As Hunter S. Thompson once opined (Probably), time flies when you’re having rum.
Another week of high temps, higher tempers and low-down dirty rumors of our wobbly republic. Our status quo has gone woe, our economy is doing the mess around with the dollar store, our public discourse has devolved into hazardous waste and many Americans feel as if democracy is going the way of competitive baseball in Kansas City.
And then James Webb’s telescope comes along and trips the light so fantastically that we lose ourselves in the magic of its work; the foreign realms make us dizzy with possibilities. There’s music to the task of all the many faraway places this telescope was able to capture; as if the universe hushed us into a collectively blended coo with the gallery it wrought. Our feet gain access to the span of countless miles and dream on every single blessed one of them. Inside the fleeting pleasure of it all, we’re able to see the magic of the science experiment that is us. We’re the mighty specks in a brilliant spectrum of colors and places and songs, and we are no larger or smaller than the darkness we light up on the regular.
In the dusty swirl of forever is where we find our song.
Joey Chestnut won his 15th Nathan’s Hot Dog eating title belt last week, making him the biggest professional slob since that asshole who used to occupy the White House. No, that other asshole. Okay, since Trump used to occupy the White House. Not only that, Joey also managed to headlock an animal rights protester who busted a move on the stage while he was in the middle of flatlining his colon. After which Chestnut apologized for doing so because he felt bad for having tackled a kid. Not a bad day’s work.
Oh and if you were expecting me to plaster a pic of Joey mess-face with arms and stomach all akimbo? That’s a hell to the no way of Jose. Competitive eating is a ‘sport’ made for radio.
I know you ain’t gonna believe it, but I recently bought a Mustang for $25! A muscular portrait all revved in white and velvety caramel. And so what if she doesn’t have any extras . . . for that money, what the hell do you expect? I brokered a deal with the Bureau of Land Management and the only drawback is that this beauty has to be trained. But umm . . . how hard can it be?
I’m currently re-watching Yellowstone for educational purposes.
The assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is a reminder that gun violence is the new way of handling grievances for far too many people. Tetsuya Yamagami held a grudge against the Rev. Sun Myung Moonβs Unification Church because he claims it bankrupted his mother, who had joined the Church in 1998. Abe was a paid sponsor of the church and so when Yamagami went looking for a target, he simply merged church with state with madness.
The sports world is a bad moon rising when it comes to the stories that grab headlines: There’s Deshaun Watson’s defrocked status as a franchise savior for the Cleveland Browns as he stumbles under the weight of all those sexual misconduct and assault allegations. Then you have star athletes like Kevin Durant who play the millionaire baller version of kick the can in their quest for a locale they’re never gonna love.
So Imma reach for someone who should still be here, lending us his mind on sports and society. Lyman Bostock was taken from the world in the summer of ’78 when a bullet meant for someone else found him instead. In his twenty-seven years worth of baseball and life, Lyman made the kind of positive impression that spans lifetimes. After he inked a free agent contract with the California Angels, Bostock donated $10,000 to a church in his native Birmingham, Alabama so they could rebuild their Sunday school. When he got off to a poor start in his first year with the Angels, he attempted to return his April salary, claiming he hadn’t earned it. When management refused the offer, he donated that money to charity.
Today doesn’t mark the tragic anniversary of his passing. Nope, it was simply a loose mention of the man that clinched it for me. Because it’s been forty-four years of the void, and I don’t think we can afford to forget people like Lyman Bostock. People who make us understand the better that resides inside us. People who make us feel as if those faraway galaxies are within reach. People who possess the kind of aura that spans those countless miles worth of stardust. It would be so easy to curse the fates for his untimely death.
Instead, I’ll give thanks to the life he led.
Great words about Lyman. I remember how shocking that was when we all heard about his passing. Even though he left this world at a young age, it sure looks like from what I’ve read about him he made a positive impression on all who interacted with him.
