The Battle of the Denmark Strait

banksy

2011-12-22T15:55:00.000-06:00

Watched "Exit throught the gift shop" the other day. Wonderful, kept me laughing throughout, lovely. Then, lying in bed, thinking- wait........

Next day, up and finally reading the material about it, and stuill swilling in the 'wait...' category.

Such greatness to wallow in Banksy, whatever way he chooses to deliever it

chix

2011-11-03T15:37:00.000-05:00

apres ww2

2011-11-03T15:26:00.001-05:00

The Atlantic's continuing spanshots of ww2

The Fall of Japan

2011-10-24T09:11:00.002-05:00

Fall of Japan

Jesus and Occupy Wall Street

2011-10-23T21:39:00.002-05:00

Enjoying that the Priests are doing their bit to spread Occupy Wall Street. In the last two weeks of masses, The Holy Roman Catholic Church sermons have been about Jesus and the people in the streets.

Shure, trouble has been spread across the church through many things, but the last two weeks Jesus would have been proud of the community - and the communities - He has left behind.

2011-10-13T19:44:00.000-05:00

Der fall of zee nazi germany

There is no Happiness on this day whatever it is...

2011-10-05T01:02:00.005-05:00

They tried- they really did-

but somtimes the other team:

not warmed up and WE with the Immaculate Chance in the First Minute

(a Header off of The Bar

Yes

That would have made

a Stunning Statement):

possiblymaybecoulda been better

but months on end of

being to-gether

Believing -dont stop-

and

this day we face the End

And then

the professional kids

(Me with drink in me - nice drink, bar jenx-)

no individual test this time, rather a test horizonstyle barring me, for who knows how long and that is why I've said HELLO recently, d'accord)

have an un-opportune goal

goneagainstthem

sometime 70minutes in

seemingly too late to recover

a roaring barfull of dissapointment

But remember:

JV CityPlayoffs completed for us - but still there is sliteseason of friendlies left to practice and get better for as wella s next season for those who we coaches see varsity potential in

and

MLSCup Playoffs to qualify for and succeed

There is still Life ahead...

and it's a Double Loss of a Day

On the rank non-possibility of ever going home again...

2011-10-04T12:55:00.002-05:00

Sunday nite in rogers Park for Indian food and a catholic mass. So, on and on about Indian - maybe twice a week @ this point - Mutter Kuster and I went to a new place (have a 50% coupon for it, Jakovv said it was good until after we ate there - then he said he'd 'heard' it was good). New Place = um, forgot the name, but it's a Devon place - and brilliant. We shared plates of Masala and some beef dish - added 2 parathas (wait - paratha $2 each? ouch!!). Loved it. Will go back and try different dishes.

Then, back to my undergrad days for mass - but, wait, where were we? On the campus of Loyola University? But ..... it's so different!! It's no longer the campus I knew. I know, i know, 'my city was gone...' and 'this is were we swam/hunted/...buy a souvineir' and all the other 'old fogey' things back in my day - but the change in the place is stratospheric. The oldest of the old buildings remain - Dumbach, Cudahey, and the science buuilding. Mertz dorm remains. But the rest isbasically ..... 75% changed? Really - subtract those three buildings - even Cudahy has a giant addition tripling it's size - and little of the old campus remains. That little sand beach outside Madonna della Strada .....

And that's good - time and progress marches on. The campus looks good. Looks great. Who would want it to look the same? Glad for the next generations.....

But I knew that ONE area would remain unchanged - the Mass. Passed down thu' generations and generations around the world - passes down thru' generations and generations of my life - surely i would get the same satisfaction here - except ......

There have been three generations of me 'going to mass' By rote, growing up, I went to mass. Loved St. Rita, loved being a part of that. In college and living on the north side, I fell inlove with the student mass @ Loyola - the girls, the ease of a 10.15 pm mass, the girls, frenz, the girls....and, most inportantly, the singing. I learned to really enjoy the spectacle - and loved the singing. Looked forward to it because - always - you'd wonder what songs they'd kick into that nite. open up rocking w. "gather us in"? That stunning spiraling sung "Grant us peace". Sung "The Lords Parayer?" Spirituals like "Where you there when they crucified the Lord?" or "I once was blind....". Like a concert, I knew I'd arrived when somehtiing - be it the instruments, the singers, the time of the nite, the tenor of the sermon, the godpel readings - would lead me to weep - silently, secretly - so only The Father knew - but moved I was.

And a giant part of that was the music, and it really changed going to Mass 'by rote' to really enjoying the experience. Then came reading John Spongs Jesus for the non religious and the ongoing biblical scholarship that follwed, the attempt to 'save Jakovv's soul" and a third era of Mass going has been entered - the chuckling over which readings are used - tisk tisking when a Paul letetr was used that wasn't one of the 7 'For shure written by Paul', the giant smiles inside whent he priest sermoned what I liked or when biblical scholarship was deployed ...

But, on this sunday jnite, when I was expecting the music to move me - it didn't. The band? Horrible. No longer on the ground floor, it's now in the balcony (where we used to sneak up during mass and watch the rest down below) and muffled. Song choice? Stilted. Singers ...... eh.

Yes, the changes to campus are great. Part of my childhood was spent there in university, and I love the school and hope for its future. However, the mass experience was crushingly dissapointing.

I made the staement "I will never go back".

But maybe I should.

Cults

2011-09-28T16:05:00.000-05:00

cranx again

2011-09-27T12:24:00.003-05:00

Been on a crank calling jag reecently. Have listened to WCPT, the local liberal radio station that has Thom Hartman, Ed Shultz, Bill Press, Norman goldman, etc etc etc.... for several years now, but never thought to call any of them.

Until recently.

From 9-midnite Alan combs takes callers, is usually insulted by rightest types, and discusses the issues of the day. Pretty good show - Thom Hartman is The God of radio and is easily the best - but all the shows have good dtuff. However, the last 2-3m of Alan Combs show he allows callers to call in and say whatever they want - as long as it's one sentance. So, finally, i called... and discovered that it isn't that hard to get on in this period - it's one call after another, one sentance - so the line sopne up soon.

I decided to do several characters. My fave is "the German Guy", who originally called in to extoll everything German like he was the head of Deusth Tourism. "Zere ist nothing better den to enjoy zee German summer on zee baltic coast", "Ze Germann mountains are zee most beautifuler in zee vorld"... etc until the character was established - and then it became "zee best house paionters in zee vorld are from... Germany..." and etc etc etc... The vunderbar part of this character is that i Can come up w. somethiig to say instantly - open my eyes and whatever is n front of me can be commented on. It's fun and silly.

And more characters - the MArquette Park references abound. "Anyone with a time machine and wants to play me in fast pitch should set the time to 1979 and the local to 62d and Mozart". Superhero characters we made in grammer school have come back to life: "This is Captain 5 warning Chemical Man that YOU WILL BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE!"

And others join: Chemical Man himself has started to call - once I was on hold and he came on, and Iw as next - I changed what i was gonna say to match what he just said. Mothers does her part. And gloriously Jakoff started that he wanted to ask "What will God make of allthese capitalist types..." Funny.

If it's 11.55pm M-Friday, and you are near a radio, turn in to 820AM.

Jagger

2011-09-27T12:17:00.003-05:00

Seems mick is in a new film to begin shooting - this lynx dos'na werke just yet, but it's in todays Guardian

Sorry for the delay

Jagger Up/

Hey-ohhhhh/

Jagger Go

Loved the comments....

2011-09-26T15:02:00.000-05:00

LOVE THE COMMENTS
from dcs a few years back

2011-09-26T13:14:00.000-05:00

On Retreat

2011-09-26T12:27:00.003-05:00

Many famous retreats in history. Rommel from El- Alamein, 2000k miles in 1942. Napoleon from Moscow in 1813, w. Ney leading the rearguard. Americans in that initial rush in Korea, the summer and fall of 1950. Washington and the Americans running from the british from boston all the way to Valley Forge.

It's waht i feel rite now. In many ways, im undergoing a giagantic retrerat from life. It's happening - I really feel that in many ways i'm just wasting time until away 'till there is no time left (aging stylr). Killing time. Wasting away.

I'll amidt it - there are SOME places where there is somethins positive. Coaching, fex: last spring coaching the girl JV we had a pretty good positive attitude, and I really began to fel more confident in hat I was doing there. Need lots of help, still, from the othjer coaches - but on a good road. Now, w. boys JV in the Fall, those positive steps continue. @ least i have some worth.

Romance, as well. There is a girl, and we've been hanging out. Fully i know she diggs me, and this is greast. I still have holes in me from Gf, but fully realise that that was then and now is now. So, these nacesent steps are good.

Oh, and the whole music thing. "Cafeteria Christ" being the obvious cover star of the Gary lp. Self taught recoreded lessons proceeding slowly - but fun to add a horn to my tiny capabilities. Verse part of "Gary's broad collection" almost making me happy. Lynx betwixrt "Miss Him" and the overture. Extremely nice demo of that one untitled 'happysongaboutmeetinggaryfromanackolytespov' that popped up a few weeks ago jamming w. a 8yrold @ Snowdens. Good stuff.

But, everywhere else - runation. I have two things I have to do - but I feel Im failing @ these asa well. One is MOm. Since I'm home all the time, it's my job to take care of her mainly (sisters do a little, sister.4 more that the others, but...). And there is Bolo. W/out me, they would put this life to sleep. So, therev are compelling reasonns to live.

But, in all honesty, I really feel that if Mom and Bolo were gone, there there really is no point to whatever. Wait - i dont want to be too omnious and scarey and threatening: you dont have to worry - it's just im not motivated by much anymore - and if they go, all motivation goes. They go, and I stare @ the wall fro the rest of my life.

Unemployment. Killing me. Terrified that I will never be hired again, and that would be a deep shame. At this point, I really feeling that I'll never teach again.

Unemployment - it's killing me spirit. Again.

So, what I need to do is channel Ney. Manage the rearguard hheroically. Stop the bleeding. Fight that the main body can make it's retreat and insure a future where my forces cab again be applied to offensive battle.

But, again, rite now it's full and terrible retreat.

2011-09-17T20:45:00.000-05:00

take good care of it

2011-08-31T21:48:00.001-05:00

Thx Kansas

2011-08-13T16:00:00.001-05:00

my new favourites......

2011-08-13T15:38:00.002-05:00

Who would have believed?

Obsessed with jazz in the last six weeks ...... Chick Webb, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, ........ I really do like Swing music (DANSE DANSE DANSE!!!!!), and the bebop that followed ......

Obsessed with Indian food in the last two months .... Fierce place on north side of Devon but way east of the area where its massive amounts of Indians, Pakistani , Hasidim Jews, middle Easterners, etc etc etc - it's close to Damen. I'd crashed @ jakoffs, and it was a Friday morning and I was dead hungry. I wanted to walk from Jakovvs to the main Hasidim area on Devon just to soak up the eclectic neighbourhood - and soptted the "99 cent veggie sandwich" sign on Ghareeb Nawaz. Now, because of frendship of 25years w. Jackson, I have eaten and really enjoyed Indian food - but the deliciousness of this food just massacred me. So fucking tasty, so cheap - and nice that i dont HAVE to eat meat. 24h open, and the people who eat there are mainly Indians, so as bad at food critism as I am, i know the place is good beyond just my taste and bankaccount.

I love the place.

from yakoff and gallo

2011-08-13T15:35:00.000-05:00

Yakoff sent:
Moderator: ...(Anarchism) It does'nt mean a society in which there is literally no government so much as a society in which the primary authority and sociable authority comes, as it were, from the bottom and not from the top down... where representative democracy, as we have here in the United States and Great Britian, would be regarded as a form of top down authority even though ultimately the voters decide.

Chomsky: Well, representative democracy, as, say, in the United States and Great Britian, would be criticized by an anarchist of this school (Anarcho-Syndicalism) on two grounds. First of all, because there is a monopoly of power centralized in the state and secondly, and critically, because representative democracy is limited to the political sphere and in no way, in any serious way, encroaches on the economic sphere. And anarchist of this tradition (Anarcho-Syndicalism) who always held that democratic control of one's productive life is at the core of any serious human liberation or, for that matter, any SIGNIFICANT DEMOCRATIC PRACTICE. That is, as long as individuals are compelled to rent on the market to those who are willing to hire them, as long as their role in production is simply that of ancillary tools, then, there are striking elements of coercion and opression that make talk of democracy very limited, if even meaningful.

Gallo sent :That's right baby

ladydrawers

2011-07-07T14:42:00.001-05:00

mindness

2011-07-07T10:58:00.001-05:00

knees

2011-06-12T13:49:00.003-05:00

Endlessly now they hurt - my knees. ONly one is injured - the rite - but wobbling about on one makes the other natty, so now two hurtpins. Suxx. Worst is the getting up in the nite - everynite, several times a nite - to get up to walk around the room - because THAT"S THE ONLY WAY THY STOP HURTING.

So, finally, i ddi go get an MRI- and the do said that basically, if Iever want to play w/out pain again - Ive gotta get surgery ont he rite.

Not bad surgery - arthro, 20m, maybe even no pain meds after - but do i really want surgery of any kind?

But, tehn - do i ever want a full nites sleep?

Why I don't want surgery:
I'd wanted to wait it out - the other coaches have their various hurts, some knee related, but have not had surgery - is my knee worse off than their various hurts?

That book - Pain Free - has had a tremendous effect on my mind. It's thesis is a rather attractive one: "don't get surgery - just follow our steps to heal. Yopu will eventually get better w/out surgery". But everyday, dull pain ......

So, I dunno. Can't play any sports rite now - no cutting and all. I could run - straight ahead motion - but I'm too unhealthy to put a ball @ my feet.

This suxx.

2011-06-06T13:02:00.002-05:00

Some Girls

2011-06-06T13:00:00.008-05:00

Reading, amongst others, Unchosen: The Hidden lives of Hasidic Rebels by Hella Winston. Yes, and sorry, still rockin' the Hasids. Obv. from the title it's about those who felt that they couldn't fit in to the lifestyle. Loved this quote about Yossi, one such rebel:

"And there also was the fact that most of the girls he tried to talk to seemed to relate to him as if he were either an alien form another galaxy or some rare exotic species (Homo hasidis), too holy for mundane thought or conversation"

Me, of course, in parts. Often times, it ain't just the birds that tend to me that way - many times when i go into bars by myself around here, i am some sorta alien from another galaxy the rare thing by whoever is there.

But this here is about birds. There have been no women @ all in my life since Gf - a longtime now - but there actually has been a girl or two. Meeting engagements, nothing settled, nothing done, but nice anyway. Nice to have ANY sorta glancing interest from people you are attracted to - but w/out the messiness of actually having to be accountable to them. So ..... the equivalent, yes i think, of being @ the bar by myself reading political pamphlet and having a drink, only speaking to the bartender.

So, there I was, in my comfortable clothes a few months ago (Fuck do i miss the shit out of that time - i really do - it's nice being a Beatle) @ Lanigans - a Friday nite when it's always chaotic - and yes there was the life of the bar dansing and singing and drinking - and there was me, writing scripts or reminders or notes or annotations or what - and she dansed over to me and said - of course - hey, are you Amish. I told her the reason for the season - Morrissey, 1985, Hasidism, Tony wilson, all that - and she stayed for a bit. She was a busy girl - the whole bar and the whole world was there for her enjoyment that nite - but Iw as flushed. And she came back - several times - and we chatted. Now, why a young girl would want to chat up a middle aged Hasidiclike loner - but, truly, some girls like aliens from another galaxy or exotic species - y'know, i was fab back then.

But i didna last. Im bad @ commitments, but I had one I was determined to follow - I had to wake up the next day for an early A.M. soccer game. I knew if I was to stay there chatting her up who knew what night happen that nite - but what kind of coaching would I be able to do the enxt day (I and to wake so early - 6.15am - and im not 22 anymore...). All signals seemed "Well steamed" : She kissed me- well, I guess she actually kissed my beard onn the side of my face several times. When I told her I just hadda get up the next day to coach she wrote her email down in my 'daybook'.

And she is where? Dunno. Followed up, of course, but nothing returned to me. After a bit, on telling BCD about it, he told me he'd pursue - so again, an email was sent out. Nothing. So, for now, I give. No big deal, I guess. But, nice, a exciting dansing piece of life allowed some of yr force upon me. Good enough ... or... well, you know, whatever... I did what I could.

OK, but that's not all. There is another one, and the contact continues. Fully, I'm not sure where this will lead, but for now it's more of a friendship deal thatn anything else ... I think... She's actually someone who I went out w., once, about a decade ago. I'd tried out for a play - a real one - on my cousins suggestion (a sorta 'get out of yr comfort zone type deal) around the year 2000. This girl was a volunteer facilitating the tryouts - wait, auditions - and was easy to talk to. Got a ride to Humbolt Park that nite form her - me sleep @ Yakovv & Sandras that nite - and i suggested a drink @ Rainbo. We got along. I must have been in up cycle that nite/day/hour, because what I remember -besides it being easy to talk - was her @ one point saying along the lines of "So, you are into (list of things which included 'joy' as on of them)". I'll amidt that that is a wonder thing for the opposite sex to say about self. A good hour @ Rainbo. Several drinx later, she dropped me off. Of course I didn't ask for her # - what, me? - but I knew I could get my cousin to drop a suggestion to her.

And MAC the cousin did. This girl called me eventually and we went out a few weeks later to some Irish thing, and then later for a drink to Chief O'neils. We hung out nicely that nite - just alittle bit -and we got along again. I mite be a bit, stupid, y'know, but it seemed kool. I worried a bit if I was, uncharacteristically way too forward. Maybe I was - she never got back to me. Saw her maybe once or twice again over a decade, but probably didn't even say hello. Fine and dandy.

Until, a bit a go, via ... guess where: Facebook. Nice. She gotta holda me. I was receptive, and since I'd kinda sloffed off FB for the while, she kinda had to ... prusue me abit just to keep in contact. My computer was out, and it was too much to try and go to library to blather about on FB. Now ... in truth, because of her presence, I started to watch up FB a bit more, and a bit more. Presently, I'm more or less active in in again - mainly because of both her but also the chance to spread political articles that I find important/nice to read that I run across. But mainly because therew as acess to her again.

So, FB messaging turned to emailing which turned to phone calls. Bit by bit, over a few weeks time. Easier and easier, until it seemed odd not to talk to her this or that nite. Got ...attached to saying hello to her. She lives away from Chicago - far, but not too far. However, phone's nice, nice to talk to a girl, nice to flirt w. a girl while talking to her, nice. Very nice. We get along fine, phonewise. This went on. Over many hours of conversation, the obvious flirting tone and the fact that we are not wee bairns lead me to ... well, suggest that - y'know - maybe I should come out for a visit. I have the Strasser, and its in servicable enough of a condition to make the battle trip, and we are not kids - what about it?? I mean, rite? Every other girl in which there has been off and on serious flirtation, in context of time, has lead to hanging out.

