You Know I Spoil You

Spoiler alerts.  They're everywhere nowadays.  With the instinct to now rush to social media and post your feelings about what you just saw in the movie theatres or on your favorite television show, it has become part of our culture.  It doesn't need to stop though.  This is a way for people to reach out and interact. They just need to be careful how they do it.  However, it's not all on the person posting the spoiler, it's also on you the reader.

My wife and I watch the show Game of Thrones.  Several seasons ago, they killed off a major character that a ton of people were upset about.  I was working the night that the episode aired.  Not thinking much was going to happen, I checked social media while on one of my breaks and there it was.  THE SPOILER. *insert dramatic music for effect*.  My first instinct was to be upset.  How can people be posting about this major event?!  Then the more I thought about it, the less I cared because it was going to happen regardless as to whether or not I knew about it. Plus, I could brace myself for the event.  It's funny because shortly after I had read the spoiler, my wife texted me saying 'hey, stay off social media because of what happens in Game of Thrones.'  I texted back 'too late'.  

That was my first and only major run in with spoilers and social media.  And I don't have a problem with people posting about it.  What I do have a problem with is other people getting mad about people posting spoilers.  You know what, people want to reach out and interact about a show or a movie they watch and love.  It's not on them to be emotional and post something.  If you don't want to read a spoiler, don't go online.  The same thing happens with The Walking Dead.  I try my best to avoid reading a ton of online stuff until I see Walking Dead episodes because anything can and will happen on that show.  I easily give television show spoilers a pass because emotional stuff happens and people want to express that.  Spoiling movies, on the other hand, is a different situation.  

Star Wars: the Force Awakens came out last Thursday.  The most anticipated movie, for me, in my life.  After the prequels came out and were mostly disappointing, I was looking forward to this movie.  I was going to wait a month or so to watch it because, as anxious as I was to see it, because I didn't want to fight the crowds and sit in a full theatre.  I know some people think that's a great way to see the movie, but that's just not me.  However, I started to hear rumblings of major spoilers.  I didn't want the resurgence of a movie franchise that I have loved since my childhood to be ruined by some cock twat that thought it'd be fun to post a spoiler or two online. And the main difference between spoiling a television show and a movie is that you don't hop on your phone in the middle of a movie to write your gut reaction, spoilers or not.  Your phone is put away, you get engrossed for two hours, and enjoy yourself.  If you go out to your car and post a major spoiler, that's you being a dick.  The emotions might be there, but it has time to simmer.  

I will never purposefully be someone that spoils a show or movie.  If someone asks me about something, I will ask them if they are sure they want to know.  That's how good of a person I am.  But if I say something about Verbal being Keyser Soze and you get mad at me, that's on you.  Enough time has passed.  

Also, Bruce Willis is dead in the Sixth Sense.

Child Free at Christmas

We were on the ball this year when it came to decorating for Christmas.  The past couple of years we drug our feet when it came to decorating.  It's just one of those things that if you aren't in the right mood, or don't have the holiday spirit, you don't really feel like decorating.  Now, once you start it's hard to stop.  You start to get excited for a season that is quite joyous.  One of the cool things about our townhouse, is that we have a fireplace.  With a mantle!  And what else is suppose to go there other than stockings?  This is the second year we have been here and of course we take advantage of having the mantle.  Here's a picture I took of it a couple of days ago. 

My stocking, my wife's stocking, and one for our cat.  That's how we do!  It even has the word 'meow' on the top.  So we can re-use it.  I was going to post it to social media sites, but I didn't want people to get the wrong impression, because at first glance it could be misconstrued for an announcement.  As announcement that could get people really excite.  An announcement that we have no plans for making.  It could be misconstrued for a baby announcement. 

WELL IT'S NOT! 

Just wanted to make that as clear as possible.  I showed my wife this picture and told her that story and her response was what I figured it would have been:  'Good call'.  We high fived.  Being child free always comes with annoying 'when are you having kids?' questions or statements.  We eye roll at people when we have to have this conversation.  There's more to life than breeding.  We joke that for every couple of times we get asked about having kids, we would push it back a year if we ever decided to have them. 

I really wanted to post this picture without having to clarify that it's nothing more than a few stockings, a gas fire place, and a homemade Christmas decoration on the ground (THANKS MOM!).  But I just know that people would see this and freak the fuck out and start typing in all caps because estrogen spikes about baby announcements can only be expressed via capital letters. 



You all ruined it and you didn't even know it.  

Youth Movement

There are two constants in the Detroit sports world:  the Lions floundering and the Red Wings flourishing.  The last time the Lions won a championship, it wasn't even called the Super Bowl.  One could make the argument that they were winning championships before it was cool, but let's not fool ourselves, they have been bad for a very, very long time.  Where some teams seem to hit on all their drafts and free agent signings, the Lions run on about a 20% success rate.  For every Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson, there is a Joey Harrington and a Mike Williams.  For every Barry Sanders (which there will only ever be one) there is a Javid Best, a Kevin Smith, a Kevin Jones, or a Mikel Leshoure.  Every year, it seems like an eight win season is considered a success.

On the other hand, you have the Red Wings.  The model of consistency not only in hockey, but in sports.  They have been in the playoffs the past twenty four years.  It was two or three years ago that they struggled to get into the playoffs.  They ended up being the eight seed and getting bounced in the first round.  They somehow find talent deep in the draft and develop them.  That is one way the Wings have remained a constant in the post season.  They don't rush their talent or draft picks.  One reason I think Joey Harrington failed as the Lions quarterback was that he wasn't able to sit and watch the game.  He didn't have the opportunity to watch and learn.  The Wings players are able to do so.  With rare exception do you see an actual, fresh in the league, rookie play for Detroit. 

This is why Dylan Larkin being in the lineup since day one is such a big deal.  The Wings don't do this.  They don't have 19 year old kids playing in every sing game.  The scouts and coaches see his ability.  And he is playing so well so far.  Lots of comparisons to some guy named Yzerman.  It isn't just Larkin that should have Wings fans excited for the future.  They have brought up most of their young talent in the past few years as the old veterans are starting to retire.  Tatar and Nyquist are the next Datsyuk and Zetterberg in my opinion. 

This youth movement in Detroit has had some growing pains.  They seem outmatched from time to time against some of the bigger teams like Boston and Montreal.  They go into team wide funks all at the same time.  However, they have a coach that they all know well.  They have a coach in Blashill the players know well.  This was the perfect hire when Babcock left.  Not only because he is an organization guy, but because it was just a few years ago that he was coaching the majority of the team. 

It will be a few years before we start to see, hopefully, the next crop of young talent start to break through to the NHL.  By that time, we should also start to see the likes of Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Kronwall start to retire and pass on the torch to the next generation.  While they need to start making deeper runs into the playoffs, it is great to see that the team has little to no ill affect when it comes to players moving on.  This is one of the advantages you see in hockey and baseball.  You see teams draft and develop their talent.  The way it should be.  The NFL and NBA don't have a farm system or minor leagues.  Athletes are drafted and if they don't get selected by a well run team, they struggle.  They struggle and burn out.  Then get called bums because, while highly talented, they were marketed as saviors of the team and cannot compete right away. 

Mishandled Holidays

Now that we are in full swing of the holiday season, it is time to reflect on something that has been in the news the past couple of years.  Stores opening earlier and earlier for Black Thursday/Friday.  As we all know, the Christmas season seems to be starting in the middle of October in retail and we are starting to see companies changing their hours of operations to accommodate holiday shopping.  

One of the determining factors that went into my leaving Target three years ago was the direction they were taking around the holidays.  Two years before I left, they opened at midnight for Black Friday.  Technically Friday, yes.  The year before I left, they were opening at 9:00 Thursday night.  It was marketed to the employees as an experiment to see if it would work.  Also, it was to compete with other companies that were opening earlier (Wal-Mart and Kohl's for example).  If it's one thing I know about retail, is that if they are 'rolling out a new process' to see if it'll work, there is very rarely any backtracking.  Once they have their minds set, they are going forward. 

My new employer does not open on Thanksgiving.  About three or four years ago, the CEO came out and said that they would never open on Thanksgiving.  The stores open at 7:00 in the morning on Black Friday.  Three hours earlier than normal store hours.  Now, there were six of us that started work at 3:00 in the morning in order to prep the store.  Not the best coming off a day of sitting around, eating, and drinking, but if you are done with work before noon, it can't all be bad.  As I drive to work, I pass maybe a dozen retail businesses that opened Thursday night for Black Friday Thursday.  Do you know what I noticed?  Empty parking lots.  There was one, ONE, that still looked busy.  The last year I worked at Target, they opened at 9:00 PM.  I went to work at midnight because I refused to work before it was Friday.  I remember going there anticipating the store still being swamped with shoppers.  It was dead.  I mean, DEAD.  The big rush had happened, and people left.  It was the most boring Black Friday I had ever dealt with.  My sixth in retail.  People came out, got what they wanted, and went back home or went on to the next store that was opening later.  It left us with almost nothing to do considering the first wave of employees were still there. 