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On the field, he had placed himself in the rarified air of Carew and McRae and Parker. Off the field, he left something good behind, really good. His father had played Negro League baseball and the son was well aware of how good he had it because of the players who had come before. He even referred to Curt Flood, who had lost his career in the fight to give players their freedom. So yeah, Lyman was mindful and respectful and he never forgot. I just don’t think we should ever forget him either.
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Such a wonderful post Marc. I love how you make me smile even when Iβm having to think about the shameful happening s that are happening! I agree completely with you. On a meatier note the hotdog mad mad is disgusting. I hope you keep making me laugh out loud even as our democracy collapses about us. ππ·
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There’s always more good going on in the world. It doesn’t get nearly the attention that the forgettable stories do but they’re out there just the same.
It IS disgusting. I don’t understand the people who go to watch these things. What exactly are they getting out of it?
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Iβm losing track of the good things. As for the hot dog eating contest , I hope they keep a defibrillator nearby. βΊοΈ
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I feel like they need to, right?
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Seriously !
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Thanks for the Lyman Bostock reminder! Despite the minority who shine negative light through their poor choices, many pro athletes are outstanding citizens. Joey seemingly uninterrupted to do double duty cracked me up. Good tune and video! Comparing the state of democracy to KC baseball is perfect. Enjoy the weekend.
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PS: Thanks for the great paragraph about the James Webb Space Telescope!
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Breathtaking images.
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Lyman Bostock was a baseball player through and through. One of the best hitters in the game, he understood and respected everything about the sport he played. Today’s young players would do well to read up on Lyman.
KC, it seems like only yesterday that they were the center of the baseball universe and yet . . here we are.
Do you understand why anyone would actually watch a competition where the contestants stuff their faces?
Gracias Cincy
PS- I forgive your big bad Reds for beating up on my poor little Yankees squad.
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Using Pittsburgh instead of KC would deliver the same message – which is sad. Meanwhile, I accept your forgiveness of winning the series that was so close to being a sweep. I applaud Aaron Judge would said, “Sometimes you just have to tip your cap.”
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Pittsburgh hasn’t been close since the Jim Leyland days. They had a season where Clint Hurdle had them contending into the last month, but outside of that, not much. Which is sad considering they were like the Orioles back in the day- two perennial contenders.
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Let’s just hope you don’t take that Mustang to the ‘train depot.’ I’ve been re-jonesing on Yellowstone too (hey, it’s the off season and gotta watch something worthwhile for the next 84 days till it begins again). I love being able to celebrate Lyman Bostock’s life, despite it being cut down way too soon. What a great guy and someone for people to admire in baseball. Have a great weekend.
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Aye! Nobody wants to go to the train depot, LOL.
Mustangs, as Pony Boy said in the Outsiders (I think?) are cool . . .
Lyman Bostock should be a player the young guys read up on. He handled his business the right way, on and off the field.
Thank you Monika, and back atcha.
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B,
Status as gone woe is a good way of putting it.
It’s funny, we’ve never disgussed the James Webb telescope. Trips the light beyond fantastic. What I love most about it’s existence is it was a group effort to create. And, i agree with Frank – your whole paragraph is musical.
Gross. Just plain gross. And thank you for keeping Chestnut’s Chestnut outta da post.
Buahahaha on the mustang! Maybe you can get one of the boys to come and help you break him in…
The assassination of former PM Shinzo Abe is more than a sad state of affairs and I can only hope that this is not a sign o’ the future times for Japan. I shall hope this was an isolated incident and not a precursor for more shit to come.
It is always sad when a good human is struck down way before his time. Thank you for introducing me to Lyman Bostock. They don’t come close to making them like that anymore.
I love what you did here, today. And excellent Train tune.
Q
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Q
We are there, sadly.
As I told Cincy, the captures are breathtaking. They should humble us and inspire us, both.
There was no huay I could include that mess face. I mean, yuck!
Not the guitar player. He steals everyone’s woman! π
I think this kid was so out of his mind with hopelessness, and no, I can’t imagine Japan is going to ever be on par with us when it comes to gun violence.