So, plans were made. Maps consulted, areas scouted, provisions moved to the front. Even artillery rounds were doled out to the various batteries for the preinvasion bombardment. All was ready - and then the plan abandoned. Dissapointed ach wee bittine, of couse, but it was ok. There were very valid reasons - not the least of which was the pressure and scardness of the pressure - a distance between us means that there is a distance betwwen us. What me, Wary? We continue to talk, maybe flirt. Is fun. As Galloo said, it's good to have contact. Will it lead anywhere? Zero clue. Zero. But now the emphesis is off of, y'know, the boygirl thing. Quite pointedly, when we discussed the "let's think about not doing the boy visiting girl thing", quite pointedly I made sure that I said maybe we could the visiting thing someother time, if "...I am not seeing someone or you are not seeing someone at that time".

Which means, in military terms, I retain my 'freedom of action'. Then again, what does that mean?

Newborns!!

2011-06-01T11:16:00.005-05:00

All four robin eggs hatched innthe enst nestled under a drainpipe on my house. Feel guilty checjing because the parents immediatelt start to agitate and swak and fly about - hate to freak them out, but I wanted to check. Part of the deal is that last year one of the eggs didn't hatch and it went bad - so the nest was invaded by tonnes of tiny minibeasts who flushed the prefledgling birds intot he jaws of a killer cat.

I'm particularily attracted to Robins this year because I witnessed the death of two - two males fighting for territory flew into the front of a speeding car in front of me. Horrified, i parked - both dead, but still warm. So sad. Therew as a cematary rite across from where they died, so to give'm a little dignity, I brought them in and placed them on a grave. Workers would know what to do with them.

And who made his appearance on the poarch?? Same kat, named Bamboo (from le film "The Regular Lovers". I'm not sure if it is the same parnets, but boy the appearance of Bamboo lent rightous swaqing commence. Dispite his murdous tendencies, i love Bamboo - tiny little young black - and regularily feed it dog treats. It has the run of ther neighbourhood.

Bamboo also met Rex - they were chill. Rex regularily (i know, 3d time) barks/whines his giant head off @ the cat, so Bamboo was a wee bit nervous - but they were fine.

Not on Jutland

2011-05-31T14:16:00.006-05:00

More and more away I get from everybody, it seems. Everyone, 'cepting a few. My Mom. The 2 other coaches I work with. Bolo. And - ready for this - Gallo, BCD, and Chemical Man. Six humans and a dog. Otherwise, I just feel enstrangement, distance, and dissassociation. Nothing bad with anyone - all the bad is with me. But everywhere these days is unsafe and alien and unknown.

I have my moods, and im sure it's just that. But, still. On Saturday, watched the Champions League Final @ Gallos. What did we eat - frozen pizza! Gotta understand the foodieness of the dude, so it giggles me much that it was frozen opizza (good shit - and by me saying it was frozwn pizza @ Gallos, it was of course "super gourmet organic special wonder pizza", bott he 3 for $10 shit i get. Tasted great. The game was exciting and well played, but it sucked 'cause Man U was dominated aftere those first 10m. Somewhat reminisent of the final between ManU and Barca 2 years ago. This loss was easier to take - maybe because the odds were long going into it. But, as always, it's great to see Giggs play. He's such a link to my way past - he predates the Premership - that i'm scared he will retire soon. They play here in the summer - wonderful to see him as there is no tlak of retirement.

But, retire he will someday sooner than later.

Gallos is an easy place to go and Im always easily welcomed. It's a very safe place for me these days where I usually just want to go places where there is noone and I dont have to talk to anyone. Reason I go to bars by myself and bring along something to read - let me watch but no I don't want to talk. Going to soccer or baseball agmes - by myself. The theatre (a lot lately) - by myself.

Self, self, self.

Sunday was a cookout @ the Jokers. Hadn't been in contact w. these people -The New Guard - since LAST YEARS PITCHFORK. Now, understand, these were the people who I spent so much time with for so many years. So much time. I'm closest to the Joker and Big John here, but they all are important - except, again, enstrangement, distance, and dissassociation. Why? In many ways the group was fractureded from what it was say 10 years ago - but growing up and having families and jobs and houses and all that will, of course, do that.

And in many ways that is it. I've not worked for almost a year now, and Ive never been able to keep any job for long. At this point it seems that I will never work again - especially doing waht I want to do in CPS. I have almost no hopes in these regards now. Very pessimistic. A female would be nice - but now, @ my age and w. my propects... And children? I can't even take care of myself, let alone another life.

So, here I was, in the midst of my good frenz... who were talking about their jobs and children and doing ok. It was a struggle @ times to deal w. a simple cookout.

But I did. I talked, and mingled, and had fun. It was too long between times from having seen these guys - it wasn't Pitchfork, but sometime in October or whenever William Randolph Heurst no - it was Big John? had his bday party last. What I noticed was how much Kat, Big john's wife, is a safe person for me. Right after I got in, i immediately sat near her and joined her conversations before I could go on and talk to others. I'd realised that before, but now I know for sure - she will make me comfortable w. the whole group around.

So, trouble, trouble. I'm mired now. Lent has suddenly become hard - For me, it now ends Pentacost (12 June). Funny - that was never the problem. Dealing w. my mire is the real problem. My greatest gift is my socialness - remember when I was the monarch of all butterflies? No longer. But maybe again.

Dual Dreams

2011-05-27T16:36:00.003-05:00

My knee is still mutherfucling me - up severaltime slast nite to ice and idprofin it. Last nite was really terrible - I've recentely reading the book Pain Free, which the gym teacher here reccommended for me. Yesterday I started doing the exercises for ther knee - and maybe that exertion led to my nitemarish nite.

But - waking again and again led me to be able to rememebr some dreams:

Finally bought an electric guitar. Went to shop w. Blackie and Rocky. Wouldn't you know it, my new guitar was an exact ripoff of the Rockers - red and w. this nylon strings. Thanks, however, to both of you for helping me buy it in my dreams.

Starsser broke down. Keyed it up inan out of the way dark plavce - and it died. No hope of reviving it. Wasn't in a dangerous area, desopite it biing late and dark out - but meant more and ore $$$ spent on it.

Bird Annotations

2011-05-23T19:20:00.004-05:00

The American Redstart

Lazy lookingout the window, when something tiny teeterer about nearby. Never seen this ird before, so i study the hell out of it as it flits about. Tried to camera it and film it, but never my love. Fairly easy re-co'ing it in the bird books - looks and acts just like they said.

Murder Amongst the Bushes

Always wondered what I'd do if I saw a Hawk or Owl cornering a little bird ot animal.. Always figured I'd let nature take it's course. Then when it actually happened, i felt terrible guilt after the outcome. On the block,a nd a muchefucking badass Hawk was just sitting on a railing of a house. In the bushes below, the little brown birlds nervouse trying to survive. Across the street, i stopped and watched. After a bit, the Hawk just dived straight into the bush and came out w. feathers. Instantly I felt like shit when I realsied that that little brown thing probsably was @ my feederd earlier in the day. I felt I let down a friend.

Won't happen again.

The Return of the American Robins

Last eyar a American Robin pair had a nest in the crook of the drainpipe inmy house. So exciting!! However, before they fledges, the two wee birdeenes were flushed from their nestbecause it got infested by bugs - one of the eggs didnt hatch and went bad. I think what happend was that the birds got so scratchy that they jumped out of the enst 0 and were caught by one of the free cats that live in the area. One nite I heard the Robin parents screeching and screeching and I ran outside. I tried to get the cat - a sweet little thing I've nicknamed "Bamboo" - to give it up - but it raced away w. the bird in it's mouth. Later I found the remains in the alley opposite.

Now, Robins have laid FOUR eggs in the nest. They both flush the nest when I am on the porch or go to take a closer look - again screeching and screching @ me while they are perched in the tree nearby. No, do not want to make their life difficult. But - will look for dead eggs after baby bird appear - do not want a reprise of the murders of last year.

The Hummingbird Yard

Bro in lawas siste rlive sout in way subarbs - not wild area, but distinctly country compared to Mt. Greenwood neighbourhood of Chicago. Their backyard - smallish by some suburban standards - is green and wooden and kool. There used to be a small creek that ran through the back of it, and trees are everywhere. So, saw a little hmmingbird in a large tree's branches. NICE! Looking thro' across their property, I could see that their neighbour's yard was really set up to atract hummingbirds - lots of plants thta those birds like, and feeders abunded. Very nice. One of my aims is to garner hummingbird's attentions for my yard. Got the Goldfinches easy w. the sunflowers and feeders - but so badly want hummingbirds. Ongoing project.

Father Mike returns!

2011-05-23T18:56:00.002-05:00

So I had the opportunity to actually go to a mass @ St. Sabina's where Father Mike gave the sermon. I was worried lastw eek it would never happen - but Cardinal George allowed him back after several meetings.

Kool as hell. Went to the 11:15 mass - it got out @ 2:45 (!)- and I loved it. Again - longtime, not used to such long masses - but well worth it. I think I am going to try to go once a month. Again - there was the long concert type "Praise Jesus" start- with slow songs and rocking, hand clapping ass kickers. Yes, I sanfg and clapped, although a....little uncomfortable sometimes... but no one cared, of course. Lots of hugs from complete strangers - a very huggy congregation - like 10 different people. Very kool.

And Father mikes sermon. Usually, the priest will deliver a sermon from that days gospel reading. Father Mike went around that and instead did it from a Psalm (83?), and it was great. Again and again, it kept coming around to whatever you are going through, Gods got yr back. The Psalm had in it the people going through a dry valley (Baca) and getting out to the other side. Funny - Always I think, am i doing things rite? Why is my life so danm stupid? Ive made so many terrible decisions, and life - mine - can be in such a terrible condition. But that thought - that God 's got my back - does occur. AM I doing Jesus's work? Would He be happy with what I am doing? And, fuck status or money or time or who I spend time with or all of that - does any of that really matter, if 'Gods got my back?'

And yes - this is the way I think these days. Don't worry, just do the right thing. Try. Keep on keeping on. So, in my times of trouble, this does comfort me. Although, yes, I'm a terrible sinner as well.

So, again and again, i get such positive vibes from going ot church, especially St. Sabina's. Not next week, but I'll go soon again. It's too good of an experience. Lots of interesting people. Beautiful. Some dressed up, some not. The singing. Enjoying beiing immersed in another culture - this is purely African American, tho' it's maybe 5% white in the church during mass. People are so happy and welcoming to see you. One feels part of something greater than yrself.

And that's what it's supposed to be. Amen.

Sorrow felt for neice

2011-05-23T18:50:00.003-05:00

Neice.1 got back from a semester in Mexico City this weekend. She was there to help in her Spanish. Of course - as she is a young person in university - she loved it. SHe was there for 5m and had metric tonnes of adventures. Always strange to be back wherever wheh you have been out of town/country for an extended time - even my 2week trips to Cali led to a certain dislocation uopn returning - let alone living in he D.F. for such a long time.

However, where my sorrow comes in was in talking to her parents @ Nephew.3's baseball game (lost, but he got a R.B.I to tie the game early). She is leaving alot of frenz behind - it hit me when her mom said that she'd probably never see alot of these kids again. Her frenz were from all over - Mexico, Central America, South America, England, Germany, etc etc etc... That losing of a place and time - a scene - hurts, especially because it can never be recreated. I guess "No Expectations" can be applied to many situations.

But, of course, the time was there. Enjoyed while it lasted.

I think I know where I want to go to Mass ths Sunday!

2011-05-20T18:16:00.001-05:00

EMail from the St. Sabina's mailing list just recieved:

Effective immediately, our Pastor, Fr. Pfleger has been reinstated to full sacramental and pastoral ministry here at the Faith Community of St. Sabina and in the Archdiocese of Chicago. We thank everyone for their letters, prayers and support. On Sunday, May 22, 2011 Fr. Pfleger will not only celebrate his birthday but will celebrate the 11:15am Worship Service.

songofthemoment.1

2011-05-20T13:47:00.002-05:00

songofthemoment.2

2011-05-20T13:45:00.000-05:00

Abba Pfleger

2011-05-18T12:54:00.006-05:00

Always a fan of father Pfleger of St. Sabina's. Do believe he does Gods work. Lots of people don't like him, but maybe they just have a little more to go. He's the top priest @ St. Sabina's catholic parish near 79th and Racine. St. Sabina's is a little different from yr normal Catholic parish in Chicago - for one thing, it's mainly an African American community. It's also a very very activist parish - over the years they've taken on guns, gangs, violence, stores selling stuff that enables drugs, etc etc etc. One of my favourite stories was several months ago Father Mike lead all the men in mass that morning on a walk over to the headquarters of the Gangster disciples to protest the shootings that had take no part in that 'hood earlier in the week. Some say he's a publicity hound - but I see it as away to garner publicity to a greater cause (meaning: guns, gangs, violence, etc...)

Always been a bit curious about the black mass - meaning these services where it's all activity and singing and sweating and shouting and all that, lasting hours - but felt a bit out of place to ever go to one. Years ago, I decided to try it @ St. Sabinas - during Black History Month the church had Cornell West to deliver the sermon one Sunday (every Sunday during Black H. M. they have a similar high level person to do the sermon). It was perfect - Catholic, Cornell, and fun to see Father Mikes famous parish.

Of course, it was brilliant. Long as hell - 3 and a half hours! Full of songs - the band and the choir made it one of the best 'concerts' i'd ever been to. Cornell West brilliant. Special feeling inside the church - what's that word? Spiritual? Apt. It was a curious mix of Catholic mass and what I saw on the telly - the black mass. It started off w. 45m of 'Praising Jesus' music rock out. (when I was telling some black folk about 'they started off w. a 45m concert, they told me of the 'praising Jesus' thing that happens generally in black services). The music shifted, sometimes pounding, sometimes soft. All great. There were the readings - the normal Catholic three. The sermon - delivered by Cornell, was brilliant.

But then something very different happened. In my church, when it comes time to give the cash, dudes go around w. a basket. Here, however, envelopes were passed out and everybody walked to the front of the church to drop their offering in a box. They then went back to their seat. When everyone was seated, and a bit more of a pause, there came to -by the rote' Catholic stuff - the Creed, Holy Communion, etc. The getting people to walk up out of their seats for the offering was a smart was of allowing people who were not Catholic to leave before the obligatory Catholic stuff was celebrated: walk up, drop in the offering, easily walk out of the church. It nicely allowed non catholics to celebrate w. the 'faith community' of St. Sabina's w/out forcing them to do the Catholic stuff that we all love. And, noticeably, there were less people after the offering than before. Very interesting and accommodating.

Last time I went to St. Sabina's was on Good Friday. The best of all Catholic days for me - even though, yes, I can kinda see that Easter does take precedent over it. (Quick memory from 20y.a. == we'd been broke'd up for many months, my First Love and I - Q, d'accord - when she called me (i'd just called her and hung up) and said d'accord we should talk - it's Easter and the time for forgiveness, yes? I always use that - including a few weeks ago - around Easter. Do love asserting religion, sometimes. Or @ least bringing lite to the gentiles) . Picked up Jakov from the 79th street El and tried to get into St. Sabinas - but the place was packed. The church itself was overflowing, so we had to go intot he basement - giant space, also over flowing. We was lucky - people coming after had to sit in the street and listen to the loudspeakers they set up outsside - that packed!! The reason it was so packed was they were doing a rendition of The Last Seven words of Christ - from the little I know, it is a big deal to go over these things Jesus said from the Cross and many similar services and books and ruminations go on about them - it was my first exposure. What St. Sabina did was assemble a huge list of famous Protestent preachers - two women, five men, all black - to preach on this theme. Now, to me, except for Jerimiah Wright, I'd never heard of any of them (see the list= Last Seven Words service from St. Sabina's on Good Friday) - but everyone in the church knew who they were. So, it was fun to be in the presence of famous people- maybe I didn't know who they were, but the place was packed w. people knowing). Not a mass, it was a series of sermons - each about 30m long - w. one of the sayings as a base.

The Sayings:

Father forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34).
Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43).
Woman, behold your son: behold your mother (John 19:26-27).
My God, My God, why have you forsaken me, (Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34).
I thirst (John 19:28).
It is finished (John 19:30).
Father, into your hands I commit my spirit (Luke 23:46).

And it was just magic. Packed, hot, uncomfortable - but seven different masters one after another just lighting the place up. Each one was fantastic in their way. Some attacked the way our society treats the downcast. One of the women preachers took "Woman, behold your son: behold your mother" and preached on 'you may not get what you want, but you will get what you need'. It was all very kool, and beyond moving. Some started out quiet, and moved into the loud as hell preaching style. Then last preacher was like James Brown*, kept on comin back a la "Please Please,Please" when all though all though he was finished, but back back he'd come to the podium. Fricking rock show. Biggest star? Reverend Wright. I was more moved by others (he was fantastic!!), but the movement, the murmourings, when it came his time to preach. Presence of royalty. Another kool aspect - and i'm sure this was a part of the black preaching style - was when one of the preachers was preaching and they were making a huge point, one or several of the other preachers would get up out of their seat behind him and approach - but never reach - the present preacher, lending great emphesis to what the one preaching was saying. Veddy veddy kool. Jakov, the next day, joked that he'd like to go to Sabinas again when he needed "...what ... nine swaety black men screaming - wait - eleven - no, thirteen? - fifteen black men screaming @ me?" Incredible quote.

It was a special time. Lent for me is a big deal, and I enjoy trying to do it. This Lent has been good - so good that I decided to double my Lent. I'm still observing it, of course continuing my Lenten sacrifice. To mark how special that Good Friday service was, I used that day as the "Ash Wednesday" beginning of my second Lent. I'm going on still.

So, Sabinas for me is a wonderful place. I go to a lot of different masses -used to be addicted to Loyola University's back in the day, and now enjoy St. Xaviers sunday nite mass. Mom shames my by insisting that I should go to St. Christina, since it is my parish - so, I make sure I go there often - but... However, I am disheartened by the fact that Father Mike is presently suspended from St. Sabinas. The Catholic church IN CHICAGO allows pastors only 12 years @ a church before they must go - and Father Mike has been there for what - 30 years? I believe that he has done such a great job and Sabinas would really suffer w.out him, that he should be allowed to stay. I mean, what do you expect me to write? He's earned it, and St. Sabina's a special and Holy place.

And, as a selfish reason for me wantig him to stay is that I've gone to St. Sabina's generally during special times - I have yet to go when he has done the sermon. So - is this another thing I really want to experience, but have waited too long?