So how important is it to be open Thursday night?  I mean, there were more cars in gas stations and 24 hour restaurants than there were in the businesses I passed.  How profitable is it for the company to stay open from Thursday night and all the way through Friday night when they eventually close?  Sure, they made their money in the first two to three hours, but can't they make the same amount opening super early on Friday like they use to?  That is one of the draws to opening on actual Friday.  It makes the day go by quickly because there is no lull for four hours because the big rush is finished and people have gone back to bed.  Black Friday can actually be fun for the workers.  Most customers are in a good mood because they are still loaded up on turkey and pumpkin pie.  They are all getting deals and the start of Christmas season has everyone happy.  Happy customers makes work better because you aren't getting yelled at.

I don't think it will ever really change for companies like Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, or Kohl's.  They have made their bed, and I think they'll forever sleep in it.  It is good to see some companies staying closed on Thanksgiving.  The number of companies that remain closed on Thanksgiving seems to be growing, even if it is by one or two a year, and it is good to see.  And then there is REI.  REI went hardcore this year.  They remained closed on Black Friday.  That was a boss move.  I am sure that they gained many a new customer with that move.  They aren't going to go bankrupt by being closed on Black Friday.  

One final note.  Every year I see posts that are along these lines:

'Why are retail workers complaining about working on Thanksgiving?  Police officers, soldiers, doctors, nurses, fire fighters, emergency response workers work ALL holidays.'

This is a true statement.  But every person that falls into that category know what their work/life balance is going to be like.  They all know that they may have to work any of the 365 days a year.  That is part of their job.  Those jobs are essential.  Retail companies don't need to be open 365 days a year.  Some choose to be open.  Target use to be closed three days a year.  Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  Three days that are spent with family and friends.  My current employer, World Market, is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I don't see Easter as big of a deal as I see the other two holidays.  World Market does do a lot of short hour holidays.  Holidays like New Year's Eve and day, Easter, and 4th of July have reduced hours so employees can enjoy the holiday. 

Farewell Tours are Bullshit

Retirement is part of life.  You have a nice little party and celebrate your work accomplishments.  And that's it.  You pick a date to retire, tell your boss, and then move on.  You don't make a big spectacle about it.  You don't tell everyone and their brother a year ahead of time and then expect to be lavished with gifts, do you?  I don't know.  I'm thirty years away from it.

In the past few years, I have seen baseball players announce their retirement before the season starts.  Kind of a 'this will be my last year' type of thing.  The problem is, I think that they do it in order to get more attention and praised throughout the year in each city that they visit.  Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter set the stage for selfish ball players to create a distraction for their team as they go to a new city.  I can see doing a little ceremony and a thank you video for transcendent talent like Mariano Rivera.  I mean, the dude threw one pitch.  And dominated.  Jeter, on the other hand, was just good.  He came up in clutch moments, but he didn't dominate the way Rivera did.  Plus, there are better shortstops out there.  These retirement farewell tours are absolute bullshit.  They go to different cities and teams grovel at their feet with presents and hugs and kisses.  Was it just because they were Yankees?    

So it'll be interesting to see what will happen with David Ortiz.  Although it's safe to say that we, as fans of the game, will be force fed farewell tour hype and stories for a player that is not that important.  And we'll see our favorite teams bring him presents.  And it'll be terrible.  I can see making a big deal about it for a transcendent, once in a generation type player.  But Ortiz isn't the only guy to bulk up and hit 35-40 home runs a year and drive in 100+ runs.  Is he good at what he does?  Yes.  Is he a World Series winning player?  Yes.  But then again, so is Quintin Berry.  Does he deserve all the praise he will get this upcoming year?  No.  And I know that most people seem to love Big Papi, but he has always bugged me.  Maybe it's the whole taking steroids (allegedly, but we all know.  We all know) and not suffering any consequences.  Maybe it's because he plays in Boston and his career benefited from having such a short, low right field fence. 

Do you want to know the right way to do this retirement thing?  Hold a press conference, announce your retirement, and bask in the praises.  Do it at or near the end of the year.  Don't be a distraction for your team.  Paul Konerko and Torii Hunter are two recent players that have retired.  At or near the end of the year, they announced their retirement and did not make a big ordeal about it.  

Cover to Cover

You know what's the worst?  When you finish something, and you feel really good about it, and then you start to think of more you could have added?  Well that happened to me a few days after publishing my last post about cover songs.  And I thought about just going through and adding on to the previous post and adding a post published note, but why would I do that when I can come up with just as much content in a second post?  So here we go.  More cover songs. 

Goldfinger:  '99 Red Ballons'.  Originally done by the band Nena, it always sounds so cheerful even though it is sung in German.  New wave music always sounds so fun and happy.  Goldfinger brought a new punk feel to the song, and it's in English.  Except for the third verse, sung in German (awesomely). 

Save Ferris:  'Come on Eileen'.  Another punk/ska band covering an 80s song.  Dexys Midnight Riders, notorious overall wearing band that they were, get overshadowed (in my opinion) by Save Ferris.  Ska will always have a place in my heart from my high school days. 

The Beatles:  'Twist and Shout'.  The Beatles did cover songs?!  Yes.  A few years after the band The Top Notes released the song, the Beatles covered it on their debut album.  The strained vocals of John Lennon, as legend has it, were from recording this song at the end of the session for the album after he had been singing.  It works perfectly.  And if you can't imagine anyone else singing it, we will always have Ferris Bueller. 

Hanni El Khatib:  'You Rascal You'.  You know you've heard this song even if you cannot pronounce this guy's name.  It's been on several commercials over the past couple of years.  The original, recorded in 1931, was done by Sam Thread and has been covered time and time again.  Which seems to happen with songs or music that is that old.  Different artists in different genres have covered this song, which adds to the entertainment of it.  Sure, the song will be the same, but the interpretation of it can make it so much different.  Honestly, when I first heard this version of the song, I thought it was Jack White.  The singing and guitar playing is so similar. 

Nirvana:  'The Man Who Sold the World'.  Originally done by David Bowie, Nirvana famously did this cover during their 'Unplugged' set.  If I had to make a top five list of live performances to have seen in person, Nirvana Unplugged would have to be up there.  A very iconic set.  And when you impress the original artist with your version, you know you've done something right. 

Rage Against the Machine:  'Kick Out the Jams'.  With the famous live line 'Kick out the jams, mother fucker!', you know that if this song were a person it would be moshing clockwise 24/7.  MC5 were met with resistance with that line and were censored for it, but then again it was 1968.  In Detroit.  So you know Rage would love to cover this song.

Take Cover!

The great thing about music is that it is open to interpretation.  Whether you are reading cryptic lyrics trying to figure what they mean or wondering what a song would sound like if it were played by someone else, it's always fluid.  While I was perusing the internet the other day for background information on a band that I have started listening to, I came across a wonderful cover they did. 

Below is a video of the Screaming Females covering Taylor Swift's 'Shake it Off'.  While I am not the biggest fan of Swift, I have always given her credit for writing her own music and playing her own instrument.  That is the main difference between a musician and an entertainer.  Do they write their own stuff or play their own instruments?  That sets them a step above those who do not.  The Screaming Females give an edge to the song.

This led me to think of other songs that have been covered that I enjoy.  Some times covers are good/great or can be just plain terrible.  One fun thing about covers is to hear different styles of the song being played.  It can be mind blowing or underwhelming or just the same as the original.  And there is nothing wrong with that.   

Heart:  'Stairway to Heaven'.  Worthy of being covered themselves, Heart did this cover of this classic Led Zeppelin song a few years back during the Kennedy Center Awards.  The three living members of rock's greatest band were in attendance and appeared to be in awe.  The son of John Bonham, Jason, played the drums during the performance.  How he can keep it together playing the same instruments for the same songs his dad played is beyond me.  I would be a mess.  

Jimi Hendrix:  'All Along the Watchtower'.  When you are as prolific a singer/song writer as Bob Dylan, you are bound to have some of your music covered and redone.  This is the case with 'All Along the Watchtower'.  And holy shit, does Jimi Hendrix make it his own.  Hendrix's version of the song is played so much, that sometimes you forget that Bob Dylan wrote and played it.  That's just a cover song taking on a life of it's own.  That would be like someone taking 'Voodoo Child' or 'Foxy Lady' and playing it so well that everyone needs to be reminded that Jimi Hendrix wrote and performed it. 

Joss Stone:  'Fell in Love with a Boy'.  A take on the White Stripes' 'Fell in Love with a Girl', Stone slows it down and makes it unbelievable.  She did not make the mistake of trying to duplicate the Stripes.  She took it in a different, sexy direction.  Even changing out 'Girl' for 'Boy' in her version.  I admit, that I had not heard this song before last week when I heard it on the radio.  And I was floored by it. 

The White Stripes:  'Jolene'.  Speaking of the White Stripes, they covered this Dolly Parton song and released it on a live album.  I do love me some White Stripes.  More importantly, I love me some Jack White.  Musically, he can do no wrong.  I always thought that the White Stripes could cover the Beatles' 'I Want You (She's so Heavy)' or Zeppelin's 'When the Levee Breaks' and would do them both justice. 

