolerate Kay than Remy in the Boston booth- he's an idiot gamer with a grating New England accent) or listening to music.

I'd switch to the radio broadcast except Jon Sterling & Susan Waldman are even worse. But here's the thing: it took me a few years but I got Joe Bleeping Morgan fired from his Sunday night ESPN gig-- thank heavens! So now I have Kay in my cross-hairs. Consider this my first shot and it's not a warning-- I want Michael Kay out of the YES booth. He has a voice made for newsprint; let him return to that and I won't read.

Thanks,
Brian

Thirty-two years ago today, I had what I refer to as my "Bambi's mom moment": the sudden death of my childhood hero. And although I probably couldn't tell you what I was doing, thinking a fortnight ago without consulting my notebook, I oh-so clearly remember and recall August 2nd, 1979. I was playing wiffleball with my friend Charlie Hoock in his front yard when his neighbor came over with some news. We only played with Charlie Trimble, who was a year or so younger than us, if we needed a fourth for a game of 2 on 2. But on that fated day me and Charlie didn't need the younger Charlie -- and we sure as heck didn't need his news: Trimble informed us that the Yankee Captain and catcher -- Thurman Munson -- had died in a plane crash.

We refused to believe. What would the gruff Yankee star be doing flying in a plane to Ohio on his day off we jested. The truth was that Thurman had purchased the Cessna and was learning to fly it to be able to go home more often during the season to spend time with his wife and kids. This was unheard of in 1970's MLB.

But that night I was scheduled to stay for dinner at Charlie's house. We begged his parents to let us put the news on the TV during dinner. After they said grace (and I sat there awkwardly not knowing what the heck I was doing but silently praying my own prayer for Mr. Munson) the television came on and the news of the plane crash was heard. I can still see us at the kitchen table, looking back to the TV in the living room as I heard that my hero was dead.

Later I would learn that Munson was practicing take-offs and landings when he crashed. Apparently his last words - his dying thoughts - were to ask his companions if they were okay. They were, but Thurman was not: dead far before his time and sadly, a lesson I learned today 32 years back and I continue to learn it again and again. And yes, I did name my very beloved 2 year old cat Thurman. It started as a dark joke to me; I would name him Thurman so that I would never forget that he is going to die, but, really, aren't we all?

And I should have known better than to name a cat Thurman and then ask him - expect him - to get  on an airplane. That was such a horrid experience for both of us that I do hope that I never have to make that request of him again, and, if I do he will get doped to the gills like a feline Mr. T!

RIP Thurman Munson: a great baseball player and an even better man...

***

This week is the 30th birthday of eMpTv and I, for one, don't think we should be celebrating that birth. I blame the music video channel for the erosion of attention spans, for hair-bands, boy-bands and lousy pop divas. Although 120' and "The Young Ones" (and okay, I will admit that I watched the entire Monkees marathon) MTV turned us into little lab rats, waiting impatiently for the next video, hoping that one, or maybe the next one would be cool. But just A-ha over and over and over again. It was all downhill after exploding onscreen with the Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star." MTV did not invent the music video but seem like they think they did, like Al Gore and the internet.

But really -- the true crime against humanity perpertrated by MTV was and remains "reality TV." Yes, there had been the PBS documentary on the Loud family and television historians can point back to that well-done show as the beginning of reality TV, but it  was the music video channel's foray into programming that did us all in-- "The Real World" ruined television and it may never recover. It was mostly cheapness that has lead us down this perturbing path and I don't know if we will ever recover. So frack you eMpTV! J'accuse! J'accuse!

There!

Brian

I just had a really cool, inter-active art experience at The Red Hot Art Fair in Stevens Square unlike one I've never had the pleasure. The whole event was a great way to spend the early part of a Saturday: some good noisy experimental jazz, some very good jerk chicken and plaintain and I was also finally called for a new ring so loudly that I came back with two: one was made from the shell casing from an old Howitzer shell, the other from a metal ruler (blue and "13 inches").

But what really made it for me and for my friend Mary was Round 13 of the Box Art War between Billy & Matt. Hopefully I have successfully figured out how to add the two photographs I took and won't have to explain it all. But here's the rub- there were 2 artists housed in five by five foot wood boxes with holes for eyes. Mind you- it was a very hot and humid day and the boxes were directly in the sun. It wasn't terribly comfortable on a blanket in the shade, it must be awful in the boxes, but they carried on.

Here's the deal: Billy and Matt are in the boxes painting pictures. Every 15 minutes the boxes would get up and move a short distance in the grass (usually around 10 feet) and when they moved from their spot, they would leave the just-completed, still-wet painting. The first person to grab it is the winner - although they are asked to put "ANY AMOUNT OF MONEY" through the eye holes; the winner of Round 13 is whomever collects the most money; the money all going to charity.

I am glad that not only we put the blanket close enough to the sign that I was motivated to read it, share it with Mary and play by their rules. We each got a painting from Box #1 and from Box #3 (our personal tastes were more toward #3, but #1 is no slouch by any means) as well as informing some of the other people in the park of the "rules." I had beaten a girl to the 1st painting (by #3), but Mary gave up the one from #1 and I delivered it to the girl. By the way, this painting also contained a lock of hair, seemingly from the artist. It must have been hot as blazes in there and an impromptu haircut probably seemed like a good idea at the time-- at least it wasn't an ear!