****************************************************************************
*= from wikipedia
Cape routine
A trademark feature of Brown's stage shows, usually during the song "Please, Please, Please", involved Brown dropping to his knees while clutching the microphone stand in his hands, prompting the show's MC to come out, drape a cape over Brown's shoulders and escort him off the stage after he had worked himself to exhaustion during his performance. As Brown was escorted off the stage by the MC, Brown's vocal group, The Famous Flames, continued singing the background vocals "Please, please don't go-oh-oh".[47] Brown would then shake off the cape and stagger back to the microphone to perform an encore. Brown's routine was inspired by a similar one used by the professional wrestler Gorgeous George.[45][48]

Brown performs a version of the cape routine over the closing credits of the film Blues Brothers 2000.

sports injury

2011-05-14T15:15:00.004-05:00

Attempting - attempting - to show the girls how to slice a ball over an obstruction lent disaster to befall me knee. Hurts - hurts like fuck. This happened in practice, and a kick I have done a trillion and ten times got me this time. It happened on a Monday, and I felt terrible all day. Now, I have had similar pains in the past, and it meant I had to stop laying., But this time .... just went on. Next day we had a game, so it didn't hurt. Wednesday went and all was fine. But on Holy Thursday, in practice, i ws totally into it, encouraging and pushing the girls - and 30m in - all hurt broke loose. Stop did I my participation, and plans were made to go see the doctor the next day. Just horrible.

Luckily I kept Cobra - not glad/glad I wasn't paying $330 /month in vain. But it got me to see my excellent primary care dude, who i like a lot. There a terrible revelation occur ed. Sitting in ac hair, he asked me to straighten my leg out and up. No matter how I tried - didn't move. This almost dissolved me to tears, instantly thinking that there would be hours of surgery and a dissolution of my plans to join a soccer team this summer. After a life of playing sports - now this. Scripts were written to see a specialist - but it took two weeks to get in to see him. Then - because my team had a playoff game that day - another delay of a few days.

In the meantime, each nite featured horrid pains. I'd wake up every 4am almost on a schedule with withering pain in my knee. Just the worst - the first few days it was some of the worst pain i'd ever felt, bar none. It just wouldn't stop. Eventually, I knew to drown it in ibuprofen and ice it many times a day - just to ward off the pain.

Finally got to see the specialist. Another good doctor. He looked @ the xrays, felt the knee all over asked q after q. He told me that it didn't seem torn or any other horrible thing that my mind raced w/ these past three weeks. He said it prob. would get better in about 4 weeks, and nothing permanent was probably done. id I want an MRI? yes, write me the script.

This happened last week, and still the pain won't stop. It's not as bad sometimes, but still bad. Now when I wake up in the middle of the nite, usually I just have to walk for a minute for the pain to stop. Still stupid, I will kick the ball in practice once inawhile - I really shouldn't. I am worried that I won't be able to play in a soccer league this summer - but we have to wait.

Mothers's Lucky Night

2011-05-09T14:52:00.003-05:00

WRITTEN BY LAZERS
names edited by Hilts

Trivia night at Salerno’s kicked off with some Hot Stove discussion (though I would prefer some Hot Boots instead), as a member of Auntie Joanne (perhaps Auntie J herself) joined the J&B table for some trade talk disguised as dinner talk (I was pretty certain that “Panko bread crumbs” was code for “Bill”).

J&B represented by: Chemical Man, MG, Mothers's, Hilts and Lazers

The competition: Auntie J, Awesome, The Circle, Logan Squares, Peeps, and ChiSharks

First half: Famous Quotes/Music 85 & 05/Celebrity Look-a-Likes

Benkowski promises there will be a sports category in the 2nd half.

’85- Broken Wings?
’05- Since You Been Gone?
’85- Easy Lover?
’05- Better Days?

“Karl Malone is not lunch meat.”
“Where’s the beef?” (this question coming with the humorous addition of finding out that the person quoted once shared an agent with Benkowski)

Katy Perry looks like this “500 Days of Summer” actress?
Julianne Hough looks like this “Genie in a Bottle”?
Drea de Matteo looks like Ellen’s girlfriend?
Skeet Ulrich looks like this pirate?
Jordin Sparks looks like Ugly Betty?
Sarah Palin looks like this former Saturday Night Live player?
Elijah Wood looks like the Harry Potter guy?
A young Russell Crowe looks like a dude from the O.C.?
Leelee Sobieski looks like a young version of this “Mad About You” actress?
Natalie Portman looks like KK?

Scores at the half: ChiSharks 780 J&B 760 Auntie J 650 Circle 540 Logan 510 Awesome 430 Peeps 320

Second half: NBA Playoffs/Royal Wedding/70s & 90s Music
mid-70s- I’m Your Boogie Man?
How many people were invited to the royal wedding?

Benkowski, coaxing the new team to bring a friend with piercings to help win Ladies Only contests: “They don’t have to know anything. The just have to eat or drink…and reveal.”

Benkowski, to Logan Squares: “Are you related to the Quaker Oats Squares?”

Scores after two halves: Logan 1500, Auntie J 1420 J&B 1340 ChiSharks 1300 Circle 1170 Awesome 790 Peeps 460

Final categories are: 80s TV, two different Celebrity Year of Birth, Reality Shows, Musical Lists from Rolling Stone, Food Network, NBA Steals, MLB Retired Sluggers

Now, today had been quite lucky for Mothers thus far- she won a court decision, she had a primo lemon ice, she made her best Long Distance roll ever. J&B recognizes Mothers's roll and has her pick the number for our lottery slot in the drafting of categories. Mothers selects 11…which matched Benkowski’s number exactly. The roll continues, and J&B selects 80s TV with the first pick (wagering the 3rd place classic).

Food Network (Peeps):Food Network show “Dweezil and Lisa”- what are their last names?
What year did the Food Network debut?
Host of “Behind the Bash”?

Reality TV (Awesome):From “A Model Life”- who is the supermodel?
“Biggest Loser” variations C & F- what do C & F stand for?
“Celebrity Rehab Presents (S.H.)”- what does S.H. stand for?

MLB Retired Sluggers (Circle):In a nutshell, name the 9 MLB players with over 1900 career RBI (and in true Benkowski fashion, there actually are 10)- though note question was chopped into 3 different ones?

NBA Steals (ChiSharks):In a nutshell, name the top 6 all-time in NBA steals- though note question was chopped into 3 different ones?

80s TV (J&B):On “Growing Pains”, who played Ben Seaver?
On “China Beach”, who played Colleen McMurphy?
On “Miami Vice”, who were the 2 stars?

Celebrity Year of Birth-B (Auntie J):Heather Locklear?
Mandy Moore?
Steven Tyler?

Celebrity Year of Birth-A (Logan Squares):Candice Bergen?
Carmen Electra?
Jackie Chan?

Before the home players are sent off with their #2 pencils, one more element to Mothers's ’s roll was her Kentucky Derby pick from Thursday night. As this is being written after the Derby itself, the winner is known to be Animal Kingdom. Is that the horse Mothers's had picked to win????

On my last days as a Beatle

2011-05-06T15:10:00.004-05:00

In youngster days, it often felt that as I walked, here also walked as a Beatle. Thought expressed to Dragon, and of course I had to defend meself, and I defended meself thus: As I walked, it often felt 'here walks a Beatle'. There was just that feeling of ..... well, the opening scene in "A Hard Days Nite"? The chase of people? I was there - maybe not in March and April 1964 - but certainly in 1980, 1984, heavily 1987 and 1988, certain periods of the 90's, and 2006 and 2007.

There was nothing like the late Eighties period, especially and however. It wasn't the women, or the art, or the scene, or .... maybe it was all of that and more. But just that feeling of mastering life, and everythng that was went through me, and it was in my fingertips, and..... Just gotta feeling, and looking back ... well, something can't be put into words.

But the 1987 and 1988 period wasn't just the early Beatle days either - there was the whole gamut of the Beatles experience embedded in those 8 months. Predating "Day's Night", for example, was "She Loves you" - no, not a girl thing, but the joyous expression of newfound ... newfound something whose exuberance can only be called "Beatlemania" in myself. Certainly there there was "Help" (solidified @ the top of the game and putting out whatever), and, of course, "I Feel Fine" (yes, a girl thing, and yes I felt fine). Then came, crazily of course, "Tomorrow never knows" and the retreat to the studio of Sgt Peppers. But there was the decline of that period as well. I can totally see the "White Album" being played out, and fissures and splits and bad feelings... Eventually it all fell asunder - but so did the Beatles. A period ended, never to be resurrected in the same way...

...except, from bittle little times to the next, sometimes it returns - like, recently. Again, that feeling of runing down the street, chased by the throngs ..... I had it again.... and now it's gone (but you know it's gonna be/alright). The expression of my Beatlehood bizarrely came in the expression of my wearing my comfortable clothes. Started slow @ first, but when I went out dandy, black wide brimmed wearing, there as the constant interruption of other people, grasping, asking, chasing, wanting, and, finally, interfering... Now, I LOVE being a spectacle.. Why hide it? And walking heavy as I did, there was no way to hide it. And anywhere I went, I knew. Now - put me in West Rogers park, and I am nobody. But in every other -every other neighbourhood in ther city, and ... well, that opening of "Hard Day's" comes to mind...

My favourite was just hanging @ the local having a drink, researching for a movie or trying to write lyrics, or drunkingly writing down ideas for a script. Just lovely. Now, the regulars knew who I was and love me. But, eventually, someone else would come up and inquire "Hey- whats the deal with you? What are you doing? Why do you look like that? Talk to me, please." Kool@ first. Especially kool if it was a lady. Especially kool if it was an agressive lady from out of state who wanted to kiss me again and again (nice- did follow up, up...).

But often times it was just a dude. Kool - I have learned, especially from three of my sometimes elders (Jakov - nee Jamie, The Joker and Big John - and I guess Christ) that to talk to strangers - fellow humans - is one of the hightest callings - but it GOT TO A POINT ..... where it was just one after another - and I had shit to do. There came that time where I couldn't go 20m w/o having to retell what was going on - and it got tiring.

Never did I think that my experience as Baetle would so totally encompass Georges experience - but it did.

And then, there came time to let it go. That Sunday where the filming was finished and I decided to go out comfortably one last time and celebrate as myself - kinda sad. But, the time had come. That nite was my last nite - swell, for now- as a Beatle.

But, you never - I never - know when that feeling will return. We'll see.

My Last Days as a Jew

2011-04-20T16:56:00.006-05:00

Funny. Hated Der fuhrer, for a decade or so - but by the time he died, on the ite of the snowhurricane in Feb. - my opinion of him had changed. True - he wickedly used people, almost to the point of killing them. Too long he had enslaved Jakov (nee Jamie, re-nee Jacob), created an unhealthy living conditions for many people, drained feeble minded people of their $$ - but since Jakov had his Exodus from his particular Pharaoh and I no longer needed to 'save' him from Der Fuhrer, I slowly changed my feelings on him. In the last year of his life, I began to put down my anger and realise that he was just a very sick man. Who am I to try to help jakov, and ignore this other very delusional being?

Now, stories of Der Feruher - wait, let me just refer to him as I now call and think of him - Rabbi Hecht - tickle me: Rabbi Hecht, in Palestine, in the Old City of Jerusalem, wearing womens panties and a shirt and a tie, mixing among the Muslims and jews and the soldiers. Rabbi Hecht, talking to any person who came along. And, of course, Rabbi hecht, nominally a Christian ('tho one of the 'St. Paul' kind), being buried in Jewish cemetery w. the Kaddish being read. Instead of anger @ his almost complete shysterness, now it just brings a smile to my face. True, the money he got to fly to Palestine in the first place was from jakov (tho' he did treat him to a trip there another time), and maybe it wasn't kool for him to be buries in aJewish Cenetary - but ....... he was sick.

The day after the storm, when jakov called me breathlessly and unbleievingly, w. the news that rabbi hect had been found dead in the clutter of the apartment - there was true sorrow on my part. Now, finally, when my hartred of the dude has lasped, when I was ready to take himout to a Denny's and debate the Gospels w. him - he was gone. And i felt sorrow for Jakov @ his loss.

But I had lost too. In total opposition to him, to , again, 'save' jakov - I had began my study of the Bible. There wasn't a 'I have to do this ' moment - rather, it was something that was partially sparked by the constant talk of the Gospel and all that. The day that did it was when I saw Bishop Spong's book on the 'new releases' section of GF's library, and the deep historicity of the New Testement stuff - as a Roman Catholic and as a trained histories, it was wonderful to dive in. Hasn't stopped yet.

So, too, I know I owe him some.

Whne he died, there were a few things going on w. me. One - unemployment - and the growth of a fat beard just underway. Second, the discovery of Crumbs graphic novel Genesis. And, finally, the loss that Blizzard Hurricane nite. When the funeral was announced, and it was to blessedly be @ a Jewish Cemetary, my 'conversion' to Judism had begun.

No, stop. Before we go any further: Me not a Roman Catholic? Mite as well call me a Cub fan who hates the Sox. But my imersion into studying Jewish culture and religion, the almost immediate writing of songs about Rabbi Hecht, and that funeral .... I decided to keep the beard, and just let it go. Soon, i started to wear all black, and wear a wide brimmed hat that i'd gotten a few years back @ a Marshals. The look was completely irresitable. Soon, except @ soccer practice, this was what I was most comfortable in. Again - Irristable. I've always loved to be the Dandy, and once again, I rocked My Look.

"My Look"? One glorious nite, drunkenen and all that after a Mildred Pierce nite @ Gallos and now @ Rockies, I said something about going 'in costume'. Rocky made me promise never to refer to "My Look" as a 'costume' - and he was rite. For now, it's The Clothes I feel Comfortable in, or, My Comfortable Clothes. Tisn't a costume at all.

But then it had to go. Unworking in many months now, I really am feeling gravities pull towards needing work. Too old to just take off life-I enjoy wearing a tie and jacket and being able to tell someone "I work @..." Full realization that I would like to buy my mothers house one day - and althoug I can make to downpayment and several months mortage, my job status would sink me. And the woman thing as well. So- when n interview opportunity came up - I needed to rebecome a Gentile to present myself cutclean to - in my mind - have achance of employment. Gomelong are the days of picking and chooseing my jobs - there is desperation now.

But - as a work opportunity beckons - the artistic side of me also does. I really wanted to continue bearded. Really. Called Rocky - surely he would tell me to remain unshaven - but he told me "What do you think:.. Of course - desperation. Plus, od'accord, i could just grow it back. So - it had to go.

And - quicklike - I had to use my time to get down the minutes of filming I needed to get done before I shaved. Part of the beard was headed towards getting a part dowen in one of the planned Rainer Virgil Hiltsbinder shorts that are in the air in these days. My intervies was on a Wednesday - and the decsion to go for it - and shave - meant I only had a scant few days to fully write, plan, and film the scenes for this particular short.

Lent is wonderful - but it also means I feel the pressure all the time - no avenue for me to kick back and chill,, y'knowin'. This is good - I kick back way too much - but it also means PRESSURE on me all times.

So- listening to the Hawks losing the last game of the year - a game which they really really had to win (but, as it turned out, not really really really) - I jetted up to Evanston to gallos to get it done. Needed both Gallo and Shipley, and guess what - they got that need done. Gallo - not to giv eit all away - was the inteviewer, and after a few tries, he was beyond magnificant. First few takes, there was haltings and stoppages - but twhen the red light went on, it was suprising how well he did. A stunner,aand indeed the highlite of the short - my part was the lessor. And Shipley -who knew she, uh, actually went to college for simllar stuff for what I asked of her.

The fil was 95% done when the Strasser - creaky and cranky - puklled out of Evanston.

I weas relieved. Happy. I spend most of my timethinking of things and never getting them done - and, finally, w/ the two Evanston experts, it actually got done.

And thn - I had to say goodbye to being a Jew - and a Beatle.

Butler

2011-04-04T14:00:00.000-05:00

it falls tonite

in todays dcs

stephen patrick

2011-03-29T19:57:00.001-05:00

Soccer coach

2011-03-29T19:53:00.003-05:00

First Conference game, varsity wins big and my team as well - which means, as for now, we are @ least tied for first place. Had to show up early to "line the field" -which means help one of the other coaches put all of the lines you see on the field (like sidelines, 18 yard box, etc etc). Worries all day about the game, worries all the game, worries....but Exhausted, happy, and happy. And really exhausted.

Sunday Nite

2011-03-29T19:46:00.003-05:00

To hang w. Gallo and Shipley and Rocky on a sunday nite. To learn badtidings. To eat some of the best poulet (ever) and greens. To be hungover and swear neve to drink aghain - but to have lots of drink before it was over. Breasts we've seen before in "Titanic" on the Telly The White Album. To R's, where I played the electric bass until 5am. To sneak out of R.'s onto the dangerous streets of Rogers Park by myself hauling the bass and an amp - plus a big empty beer bottle in my pocket to defend myself if I was attacked. Deeply worried as I drove the hour home - the deepness associated w. the malfunctioning of the lites on the Strasser and NOT FIXED YET- although as we type, it is in shop.

Benkowski’s New Sponsor

2011-03-29T19:30:00.004-05:00

Written By Lazers Names edited by hilts Never has Benkowski been so giddy, at least not at trivia night. He unrolled a poster that had content that confused me. However, it soon was explained. It was a poster for Benkowski’s new sponsor: Shelton Fireworks in Porter, Indiana. Apparently, Benkowski is a huge fan of fireworks, and the excitement level wasn’t far from a little kid on Christmas Eve. I can already see “Ladies Only- Hold Lit Firecrackers the Longest” in the future.

J&B represented by: Chemical Man, MG, Hilts, Stix, Mothers and Lazersr The competition: Auntie J, Awesome, Peeps, Angry Birds, and Beauties and the Beast (that last team a new one talked into playing by Benkowski…it later was obvious they didn’t know what they were getting into.)

First half: NCAA 2011/Movies/PBS Music Special Mike Krzyzewski won his 900th career game as head coach this past season-at that point, how many had he lost? On the PBS special, David Foster said he felt he “made it” with this 5-word song he wrote for Earth Wind and Fire? Gene Pitney sang the title song to this 60s Kirk Douglas movie? Throughout the night, our waitress (name unknown) and active player for the Peeps did her best TC Pub-style smack talking to J&B (if not other teams), including a falsely sympathetic “good try” after Hilts missed on a throw. Quite the contrast to the usual Lady Byng-style of most Salerno’s players. Scores at the half: Birds 840 J&B 770 Awesome 720 Auntie J 710 B&B 460 Peeps 390 How’s that smack talk working, waitress?

Second half: Baseball Who’s Who 2011/Animation/Janet Jackson-Rolling Stones In “101 Dalmatians”- the names of Cruella de Vil’s henchmen? Bill Hall’s career home run total? From 95-97, Alfonso Soriano played baseball in what country? Johan Santana career win total? After some “Ladies Only” challenge pits Awesome against B&B, Benkowski comments that one of the ladies looks like Jennifer Beals while the other looks like Marisa Tomei. Maybe Benkowski should look into Lens Crafters as a new sponsor too. B&B was dying to leave during what was a particularly lengthy game, and they finally do so at the end of the third quarter. Chemical Man: “They said to give their points to J&B.” Benkowski: “They told me I should deduct their points from J&B’s score…I’ll just split the difference and keep things as they are.”