The Fugees:  'No Woman, No Cry'.  A spin on Bob Marley's song, they move it from Trenchtown to Brooklyn and update some of the lyrics.  On the back end of 'The Score' (one of the most important records in the past thirty years), it brings a calming effect to a tense, politically aware album.  The final track on an album is just as important as the first, and I think that this is one of the best last tracks. 

Honorable Mention:

The Gourds:  'Gin and Juice'.  Yeah.  That 'Gin and Juice'.  I have no idea what Snoop thinks about this cover, but it is just great.  This is an example of taking a song from one genre (rap) and taking it to a genre where it doesn't belong.  I don't exactly know where I would classify the Gourds.  Country maybe?  At least this song is country-ish.  It makes me smile every time I hear it.  When we lived in Wichita, we would go out on Thursdays (because who needs to be productive on Friday?) and it use to be a karaoke night.  The guy that ran it, occasionally played this song before getting the evening going. 

Dishonorable Mention:

Aerosmith:  'Come Together'.  I have never been the biggest fan of Aerosmith, so that fact makes it easy to shame them.  They covered this Beatles song and it missed the mark for me.  If you are going to cover a band as monumental as the Beatles, it better be a great cover.  This one isn't.  I talk about making a cover your own when you record, and Aerosmith did so.  Unfortunately, they made it terribly their own. 

Thoughts From a Deer Blind

I spent the last week in Michigan in an effort to provide food via hunting.  I have been able to get back home in the fall the past several years in order to do so.  Last year, I was unsuccessful.  The two previous years, I was.  Harvesting deer is down in Michigan, especially in the Upper Peninsula.  There are several causes, one of the main ones is the weather.  The past couple of winters have been harsh on the deer herd as it kills off many of the yearlings.  That's just how it goes.  Circle of life and all that.

When you sit out in the woods for hours at a time, by yourself, your mind has a tendency to wander.  Mine does at least.  Other than watching the wildlife around you, you have to keep your mind occupied.  I thought what better way to help pass the time than to write down some thoughts as they came to and transcribe them here.  I just thought it would be fun. 

• squirrels and blue jays give zero fucks about being seen or heard
• I think I'll grow my beard out a little bit this winter
• If deer were carnivorous, they would rule the woods because god damn are they quiet.  They're like woodland ninjas
• Huh.  I still get 3G out here
• This is better than watching the Lions
• What was that noise behind me?
• Ten more minutes, just ten more minutes (mornings)
• I could easily sit here all day
• badger badger badger badger MUSHROOM! MUSHROOM! (here's a link if you don't understand)
• no sun, set slower (evenings)
• everything in your peripheral vision is a deer until you look and see it's just a leaf
• fucking rain
• fucking porcupine
• no matter what, I'm having a better week than you
• is Gary Larson dead?  (turns out, no)
• move slowly
• steady hand
• slow breath in and out
• safety off
• right behind it's shoulder
• steady hand
• exhale 
• squeeze trigger

 So this year, I was successful.  I got a deer a few days before I left.  Not a monster deer, but big enough so we won't starve this winter.  Hopefully next year I will be able to go back and get another one.  A bigger one would be nice, but I won't be too greedy.  

Find the Real Cause

We all know the important awareness cause is in the month of October, don't we?  Yes, we all do.  Let's say it together on three.  Ready?  1...2...3...domestic violence!  Okay, I know there should not be an exclamation point after that, but you know how it goes when you get everyone shouting at once.  Wait.  That wasn't the cause you were thinking of?  Why not?  Oh, right.  Because it is also breast cancer awareness month.  Which is much.  More.  Marketable.  Before you get your pink ribbons in a bunch, yes, breast cancer awareness is very important.  Extremely important.  No one will ever argue that.  If they do, punch them in the throat.  What I want to discuss is the NFL and the opportunity they are missing to clean up their image. 

Since 2000, there have been 87 arrests involving 80 players involved in domestic violence.  More information here from an article published in 2014.  There are three well known players that were suspended last year.  Ray Rice, Greg Hardy, and Adrian Peterson.  Hardy and Peterson, served their suspension and are playing this year.  Rice, by all accounts was past his prime, and is not playing this year.  And by all accounts, he's done.  Peterson and Hardy, on the other hand, are still considered stars in the league and that is why they are playing this year.  Plus, Rice's act of violence was caught on camera, the others were not.

*Side note*

Even after the horrific video surfaces of Rice attacking is fiancee, beloved Tony Dungy thought Rice should have another shot at the NFL and wouldn't be a distraction to a team.  This is the same man that thought Michael Sam WOULD be a distraction to a team.  Sam, the first openly gay man drafted by an NFL team, never made an opening day roster.

*Side note over*

For all the efforts the NFL put into denouncing domestic violence, you would think that they would stand firm and blacklist these stars and set an example to the rest of the players of the league.  But oh no, they can't do that.  This is not to say that the other major sports do not have their problems, because they do.  But, I don't think they have as much pageantry that the NFL does when it comes to honoring cancer survivors and remembering those that people have lost to the disease.  Do I want the NFL to stop breast cancer awareness?  Absolutely not.  I just feel that they have a responsibility to acknowledge the domestic violence issue that the league has and maybe use their public platform to bring awareness to it.  And, I don't know, use said platform to raise money or supplies to donate.   

So they ignore an important cause in the month of October because they want to draw some attention to it, but not so much attention that they have to put forth any kind of effort in the eyes of the public.  So they stick to having their players, and coaches, and referees, and announcers wear little pink ribbons, and wrist bands, and socks, and gloves, and they make sure that everyone remembers, that one cause (which cannot be controlled) is more important to them because saving everyone from cancer is more important than saving people from others.  

The Importance of Disconnecting

As technology improves at what seems like a monthly basis, it is important to remember two things.  1.) it is important in today's society and 2.) it is important to step away occasionally.  Yes, there are drawbacks to having this instant access, but there is also upside.  It is nice to know what is going on in the world at any given moment, but it creates this addiction to instant information.  Which can be harmful at times.  Or just downright frustrating.  I mean, how many times have we seen a news story retracted or revised because not all the facts are out or right, but the story is already all over the internet?  

This is not only the lifestyle that the younger generations are growing up with, it is the lifestyle that the older generations have to adapt to.  By the time the evening news is reporting a story that happened in the early afternoon, it's already considered an old story.  If something happened at noon on a Tuesday, by three o'clock, all the details have come out and we are on to the next new story.  You have to keep up or you are left in the news dust.  

It's funny how older generations look at the younger generations right now in the way that they are always on their phones.  They look at them as though they are disconnected from the world, whereas they are more connected than the previous generation.  We no longer have to wait for the 5:00 news to find out what is happening.  We can make fun of people taking selfie after selfie after selfie all we want, but they carry in the palm of their hands, instant access to everything everywhere and any given moment.  It allows them to have that instant connection, and with that, more awareness of worldly events.  They can know what is going on in Switzerland if they want.  So even though they are staring at their phone screens all day long, they could be keeping up on current events.  Either that or they are reading list posts from Buzzfeed.  Is this a good thing though?  Personally, I spend most of my lunch break on my phone.  Reading articles, catching up on Facebook and Twitter.  It allows me to know what is going on.  Even though I work pretty early in the morning, the world still turns and important things are still happening.

With all that said, it is important to disconnect from it all.  Let's face it, we live in a pretty fucked up society, and terrible stories are what a lot of the media thrive upon.  When was the last time you watched the news and they only reported stories that made you happy?  When was the last time you went through a news site that didn't have at least two articles written about an awful story?  With all this instant access and continual updates, it can wear on you mentally.  Find a topic that you are interested in.  Read all about it.  Continue to read all about it.  How much is too much?  How long before anything that you are reading isn't sinking in?  It's like going to a lecture.  How much information can you take in before you stop hearing anything that is being said.  Same holds true for what you read.  How many stories of bombings in the Middle East can you read before it just turns into 'another story'.  How many stories of innocent people being killed by police can you read before you start forgetting their names? 

Sure, you can step away from it all for an hour or two, but what good would that do for you?  I suppose it depends on how much you can take in.  Whenever I go home for vacation, I always feel refreshed by the time I get back to work.  It's because I have minimum stress on vacation.  Everyone needs to do that with the internet too.  Take a few days off.  Stay off social media.  Stay away from the shit storm that is the world.  Pick up a book and forget about it all.  It is important for your mental health.  Even if you don't think you need to, do it.  Stop hitting the refresh button on your browser and it the power off button instead. 

Seasons Ranked

The summer season is winding down and we slowly creep into fall.  I'm happy about that because I have come to the conclusion that summer is the absolute worst.  There are only a few positives to the season, and the rest of the seasons are superior in almost every way.  Let's take a look.

