2. Tears In Heaven — Eric Clapton: This song is one of Clapton's most successful, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the U.S. The song also spent three weeks at #1 on the American adult contemporary chart in 1992. (Wikipedia)
3. Un-Break My Heart — Toni Braxton: Braxton topped the Billboard 200 with her 1993 self-titled debut album and continued that streak with her second studio album Secrets, which spawned the number-one smash hit "Un-Break My Heart". (Wikipedia)
4. I Will Always Love You — Whitney Houston: This song was written by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton in 1973, who first released it as a single in 1974. American singer Whitney Houston's 1992 version of the song became one of the best-selling singles of all time. (Wikipedia)
5. Raining On Sunday — Keith Urban: Lyrics by Randy Foster and Darrel Brown. Originally released in 2002.
6. I Melt — Rascal Flatts: Lyrics by Gary Levox, Lee Mobley and Neail Thrasher. Originally released in 2002.
7. Have I Told You Lately That I Love You — Rod Stewart: Lyrics by Van Morrison. Re-released and mastered just this past January.
8. Vision of Love — Mariah Carey: Written by Margulies/Carey. Originaly released in 2001.
9. Hopelessly Devoted To You — Olivia Newton John: Written By John Farrar. Originally released on the Grease Soundtrack in 1978.
10. Faithfully — Journey: Written by Peter Cox, Richard Drummie, Kevan Peter and George Martin Page. Originally released in 1983.
11. Keep on Loving You — REO Speedwagon: This American rock band grew in popularity in the Midwestern United States during the 1970s and peaked in the early 1980s. This power ballad appeared on the group's most commercially successful album, Hi Infidelity, which also included the hit "Take It on the Run," a song that peaked at number five on the U.S. charts. (Wikipedia)
12. More Than A Feeling - Boston: American rock group that was as well known for the lengthy periods between its albums as for its unique heavy metal–pop sound. The original members were Tom Scholz (the only member not from the city of Boston - he is a buckeye), Brad Delp (who died in 2007), Fran Sheehan, Barry Goudreau, and John (“Sib”) Hashian. (Encyclopedia Britannica)
13. Your Body Is A Wonderland — John Mayer: Written by John Mayer. Originally released in 2004.
In case you were wondering, of this list, The Bumbles are partial to Rod and Boston.
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. What do you do? Write Thirteen things about yourself, summarize your week in one entry, make it easy for other bloggers to get to know you on a weekly basis. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is not only encouraged, it is part of being a Thursday Thirteener! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun!View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
ON TRAVEL ~ The Joshua Tree...
When I got the email from The Bumbles asking me to be a Guest Blogger while they were on vacation, I was honored to be invited. And then I got really nervous. I have never been a Guest Blogger. What would I write about? What pictures would I share? Would the readers of The Bumbles blog like what I have to say?
Once I got over myself and my fears, I decided to do some research on The Bumbles. Molly is the avid photographer of this blogging duo. As for Andy, I got the impression that he was a sports fanatic. Must have been the story about their Honeymoon trip that clued me in.
The other thing I noticed is that they both like to travel. Have you noticed their travel wish list in the right column? That’s quite a list. Many places they have already traveled to. Some they have not but I have, like Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, Grand Canyon, and Bryce Canyon to name a few.
I also noticed one place that was not on their list. Joshua Tree National Park. How could they not want to visit this hidden desert jewel once made famous by the band U2! So I have decided to use this opportunity as a Guest Blogger to entice The Bumbles to add Joshua Tree National Park (CA) to their travel wish list.
To avoid a miserable trip to Joshua Tree National Park, better known to locals as JTNP, you will want to plan your trip for late September to November or March to late June. Come any other time and it will either be too hot (its 101 degrees this evening as I write) or a bit on the chilly side.
Next you will need a place to stay. There are a few national hotel chains along the main highway. Or perhaps a secluded desert bed and breakfast is more your style. I had planned on writing about the Joshua Tree Inn since I was there once but they found it “strange” that I wanted to write about their business and share my photographs of their Inn on the blogoshere.
Or perhaps you are an outdoorsy type person, in that case, there is camping within JTNP. We went camping one weekend at Hidden Valley Campground when our son was about 7 weeks old late September 2003.