Scores after two halves: Birds 1690 J&B 1530 Auntie J 1420 Awesome 1390 Peeps 1310 B&B (quitters) Dang, this thing is closer than the NHL’s Western Conference.

Final category options: 70s Music- Three Dog Night; 80s Music- Madonna; 90s Music- Pearl Jam; 00s Music- Audioslave; Sports Celebrity Year of Birth; Bulls 2011; NCAA Tourney 2011-A; NCAA Tourney 2011-B. Selecting second, J&B picks 70s Music and wagers the second place classic.

80s Music (Peeps): From 1983-1989, Madonna had 7 songs with 3-word titles reach #1- name three of them.

2011 NCAA-B (Awesome): Only Sweet 16 team to have won a play-in game? Lowest seeded team in the Sweet 16? In SW bracket, the #2 seed was who and was knocked out by whom? 90s Music (Auntie J):

1999- Pearl Jam hits #2 on the charts with this song (2 words)? 1995- Pearl Jam hits #7 on the charts with this song (3 words)? 1994- Pearl Jam hit with 2-word title?

70s Music (J&B): Won’t be able to list the questions for this “Sing Along with Benkowski” category.

Sports Celebrity Year of Birth (Angry Birds): Shaquille O’Neal? Don Mattingly? Stan Mikita? Gentlemen?

2011-03-24T18:10:00.001-05:00

Torrassey

2011-03-24T14:19:00.006-05:00

Looking very bearded these days. Not as impressive as that one in sophmore year @ university - but its thick and Hasedic loking- the point.

Was walking down 111th St. Patricks Day and walked by a bar -- the whispers from the dude to the girl: "Yea, there are jews who live in the neighbourhood" Walked into Lanigans and St. Nick, the manager, immediately said - "Hey we're, celebrating a day for the Irish!!

Funny, funny.

But the deal is this - I have to write down lines, film them, and i have them all - for weeks now - but shit, stariing @ the wall and staing @ myself tends to take up so much of my time. There is music, not done by me except for the singing, there are lines, there are multiple parts .....

And the key is this - I have a few options for work coming up - and interviews w. ahorridthick beard will just not do. SO, ass in gear.

Yes, I am on the Hasedic kick lately - but Lent, for me, finally began yea=sterday - 2weeks late. Last nite was very hard, but ............ per ususal , today seems bearable. To-morrow will be great, and then it passes from me for sevseral weeks - until I get get mad and want to thro a tantrum, and ............... But for now, @ 2 in the afternoon, ......is ok.

The Lead Guitarist.

2011-03-08T18:22:00.002-06:00

Not wanting to wait, I actually wrote my first lead guitar bit. Just a riff - not chords, y'all, but an actual riff.

Junior simplistic childs play by those who are heavy in the fu=ield -but i saw what I had to do, based on my playing so far - realised that i had to just push myself to get one lead under y beal - and then the quest to better it wouyld take over and push me to do more and more. That's how it's been the past 14m, and i know now what it takes me to go on in guitar. So ....

Of copurse, my new lead is - has to be - alrerady written by someone esle. It's gotta be. Rite?

techinco directo

2011-03-08T17:54:00.003-06:00

Decades' of preaching to boys and girls that soccer is all about being aggressive and int he other girls face - and , finally, soem,where the energy is returning so that I too, can ve an aggressive coach and in their faces.

My especiality is the girls who are just starting to play - and, especiaslly, theyr eally need coaching. Agressive and in your face - but also kind, funny, and instructive. To some people it's a natural thing, and to others it needs several years to get rite. Slowly - im not talking about that 2001 team I did so well with, both summer teamsd in 2005, or of course my favourite team of all - the playoff run in the City Playoffs in 2008 (seriously, to this day, I Remember....), my proudest moment of coaching

- but slowly, slowly, slowly. This year it seems that my head is somehwerra round wher it shold be, and the knowledge that although i am not in a school actually working this year - there is a grand arena where 35-40 kids really need the help and appreciate you where you try. SO, kool. I understand that much of my energies, as of rite now, sjhopuld ritely be spent here.

I am witht hat. Lent is here as well, and I'm abstaining, so in truth, the energy I will be able to bring should - in all truth, again - dwarf my present wattage or horsepower or ....whatever .... It's ok.

Da Bulls

2011-03-08T17:44:00.000-06:00

SUPERBULLS

in todays dcs

Klas

2011-03-02T18:59:00.002-06:00

Finally got the
GREAT
idea
for this summers
Klas.
FUCKIN ALL-RITE!!!!!

Now, hopefully it's on.

And im as good a writer as I .....well, not think, but ... hope ....

it'll be fun

soccer season again

2011-03-02T18:56:00.003-06:00

Just love it. Shure, lotsa times too flaked to have to direct 30-40 children - but the 3h a day of sayiong "No - this way!!" shure has it's millions rewards. Good soul food for the s..... well, you get the idea.

Need to get into better shape. So, today i fulled myself into many of the exercises. So damn out of shap. Embarrassing. Then again, my contempories are all 15-18 year old kids, so I shouldn't feel THAT BAD that I can no longer keep up withtnhem.

But / needs me / shape to be /in

Life on Mars

2011-03-02T18:53:00.001-06:00

Did watch the American version:

loved it.

Now, onto the Englander version - after I drive to frankfurt in my faiil'n apart car, The Strasser

St Bede’s- 2011 Championship

2011-03-01T16:37:00.004-06:00

Written by Lazers

edited by Hilts

J&B settled in at Table 28 for the 2011 St Bede’s Trivia Championship Event. Early hopes for the question, “name a player whose number was the same as your table number, and list their longest consecutive games streak” never came to fruition. Upon learning that Steve Larmer wore number 28, the Hammer was ready to pounce on the 884.

Kearney Meats and Lawyer from the legendary team “The Bar” (TC Pub) are on one of the other teams. Is St Bede’s prepared to house J&B and The Bar under the Lord’s roof?

Against perhaps 30-35 other teams, J&B was looking to defend its 2010 victory at this same event:

2010- 1st place with 103 points
2009- 4th place with 89 points
2008- 1st place with 95 points

Indeed, some old guy stopped by during one of the intermissions and asked, “Aren’t you the guys that usually win this?” Apparently so.

J&B represented by: Moho, Chemical man, Stix, Nite Nurse, MG, ChemicalNeice, Peppys, Mothers, Hilts and Lazers

J&B decides to predict 96 points to act as its tiebreaker.

Round One: Chicago
What was the last Chicago pro team to win a championship?
Which Daley served as Mayor of Chicago longer: Richard J or Richard M?
What do the letters in “WGN” stand for?
What is the only Chicago street that can be North, South, East, or West?
On 11/29/1963, the City Council voted unanimously to change the name of the Northwest Expressway to what?
What is the name of Chicago’s longest street?
Trump Tower was built on the former home of what?
What was the first year of the Taste of Chicago?
Which famous downtown German restaurant was issued Chicago’s 1st liquor license?
What U of I and Chicago Bears running back was nicknamed “Galloping Ghost”?

J&B opens with 9 points, missing only what was a highly debated Taste of Chicago question. Good start.

Round Two: By The Numbers
How many US Presidents are still alive?
How many feet are in a mile?
Which amendment to the Constitution started Prohibition?
How many sides are there in a nonagon?
How many Superbowls have been played?
What did George Constanza want to name his child?
How many Wards make up the city of Chicago?
How many US Presidents were assassinated while in office?
How many red stripes are on the American flag?
Which mission was the first to land on the moon- Apollo __?

Another 8 points for J&B, missing the nonagon and Prohibition amendment questions.

Round Three: Fast Food SlogansEat Fresh
Think Outside the Bun
Where’s the Beef?
Have it Your Way
Finger Lickin’ Good
What You Crave
You Deserve a Break Today
All American Food
We Don’t Make It Until You Order It
Where the Food is the Star

J&B misses the final three Fast Food Slogans to total 7 points for that category. Questions seemed pretty easy overall in the first three rounds. J&B’s point total of 24 is not good enough to Place after the first quarter of play. Missing those last three questions hurt.

Round Four: Kings
Who is baseball’s hit king?
2008- Who sang “Use Somebody”?
Who is the “King of Queens”?
Who is the king of NASCAR?
Steve Martin sang that this guy had a “condo made of stone-a”?
Who is the king of the blues?
Who is the king of the jungle?
Who is the king of rock and roll?
This king wrote about an ill-tempered St Bernard?
Who was the only king to sit atop the Empire State Building?

Another 9 points for J&B, who didn’t think the jungle question through and, as a result, blow it.

Round Five: Music
KC and the ____________?
erwyn native Jim Peterik drove his “Vehicle” to form this musical group?
Broadway show “Jersey Boys” is based on the lives of this group?
2011 Grammy Award for Best Song went to this group?
In “Folsom Prison Blues”, Johnny Cash’s momma told him not to play with what?
Buddy Holly and the _________?
The theme to the Lone Ranger also is known as what?
Dion and the ___________?
Which of the following was a member of the Rat Pack: a) Tony Bennett b) Peter Lawford c) Al Martino
What is this called? (ok- I can't figure out how to paste it into an email- see attached)
J&B puts up its first perfect score of the game- all 10 correct.

Round Six: Television NeighborsMarcy D’Arcy
Winnie Cooper
Cosmo Kramer
Ned Flanders
Wilson
Kimmy Gibler
Fred and Ethel Mertz
Gladys Kravitz
Steve Urkel
Ed and Trixie Norton

A second perfect round in a row. J&B is at 53 points out of 60 at the half, but that score is still two points out of placing in the top three. Concerns that the questions are overall way too easy continue.

Round Seven: Sidekicks
Batman and ?
Regis and ?
Lone Ranger and ?
Simon and ?
Johnny Carson and ?
Gumby and ?
Buzz and ?
Shrek and ?
Bonnie and ?
Brooks and ?

That’s three perfect rounds in a row for J&B!

Round Eight: Movies
Who played Julia Roberts husband in “Oceans 11”?
“You’re killin’ me, Smalls.”
In which movie did Marlon Brando play Stanley Kowalski?
Who played Ryan O’Neal’s love interest in “Love Story”?
Who is the voice of King Mufasa?
“You clowns have been put on double secret probation.”
Which movie featured the song “You Got a Friend in Me”?
“I’ll have what she’s having.”

Yes or No: did “Avatar” win the Academy Award for Best Picture?
Which is the only movie to win the Academy Award for Best Picture and also have its sequel win the Academy Award for Best Picture?

Four perfect rounds in a row. I don’t know if J&B is gaining any ground, but at least it isn’t losing any.

Round Nine: Potluck
How many books are in the Old Testament?
What does the “E” stand for in Mr. Guerin’s middle name?
Name the organization that was located on the SE corner across from St Bede’s?
Who won last year’s “American Idol”?
In “Cake Boss”- the bakery is located in what state?
How many Harry Potter books have been written?
What is pop singer Alecia Moore’s colorful stage name?
What is the date of Easter this year?
Name the sport in which neither the spectators nor participants know the score or leader until the contest ends?
Frank and Ethel Mars introduced this candy bar in 1929, named after the family horse?

J&B had only 6 correct in this round (stupid St Bede’s related questions were two of the incorrect ones)…initially. For the second time in our years playing in this trivia event, St Bede’s, a church, provided an incorrect answer to a religious question. That’s right- they had the Old Testament question wrong, showing an answer of 5 books. I guess they were too lazy or uninformed to come up with the correct answer, so each team was given a free point. J&B up to 7 for that round. Team score up to 80, but still 4 points behind the leader and not in the top three scores. J&B is stalking the pack, but it is highly concerned about the potential effect of the next category…

Round Ten: Soaps
What soap featured a gothic vampire story?
What is the longest running soap on NBC?
Which soap features the Martins, the Tylers, the Brents and of course, the Kanes?
Which box office star got her start as Jackie Templeton on “General Hospital”?
What actress played Karen Wolek on “One Life to Live” from 1977-1983?
What talk show hostess appeared on “All My Children” as Hayley Vaughan?
What CSI star began portraying Joshua Hall on “One Life to Live” at age 12?
What “General Hospital” spinoff spent two years telling a story about vampires?

He was the eldest son of one of the richest and most powerful oil families in Texas, and he was not afraid to cut a corner or two. Who did not even let an assassin’s bullet stop him?

Before he was on the USS Enterprise, what “Star Trek” officer played a shady dude known as Bernie the Pill Pusher on “General Hospital”?

All things considered, J&B is damn happy to pull 8 points out of its ass for that one.

Round Eleven: Geography
What is the largest continent?
Which is further north: Portland, Oregon or Toronto, Ontario?
True or False: Rome, Italy has the same latitude as Chicago, Illinois?
Do more people live in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere?
What is the largest lake in the US?
Russia is the largest country in the World (by area)- which is second?
Stockholm is the capital of which country?
What is the capital of Pennsylvania?
What is the tallest mountain in the US?
Vancouver is in which Canadian province?

Good time to be rolling- J&B puts up its fifth perfect round of the game.

Round Twelve: Dead or Alive
Elizabeth Taylor
Jack LaLanne
Leslie Nielsen
Tom Bosley
Barbara Billingsley
Betty Garrett
Len Lesser (Uncle Leo on “Seinfeld”)
Anne Francis
James Caan
Mel Brooks

A sixth and final perfect round for J&B…but will it be enough?

Gentlemen?

PART TWO

Part II

The guy in the Charlestown Chiefs jersey takes the microphone to announce the winners. In 3rd place with 108 points and taking that slot via tiebreaker: J&B! The teams that took the top two slots each had 111 points. Close, but not close enough to figure out which of our incorrect answers screwed us the most. On the other hand, each and every correct answer was needed- good job, J&B.

Finishing 3rd was a break-even slot, but it still puts another cash finish on the J&B resume.

108 out of 120 possible points (really, 107 out of 119). The questions may have been just a little too easy this year. Of course, we didn’t see the rest of the scores, either.

J&B expected back in action at Salerno’s on Thursday, March 10th.

Answers:
Round One: Chicago

What was the last Chicago pro team to win a championship? Chicago Blackhawks
Which Daley served as Mayor of Chicago longer: Richard J or Richard M? Richard M
What do the letters in “WGN” stand for? World’s Greatest Newspaper
What is the only Chicago street that can be North, South, East, or West? Wacker Drive
On 11/29/1963, the City Council voted unanimously to change the name of the Northwest Expressway to what? Kennedy Expressway
What is the name of Chicago’s longest street? Western Avenue
Trump Tower was built on the former home of what? Chicago Sun-Times
What was the first year of the Taste of Chicago? 1980 (J&B guess: 1981)
Which famous downtown German restaurant was issued Chicago’s 1st liquor license? Berghoff
What U of I and Chicago Bears running back was nicknamed “Galloping Ghost”? Red Grange

Round Two: By The Numbers

How many US Presidents are still alive? 5
How many feet are in a mile? 5,280
Which amendment to the Constitution started Prohibition? 18th (J&B guess: 19th)
How many sides are there in a nonagon? 9 (J&B guess: 0)
How many Superbowls have been played? 45
What did George Constanza want to name his child? 7
How many Wards make up the city of Chicago? 50
How many US Presidents were assassinated while in office? 4
How many red stripes are on the American flag? 7
Which mission was the first to land on the moon- Apollo __? 11

Round Three: Fast Food Slogans

Eat Fresh Subway
Think Outside the Bun Taco Bell
Where’s the Beef? Wendy’s
Have it Your Way Burger King
Finger Lickin’ Good Kentucky Fried Chicken
What You Crave White Castle
You Deserve a Break Today McDonald’s
All American Food A&W (J&B guess: Hardee’s)
We Don’t Make It Until You Order It Jack in the Box (J&B guess: Quizno’s)
Where the Food is the Star Hardee’s (J&B guess: Carl’s Jr)

Round Four: Kings

Who is baseball’s hit king? Pete Rose
2008- Who sang “Use Somebody”? Kings of Leon
Who is the “King of Queens”? Kevin James
Who is the king of NASCAR? Richard Petty
Steve Martin sang that this guy had a “condo made of stone-a”? King Tut
Who is the king of the blues? BB King
Who is the king of the jungle? The lion (J&B guess: Tarzan…if we lost by 1, I think this is the one we would have viewed as the killer)
Who is the king of rock and roll? Elvis Presley
This king wrote about an ill-tempered St Bernard? Stephen King
Who was the only king to sit atop the Empire State Building? King Kong

Round Five: Music

KC and the ____________? Sunshine Band
Berwyn native Jim Peterik drove his “Vehicle” to form this musical group? Ides of March
Broadway show “Jersey Boys” is based on the lives of this group? Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons
2011 Grammy Award for Best Song went to this group? Lady Antebellum
In “Folsom Prison Blues”, Johnny Cash’s momma told him not to play with what? Guns
Buddy Holly and the _________? Crickets
The theme to the Lone Ranger also is known as what? William Tell Overture
Dion and the ___________? Belmonts
Which of the following was a member of the Rat Pack: a) Tony Bennett b) Peter Lawford c) Al Martino b) Lawford
What is this called: Treble Clef (good job to whomever fought to keep “treble” as part of the J&B answer)

Round Six: Television Neighbors

Marcy D’Arcy Married with Children
Winnie Cooper The Wonder Years
Cosmo Kramer Seinfeld
Ned Flanders The Simpsons
Wilson Home Improvement
Kimmy Gibler Full House
Fred and Ethel Mertz I Love Lucy
Gladys Kravitz Bewitched
Steve Urkel Family Matters
Ed and Trixie Norton The Honeymooners

Round Seven: Sidekicks

Batman and ? Robin
Regis and ? Kelly
Lone Ranger and ? Tonto
Simon and ? Garfunkel
Johnny Carson and ? Ed McMahon
Gumby and ? Pokey
Buzz and ? Woody
Shrek and ? Donkey
Bonnie and ? Clyde
Brooks and ? Dunn

Round Eight: Movies

Who played Julia Roberts husband in “Oceans 11”? George Clooney
“You’re killin’ me, Smalls.” The Sandlot
In which movie did Marlon Brando play Stanley Kowalski? A Streetcar Named Desire
Who played Ryan O’Neal’s love interest in “Love Story”? Ali McGraw
Who is the voice of King Mufasa? James Earl Jones
“You clowns have been put on double secret probation.” Animal House
Which movie featured the song “You Got a Friend in Me”? Toy Story
“I’ll have what she’s having.” When Harry Met Sally
Yes or No: did “Avatar” win the Academy Award for Best Picture? No

Which is the only movie to win the Academy Award for Best Picture and also have its sequel win the Academy Award for Best Picture? The Godfather

