Adios to 2006.

Well, ladies and gents, 2006 is at a close. And what a year it's been. I've made some new friends, started a new career-I'm looking forward to more moving forward in 2007. Some things I'm looking forward to for '07:

1)More time with friends and family. It sounds sappy, but those are two of the most important things anyone can have.
2)Learning more. Trying to take a little something from every day.
3)The advance of time towards having a president not named Bush.
4)The Nashville Predators making another run at the Stanley Cup. This team is looking great right now.
5)The Chicago Cubs winning the World Series (ok, so this is one from every year, but you never know...).

So as the last few hours of 2006 tick away, I encourage you to take a moment and consider the things that are important to you. Now think about what you can do to improve them, and act on it. And for crying out loud, be careful out there. And be good to each other. See you in '07.

I stand corrected.

So the Tigers didn't quite live up to my expectations. I don't quite know what happened. They went from red-hot to downright terrible in a record time. Kenny Rogers had an amazing performance. That was the highlight. The Tigers' previously hot bats cooled off, and their infield apparently forgot the basics of minor things like catching and throwing. I (reluctantly) tip my hat to the Cardinals for coming in as the underdogs and making a statement. Too bad the Cubs are going to win it next year. And by "next year," I mean "hopefully sometime before I die." But who knows? Stranger things have happened...

TIGERS!

Yes, dear readers, it's time once again for the World Series. And this one has the makings of being a classic. The Tigers look to win their first series since '84, while the Cardinals look for their first under Tony LaRussa. My prediction: all Tigers. They have a great combination of lights-out pitching and big bats. Although the Cards have a good rotation, I'm much less impressed offensively. When you factor Albert Pujols out of the equation, there's not a lot left. Not to mention that the Tigers swept the A's in the ALCS, while the Cards squeaked one past the Mets in 7 games. I know some people might not like the analogy, but the Tigers are coming into this series looking a lot like the Red Sox in '04. I pick Detroit in six.

Things are looking up all over.

Well, once again, the New York Chokees (I'm sorry, I guess it's pronounced Yankees) have failed to get past the first round of the playoffs. And once again, I'm giddy like a schoolgirl. K-Rod proved again that he's entirely overpaid. It's nice that he can put up some good numbers in the regular season, but that doesn't matter at all if he can't hit in the postseason. Perhaps someone should give him a dictionary with the word "clutch" highlighted so he can see what it actually means. Here's my definition....Clutch. 1)The ability to achieve in high-pressure situations. 2)Big Papi (see also: David Ortiz). 3)Anyone but the Yankees.

The stomp heard 'round the world. And- don't let the door hit you...

What a couple of days it's been in the world of sports. Especially with two teams near and dear to me, the Titans and the Cubs. The bad news first. Albert Haynesworth stomped a man's face while he was helmetless on the ground. Inexcusable. We're the Titans, not the Raiders. Let's show some semblance of sportsmanship. I don't care how emotional you get, there's no reason for this. I hope Coach Fisher doubles whatever punishment the league hands out to Haynesworth. (I also hope we actually win a game this season, but I'm not holding my breath.)

Now onto the good news. Dusty Baker will not return next season as Cubs manager. This, my friends, has been a long time coming. If I were running the show, he would have been fired midway through the season. However, I'm just happy that it happened at all. Given the general laissez-faire attitude of the front office (and of the Tribune), a hare-brained move like a contract renewal wasn't out of the question. It's time for a fresh start. New president, new manager, and hopefully quite a few new players. We've been heading down that slippery slope from lovable losers to just plain sorry losers. That's a bridge too far. Even Cubs fans have a breaking point, and we were fast approaching it. But finishing at the bottom of the NL Central means we can only go up from here, right? I guess there's always next year...

A Moment of Remembrance.

As anyone who hasn't been living under a rock is surely aware, today is the fifth anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Of course, it's all over every conceievable media outlet. Not that we shouldn't take time to remember. But sometimes, when you see something enough, hear about it enough, it loses its impact. We've all seen the images of the planes crashing, of the towers collapsing, more times than we can count.