Now that you're here what are you going to do? For all you early risers, might I suggest a hike? There are many to choose from from beginners to strenuous, paved and wheelchair accessible. For the adventurous souls there is rock climbing. I haven’t done any rock climbing since I was young and fearless.
If you are into history then I suggest you sign up for a guided tour of Keys Ranch. William Keys was one of the original homesteaders in the area and his diggs are still standing today. There’s old machinery,a school house in the distance and a collection of old glass bottles on a table that I never fully understood.
Just around the bend is Barker Dam. When I was last there, the beginning of June, it was completely dried up. I have been there at times when there was lots of water backed up.
After a long day of hiking and seeing the sights in JTNP, its time to relax and find some grub. Five miles outside the West Entrance to JTNP, you will find a few local favorites. There is the Park Rock Cafe (which is next to the JTNP Visitors Center) for sandwiches, or one of my personal favorites (met hubby here on our first date) is Crossroads Cafe & Tavern. And if you're looking for a local watering hole, there is but one in this village, it's called the Joshua Tree Salon.
Well there you have the highlights of Joshua Tree National Park. I hope that you will journey to our desert oasis someday. And I want to extend a big “Thank You” to The Bumbles for allowing me to be a Guest Blogger while they travel.
Visit Patty's incredible photography on her blog here - she's for hire too!
Monday, July 27, 2009
ON BOOKS ~ Julie & Julia...
MizB asks you to:- Grab your current read.
- Let the book fall open to a random page.
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
- Share the title of the book the teaser comes from…that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
- Please avoid spoilers!
From JULIE & JULIA by Julie Powell (non-fiction)...
"Chris – the one who wrote the halfway creepy thing about missing me so much when I didn’t post and thinking I was dead – found it mind boggling that before the Julie/Julia Project began, I had never eaten an egg. She asked, ‘How can you have gotten through life without eating a single egg? How is that POSSIBLE???!!!!"
TODAY'S TEASER TUESDAY POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY SANDY @ YOU'VE GOTTA READ THIS! HER REVIEWS ALWAYS INTRODUCE ME TO GREAT BOOKS AND MOTIVATE ME TO READ THOSE I'VE BEEN MEANING TO GET TO.
I found this book on the $4.99 shelf at Borders and almost squealed out loud. I had been trying to request it from my library for ages, and either it was a user problem or they indeed did not carry it. Let me just start out by saying that I just love Julia Child in every way. I've read books about her (I loved "My Life in France") and it will forever boggle my mind that until she moved to France at the age of 37, she didn't even know what a shallot was. And, at the stage in life when some people write off dreams and passions because it is too much trouble, Julia found hers and grabbed it with both hands. AND became the best in the business. Wow. Julia Child rocks.I had heard about Julie Powell and her project to cook all of Julia's recipes in the "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" cookbook. But when I started reading the book, my first thought was "Huh! This could have been me! Why didn't I think of it? Why can't I have a book and a movie?" Indeed, a handful of years back, my husband complained about the lack of variety in my cooking. At first I got real pissed, then I decided to show him. For about a year, I never cooked the same dish twice (unless he asked nicely for a repeat). And while my goals were not as lofty has hers, I could really empathize with the turmoil that Julie experienced in completing her project...failed sauces, flour everywhere, dismembering bodies of animals that you would eventually eat, cussing, drinking, searching all over town for some elusive ingredient, you name it. This is a reality show on paper, and I had a ball reading it. I loved the vulgar language, the fits she threw, her eccentric friends, and her drive to see her project through to the last recipe. It seemed pretty real to me. At the end of the book, however, upon J.C.'s death, the tone of the books loses it manic humor and becomes reflective on why Julie took on such a wacky project and the impact that Julia Child had on her life. It was a nice way to wrap up the story.
The reviews on this book were extreme. Some loved the book and some thought it was full of narcissism and disrespect to one of the world's greatest chefs. I belong to former contingent. I am glad I was able to read the book before the movie comes out. I have a hangup about seeing the movie first. It usually ruins it for me. But with Amy Adams as Julie and Meryl Streep as Julia, it has promise. (Movie premiers August 7.)
4.5 out of 5 stars
TO SEE MORE OF SANDY'S REVIEWS, CLICK HERE.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
ON MOVIES ~ Cruisin'...
This week's movie topic is all about On The Road...