Round Nine: Potluck

How many books are in the Old Testament? Correct answer never given (J&B guess: 23)
What does the “E” stand for in Mr. Guerin’s middle name? Emmitt (J&B guess: Edward)
Name the organization that was located on the SE corner across from St Bede’s? Sertoma (J&B guess: Knights of Columbus)
Who won last year’s “American Idol”? Lee De Wyze
In “Cake Boss”- the bakery is located in what state? New Jersey (J&B guess: Maryland)
How many Harry Potter books have been written? 7
What is pop singer Alecia Moore’s colorful stage name? Pink
What is the date of Easter this year? April 24, 2011
Name the sport in which neither the spectators nor participants know the score or leader until the contest ends? Boxing
Frank and Ethel Mars introduced this candy bar in 1929, named after the family horse? Snickers

Round Ten: Soaps

What soap featured a gothic vampire story? Dark Shadows
What is the longest running soap on NBC? Days of Our Lives
Which soap features the Martins, the Tylers, the Brents and of course, the Kanes? All My Children
Which box office star got her start as Jackie Templeton on “General Hospital”? Demi Moore
What actress played Karen Wolek on “One Life to Live” from 1977-1983? Judith Light
What talk show hostess appeared on “All My Children” as Hayley Vaughan? Kelly Ripa
What CSI star began portraying Joshua Hall on “One Life to Live” at age 12? Lawrence Fishburne (J&B guess: George Eads)
What “General Hospital” spinoff spent two years telling a story about vampires? Port Charles
He was the eldest son of one of the richest and most powerful oil families in Texas, and he was not afraid to cut a corner or two. Who did not even let an assassin’s bullet stop him? JR Ewing
Before he was on the USS Enterprise, what “Star Trek” officer played a shady dude known as Bernie the Pill Pusher on “General Hospital”? Leonard Nimoy (J&B guess: Jonathan Frankes)

Round Eleven: Geography

What is the largest continent? Asia
Which is further north: Portland, Oregon or Toronto, Ontario? Portland
True or False: Rome, Italy has the same latitude as Chicago, Illinois? True
Do more people live in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere? Northern
What is the largest lake in the US? Superior
Russia is the largest country in the World (by area)- which is second? Canada
Stockholm is the capital of which country? Sweden
What is the capital of Pennsylvania? Harrisburg
What is the tallest mountain in the US? Mt McKinley
Vancouver is in which Canadian province? British Columbia

Round Twelve: Dead or Alive
Elizabeth Taylor Alive
Jack LaLanne Dead
Leslie Nielsen Dead
Tom Bosley Dead
Barbara Billingsley Dead
Betty Garrett Dead
Len Lesser (Uncle Leo on “Seinfeld”) Dead
Anne Francis Dead
James Caan Alive
Mel Brooks Alive

dveon's Death and Destruction Maert

2011-02-28T17:57:00.002-06:00

On the north side saturday afternoon, driving down devon, when I saw the fklashing blue lites ahead of me. Before pulling to the rite to let them pass, ui loked in the back mirror and saw tonnes of lites - at that instant, cheepa, in the seat next to me, said "Hey, they're chasing that black truck!" The truck pulled a left into a side street to avoid the cops comeing east, and slammed into a tree - what, 75 feet from me? I was out of the car instantly looked to see what would happen - untill the gunfire started. Too many stories of how terrible and damaging bullets are - so i jumped behind the Strasser 's engine block.

Not too many times Ive been taht close to some guy getting multiple shots to the head and dying. But as it turns out, these guys were involved (allegedly)in 12 murders, and had jusrt come back from teo more killings. I'd read about the previou murders - there modus was to have a cocaine deal in the $100,000 range, then kill ther dudes.

As we drove south further, we ran into the area where the original killing had taken place - somke driving up alleys etc and we were fee..

heers some of the stories

Tribune 1 (latest)
Tribune 2 Tribune 3

Sun times 1 Sun times 2

Stix List

2011-02-28T17:49:00.002-06:00

Writen by Lazers

edited by Hilts

Salerno’s was only sparsely crowded for trivia night. Top suspicion went to the storm threat oversold (as usual) by the Chicago weather persons. However, Benkowski seemed to think the low turnout was due to burnout, referencing some 8-hour event. Mysterious.

J&B represented by: Chemical MAn, Stix, MG, Mothers and Lazers ((No Hilts))

The Competition: Peeps, Auntie J, and Funky Monkey

Art’s initial shit list:
Chemical MAn, Mothers, MG, and Lazers

First half: Movies 89 & 99/Music 76 & 06/Current NBA

’76- sang “Play That Funky Music”?
’76- sang “Sara’s Smile”?
’76- sang “Love Hurts”?
’76- sang “Do You Know Where You’re Going To”?

After one team gets a correct answer after another team’s incorrect answer-
Benkowski: “They call that a clean-up in the trivia world.”
MG: “We call that a rebound in the J&B world.”

Mothers wins a Ladies Only “Long Distance Roll”- props deserved after singling out her 0-3 one month back.

Scores at the half: J&B 1470 Auntie J 970 Monkey 640 Peeps 510

Art’s shit list is a living document that evolved into the following:
Chemical MAn, MG, Mothers and Lazers

The switch in slots between MG and Mothers came after MG cracked a funny one-liner. Stix moves him down one slot on the list for the joke. MG = joke. Mothers = no joke.

Second half: Songs with “kiss” in the Title/TV on Sunday/Sports Champions

’98- sang “This Kiss”?
’95- sang “Kiss from a Rose”?
’88- sang “Kiss and Tell” (initials B.F.)?
’86- sang “Kiss”?
’57- sang “Kisses Sweeter Than Wine”?
2000s- Two golfers won the Masters three times each?
1990s- Two European golfers won the Masters twice each?
1980s- This European golfer won the Masters twice?
1990s- She won five women’s championships at Wimbledon?
1980s- This European won three men’s championships at Wimbledon?
2003- In the last line from this movie, Queen Latifah says to Eugene Levy: “You’re some kind of freak”?
1984- female lead of “Purple Rain”?

For that last question, Benkowski threatens to revoke the “man card” of an African-American guy sitting at the bar, playing for the Peeps, if he didn’t know the answer.

Mothers (plotting): “SS…that’s for ‘secret strategy’.”
Why do I have the feeling that SS conjures a different connotation when discussing J&B? ((KIL))

After the Peeps issue an incorrect answer, one of them follows up by giving the correct answer-
Benkowski: “I would never follow my answer with a secondary answer. Other teams may hear you. That’s bad strategy.”

Mothers gets involved in another Ladies Only contest- Most Occupied Piercings. The representative from the Peeps was a waitress whom I don’t recall seeing before tonight. Mothers has two occupied piercings. The waitress tells Benkowski she has three. She points out the earring in each ear. She points out that her nose is pierced; however, it is not occupied. That doesn’t count. Benkowski then points out that her lip is pierced and occupied. The waitress wins with three occupied piercings. J&B tries to decide which aspect of the waitress’ game was more intelligent: the fact that she tried to win an “occupied piercings” challenge by using an unoccupied piercing, or the fact that she apparently doesn’t know how many piercings she has in the first place.

Scores after two halves: J&B 2530 Auntie J 1830 Monkey 1540 Peeps 1120

During a lengthy break prior to the Final Questions (the climax of the Bulls game looked to play a part), an older gentleman from Funky Monkey shines some light on Benkowski’s reference to the 8-hour burnout. Apparently, once a year, there is an underground trivia event held at some guy’s house. It sounds like it is a team event in tournament form and can take 8 hours to complete. The Funky Monkey guy plays. I think Benkowski plays. Other Salerno regulars may play. This year’s event apparently was held this past Sunday, hence the current burnout.

The first rule of “underground trivia”: Do not talk about “underground trivia”.

The Funky Monkey gentleman passed along some questions that he remembered from the event:

Name the three world countries whose second letter is “c”?

Daryl Strawberry is the NY Mets all-time home run leader with 252. Ten other players have hit at least 100 home runs as Mets. Name them.

Back to Benkowski, where J&B wagers the classic. Category options were: 2000s Movies, All Time Strikeout Leaders, Guns N Roses, No Doubt, South Suburban Locations, and (I would like to have seen our faces when this was announced) Benkowski Sings Temptations’ Songs.

South Suburban Locations (Peeps):
At 183rd and Dixie Highway, what 8 letter city?
At 89th and Kostner, what 8 letter city?
At 143rd and Bell Road, what 2-word city?

All-Time Strikeout Leaders (Funky Monkey):
Of the all-time top 12, 3 played in Chicago for at least 3 seasons- name 1?
Two of those played in Chicago for at least 10 seasons- name 1?
Name the other?

Benkowski Sings the Temptations (Auntie J):
Just have to use your imagination for this one.

2000s Movies (J&B):
Name the 3 female leads from “Monster In Law”?
Name the 2 male leads from “The Whole Nine Yards”?
Name the 2 leads and exact year of “Castaway”?

Gentlemen?

PART @ w/ Answers

Part II

First Half:
’76- sang “Play That Funky Music”? Wild Cherry
’76- sang “Sara’s Smile”? Hall & Oates
’76- sang “Love Hurts”? Nazareth
’76- sang “Do You Know Where You’re Going To”? Diana Ross

Second Half:
’98- sang “This Kiss”? Faith Hill
’95- sang “Kiss from a Rose”? Seal
’88- sang “Kiss and Tell” (initials B.F.)? Bryan Ferry
’86- sang “Kiss”? Prince
’57- sang “Kisses Sweeter Than Wine”? Jimmy Rodgers
2000s- Two golfers won the Masters three times each? Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson
1990s- Two European golfers won the Masters twice each? Nick Faldo, Jose Maria Olazabal
1980s- This European golfer won the Masters twice? Seve Ballesteros
1990s- She won five women’s championships at Wimbledon? Steffi Graf
1980s- This European won three men’s championships at Wimbledon? Boris Becker
2003- In the last line from this movie, Queen Latifah says to Eugene Levy: “You’re some kind of freak”? Bringing Down the House
1984- female lead of “Purple Rain”? Apollonia

“Underground Trivia”

Name the three world countries whose second letter is “c”?
Ecuador, Iceland, Scotland

Daryl Strawberry is the NY Mets all-time home run leader with 252. Ten other players have hit at least 100 home runs as Mets. Name them.
Mike Piazza 220, Howard Johnson 192, David Wright 169, Dave Kingman 154, Carlos Beltran 134, Todd Hundley 124, Kevin McReynolds 122, Edgardo Alfonzo 120, Ed Kranepool 118, Carlos Delgado 104.

Final Question:

Peeps- 1120- South Suburban Locations- guess Midlothian (no), Hometown (correct), and South Holland (no)- only 1 correct- wagered 800- down to 320.

Benkowski, after the correct Hometown guess: “Big time play for a small town!”

Funky Monkey- 1540- All Time Strikeout Leaders- guesses Tom Seaver (correct), Ferguson Jenkins (correct), and Jack McDowell (no)- that’s 2 correct- wager of 1540- double up to 3080 and the lead!

Auntie J- 1830- Benkowski Sings the Temptations- guesses Just My Imagination (correct), Diana Ross and the Supremes (correct), and Psychedelic Shag (correct)- all 3 correct- wagered 1251 plus bonus- up to 6081 and the new leader. J&B will need the bonus to win tonight.

J&B- 2530- 2000s Movies- guesses Jane Fonda/Jennifer Lopez/Wanda Sykes (correct), Bruce Willis/Matthew Perry (correct), and Tom Hanks/Helen Hunt/2004 (the year was incorrect)- 7 out of 8 equals 2 correct- wagered 1131- up to 3661.

Auntie J emerges victorious for Sparse Trivia Night.

J&B next in action for one of the big events: St Bede’s Trivia on February 26th. Update to come next week. The final roster expected to be: Moho/Chemical man/hilts/Stix/nitenurse/Peppys/Lazers/MG/Mothers/whichever of Chem’s nieces wins the cage match

Final Answers:
South Suburban Locations:
At 183rd and Dixie Highway, what 8 letter city? Homewood
At 89th and Kostner, what 8 letter city? Hometown
At 143rd and Bell Road, what 2-word city? Homer Glen

All-Time Strikeout Leaders:
Of the all-time top 12, 3 played in Chicago for at least 3 seasons- name 1? Tom Seaver, Ferguson Jenkins, Greg Maddux
Two of those played in Chicago for at least 10 years- name 1? Jenkins and Maddux
Name the other? Whichever one you didn’t answer for the last question

2000s Movies:
Name the 3 female leads from “Monster In Law”? Jane Fonda/Jennifer Lopez/Wanda Sykes
Name the 2 male leads from “The Whole Nine Yards”? Bruce Willis/Matthew Perry
Name the 2 leads and exact year of “Cast Away”? Tom Hanks/Helen Hunt/2000

From Jakov (ne Jamie, Jime-e, Jacob)

2011-02-15T15:21:00.001-06:00

If your able, let me know what verse you speak of regarding purgatory. Also, if the Webster's Ninth Collegiate Dictionary is correct when it defines "grace" as unmerited favor (unearnable obviously, and undeservable), than how, logically, could that be something that an individual could choose or reject?You said a couple of weeks ago that an individual must "do something", in terms of their relationship with God. More importantly, i believe the Gospel is arguing, and, i believe, Paul testifies, that a Christian or Catholic must "believe" something first. They must believe what's referred to as "the milk of the Gospel". That Christ accomplished something for us, and, indeed, for all creation on the Cross. He is the "author and finisher of our faith". And what did Christ do for us on the Cross? Well, simply, he saved us. Saved us from what? Answer: the bondage of the law. Dad, you told me several months ago, and many times previously, that freedom is responsibility. I don't know if that's true, but i do know that neither you nor i are free in the most radical sense meaning capable of doing anything we wish without repercussion (the Webster's says freedom is to be not subject to the control or domination by another). You and i are very much not free. We are under bondage of the law. Paul says the law is good, and i agree. It seems to point toward kindness, common decency, and consideration toward your neighbor. Christ came not to destroy the law but to fullfill. This is the milk of the Gospel. While the law is usually good, kind, and just, we are not eternally accountable for it because God, in his infinite wisdom and love toward us, chose to take the responsibility of the law, and of course, the punishment that the violation of the law brings. We live in a state of grace with God because of what was accomplished for us on the Cross. We cannot earn unmerited favor, it is where we stand positionally with God because of the sacrifice on the Cross. We do not choose grace. Grace has been thrusted upon us. Paul states, "For by Grace are we saved through faith and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, least any man boast". We are given the gift of faith by God to trust in what was accomplished for us on the Cross. We are given the gift of faith to trust Romans 3.21... that the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.Why is Jesus God? It's simple. According to the Gospel of John nothing was created without the Savior. Nothing that was created was under anything other than grace. Jesus is God because He is given all the credit, He is given all the glory, He is given all the honor for saving and delivering Ed Peters and the rest of creation from the bondage of the law and from any guilt or shame the law can bring. All of God, the twenty four elders, the four beasts, and all of creation shall bend a knee in homage to the Lamb's sacrifice. Jesus is given all the credit for the eternal righteous perfection of God's creation. We can all proclaim Isaiah 61.10, " I greatly rejoice in my Lord for he has covered me in the garments of salvation, he has clothed me in robes of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride (the bride of Christ?) adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations".You cannot put new wine into old wineskins. If you do the skins will burst... and the wineskins will be ruined. You pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved. What does this mean? Simple, the old skins are Judiasm and Judaic Law. These skins cannot contain the blessings of joy, peace, and salvation that are ours by the Grace of God.

written by

Jakov

The Ancient of Days

2011-02-04T16:21:00.003-06:00

The Ancient of Days - also know as Jacob's spiritual leader - died during the snowstrom. He was found dead on his kitchen floor. I used to hate the guy, but since Jacob moved out and was less subject to his hectoring - the hate dissapeared.

It was shock when Jacob called w. the news. More later

On Thursday and Sunday nite

2011-01-25T15:45:00.002-06:00

Horrid nites - well, wonderful, but....

Friday morning I woke up and vomited

Monday nite it was different but the same

One of many REM songs I love

2011-01-19T22:53:00.004-06:00

Reminds me of Q. She was the biggest REM fan I knew ever. We used to watch this video when we were to-gether - hews close to what I thought my feelings were for her @ the time. Now?

FROM A CHAIN LETTER

2011-01-19T21:56:00.001-06:00

Absolutely Brilliant

The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.

As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English".

In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c".. Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f".. This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.

In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible.

Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.

Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.

By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".

During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensi bl riten styl.

Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi TU understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.

Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.

If zis mad you smil, pleas pas on to oza pepl.

Sex @ Dawn

2011-01-19T21:43:00.012-06:00

Great book. Basically, the nexus of it is that the one on one relationship that we are all hammered to believe in and mainly aspire to have is rather an unnatural byproduct of agriculturalization and turning women into property. The argument goes that the first, say 95% of humanities time on earth we lived in hunter/gatherer tribes where everything is shared. Nobody had anything - since we were always on the move, who had time to cart around possessions? So - since there were no possesions to hand down or farms to protect - paternity was not an issue. Therefore, since there wasn't anysorta deal about paternity, everyone took care of each other - the men didn't know whose kids were who - but ince they mite be "mine" - then all children would be protected.

Pretty kool. And for 95% of our existence - meaning 95% of my and your gramma's and grandpa's - did the 'free love' thing. 190,000 out of the 200,000 years of human's existence.

But then the Agricultural Revolution. Property started then - hey, we farm here, and we will farm here the next year as well. So - the best fields and positions of power? These needed to be passed down to the top-dudes sons - and so the importance of paternity.

The scientists say...? The authors argue that for too long the science of sex and relationships served Power - and not Truth. So, some examples are - scientists concentrated on Chimps and Gibbons for their scientific findings - but the authors feel that Bonobos are a better fit for scienctific lookings into human sexuality. The authors also find fault with other older scientific leanings - too much relying on more modern huntergather groups for data (seven tribes are mentioned), where the authors see these groups -- and thus the data --as being spoiled by modern society. They then turn out data on other tribes that ahdn't been yet touched by the West (journals from explorers in the 1700's where these groups practice of sexuality was like the hunter/gathers, scientists who were the first Westerners in an area who studied remote tribes, etc etc etc...)

Much more. Humans penis and ....whats the word ? .... Oh, just use 'balls' ... compared to a chimps? Our equipement, the authors write, was designed for .. well, group sex. The thrusting? Alone among the primates do we thrust and thrust and thrust - and scientists see that this thrusting creates a vacum that pulls out liquid - ok, seamon - from the womens insides. When a man comes, the shaft first deflates but not the head- letting everything to drain out below the head - which keeps inflated and keeps everything deposited by the latest lover inside her.

What - fucking men and their obsessions? The authors cant get beyond the difference in men getting jiggy wit it - for a few minutes, and then crashing out after the deed is done. How the hll is that compatible w. women taking the time of her life to warm up and have orgasm after orgasm? And her screaming - why are men so quiet, and women are LOUD!?!? Well, they feel women have multiple lovers, and as each dude does his deeds and she loves it, she wants it more and more and tells everyone so.

