I sit today loving the fact that baseball has now moved from the Cactus and Grapefruit leagues back to the Midwest and front pages of daily reports. The I-cubs are yet to open in Des Moines but happy to start in Texas for the warmer weather. I itch at my chance to see my beloved cubs at Addison and Clark this summer. Today, however, I was brought to tears over the fragility of the pursuit of the game. A rising star by the name of Nick Adenhart lost his hopes, dreams, and life this morning. Not by being cut from the team, but by throwing a gem of 6 scoreless innings. His stats will not be what I think about tonight. It will be his age, 22, and his limitless opportunities lost because of someone else. Baseball is full of tragedy, triumph, victory and despair. All mixed emotions that ultimately lead to the greater good of the game. What happened this morning to him and two other people does not lead to anything other than sadness. Why I love the game and its players is irrelavent on a day like today. I am not a religious person, but on a day like today, I only wish that god called him home for a reason.
whoisamerica
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
trivia
Sometimes I wonder If my life is all about trivia. I depend on baseball to show me trivia. My history interest is predicated on trivia. I am obsessed with trivia , but when came to dealing with my girlfriend she didn't want it. I know her birth date, but our anniversary I didn't. I could tell you the date that the cubs went lights on but I still don't know the date we started dating. Ask me the numbers of important cubs and I'll tell you. Ask me important relationship dates, and I'll tell you the issues of Vineline I've been in. I'm sorry J. but I still love ya.
Life
Life is a mystery. If you would have asked 4 weeks ago how I felt about life I would have said it is scary and intimidating. But now I look at life as an opportunity and experience. Soon to be laied off. Ok. No new job in the making. Girlfriend gone, but not forgotten. Okay. But I look ahead now. It's not the end of the world as I once thought. I Know I am smart and talented. I Know J. and are still in a decent friendship. I now Know that things are not as bad as they seem. Why should I limit myself to only one company and expect everything to come of that? I have come to understand that life is limited in time and time shouldn't be a difinitive of 30. I'll allow myself to show myself depression and now come out on my own. Life is what you make of yourself and what you allow your talents to be realized. I may never find my own self as a history teacher, but I will be able to express and interact with people that understand that my opinion matters. I may never be a master carpenter, but I do have the skills to question them. I may never be an expert salesman but I do know the right and wrong way to approach a customer. The point is life is not simple and life skills are sometimes non-quantitative. The true question is qualitative value of the person in question. Any one of us could be me in a different way, but what is your different way?
The world of pet unemployment
Does a pet deserve unemployment compensation? They give you love and affection. But does the love and affection become adversely affected by your own compensation? Do you cease the much desired treats of cat nip and dog bones? Considering that we own these pets, what is our obligations? To remain true and obedient servants of pets, or unemployed sacrificial lambs of society? My guess is that to remain optimistic in our troubled times, we will continue to look for the pets that love us, and that they have a simpleness that we adore of them that we will overcome. But the social experiment between pets and unemployment will nonetheless be a conundrum of pet owners given the financial situation we are in. Pets are a feline and canine sense of self reassurance in these difficult times. Sometimes your flush and all clean (cat), working for your next nap (vacation), and sometimes your a canine (dog), always looking to go outside to shit or pee, sometimes in the neighbor's yard. It's an analogy of life. Cat's are always care free and satisfied, Dog's always want to go even further. The cat will always forgive and come back, but the dog will always want to piss on someone's territory and then come back when things get tough. In my opinion pets will not be sacrificed in this economy because of the fierce allegiances that we gain with them no matter their wrong doings or injustices. So Wrigley, I tell you sleep 16 hours a day, and be my friend only the remaining of the 8 hours that your willing.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Russia's influence in our new geopolitical cold war
Iraq has proved to be our indicator in where we stand in our geopolitical fortitude. The resolve of our nation has, and will continue to be tested. However, my opinion of the current state of affairs in world politics reverts back to our former, and now forgotten nemesis. Russia has become a source of great political anguish, as we have held the title of the only true superpower of the world. It has been 16 years since our greatest ideological rival revealed its true self as a farce. Is Russia becoming “the new superpower” that we don’t yet fear?
Russia is using its largest asset, that even the collapse of the iron curtain could not destroy; its energy resources. With energy becoming a desperately needed commodity, Russia has used his abundance of energy to become its stepping stone into becoming a major political powerbroker in world affairs. Countries such as Ukraine, Belarus, Finland and many of the western European and the former Soviet bloc countries have had to bow down to the mercy of Russia and its enormous oil and gas supplies. What has happened, and is now happening, is that these dependant countries cannot afford to lose this supply, and now fear that upsetting the new regime will sacrifice their supplies. In return, Russia has used this as an opportunity to gouge the prices by as much as three times the previous rates. Russia has effectively regained some semblance of power over other countries, in that, the fear exists of the unknown of what will happen should Russia cut-off their badly needed supplies.
Russia has yet another asset that this turbulent world of ours is thriving on today; Arms. It is common knowledge that every Iraqi, and perhaps every insurgent use an AK-47. But that is of a lesser concern than the more sophisticated weaponry that Russia repeatedly sells to the Middle East and other hot spots around the world. Countries such as Iran, Syria and Morocco rely heavily on various different Russian made weaponry, including surface to air missiles, armored vehicles and other specialized weapons. Furthermore, with terrorists and other rogue governments’ appetites for nuclear capabilities, Russia is sitting on a treasure trove for which ethically, there seems no reason why they shouldn’t stir the pot a little more and look the other way for the sake of financial and political gain.