So we are off this week on our vacation in the trusty Jeep Cherokee across NY State and into Canada! Which has inspired today's topic. So many movies are all about getting from Point A to Point B and the humor/drama/horror that occurs along the way. Here are some of the ones that rolled into our thoughts - we didn't list them all because we didn't want to hog the road. Two others that we thought of but didn't list star Oscar winnng actors - one in the performance that earned him the award. Can you guess which movies we're thinking of? Share on your blog movies that focus on road trips and then link back here at The Bumbles. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!
Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Leave it in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.
Friday, July 24, 2009
ON PHOTOS ~ Weather...
to post or VOTE for this (Bumbles) or other interpretations of this week's challenge
Thursday, July 23, 2009
ON FUN ~ Much Appreciated...
You see, we could pick them up one of those "So and So went to Such and
Such and all I got out of it was this crummy T-Shirt" gifts, but instead we'll pass along these little blog jewels instead:
We received this from Caspette @ The Narrative Causality (book reviews, good laughs, movies, and whatever else she feels like sharing) and it's got Sandy's name all over it...
"The Humane Award is to honor certain bloggers that I feel are kindhearted individuals. They regularly take part in my blog and always leave the sweetest comments. If it wasn't for them, my site would just be an ordinary book review blog. Their blogs are also amazing and are tastefully done on a daily basis. I thank them and look forward to our growing friendships through the blog world."
Rules:1. Copy the badge and put it on your blog.
2. Link back the person who passed you this award.
3. Spread the love to at least 10 or more bloggers.
We received this Tulip Award from Boliyou @ Endomental (short posts providing tips, humor, fun facts and observations) which asks us to answer a few questions and tag six others - we have a hard enough time catching one person in a game of tag, much less six - so we tag Patty...
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
2. Grateful Dead - Rich Stadium, Buffalo, NY (06/13/93):
3. Grateful Dead - Sports Arena, San Diego, CA (12/12 & 12/13/93):
4. Grateful Dead - JFK Stadium, Washington, DC (07/16 & 07/17/94):
5. Phish - Sugarbush, VT (07/02 & 07/03/95):
6. Widespread Panic - Gettysburg, PA (04/26/96):
7. Black Crowes - St. Denis Theater, Montreal, Quebec (10/20/96):
8. Allman Brothers Band - Beacon Theater, NYC (03/27/99):
9. Jiggle The Handle - Cafe Tome, Arcata, CA (06/28/99):
10. Widespread Panic - Madison Square Garden, NYC (10/31/03):
11. Government Mule - Higher Ground, Burlington, VT (04/23/05):
2: I'll Be The One, Birth of the Mule, Slackjaw Jezabel, Effigy> Folsom Prison Blues> Drums, Monkey Hill, I Want You (She's So Heavy), Blind Man In The Dark E: Sco-Mule (with Trey Anastasio), Dreams (with Trey Anastasio)
12. Blues Festival & The Radiators - Chicago, IL (June, 2005):
13. Allman Brothers Band - Beacon Theater, NYC (03/21/09):
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
ON FOOD ~ Dip Of Life...
Do you know what that item pictured above is? It comes from a key ingredient in what has been dubbed the Dip Of Life. Every summer we gather with a group of friends at a lake house in Maine for a weekend of fun, and at cocktail hour this dip is brought out and scarfed down greedily. Our friend who makes it was kind enough to share the super simple recipe with us so we could share the Dip Of Life with the rest of the world. You can thank us later.
BASE INGREDIENTS:
DRESSING INGREDIENTS:
DIRECTIONS:
Monday, July 20, 2009
ON BOOKS ~ Three Day Road...
MizB asks you to:- Grab your current read.
- Let the book fall open to a random page.
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
- Share the title of the book the teaser comes from…that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
- Please avoid spoilers!
From pg. 188 of THREE DAY ROAD by Joseph Boyden (fiction)...
"I look around at the ruins and wonder if this place will ever heal. I try to imagine the countryside here in ten years, in fifty years, in a hundred years, but all I can see in my mind are men crawling in and out of the tunnels in these hills like angry and tired ants, thinking of new ways to kill the other."
Joseph Boyden's debut novel is very striking. He knows how to pull you in to his written world through the eyes of his characters. Sadly, this being a work of historical fiction, his written world is not much of a fabrication of the world at war with each other. He tells a story of the first World War from the perspective of a young Canadian soldier of Cree Indian descent.