My challenge to you is this. Try and remember exactly how you felt the first time you saw those images. That raw, gut emotion. The nausea and panic. Now multiply that by 100 and you might begin to understand how that day was for the families of 3,000 innocent men and women. Families for whom today the pain is just as raw as it was that day. Families who even now need our thoughts and prayers.

My challenge to you is this, also. Just for today. No politics. No pointing fingers or calling names. No debates on the right, left, or anywhere in between. Take today, and do the following things:
1) A moment of silence. Whether you choose to pray, or just to take a moment to remember.
2) Something kind. Remember the Golden Rule. Goodness is contagious, no matter how large or how small the scale.

Tomorrow may turn into business as usual, but make today different. This year, and every year.

And now for something completely different...

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the five albums in heavy rotation at home right now...

1) The Grand Wazoo, Frank Zappa (1973)
A great record in its own right. Despite being fairly short (a shade under forty minutes), this one definitely keeps your attention. Two of my favorite instrumentals are on here, "Eat That Question," and "Blessed Relief." Zappa proves how ahead of his time he could be by introducing some great jazz/rock fusion with a brilliant supporting cast. Trumpeter Sal Marquez shows a wide range of styles here, from the early freak-outs of the opening track to the beautiful, understated playing on the album's closer.
2) A Boy Named Charlie Brown, Vince Guaraldi Trio (1969)
A wonderful jazz record. Mostly upbeat, catchy, get-stuck-in-your-head sort of stuff, with a fantastic cover of "Fly Me to the Moon" as a closer. Highly underrated.
3) Somewhere Else Before, Esbjorn Svenson Trio-also known as E.S.T. (2001)
I really can't say enough about this group. The first time I heard them, I was floored. A great jazz trio. From Sweden. Definite touches of electronic and psychedelic music are to be found here. "From Gagarin's Point of View" has one of the most beautiful, haunting melodies I can recall. "The Wraith" and "Spam-Boo Limbo" provide some unique energy. They have a few other releases out, which can be tough to find, but I recommend any of them. Here is a great starting point, though, since it's a compilation from two European releases, "From Gagarin's Point of View" and "Good Morning Susie Soho." Go buy it. Now.
4) Milk Me, The Beatnuts (2004)
Doesn't quite fit with the others mentioned so far, I know. This is a dirty, thugged-out rap record. But it's a guilty pleasure. For those of you not familiar with the Beatnuts, the group consists of Psycho Les and Juju, who mainly handle the production, but do take the mic from time to time. The high points here are (not surprisingly) some of the wildy creative and funky beats. Not a lot of high-profile guests, but Rahzel (of Wu-Tang fame) takes a nice turn on "Confused Rappers." Worth a listen if you're tired of hearing the same rappers over and over.
5) The Magic Flute, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1791)
I know, it doesn't quite fit either. But I listen to most everything. And this is brilliant. One of the most frequently performed operas in the world, and also one of the more challenging. Full of Masonic symbols, so all you conspiracy theorists go ahead and have a field day. It doesn't hurt (in my opinion) that it features a bass in a prominent role (Sarastro). Being one myself, it's always nice to hear. And it's just good music.

Anyway, that's all for now, folks. More to come...stay tuned.

In Memory of David Schnaufer.

Johnny Cash. Emmylou Harris. Mark Knopfler. Chet Atkins. Mark O'Connor. The Judds. Kathy Mattea. Cindy Lauper. What do they all have in common? They all recorded with David Schnaufer.

To hear him tell it, David Schnaufer came to Nashville in the 1980s from his native Texas "going down the road in the back of an old pickup truck." He had few possessions, bringing mainly his passion for music, the dulcimer in particular. A few short years later, he was offered a teaching position at Vanderbilt University's Blair School of Music, which he gladly accepted. He recorded with countless musicians, and taught countless students to love an instrument many had never heard. Along the way, he also touched a lot of lives and made a lot of friends.

