a better book?

Could you get abetter book about musicians or a group? Have rasd many books on this grou, many good ones, and they all puhed the ball forward, so to spaek.

This book obstitnantly about each song the smiths recorded and that its in G and C and all that - but it's also about a very very inside look at the band. I'm rite about 1983, so you can imagine the heaven I am in rite now.

Like the smiths? read this. So many things I never even guessed at. Plus, these days, i do so love all things G and C (and D and A and F - but what the fucks w. B?)

the sexual abuse of young boys

In my memory, there were two times when I was a boy where other boys tried - tepidly - to abuse me. Neither time were serious - thank God - and I bear no ill will at all from those tepid fellows. They were less cases of attempted abuse than confused young kids not knowing about thir sexuality. makes fro a nice blog post 30 years later.

Again, I was lucky.

The first time was when I was somthing like 7 or so. One of the deziens of the old neighbourhood - w. an impossibly Italino name - and I were hanging out in the allies or gangways or a foyers or where ever Marquette Park boys hung in the early 70's. Now, he was a few years older than me and always was looking for 'trouble' - simple stuff, like forging notes from a ficticious 'old lady' asking us to buy ciggerettes for her from the old gas station on 63d and Sacremento. If he got bored, he'd take it out on me - I can remember once when he held me on the ground in an alley threatening violence demanding 'the pot of gold' since I was a 'leprehaun.'(62d street alley between California and Mozart). He wasn't a close friend - he was older and was from the other side of one of the largest divides in the old neighbourhood - those Catholic schooled, and those public schooled. These days me being a fulltime arbieter in the public school system w. a deep knowledge of the old 'hood allows me to tell you the deep trouble these kids were in - us Catholics being on the college track even @ 7 yar old. But we did hang out as were were kids from the old neighbourhood.

This particular day he had me in tow and somewhere in the north alley of 63d between Cal and Kedzie and he asked me "Hey- do you want to get gay w. me?". Since I had no idea what 'gay' meant, he said " Well, first you do his to me, then I'll do it to you."

Me: "Um. Maybe not."

Tepid. More a case of exploring sexuality in on so young (he must have been 10). The second case was even But the second case was even more benign. This one happened in the summer between 7th and eight grade. Three of us, Tommy Gun (year younger than me who lived across the street - good friends w. him and his bro who was my age) and another frind who was two years older than us (also lived on the block) were hangng out in the hallways of the apartment block on the corner of 63rd and Mozrt called The Shrine in later Lancing Five lexigonagraphy). Now, the Shrine was a huge wraparound block of flats that reached four stories above a major city avenue - 63rd. We'd been using this building to play in for many years. Everyday, for example, us boys would play game after game of fast pitch (a baseball type game two could play) against the building, would climb the four stories to throw ballons @ people down below, and play hise and seek. It was the kind of neighbourhood back then where door were unlocked and dozens of kids could actully play hide and seek in side strangers apartment complexs. It's a cherished building in my life still - massive, tall, and filled w. my childhood.

So, literally just looking out one of the hall windows on the second floor doing nothing the older kid asked the two younger ones if we knew that guys could get pregnant? Now, the Tommy Gunne and I were not little kids and we knew better. We both said "impossible". But he insisted - and when he asked to demonstrate on us, Tommy Gunne and I shared an incredulious look w. each other and indicated to him that this was not going on. It wasn't a big deal - we didn't tear out of the building screaming what he wanted to do to us to defame him in the hood.

I'm not sure if either of these incidents would have actually qualify as 'abuse'if anything had happneed. Again, i sailed through pretty easily. But seemingly there were hundreds of boys who weren't so lucky . There has been in the international news recently the case of the deceased Father F. Murphy. He was a priest who molested (allegedy, should I add?) many young boys in the 1970's in a Wisconsin school for the deaf. Now, in the old days the church would just relocate predator prists to new parishs - and the abuse cycle would start again.

If you read the stories (broken in the NYT last week) about the protection afforded Fr. Murphy by the then Cardinal Ratzinger (the present Pope) to not prosecute Murphy for his deeds and instead sweep the allegations 'under the rug' and switch him out of the Wisconsin school in about 1974. My memories of Fr. murphy start rite around then - about time when Fr. Murphy was sent to my parish, St. Rita, to be a parish priest.

Oh, yes, the stories about him that started almost immediately. By the time I was in 6th or 7th grade, it was widely joked that Fr. murphy was a molester. When you brougt up this parish priest name in, say, 1979, 'molester' as the only imag that popped up. Father Murphy would always take the boys out to do things - I came along a few times - and the standing joke was his wrestling the boys in the grass @ Marquette Park.