Xavier's experience of the war is told via memories as he succumbs to morphine induced numbness upon his return from France. His story is intertwined with that of his Aunt Niska who lives in the bush and knows little of the ways of white men and their war, but relies on the way of her ancestors to try to heal her nephew's pain. And this book is full of pain.
The descriptions of the atrocities on battlefields become less disturbing as the reader is desensitized like the soldiers who lived it. But the emotional pain from the way the mind must deal with the things war creates is vicious. It is hard to explain why this book is enjoyable. I looked forward to picking it up each day even though I knew I would be dragged in to an ugly place. I think the contrast of Niska's practical lessons helped to put everything in perspective and ground the reader. No laughs in this one. But lots of appreciation for those who fight for better days.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
ON MOVIES ~ Hated It...
This week's movie topic is all about Walking Out...
We're pretty tolerant Bumbles. We're optimistic and like to give people every opportunity to shine. And we like to finish what we've started. Which is why we don't walk out on movies. But that doesn't mean we haven't thought about it. Here are a few that made us wish we had given up on them (and one that we actually did). Have you ever walked out of a theater? Demanded a refund after renting? Turned the channel? Share on your blog some of the movies that made you wish you had that time in your life back and then link back here at The Bumbles. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!
Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Leave it in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.
Friday, July 17, 2009
ON SPORTS ~ Boone - Part II...
OVAH THE MONSTAH
Boone - Part II:
where previously Molly relished in the squashed dreams of Oakland A's fans
In the 2003 ALCS playoff series the Sox' foe was none other than those dreaded Yankees. I have two distinct memories from this particular best of 7 series taking place in mid-October. Bear with me during this long post - it serves as the base for all things to come.
Memory #1 was a much hyped Game 3 match-up in Fenway Park pitting former Sox Ace Roger Clemens against the one signed to fill his shoes, Pedro Martinez. The series was tied up a game a piece. It was a Saturday afternoon, the day after my longtime beloved cat, Petey, had died suddenly and the day before our first wedding anniversary. My thought was that Petey (Pedro's nickname) of the Sox would win the game in honor of my Petey-cat, as well as brighten the skies on our thus-far very sad anniversary weekend.
My husband and I went over to our dear friends’ house to watch the post-season drama in a more inviting environment. Now, mind you, my husband’s best friend and I have difficulty watching sporting events together. He has a very vocal and pessimistic voice against the very teams that we both love – like the Sox. But on such a day, nothing but hope was in the air as we were welcomed by a Jack-O’-Lantern carved in the Sox logo on their porch.
Things did not start off well for Roger thanks to the Sox offense. But then, Pedro plunked a Yankee. Warnings were issued by the Ump. Roger threw close inside to Sox slugger Manny Ramirez who started barking at Clemens and waving his hands wildly at the perceived retaliation pitch, meandering towards the mound instead of back to the batter’s box. A fracas ensued!
Players on the field rushed in like metal to a magnet. And so did the players on both benches. A brawl was ensuing which is nothing new to baseball or the Sox/Yankees rivalry, but in the playoffs on a Saturday afternoon this was great theater! But then former Sox Manager and current Yankee Bench Coach, Don Zimmer, slipped out of the visitor’s dugout around the mêlée, and out of the corner of Pedro’s eye he saw a round old man with a Yankee’s jacket on, propelling his bald melon and angry arms right at him like a sad torpedo!
Pedro was obviously stunned to see this crazy old man coming at him and didn’t seem to quite know what to do. What he did was reach out those long arms to meet Zimmer’s strange charge, put both hands on either side of Zimmer’s head and discarded him to the right, onto the ground, where Zimmer rolled like a Weeble Wobble but didn’t pop back up! Suddenly there were Yankee players and Security Guards peering over the discarded Zimmer on the field. He raised himself up with his hands holding his bald bean a few moments later and was escorted off to the locker room. There was even a fight in the visitor’s bullpen between a Sox security guy and two Yankee players. But Roger kept himself composed and led the Yankees to victory - which REALLY sucked. It kept the sad mourning theme of the weekend going. An opportunity by the Sox had been lost.