The best season:  winter.  I suppose we'll start with the obvious in that I grew up in an area where it was winter for the majority of the year.  Having snow on the ground as early as middle November or as late as early May was not uncommon. When you grow up in that type of environment, you either learn to love it or hate it.  I have always loved winter.  Yes, there are some drawbacks.  Driving is often terrible.  You have to start your car twenty minutes before you leave for work.  It's dark, like, twenty hours out of the day.  But there's also Christmas and the smell of wood burning stoves and nights spent inside wearing sweatpants and sweatshirts underneath a warm blanket.  And when you spend time outside, there's just a different air to it.  It's indescribable.  Plus, hockey season!

Runner up in the season ranking:  fall.  Pumpkin flavored EVERYTHING!  But also the lead up to the best season of the year.  Much like winter, there's just something in the air that is just different than all the rest of the seasons.  The dog days of summer are a recent memory and everyone is relieved that that ridiculous heat wave finally broke.  Fall is an awesome time to get out of the house and just be outside.  It's cool enough for jeans and a zip up hoodie, but not cold enough to bundle up.  Again, being from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, I remember spending quite a bit of time out side around this time of year.  The past three years, I've gone home to hunt and spending time in the woods in October and November is...I don't know how to describe it.  It's almost artistic in the woods.  Like, a master artist couldn't come up with the colors.  Most of the leaves have fallen or are changing color.  Here's a couple of photos I took last October while out in the woods.

Just behind fall is spring.  For those who hate winter, spring is a sight for sore eyes.  For those who cannot wait for summer, spring is a season of anticipation.  For me, I could take or leave spring.  A lot of times it is just cold and wet.  The snow is starting to melt and all that remains are the piles of nasty grey snow that no one wants to look at.  It is the first time you are able to open the windows of your house and let out the winter stank.  And the spring time air is refreshing.  One of the upsides to spring, is the fact that baseball returns.  Spring Training begins and so does the regular season.  Also, the days get longer so you don't have to worry about driving home in the dark when you finish with work at 5:00. 

Let's face it.  Summer sucks.  Sure, the days are incredibly long, baseball season is in full swing, and everyone loves to be outside.  But it's hot.  And sticky.  And sweaty.  And miserable.  I don't like summer because of the heat.  I am not a warm weather type of person.  I am most likely in the minority in this thinking, but I just get miserable when I get too warm.  And sure, there is air conditioning in cars and houses, but when you leave that environment, the heat and humidity is there to slap you in the face.  Also, there is the spike in the electrical bill makes the figurative slap in the face that much worse.  

Reboot: Complete

Before the MLB trade deadline, I wrote a post about how the Tigers needed to be sellers and restock their joke of a farm system.  They traded away both David Price and Yoenis Cespedes and in return got five players, all of them pitchers.  And these aren't pitchers that are all five years away from being in the bigs, they will be ready in the next year or two.  Daniel Norris (the highest rated of all five) is already in the rotation.  They even traded away Joakim Soria to the Pirates for a batter that will have an impact two to three years from now.  Sorry I don't remember all the names, but I'm not writing to analyze the trades (they were necessary and extremely helpful), I'm writing because it's going to be both frustrating and exciting for Tigers fans in the next two to three years.

It's funny because MLB analysts can't exactly agree on the trades.  Some like to point to the fact that the Tigers, at the time of the trade deadline, were only three games out of the second wildcard spot.  And they could have been buyers at the deadline and made a push for the playoffs.  They go to the Kansas City Royals and San Fransisco Giants are evidence that all you have to do is make it into the playoffs and then anything can happen.  Here's the flaw in their arguments, the Tigers aren't the Royals or the Giants from last year.  This year, they have not shown the ability to rattle off ten or eleven wins in a row since the first two weeks of the year.

Some analysts point to the fact that the Tigers needed to pull the trades off because they needed something in return for them.  Both Price and Cespedes are free agents at the end of the year.  So, instead of getting nothing for them (think Max Scherzer), they got a return in their investment.  They traded for them last year in the hopes of getting to the World Series.  People who are big picture people understand that the Tigers needed to do this in order to stay relevant not this year or even next, but three and four and five years down the road.  That is the hope anyway.  And that is how I looked at these trades.  You never want to give up on the hopes of making the playoffs, but even if they had made it to the post season, I didn't see them making a deep run.  This is for the better of the team and for the fans.  They just have to practice the one thing that fans don't practice:  patience.  

It is going to be frustrating because the fan base has become accustomed to winning.  They are use to see the team play into the end of September.  They are also becoming entitled (the fans, not the players) because they are familiar with winning.  I feel as though not all of them were cheering for the Tigers in 2003.  I feel as though they remembered the team right around 2006.  And have been fans ever since!  It is going to be frustrating because the Tigers are going to lose more than they have over the past nine years.

It is going to be exciting because the future is coming.  Even if two or three of the five pitchers pan out, it will be looked at as a good trade for the team.  The trades needed to happen.  Both Price and Cespedes were not going to sign with the Tigers in the offseason, in my opinion.  They are the types of players that want to win.  Plus, with the Tigers trading them away, they avoid big contracts.  There are some mid-level free agents that they can sign in the offseason that can help bridge the gap between the present and the future.

Personally, I'm excited to see what happens with these players.  For the first time in a long time, the farm system has players that can make an impact.  They aren't just filler for an injured player.  They are part of the plan.  They are the future.  And the future is a little bit brighter than it was at the beginning of the season.  And look, is it disappointing that in this nine year span the Tigers didn't win a World Series?  Yes.  Obviously.  No one really likes saying 'hey, at least we made it!'  But if we always got what we wanted, the Tigers would be winning the World Series year after year, I would be the head curator at the Baseball Hall of Fame, and I would have three or four thirty year old bottles of scotch in my house.  

Old Pair of Shoes

Everyone has a pair of shoes that they have had for a long time.  A pair of shoes that you may have worn day in and day out for seven or eight years.  And while they are comfortable, and you comfortable in them, they start to lose their appeal.  You find a different pair of shoes and are excited about them.  But in the back of your mind, you still think about those shoes.  Those shoes were practically your identity.  And when you get a chance, you slip those shoes back on and everything feels.  You all get that the shoes were a metaphor for work right?  Right? 

I was given an opportunity to work with food again.  Still within the same company and store I am in now, so no big move or anything like that.  They are realigning how the departments are overseen and the furniture department is being reworked.  So, I get a chance to get back into a food department.  It feels like I have never really left working with it.  It's nice because I work early in the morning, can listen to my own music for the majority of my shift, and have the afternoon to do whatever I want.  Mostly sit around and nap.  But there's times when productivity will come into play. 

The store has already seen improvements within the department in terms of sales and stocking, so that's a plus.  I have had many people at work ask me how I like it.  And I tell them it's like I've never left.  It's like an old broken in, comfortable pair of shoes you wore for so long that when you left them in the closet for a year and a half, you almost forgot about them.  The metaphor might make more sense now, but whatever.  

Put it Down, it's Okay

I do my best to read.  I am not a quick reader.  My wife and I joke back and forth with the phrase 'you're still reading that book?'.  And when I say it to her, it's because she is reading her third book to my one.  When she says it to me, it's because it takes me months to get through one book.  I only read a chapter or two before bed.  She can read for hours on end. 

I am currently reading Norman Mailer's 'The Deer Park'.  And I gotta tell you, I am struggling.  I am about 120 pages into it and am struggling to stay focused.  I don't know if it's the writing style, if it's the plot, or if it's something else.  I read a chapter, put the book down, and think 'meh'.  At what point, do you think about giving up on a book?  I'm about a third of the way through the book right now.  I have a few books that I have put down because I couldn't get into them.  But it's usually within the first one hundred pages.  I am determined to get through it because there are moments in the book that get me hooked.  It is just followed by a couple of chapters that cannot keep my interest.  

A few of the books have been 'classics' or classic authors.  The two that come to mind are 'Tropic of Cancer' and 'The Dubliners'.  And I know that a lot of people say that James Joyce is hard to read.  But I am determined to give it another try in the future.  I tried reading 'Tropic of Cancer' twice.  Got about fifty pages into and just didn't enjoy it.  You can always make the argument that you have to get to a certain point of a book before you start to enjoy it, but shouldn't that be within the first fifty to one hundred pages?  You need to hook the reader. 

I never want to give up on a book, because some don't start to get really interesting until halfway through.  Like every single Cormac McCarthy book I have ever read.  But with his books, I know that.  And they are all beautifully written so if you aren't hooked by the story line, you can read beautiful prose.  If it's an author I have not read, it's hard to give up on a book.  I want to believe that the plot will get better.  I want to believe the the author is just being an asshole and keeping the reader going.  But sometimes, you just got to walk away from a book.  And that's okay.  There is no shame in not finishing a book. 

Hit the Reset

As sad as it is to think about, the Detroit Tigers season is on the brink of being over.  And it's July!  It's funny to think about it like that, but with the way that they have been struggling over the last month, combined with the way other teams have been playing well, the Tigers are slipping further and further out of the playoff hunt.  The trade deadline is fast approaching and the Tigers need to look to the future if they want to stay relevant in the years to come.  It's been wonderful over the past several years to watch their success, but now is the time to restock the farm system they have gutted getting the big name players they have on their roster.  I am not calling for a full on rebuild of the team, but a reset.

