Thoughts,Songs,Writings,Rants,Encouragements, and Life

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Good together



Good Together-David Wilcox


Soft and sweet, strong and salty
Cool cream and hot coffee
When we come together there's a change
I know you're good for me
You change me like the weather
You change me for the better
We're good together

Drift and dream, drive with direction
Exploration, introspection
No one way to win through this game
I know you're good for me
You spin me off my tether
You change me for the better
We're good together

Would you please explain it one more time
I love the wild surprise of seeing through your eyes

One from Mars, one from Venus
A whole world between us
Sparks that bridge the difference
Feed the flame
I know you're good for me
You spin me off my tether
You change me for the better
We're good together

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Improvement?

The Blazers improved this year, right? I mean we added three stellar rookies, one who is with out a doubt the rookie of the year and the future of this franchise. We repurchased the Rose Garden. We hired the intellegent genius of Kevin Pritchard (snagged us all of these rookies) and we improved by over ten games better than last seasons obismal 21-61 record.

Improvement? Yes, without a doubt!

Blazermania and Rip City might just still exist. Somewhere, in some home outside of the city a boy is sad because the Blazers season ended tonight, he will begin dreaming of next season and the possibility of playoffs. This boy will look forward to the draft in hopes of getting his basketball addiction fix, if only for a few precious moments. He will look forward to summer league and anything and everything that has Blazers written on it, or everything said on sports radio about his beloved Blazers. Some might just say this boy is a nut. Some might say he lives in the past (it would not be the first time he has heard this). Some might think he is crazy becasue he believes Portland has a chance at being good again like the glory days of Drexler, Porter, Williams, Kersey, Robinson, and Duckworth. (the only glory days he knew) This boy is going on twenty-four years of being a Blazer believer and believe me he is no closer to letting go of his Blazers than Mcdonalds is to letting go of the Big Mac!

So that boy says, "Thank you Portland. Thank you Mr. Allen for keeping the Blazers here in Portland. Thank you Roy, Aldridge, Sergio, Dickau, Jones, schenser, Jack, Zack, Joel, Lafrentz, Magloire, Webster, Udoka* and Outlaw for an exciting season and giving me hope for another good run of playoff streaks. Thank You!"

A Fan, A Blazer Believer and a Rip City hopeful.

* I forgot to put Udoka in originally, but now he is there!

Ramon Ortiz

If any of you watched the Mariners game on Tuesday night, you would have seen this man pitch. The dude is 3 and 0 this year. The reason he is making it here on the blog is because at my job (the one where I get to watch baseball and get paid for it) I was logging this Mariners game and was absolutely stunned at the fact that Ortiz is one of the fastest pitchers (the entire routine in less than five seconds) I have ever seen while logging. It is just nuts. Check out a few of his stats for this year below. Sorry if they don't line up perfectly.


DATE OPP W L ERA SV IP H ER BB SO
APR 04 BAL 1 0 2.57 0 7.0 5 2 1 4
APR 11 NYY 1 0 1.80 0 8.0 3 1 1 4
APR 17 @SEA 1 0 2.05 0 7.0 8 2 0 0

Totals 3 0 2.05 0 22.0 16 5 2 8

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Update

Don't look now, but my predictions are right so far. Detriot and the Dodgers are leading their divisions!

Also the Mariners? Where did they come from? They are at the top of the tier too!

Monday, April 16, 2007

Quotes of India things

"A quarter of the world's truly destitute (300 million people each subsisting on less than a $1 a day) live in India, and the majority of those, in urban slum colonies"

"16.2 percent of India's population are Dalits."

"Every hour, two Dalits are assaulted, three Dalit women are raped, two Dalits murdered and two Dalit houses burned, yet only 1 percent of those who commit the crimes against Dalits are ever convicted."


Just a few things to think about when India comes to mind...which for me is pretty frequently.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Books

So I have been reading quite a few books these days. Trying to increase my knowledge on some things, trying to be a better man to my sweetheart Amber, trying to just relax, learning about injustices in other countries and so much more. Here is the list:

For Men Only-Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn:
Basically a book that helps men know their girlfriends, wives, babes, honeyboos, schmookums, cupcakes, peaches, lady friends, and countless other names...better. I highly recommend this book. There is also a companion book to this called "For women only".