Memory #2 is THE worst. EVER. There have been plenty of Sox crushing defeats. Lots of Game Six’s. Lots of incidents that led to the downfall of a champion. But not that night. The Series was tied 3-3. Here the Sox were in Yankee Stadium with a lead. In the 7th inning. Pedro had just finished holding the lead. He pointed to the sky and left the mound. This is what Pedro always did as a finalé to his performance. But then again, he had performed so well, he was the Ace after all. And there was that 3 run lead going into the bottom of the 8th.
This is the point in time that most people pile on Manager Grady Little for sticking with Pedro Martinez. Grady had been criticized relentlessly for his pitching moves – often times for not sticking with a good thing. Well, Pedro was a good thing at that point, and he was the Sox Ace. And so out to the mound Pedro was sent. But the Yankees went out and hit him. And they hit him under-whelmingly. That was the problem. They had bloopers and bleeders that happened so quickly there was hardly time to react to all the base runners. It was incredulous to watch. Pedro was getting knocked around by dinky Punch & Judy hits. Surely he’d strike out the next batter or induce a double play. Grady even walked out to the mound – but no motion to the pen was made. Grady and Petey had a brief conversation that ended with Petey nodding his head and Grady walking back to the dugout with his Ace remaining on the mound. I was ready for this experiment to be over – the lead was slipping away. But, by the time Grady decided to abandon the Pedro experiment in deference of his relievers, the Yankees had tied the game.
And so the bullpen, that had been so shaky for most of the season, continued their strong performance in the post-season – holding the Yankees scoreless for three innings. Ironic really. This didn’t help Grady’s cause either not showing faith a few innings earlier in a pen that had played a huge role in getting the Sox to Game 7 to begin with.
Astonishingly, the Yankees sent vaunted closer, Mariano Rivera, out for a third inning himself when closers typically go 2 at the most. I could not believe it. I thought for sure that after the 9th and 10th his night would be over. Joe Torre disagreed, much to my chagrin, and Mo kept the Sox at bay in the 11th as well. And my guess is that Torre stuck with his sure thing an inning longer than he preferred because the beleaguered Jeff Weaver was warming up in the pen. The Sox had bashed him hard and well throughout the season and I was drooling at the prospect of a Sox victory. All the Sox needed to do was hang in there for 3 more outs and the odds would swing heavily back in their favor. Rivera couldn’t possibly go out for a 4th inning and Weaver would take the mound.
Weaver would not take the mound. No other Yankee pitcher had to. Beloved starter and knuckleballer Tim Wakefield came out for the Sox in the bottom of the 11th – there were very little choices left in the pen. Wakefield was in line for the ALCS MVP because of his awesome performances earlier in the series. What he got instead was a leadoff home run on the first pitch he threw to measly Aaron Boone. Boone was a fill-in, a nobody, an afterthought. The ball landed high in the left field upper deck seats fair enough to absolutely CRUSH Red Sox Nation and the entire Sox organization, but no one more than poor Timmy Wakes.
After a brief respite the World Series began and I resigned myself to watch it. You cannot wallow in grief forever. But then again, I am the optimist. Andy had a hard time bringing himself to watch the Yankees play in the Sox’ place. It was a huge slap in the face. I understood this and felt the exact same way. But to avoid it was to live in denial. Face it head on, I said. Get on with life. Accept the reality in order to move forward with hope.
And so we did watch each game of that World Series. It was like a cleansing. It certainly helped that the Yankees lost to those pesky Florida Marlins. Watching the final game Andy said the Yankee loss was almost as good as if the Sox had won. It was the closest we could get – if we couldn’t win, let anyone else beat those damn Yankees and it felt like a personal victory. Spite is so gratifying sometimes - but revenge is sweeter.
next week, HOT STOVE, why Sox fans hate A-Rod...
ON PHOTOS ~ Alcohol...
to post or VOTE for this (Bumbles) or other interpretations of this week's challenge
Thursday, July 16, 2009
ON BLOGGING ~ How To Save Time On Google Searches...
Are you as clueless as we are in productive searching on Google? Would you like to know a few quick tips for narrowing your search results? As we've said before - anytime we learn something we'll try to share it with you. If you're a Google search master already, share something handy with us in the Comments. If you're not, maybe these brief tips will help save you some time poking around online.
You can use these search methods for narrowing down any kind of search - for blogs you can't remember exactly, for recipes, for reviews, for JOBS. Try them out today.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
2. These book groups have online discussions about the books they read. The discussions are held through posts so you can read along and participate on your schedule at your convenience.