So - cuckolding - which there was a question in Dan Savage's column some months ago that first interested me in the book amidst the hails of laughter- appears to be a way to make guys get even hotter = since y'know, the whole group sex thing, and the women has bales of lovers, all @ once, and the dudes just havta wait around, and watching gets them even hotter (think the phrase'men are visual', and 'men like porn', and....) - so hot, that when it comes their time to play with the female, the dude can thrust even harder and more committed and more and make sure that it's HIS sperm that....... oh, what ever....

Ok, oooook, ok. I know. You have a wife, or a husband, and property, or are muey Conservative, or .... whatever.... and all of this science stuff is clabbertrap and you are deeply offended. But ... read the book. My impramateur is on it. Hell of a lot more than the digressions here. Again - read it - very interesting.

Salon interview

Every Once In Awhile

2011-01-19T21:35:00.002-06:00

Every once in awhile Dragon and I do well. Idea was to watch Bears together, and I said I'd spring for the Fry and drink, as well as dragging M.Jenx to the show if Draggs'd open up his crib. Three peoples joined us - Gallo, then Jacob, then Crankface. Not like, say, a random Tuesday Feb. Bulls game during the Run of the Bulls - that would garner 20 rabid shouting celebrating fenz - but I really did enjoy the game w. four frenz.

Funny. I was to cook up the Fry - but Gallo naturally did it. The drink was good. Sir Green. And the Bears won handily.

Gallo and Cranx departed - for shure no Gallo next week if a bearswatchparty happens - he's secondarily a Packer fan. Then, the remaining three watched a kickass game - the Jets - New england. Had not much care in this game - but the instant teh Jets let notice that they mite actually want to win this game - then I became a Jet fan. It was a lot of fun - both games.

death

2011-01-19T14:09:00.004-06:00

She wasnt someone I was expecially close to @ all - really, havent even seen her for a few decades. She worked @ the school i went to - and, I was a FB friend w. her. I'll freely amidt that I gave almost no thought to her - until her son, also a FB friend, posted that she died.

Immediately, the weepiness in me came out. Had to scroll down through her FB page, look over her stuff, note her last post (20 December), and feel bad.

I barely knew her, but .... sad. A whole life, a whole family, a whole .......... i dunno. Nobody can say. Just very sad.

Opening Day 2011

2011-01-17T21:21:00.004-06:00

Written By Lazers

edited by Hilts

Opening Day 2011. Salerno’s was adorned with the brass bands and the bunting and the parade, and the trivia media was overflowing in the press box. J&B informs Benkowski that they will have a new attitude in 2011. New attitude or not, the majority of prognosticators again pick J&B as the team to beat in the new season. And the season would begin with a fun and rowdy night reminiscent of the TC Pub days.

J&B Opening Day 2011 lineup: Chemical Man, Hilts, MG and Lazers

The Competition: Auntie Joanne, Peeps, Awesome, Logan Squares (aka Chicago Sharks), and Out of Towners (one of the NW Indiana teams that were part of an all-star team representing that state for the championship)

First half: Local Sports 80s & 90s/Jennifer Aniston/Music 70s & 00s

2008- “Burning Up”?
2001- “Hero”?
1973- “I Got a Name”?
1974- “I’ve Got the Music in Me”?
2000- “Thank God I Found You”?
2003- “In Those Jeans”?
1970- “Snowbird”?
1972 (didn’t catch for certain)- “If Lovin’ You is Wrong I Don’t Wanna Be Right”?
1999- primary position for Paul Konerko?
Mike Ditka’s first season as head coach of the Bears?
Two Wisconsin Badgers on the 1992 Blackhawks?
1993- White Sox primary RF?
2010- male lead in Aniston movie “The Switch”?
On “Friends”- first and last name of Aniston’s character?
Jennifer Aniston Year of Birth?
As a youth, Aniston lived in this European country for a year?

Note: there is a Benkowski factor on the Konerko and Wisconsin Badgers answers.
Don’t remember how or why it started, but the Houston Oiler fight song (and variations thereof) was sung often and loudly throughout the night. I’m pretty certain it was by J&B most if not all of the times it happened, including this version:

They filibuster.
They have the Mindworms.
J&B number one!

Sight seen on Chemical Man’s notes: “Stix is absent but still gay”

Scores at the half: J&B 1000 Auntie J 830 Out of Towners 830 Logan Squares 760 Awesome 330 Peeps 60

It was probably halftime when J&B decided to rank the Opening Day 2011 babes. The candidates were:
The blonde girl on Awesome (Shelly)
The brunette girl on Auntie J (we find out she is a flight attendant for American Airlines, as she came to trivia right from the airport after being stuck in Grand Rapids for 12 hours)
The brunette girl at the bar (allegedly the owner’s daughter, currently known as Boots, and despite intelligence from Bill indicating she is 17 years old, none of us think that is an accurate estimate of her age)
The gal from Out of Towners (no current intelligence on her)

Voting resulted in the following order: Boots, Shelly, Flight Attendant, Out of Towner (though those last two may have been switched).

Second half: Music 80s & 00s/Ads/Famous Chicago Athletes Who Benkowski Interviewed for His Show 1988-Present

Prior to revealing that last category, Benkowski: “There might be some gnashing of teeth and cursing when I announce the third category.”

1982- “Heartlight”?
1987- “Tell It To My Heart” started string of 10 consecutive to chart Top 100?
1981- “For Your Eyes Only”?

Last Chicago manager to do a promo for Benkowski’s show?
PSA featuring Alicia Keys in a coffin is to bring attention to what issue? ((Someone joked "Necrophila" - Hilts))

Gal from Peeps to Hilts, after a 2nd incident of her team being booed: “Take your hat off, it’s warm in here!”

Logan Square and J&B engage in a heavyweight battle throughout the second half, with the lead changing hands many times.

Scores after two halves: Logan Square 1960 J&B 1720 Out of Towners 1440 Auntie J 1200 Awesome 810 Peeps 460

Benkowski hands out cards to solicit ideas for categories. Despite suggestions of 60s Batman TV Series, NFL Fight Songs, and Marriageable TV Characters, Bill chose Oscar Winning Movies with a “Fuck you all.”

As it turns out, Benkowski was not soliciting category ideas for future trivia events. No, he did not have final questions prepared for tonight due to a “situation” (I was not aware that Benkowski watched “Jersey Shore”). The categories submitted by each team would be their final category, and Benkowski moved into full Jim Segredo mode, sitting at the bar for 20 minutes to come up with questions for each one.

J&B wagers the 2nd place classic (1161).

Automobiles (Peeps):
GM stopped production of this line of cars in the early 2000s?
Car dealership on North Western Avenue- when Scottie Pippen stopped appearing, it took his name of and changed to ________ Dodge Store?
Car dealership on South Western Avenue- started in 1938 was founded by what former White Sox player?

Celebrity Gossip (Awesome):
Margaret Cho’s comedy routine addresses her rumored lesbianism by her claiming to be ____sexual?
1939- someone is rumored to have hung themselves on the set of this movie?
Terry Armour of the Tribune ran into this local female news anchor (still active) in the porn section of a video store on the north side (apparently joked about for many years)?

Old Movies (Auntie J):
“We’ll always have Paris”?
This TV executive played a bartender in “It’s A Wonderful Life”?
Top 3 billed stars of “Double Indemnity”?

90s & 00s Movies (Out of Towners):
Played the tall crook in “Home Alone”?
Played the evil caretaker of the old folks home in “Happy Gilmore”?
Top 3 billed stars of 2000s movie about a female boxer?

Oscar Winning Movies (J&B):
In “American Beauty” she was always clipping flowers?
1955- Best Actor for “Marty”?
Top 2 billed stars of “The Seven Year Itch”?

70s Blackhawks (Logan Square):
At the Chicago Stadium, players and media entered the stadium where?
Red Motlow chewed out Benkowski at the locker of this Hawk winger after Benkowski put his microphone into an ongoing interview?
This goalie from Midlothian had a stint with the Blackhawks?

Gentlemen?

---------------------------------------
Part II
First half Answers:2008- “Burning Up”? Jonas Brothers
2001- “Hero”? Enrique Iglesias
1973- “I Got a Name”? Jim Croce
1974- “I’ve Got the Music in Me”? Kiki Dee
2000- “Thank God I Found You”? Mariah Carey
2003- “In Those Jeans”? Ginuwine
1970- “Snowbird”? Anne Murray
1972 (didn’t catch for certain)- “If Lovin’ You is Wrong I Don’t Wanna Be Right”? Luther Ingram
1999- primary position for Paul Konerko? Benkowski answer: DH
Mike Ditka’s first season as head coach of the Bears? 1982
Two Wisconsin Badgers on the 1992 Blackhawks? Benkowski answer: Chris Chelios and Gary Suter
1993- White Sox primary RF? Ellis Burks
2010- male lead in Aniston movie “The Switch”? Jason Bateman
On “Friends”- first and last name of Aniston’s character? Rachel Green
Jennifer Aniston Year of Birth? 1969
As a youth, Aniston lived in this European country for a year? Greece
Per Baseball Reference: Konerko played 92 games at 1B and 54 as DH in 1999.
Per Hockey Reference: Gary Suter was traded to the Blackhawks in March 1994.

Second half Answers:
1982- “Heartlight”? Neil Diamond
1987- “Tell It To My Heart” started string of 10 consecutive to chart Top 100? Taylor Dayne
1981- “For Your Eyes Only”? Sheena Easton
Last Chicago manager to do a promo for Benkowski’s show? Lou Piniella
PSA featuring Alicia Keys in a coffin is to bring attention to what issue? HIV/AIDS (J&B input of “necrophilia” was not correct)

Final Answers:Peeps- 460- Automobiles- guess Oldsmobile (correct), didn’t hear guess (no), no guess at all (no)- only 1 correct- wagered it all- thanks for playing.

Awesome- 810- Celebrity Gossip- guesses tri-sexual (correct), Wizard of Oz (correct), “Robin somebody” (no)- that’s 2 correct- wagered 850- up to 1660. Nice job wagering more points than they had.

Auntie J- 1200- Old Movies- guesses Casablanca (correct), Sheldon Leonard (correct), Fred MacMurray/Barbara Stanwyck/Edward G Robinson (correct)- all 3 correct- wagered 425- with bonus up to 4625 and the lead.

Out of Towners- 1440- 90s/00s Movies- guess Daniel Stern (correct), Ben Stiller (correct), Clint Eastwood/Marisa Tomei/done (no)- that’s 2 correct- wagered 730- up to 2170.

J&B- 1720- Oscar Winning Movies- guesses Annette Bening (correct), Ernest Borgnine (correct), Marilyn Monroe/Tom Ewell (correct)- all 3 correct- wagered 1161- with bonus up to 5881 and the new leader.

Logan Squares- 1960- 70s Blackhawks- guess Gate 3 ½ (correct), Grant Mulvey (no), Bob Janecyk (correct)- that’s 2 correct- wagered 1521- up to 3481.

J&B begins the 2011 campaign with a victory! As the 3rd place Logan Squares filter past the J&B dugout, their lady jokingly informs us “J&B sucks.”

When Benkowski stops by the celebrating J&B table in order to dish out their winnings, Pat asks him about Boots’ age. Benkowski speculates that she is around 29 but issues a “word to the wise- she’s Vicky’s daughter.” Vicky is the bartender tonight, lending credence to Bill’s intelligence about Boots being the owner’s daughter. Not sure why the warning though- I would think every mother wishes her daughter could marry a J&Ber.

St Bedes update: scheduled for Saturday, February 26th. Hilts should have details on cost and time.
As for the most marriageable TV characters- gentlemen? Remember- you’d be marrying the character, not the actress.

Automobiles:
GM stopped production of this line of cars in the early 2000s? Oldsmobile
Car dealership on North Western Avenue- when Scottie Pippen stopped appearing, it took his name of and changed to ________ Dodge Store? Northwestern (or North Western)
Car dealership on South Western Avenue- started in 1938 was founded by what former White Sox player? Tony Piet

Celebrity Gossip (Awesome):
Margaret Cho’s comedy routine addresses her rumored lesbianism by her claiming to be ____sexual? Tri-sexual
1939- someone is rumored to have hung themselves on the set of this movie? Wizard of Oz
Terry Armour of the Tribune ran into this local female news anchor (still active) in the porn section of a video store on the north side (apparently joked about for many years)? Jackie Bange

Old Movies (Auntie J):
“We’ll always have Paris”? Casablanca
This TV executive played a bartender in “It’s A Wonderful Life”? Sheldon Leonard
Top 3 billed stars of “Double Indemnity”? Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G Robinson

90s & 00s Movies (Out of Towners):
Played the tall crook in “Home Alone”? Daniel Stern
Played the evil caretaker of the old folks home in “Happy Gilmore”? Ben Stiller
Top 3 billed stars of 2000s movie about a female boxer? Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman

Oscar Winning Movies (J&B):
In “American Beauty” she was always clipping flowers? Annette Bening
1955- Best Actor for “Marty”? Ernest Borgnine
Top 2 billed stars of “The Seven Year Itch”? Marilyn Monroe, Tom Ewell
Note: “The Seven Year Itch” did not win an Oscar.
70s Blackhawks (Logan Square):

At the Chicago Stadium, players and media entered the stadium where? Gate 3 ½
Red Motlow chewed out Benkowski at the locker of this Hawk winger after Benkowski put his microphone into an ongoing interview? Daryl Sutter
This goalie from Midlothian had a stint with the Blackhawks? Bob Janecyk

Note: Pretty apparent that 70s Blackhawks is not Benkowski’s strongest category. Sutter played only 8 games in the 79-80 season (perhaps none in the 70s), and Janecyk didn’t play in the 70s at all.

They look the same, just 30 years apart

2011-01-15T19:04:00.005-06:00

Kid Sister - Right Hand Hi

2011-01-14T01:39:00.001-06:00

and on

2011-01-14T00:22:00.003-06:00

Frenz w. all types - including full on Teabagger types. Facebook back and forths a lot. Love afriend of mine - Tealady - but politically she's not just having drunk the koolade - she makes it. here are some FB clips and my answers:

I saw:

#2Teabagger=I think Harry Reid is suffering from dementia. If you watch the whole interview with him w David Greggary, he said are economy is fine and so is social security! Is he on drugs?!?

Hilts responded=Although the economy s terrible, social security is actually in pretty good shape. Full payments for the next 27 years, 85% (or so - whats the exact %_it's like 85%) after that. With a wee bit of tinkering, it'll be in full 100% shape to ...provide security for merica future - just like the last 80 years of success.. It's very important for America that we keep the $2.4 Trillion out of the hands of those bankers etc. who want to get that money into their greedy hands. Social Security should be for th 98% of Americans who need it for America's secuirty- not so it can be looted by the profiteers.

Don't ever believe the rich - and all their fancy college degrees and organizations of the elite- who are crying out that Social security is in terrible shape - they just want to make commissions and profits on our money.

hey -the change the subject - read this??

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/matt-taibbi-the-crying-shame-of-john-boehner-20110105See MoreJanuary 9 at 2:38pm ·

#2 ==Social security is in the red starting this year, it will not last 2012.... I'm not buying that ss is in good shape
January 9 at 2:55pm ·

Hilts===‎27 years. sorry to throw out some facts - you can look it up. I know the elite want to get their hands on the 2.4 trillion - and yr probably getting your sountbites from those well educated, well heeled, well financed wall street elite ...- but of course, these people want the money - your money - to make their profits on it.

27 years full solvency. dont let the elite lie to you about your money and your future. Who the hell would trust the rich elites - you really ant to use their talking points - wrong - which??

try this - http://www.ncpssm.org/pdf/truth_booklet_2010.pdf
and this

from there:

"President Bush proposed to privatize Social Security in 2005 by having seniors create individual, privately invested accounts. This Republican proposal would have increased our national debt by $2 trillion to pay for transition costs, gambled the security of seniors’ retirement income on the ups and downs of Wall Street, and imposed management costs of as much as 20%."

2 trillion in debt? After the Republicans just saddled us w. $ 800-900 billion in tax cuts for the elite and (jokingly, i know) posturing about adding anohther $230 billion in debt by trying to cancel Obamacare?

Please. Stop listening to the elite. You start saying elitest things like "Social security is in the red starting this year".

unless, of course, you are part of the elite, to 2% of Americans in wealth - then yr jabble about ss makes sense and I get your take. I'm in the bottom 98% (and i totally suspect you and all rading this as well are) - and we need desperately security.

Dont believe me? Ask yr parents.

3.18pm

#3== I see you have bought into the class warfare scheme. Shame. Don't need the govt. (other people's money)to take care of me cradle to grave. Be responsible and save for your own retirement. Simple. This is America and you are not limited by a caste system.
January 9 at 4:55pm

#1TeabagSan==
First of all, we will be paying for Hilts's golden years and PAY we will with his handsome Chicago Public School pension. So, Hilts, if Social Security is good enough for us, peasants, why isn't it good enough for YOU?

Second, ask my paren...ts?

Well, my parents are seniors and they have worked all their lives and if their is one thing they hate is the social security system!!

Come over.

Ask my dad.

Regardless, you are baseless when you talk out of two sides of your mouth... If anyone is elite, it is YOU. Why is God's name am I responsible for paying for YOUR pension and health care? You are not my problem yet I've been saddle with YOUR problems.

When you forfeit your pension this great social security program, then come back and talk to you, okay?

Hilts==Sorry - i dont make enough money to be in the elite status of people like Reid, obama, linbaugh, that bipolar freak - whats his name, the "Food storage dude" (he he he he...sorry....)?

Also, again, ask yr parents their thoughts about about So...cial Security.

Tuesday, 2:07pm

#2== My mom is on ss and bracing herself for the day her checks stop coming in... I am too because I will be supporting her and paying that big bloated mortgage while living here renting a shit hole apartment....

2:17

#1San== Virgil, my dad and even more so, my mom, HATE social security... they just HATE it... And BTW, we all store food... We store food, products AND WATER! I'm taking some classes on canning at a Mormon church. My grandma stored a lot and I wa...s always big on it, but not with flour and stuff as I am now.... Honey, I don't know if you realize it, but I'm the biggest tin foil hat you can ever meet... We are having a silver meeting soon, if you would like to attend. Gink and Shavid will be talking to everyone about buying metals... And you will be able to walk out with product, not any of that stuff where they will keep it for you... LOL C..., you coming? 2:18pm

Hilts== um ..... oh, ok. didnt know.

2:19pm

#1San== Virgil, why don't you tell everyone how YOU don't have to live on Social Security because YOU will be living of us!! You will have a nice fat pension... Make sure you tell everyone this while you promote S.S.

2:19pm

#1San= Yes, as my dad says... "Social security is one of the most evil things this country has been forced to endure..."

My mom is another story... Her response is "Damn democrats just want to take everything from everyone who works... Always have,... always will."

