Every once in a while, you gotta shake things up and break away from the everyday and the old ways of doing things. And that is EXACTLY where I am going here.
Her time has come! Finished, over, done, see ya later, get out of Dodge, toast, and outta here!! Who am I talking about? The Cell Phone Lady. You know the woman that comes on and tells you what to do when you call someones' cell and they don't answer. She was once a very valuable tool, but her services are no longer needed. She barks out various instructions in a very nice tone about what to do, and what buttons to push and what to do when you're done. Truth is, we all know now. We didn't in 1995, but we do now.
I had a lot of respect for her during the huge grey cell phone era. You know when Home Improvement was on #1 on TV, and Bill and Monica were messing around. But that's an era gone by for good. She had a good run during the black bag phone era too, when you had the magnetic antennas on the roof of our Ford Contours. Back then only cutting edge professionals had mobile phones, but lots has happened since. But she's still saying the same old tired lines. Push this, push that, wait for the beep. C'mon! Everyone in the world has a phone now and we know the rules.
It's tough to see once proud pros's age and grow old. Once at the top of her game, the world has just passed her by. Instead of being seen as a beacon of cell phone hope and a light in the murky mobile phone abyss, now she's just an irritating bridge to insure we are kept on the phone for the entire charged minute. In fact that's all she really ever was, but no one had the guts to say it. So I said it. Even that is obsolete. Who on earth even worries about minutes anymore? That went out when Seinfeld went off, and Hillary was president at the end of the last century.
It's over. Her time has come. It's time to give us all the credit we have earned from listening to her for 15 years. WE GET IT. We know to start talking at the beep. Nice run kid, but you're done, see? Florida is calling. Go golf, garden, buy and RV....just quit telling us what to do. We already know!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
MOVIE REVIEW - Mamma Mia
Are you ready for Mamma Mia? The summers big musical of course based on the music of the 1970'2 Supergroup ABBA. Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Firth star in this old school style musical that isn't made much anymore, and has fallen out of favor with the "real theater types."
It's the kind of musical where people just break into song and dance every few minutes like it's the most natural thing on earth. Ala Oklahoma, Music Man, and Fiddler On The Roof. Over the past few decades, those have been replaced by the Phantom, Cats and that bunch. But Mamma Mia is old school, with the music of ABBA. By the way before you poo-poo ABBA tunes, you bought them, and listened to them and they are still among the top selling musical acts of all time worldwide. With their heavily produced, slick studio sound, they were WAYYY ahead of the game in the mid 70's and clearly set the stage for the successful pop acts to follow in the 80's and 90's.
It's the story of a single woman (Streep) and her 20 year old daughter. The daughter is getting married and she has three possible fathers. She invites all three to her wedding, and the fun is on. The story here takes a back seat to the music. I'm not sure how many curious movie-goers are going for the story, you want to see the songs and how they are interpreted. First, all the actors do their own singing. If you are longing to hear ABBA remastered and slickly produced, you're going to the wrong show.
Streep holds her own on many vocals covering many ABBA songs. And by and large most of the actors do. BUT the former James Bond Brosnan, oh boy. Shouting, and caterwauling through a couple of songs, sheesh! I'm actually considering hiring 007 to put him out of his singing misery. Even though he's likable on the screen, his singing is brutal at best. I will warn you up front you will hear him sing S.O.S, and ..well there should be a law! No man on earth should sing that song.
Hollywood actors love making movies like this. They get to use all their craft they have been trained in, and get to show their versatility. I will tell you before you go, this movie is chock full of over-the-top singing and dancing. Complete with a backing chorus, and lots of people doing things that no one ever does in real life. Lots of over acting, heavily staged huge production numbers. If that's NOT your cup of tea, avoid this movie like grim death! That's what it is plain and simple.
Mamma Mia. A real break from the everyday, and an escape from reality. In these stressed filled times it may be just what some need this summer. The company you take with you makes all the difference. This is a girls night out-period. D0n't do this to your guy girls. Meet for a drink afterwards.
It's the kind of musical where people just break into song and dance every few minutes like it's the most natural thing on earth. Ala Oklahoma, Music Man, and Fiddler On The Roof. Over the past few decades, those have been replaced by the Phantom, Cats and that bunch. But Mamma Mia is old school, with the music of ABBA. By the way before you poo-poo ABBA tunes, you bought them, and listened to them and they are still among the top selling musical acts of all time worldwide. With their heavily produced, slick studio sound, they were WAYYY ahead of the game in the mid 70's and clearly set the stage for the successful pop acts to follow in the 80's and 90's.
It's the story of a single woman (Streep) and her 20 year old daughter. The daughter is getting married and she has three possible fathers. She invites all three to her wedding, and the fun is on. The story here takes a back seat to the music. I'm not sure how many curious movie-goers are going for the story, you want to see the songs and how they are interpreted. First, all the actors do their own singing. If you are longing to hear ABBA remastered and slickly produced, you're going to the wrong show.