3. You may have friends already on Goodreads but by joining groups, participating in discussions and writing and reading reviews you can meet new friends. And if you are shy, you can also elect to follow the reviews of a particular person without becoming friends.
4. You can receive notifications at a frequency of your determination of what your GR friends are selecting, reading, ranking and reviewing. This gives you tons of new suggestions from like minded readers, or maybe helps you take a step outside of your comfort zone.
5. You can build an online library of shelves filled with books you have read, plan to read, and are currently reading.
6. You can name your shelves however you would like - traditional categories such as Fiction, Thriller, or Biography - or more personal such as Not Worth The Effort, Books I Wish I'd Written, or Mt. TBR.
7. You can rank the books you have read by a star system and it goes toward the overall cumulative ranking. The cumulative ranking tells you what the average ranking for each book is on GR.
8. There are places to keep personal/private notes while you read as well as places to share your thoughts publicly. Your GR profile is only as viewable as you want it to be - public or private.
9. Private conversations can be conducted within GR's e-mail messaging system.
10. If you love lists you can interact with Listopia - adding books to best and worst lists of all kinds of imaginable categories.
11. If you love trivia you can play along with the Never Ending Book Quiz and see how you rank with the rest of GR.
12. Chances are your favorite (living of course!) author is on GR - such as Neil Gaiman or Paul Coelho. They, along with thousands of other authors, are participating on GR as well. You can check out their bookshelves, send them a message, find out what they are reading and what they think about it.
13. You can share your creative writing, enter book giveaways, read timely author interviews in the monthly newsletter, find upcoming local book events, let a progress bar update everyone on how you are coming along with your current read and fill your profile with favorite quotes, authors, photos, blog links and - of course - your favorite goodreads. There's not a lot you can't do on GR, but if you think of something you can submit a suggestion to the Feedback Group and the site's founder, Otis, will work with you to see if it can be implemented. I dare you to tell me about a kinder, more socially beneficial place for bibliophiles. If Andy's considering it, you know it's GOOD!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. What do you do? Write Thirteen things about yourself, summarize your week in one entry, make it easy for other bloggers to get to know you on a weekly basis. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is not only encouraged, it is part of being a Thursday Thirteener! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun!
Join The Fun And View More Thursday Thirteen Participants At The Host SiteTuesday, July 14, 2009
ON PHOTOS ~ Take Me Out To The Ballgame...
Can you guess where the Bumbles came across this locker room? Click HERE to find the answers in the words.
Find other Wordless Wednesday photos by clicking on the button below...
Monday, July 13, 2009
ON SPORTS ~ Stuffing the Ballot...
So how do you find an underdog to root for when you've filled your competitions with all the popular kids?
Not having been one of the popular kids, I was always a big fan of competitions which rewarded based on merit and hard work. Like the Olympics. Or Jeopardy. But now I am surrounded by subjective contests like American Idol. The judges are looking for the full package. They don't want people with mousy hair or big bellies. They want good looks, thin bodies - AND talent. They have to concede every now and then to the Susan Boyles of the world, by fawning over how extraordinary these people are. Aren't we lucky they gave us a hand picked underdog?
Professional sports are no different. Major League Baseball has it's All-Star extravaganza Tuesday evening. I used to look forward to filling out my ballot at the ball park each year. This was especially exciting when I was too young to cast any other sort of vote. Then, as now, I would ponder my choices, mull it over, look to player stats, and vote for those I felt had the best numbers - which is how their performance is gauged.
Then I realized that nobody seems to give a crap anymore about putting deserving players in there. My brother one year voted for the entire Mets lineup simply because they stunk and he knew that the likelihood of an all-Mets team was as slim as a team filled with the most deserving players.
If you play for a big market team or a winning organization you are going to get the votes. Manny Ramirez, while suspended for violating the performance enhancing drug rules, was legitimately in the running for being voted into this year's All-Star game for a period of time. He didn't make the team because I guess fans do draw the line somewhere - but it was closer than it ever should have been.
It is easier to vote for the people you've always known to be good, rather than looking around to find out who is actually performing well. In fact, this year the Oscars decided to expand the nominees for Best Picture from 5 to 10 slots. Talk about lazy. It's thinning out the waters. Now undeserving films can call themselves Oscar nominees just because the Oscar voters don't want to leave any pretty movies out. It doesn't work in hockey and it won't work with Oscar. Too many options water down the talent pool and make the event all about parity rather than merit.
