Monthly Archives: May 2008

Fukudome uproar

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Clearly, Kosuke Fukudome is having a tremendous impact in Chicago, not only on the Cubs, but also just outside Wrigley Field, where some t-shirt vendors have been selling t-shirts with this questionable, arguably offensive, graphic:

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The vendors are now suing the Cubs organization for trying to stop the sale of these t-shirts, citing First Amendment “freedom of speech” violations.  Here we go with yet another cry out about freedom of speech.  Let’s get this straight: just because the Bill of Rights gives us freedom of speech, that doesn’t mean you can say or print anything.  There are limits, people.  That amendment gives us all the right to express our opinions, regardless or what they may be, but once those expressions infringe on others’ rights, those limits have been reached.  I find this graphic offensive in that it makes fun of Asians’ pronunciation of “L’s” in the English language.  I’m sure the creator of this t-shirt, no doubt some narrow-minded yuppie- wannabe on the North Side, wouldn’t like a shirt poking fun at the fact that he probably can’t even speak his own language properly (the subject of many a future blog, to be sure!).  And the slanty eyes?  Really?? It would have been just fine printing the trademark “Holy Cow” in the “Asian-style” lettering, but to change “Holy” to “Horry” and give the cub slanty eyes crosses the line in my book.  The way I see it, whether there was offensive intent or not (I really hope not), the shirt’s creator has to realize the graphic’s potential to offend.  Better judgment was needed here.

Other pieces of apparel, such as the headband below, I think are just fine.  The headband itself harkens to Fukudome’s Japanese heritage, as does the sun and the font, without offending or making fun of anyone.

If you like having “Holy Cow” on your Cubs accessories, how about this Japanese-inspired headband, complete with the white-flag “W” and the Chicago skyline:

Now, don’t me wrong.  I’m all for silly, light-hearted t-shirts, those that are fun and are clearly not trying to hurt anyone, like this one:

Or, for those who are phonetically challenged:

Now THAT is a funny, non-offensive t-shirt.

Oreo’s new spot

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I’ve had Oreo now for about five weeks, and in that brief span she’s grown tremendously, both physically and mentally.  She knows a couple of basic commands and has learned to tell me when she needs to go outside.  Before I got her, I made the decision to not let her on my couch.  My recliner, however, is a different story, because it’s old and, frankly, a P.O.S., so I don’t mind if she sits on it (I bought it from one of my college roommates for $10).  So, a handful of times over these past five weeks I’ve scooped her up and had her lie in my lap while I watch TV.  Late this morning, to my pleasant surprise, I found her asleep in the recliner while I was working in my office.

She made it up there all by herself, which is an accomplishment because she’s shy and a bit afraid of trying new things, especially on her own.  The video below is of Oreo getting the recliner all by herself.  It’s nothing special, really, just cute footage, especially the face she gives at the very end.  (That’s Seinfeld Season 7 in the background.)

And while watching the Cubs beat the Dodgers tonight in extra innings, she hopped up there again and passed out.

Again: Too.  Cute.

It’s official

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Well, it’s official.  The wait is finally over.  My job search is complete.  I am the newest faculty member of the University of Massachusetts Lowell Department of Music.  More than anything, more than happiness or joy or elation, the biggest emotion I feel right now is relief.  I smiled a lot when I accepted the position, but the big sigh of relief I let out afterwards is perhaps the most memorable reaction.

It’s been a strange process, this whole getting-a-job thing.  I was so excited last fall because it seemed like just about every school out there had an opening and my chances of landing a gig were great.  So I applied to numerous places, thinking I had a shot to land a pretty good job right off the bat.  But as the school year wore on, and I didn’t hear from anyone, I started to get a little worried.  There was a little lull in job openings, but kept my eyes and ears open, sending out my materials when I could.  Then, one weekend, out of the blue (while I was in Maine with Amy, of all times!), I was forwarded a job posting for a position up in Massachusetts.  “Lowell, MA??” I thought.  But I looked it up and it sounded great, so I sent off my materials.  Lo and behold, after a couple of phone interviews, they wanted to see me live and in person.  After scrambling for two days getting together a lesson plan, I flew up to Lowell, gave my teaching demos, met with the Dean and the search committee, flew back to Tally, and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Now, it was only about a week and a half that I waited to hear from them, but it seemed like much longer than that.  I thought I nailed the interview, and since their school year was coming to a close, I knew they didn’t have that much time to interview other candidates and needed to fill the position.  Plus, I’m an impatient person by nature: I wanted to know, and I wanted to know ASAP.  So I waited (not so) patiently until the phone rang last week.  Awesome.