A long way gone-Ishmael Beah:
This book is all about the memoirs of a boy soldier named Ishmael. Born in Sierra Leone in 1980. This is his story. Not very far into it yet, but so far, so good. Beah has an odd style of writing, but once you understand the beat and can get moving with it, you begin grooving and bopping along with the story. By the way, this book is not for the feint hearted; gut wrenching, hellish, bloody, and graphic to say the least!

The on-purpose person-Kevin W. McCarthy:
Okay, have not actually started this book, but according to its cover, it is about making my life make sense. It is all about planning and setting goals and such. Should be good for me. I have goals...and plan things...they just...well...you know...kind of happen more irregularly or more erratically than planned.

The Brothers K-David James Duncan:
So, I have to admit I started this book whilst I was traveling all over India this past February. The truth is, I love this book. I love the writer. I love the story. I am only half way through this novel because, well, I just don't want it to end. The last novel I read of Duncan's was amazing and caused me to want to fly fish for the rest of my life. This book has me actually beginning to love baseball like I did when I was five, until my allergies took over my life and caused me to hate the sport with a passion. Anyway, I am part of the family in this book. I feel their pain, I laugh when they laugh, cry when they cry, feel awkward when they do, cheer when they do, and ultimately a portion of me will be left behind when I finish this book. You see I have always been capable of putting myself in others shoes. I step right into them and make them my own. I experience every little emotion and life changing event. I dream, a little too often. Do not get me wrong, my life is perfect the way it is. I would not wish to switch it with anyone else's. I just have this knack for living in two separate worlds. Sometimes for moments at a time and other times for only a few precious seconds out of each day.

God's and General's-Jeff Shaara:
Just found this last night. Peeked at the introduction and knew that once I started it I would not be able to put it down...so I chose not to start it and slept. The book is the precurser to Gettysburg or Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. This is his sons project. There is also a third book. The first two have been made into motion pictures. I love them both. Although both together equal over eight hours of movie time, they are still two of my favored war time films out there today. If you haven't read or seen them I recommend that you do spend some time on them. I am currently finishing up God's and Generals and recently finished Gettysburg a few nights ago.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

By far their best Video yet!

Switchfoot's new video for "Awakening." Pretty much a really fun and funny video...Check it...No half steppin!


Wednesday, April 04, 2007

24

Twenty four oceans
Twenty four skies
Twenty four failures and
Twenty four tries
Twenty four founds me
In twenty-fourth place
Twenty four drop outs
At the end of the day

Life is not what I thought it was twenty four hours ago
Still I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
And I'm not who I thought I was twenty four hours ago
Still I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You

There's twenty four reasons to admit that I'm wrong
With all my excuses still twenty four strong

You see I'm not copping out not copping out not copping out
When You're raising the dead in me
Oh, oh I am the second man
Oh, oh I am the second man now
Oh, I am the second man now

And You're raising these twenty four voices
With twenty four hearts
All of my symphonies
In twenty four parts
But I want to be one today
Centered and true

I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
You're raising the dead in me
Oh, oh I am the second man
Oh, oh I am the second man now
Oh, I am the second man now
And You're raising the dead in me yeah, yeah

I want to see miracles, to see the world change
Wrestled the angel, for more than a name
For more than a feeling
For more than a cause
I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
And You're raising the dead in me

Twenty four voices
With twenty four hearts
All of my symphonies
With twenty four parts
Life is not what I thought it was, twenty-four hours ago
Stil I'm singing, Spirit take me up in arms
I'm not copping out
Not copping out
Not, I'm not copping out

-Jon Foreman of Switchfoot

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Garrison Keillor, "The Babe"

"Boys, this game may be your only chance to be good...You might screw up everything else in your life and poison the ones who love you, create misery, create such pain and devastation it will be repeated by generations of descendants. Boys, there's plenty of room for tragedy in this life...Don't have it said that you never did anything right. Win this game!"

Monday, April 02, 2007

Seattle Mariners Game #1

So I listened to most of the game today, and what I heard was absolutely entertaining. It has been a few years since the M's have enticed my attention.

A few highlights:

Today Felix Hernandez struck out 12 of the men he faced, this was a career high for the 20 year old pitcher. Hernandez is the youngest pitcher to start in the last 22 years of Major League ball.

The second highlight of the day was when Richie Sexson hit a three run home run 405 feet straight out into the stands of Safeco Field. The M's need Sexson to have a stellar year this year. Last year he started in a little bit of a slump, so hopefully this year with this opening day homer he gets the cylinders all fired up and ready for the season.

I do not see the M's making the playoffs this year, but we could make some major noise in baseball this year.