There hasnt been talk of what he did in St.Rita, but i do remember when Father Murphy originally hit the news 10 years ago (he is in the news again simply because they found out the present day Pope was involved in a possible cover up- we have follwed this story for years now) there were cases of abuse among older boys I didnt know.

Buy, typically, the church did us a potential heavy damage - moving this predator into an enviroment of many boys. Again, luckily I escaped this dude.

football

busy being a football coach again. CPS did away with junior varsity teams in a cost cutting move - devastating - so i really dont get to be a head coach this spring. We only have two teams. However, that's ok - the guys I work w. are scarily great coaches -((so great I remain w. this program although I haven't been working @ this school since 2006 )) and it's fun to just be involved.

No more J-V teams? Before the decision was made to cut JV teams in the city, our teams 's schedule was set - and since there are many suburban and Catholic teams we play (in addition to the city fixtures) and they all have JV teams, it means we have a J-V team. These are the girls i will be working w. more - although I know there are two coaches ahead of me.

.

I'll also work w. the freshman girls - that's our real official second team. My best place is always working w. the kids who are really low on the scale - I'm next to worthless in the Fall w. thr varsity team - what can I teach them (in soccer) besides keeping them engaged in practice and in games. Small part, I enjoy it.

SO, season has started - and so my days now extend to getting home @ 7 many days. We had two games yesterday - one was the JVteam helped out by two varsity players who were playing their first game of the year (varsity's third game, but one was coming back from injury and the other from "boyfriend is more important than soccer" break (yes, that happens..... ) Both teams loked tepid - varsity got a tie and junior varsity a win. I really like that the season has started - so great to see the girls actually put what they have practiced into a real game situation.

love it. Hellalota work, but always funtime.

how far have i fallen?

new blog from the joker

he told me about this @ the news years party

on getting old

in my more militant days im sure i would have opposed today's health care vote. No, i'd vote yes today. and ill be happy enough when it passes. by ever mans and measure, a Medicare for Everyone style of health care is the smart, efficient, and best way to insure the welfare of America. W/o that, then at leat a very strong public option.

but the profit dudes are too powerful, and we get a weak compromise deal that shaves off the excesses of the sleazy corporations while allowing the for profit system to continue. that the system continues as is (amended, only) in a profit mode isn't the only worst thing about this law, however - equally worst is that people are required by law to own health insurance now. very bad!

but in spite of all the danger, i feel that if the law dont become, then the republicans will get to run rushhod over the democrats in the year to come and do all sorts of evil to our country. so, for that reason at last, and we deep reservations, i suport this bill to law.

old man compromiser.

corned beef and cabbage

w. class on Wednesday nite getting me home past 9pm, twasnt good fer irish home cookery this st patricks day. we'd then decided to do up it down on the tuesday - xcept none could come over. so, saturday was the day.

mom has come down with a withering cold - watchfullness raised amongst us all - and it made her hors de combat for the cooking - meaning i had to do it myself.

so, imagine the good suprise when the corned beef and cabbage - done by me - turned out pretty good. gf came over and it was eaten only by sister.1 and husband - mom nibbling what she could - but missions to make sure moms recipes survive on wwent well.

goodbye parade

Did miss the Southside Irish parade that woulda been held yesterday. Wonderbar thing for the neighbourhood - if you like a million visitors on a cold Sunday in Mars. I do.

Did miss the million. Planned protests weak- squelched quiet- the neighbourhood loses one of the only dinstinctive things about it ('sides it being my hood of residence and lanigans and Keegans). Best parade in Chicago, I have come to realize. Too bad. Was quiet - no drunx @ 10am staggering Westernwards. Did miss the sluttly dressed drunx - sorta like the whorish Halloween costumes that have become fashionable these past few years (or so - decade?)

also me

i live in fear

Hilts take on Bede's

St Bede’s 2010

written by Lazers
names edited by hilts

With the 2009 Benkowski championship and a good showing at a regular season Benkowski event, J&B returned to St Bede’s looking to avenge the multiple bubble finishes from last year. Seemingly clicking on all cylinders already, tonight’s roster saw the return of its founders, the J and the B, both absent from the Benkowski final. Sitting at table 31, it would be another slobber knocker of a trivia battle.

J&B represented by: Moho, Chem,ical Man, Peppys/Polanski, Hilts, Dragon, Stix and Nitenurse, Ms. Moho, MG and Lazers.

The battle would feature 130 questions, and J&B predicts 91 correct for itself as a tiebreaker choice. The sound system was much improved, the nun selling points was nowhere to be found, and although the moderator was a little heavy on providing clues while asking questions in the earlier rounds, his voice was strong enough for all to hear the questions.