The Tigers' farm system has long been the joke of the major league.  Mainly because drafting is not their strong suit.  Ever since 2006, the Tigers have been built to win now.  And while they have been a power within the American League and a post season presence, the win now team is slowly getting older.  And unfortunately, it has not resulted in a World Series win.  Injuries this year are showing how poorly developed the farm system is.  The replacements for injured stars are no where near ready and probably will not be for years (or ever).  

So how do they reset instead of rebuild?  They need to trade some big names for near ready prospects.  And they have the big names to trade.  Two of them in fact.  Two of them that are poised for free agency.  David Price and Yoenis Cespedes.  But did they not just trade for these two in the last year?  Yes.  Yes they did.  Now it's time to turn around and get some prospects for them.  So where do the Tigers need the most help?  Pitching.  Starting and relief pitching.  So why would they trade away Price, one of the top pitchers in the game right now?  Because if you can get two or maybe three young pitchers in return, one of which who could step up in the next year, why wouldn't you?  Even Cespedes can be traded away for pitching.  And while it will put a hurt on the batting lineup, at least they won't be in as bad of shape as the pitching staff would be if Price were traded away.  

And how are the successful teams are winning right now?  Pitching and defense.  Strong pitching and strong defense is how winning teams are built around right now.  The Tigers have one of those.  They have defense.  But if the pitching staff is not solid and giving up hits and runs, you cannot win games.  Especially if the bats are not hot.  If you can trade away Price or Cespedes and get a couple of young arms, people will be happy.  Maybe not this year or the year after, but once they develop and mature, they could have an impact.  A positive impact. 

I don't have any idea if there are any minor league pitchers that the Tigers have an eye on.  I don't know if they will trade Price or Cespedes or any other player they currently have.  What I do know is that they need to do so.  Most people think that the Tigers could be either buyers or sellers at the trade deadline.  It all depends on how they do in the next few games.  Well, in my eyes, they need to be sellers.  They need to get something back for Price and Cespedes.  Why?  Because they are both going to split town because they are smart and anyone with a set of eyes and half a brain can see the Tigers are on the downside of a decade long run of being relevant.  They both want to win.  They both know they won't win a World Series in Detroit.  Not because the Tigers can't, but because other teams can.  Other teams are poised to go further than Detroit this year and in the upcoming years.  So, the Tigers need to trade them away and get something back.  They couldn't last year with Max Scherzer because they were leading the AL Central and were going to make it to the playoffs.  This year, however, I don't see them making the playoffs.  They need to cash in their chips, take a deep breath, and hope like hell they can regroup.      

It could be a struggle for Tigers fans for the next couple of years as they reset their system, but it won't be that bad.  All I have to say is, at least it isn't 2003 and 2004.  Remember that guys?  I hope does not get that bad.  Ever.  Again. 

Ideal Getaway

I haven't done one of these in forever, so what better time than right now?

'If you had unlimited funds, where would you go for a getaway?'

This falls in line with a question like 'if you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?'.  Because who has time for an ideal getaway if you have responsibilities at home?  Of course, it all depends on your definition of getaway.  Is it a weekends away?  Is it a week, or month away?  

Thinking of a getaway, one might think of going to a far distant country.  For Americans, I think that most of us would contemplate a getaway to European countries.  I know I do.  I think of places like Germany, Spain, and Italy.  And why not?  You see wondrous photos and video of breathtaking scenery in commercials and movies.  And, to paraphrase Eddie Izzard, it's where the history comes from!  There is just so much cool stuff to see in all the different countries.  Why would you not want to experience something like that?  

However, there are tons of places to go in the United States.  Lots of sights and sounds to experience.  And it includes less travel time.  You can also include the countries to the north and south if you so choose.  I think that there are tons of cool places in Canada that you can visit.  I went to Toronto with my family when I was in high school.  I remember enjoying it, but I think that as an adult, you would enjoy it even more.  I suppose the same goes for any place that I have been to when I was a kid.  We took a family road trip when I was in first grade.  We went from Michigan to California.  We made plenty of stops along the way that I don't think I fully appreciated.  Sure, I remember being in Yellowstone, but did I fully grasp the vastness and openness of the park?  Most definitely not.

I suppose if I had my way, I would try to find a way to split an ideal getaway.  Spend time in both the U.S. and Europe.  You could spend a month in each country of Europe or each state in America and still not see everything that each place has to offer.  You would just have to make up an itinerary and priority of each place.   

Marriage for One and All

Everyone be quiet for just a second.  Shhhh....shhhh....you hear that?  That very distant, stifled crying.  You hear that, right?  That's the sound of 'traditional marriage' supporters huddled in their bigotry bunkers.  The Supreme Court today (26 June 2015 [mark it in your calendars]) legalized same sex marriage throughout the country.  This is a monumental event in the history of our country and within the LGBT community.  

No longer will a couple have to travel to another state to marry their partner.  No longer will a civil union be good enough.  No longer will a same sex couple have to introduce their partner as their partner.  They can introduce them as their husband or wife.  

Let's not pretend that this will magically solve everything.  Of course there are still hateful, sad, unsatisfied in their own life so they have to act out against others, people that think that this moment in our history is just the worst thing in the world.  Of course the LGBT community will face ridicule because it's 'not normal' (even though it is).  And of course the sad scared little politicians will try their best to find loopholes. 

I don't want to end on a negative note like that, so let's all take a moment to celebrate this. If you are part of the LGBT community or if you are an ally.  Take a moment to remember this day.  Surely we all have friends or family or both that this directly impacts.  Celebrate today.  For today and forever more, marriage is for one and all.  Regardless of who you love.  

Celebrate.  

Comfort Music

For all the music that I have been finding, whether it is new bands of a genre I have appreciated for a long time or a new genre all together, it is always nice to go back to something that is solidly in your brain.  It's kind of like comfort food, but it's comfort music.  I grew up listening to quite a bit of country music and top 40 pop music because that is what we had in my hometown as far as radio stations.  We also had an oldies station.  It was mostly golden oldies.  1950s and 1960s.  The music that my parents listened to growing up.

I'm not afraid to admit that I didn't start listening to classic rock until I was a little bit older.  I didn't buy my first Led Zeppelin album until I was in college.  And it wasn't even a studio album.  It was a compilation album.  Once I listened to it, I made it a point to go out and buy all their albums.  ALL OF THEM!  I almost over listened to them.  It got to the point where the CDs would sit in my car and I would look at them and think 'there's something else I want to listen to right now.'

I just recently put all their albums on my phone to listen to while commuting to work.  Just because I wanted something that I truly love to listen to.  Putting their entire catalog on shuffle is fun because it covers some many genres that they pulled from.  A heavy rock song can be followed by a blues inspired song to something that is borderline prog rock.  It's fun.  

This song came up while I was sitting in traffic.  'Good Times, Bad Times' was the first track of the compilation album that I bought.  It's also the first track on their first album.  It's the one that got me hooked on Zeppelin.  It's hard, it's fast, it's heavy.  Two chords followed by echoing drums.  That's the start of the song and it is glorious.  For whatever reason, when it came on, it just brought a smile to my face.  I cranked the volume the rest of the ride home.  I played the air drums at certain parts of songs.  I bobbed my head along to the beat.  I'm sure that I looked like a fool.  It was comforting to have that music that I have listened to so many times at my fingertips.  

Whether it is bubblegum pop, thrash metal, or rap, everyone should have that one band that they can play and just forget about life for a little bit.  Isn't that what music is for?  

Solo Movie Going

Is there a stigma in going out by yourself?  I'm planning on going to see 'Mad Max:  Fury Road' this afternoon.  And I'm going by myself because it's a weekday and my wife is at work.  Also, she doesn't want to see it.  Even though it's apparently hella feminist.  Action movie, strong feminist characters and story lines, what's not to like?  Also, Tom Hardy.  One of two reasons 'Inception' was tolerable, the other being Joseph Gordon-Levitt.  Is it weird to go see a movie by yourself?  Or is it okay at certain times?

I have gone to see multiple movies by myself, so it's not like it's weird for me to do this.  I have always gone on a day off in the middle of the afternoon before it gets busy and is cheaper.  There's movies that I want to see that my wife just has no interest in.  And it's funny, because there usually has been a few other people that are there by themselves.  It's like a little club.  Except no one wants to talk to each other and avoiding eye contact is crucial.  I'm pretty sure when I saw 'Choke' I was the only person in the theater. 

I have always looked at going to the movies by myself as okay as long as it's during the day.  If you are going in the evening by yourself, that seems weird.  Evening movie going seems like a date time frame or a family event time frame.  That's not to say you can't go see a movie in the evening by yourself.  This could be the only time you are able to go because of work or other engagements.  And besides, there are some movies that just need to be seen on the big screen.  Usually action movies with tons of explosions because it grabs you and won't let go.  I saw 'Return of the King' by myself and the Battle of the Pelennor Field sequence was absolutely amazing.  Watching it at home doesn't have the same effect as seeing it in the theater.  