I thought you knew this... LOL

@2:20PM

#2== I love Rush! For a person w no college or family clout like the Kennedys, he did well. He was also fired 9 times in his life and collected unemployment. We all have the opportunity to start a biz And become wealthy but most don't bother..,,

#1==YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RUSH IS KING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hilts== Linbaugh is worth close to half a billion dollars - he's as Elite as they come and his every word gushes itDo ypu really feel you have the same values as that guy, or other s of the superrich elite class he reresents?

And yes, i fully under...stand the "Myth of the self made man" deal that some starry eyed americans are whipped into believe in (check out some rap videos) - but the percentages of the very very few who make it into the very SuperElite status is so tiny, i put my lot w. the 98% of us - you too, Catherina, yr one of us and not one of them, no matter how good it makes you feel or whatever. Hey, it's the American way - isnt it funny that upwards of 60% of Americans in a recent Gallup poll want to reduce the deficit by taxing the rich - and not taxing you, Cat.?

Im out - gotta go to soccer practice.

2:40pm

#2==So glad I'm paying for Virgil's pension! Wish I could can... Beck talked about his grannies canning every summer when he was a kid... Precious medals are cute while enduring the depression, but we can't eat them... Yes, I will be there... Yes, I will be paying Virgil's pension! Yes we can! Yes, I can!
Tuesday at 2:45pm

#2== Half a billion is not elite, more the $10 trillion. The Facebook founder is a billionaire and he drives a prius and rents a home. It's not like Rush robbed a bank and used the money to open a radio broadcasting network...

#1San== Amazing... Taxing the rich? Who gives us jobs? Aside from people like you who work for government?

And don't patronize me with remarkds about feeling good. It's not the way I want my government ran! It's wrong.

Why don't you talk about your... flipping fat ass pension, Virgil??? Who the hell pays for that?

Don't even try, C.... He talks out of both sides of his mouth. What is good for the goose is not good for the gander. And his poll results are as sound as Obama's fiscal policies... Losers.

Reducing the deficit cannot be done by "taxing the rich" -- they will move money like you wouldn't believe. They are international. Besides, it's unAmerican. Cut spending. Stop living like there's no tomorrow. Tell those who don't f-ing work to go to work. Let us be free. I don't need jack from any government bureaucrat.

Tuesday 3:19

#1San== Virgil, I hope you lose that fat pension... See how much you'd like S.S.

You're a hypocrite.

3:19pm

#2==But if he lost the pension, he may start a small business that takes off and become a billionaire elitist .... Now we can't have that now can we?
Tuesday at 4:04pm

#1San==OR... Just another small business owner who are one of those who Obama wants to tax out of business.

4:04pm

#1San== Love how I may SS but will never get a check from them even at 80+ yes old... We will be 80 ur olds working while Hilts gives us a high five living la vida loca w his pension!
Tuesday at 4:09pm

#1San== LOL I swear! Such hypocrisy!! He left to go coach his girls' soccer team, which he gets paid extra to do.

4:21pm

#2 == Hope he pays taxes and ss on his earnings from coaching???

Tuesday 7:34pm

#1 San==Yes, but we contribute to his pension, too, when he coaches...
Tuesday at 7:35pm

Hilts== Not sure why yr calling me a 'hypocrit' - read back and cant figger the reference (seriously - not sure) Do tell.

So,Cat, joining the rich in hating us in the working class and wanting the woring classes pensions to fail? Wait - you are ...part of the working class!! Why the self hatred? who taught you to hate yurself and your family.

Hate to say it, but you were born into a working class neighbourhood - not some rich subarb- and we were all working class. Why the self hatred? Who taught you that?? Really? Very sad to see the hateful vitriol against Marquette Park.

I get paid about $1000 for girls soccer - turns out to be about $4/h. Im so evil. Maybe we shoyld just let the kids out after school and - what, gangs. Shooting people?? TV? video games? Orshould they be with hard working responsible adults who care for these kids, learning teamwork, keeping in shape, becoming more confident (and i know, that since our President told the nation when he was sworn in that "Science will be restored to its proper status" that you must be 100% against science now .... i mean, rite?)? And spare me the "im in it for the $" -$4/h - and that's not including the indoor teams we run, weeks early in the summer - trust me, it really gets down to something like $2/h -when all said and done. We are serious here - we work the kids , in the proper cotext, the year round. All of you should be very proud about the job the coaching staff at this school - well, unless you want the kids to just roam the streets after school. Please do tell - proud about a fellow concerned American and their work w. Americas future - or just mutteretd halfunderstood complaints about the "evil working class" or whatever those worth $400 billion are libeling about?

AND - I'm pretty close - it'll take a few years more - to getting SS as well from other work - hard work, like our parents, huh!!!! God bless America. The American Dream - we work hard to build our country, and then when we need it, our hard work and savings let us live our last years/decades in security. I understand. If you are worth $400 billion, or $50-60 million (that'd be linbaum and glenn beck) - you dont need SS. I understand.

And as for the "Hey, he can become a billionare" - i dont suscribe to the "Myth of the self made man" . Why do we have to pass laws and all that completely leaning towards this "Myth" when 99+% of America are not billionares? How is that being a responsible American? Trying so hard to lean the laws towards that leas that 1% - when 99% od Americans are not in that bracket? How is that responsible? Have you ever even heard of this?

Trust me please - just think about it. Try. Unfettered by bombastic statements. Open mind. Read. think for yrself. Then make decisions.

(((Here's Moore on the myth:
“So, here's my question: after fleecing the American public and destroying the American dream for most working people, how is it that, instead of being drawn and quartered and hung at dawn at the city gates, the rich got a big wet kiss from Congress in the form of a record tax break, and no one says a word? How can that be? I think it's because we're still addicted to the Horatio Alger fantasy drug. Despite all the damage and all the evidence to the contrary, the average American still wants to hang on to this belief that maybe, just maybe, he or she (mostly he) just might make it big after all.” ))

from wiki-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horatio_Alger_myth

CAT - missed bro's Xmas party - i had a Bears thing planned that nite for months and only realised the conflict that aftrnoon. Hated that i missed it.

See 'y'all.

#1SAn==You're not stuck with this miserable social security... You've got a pension paid by THE TAXPAYER!!

So I don't get who you think you are cheering this bankrupt scheme...

Go ahead, try to make me feel guilty all you want... Try to make me f...eel silly all you want... Taking from the government is not what I was raised on... And this class warfare you promote is pathetic.

Yeah, I was wrong on the coaching, but still PAID BY THE TAXPAYER!!

Social Security is a ponzy game... They were NEVER to borrow from it and yet they did...

I don't think most Americans walk around thinking, "Maybe I'll make it big..."

But I do think many Americans appreciate the opportunity and most definitely want to protect the INDIVIDUALISM rather than this damn collectivism that you espouse...

What I make is what I make... Please don't tell me to share, Virgil.

And why are you contining to call this a "tax break" when what they are tax rates... What you are espousing is higher taxes on those who make more money... WHY? WHY PUNISH THOSE PEOPLE...

And PLEASE stop with class warfare and stick to the constitution.

#1San== BTW, I was only somewhat kidding with the soccer... I don't begrudge you for WHAT you do, but HOW you get paid and WHAT you espouse... I think the soccer thing is good and I know you work hard at it...

Hilts==SS has been a successful, worker paid for system to provide social security for Americans in their old age. It will pay Full benefits for the next 27 years and something like 85% for the following 30 years or so (not fully sure of the #'s ...after the first 27years, but it's close - ill get the official numbers for next go around).

So - basically full benefit for over 50 years - and yet, you have people on the right saying it's going in the red NEXT YEAR.

Who told you that - and then start to go over whatever else these people are saying and try to get the validity of these statements.

Then - after you establish that these people are giving you and other right leaning people the wrong facts - then your next job as patriotic Americans is to establish just why these people are forcing this misfacts on you.

And it's not punishing these people - the people who use more of Americas resources should pay their fair share.

--look- the idea is is that they used the stability of this country for their businessesour military, out transortation infrastructure, the electricity and water to run their various factories and business and stores and etc ... - would they have had the same business opportunities in, say, Guiana (sp) or Laos? IS the infrastructure the same there? How many millions would they have made there? Dont think so. Since they use so much of our resourses, they should pay rheir fair share of it.

Right? It's fair. It's the American way. My parents didnt come to this country deliousionally thinking they were gonna sit beside the elites of this country like limbaugh and th others whose millions of dollars can be counted in the hundred of thousands. You reallt hink you share any values with those people?

Thise peole dont share our alues, no matter how badly you wanna
Cat - wouldnt it be nice for our taxes to be lowered by making those who drain the contries resources to pay their fair share?

I like America healthy - not laws skewed towards those in gated communities - which, as we both know, neither of us are ever going to live in (I'd never live in one - I love Americas richness of character and diversity of people and would never want to be cut off from that).
10 hours ago

Hilts== Oh- btw - loved the "Blood Libel" speech for Gov. Palin - finally somebody on the right apoligizing (or at least pointing out the deep unfairness )for villiafing (sp) all Muslims after 9/11. That stunning Anti-rightwing movement that has ...swept the country this past week - I am completely against any sorta of villifying like- "ALL Republicans are terrorists crazy assasins who want to shoot and kill innocent pepole".

(the shooter was a crazy man. Unless they find out more about him, i shy away from tying him to Palin and Linbaum and that sort).

hey - youve seen this, rite?? FUNNY!!!

http://tv.gawker.com/5732873/heres-every-breath-sarah-palin-took-during-her-blood-libel-speech10 hours ago

#2== Palin is being ripped at every turn for "Blood Libel" comment.... death threats even... Poor Gal.....

The 5 cents they get from SS investing, could be billions $$$ if individuals took the role of managing their own money...take the money ou...t every check and put it where YOU WANT IT, not where big daddy wants it. SAme with pensions...Look how amazing THE POWERS THAT BE INVESTED THOSE! BIG OL PENSION HOLE IN EVERY CITY AND STATE'S BUDGET YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR....

GOVERNMENT IS A FAILURE WITH MANAGING $$$$ HELLO $13 Trillion DEFICIT!!!!

#2== Also, every year the SS sends me a statement reminding me how much they stole from me and put into their Ponzi Scheme with a blurb in big bold letters stating, "In 2047 when you retire, you will only be getting 30% of this amount..............you have put in" does that sound fair and solvent to you?

Sure it's great for people right now, but everyone under 50 still paying, gets shit.... Unless I live til 127, and paid in 115 years I may get something....

They pissed the money away, so I get to pay and still am on my own because big daddy SS won't be around for me... But that's fair right? I have an IRA or I will be homeless at 87...or a greeter at WallMart....
7 hours ago.

Hilts== Have soomeone sit down and explain these yearly statements to you (this is not a dis on you, just a suggestion). The 30% simply means you have to put some years into the system to actually get something back. My guess is you haven't worke...d that long, or have an uneven job history (not a dis, just an explination).
Again - there is $2.4 trillion in the system, and it's totally paying out 100% for the next 27 years, and somehting like 85% for the next 30 - meaning, since my guess is that you mite be around 28 years old -if you work till, say, you are 65 (unless the Republicans force us to work even longer than that by raising the retirement age), you will be getting 100% benefits till you are .... 115 years old.

Say - your 30% in @ your age? Well done! (again, not a dis - but yr well on yr way to security in yourolder years -keep working and building our great country!!)

Don't believe me? Take that statement into a ss office and have them explain it to you, step b y step -

Rush limbaagh and the monied Elite of this country - they only care about that $2.4 trillion and the fees and profits they could make off it - not you. To us Americans, SS is for - well, the security of the elders and the security of America's future.

To the elite, they have no care about our future security - just want to take our money and make their profit off of it. remeber when Bush (not the older one - the one who crashed every business he wa sin - but luckily, he had tonnes of frenz w. tonnes of cash to keep him 'going') tried to do destroy SS and America collectively stood up and said "No way!"? Americans can be so kool!!!!
42 minutes ago

girls soccer

2011-01-13T17:28:00.003-06:00

Conditioning has started. I have to wake up again - although my latest rising times have been around 1130h. Go to school by 1500h, the older kids run the conditioning actually - well, every once in awhile you can hear me boom "NOW! LETS GO!!" I do so love playing the adult. A lot of last years returning girls are back - it's great to see them. Also - we're killin'm - again, it's nice to see such dtermination. Swaety redfaced kids having to do endless hard exercises. yes, they are all 14-18yo kids - buut we run'm.

Tickleish news - one of our girls is African American. Predominatelt our players are Mexican Americans - and lately has seen the return of the Polish kids. But I always hope that our teams are a reflection of our school - so I love it when all different types show up. I'm rooting for her to stick with it. No matter how good/not good she is - our team will be better for it.

From Shipley

2011-01-13T13:28:00.000-06:00

He is Gone from Us

2011-01-11T13:07:00.000-06:00

He is Gone from Us.

A nite / for the rite / hand

2011-01-11T13:02:00.005-06:00

Double free show, five bands seen, two frenz to hang w.

Sat. nite was Rocky's suggestion - some band of other @ Quenchers. I knew I wanted to hang w. Dragon, and Rocky provided a great suggestion. Late - there was that Bulls game -v- Boston to cheer for - and then the largo ride north. I missed the first band of three - Roxx loved so much he got some vynal (wit -how do you spell it?) of them. The middle show was kinda a treat - I whispered to roxx in the first 10s of the show : 'This is the greatest band Ive ever seen". The rest of the show dropped them into "The top 1000 bands Ive ever seen live" category. Pretty funny. Obvious the three man band was 101% into Albini - w/in seconds, it I was thinkking "Shellac" and the other two mention "Big Black". Notonly that - the guitars and t shirts and attitude of the band leader - all Shellac. They were pretty good. Not Shellac, y'know, but ....

In the 'outside in rocky's boat' part of the nite w. one of his new bandmates, R. was jamming som of his new project - sounded good. Very little music itself (not a critism), but the sound collages ..... i liked it.

Monday nite was the late decision to go tot he free show @ Empty Bottle. Packed. The girls were incredible. Talked to none. In addition to feeling ancient, confused, unattractive, and boring - im unemployed!! So many fetching women...

The music was ok. Several good songs, and an incredible one (called "17" by the middle group, whatever their name). Good to hang w. Dragon. But the funniest thing inside my own mind was this nite was the first since I started playing where the fret hand of the guitarists was not what I was watching - it instead was the strumming hand. I have grinded down my strum patterns, and realise - hup - here's an area where i can watch and learn. So I did.

Didnt stay to the end - Dragon was there as I left. But, again, nice to see the chix, strumms, heard the sounds, jabble w. Draggs and etc...

blog again

2011-01-08T15:07:00.003-06:00

Neice.1

is in

Mexico

for

the semester,

she's brought out

her old blog

she kept

in Italy.

from Rocky via Gallo

2011-01-08T14:53:00.002-06:00

G 2 R 2 H 2 Y

1964

2011-01-08T14:41:00.001-06:00

MattTaibbi's latest

2011-01-08T14:25:00.001-06:00

The new Rolling Stone article on that orange rich guy

global

2011-01-05T11:58:00.001-06:00

Nice article in The Atlantic

pumping up

in the last fews days

a scattering influence

on peoples thinking

minds...

na na

q.

2011-01-05T11:43:00.000-06:00

one from that fuckin' aunt

worse and impossible - wait - worse, but ... easy?

2011-01-05T11:25:00.003-06:00

'nother version of this song. Suxx, juxtaposed to the inimitible SNL version. Rarely - total live energy live, this canned music one is just can. Not Can, you understand.

'nother song i hear and think "I need to learn it". These days it's all about jamming and trying to come up w. interesting stuff - and the impossibility of actually writing lyrics, which up to a year ago was always the EASIEST part of making songs (heh heh). However, this songs been on my mind and i figger'd lets see the cords and see if I could play it. First lookin and I see monsters like "Cadd9" and "Dsus4/F#". Immediately put down the guitar. Next month, thinks I. Then I actually look intot what these strange chords are_ and they are all easy.

So, "What's my name". Na nA.

JAY AND BEE

2011-01-04T16:31:00.003-06:00

Lazers

finally out

w. 1st half of

J & B 2010 Chamionship.

Either scroll down a bit

jump there here!

Bar Fite

2011-01-04T14:18:00.002-06:00

Yep - BAR FITE!! Was involved in. Well..... I'm pretty into the Irish Bars in this hod -outside of Eire, no 'hood can come close to matching. They're different, tend to draw different crowds - but i like'm all. Jacob was in the other day and we decided to go out and have a drink about hereways. 1st choice was Lanigans - but not enough chix, our recond showed. SO, back to a bar that I haven't been in since October 2002 - Rinkydinx.

Now, since i'd been reading the Book of Genesis lately - sideways into Exodus now - we decided to put on Hasidim airs. Black clothes, widebrimmed black hat, bible in my ritecoat pocket (always these days) etc etc etc. When we walked into this bar, then, we were a site (i am, usually, in theseabouts). So, to the crowded bar, and two old reeking of drink and slurry speech jackasses immediately started i on us. Faggots, fags, homos, jews, fags, jews, faggots ... the usual.

Me? I laugh that shit off. My neighbourhood, these bitched are not gonna run me outta here. But Jacob? So easily drawn into everything. Despite pleading w. him to just ignore these fucks, he KEPT HAVING to go out of his way to respond to them. Fucking hassle he can be. Just shut up and they go away. Not Jacob.

Eventually it seemed to calm down. they bought us drinx, and I figgered it was over. Nope. After a bit, I offered them a drink - and they responded by throwing the bottles tothe ground and the wall. Then one of them jumped and me and took a swing - easily he was shrugged off. Jaboc jumped up and started to lift a chair -luckily one of the young men @ the bar stopped him from smashing it over one of the fucks heads.

Enough. We left. Diveass bar.

But that's not gonna stop me fro going there by myself this week. No one tells me where to go in my own neighbourhood. And the funny ace in the hole? Noticed a young girl there drinking who I know - a 19yo girl I know. I expect no problems from this place, and hav eno problem threatening this place if they try to not allow me to drink and allow me to be hassled again.

The bar really sucks, too. No cider, no Guiness. I had to lower myself and actually drink beer. Yuk.

Oh Na Na

2011-01-04T14:15:00.002-06:00

Yes, it's her, and look @ how she looks: but half the time, I was watching the guitarists fret hand. Yup. Oh, fuck you, as well - watched her as well. And not just 'cause she's so beautiful ...

Genesis premiero, exodous proximo

2011-01-01T17:15:00.001-06:00

New Years Eve

2011-01-01T16:35:00.005-06:00

Basically have stopped going to NYE parties. Always a good deal - since nothing was in the offing, and these days I have a strong homing response to Mom - I just stayed home, reading Crumbs Genesis (incredible - later). but I did go out like 12.45. Too late for "YAYYYYYY!!!!!'s" - but good enough. Walked to Lanigans- these days, the need to conserve gas and all that is forcing me to actually do the rite thing - walk, not gas.