The kids need to read up on this man. A great player and an even greater man. He learned from his old man, who played Negro League baseball. He always understood how lucky he was to play the sport he loved. That perspective is one of the many things that made him special.
I love that tune!
B
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Sadly.
They are. Those should be spread far and wide, never mind putting killings and such on a loop.
He had to be. And I can’t imagine it would. I feel they would crack down right quick on this.
They really do! Learning to do right by others, appreciating what you have, etc.
It’s a good ‘un!
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It’s up to us to make sure we don’t overeat the bad news. Good news has to be a part of the daily diet.
I think so too.
Gratitude does go a long way.
MUAH!
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You’ve got that right. Good news MUST be part of the daily diet. And I’d like 60/40 good/bad, please. Would prefer 70/30 but don’t want to exaggerate π
They don’t do things the same way over there.
It goes so far.
MWAH!
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It’s a good blend. Mind you, you’re not actively looking for the bad, so that mitigates its effects even more.
Nope.
It does.
MUAH!!!!
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This is true. I avoid it like the plague, if I can.
Which is a good thing – as far as guns go, that is.
π
MWAH!!!!
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Me almost.
It is.
π
MUAH!!!!
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It’s a good thing.
Absolutely.
MWAH!!!
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Great post today, Pilgrim. The world’s losses seem even direr compared to how things are going now. But unfortunately, the heroes we miss don’t seem to get replaced. The Webb telescope is a wonder; it takes us away for a while. The train video was wonderful. Thanks.
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Dire but not the end. I think we always need to believe in tomorrow. Work for it, be a positive difference. The small and the quiet places are where it all starts anew.
Here’s to Lyman Bostock. A man among men.
The Webb telescope gifted us a perspective we can and should learn from.
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Yes. We don’t mount to a hill of beans in this crazy universe.
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We shouldn’t be so quick to forget it. A little humility is not defeatist in nature. It actually creates gratitude.
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Yes it does. π
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π
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There is something about seeing gorgeous views of the universe that puts all our petty miseries into perspective. On the other hand, what weβre seeing is snapshots of how it all used to be, not as it is. Those colliding galaxies probably collided already! Just think, βYellowstoneβ hasnβt yet reached Alpha Centauri, much less the farthest reaches of space. How many hot dogs would it take to reach the Webb telescope and how fast can Chestnut eat them?
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These questions you pose are why we get along so swimmingly, Eilene. I feel as if us humans need to embrace the miracle that brought us here. And I don’t mean a religious miracle, I mean the plain simple fact that we exploded onto the scene literally.
We are blessed to be here.
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Iβll second that. Did you really buy a wild horse?!
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Nope. My daughter would be all in, but not I. π
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She’ll buy one some day, no doubt about that.
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The telescope is phenomenal.
I said to my friend, look what mankind can do when working together.
I then asked, if we can do that, why can we not just live in peace and harmony?
A hot dog eating contest is not a sport. It’s just plain disgusting. Poor little pigs.
A perogie eating contest is not a sport either, but no animals are harmed in the activity.
Funny to mention trump and dead pig wieners in the same section. I designed a Movie of the Week for ABC (remember those?) circa 2005. It was titled “Ambition”, and is the tale of donald trump up to the day someone pitched “The Apprentice” to him.
It was the day we doing the restaurant scenes where donald meets Ivana (may she RIP). They parked honeyland beside an abbatoir. The smell was beyond disgusting. Then part way through the night (it was a night shoot) they stared slaughtering pigs. I threw up and had to go home early, as soon as we were in continuity.
Anyway, the actor who played donald, was not tall. trump is quite tall, and in most pics of him with other men, he is tallest. However, all the other actors were taller than the trump actor. This neccessitated having a half dozen pairs of elevator shoes made. All the shoes were different heights, to be used as needed, depending on who was in the scene with him.
Some of the actors had been in the producerβs (I adore her) previous movie. It was about Jackie Gleason. The actor was behemoth tall, and all the other actors were short. So, all of the male cast who were in scenes with the Gleason character (most all), had to wear elevator shoes.
