Cubs Win!!! Cubs Win!!! Cubs Win!!!

Well today I'm writing from the back seat of my parents car as we traverse Lake Shore Drive towards I-55 after an exciting finish at the Cubs game. It was kind of a bummer at first because the Brewers got off to a 5-0 start in the top of the 1st, but even with some very sloppy fielding they didn't score any more runs and the Cubs were able to claw back into it. Ramirez topped things off with a walk off two run homer to win the game. We were in the bleachers and there was definitely a lot of high fives to go around after that homer. I just hope my voice is ok for tomorrow night since I am Cantor for 5:30pm Mass. :-)

Lyrical Thought #49

Why?

Mokey (Fraggle Rock)

Sometimes I'm alone,
Sitting on my very own,
Trying to find a simple kind of clue.

And I would like to know,
Why the Doozers move me so,
Doing all the things that Doozers do.

Why do caterpillars crawl?
Why is there a sky?
Why is there a world at all?
And why do I ask why?

Here I go again.
Why do questions never end?
What keeps callin' all day long to me?

Secrets come and go.
I know we're not the only ones.
Sometimes magic, sometimes only me.

Why do caterpillars crawl?
Why is there a sky?
Why is there a world at all?
Any why do I ask why?

Lyrical Thought #48

Falling Of The Rain

Billy Joel

Once upon a time in the land of misty satin dreams
There stood a house and a man who painted nature scenes
He painted trees and fields and animals and streams and he stayed
And he didn't hear the fallin' of the rain

In the forest green lived a girl who put her hair in braids
And she sang as she walked all around the wooded glade
She was glad when the rain came falling on her face and she sang
'Cause she didn't mind the fallin' of the rain

Will it always be the same as we recall?
Does it touch you when the rain begins to fall?
Ah, but I don't want to know and I don't want to see
Another rainy day without you lyin' next to me

High upon a hill far away from all the dusty crowd is a boy
With his eyes on the ground; his head is bowed; he is a fool
And his mind is filled with hopeless dreams and he waits
But he will not see the fallin' of the rain

Will it always be the same as we recall?
Does it touch you when the rain begins to fall?
Ah, but I don't want to know and I don't want to see
Another rainy day without you lyin' next to me

So now the boy becomes the man who sits and paints all day
But the girl with the braids in her hair has gone away
And it seems that time has brought things to an end; nothing's changed
'Cause you can't stop the fallin' rain.

If only it was this easy...

Seven of Nine: Your presence is required... rather it is requested, tonight, 1900 hours, holodeck two.
Lieutenant William Chapman: Another engineeric simulation?
Seven of Nine: Dinner.
Lieutenant William Chapman: Dinner?
Seven of Nine: The consumption of nutritional biomatter.
Lieutenant William Chapman: No, I know what dinner is, I just... are you asking me to join you?
Seven of Nine: Yes, state your response.
Lieutenant William Chapman: OK... yes.

Must Love Dogs...

Last night I had another in my series of first dates. I was hoping that this would lead to a second date, but there was just no chemistry (yeah I hate that term, but I have no better way to say it) there. I felt like I was pulling teeth to get her to talk. I never really thought of myself as all that extroverted, but I guess I must be or at least need more extroverted-ness from my date.

I have been talking to a lot of friends lately. Some are finding awesome new loves, some are getting married, some have decided that their loves weren't really what they were looking for. All of these points in the continuum of dating make me think. Why does the process need to be so hard? Why can't we all find true love and be content in the time until that occurs?

Today I added another movie to my list of romantic comedies that I like. Must Love Dogs was very good. As someone that keeps dabbling in the online dating scene it was especially funny to me. Sometimes I wish I could find my happy ending.

Another Survey

The "Grown Up" Survey
(Meant to be completed by those out of high school)

Tired of all of those surveys made up by high school kids?
'Have you ever kissed someone?'
'Missed someone?'
'Told someone you loved them?'
'Drank alcohol?'
Here are 50 questions for the people who are a little more "mature"...

1. What bill do you hate paying the most?
My cable bill, I swear it keeps going up.

2. Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner?
Thousand Hills Dining Lodge

3. Last time you puked from drinking?
Never

4. When is the last time you got drunk and danced at a bar?
Never

5. Name of your first grade teacher?
Mrs Gaither

6. What do you really want to be doing right now?
Falling in love again.

7. What did you want to be when you were growing up?
Naval aviator, astronaut

8. How many colleges did you attend?
Truman State University

9. Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now?
It was on top of the pile.

10. GAS PRICES?
Suck

11. If you could move anywhere and take someone with you?
Italy

12. First thought when the alarm went off this morning?
Blah it's Monday

13. Last thought before going to sleep last night?
Man am I tired.

14. Favorite style of underwear?
boxers

15. Favorite style of underwear for the opposite sex?
Don't care.

16. What errand/chore do you despise?
Cleaning

17. If you didn't have to work, would you volunteer?
Yup

18. Get up early or sleep in?
Get up early.

19. What is your favorite cartoon character?
Garfield

20. Favorite NON sexual thing to do at night with a girl/guy?
Cuddling on the couch while watching a movie.

21. Have you found real love yet?
Yes, but am searching again.

22. When did you first start feeling old?
When I started getting gray hair.

23. Favorite 80's movie?
???

24. Your favorite lunch meat?
Ham

25. What do you get every time you go into Walmart?
Nothing in particular.

26. Beach or lake?
Lake

27. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?
No

28. How many people do you stalk on Facebook?
Now why would I admit to dhat?

29. Favorite guilty pleasure?
Gelato

30. Favorite movie you wouldn't want anyone to find out about?
?

31. What's your drink?
Crown and Coke

32. Cowboys or Indians?
Indians

33. Cops or Robbers?
Cops

34. Who from high school would you like to run into?
?

35. What radio station is your car radio tuned to right now?
100.5 WYMG

36. Norm or Cliff?
Norm!

37. The Cosby Show or the Simpsons?
The Simpsons

39. Do you like the person who sits directly across from you at work
Yes

40. If you could get away with it, who would you kill?
No one.

41. What famous person(s) would you like to have dinner with?
Linus Torvalds

42. What famous person would you like to sleep with?
Scarlett Johansen

43. Have you ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?
No

44. Last book you read for real? And finished?
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

45. Do you have a teddy bear?
No

46. Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?
Tent

47. Somewhere in California you've never been and would like to go?
Calascio, Italia

48. Do you go to church?
Yes

49. At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or a new relationship?
Relationship

50. Just how OLD are you?
27

D-Day Musing

This is a bit belated, but still relavant. Last week XM's 1940's channel carried rebroadcasts of the NBC radio news broadcasts from D-Day and D-Day +1. What really struck me was the fact that in 1944 the news cast involved three prayers, one from a Protestant minister, one from a Priest and one from a Rabbi. It really is striking to me how different the United States is today. Even if we were in a "popular" war like World War II, I can't imagine any news outlet being willing to carry any religious prayers for our troops and country.

The other thing in the broadcasts that struck me was the way the news casters covered the military actions. They went to great lengths to cover the story while not giving any useful tactical or strategic information. If only our military were so gifted in today's media.

It makes me wonder, what would be the outcome if a conflict like World War II were to occur in today's world? Would the US even get involved? Would the press be the enemy's best intelligence source? Would the citizens of the US support our troops with efforts of war rationing, war bonds and scrap drives?

QOTD

"Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within."

--James Baldwin

More Newman Photos

More photos are here.