There aren't any rules that say you can't go see a movie by yourself.  Even if people say that it's weird, who gives a shit?  You want to go see a movie, you don't have anyone else to go see it with, go see it.  Make a day of it.  Make it about you.  Treat yourself.  Sneak some candy in to avoid the high prices.  

Anniversary Post

Earlier this month, my wife and I celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary.  Pretty cool.  We have a tendency not to do extravagant things for anniversaries.  We were in Missouri this year for a family thing, and we actually spent our anniversary with some friends from Kansas.  But I'm not writing this post about our wedding anniversary, I'm writing it about our dating anniversary.  As our friends and family know, we have been together for quite some time.  Quite a long time.  Practically half of our lives.  

We officially started dating in 1998.  We've been together for seventeen years, guys.  Seventeen years!  We were sophomores in high school.  We hung out with the same group of friends and that is how we got to know each other.  A side note, we went to elementary school together from second to fourth grade.  AND, my older sister watched my wife and her younger brother a few times when they were younger because they lived a block away from us.  Anyway, the first time we went out without a group of friends, we went to see Godzilla.  We were originally planning on seeing a different movie (the Big Hit maybe?), but it was gone so we got stuck seeing that horrible movie.  We had a friend who worked at the theater and I'm pretty sure he let us in for free.  It wasn't long after that, we started dating.   

Throughout high school and college, we went to our respective extended family things.  Get togethers, weddings, parties.  You name it, if we could convince our parents, we would go there together.  We got to know each others' family.  When we got engaged after college, we heard a lot of congratulations, but we also heard a lot of 'it's about time' type comments (jokingly) from our family.  We wanted to get out of college before getting married.  Just made sense to us.   

Despite being together for so long, we still find time to be ourselves.  Everyone knows that type of couple that can't be separated to do their own thing, right?  We do our best not to be that couple.  I'm sure we were like that in high school.  Do we do a ton of stuff together?  Yes.  But there are times when do our own thing.  I've gone to see a live show a couple of times because my wife didn't want to see it.  Would you rather do that or drag your partner to a thing that they didn't want to see? 

We went to the same college after high school.  That made that transitional part of life a little bit easier.  We got an apartment together for our sophomore year.  Since then, we have lived together.  That made the first years of marriage easy.  We had already lived together for years.  Pretty sure I have written about that in the past.  After college was the real world.  The rest is history.  We talk about how long we have been together, but it doesn't feel like it's been so long. 

The Power of Music

One great thing about the technological advances that we have seen in the past decade is the access.  Whether it is the ability to look something up in a manner of minutes to settle a debate or to check the weather for the city you are planning to visit, it is at the tips of your fingers.  It's all there if you want it to be.  Another wonderful thing, is digital music.  Instead of carrying a book of the one hundred or so CDs that you own (let's face it, everyone had one of these monsters in their car), you can carry all your music in your pocket on either your phone or iPod.

Instead of fumbling through the pages and pages trying to find the CD you want to listen to, you can scroll through and find it and play it.  You also have the ability to find musicians you didn't even know existed and fall in love with them.  If you want to have a good cry, Adele can be found.  If you want to rattle the windows in the car after a stressful day, Metallica is a click away.  If you want to great political music, Rage Against the Machine or the Fugees are around.  All you have to do is plug it in and go. 

 

Above is a screen shot from my phone of an album I bought when I was in college.  Now, there are a handful of people that I know that, if they read this, might scream happily at seeing this.  One thing that I find with ska and new punk is that if I come across it at the right time, it just makes me want to roll the windows down, drive fast, and not give two fucks about anything.  Other times, I hear a song come on and think 'Meh.' and skip it.  And some if it is so good.  Listen to Dropkick Murphys 'The Gauntlet' and tell me you don't want to kick some serious ass.  Some of it, not so much.  'We're Desperate' by Pennywise is the worst.  But it's fast, it's loud, it's vulgar, it's everything a college kid looks for in music, right?  There are tracks on this particular album that I didn't even put on the computer because I just didn't like them.  Another perk to the digital age.  Pre-skipping music you don't want to listen to.  Did this album change my life?  No.  Did it make me want to find out more about the bands?  Not really.  There were some bands that I already knew (Dropkick Murphys, NoFx, Bad Religion) and some I didn't (T(i)NC, Death by Stereo, Millencolin).  

The power that music has that allows you to forget about the world is wonderful.  I think back to the last scene in 'Dazed and Confused' when Mitch puts on his headphones, 'Slow Ride' starts to play and he just gets this big old grin on his face.  Whether it is just one song that you want to put on repeat for hours on end or an entire catalog from one band, music allows you to escape.  Music might not solve all your problems, but it allows us to forget about them.  Even if it is for just an hour. 

I will leave you with this gem that is on the album.  Enjoy!

AL Central Rundown (Part Two): Cellar Dweller Edition

I took a look at the top of the AL Central earlier this month, now let's look at the rebuilding projects.  Very rarely do you have an entire division that will compete throughout the year.  There are some years when you will see four teams make the division really competitive and fun to watch.  Teams changing places and every series is even more important because of it.  Other years, well, there are just teams that will do nothing but create pain for your favorite team.  That team that is going to lose ninety games, but still find time to sweep your favorite team at a critical part of the season.  That's the fun part of baseball (but also the most aggravating).

The Cleveland Indians.  The 2014 Cy Young pitcher resides there.  They have that annoying drum that is kinda racist.  Speaking of racist, Chief Wahoo.  For some reason, baseball talking heads are expecting something out of this team this year.  Early in the season, they lost their primary catcher which hurt their batting lineup, but it also hurts their young pitching staff.  I think that defensive first catchers are underrated.  I would rather have a catcher bat .220 and be able to handle a pitching staff well enough that they pitch above their level.  Their catcher, Yan Gomes, both hit well and controlled the pitching staff.  They do have a few pieces, but not enough to get anywhere near Detroit, Kansas City, or even Chicago.  Just like Minnesota, Cleveland is in a spot where they are waiting for their farm system to develop.  It seems like a lifetime ago that this organization had players like Cliff Lee, C.C. Sabathia, and Victor Martinez.  How far they have fallen. 
Strengths:  Corey Kluber, young and talented players.  Weaknesses:  Just about everything else.    

The Minnesota Twins.  The nice guys of MLB.  A team that if they did not play in the same division as the Tigers, I would root for.  They have a lot of young players that will help turn the organization around.  There are a few problems though.  A lot of them have been rushed and have not had time to develop.  So, while they are heralded as future stars, they are taking their licks in the big league.  This is the problem when you don't have time for them to develop.  Then, while they are figuring the game out, the analysts wonder if they really were going to be stars or if they are duds.  Then the fanbase starts to think that.  Then maybe even the players themselves.  The Twins fans have to be patient while the players who have not been called up yet develop.  But how long are they going to wait?  Being a small market team, they cannot draw many big name players.  They have pieced together a starting rotation that was going to win them some games until Ervin Santana was suspended for half the season.  Now, they are back to having one decent pitcher and some that are not so good.  They will have to rely on their batting lineup to win them games because they cannot depend on the rotation.  And their batting lineup is not going to give opponents nightmares.  They'll fight with Cleveland for last place again this year as both teams wait for the future.    
Strengths:  farm system, veteran leadership.  Weaknesses:  Management, pitching staff, players not named Mauer. 

Underrated List

I had a lot of fun writing my overrated post that I thought I would do the opposite and look at some underrated things.  Admittedly, I have not been writing as much as I would like.  Part of it is because we do not use our laptop as much as we use to once we got a tablet.  I have an app to write posts, but there's just something about typing on a real keyboard that makes me feel better.  Anyway, here's some underrated things:

• Hamm's beer
• Sam Rockwell and Michael Fassbender (seriously, watch 'Moon' and 'Hunger')
• Podcasts (although they are gaining traction)
• Curling
• Stannis Baratheon (for you Game of Thrones fans)
• Orphan Black
• A well prepared bratwurst
• Productive days off
• A burger and beer for lunch
• comic book characters Warpath and Daredevil
• Transformers movies (not the fourth one, I heard that was shit)
• College baseball
• Two handed fly ball catches

Okay.  I will try to get back on track with writing.  

AL Central Rundown (part one)

Full disclosure:  I started this post before the baseball season started.  I will try to finish it while keeping the first couple of weeks out of my mind.  I'm going to break this up into two posts because I want to. 

We are about to embark on a grand journey that starts next month and will conclude in October.  The MLB season is upon us!  As always, let's take a look at the AL Central.  It wasn't that long ago that the division was a bit of a joke.  That was when the Twins and White Sox were running the show.  The rest of the teams (Detroit, Kansas City, and Cleveland) were kind of wandering around in circles trying to find their identities.  Those were dark times.  So very, very dark.  But now, the teams are stronger and one could make an argument that the AL Central is one of the strongest divisions in all of baseball.  Looking at the other divisions in baseball, the NL West looks to be stacked as well.