I think the most relieving aspect about this job is that it’s tenure-track, so I won’t have to go through this whole interview process again at least for a few years.  *WHEW*  The way I see it, I got lucky.  Very very lucky.  UML was looking for someone and one of the profs just happened to be talking with a prof at FSU.  My name was among those mentioned, and a month later, the job is mine.  The saying goes, “It’s better to be lucky than good.”  Amen.  I mean, I think I’m pretty decent, but in this case, Lady Luck was on my side.

Go River Hawks!!

Memorial Day

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This Memorial Day, I’d like to dedicate an entry to those women and men who have lost their lives in the line of duty.  You paid the ultimate price defending the United States.  I salute you.  Thank you, soliders.  

The Cubs and their fans

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I read Mike’s blog today, and couldn’t help but comment (I’m T-Chris).  It also got me thinking, so much so that I had to blog about it.

 

Why do so many people hate the Cubs and their fans?  I did a Google search for “Cubs suck” websites and came up with, literally, hundreds of thousands of hits.  Yikes.  Why all the hate for the boys in blue?  Some comes from the fans of division rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers.  But Cardinals and Brewers fans who truly HATE the Cubs are pretty few and far between.  The teams are rivals, yes, but there’s mutual respect among the fans.  Debates are heated and the games are spirited, sure, but there’s hardly a lack of respect for the opposing teams or their fans.  They are healthy rivalries.

 

Much of the Cubbie hatred, I’m sad to say, comes from White Sox fans.  I don’t know if it’s jealousy or insecurity or what, but many (not all, mind you) Sox fans are bitter, bitter people.  I’m not writing this entry to antagonize White Sox fans out there.  I’m just curious as to why so many of you truly hate and loathe the North Siders and their fans.  Now, you may point to my comment in Mike’s blog, and say that I’m bitter and hateful towards the Sox and their fans.  Quite the contrary: my statement was merely a reaction to the spew of the previous comment.  Cubs fans don’t inherently hate anyone, not even the Sox or their fans.  We may not like other teams, but we’re content to mind our own business in the Friendly Confines and watch our team try to win.  (And speaking of trying to win, I think I speak for Cubs fans everywhere when I say that I’m over the whole “Lovable Loser” tag.  It’s time the change the mentality of Cubdom and the rest of baseball.  The Cubs are trying to win just as much everyone else.)

 

Are you Sox fans jealous that Wrigley routinely gets sold out?  You deride the Cubs and their park for being filled with people who just want to enjoy the sun and the bleachers.  So what?  My response to you: if you’re so concerned that Wrigley sells out and Comis…er…US Cellular Field doesn’t, then tell more of your fans to show up to games.  It’s that simple.  And all this talk about Cubs fans not being knowledgeable about the game of baseball is a bunch of crap.  There are just as many die-hard baseball fans in the stands at Wrigley Field, if not more so, than those who are there merely for the social aspect of the game.  We all know it’s been a century since the Cubs last won a World Series.  So you’re saying the Cubs suck because of that?  Well, duh.  But instead of worrying about other teams, how about you worry about your won team and how it’s doing (not so hot, last time I checked the standings).  Do well first, then maybe, just maybe, you can start the trash talking.  Until then, why not just positively root for your own team rather than deride another?  That goes for the Sox fans, Cardinals fans, Brewers fans…anyone and everyone.  Mind your own business.

 

I’m proud to be a Cubs fan, whether they’re in first place or last place.  Always have been, always will be.  And that’s indicative of the vast majority of Cubs fans around the nation.  Through thick and thin, we support our team, not at the expense of other teams or their fans, but simply because we love the Cubs.  Can you say that about your team and its fan base?

 

Go Cubs, go!!

May 12 of 12

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It’s May already.  Heck, it’s almost halfway through May.  Yikes.

8:46am – Good morning world.

8:50am – Taking Oreo out for her morning business.  As usual, she’s eating something she shouldn’t be.

9:26am – Oreo and I still aren’t on the same page regarding her morning “routine.”  Thank goodness for Brawny paper towls, biodegradable poop bags, and the enzymes in PetZyme.

10:47am – I’ve got a bit of laundry to fold.

12:39pm – Getting my ass whomped in MarioKart Wii by Marty and Mike online.  Still, the game’s a ton of fun.

1:33pm – Somehow, Oreo manages to sleep through all my yelling at the TV.