So - enjoyed myself. The place was alive w. lots of dansing singing people. They were all havin' a great time. So was i - just to soak it all in. People were drunk, and it was fun to watch the girl danse - the one in the green plastic bowler - not the prettiest, but she loved to danse and was the best. The thing in the little black dress w. the pencil line up her stockings. Wow. Even the most tasty bartendress, skinny jeans and all. All were havin' a time. Brought the bible to read - now that Genesis is being remembered and understood (one more time through Crumb's book) Im sidewising my way into Exodous - but never brought it out. Too much to watch and enjoy. Lots of new people.

And lots of old timers as well. As the bar closed, the dj played the olde Irish standards - well, standards to this crowd - "Country Roads" and "Hey Baby" by D.J. Otzi. Drunkly, they all celebrated. W. two drinx in me, i also celebrated - just not drunkenly.

Music of Ireland - Dublin

2010-12-31T15:57:00.001-06:00

The Music of Ireland - Belfast

2010-12-31T15:50:00.004-06:00

The Music of Ireland - Liverpool

2010-12-31T15:49:00.002-06:00

The Music of Ireland - Manchester

2010-12-31T15:45:00.003-06:00

The Music of Ireland - Derry

2010-12-31T15:37:00.001-06:00

2010 Trivia Championship

2010-12-31T15:04:00.006-06:00

Written by Lazers

edited by Hilts

J&B returned to Salerno’s in defense of its 2009 Championship. This is the roster of rascals, riff-raff and rogues chosen to defend:

Stix (aka Big Tit aka Stix)
Nitenurse (aka Nurse Stix)
Mothers (aka Head Cruncher)
Peppys (aka Hammer)
Lazers (aka Lazers)
Moho (aka Moho)
Mike Trivia (aka MG)
Chemical Man (aka Chemical Man)
Hilts (aka Hilts)

It took a bit of time for all of the teams to pour into Salerno’s, but the result was that 9 teams would be involved in the battle. In addition to J&B, the combatants included Auntie Joanie, Sharks, Shake & Bake, Garzilla (without Garzilla), Southside Avengers, See You On Tuesday, Porch, and Cobblestones.

As the anticipation built, some teams (including J&B) faced an immediate obstacle in the form of the Filibustering Waiter- the table would have to provide a credit card for the drink tab, but if we wanted to switch to a cash tab, he could close out the credit card tab and start the cash tab, though we could restart a credit card tab but would have to provide another credit card and blah blah blah. After his lengthy tab explanation to us, the waiter moved to the next table, where the same filibuster began with the preface, “As I just told that table, blah blah blah.”

It being Championship Night, the rules of the game have been altered a bit. There will not be halves or even quarters- tonight we will play 3 periods of 7 total categories. This twist seemed to confuse even Benkowski, as the distribution of categories went from 2-3-2 through a few evolutions until finally settling on 3-2-2 (with the food served after the 1st period). I think some of the permutations did not add up to 7.

Also tonight- no Free Point spaces, and only 2 throws per team (distance for the throws determined by the period of play, with the throw line moving further and further back from the box).

Of course, Benkowski’s son was on hand for a live version of the Music category.

First Period: Classic Brands/NFL 2002/Name that Tune Pt I

This NFC QB led the league with 23 fumbles?
This AFC player had a 99-yard kick return?
This Kansas City QB had a 99-yard touchdown pass?
This NFC QB led the league with 23 interceptions?
This AFC QB led the league with 4,689 passing yards?
This AFC RB led the league with 21 rushing touchdowns?
This AFC RB led the league with 115.8 yards rushing per game?
This AFC WR led the league with 107.6 yards receiving per game?

The Classic Brands category had a few decent questions but overall was too easy to be Championship caliber.

Minor controversy when J&B decides to utilize one of its “throw the ball” options. A cord (microphone? TV camera?) was draped across the destination box. I don’t know if Hilts requested it to be moved or moved it himself, but Benkowski ruled that other teams already had faced the cord obstacle during their “throw the ball” tries, so J&B would have to do the same. Hilts nails the points anyway.

A “Ladies Only- Most Occupied Piercings” contest led to the following (paraphrased) exchange at the J&B table:
Pepys: “This is not championship caliber.”
Moho: “He uses games like that to bring in lower quality players.”
Pepys: “I thought that’s why he had Music categories.”

That’s why they call him Hammer.

Not wanting a repeat of last year’s poor food service fiasco, Benkowski preps the kitchen when the end of the first period was approaching with yells of “Red Alert” several times. Although the pizza was slow in reaching the buffet table, the red alerts helped, and a good portion of food trays were ready at the end of the period.

With J&B and Cobblestone tied for the lead after the first period, Benkowski decided to hold a coin flip to determine which of those teams would get first access to the food. Unfortunately, as Benkowski updated the scoreboard (on his new grease board!), he didn’t notice that Garzilla had already pounced on the food table. Behind much booing from the crowd, Benkowski shoos them away, noting “it’s a trivia game, not a beauty pageant” (in reference to Garzilla’s roster that featured a decent collection of women).

J&B loses the coin flip and gets to eat second. The filibuster position never comes into play.

Second Period: Name that Tune Pt II/Celebrity Year of Birth

No questions noted from this period, but J&B was in third place at the end of it.

Third Period: I Love the 70s/2010 Late Night TV

70s- Billy Beer- was related to what politician?
2010 Late Night TV aka What’s On TV on New Year’s Eve/Day mixed with Movies Recently Watched by Benkowski. Not a championship caliber category!

Scores after 3 periods:

Cobblestone 1520

Sharks 1510

J&B 1250

Porch 1020
Garzilla 950

Avengers 910

Auntie J 800

Tuesday 690

Shake & Bake 600

Benkowski holds a lottery to determine the order in which competitors will select from 13 final category options: 2000s Entertainment (available twice, either A or B), 1990s Entertainment (A or B), 1980s Entertainment (A or B), 1960s Entertainment (A or B), Chicago Locations, Northwest Indiana Locations, NBA 1980s, NHL 1980s, or MLB 1990s.

Not sure where J&B landed in terms of getting to select its category, but Moho suggested picking the NHL; however, that category leaves most of the team on the sidelines. Despite concerns that its questions could cover “TV/Radio Facts from Benkowski’s Career”, J&B selects 1980s Entertainment A.

Assumed 2 correct wins wager with a bonus for all 3 correct. J&B wagers 791, enough to beat the 4th place team if they double their score.

NBA 1980s (Shake & Bake):
From 79/80 through 88/89 seasons, the only player to win 3 NBA MVP awards?
87/88 season- LA player led the league with 13 rebounds per game?
81/82 season- led league with 9.65 assists per game?

2000s Entertainment A (Tuesday):
Co-hosts for the 4th hour of “The Today Show” are Kathie Lee Gifford and who?
2003 Pixar movie was one of the top grossing movies for 27 weeks?
Who sang “Circus”, which charted during 2008-2009, peaking at #3?

MLB 1990s (Auntie J):
1997- hit 56 HR with 147 RBI?
1995- hit 50 HR with 52 doubles?
1996- AL Cy Young winner with 20-10 record?

1990s Entertainment A (Avengers):
During 95/96 TV season, “Roseanne” kicked off a string of sitcoms at 7:00 (CST)- which sitcom ended the string with its 8:30 (CST) airing?
1999- who played Trinity in “The Matrix”?
1991- who sang “Joyride”?

1960s Entertainment A (Porch):
During 64/65 TV season, the top ten rated shows featured 5 sitcoms. Two of those featured female leads- name one; and name a male lead from one of the other three shows?
1968- who played Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet”?
1966- who sang “Summer in the City”?

2000s Entertainment B (Garzilla):
Up to 2006- who played CJ on “West Wing”?
2003- name the heist movie that featured Donald Sutherland?
2000- it charted up to #3- who sang “Kryptonite”?

1980s Entertainment A (J&B):
Who played George on “Mr. Belvidere”?
1985- three movies topped $100 million box office receipts- all were part of a series of movies (2 sequels, 1 initial)- name two?
1980- who sang “Please Don’t Go”?

NHL 1980s (Sharks):
85/86 season- Gretzky had 52 goals and 163 assists. What player led the league with 68 goals that year?
81/82 season- Gretzky had 92 goals. What player finished second with 64 goals?
85/86 season- which goalie won the Vezina Trophy?

1980s Entertainment B (Cobblestone):
On “Full House”, what actresses played DJ and Stephanie?
1985- “The Color Purple”- top billed actor and actress?
1980- sang “Woman in Love”?

Gentlemen?

xmas

2010-12-31T14:42:00.003-06:00

First time Ive been to sister.3's for xmas in along longtime. mu family tend sto go there every year. In the past few years, however, Ive been in California for break or went to Gf's family. So, been a long time.

This yeasr I was only able to go for a little bit - Mom, who is getting really old, felt she couldn't go. We tend to circle around Mom a lot thesedays, so it was an easy decision to go to the party just for a little bit - then break out w. a plate for my Mom.

Stayed for an hour. Internal dialouge about the race of time fruits up this for you: the cycles of growing noted in that when the preent day 20-30 yo's were kids, they made every Xmas. Then, when they get their first boy/girl/friends, they skip town for a few years. And, then, as they near 30 again .... theyr eappear. So, funny to see so many growing faces again.

A similar thing happened when the boys and girls, spread out throughtout all of the three sets of frenz i tend to go on about here (that would yes be the Old Guard; but heavy strains evolved in both the the Middle Guard and the Young Guard). Whne they hooked u w. a new girl/boy, they immed. dissapeared for a metter of months - until that old 'wall/other/keroscene around' deal inevitably appears.

Funny - not even in those most incorrigible of acts has this dynamic failed to appear.

Burn

2010-12-31T14:41:00.003-06:00

Gorgeousflights of horrid destruction -

planned flites of 800-900 heavy bombers (which means, a heavy heavy raid - gone are the days of nuclear strikes) -

(good/bad)-

didnt pan out-

instead, 'weather', 'communications', 'effective countermeasures'-

whatever jibber you use to communicate plans not going rite-

meant that the planned heavy strike of 800 heavies actually was somewhere in the range of 200 planes-

yeah, plans can be like that-

and a second strike, rushed into planning stages a few days later, was but to be around 350 planes -

but it turned out to be, say, 150.

The War, must be won.

Destruction loses the war.

But, the repeated use of massed flight of heavy bombers to do - do what - burn the world down? This loses wars. Destroys the peace. Loses the war.

It loses the war. div>

Gary Younge

2010-12-21T15:37:00.002-06:00

Favoured author

from

the Guardian

also writes for

The Nation

On Weeping

2010-12-21T15:16:00.003-06:00

Devin Hester gloriously returns kicks for TD's on MNF- I mut be in Evanston watching the game w. Rocky. Was @ the crib w. the family a bit, but then we went to a bar to watch the balance of the game. Parking lot, snow covering up it all, chill. Drinx were great after the first deep mistake - some drink that was impossible to drink except those who actually think beer tastes good.

But Roxx gave me a good one. He got pretty drunk, and out came a "Hey - do you weep?" Of course, i weep every day - I really do. And, as we agreed, as we get older, we weep more. For me, weeping is totally ok - it's a mans thing to do. Why? Dad would weep - not as much as i do these days. But the fact that this man - of course, The Arch Man as far as I'm concerned growing up - meant that to me, weeping is just a part of being .... well, a manly man. True.

But we agreed, generally yes
- how this scene was shot and the music involved mixed w. the plot of the movie
-or
- the touch of a sentence or paragraph in this or that book
-or
- a particular full of life memory
-or
whathaveyou.

I'll amidt I was a little worried that ever more I weep - but seconded, unbidded, and extremely similar thoughts about it - have eased all worries. Hey, Jesus wept, correct? Why can't we?

sol.man

2010-12-21T15:13:00.000-06:00

zombies

2010-12-20T13:15:00.000-06:00

zombies

krugman from todays NYT

if y dont tri, y wont be dissapoint'd

2010-12-20T12:29:00.003-06:00

All my life, finishing anything off. Anything. The rue of me. Decades go, and ideas that were heavier than Atlas's load finally are shoehorned into a workable format - then decades go tho and here I am.

Films are an easy deal. I have, easily, 20 2-3m films purely to go. Well, the shots were thought out - but the shooting sites, angles, actors... not there. But in what format? Burnishments of Monty Python adorn my epaulets, so that solution - hey, no plot, no punchlines, and be as out there as you want to. Then there are the need for actors. I always thought fair ground would be to use my nieces and nephews a lot - but they have grown up, need the time themselves, and although they deeply love their uncle, it's hard to gather them. Plus, the need for female actors. Dudes will not blanche @, say, a fart joke. But when it comes time to ask a girl to do a riff on cuckolding ..... I cant ask my nieces to do that (I know, I should, and the artists out there are disappointed in me, but...)

Music is another aspect - and a much easier arena to produce.

It's been a year now since I learned how to play the guitar at this level (I'll say it now - I can play, at a beginner level -but i am a guitarist now, no doubt). At first I was overjoyed just to be able to play some cords. But the deal now is, of course, to write my own stuff - which, of course, I have. I had soe riffs, but now some of these riffs have been linked in ways that I accept. Now, Ive written songs when I was in grammer school (advantages of growing up a punk rocker) - but these are the first, y'know, actual tuneful songs to be produced.

There's ,more. I can play, yes - but over the years Ive collected many instruments. Now, It's not like Blackies "music room" - but i do have a piano, a snare drum, tambourine, washboard, various whistles and fifes, maracas, and my own imagination. So - have instruments, have a little bit of ability, and---- have the Audacity program that allows me to record stuff. The last addition was this deeply beautiful microphone - a stunner - that really nicely records what I play and sing.

For me, then, I should start reeling off song after song. Not great songs, i know - simple - but in my decades of being a rocker and artist, I fully realise simple is totally and completely equal to complex. It's all there.

But I have to put up my stopgates. It just can't be 'making music' - it has to be silly and cause a laff. So, as a small little hedge against my frenz - who love me deeply, i know- finding my music boring - my band consists of, rite now, me, Bolo, and Mom: Fassbinder - which originally started as 'The Pasolini Trio'. So, w. a blind dog and an 88yo woman as bandmates, Im 101% hedges against any criticism.

But also, just about any chance of actually presenting a song that has actual access to any accolades is impossible in this mode as well.

Said it before, but Rocky told me he expected a lot of art to be produced by me during my unempolyment period. He brought up a similar Blackie period where Banksy's and Shermans and Donovans were produced - in his style. His prompting has stuck in my head. I have to just get on w. it.

what is and shall

2010-12-19T14:37:00.000-06:00

card gone

2010-12-19T03:07:00.005-06:00

Taken away from me at the library was the library card i'd had since 2005 - Gf had made it for me. I had not has a lib. card since 1991 - the original Bolo had chewed through a library book on Japanease baseball I had. Since I was penniless in those days, I couldnt pay for the book.

Fast forward to 2005, when I met her working at her library. When we were start to get chummy, I'd sometimes hang around the front desk. I asked her finally, to look me up - an lo' - no trace of me in the system. She made me a new card on the spot - finally writing my name w. a marker on it.

You know. Kinda sentimental. Little bit. Always loved that card. But today i got something from Mt. greenwood Library and the librarian there couldn't get the machine to read the fading bar code on it. She took my card away- despite my asking for it - and I had to stand there, suddenly being overwhelmed by very deep and ever deepening saddness, as she made me a new card. I was watching my old card laying there out of reach.

I said thanks and smiled. Walked out the door into the night. Alone on the street, I could express my saddness a little more openly.

I know. She's a long time ago, now. But I am a bit sentimental. Plus there's that weepiness that seems to come easy to me at times. I know - not a good thing.

army of one.army strong.be all you can be.

2010-12-19T01:56:00.007-06:00

The ending of 'dont ask dont tell' will only result in a stronger armed forces. Other countries experiences in having gay warriors serve generally has gone off well. The broadening of horizons of the kids who do Americas - my - fighting will make them better at all things, including fighting. The quality of the human material available to our services should go up. The massive over strain on all branches, resulting in deployment after deployment in fighting zones for our fighting kids, will be alleviated a bit by the new fighters (although it actually has a lot already - a dual combo of things -1- the drawback of our Iraq deployed forces are down to 50k - from 140k during the Surge -2- the terrible economy means more people to fight.).

With the Senator Sanders Filibuster last week and this vote, sometimes politician are kool and do good things.

politics

2010-12-17T14:17:00.002-06:00

Hate

having to

borrow
Billions

from the Chinese
in order
to give tax breaks

Billionaires and Millionaires.
Krugman

has been

pretty good.

organicwatch

2010-12-17T13:05:00.006-06:00

The soccer program I'm involved in is a real good thing - why even tho' I haven't taught @ the school since 2006 I'm still one of the coaches. Getting kids to play sports while they are young - especially girls - is a great thing (please note parents and someday parents)- having them involved in a on a team makes the rewards even greater - physically, mentally, spiritually, etc ... rewards verifiable and obvious. And whenthey are city kids, w. all the stresses that encompasses...

However, we - kids and the coaches - are just humans. Food is a concern - the coaches LOVE Macdonalds. Lovve it. We have it all th time, and we treat the kids to Macdonalds after Saturday games. Some of my favourite memories are there - that 2009 group playoff win over raF? Gloriously did I buy #1's or whatever my girls wanted @ the Mac's on Lincoln and 4900n. Beat a freshman boys team this Eall? Macs. Hey hey hey - going to practice, this Fall, practically every day going in I got a $1 Coke and a $1 Mcdouble. gotta have stomach full so I wont hurt during practice.

Arriving @ practice one random day this Fall and offhandedly telling fellow coach Pito "God I eat too much Macs" and he verifying "I know, I know.". So, I realise we should be making better role models for our kids, rather than opining on Macs.

So, saw "Food Inc." this week. Didnt horrify me so much as to the horrid quality of food served in America - I really kinda knew that, obviously. But in terms of "Hey, this is an arena where you can fight the power, Hilts", it has resonated inside me. So, slowly, I'll start to check out organic stuff - I'll go slow. I know - Im just so cheap. But I will.

And the greater response from inside me centers around the garden. The last two years the garden has been cheap. Pumping out tomatoes, etc - but @ 30% of were it should be. One of the suggestions for 'saving the planet' was to use yr on garden. So, tis spring, it will be expanded by another footinto the grass - and I will get double crops out of it.

However another problem. We compost so much stuff - egg shells, tea bags, coffee grinds, veggie stuff left over, etc ... and Im sure it is plumped full of nonorganic fertilizers from before. Also, I always bought a few bags of 'manure' - but now realise that, like the compost, it's probly full of antibotics etc etc etc.. So, what to do? Organic compost, obv. - but what about our cherished family composting? What to do?

Well, finally, thinking on the matter.