Streep holds her own on many vocals covering many ABBA songs. And by and large most of the actors do. BUT the former James Bond Brosnan, oh boy. Shouting, and caterwauling through a couple of songs, sheesh! I'm actually considering hiring 007 to put him out of his singing misery. Even though he's likable on the screen, his singing is brutal at best. I will warn you up front you will hear him sing S.O.S, and ..well there should be a law! No man on earth should sing that song.
Hollywood actors love making movies like this. They get to use all their craft they have been trained in, and get to show their versatility. I will tell you before you go, this movie is chock full of over-the-top singing and dancing. Complete with a backing chorus, and lots of people doing things that no one ever does in real life. Lots of over acting, heavily staged huge production numbers. If that's NOT your cup of tea, avoid this movie like grim death! That's what it is plain and simple.
Mamma Mia. A real break from the everyday, and an escape from reality. In these stressed filled times it may be just what some need this summer. The company you take with you makes all the difference. This is a girls night out-period. D0n't do this to your guy girls. Meet for a drink afterwards.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
MOVIE REVIEW - Batman The Dark Knight
Okay, its the big one. Time to get real about Batman The Dark Knight new in theaters this weekend. Starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman. Another installment of the Batman series, this one the darkest of them all.
First, this is a very BIG movie. Big sets, music, special effects, cinematography, the whole bit as well as being big on time, running at almost 2 hours and 40 minutes. The entire feel of Batman though is very dark and grim. The Joker (Ledger) is on the loose in Gotham City. He is wreaking havoc and terror on it's citizens. And when I say terror, I'm not kidding. The Joker is a maniacal nut, in charge of his faculties enough to unleash brilliant plan after plan to take control of our fictional city. The written character of The Joker in the story is great, and Ledgers performance is very convincing.
The strength of Batman is the story. This of course is another superhero movie in the summer of tons of them, but the story here is far more intelligent than 90 percent of the rest. Although this is a summer big action flick, it has a realness to it that's hard to ignore. Make no mistake, this is a movie on modern day terrorism, wrapped up in a comic book background. And that is the separator.
You heard much made of Ledgers performance too as The Joker. Ledger of course died in January, and this is the last role of his young life. I will tell you this. When on screen, his interpretation of The Joker is compelling, brilliant at times, very raw and real, and will be the role that he is remembered for in his legacy. BUT if you're going to Batman to see Heath Ledger dominate the screen for 2:40 minutes, you will be let down. Although terrific, his role is totally supportive. There is not near as much Joker as you are led to think. I tell you that to be fair.
Interesting note here too. As I left the theater, I heard a kid about 9 years old say, "That was the best movie I have ever seen!" I don't doubt that young mans word one bit. Good for him. But to be fair, I'm sure he didn't understand the majority of it. With a great story, you often get a complicated one, and this is. You have The Joker, The Mob, Rival gangs, The Japanese Underworld, the District Attorneys office, SWAT all involved. This flick is totally written for adults. Lots of kids there, but it's for adults. There is violence, and there are real intense moments, and scary scenes. Some may be a little too much for some young kids. You know your kids best. I tell you that to be honest. Language tame, no real blood or gore either.
Batman The Dark Knight, I have to say this is the big movie of the summer. I will tell you I enjoyed it, and it was compelling and exciting for the most part. Surprising story is the difference. You may find other superhero movies soon follow suite. This is not your fathers' Batman anymore. Smart, intense, and dark.
First, this is a very BIG movie. Big sets, music, special effects, cinematography, the whole bit as well as being big on time, running at almost 2 hours and 40 minutes. The entire feel of Batman though is very dark and grim. The Joker (Ledger) is on the loose in Gotham City. He is wreaking havoc and terror on it's citizens. And when I say terror, I'm not kidding. The Joker is a maniacal nut, in charge of his faculties enough to unleash brilliant plan after plan to take control of our fictional city. The written character of The Joker in the story is great, and Ledgers performance is very convincing.
The strength of Batman is the story. This of course is another superhero movie in the summer of tons of them, but the story here is far more intelligent than 90 percent of the rest. Although this is a summer big action flick, it has a realness to it that's hard to ignore. Make no mistake, this is a movie on modern day terrorism, wrapped up in a comic book background. And that is the separator.
You heard much made of Ledgers performance too as The Joker. Ledger of course died in January, and this is the last role of his young life. I will tell you this. When on screen, his interpretation of The Joker is compelling, brilliant at times, very raw and real, and will be the role that he is remembered for in his legacy. BUT if you're going to Batman to see Heath Ledger dominate the screen for 2:40 minutes, you will be let down. Although terrific, his role is totally supportive. There is not near as much Joker as you are led to think. I tell you that to be fair.