So I don't care anymore. I decide who my own Oscar winners are and watch those films. I get to buy the albums of any performer I feel should be my Idol. But in order to watch an MLB All-Star game of the players I vote for, I'll have to do it on a video game. Because left to our own devices, it just ends up reminding me of the prom king & queen.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
ON MOVIES ~ Waterworld...
This week's movie topic is all about Water...
This past weekend we went to Boston to see the Tall Ships. Seeing them docked throughout the city was like walking back in time. Climbing aboard these beautiful old vessles on a sparkling summer day was a real treat. The only thing that could have made it better was if Johnny Depp was on board as Captain Jack Sparrow. Which got us to thinking about the Pirates series and other movies filmed in and around the sea, lakes, rivers and streams. Here are some that we came up with. Share some of the water based movies that sprung to mind on your blog and link back here at The Bumbles. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!
Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Leave it in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.
Friday, July 10, 2009
ON SPORTS ~ Boone - Part I...
OVAH THE MONSTAH
Boone - Part I:
where previously the Sox missing the playoffs was a good thing
After waiting through another cold New England winter in 2003 for Spring Training I was sure that Manager Grady Little and the Sox would deliver us a Championship that year for sure! Then April came, and with it, the regular season. The Sox have always seemed to start out fast and furious and falter in the fall. That year they faltered early, so I thought perhaps it was a good sign for success later in the season.
The Sox battled hard but continued to fall short of their goal to win the AL East. That honor went once again to the dreaded Yankees. But the Sox did get the Wild Card and so the post-season began.
The Sox drew the Oakland A’s in the first round of the playoffs. That meant facing one of the best pitching staffs of the year – Zito, Lilly, Hudson. Yikes. But the Sox were bashers and although the adage says defense & pitching beats offense, the Sox were pretty confident they could go against the grain. They did have Pedro after all. And Wakefield, Burkett & Lowe.
But that pesky adage held true to start the series and the Sox found themselves in dire straights. The best of 5 series was 2-0 in favor of the A’s. Oakland's Eric Byrnes with his blond curls helped the Sox along early in Game 3 by charging into catcher Jason Varitek at the plate without actually touching the plate and then chose to use his energy shouting at the Ump about it while Varitek calmly tagged him out. Those pesky Sox fought back thanks to a Trot Nixon home run to right field to win the game in extra innings and keep the series alive. I was at a Patriots NFL game for Game 4, desperately waiting for word of a Sox victory which happily came via the Jumbotron. Thank God I would be able to watch the defining Game 5 with full focus!
My defining memory of Game #5 is Derek Lowe throwing the last pitch, an hellacious sinker, for a called strike to end the game and propel the Sox into the American League Champonship Series – come from behind victors! They knocked the A's right out of the playoffs on their home field by winning three straight before Oakland could even muster one more.
This was the most triumphant victory in grand fashion the Sox had experienced in my fandom since their similar come from behind Playoff victory over the Indians in 1999. I was elated!!!! Who doesn’t love a come from behind victory after all? (except A’s fans that year) The Sox had conquered – that’s what it truly felt like –a CONQUER.
But the Sox’ next foe was none other than those damn Yankees.
next week, BOONE - PART II, which Molly may type with her eyes closed, it is so horrifying...
ON PHOTOS ~ Clocks...
to post or VOTE for this (Bumbles) or other interpretations of this week's challenge
Thursday, July 9, 2009
ON BLOGGING ~ Sign Me Up...
Do you see that empty page above? Is that what you want to find here at The Bumbles Blog for the entire last week of July?
Didn't think so. You see, that's when we will be out and about on vacation and as much as we love you, we're not bringing you along. Oh don't worry. We'll tell you all about it when we get back. But until then, we need YOU!
We are looking for some volunteers to set aside time to create a guest post of their own to entertain the rest of you while we're gone. Here are the slots and topics available. If you have interest in any of the following, leave a comment and let us know your offer. We'll respond to the victims - er selected posters back by e-mail or through your blog to make arrangements.