At some point, along with his painting #3 left some compost and a note. I'd scan the note and include it here too, but it's freaking hot upstairs and that's where my scanner is so I will just include the copy from the hand-written note. I may also attach the paintings to a future blog, but as for now: a. it's hot upstairs and b. they may still be a little wet and I don't really need any paint on my scanner glass but trust me-- they're good work.

The note read: "Please find a spot for this banana peel. It's starting to smell. Also I would love some water. Love, Box #3." Of course we disposed of the peel properly and I delivered the requested refreshment.

So, should you see these boxes and rules in passing, stop and watch and get a painting and give to charity at the same time. I think this was a really fantastically original (albeit also some great suffering for the boxed artists even if #1 didn't cut off his ear) method to deliver art.

Cheers,

Brian

Well, since the Yankees haven't made a move as the trade deadline looms and since I don't really want to talk about yesterday's ugly loss to the Mariners (they were due for a W; Seattle had lost 18 straight) I'll talk about That Thing in The Desert: Burning Man.

And while I am really not at liberty to discuss certain facts and details surrounding this week's developments, but in the 10 years that I've been going, this is the first time it sold out. There are maximum capacities numbers of participants as dictated by the terms of the agreement with the BLM (Burning Man occurs in property owned and operated by the US government's Bureau of Land Management and this year - as people were warned - the event sold out a month before it begins.

The only real bad part of certain people being shut out is that there could be a difficult to manage cluster-fart at the gate should people without tickets show up in mass despite being told that tickets will not be available and that they should not do so. Hippies don't think this means them! But getting in a few days before the event opens officially at least I won't have to see it.

And again, I am "doing my own thing" after camping with the same large group for many years; I broke off a few years back, nearly got pulled back into a smaller camp, but such is not the case. I may have a few friends in my proximity but all people who will not cause any camp drama-- especially hard when there is NO camp! That's the best way to avoid camp drama in my less than humble opinion.

And for possibly the first time ever, I will be hitting the playa with the same person I hit it with last year. See? Some things do change for the better... And although it seems to be "poor planning" I have come to believe that I have this thing down. No expectations other than it will be hot (but after this heat and humidity seemingly not as big a bother) and it will be dusty and that parts of it will suck and that so much of it will be beautiful. I do go out there to suffer some (and I do- trust me) but this year I have taken some preliminary steps to correct some of my issues from last year (broken down gear, too much time all by myself, etc.) but I am sure new challenges will present themselves. That, I do sort of expect since it is Burning Man after all and it's SUPPOSED to.

Cheers,
Brian

I was asked this morning if I were worried about the Yankees yet. And "worry" as a real Yankee fan is a different animal. Am I worried that the team won't make the playoffs like 2008? No, I have very little doubt that when post-season play begins that New York will be represented and not by the Mets. But having grown up in the Steinbrenner-era (and I am sure it was like it back in the day when "rooting for the Yankees was like rooting for US Steel") we really don't settle for anything less than winning it all, putting up another championship flag, hoisting another trophy and celebrating down the Canyon of Heroes.

In that, we are very alone as fans and it's not as easy as some of you may think.

Yes, the Yanks would make the playoffs should they start today, but they would be hard-pressed to take the whole thing. But, it is still July and my calendar isn't marked for the post-season until October. So what has to happen between now and then?

* A-Rod needs to come back off the DL next month looking like a man who has 600 home-runs and not like the world's most overpaid singles and double hitter.
* Jeter needs to put away the distractions and the naysayers and continue to hit (a .333 clip give or take) like he has since coming off the DL.
* Phil Hughes needs to figure it out and soon. Nova is waiting in the AAA wings (where he really doesn't belong and everyone is aware of that) but he is not post-season-seasoned and is not the answer.
* The bullpen cannot get so worn down that they don't have anything left for the playoffs.

Obviously, injuries as well as how guys (Chavez is really needed now; the jury still out on Soriano) come back and fit in. I have a lot of confidence in Bartolo Colon and will continue to do so until what time he proves I shouldn't ie breaks down from too many innings pitched. There are some major league arms down in Scranton and other miracles and trades are not to be discounted.

Swisher has finally started to heat up along with Gardner and both of them are proven spark-plugs for this team, but Texeira has become something of an all or nothing slugger, Granderson, who is having a great year, still strikes out way too much and Posada still isn't comfortable in his DH role. Yet, the Yankee lineup is one of, if not the most formidable in baseball, but the old adage of good pitching beating good hitting often bears out.

That's my just past mid-season update. Optimistic for sure, but not confident that this team has all the pieces firing on the cylinders that they need to for that 28th World Championship. And yes, I am aware that I didn't mention AJ Burnett (until just now) or Freddy Garcia (ibid); CC, on the other hand, is as rock-solid and trusted a #1 starter as they come...

Game on,
Brian