Interesting note here too. As I left the theater, I heard a kid about 9 years old say, "That was the best movie I have ever seen!" I don't doubt that young mans word one bit. Good for him. But to be fair, I'm sure he didn't understand the majority of it. With a great story, you often get a complicated one, and this is. You have The Joker, The Mob, Rival gangs, The Japanese Underworld, the District Attorneys office, SWAT all involved. This flick is totally written for adults. Lots of kids there, but it's for adults. There is violence, and there are real intense moments, and scary scenes. Some may be a little too much for some young kids. You know your kids best. I tell you that to be honest. Language tame, no real blood or gore either.
Batman The Dark Knight, I have to say this is the big movie of the summer. I will tell you I enjoyed it, and it was compelling and exciting for the most part. Surprising story is the difference. You may find other superhero movies soon follow suite. This is not your fathers' Batman anymore. Smart, intense, and dark.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
How Great Are Hamburgers Anyway?
This weekend it the Annual Akron Hamburger Festival at Lock 3. You know as you trek around town you hear things. Some people are very excited about it, some luke-warm, some actually against it. I have to ask the latter of these three groups this question. "What the heck is wrong with you?"
Exactly, how great are hamburgers anyway? I'm serious. I could eat a burger every day. As a matter of fact, I'm not far away from that average right now. How can anyone actually think that having a two-day festival in summer, that honors maybe the greatest food concoction or all time is a bad idea? Let me see if I have this straight. Two summer days, downtown with friends and family, having a drink or two, and eating hamburgers. C'mon get a grip!
Look, I can do without the bobbing for burgers bit and the immersing grown human beings in a plastic wading pool of ketchup, I'm down with that. I can maybe even do away with the speed eating routine, unless you're bringing in Kobyashi. If I'm going to watch adults wolf down 40 burgers in 15 minutes, I want the professionals doing it. Not Bob from accounting. I've got to work with him on Monday, you know???? And to be brutally honest, I have no interest in taking a class or seminar on the history of the dish, or where or how it began. I'm not concerned about voting for the best burger, or the biggest. I just want to eat one. But other than that, bring on the burgies!!!!!!!!!
Last summer Stacy and I went to a terrific beach house in California for 8 glorious days with our best friends Don and Terri and their family. It was in Sunset beach, about a 1 minute walk from the Pacific Ocean. It was the vacation of our lives. Great house, great beach, great people, and nothing but time on our hands. But as great as that was, here we are a year later do you know what we talk about first when that vacation comes up? Eating hamburgers! True! We grilled up a ton of burgers, and put them in the fridge. So about 5 times a day when you would walk through the kitchen, you'd grab a burger, 30 seconds in the wave, and you were good to go. We all ate a burger about ever 3-4 hours or so. It was the perfect vacation.
Hamburgers. Ground up steak that you can flatten out, and put on the grill. Man, what's not to like? You can put anything on them. You can use a regular bun, kaiser roll, pita pocket, even bread if your desperate. Toast the bun, or not. Cheese if you please. Onion, pickles, mayo, mustard, ketchup, tomatoes, it's all good. You can have them huge, or a tiny slider. Single patty or double. Fried or grilled, flame broiled too. I don't care. Just hand one over and let's get to work. What other food can boast all that? Not many. I'm getting hungry just typing this.
So look, if you think the Hamburger Festival isn't a good idea, I suggest you re-evaluate your priorities in life. Maybe take a anger management class. I ask again , what's not to like? If you insist on sticking to your guns on this highly important issue, then I hope you enjoy your Tofu, or Bree, or whatever festival that your looking for instead. I'm sure you'll have a nice time with Buffy and Biff, and tell them I said "hi" will ya? And when they ask you where I am, tell them I'm mid-bite on a burger with a cold King or Rock on the side.
Exactly, how great are hamburgers anyway? I'm serious. I could eat a burger every day. As a matter of fact, I'm not far away from that average right now. How can anyone actually think that having a two-day festival in summer, that honors maybe the greatest food concoction or all time is a bad idea? Let me see if I have this straight. Two summer days, downtown with friends and family, having a drink or two, and eating hamburgers. C'mon get a grip!
Look, I can do without the bobbing for burgers bit and the immersing grown human beings in a plastic wading pool of ketchup, I'm down with that. I can maybe even do away with the speed eating routine, unless you're bringing in Kobyashi. If I'm going to watch adults wolf down 40 burgers in 15 minutes, I want the professionals doing it. Not Bob from accounting. I've got to work with him on Monday, you know???? And to be brutally honest, I have no interest in taking a class or seminar on the history of the dish, or where or how it began. I'm not concerned about voting for the best burger, or the biggest. I just want to eat one. But other than that, bring on the burgies!!!!!!!!!
Last summer Stacy and I went to a terrific beach house in California for 8 glorious days with our best friends Don and Terri and their family. It was in Sunset beach, about a 1 minute walk from the Pacific Ocean. It was the vacation of our lives. Great house, great beach, great people, and nothing but time on our hands. But as great as that was, here we are a year later do you know what we talk about first when that vacation comes up? Eating hamburgers! True! We grilled up a ton of burgers, and put them in the fridge. So about 5 times a day when you would walk through the kitchen, you'd grab a burger, 30 seconds in the wave, and you were good to go. We all ate a burger about ever 3-4 hours or so. It was the perfect vacation.