Friends were never hard for him to find. He was one of the most genuine, funny people I've had the pleasure of coming across. Knowing about my borderline Frank Zappa addiction, he loved to tell me the story of seeing Frank and Captain Beefheart play together back in the 70s. We would talk about Zappa songs that would sound good arranged for dulcimer. I remember that we agreed "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance" would be solid. He said he was going to learn it and put it on his next record. That chance, I suppose, never came. He died August 23rd of cancer at Alive Hospice here in Nashville.

His memorial was fitting-beautiful music played on the dulcimer by some of his former students, and one of the most eclectic crowds of friends and family ever put together. He left us too soon, but he left a wonderful legacy. May he rest in peace.

Holy Cow! Cubs Win!

A bright spot. Finally. The Cubs looked great today while beating the Cardinals 6-2 to complete a four-game sweep. Carlos Zambrano pitched a solid 6 innings, setting the stage for another 'kind of ugly but at least he did it' Ryan Dempster save. Watching the game was like stepping into some kind of parallel universe. The Cardinals, the most dominant team in the NL Central, looked like a bunch of minor-leaguers who got to suit up for a game. Lots of fielding mistakes, not to mention the fact that their usually solid hitting was all but completely shut down. The Cubs, on pace to a ninety-plus loss season, had inspired fielding, and did a great job of capitalizing on offensive opportunities. I think we should petition Bud Selig to schedule the Cardinals for about 100 games each season. Seriously. We're 10-3 against the Cardinals this year. Someone explain this to me. We've won six of our last seven playing some of the best teams in the NL. Yet we have literally no chance of even seeing the playoffs. If there's one thing I've learned as a Cubs fan, it's to enjoy the little victories. Sweeping the Cards in a 4-game series? I'll definitely savor this one for a while.

Let's just get this over with.

Ninety-seven games down. Sixty-five left to go.
The third-worst record in baseball (thanks, Pittsburgh and Kansas City!). Isn't it time to fire Dusty already? What started out as a decent-looking team in April and May (remember those good old days?) has now degenerated into a sad-looking bunch of hacks that might be given a run for their money by the local community college on the right day. The bullpen is decimated, the fielding is sloppy, and the offense seems to have forgotten that just getting on base doesn't win games. Now, we Cubs fans are used to not always having the best record. But just three short years ago, we were five outs from the World Series. What people don't remember is that just after the "Bartman incident,"the Cubs had a complete meltdown. One that a competent manager could have stopped. That episode to me summarizes the problem with having Dusty Baker at the helm. You can have remarkably talented team, but when there's trouble, he's either unable or unwilling to pull the team back together. Either way, it's unacceptable. Sure, the Cubs may be the "lovable losers," but we have our limits, too. Time to clean some house. Maybe we'll see some solid additions tomorrow before the trade deadline is over. Maybe Dusty will be gone by the end of the season. Maybe there's next year.

Enough, already. And:One of the coolest things ever.

I don't even know where to start with this one...Abercrombie and Fitch is donating $10 million to the Columbus (Ohio) Children's Hospital. That in itself is fine and good. Money for sick kids? I'm all for it. Here's the clincher-"The “Abercrombie & Fitch Emergency Department and Trauma Center” will be part of a new main hospital facility, scheduled to break ground in 2008 and open in 2011." Read that again if you need to. The "Abercrombie & Fitch Emergency Department and Trauma Center." What next? The Pixy Stix Juvenile Diabetes Ward? The Hardees Thickburger Cardiology Center? Stop it. Just stop it. It's very nice that a corporation is willing to give money to a worthy cause. But it's entirely unnecessary that said corporation needs its name plastered all over it.