Category 1: US Geography
What are the only 2 states that do not have counties?
Measured in terms of land area (square footage), what is the largest city in the US?
What 2 states are separated by the Mason/Dixon line?

Category 2: Literature
Who was the author of “The Wizard of Oz”?
The “Cat in the Hat” is told by a young boy. What is the name of his sister?
In what city does Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” take place?

Category 3: Sports
UCLA won the NCAA basketball championship from 1967-1973 and in 1975. What team won in 1974?
Who scored the first touchdown in the first Superbowl?
Who is the only Chicago Catholic League player to win a Cy Young award?

After three rounds, J&B is in second place. Our count had us at 23, but our total was announced as 24. The team has no idea where the extra point came from, but it isn’t about to complain.

Category 4: General Useless Information
What Great Lake has more shoreline than the entire US Atlantic seaboard?
What is the boiling point of water (Fahrenheit)?
Name the 4 railroads in Monopoly?

Category 5: Movie Quotes
“Politicians are a lot like diapers- they should be changed frequently and for the same reason.”
“Leave the gun. Take the cannolis.”
“I’m not bad. I’m just drawn that way.”

Category 6: History
What is the name of the only US President born in Illinois?
What was the name of the US Army Air force B-29 bomber that dropped the “Fat Man” nuclear weapon over Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, the second atomic weapon used against Japan?
1807: Robert Fulton’s steamboat made its voyage from New York City to Albany. What was the steamboat’s name?

After six rounds, leaders were not announced. J&B estimates it had around as many points in these three categories as it did in the first three- ballpark 46 points right now, on pace to crush the predicted 91 points by 1. The question regarding the only US President born in Illinois probably caused the most debate at the J&B table of any question of the night.



Category 7: Chicago
What was the name of Chicago’s first expressway?
What do the four stars on the Chicago flag represent?
1933: at Comiskey Park, Babe Ruth hit the first home run in All-Star Game history. Off which pitcher did he hit it?

Category 8: Remember Your Youth
What popular children’s game was initially designed as a training regimen for Roman foot soldiers?
What was Play-doh originally invented for?
Donald Duck’s nephews were Huey, Dewey and Louie. What were the names of Daisy Duck’s three nieces?

Category 9: Television
On “Different Strokes”, what was the name of Arnold’s fish?
What city was the setting for “One Day at a Time”?
On “I Love Lucy”, what was Lucy’s maiden name?

After nine rounds, J&B was tied with 66 points. The Chicago category hurt.

Category 10: Dead or Alive?
Mitch Miller?
Barbara Billingsley?
Jack Klugman?

Category 11: Movies
In “Cool Hand Luke”, what was the nickname of George Kennedy’s character?
In “Psycho”, what was the name of the private investigator played by Martin Balsam?
In “Forrest Gump”, what was the name of Forrest’s shrimp boat?

Category 12: Music
This category was worth 20 points and was entirely audio. The moderators played 10 songs, and teams had to provide the song title for 1 point and the artist for another point. Songs played included Moonlight Serenade (Glenn Miller), Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight (Lonnie Donegan) and Love Letter in the Sand (Pat Boone).

At home players?

PART II

Prior to pasting the thrilling finish to the St Bedes 2010 event, I noticed I missed a word for the first question of the General Useless Information category. The question should read: "What Great Lake state"

Answers to the above:

Louisiana and Alaska
Jacksonville, FL
Maryland and Pennsylvania
L Frank Baum
Sally
Verona
North Carolina State
Max McGee
Denny McLain
Michigan
212 degrees
Reading, B&O, Pennsylvania, Short Line
Man of the Year
The Godfather
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Ronald Reagan
Bocks Car
The Clermont
Calumet Expressway
Chicago Fire, Fort Dearborn, Columbian Expo, Century of Progress Expo
Bill Hallahan
Hop Scotch
Wallpaper cleaner
April, May and June
Abraham
Indianapolis
MacGillicuddy
Miller- dead
Billingsley- alive
Klugman- alive
Dragline
Arbogast
Jenny

After answers were read, J&B felt confident it had a chance at victory.
Announced in 3rd place: Usual Suspects with 96 points
Announced in 2nd place: Baby Ruths with 101 points.

It’s all over but the shouting- announced in 1st place with 103 points- J&B, anchored by a solid 20 out of 20 in the music category.

J&B continues to steamroll through 2010. Those folks in LaGrange might want to take note and start playing defense already. However, there will be several Benkowski battles before then, and St Bede’s announced the planning of a “music only” trivia event for April. Stix nearly knocked over the table with glee…