Hamburgers. Ground up steak that you can flatten out, and put on the grill. Man, what's not to like? You can put anything on them. You can use a regular bun, kaiser roll, pita pocket, even bread if your desperate. Toast the bun, or not. Cheese if you please. Onion, pickles, mayo, mustard, ketchup, tomatoes, it's all good. You can have them huge, or a tiny slider. Single patty or double. Fried or grilled, flame broiled too. I don't care. Just hand one over and let's get to work. What other food can boast all that? Not many. I'm getting hungry just typing this.
So look, if you think the Hamburger Festival isn't a good idea, I suggest you re-evaluate your priorities in life. Maybe take a anger management class. I ask again , what's not to like? If you insist on sticking to your guns on this highly important issue, then I hope you enjoy your Tofu, or Bree, or whatever festival that your looking for instead. I'm sure you'll have a nice time with Buffy and Biff, and tell them I said "hi" will ya? And when they ask you where I am, tell them I'm mid-bite on a burger with a cold King or Rock on the side.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Seriously,How Much Does It Cost?
I have some close friends that had to fly into town on short notice this weekend. We've all had to make those last minute, unexpected flights in our lives, and on top of adjusting schedules and the like, there is the expense.
So how much does it cost to fly from say Las Vegas to Cleveland or Akron/Canton on short notice? Or any kind of notice for that matter? Great question! You know when you go to Wal-Mart, you go to the desired department, pick up the item you need, and look at the price. You know right then and there. Then you make your decision if that's okay or not with you. Easy enough. Same thing at the much-dreaded gas station these days. You may not like it, but the price is the price and you go with it. But flying? That's a different animal altogether.
Let's go back to the original question. How much does it cost to fly from Las Vegas to Northeast Ohio. Do you know? I don't. The honest truth is... NO ONE KNOWS. Are you flying coach or first class. What time of the day, what day, are you staying over for a Saturday night or not. (Did you ever really understand that one?..me either.) The list goes on. Do you want to stop in another city or not? How many bags are you checking? Are you flying early in the week or late? Do you have a web special, any discounts or coupons? Are you member of our frequent flyer programs or not? Did you make your reservation at least 21 days in advance, or even 14 days in advance?
Strange phenomenon here, if you book your flight at the last minute, somehow you are not near as important as someone who booked it 21 days ago. And man do "they" let you know it. Airlines stick a straw right in your wallet and start sucking, and they don't stop till they're full! And man, are they thirsty. Now there's fuel surcharges, charging you to use your "free" points, using other people miles, buying miles...man C'mon!!!
You know, when you start typing these issues, it all sounds so ludicrous, and it is. I don't remember having this kind of problem at Wal-Mart. When I go into buy golf balls, I pay the same price if I'm there on short notice or if I decided to buy them 21 days earlier. They also have never asked me if I'm going to use the golf balls on a Saturday night. I don't have to have a web special rate on the golf balls either. Plus these golf balls are transferable; I can share them with my friends! One sad note though, if I buy 25,000 golf balls over time, I don't get a free golf trip anywhere there is golf in the contiguous 48 states. Plus, the golf balls aren't one price at 2pm and twice as much at 5pm, or from Monday to Tuesday. I think the airlines ought to take a cue from the consignment shops too. The longer an item sits at a resale shop, the lower the price goes, sometimes 10 percent a week. Now we're flyin!
In the end, my friends got here safely and on time, I'm thankful for that, and it's always great to see them. And after begging, borrowing, stealing, answering all the right questions the right way, making 40 phone calls to the right people, the two of them flew in with a fare that was fair. But to be honest, it shouldn't be that hard or stressful. Talk about a system that is just absurd. Someone, somewhere just simplify this whole situation.
So again, back to the original question, how much does it cost to fly from Las Vegas to Northeast Ohio? The real and honest answer is....there is no answer. There are way too many factors in the equation. It should be 1 plus 1 equals 2. But it's not. It truly is a question without any real answer.
So how much does it cost to fly from say Las Vegas to Cleveland or Akron/Canton on short notice? Or any kind of notice for that matter? Great question! You know when you go to Wal-Mart, you go to the desired department, pick up the item you need, and look at the price. You know right then and there. Then you make your decision if that's okay or not with you. Easy enough. Same thing at the much-dreaded gas station these days. You may not like it, but the price is the price and you go with it. But flying? That's a different animal altogether.
Let's go back to the original question. How much does it cost to fly from Las Vegas to Northeast Ohio. Do you know? I don't. The honest truth is... NO ONE KNOWS. Are you flying coach or first class. What time of the day, what day, are you staying over for a Saturday night or not. (Did you ever really understand that one?..me either.) The list goes on. Do you want to stop in another city or not? How many bags are you checking? Are you flying early in the week or late? Do you have a web special, any discounts or coupons? Are you member of our frequent flyer programs or not? Did you make your reservation at least 21 days in advance, or even 14 days in advance?