.
A couple of years after the movie came out, the actor changed his name.
RIP Shinzo Abe!
Boo for sexual harassment, and something a lot worse for those who perpetrate it.
Hooray for Lyman Bostock!
Muah! xo
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You are my hippie chica pal and I completely one thousand percent agree with your statement. I’m a bit of a hippie soul as well.
You make a great point. I think I could eat four or five pierogis. It ain’t winning me any contests, but I’m okay with that. π
Your stories . . . I just sit back and read them and I can never get enough!
You said it all with such a Resa flair!
MUAH!
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MUAH!
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I know time flies when you’re having fun but why don’t I remember the fun part? That’s because it was rum! Oh that explains it!
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Buahahahaha!
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Love that calling all the angels song
—
And the telescope wonder:
mighty specks in a brilliant spectrum of colors
-/
And laughing at Yellowstone for educators purposes
That is GOT this last week for me
βοΈπ
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Me too!
Thank you muchly Prior.
Oh yeah? Where you at on the show? And are you re-watching it?
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Hi –
Yes – rewatching it
But missed or digit so much (and as you and I have noted before – this happens to folks – like remember when you said you could be halfway into a movie and realize you already saw it ?)
–
So with GOT
We actually had a small gathering when the final
Episode aired and so my first episode was the last – and that might ruin it for some folks / but for me I like knowing the end and prefer spoilers –
Anyhow – I ended up watching the entire show (took a while) and remember I had a student tell me he wished he could be in my shoes and be starting fresh with GOT because he loved it that much.
Oh and son and I started with season 6 – the episode where Arya gets chased by the death girl – those last few episodes of season 6 are some of my fav!
Do you have a favorite episode or season with GOT
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I do that with movies. Not all the time, but I have done it. Being such a fan of Horror B-Movies doesn’t help! LOL
I get that! I watched the series finale of Breaking Bad. I never watched the show, ever, before or since. I only saw that one episode, the last one. Good stuff, I was fine leaving it there.
GOT, that is so cool. As for a favorite episode for me? I don’t think I have a favorite that I can remember . . . maybe Sansa getting the final say with that nutbag Ramsay.
Episode that had me screaming? The Red Wedding episode. I was actually pissed. I can’t believe it affected me the way it did.
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Oh yeah – the red wedding was so bad – I can understand that
—
And if we ever rewatch BB- I do fast forward certain scenes
—
Okay – hope you have a great week
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Awful.
I don’t know that I would ever watch BB, but not because it wasn’t an excellent show. It’s just, there are so many shows, yanno?
You too Prior.
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Yes! I know man’s we watched “severance” (Apple TV) and liked it a lot
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Who’s in it?
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Directed by Ben Stiller and had some good actors
From wiki
It stars Adam Scott, Zach Cherry, Britt Lower, Tramell Tillman, Jen Tullock, Dichen Lachman, Michael Chernus, John Turturro, Christopher Walken, and Patricia Arquett
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It used to be that actors went from shows to movies. Now it’s the other way around. I find it interesting.
Coo.
Muchas gracias amiga!
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Yes / I find that interesting too – even tho not sure it worked out for Julia Roberts and her dud of a show!
–
And all these new “movie making companies” mark the sign of our tikes with the movie industry – do so long it was only the major movie studios and then suddenly these companies started their own studios!
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No, it didn’t did it?
The game is changing by the day.
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βοΈπ
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And what is good about Yellowstone?
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It’s so old school. It has the feel of The Godfather, only in cowboy boots.
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I will have to check it out sometime
βοΈπ
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Worth it.
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Keep you posted amigo
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π
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I love the Hunter T. quote and we share a birthday which is tomorrow…July 18th. π
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Happy Birthday SB! A day ahead is always better than belatedly, π
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Thank you. Nelson Mandela also born on July 18. Nothing like being in good company. π
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For sure! π
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