In the future, maybe this is how a trip to the ER will be...(cue dream sequence)

"Welcome to the Lady Foot Locker Trauma Ward. What seems to be wrong?"
"I think my arm is broken."
"All right sir, the doctor will be in momentarily. Have a seat here in Bank of America exam room number two. I'll be back later to take you over to the Cingular Wireless X-Ray Center. If you need anything, my name is Nurse Ratched, and I'll be your Toyota Duty Nurse-don't forget to ask about great interest rates on new Camrys and Corollas-for a limited time only!"

I don't know what to file this under...but I can narrow it down to a couple possible categories-
1) Reason no. 11,843 I really dislike Ohio.
2) Reason no. 845,372 I want to slap every CEO in the country.
3) Reason no. 1,768,290 I should be in charge.

Sorry if I had a Peter (you know what grinds my gears?) Griffin moment there. By the way, if you don't believe me-you can go here and read the press release. Just crazy enough to be true.

In other news, one of the coolest things I've seen for a while. File this under "why didn't they have this when I was 7?" Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the "Hose Nose."



This ingenious little device attaches over your real nose and serves as...wait for it...a candy dispenser. To steal a phrase from Chuck Palahniuk, "awesome isn't the right word, but it's the first word that comes to mind." I'm easily amused, I know.

The good, the bad, and the ugly.

The good for this week-I am officially done with all the prelicensing requirements and exams. I start my new job on Monday. The bad-the Cubs lost last night to the Brewers, 6-0. The ugly-the Cubs are now 19 games under .500-and it's only JUNE. As you probably know, I'm not a fairweather fan (kind of a hard thing to be if you root for the Cubbies), but frankly, this team stinks. We are currently 12-20 at home, definitely no better on the road. The only time we can seem to pull it together is when we play the Cardinals-we stand at 7-2. This is one of the worst-looking teams in recent memory-even by Cubs standards. Let's start with the pitching. Of our 4 "best" pitchers (Zambrano, Prior, Wood, Maddux) ONE is performing well. Prior is looking rough, Wood may be done for the season, and Maddux had a month of brilliant pitching before falling apart.


The offense (or rather lack thereof) is even worse. The Cubs now lead the major leagues in number of times shut out. We strand runners on base left and right. Our "leadoff hitter" is batting .248 with a .293 OBP. Meanwhile, Nomar Garciaparra (hey, who did he used to play for? Wait, it was US...) leads the NL in BA and has an OBP of .427...It's time for some BIG changes, people.


Dusty Baker is a good place to start. I've put off saying that for a while, but it's time. Let him finish out his contract this season, and then find someone who can really lead. There is a great Chicago Sun-Times column that makes some compelling arguments on why Dusty should go. Sure, there is some fault that can be attributed to Jim Hendry and the rest of the front office, but Baker is the decision-maker on the field. Payroll has nothing to do with whether or not the players decide to show up and give it some real effort-the manager does.


So there you have it, folks. My unbridled glee for the first month or so of the season has given way to the reality that this may be the first Cubs team to drop 100 games in forty years. So, in true Cubs fashion...there's always next year.

Another Reason Kim Jong-Il Is Nuts...

It has been reported today that the North Koreans have completed fueling of a Taepodong-2 missile, which has a range of up to 3700 miles-placing the United States within striking distance. Although North Korea has not announced immediate intentions to test-fire this new weapon, the implication is certainly there. Which makes a lot of people nervous. The Japanese, in particular, have some cause for concern: in 1998 (coincidentally, the last time North Korea test-fired a long range missile), a Taepodong-1 was fired over northern Japan. If something like that happens again, the Japanese aren't inclined to take it lightly. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi promised "stern actions" if the test were to take place. More telling is his government's policy should the launch happen-if any piece of the missle falls on Japanese soil, it will be interpreted as an attack. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice today stated that it would be a "provocative act" on the part of Pyongyang.