Strange phenomenon here, if you book your flight at the last minute, somehow you are not near as important as someone who booked it 21 days ago. And man do "they" let you know it. Airlines stick a straw right in your wallet and start sucking, and they don't stop till they're full! And man, are they thirsty. Now there's fuel surcharges, charging you to use your "free" points, using other people miles, buying miles...man C'mon!!!
You know, when you start typing these issues, it all sounds so ludicrous, and it is. I don't remember having this kind of problem at Wal-Mart. When I go into buy golf balls, I pay the same price if I'm there on short notice or if I decided to buy them 21 days earlier. They also have never asked me if I'm going to use the golf balls on a Saturday night. I don't have to have a web special rate on the golf balls either. Plus these golf balls are transferable; I can share them with my friends! One sad note though, if I buy 25,000 golf balls over time, I don't get a free golf trip anywhere there is golf in the contiguous 48 states. Plus, the golf balls aren't one price at 2pm and twice as much at 5pm, or from Monday to Tuesday. I think the airlines ought to take a cue from the consignment shops too. The longer an item sits at a resale shop, the lower the price goes, sometimes 10 percent a week. Now we're flyin!
In the end, my friends got here safely and on time, I'm thankful for that, and it's always great to see them. And after begging, borrowing, stealing, answering all the right questions the right way, making 40 phone calls to the right people, the two of them flew in with a fare that was fair. But to be honest, it shouldn't be that hard or stressful. Talk about a system that is just absurd. Someone, somewhere just simplify this whole situation.
So again, back to the original question, how much does it cost to fly from Las Vegas to Northeast Ohio? The real and honest answer is....there is no answer. There are way too many factors in the equation. It should be 1 plus 1 equals 2. But it's not. It truly is a question without any real answer.
Friday, July 11, 2008
MOVIE REVIEW - JOURNEY/CENTER/EARTH
What a concept this is!. A real family movie, that isn't a bunch of cartooney animals singing pop songs or big production numbers with all of us saying, "wow isn't that cute?" Brendan Fraser stars in an updated adaptation of the Jules Verne Classic novel, A Journey To The Center Of The Earth.
What is really well done in this most recent attempt, is that it is set in modern times, and the characters use the Verne novel as their guide. Fraser stars as a struggling professor trying to keep his lab open at his university. He teams up with his young nephew to retrace the footsteps of his late, older brother who indeed thought that the Verne novel was not fiction but an account of another geologists actual voyage to the earths center 150 years ago. Nice idea.
Our two heroes team up with a tour guide, who is destined to become a love interest and the adventure is on to the center of the earth. This is a real nice twist on an old idea. Journey has been made many times over, but this is okay. This is a real family flick. There were all kinds of families in the theater this afternoon, and all were mesmerised. Journey wastes little time getting you to where you want to go, and keeps you there till it's conclusion. You want to go to the center of the earth and you do within minutes. It holds you for a nice, tidy 90 minutes and then your back home.
Plenty of compelling adventures, nice effects, and some fun animation make Journey palatable for all. Mix that with the gifted imagination and vision of Verne, and you've got a real nice package here. Have no fear with the kids either. The language is fine, and Journey does a fine job of maintaining a nice maturity level throughout. Mild warning - there are a few scenes that are a little intense, T-Rex, huge piranha, things of that nature just so you know. No blood or gore, just noise. Fun performances too make Journey a nice Saturday afternoon matinee.
I had real reservations about this one. I was ready for the old rehashing of an old idea that had probably been told better on screen before. But Journey is good fun. Well done. I love being surprised at the movies. Who knows, maybe your kids will want to read the book! Worse things that being introduced to Jules Verne.
What is really well done in this most recent attempt, is that it is set in modern times, and the characters use the Verne novel as their guide. Fraser stars as a struggling professor trying to keep his lab open at his university. He teams up with his young nephew to retrace the footsteps of his late, older brother who indeed thought that the Verne novel was not fiction but an account of another geologists actual voyage to the earths center 150 years ago. Nice idea.
Our two heroes team up with a tour guide, who is destined to become a love interest and the adventure is on to the center of the earth. This is a real nice twist on an old idea. Journey has been made many times over, but this is okay. This is a real family flick. There were all kinds of families in the theater this afternoon, and all were mesmerised. Journey wastes little time getting you to where you want to go, and keeps you there till it's conclusion. You want to go to the center of the earth and you do within minutes. It holds you for a nice, tidy 90 minutes and then your back home.
Plenty of compelling adventures, nice effects, and some fun animation make Journey palatable for all. Mix that with the gifted imagination and vision of Verne, and you've got a real nice package here. Have no fear with the kids either. The language is fine, and Journey does a fine job of maintaining a nice maturity level throughout. Mild warning - there are a few scenes that are a little intense, T-Rex, huge piranha, things of that nature just so you know. No blood or gore, just noise. Fun performances too make Journey a nice Saturday afternoon matinee.