4:31pm – I’m making my way through the Seinfeld series, episode by episode.  After some lunch, I fall asleep to “The Understudy,” the last episode in Season 6.

8:57pm – Mmm, pizza.

10:15pm – Checking in on the Cubs’ rout of the Padres while chatting with Mike and Marty.  We proceed to set up another round of MarioKart Wii.  Too fun.

12:57am – Washing dishes before calling it a night.

1:01am – Oreo standing at attention, waiting to go outside one last time before bed.

1:14am – One last check of email, one last round of mindless (yet completely necessary) chatting with Marty, and the posting of this entry.

Happy May!

My Cubs lineup and rotation

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Watching the Cubs play the past few days, and even the past couple of weeks, I’ve come to the realization that, with the return of Alfonso Soriano today and Kerry Wood struggling to close out what should have been a Cubs’ win this afternoon, there are lineup and rotation issues that need to be addressed, regardless of players’ salaries or tenure with the organization.  Everyone’s got his or her opinion on the subject, and I’d be happy to discuss or debate with anyone.  Here are my two cents.

First of all, the batting lineup should be something like this:

1. Reed Johnson (CF)
2. Kosuke Fukudome (RF)
3. Derrek Lee (1B)
4. Aramis Ramirez (3B)
5. Alfonso Soriano (LF)
6. Geovany Soto (C)
7. Mark DeRosa (2B)
8. pitcher
9. Ryan Theriot (SS)

First of all, Reed Johnson has earned his way into the leadoff spot these past two weeks filling in for Soriano, and the ballclub is following his lead (yes, pun intended).  He has provided a spark at the top of the order, doing exactly what a leadoff man should do: get  on base.  Soriano has shown prodigious power in the past hitting #1: last year he cranked 33 homers.  However, 23 of those were solo shots.  Imagine how many more RBIs he would have produced hitting lower in the order with men on base.  Fukudome is an on-base machine who constantly frustrates pitchers with his plate discipline.  Opposing teams would have to pitch to him because of Lee hitting behind him.  Plus, Fukudome is a professional hitter who can use the entire field.  I think he’s perfect in the 2 spot: he can move Johnson over (or drive him), and sets the table for the 3, 4, and 5 power hitters.  And that’s exactly what Soriano is: a power hitter.  The Cubs are wasting his power at the top of the order.  Plus, he’s not the runner he used to be.  Sure, he’s been saying that his legs feel fine, but he’s also said that he thinks about his injuries.  So, naturally, he’s not going to be the 40-40 man he once was.  Yes, he’s making a boatload of money.  But what’s best for the team is batting him #5.  Soto is showing the form he did last September: he’s got power to justify hitting #6.  DeRosa is the super-utility man.  Is there any position this guy can’t play?  Batting the pitcher 8th is weird, I know, but Theriot has been swinging the bat well this season, getting on base, running well, and scoring some runs.  Batting him 9th would set up the top of the order.  And having three guys in a row who can run (Theriot, Johnson, and Fukudome) puts pressure on the other team’s pitcher and defense because they are all patient at the plate and therefore get on base, which is always a good thing, no matter how the lineup’s arranged .

Now, regarding the pitching, the starting rotation is fine.  The bullpen, on the other hand, is all kinds of crazy.  I’m just going to come right out and say it: Carlos Marmol should be the closer.  Not the “closer of the future,” but the closer of the present.  Now.  The way I see it, his stuff is too nasty to be used as a setup man.  And even more important than his electric 97-mph fastball with nasty movement and stupid slider is his mentality.  He goes out knowing that his stuff is good enough to get anyone out at any time.  Period.  He’s the definition of “lights out.”  Don’t get me wrong: I like Kerry Wood, and his story is great and he has faithfully remained a Cub for his entire career.  But he’s more suited for the setup role.  He may look cool on the mound, but his pitches tell a different story.  A closer can’t hit batters on a regular basis, nor can he walk batters to start off the ninth.  With Wood, it’s a mental issue.  When he’s settled down, he’s as effective as anyone.  But coming in to save the game is too nerve-racking for him.  Howry should be the seventh inning guy, if needed, Wood the setup man, and Marmol the closer.  End of story.

Oh, and here’s a message for Brewers LF Ryan Braun: Hey buddy, that little bat flip and arm extension after your double in the ninth today was not cool.  Not cool at all.  You weren’t so cocky after Marmol struck you out and made you look dumb earlier in the game.  No need for that garbage.  You made nice contact and scored some RBIs.  Congrats.  Now do your job and run the bases, punk.