With all that being said, my money is on a test launch happening sometime within the next few weeks. Why, you may ask? Kim Jong-Il is insane. And not in a "crazy uncle" sort of way. More of a "paranoid sociopath" sort of way. Let's look at his track record so far. He assumed power in 1994 following the death of his dictator father, Kim Il-Sung. In the time period from 1994 to 1998, North Korea experienced one of the worst famines in recent history. The actual number of deaths attributable to the famine are hard to pin down, but various estimates place them between two and three million. During that time, instead of asking the international community for help, Kim Jong-Il was content to let that many of his own people die. Everyday life there is no better. There is nothing we would associate with freedom present. All aspects of life are government-controlled. People are routinely executed for things such as "ideological divergence," according to this State Department report. Citizens also have a tendency to disappear, often finding themselves in a secret labor camp. Stop me if you've heard this before. Remind anyone else of Russia under Stalin, complete with gulags? To call Kim Jong-Il dangerous is an understatement.

The facts are the facts. He has defied the international community before. He's bought into his own cult of personality and fancies himself infallible. Everything points to this launch taking place. If that missile is test-fired, the international community must come down hard and fast. No weeks of debate by the U.N. Security Council. No strongly worded resolutions. No sanctions. Action. Kim Jong-Il with missiles that can reach the United States is far more pressing than Saddam and his conspicuously absent WMDs. I can only hope I'm wrong, and that Kim Jong-Il can see the handwriting on the wall.

The continued misadventures of "W."

I don't really know what to say about this one, other than "wow." In case you weren't paying attention today, the President gave a press conference this morning. Of course, there were the usual questions on Iraq, the economy, and the upcoming elections. What will most be remembered from today, more than likely, is the following exchange:

THE PRESIDENT:

Yes, Peter. Are you going to ask that question with shades on?

Q I can take them off.

THE PRESIDENT: I'm interested in the shade look, seriously.

Q All right, I'll keep it, then.

THE PRESIDENT: For the viewers, there's no sun. (Laughter.)

Q I guess it depends on your perspective. (Laughter.)

Looks innocent enough. Until I point out one more thing. The reporter is Peter Wallsten, of the Los Angeles Times. Wallsten has a degenerative condition that has left him legally blind, which in no way makes that comment awkward... For those of you so inclined, here's a link to the video.

Granted, the President apparently wasn't aware of the reporter's condition and later issued an apology. That being said, I have to confess that I found it hilarious. In that "I'm going to hell for laughing at this" sort of way. Further proof that only with "W" can this stuff happen...truth really is stranger than fiction sometimes.

Ding, dong, Al-Zarqawi's dead...

And I couldn't be happier about it. Anyone who knows me realizes that I've never been what you'd call a fan of the Iraq war, but this counts as some real progress in my book. Not only will this (hopefully) reduce the insurgency there, it is a tangible victory in the battle of us vs. Al Qaeda.

That being said, we still have a long road ahead of us. The insurgents in Iraq are not going to disappear overnight, even with him out of the picture. CNN's Jeff Greenfield quotes an unnamed Jordanian intelligence officer who had earlier said, "if Zarqawi is captured or killed tomorrow, the Iraqi insurgency will go on." Even though that's not an assessment I particularly like, it's one that I tend to agree with. The real question here is how the insurgency will respond. Will Zarqawi's death provoke heightened fanaticism and an increased wave of violence? Or will this help to crush their morale?

Regardless of what may happen, I can say two things with certainty. First, Al-Qaeda has lost an important leader. Second, the world is a better place without him. This was a man who was directly and indirectly responsible for the killings of countless innocent men, women, and children. He plotted with saboteurs and homicide bombers. I don't use the word "suicide" here because that implies the intent to kill only oneself. These bombers want to kill as many others as they can, because the twisted brand of Islam they learned from Zarqawi and others like him tells them that they will receive a reward in heaven. Despite what the radical Islamists might say, he is not a martyr, nor are any of the others like him. I think that Paul Bigley, whose brother, Kenneth, was beheaded by Zarqawi, put it best: "...he can rot in hell, because that's where he is. He's not in paradise, that's for sure." Paul and the families of all Zarqawi's victims can take comfort in that. Matter of fact, I think I can, too.