I had real reservations about this one. I was ready for the old rehashing of an old idea that had probably been told better on screen before. But Journey is good fun. Well done. I love being surprised at the movies. Who knows, maybe your kids will want to read the book! Worse things that being introduced to Jules Verne.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
When 80 Large Isn't Enough
You know there's an old saying in sports that is so true in life: "You should play for name on the front of the uniform, and not the name on the back of it." I love that line. First of all, it's the sign of a true teammate, and secondly it represents an era gone by. And era that I fear may be gone forever.
Because eighty million dollars doesn't go as far as it used to, this week the Tribe had to trade CC Sabathia to the Brewers, and HAD to is the right word. The Indians were going to lose him at the end of the season when his contract was up. Eighty million of the Dolans' money was not going to be nearly enough. I feel CC would liked to have stayed here, but with the Players Union quietly behind the scenes urging him NOT to sign and his agent telling him NOT to sign, the pressure was just too much. The system in Major League Baseball is totally broken. No salary cap means no end to the spending. The union and the agents just don't care about anything else except their interests - period. This is going to happen to the Indians and teams like them again and again and again.
A number of years ago, professional sports stopped being sports by and large and became entertainment. It is not about winning and losing anymore to the players; it's about putting out a good product. This is where players and fans split and go down separate paths. To fans, it's all about winning and losing. Players are now just like actors in Hollywood. It's not about the game anymore; it's about what you can pull out of the game. Actors do the same thing. As long as Mike Myers is making 20 million a picture, he doesn't care if the work is good or not or what people think of him. He just collects, as does his agent. You seldom hear of big stars turning down 10 million for a movie, but they do. But only when another project is promising them 15 million for 8 weeks of work. That story is just shoved under the carpet.
In sports it's all right out in the open. We have ESPN, sports sections, sports stations on radio, that LIVE to tell you that CC turned down 80 million or so. But HE didn't... the system did. We get mad and feel betrayed, and go off on ownership, but to be fair, you can only offer a 26-year-old 80 million dollars so many times. After awhile, it's obvious his agent isn't going to take your 80 large; he's only going to accept 125 million of New Yorks, Bostons, Chicagos or Los Angeles' money. There's just not enough coin in Cleveland. That is the bottom line. Sad!
To be fair, in life sometimes you "gotta do what you gotta do." People in all our lives make decisions all the time that affect their own lives and the lives of those around them. That is what happened to us this week when CC left. He did what he had to do, and it's a shame when 80 million isn't nearly enough. The difference between CC and us, it doesn't all play out on Sportscenter. CC can't play for the name on the front of the uniform because the system won't let him, or anyone else in his position, and that's ridiculous!
I'm thinking that the lucky ones are the people who play for the name on the front of the uniform, while respecting their own name on the back of it. There is something inherently good about being able to make a good living while working for and believing in the people you work for. You can then spend your working life rewarding one another for a job well done. Those that fit into that category are the happiest people I know. Honest work - honest pay.
So I'm going to cheer for the name on the front of the Tribe's uniforms and not the back. I am a fan. A sad one this week, but a fan, nonetheless. It's too bad we've got to go through this, but I think we'll all survive. But conversely, I think I may have seen my last Mike Myers movie though. I don't have to go through that again.
Because eighty million dollars doesn't go as far as it used to, this week the Tribe had to trade CC Sabathia to the Brewers, and HAD to is the right word. The Indians were going to lose him at the end of the season when his contract was up. Eighty million of the Dolans' money was not going to be nearly enough. I feel CC would liked to have stayed here, but with the Players Union quietly behind the scenes urging him NOT to sign and his agent telling him NOT to sign, the pressure was just too much. The system in Major League Baseball is totally broken. No salary cap means no end to the spending. The union and the agents just don't care about anything else except their interests - period. This is going to happen to the Indians and teams like them again and again and again.
A number of years ago, professional sports stopped being sports by and large and became entertainment. It is not about winning and losing anymore to the players; it's about putting out a good product. This is where players and fans split and go down separate paths. To fans, it's all about winning and losing. Players are now just like actors in Hollywood. It's not about the game anymore; it's about what you can pull out of the game. Actors do the same thing. As long as Mike Myers is making 20 million a picture, he doesn't care if the work is good or not or what people think of him. He just collects, as does his agent. You seldom hear of big stars turning down 10 million for a movie, but they do. But only when another project is promising them 15 million for 8 weeks of work. That story is just shoved under the carpet.
In sports it's all right out in the open. We have ESPN, sports sections, sports stations on radio, that LIVE to tell you that CC turned down 80 million or so. But HE didn't... the system did. We get mad and feel betrayed, and go off on ownership, but to be fair, you can only offer a 26-year-old 80 million dollars so many times. After awhile, it's obvious his agent isn't going to take your 80 large; he's only going to accept 125 million of New Yorks, Bostons, Chicagos or Los Angeles' money. There's just not enough coin in Cleveland. That is the bottom line. Sad!