The Detroit Tigers.  Four time divisional champ.  They've been running the show in the division for the past six years or so.  The other teams have been making steps towards the top, but with the Tigers spending big money on free agents and locking up their top players for extended contracts, it'll be tough for any other team to topple Detroit.  The exit of Max Scherzer leaves a big hole to fill.  Also, the trade of Rick Porcello (in my mind a guy who is just coming into his prime) hurts the rotation.  The batting lineup improved and will depend on the health of Cabrera and Victor Martinez.  Everyone knows that.  Just like last year, the big question mark, and rage inducing part of the team, is the bullpen.  If a team wants to beat the Tigers this year, they have to get the starting pitcher out of the game.  I still think that they Tigers will win the division this year.  The Royals, much like last year, will make it interesting all the way to the end of the season.  And it's going to be glorious.  Also, please Dave Dombrowski, resign David Price.  I'll even throw in a couple bucks if it'll help.  Strengths:  batting lineup, starting pitching.  Weaknesses:  bullpen, base running, defense

The Kansas City Royals.  Defending American League champions.  One well struck ball away from being World Series champions.  A young, athletic, talented team that scares the ever living daylights out of me.  All those years of being basement dwellers is paying off as the high draft picks are coming to their own.  It seems like just a few years ago, Alex Gordon was being sent back down to the minors because he was struggling at third base.  Now, he is the veteran leader and a gold glove defender in the outfield.  Speaking of the outfield, if a hitter doesn't put the ball over the fence, chances are the defense out there is going to run it down.  They combine speed on the bases with solid contact to produce runs, but can also hit the ball out of the park.  Watching them last year, they seem to be a streaky team.  When everyone is hitting well, the team can be unstoppable (look at their playoff run last year), but if they get into a funk, everyone seems to get in that funk at the same time (but then again, most teams are like that).  The departure of James Shields will put a hurt on the starting rotation, but what they lack in a big name they make up for in solid pitching.  Their bullpen is the complete opposite of the Tigers.  It's amazing to watch their relief pitchers come in, you know the game is all but over.  The big question will be, what happens if the starter doesn't make it to the sixth inning?  Do they have a middle relief, long inning guy that can bridge the gap?  Strengths:  defense, bullpen, base running.  Weaknesses:  back end of the rotation, streakiness. 

The Chicago White Sox.  Last AL Central team to win a World Series (gross).  They had about a three to four year run in the mid-2000s.  Ever since, they have fallen off.  They are a team that you kind of forget about, which makes them dangerous.  They are also dangerous because outside of Jose Abreu and Chris Sale, you can't name a player on that team.  Seriously, I had to look up the team roster.  Okay, I guess I forgot about Jeff Samardzija.  But I think he is one of the more overrated starting pitchers in the game right now.  Just hasn't ever impressed me.  Other than Sale and Samardzija, they don't have a rotation.  Jose Qunitana is another young talent that they have, but has not come into his own.  They have players that you can't name up and down the lineup.  Their players are young and talented.  The veterans on their team will help out their younger players.  A few years from now, once their farm team players make it to the bigs, they will be contenders.  Their fan base just has to be patient.  Much like the Kansas City Royals, outside of their fans, many people don't know them.  Yet.  Strengths:  Chris Sale, Dave Robertson, Jose Abreu.  Weaknesses:  rest of the team.  

Overrated! (clap clap clapclapclap)

Here's something fun.  Let's talk about things I think are overrated.  Because I don't have anything else to really write about. 

• Slaughter House Five and Catch-22.
• Overused hashtags.  Unless you use them to make fun of them.  Examples:  #blessed and #BostonStrong
• Speaking of #BostonStrong:  Boston.  Just everything about it.  
• Speaking of Boston: Sam Adams beer. 
• Speaking of beer: IPAs.  Stouts are where it's at.
• The Dark Knight movie trilogy.  It's Christian Bale's fault.
• Football.
• ESPN.
• Sabermetrics.
• Joe Maddon.
• Daryl Dixon (THAT'S RIGHT, I SAID IT!  COME AT ME!)
• Just kidding, Daryl is awesome.
• All CSI/NCSI/any cop or fire show that your parents love.
• Seriously, there's like, twenty versions of those shows.
• Grey's Anatomy after season 2.  I liked the first two seasons.
• Reality television.  All of it.  There's better ways to kill your brain cells.
• Jared Leto

Wasn't that fun?  Yeah, that was fun.

Sin of My Youth

I'm sure we all have a story or two we could tell about our younger days and some stupid things we have done.  Right?  It's not just me?  Right?  Don't pretend like you didn't just think of three instances of being not smart in a situation.

I was thinking about this today as I was listening to a podcast called 'Tell the Bartender'.  The host has guests on and they tell stories.  The topic varies from episode to episode, and it's a lot of fun.  It's something different for me.  It's not sports related or political.  Just another thing to listen to on my work commute.  So here's a story about a kid talking to me while I was getting drunk...

It is very safe to say that the summers of 2004 and 2005 were my making up for not partying in college.  I did go to a few parties in college, but not many.  They were fun, but I was always paranoid about getting busted underage drinking.  So I didn't really partake.  I did, however, make up for it while working on Mackinac Island.  Being of legal age while working there, I made too many trips to the bars.  And while I may have spent more than I saved, they were the best of times.  I made numerous friends working there.  More than I did while attending college.  These friends are who I consider my college friends.  And as you would expect a group of twenty one to twenty three year olds to do, we drank.  A LOT.  At our house, at the bars, on the porch, in the kitchen, in the shower.  All places where I consumed alcohol as I'm sure my friends did as well.  We had our favorite bar, Patrick Sinclair's Irish Pub.  Mainly because they tolerated us, but also because it was named after the guy that helped to build where we worked.  It was almost a guarantee that on at least one night of the week you would be able to find either a whole group of us or a small number.  Just relaxing and being college kids.

I don't remember the exact circumstances to this instance, but I was having a bad day at work.  It was hard to have them, but was possible.  About halfway through the day, I started asking my co-workers if any wanted to go to the bar after work.  Just have a couple of beers and a shot or two and then go home.  Something to help forget whatever it was that was causing the day to be so bad.  After getting a few nos, I was able to convince a couple of people to go with me.  So off we went once we were finished.  Smelling of wool, sweat, and sobriety. 

I remember walking in and it being around dinner time, so 5:30ish.  They never had a hostess, so we found a small table off to the side and a waitress came over with menus, welcomed us back.  I handed the menu right back to her and said 'I'll have a Guinness and three shots of whiskeys.'  She kinda stammered and walked away after the rest of the orders were put in.  We all chuckled about it and waited for the drinks.  

We got our drinks and just kept to ourselves.  Conversing, cursing, and not paying much attention to anyone or anything around.  I drank some of my beer, took a shot.  Drank more of my beer, took another shot.  Conversed, cursed, and staying oblivious to what was going on around me.  The waitress never really came by to check on us, but why would she when we ordered everything we needed right after we sat down.  The empty beer glasses and shot glasses just kinda hung out on the table. I finished my beer, took the last shot and we waited for the waitress to get our check.  

While we waited, there was a family a few tables over that had finished their meal.  They paid their check and got up to leave.  Before walking out the door, out of the corner of my eye, I see this kid start walking towards our table.  He couldn't have been more than six or seven.  He walks right over to me, tugs on my shirt sleeve, and said 'thanks for showing me your gun today!'  Without a care in the world.  I look over, and was at a loss for words for a second.  The alcohol may have attributed to that.  Just maybe.  All I could muster up was 'you're welcome.'  I mean what do you say to that?  Getting blindsided by a kid like that.  The mom and dad, of course, look at the table semi-full of empty beer and shot glasses and ushered the kid out the door.  The dad might have mustered a 'have a good night.' to us on their way out.  I don't quite remember.  

At the table, we just did our best to keep from busting out in laughter.  The kid obviously had no clue we were on our way to getting stumbling drunk.  He just recognized us from earlier in the day.  Oh, to be oblivious to the drunks at the bar!  

Looking back, I'm sure the parents were terrified.  But it's also fucking hilarious to think about.  It makes me wonder if they'll tell their kid one day 'hey Junior, remember that one summer we went to Mackinac Island and that soldier at the fort?  Well, he was completely shit faced and you told him thanks for seeing his gun!'  

Is This Just Fantasy?

There is a nationwide book store chain called Half Price Books and it is awesome.  It's only in sixteen states, which is sad because it is a place that all book lovers would make a trip to.  It is just as their company name says.  They sell books at half the price of the cover price (rare and collectable books excluded).  They also buy books.  You won't get a ton of money, so it'll be like when you traded in your college text books all over but you didn't pay in the three hundred dollar range initially.  

