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. 

Pace of Play

I love baseball.  I could watch it all day.  I have watched it all day.  I have requested Opening Day off this year to enjoy the crack of the bat and excitement of the game.  That's how much I love baseball.  It has never bothered me how long games are.  With that said, there are plenty of opportunities to improve the pace of the game for the casual fan.  Not everyone wants to sit around for two and a half to three hours for a game.  And these are some of the same people that will sit through four hours for one football game.  That, if you ran the game clock with no stoppages, would be one hour.  I don't fully understand it either, but what are you gonna do?

I was watching the MLB Network today and they were discussing the introduction of a pitch clock at the minor league levels.  Same idea as the shot clock in basketball, but for the pitcher.  Once they get the ball back in their hand, they have only a certain amount of time for the next pitch.  It would be beneficial to the speed of the game, I believe, but this is not where the major problem of the game slowing down comes.  It comes from the batters.  Pitchers would benefit from a quicker game as they seem to want to work quickly, some pitchers notwithstanding, and get into a groove.  Batters always want to seem to disrupt that groove.  And the easiest way to do so?  Stepping out of the batters box to readjust the batting gloves, tap your spikes, check with the third base coach as to what your next move should be.

Keeping the batters in the batter's box is more important for speed of the game than using a pitcher's clock.  I know, I know, it's a combination of the batter and the pitcher.  But I think that the batters benefit from slowing the game down because it doesn't really allow pitchers to get into that groove that they want.  The pitchers want the ball back as soon as it hits the catcher's mitt and they want to stay focused.  They don't want to stand around and wait for the batter to scratch his balls another time before stepping back in.

With all that said, I like the idea of having a pitch clock in the minors.  It teaches the pitchers to pick up the pace.  The minor leagues is where players develop.  This is where they learn to play at a professional level.  So, if the pitchers have the pitch clock, it has to be up to the umps to keep the batters in the batter's box.  You cannot have one side of the game learning a new way to play with a new rule set without having the other half learning as well.  

Decommissioning the Tree

We still have out Christmas tree up.  Is that a problem?  Are we clinging on to the holiday that was a little over two weeks ago?  What is the acceptable time frame for leaving it up and taking it down?  There are a couple of things to consider.

The main thing to consider is whether or not the tree is real.  My wife and I both grew up with real trees at Christmas time.  The main issue, of course, are the needles.  You can only deal with falling needles and bare looking branches for so long before you can't stand it.  The nice thing about having a fake tree is only dealing with falling needles when the pets chew or swat at them.  I should say that, they do fall off when we take the tree down as well.  Just not as much.  Having a fake tree, we are not in any kind of rush to take it down because we don't have the needle falling off issue.  Plus, this year we put it up kinda late so we want to get our time's worth out of it.

I'm sure there are people that put their trees up the day after thanksgiving that are eager to take it down the day after Christmas.  And of course, because it's been up for over a goddamn month.  I don't ever remember having our tree up before the month of December as a kid and we flat out refuse to do so as adults now.  Same goes with the music.  If you don't put your tree up in November, you won't be sick of it by the end of December.  Normally, we have our tree up in the middle of December and it's back in the box in the middle of January.  So about a month. 

There is always this big build up to Christmas, I don't understand why people wouldn't want to keep their tree up as long as possible.  It's always a great time of year.  Everyone is happy and nice to each other.  Why wouldn't you want to expand that a little bit longer into January?