To be fair, in life sometimes you "gotta do what you gotta do." People in all our lives make decisions all the time that affect their own lives and the lives of those around them. That is what happened to us this week when CC left. He did what he had to do, and it's a shame when 80 million isn't nearly enough. The difference between CC and us, it doesn't all play out on Sportscenter. CC can't play for the name on the front of the uniform because the system won't let him, or anyone else in his position, and that's ridiculous!
I'm thinking that the lucky ones are the people who play for the name on the front of the uniform, while respecting their own name on the back of it. There is something inherently good about being able to make a good living while working for and believing in the people you work for. You can then spend your working life rewarding one another for a job well done. Those that fit into that category are the happiest people I know. Honest work - honest pay.
So I'm going to cheer for the name on the front of the Tribe's uniforms and not the back. I am a fan. A sad one this week, but a fan, nonetheless. It's too bad we've got to go through this, but I think we'll all survive. But conversely, I think I may have seen my last Mike Myers movie though. I don't have to go through that again.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
MOVIE REVIEW - HANCOCK
Pretty cool stuff here, a rare Wednesday movie release for the holiday weekend, Will Smith stars as Hancock. Rated PG-13. In this summer of superhero movies it could be easy for another one to get lost, but Hancock won't because it goes in a very different direction.
Hancock is a character like you've never seen before in the movies. He is a reluctant superhero in Los Angeles. He's homeless, a drunk, and really is NOT a nice guy at all. Hancock is blessed with the ability to fly and with great strength, but doesn't really know what to do with it. When he attempts to help his fellow man he invariably does more damage than good, but usually does get the job done. He is vilified by the greater Los Angeles area, who are sick of his shenanigans, and all the damage he causes. He runs across an owner of a struggling PR company (Jason Bateman) that is bent on fixing Hancock's image in the public eye. He takes our hero under his wing, and launches a good will campaign to make Hancock a true hero in the court of public opinion.
That is the story in a nutshell, but I will tell you there's much more to Hancock than that. This is a true action-comedy. True there are some really funny moments, but in the end this is more of an action flick. And to be brutally honest, it's a lot more intense than I thought it would be. I will tell you up front this may be too much for some really young viewers to see.
One thing about Hancock that I noticed is that I felt I was ahead of the movie at times. You can tell there's going to be other shoes to fall. Charlize Theron has this small role in this big movie, and for me that was curious. But all questions are answered. Hancock packs huge punch. This really is an in-your-face flick. It's loud, and has a very eclectic soundtrack that ranges from street thug rap, to a huge and soaring terrific orchestral crescendo.
Hancock is not a bad movie, but does have it's troubles. Too many trailers for too long take away from the sight gags, that actually are funny the first time or two. I felt too, there was way too much harsh language that didn't make it a better movie just a meaner one. I'm not talking the small words either. Too me that was really surprising. Will Smith is likable again in a leading role and there's nothing really wrong with seeing Charlize Theron on on the screen anytime.
Hancock does not wear out it's welcome either, about 90 minutes long. You may find this movie ends exactly when you're ready for it to. It's big time summer movie making, lots of bells whistles, very loud and lots of action. In the long run, fun - for some. Not as friendly as I was ready for, not for everyone. Hancock - a true mixed bag.
Hancock is a character like you've never seen before in the movies. He is a reluctant superhero in Los Angeles. He's homeless, a drunk, and really is NOT a nice guy at all. Hancock is blessed with the ability to fly and with great strength, but doesn't really know what to do with it. When he attempts to help his fellow man he invariably does more damage than good, but usually does get the job done. He is vilified by the greater Los Angeles area, who are sick of his shenanigans, and all the damage he causes. He runs across an owner of a struggling PR company (Jason Bateman) that is bent on fixing Hancock's image in the public eye. He takes our hero under his wing, and launches a good will campaign to make Hancock a true hero in the court of public opinion.
That is the story in a nutshell, but I will tell you there's much more to Hancock than that. This is a true action-comedy. True there are some really funny moments, but in the end this is more of an action flick. And to be brutally honest, it's a lot more intense than I thought it would be. I will tell you up front this may be too much for some really young viewers to see.
One thing about Hancock that I noticed is that I felt I was ahead of the movie at times. You can tell there's going to be other shoes to fall. Charlize Theron has this small role in this big movie, and for me that was curious. But all questions are answered. Hancock packs huge punch. This really is an in-your-face flick. It's loud, and has a very eclectic soundtrack that ranges from street thug rap, to a huge and soaring terrific orchestral crescendo.
Hancock is not a bad movie, but does have it's troubles. Too many trailers for too long take away from the sight gags, that actually are funny the first time or two. I felt too, there was way too much harsh language that didn't make it a better movie just a meaner one. I'm not talking the small words either. Too me that was really surprising. Will Smith is likable again in a leading role and there's nothing really wrong with seeing Charlize Theron on on the screen anytime.