We were there this past weekend because we had a coupon.  As I walked up and down aisles looking for books, any books that caught my attention, I started to think about the books that were on my bookshelf at home.  They were mostly pretty heavy books.  And as fun and satisfying as reading an engaging novel can be, I wanted something different.  I wandered over to the 'sci-fi/fantasy' section.  The main reason I thought about this section was because I started re-reading the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy and realized I did not own 'The Hobbit'.  I've read it, just didn't own it.  

*side story*

I tried reading The Hobbit in fifth grade and I remember not liking it.  I don't remember why I didn't like it, I just remember finishing it and being not impressed.  

*side story concluded*

So I grabbed the book thinking that it might be my only purchase.  Then I started looking up and down the shelves of the section and thought 'I should read more fantasy stuff'.  One daunting task is finding what you want to read.  What I didn't want to get was one book that looked interesting only to find out that there's, like, seventeen other books(!) in the series that you need to read in order to fully grasp what is happening in the story.  And one thing that is cool at Half Price Books is that they group book series together.  So if you did want to read an eighteen book series, they would all be on one or two shelves.  

By the end, I found a random book trilogy by an author I had never heard of. Thanks to technology, I was able to look up reviews of the trilogy and the author and make an informed decision.  He has written a series of books that take place in the same world, but from what I can tell, all the books don't tie together.  There are some references to other characters and stories, but he writes stand alone books.  

One reason I decided to read some sci-fi/fantasy is because it's a genre I have always enjoyed (come on, I have a bunch of Star Wars books at home).  But for some reason I ventured away from the genre when it has come to books in my adult life.  Sci-fi and fantasy books have a certain quality to them that other novels can't touch.  It's at another level of creativity from a writing stance.  Think of the 'Lord of the Rings' books and world. J.R.R. Tolkien created an entire fucking language when he wrote those novels.  That's unreal!  

More than anything, it's just fun.  And that's what reading really should be about.  I have history books and political books and classic novels, but they aren't as fun to read as sci-fi and fantasy books.

It's Not You, It's Your App

The nice thing about having a smart phone is instant access to a multitude of things.  Whether you want to stay on top of breaking news, track a snow storm making it's way to your city, or play games the technology is there.  I have several apps that I use on a daily basis.  I have one to check the road conditions for my work commute (very helpful in the winter time).  I have an NHL and MLB app to keep up on the latest games and standings.  Podcasts and music apps are used more than most.  I have several games that eat away at my phone battery.  Plenty of things to keep me occupied so I don't have to make eye contact or small conversations with people.  You know, like phones are suppose to do.  I also have Twitter and Facebook on my phone.  One of them is close to going by the wayside.

I have stated several times over that Facebook just isn't something that I need to use on a daily basis.  Facebook is just kinda around for me.  It's just there to see what some friends and family are up to.  The mobile app is problematic because it has a tendency to just regurgitate statuses that were posted half a day ago.  It doesn't always show the most recent posts.  On the other hand, Twitter is constantly updated with new stories because they know what they are doing.  Unless something gets retweeted, you won't see a tweet again unless you go back on someone's timeline and purposely look for it.  I suppose that has a downside in that you will miss some things from time to time.  That is where Twitter has the upper hand over Facebook.  Plus, there are fewer '...and you won't believe what happened next!' links.  Clickbait is a terrible thing people.  

It has gotten to the point where I look at the Facebook icon on my phone and think 'do I really need this on here?'  In fact, I have moved it to a folder that I do not use all that often in an attempt to use it less.  I have seen people go on social media breaks before and they come back with a rejuvenated approach.  Lots of 'I took a few months off from Facebook and it was great!'  I see those posts and wonder, 'why did you come back then?'  And I understand why people come back.  It's to stay connected with others.  That is the point of it all isn't it?  Could you go a week without social media?  How about a month?  A year?  Does not having social media make your life better?  Probably not.  But think of what you could be doing with all the time you spend on those sites. 

Is social media a new addiction?  Do we need to set up detox centers for social media users?  Let's be honest with ourselves here and admit that having instant access to social media sites can be a terrible thing.  It distracts from being actually social with people that are around you.  Having the willpower to set your phone or tablet down is a step in the right direction.  Don't get me wrong, having Facebook and Twitter and whatever other social media you have is great, but being connected to it all the time isn't. 

I feel like I am just steps away from flat out deleting the app from my phone, and just having it on the computer at home.  The more I think about it, the more I like the idea.  With the lack of fresh stories coming up on the mobile app, I don't feel like I miss much.  Plus, just having it on one device and logging on less frequently, it would make me more excited to use it.  Well, I don't know if 'excited' is the right word.  More interested maybe? 

One last thing.  And this is kind of what is driving me towards removing Facebook from my phone all together.  If I get one more goddamn request to play a stupid version of Candy Crush or Farmville, I'm likely to just snap!  Okay, not really.  But those notifications are super annoying.  

The Future of Pitching in the 313

News broke this morning that Max Scherzer has signed a contract with the Washington Nationals.  The level headed Detroit Tigers fan had long since said goodbye to him after he did not accept the contract offer they offered him this past Spring Training and was not shocked that he is gone.  Best of luck to him.  I'm glad he is pitching in the National League.  The Tigers won't have to face him unless it is during interleague play or the World Series. 

With that said, I need to call all the over reacting Tigers fan back off the ledge as everything is going to be okay.  As long as the Tigers are busy this year or next with signing pitching.  If they don't do anything, then we can all panic together.  So where does the rotation sit right now?  They have three starting pitchers (Verlander, Sanchez, and Greene) under contract after this year, and two that can walk after this year (Price, Simon).  I'm not saying that the Tigers are in a rebuilding stage, more like reconfiguring.  When you hear the words 'rebuilding stage' you think of a team trading off all their big name players for younger talent and a team that won't contend for four or five years.  The Tigers still have a win now mentality.  What will get them through the upcoming year is depending on a mixture of veteran players and younger talent.  Much like how the Red Wings managed last season as their young players learned to play at the top level.  The problem is that the Wings' farm system is vastly superior to the Tigers'.   

They traded for both Price and Simon this past year.  One would assume that they did not give up players just to have these guys for one year (or more than one year as is the case with Price who came over from Tampa Bay during the season) and let them walk just a year later.  David Price is obviously a big name pitcher.  When they traded for him last season, I figured it was because they knew they would not be getting Scherzer back.  They trade for Price and offer him a contract to keep him around long term.  That is how I saw the trade.  This makes sense in my mind.  They signed him to a one year contract just recently to avoid arbitration and have him locked up for the upcoming season.  There has been rumors that he is not comfortable in Detroit (whatever that means) and could possibly want to test free agency next year.  There are some baseball minds out there that think the Tigers can use Price to lure James Shields (a free agent this year) to Detroit.  They are very close friends and if they could bring Shields into the fold, this could entice Price to stay long term.  However, Dave Dombrowski has been quoted as saying they are staying with the pitchers they have now.   

Alfredo Simon I don't know much about, honestly.  That's what happens when you pitch in the NL Central.  All I know is that they gave up some prospects to get him during the Winter Meetings and that he has had mixed results during his MLB career.  A lot of ups and downs, and they traded for him after one of his 'up' seasons.  All I do know is that a lot of Tigers fans were either confused or pissed about the trade.  Maybe he is only going to be a stopgap this season and they let him walk after the year.  Or they move him to the bullpen where he has pitched in the past.  Or, Dombrowski knows something that we fans do not (which happens from time to time) and likes the potential that he sees.  You know what I see?  A 33 year old pitcher with mixed results during his MLB career.  For a team that needs younger talent and younger arms, this is not the best candidate for a long term contract.  

Another option is to let both of the pitchers walk after the year is over and go after some free agent pitchers during the next off season.  Again, the Tigers only have three starters under contract after this year so maybe they are playing the long game and looking to make a splash next off season.  There is going to be a fair amount of good to great pitchers on the market next year.  Players like Doug Fister, Jordan Zimmerman, and Johnny Cueto are sure to be top targets along with David Price, but there are other pitchers out there that can (and will) draw attention.  It would make the Tigers fanbase rejoice if next year they sign Fister.  I know I would be happy.  Seeing as how that trade was just horribly lopsided.  Another free agent pitcher next year is Rick Porcello.  I was surprised when he was traded away, but how devilishly delightful would it be if the Tigers signed him next off season after he spends the upcoming year with the Red Sox?  I don't think that'll happen though.  He has Scott Boras as an agent and he will be going after big money.

Whatever the pitching future holds for the Tigers, the upcoming season will be interesting.  Personally, I would like to see them sign Price to a contract and go after another big name free agent next off season (coughcoughcoughDougFistercoughcough).  And that is what I think most Not only because this pitching staff is intriguing, but because the rest of the AL Central got better.  Even the Twins.  I see this year being one of the most fun, entertaining, frustrating, demoralizing, and satisfying for the division in a long time.  Because all the other teams got a little better this off season, it will make for a division where you could have three or four teams playing for the divisional title into the late days of August and beginning of September.  Of course it would be great to see the Tigers win another divisional crown, but it won't be as easy as it was two or three years ago.