Russia has the leader to put their motherland back into superficial prosperity that they once held. Vladimir Putin seems to think that he can rule with a soft iron fist. Putin’s stranglehold hold of the media essentially is, reverting Russia back into communism. Increasingly, journalists are in danger of retaliation, should their opinions contradict the official government lingo. Putin has already taken over control of two television stations, and has effectively reduced free opinions in most newspapers. Along with the media censorship, Putin has formed an alliance with perhaps are greatest threat to democracy in the western hemisphere; Hugo Chavez. Hugo Chavez is increasingly a threat to stability in central and southern America. His socialist ideas and continued anti-American propaganda have reinforced the fact that Russia has once again found another strategic partner near American soil; now that Fidel Castro’s fate is uncertain.
In closing I would like to summarize my points about the changing face of Russia and its political and related consequences. Russia is striving for an identity in the world; that isn’t one as a failed superpower. Russia still views the United States as its chief adversary. To accomplish its goal of becoming a superpower again, it has used its resources as a trump card, over essentially defenseless nations that cannot afford to disconnect from their necessities. Russia is fighting the United States indirectly through the sale of arms to our sworn enemies. Russia may also be selling nuclear weapon technology or material to rogue governments or terrorists whom the United States is currently at odds with. Finally, Russia is reintroducing a so-called form of democracy that we in the United States call socialism or even communism. Putin is depriving his people from the freedom of expression and has aligned with our greatest threat to democracy in the western hemisphere. Russia may not be on the average American’s radar these days, but there certainly needs to be a strong look at how they are affecting the world today, and what their ultimate goals really are.
Russia is using its largest asset, that even the collapse of the iron curtain could not destroy; its energy resources. With energy becoming a desperately needed commodity, Russia has used his abundance of energy to become its stepping stone into becoming a major political powerbroker in world affairs. Countries such as Ukraine, Belarus, Finland and many of the western European and the former Soviet bloc countries have had to bow down to the mercy of Russia and its enormous oil and gas supplies. What has happened, and is now happening, is that these dependant countries cannot afford to lose this supply, and now fear that upsetting the new regime will sacrifice their supplies. In return, Russia has used this as an opportunity to gouge the prices by as much as three times the previous rates. Russia has effectively regained some semblance of power over other countries, in that, the fear exists of the unknown of what will happen should Russia cut-off their badly needed supplies.
Russia has yet another asset that this turbulent world of ours is thriving on today; Arms. It is common knowledge that every Iraqi, and perhaps every insurgent use an AK-47. But that is of a lesser concern than the more sophisticated weaponry that Russia repeatedly sells to the Middle East and other hot spots around the world. Countries such as Iran, Syria and Morocco rely heavily on various different Russian made weaponry, including surface to air missiles, armored vehicles and other specialized weapons. Furthermore, with terrorists and other rogue governments’ appetites for nuclear capabilities, Russia is sitting on a treasure trove for which ethically, there seems no reason why they shouldn’t stir the pot a little more and look the other way for the sake of financial and political gain.
Russia has the leader to put their motherland back into superficial prosperity that they once held. Vladimir Putin seems to think that he can rule with a soft iron fist. Putin’s stranglehold hold of the media essentially is, reverting Russia back into communism. Increasingly, journalists are in danger of retaliation, should their opinions contradict the official government lingo. Putin has already taken over control of two television stations, and has effectively reduced free opinions in most newspapers. Along with the media censorship, Putin has formed an alliance with perhaps are greatest threat to democracy in the western hemisphere; Hugo Chavez. Hugo Chavez is increasingly a threat to stability in central and southern America. His socialist ideas and continued anti-American propaganda have reinforced the fact that Russia has once again found another strategic partner near American soil; now that Fidel Castro’s fate is uncertain.
In closing I would like to summarize my points about the changing face of Russia and its political and related consequences. Russia is striving for an identity in the world; that isn’t one as a failed superpower. Russia still views the United States as its chief adversary. To accomplish its goal of becoming a superpower again, it has used its resources as a trump card, over essentially defenseless nations that cannot afford to disconnect from their necessities. Russia is fighting the United States indirectly through the sale of arms to our sworn enemies. Russia may also be selling nuclear weapon technology or material to rogue governments or terrorists whom the United States is currently at odds with. Finally, Russia is reintroducing a so-called form of democracy that we in the United States call socialism or even communism. Putin is depriving his people from the freedom of expression and has aligned with our greatest threat to democracy in the western hemisphere. Russia may not be on the average American’s radar these days, but there certainly needs to be a strong look at how they are affecting the world today, and what their ultimate goals really are.
Friday, March 02, 2007
a new world
Our world has become so political that no one can even enjoy the pleasure of a winter storm. A winter storm used to be the news for days. Now a winter storm only transfixes us for hours, as we wait for the latest news on Anna Nicole and Brittany. Although that is not political, it shows where our media has shifted their attention. They have gone to the more sensational, attention grabbing headline stories, that, we as a nation have tended to grasp and hang onto. We as a nation need to look through the bullshit of mainstream media, and grasp the idea of alternate media that reports the real events of our ever-changing world. Look at events in Russia, Venezuela, Cuba, China and the Balkan region, to name a few. Africa has become a breeding ground for fundamentalists. We are a very vane culture that has a lot at stake, that effects the welfare of the world. We need to grow up and understand the realism of our current crises.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Da Bears
Old school football. Urlacher and the d in chicaga will dominate the one-sided manning colts this weekend. check out the highlight reel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJHLx9H7nz8&mode=user&search=
Go Bears
Eric
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJHLx9H7nz8&mode=user&search=
Go Bears
Eric