Hancock does not wear out it's welcome either, about 90 minutes long. You may find this movie ends exactly when you're ready for it to. It's big time summer movie making, lots of bells whistles, very loud and lots of action. In the long run, fun - for some. Not as friendly as I was ready for, not for everyone. Hancock - a true mixed bag.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
They Are Watching
Tough to believe that is already the July 4th, but it is. Seems like it got here quick this year. Being a Friday this year is nice in many regards. One, a nice three day weekend, and two a short work week for many. (If you're working this holiday weekend, thanks in advance.)
Fireworks are always a big part of this time of the year. I enjoy going to a show as much as anyone, but as far as buying them and shooting them off, not my thing. I never understood the idea of spending cash on something that gives you about a half second worth of fun. Plus it's just not worth the risk to me.
When I was 22, a great friend of mine was badly burned in a freak camping accident. There was a bunch of us there, it was freaky but nonetheless it happened. Fumes ignited from many feet away and he caught fire. I won't forget it - ever! We put him out, and got him to the help he needed. He was lucky. After a long hospital stay and lots of painful procedures he's fine, unscarred, and I play golf with him every Sunday. He's part of our Dewsweepers Tour. We weren't dumb kids, we were smart. But fire doesn't care who is smart of not. I have not been the same with fire or fireworks ever since. Big time respect.
Ask anyone that knows me, I am not a nervous person by nature. I'm pretty low key. But when I see kids playing with fireworks, it still makes me cringe. I get nervous. So many kids are so badly injured every year from accidents from fireworks and to be honest, I think there shouldn't be any. You gotta be careful with this stuff. You know you only get one set of skin, two thumbs, 10 fingers, two hands, eyes, and ears, and we you gotta value them. One second of a loud blast isn't worth one body part that I am aware of.
Without being offensive I think that we grown-ups have the set the example. Kids want to do what they see us doing. If we're acting a fool, tough to tell them not to. Fireworks are a fickle foe. We generally don't develop a healthy respect for them till we see first hand what they can do. By that time, someone has already paid the price. Same with fire. As a young guy, I used to do stupid things around fire. I wasn't alone, I was wrong and I was fortunate that it never went all wrong. After my friend, I got it. And still do. He paid - I learned. If I didn't, the whole terrible ordeal he went through would have been in vain and that's just flat out unacceptable to me. He's been too great of friend my whole life and thankfully still is, when it could have gone wrong all the way, 23 years ago.
I'm asking you to be safe this holiday weekend. If it helps think of my friend, and how lucky he was and is. Please pay attention this weekend not only to the actions of others, but to your own. Set the tone. Remember, one of the rules for being a youngster is that they watch the grown-ups. And the are watching. Happy Fourth of July!!
Fireworks are always a big part of this time of the year. I enjoy going to a show as much as anyone, but as far as buying them and shooting them off, not my thing. I never understood the idea of spending cash on something that gives you about a half second worth of fun. Plus it's just not worth the risk to me.
When I was 22, a great friend of mine was badly burned in a freak camping accident. There was a bunch of us there, it was freaky but nonetheless it happened. Fumes ignited from many feet away and he caught fire. I won't forget it - ever! We put him out, and got him to the help he needed. He was lucky. After a long hospital stay and lots of painful procedures he's fine, unscarred, and I play golf with him every Sunday. He's part of our Dewsweepers Tour. We weren't dumb kids, we were smart. But fire doesn't care who is smart of not. I have not been the same with fire or fireworks ever since. Big time respect.
Ask anyone that knows me, I am not a nervous person by nature. I'm pretty low key. But when I see kids playing with fireworks, it still makes me cringe. I get nervous. So many kids are so badly injured every year from accidents from fireworks and to be honest, I think there shouldn't be any. You gotta be careful with this stuff. You know you only get one set of skin, two thumbs, 10 fingers, two hands, eyes, and ears, and we you gotta value them. One second of a loud blast isn't worth one body part that I am aware of.
Without being offensive I think that we grown-ups have the set the example. Kids want to do what they see us doing. If we're acting a fool, tough to tell them not to. Fireworks are a fickle foe. We generally don't develop a healthy respect for them till we see first hand what they can do. By that time, someone has already paid the price. Same with fire. As a young guy, I used to do stupid things around fire. I wasn't alone, I was wrong and I was fortunate that it never went all wrong. After my friend, I got it. And still do. He paid - I learned. If I didn't, the whole terrible ordeal he went through would have been in vain and that's just flat out unacceptable to me. He's been too great of friend my whole life and thankfully still is, when it could have gone wrong all the way, 23 years ago.
I'm asking you to be safe this holiday weekend. If it helps think of my friend, and how lucky he was and is. Please pay attention this weekend not only to the actions of others, but to your own. Set the tone. Remember, one of the rules for being a youngster is that they watch the grown-ups. And the are watching. Happy Fourth of July!!
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