- A BOOK related post for Tuesday, 07/28
- A PHOTO related post for Wednesday, 07/29
- A MUSIC related post for Thursday, 07/30 - Thursday 13 Style
- A TRAVEL or SPORTS related post for Friday, 07/31 - your choice, or combine the two!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
2. As you receive each bill (mortgage/rent, car payment, medical, insurance, utilities, credit cards, student loans, etc.) write down what it is for, how much you owe, how often it is due, the date it is due and the minimum payment allowed. Missing payments hurts your credit score meaning no one wants to loan you money when you need it. Minimum payments keep creditors away and give your credit a fighting chance. Paying more than minimums is less expensive in the long run. But something is always better than nothing. If you have any bills that are not on a monthly frequency calculate the average monthly amount and add it to your total monthly bill tally.
3. Make a list of all income sources from paychecks to side jobs, pension or social security checks and how much and how often they are paid to you. Average them out to a monthly figure as well. You can include people who owe you money too but good luck trying to track that down. They're probably in the same boat you are. Dump your spare change every day into jars and roll those coins every few months. Cash in those empty cans and bottles for the deposit rather than dumping them in the recycling bin or throwing them out with the trash *gasp*. Every little bit helps.
4. Compare your average monthly income in #3 to your average monthly bill expenses in #2 first. If you have any money left over you've got something to work with. If however you have months of unpaid utility bills or loans piled up, call them and work out a payment/installment plan to let them know you are making an effort to work things out. They're not likely to turn down offers for partial payments as opposed to nothing.
5. Never let your insurance lapse - whether it is for your car, your home or yourself. That is not a gamble worth taking. It is far less expensive to pay your premiums and receive a claim than to pay for repairs entirely out of your own pocket - which we now see is pretty empty. If you were in an accident tomorrow and you had no auto insurance, not only could you not fix your car but you could likely not replace it if it was totaled. And how exactly would you get to work to earn the money to pay for it all? Pay your premiums.
6. Do you have anything left over for #1? Probably not, which is why this next step is vital to keeping you from falling further in the hole. Time to trim the fat.
7. Look at all that stuff you spent money on. A big chunk probably went to food. That's as essential as your bills but you need to find ways to reduce the cost. Do you have to be so brand loyal when the generic brand works just as well? Do you really need to drink that much soda or coffee? Why do you need that many different types of cereal? Coupons and sales are everywhere - take the time to use them. Start your own vegetable garden. Buy at the local farmer's stand/market - sometimes you can negotiate or get bargain prices near the end of the day when the supply needs to be sold off.
8. Another money hog is gasoline. Plan your trips for errands in advance. The less times you have to go out the less gas you will use. Find the station that charges the least - sometimes paying by cash is cheaper than charging. Keep your tires properly inflated - it makes a difference in the gas you use. Carpool with friends/neighbors when possible. Take public transportation whenever possible, walk or ride your bike.
9. Now pretty much everything else needs to be trimmed or cut altogether. No more manicures, new flip flops or meals you didn't pack for yourself. Say goodbye to bookstores and hello to the library. No fun? No joke.
10. But lets be realistic. You are going to want to stop for a coffee here and there. Or you're a smoker. And then there's a night out with friends every now and then where everyone gets together for drinks. Or for your sanity you really need to hire a sitter so you and your spouse can just go out for a walk to stay sane. You need to budget a few bucks for fun too.
11. Now take your lower revised figure and replace #1 with that amount. Divide it by 4 and that is the amount of cash you need to take out of the bank each week. NO MORE than that - no excuses. Take money out of the bank the same day each week - every Sunday for example. If you have budgeted the above realistically then you will be OK. If you have been fudging numbers to make yourself feel better, you won't be OK.
12. Pull out a stack of envelopes and write categories on each one of all the out of pocket things you buy - groceries, gas, clothes, beauty, fun, etc. Next to the categories write the weekly amount budgeted for each and place that amount of cash in the envelope. Take what you feel you will need for the day each morning from each envelope and leave your ATM and credit cards at home. You will be paying by cash for everything - even groceries.
13. If you have any extra money left at the end of the week you can choose to carry it forward to the next by leaving it in it's envelope. Or you could move it into your Fun envelope as a reward. Or you can put it in a SAVE envelope and deposit that money into a separate money market account to build up a Do Not Touch fund to pay down those loans and other bills - which is a better idea to get that monkey off your back and the envelope method out of your life. The envelopes will train you to pay attention to how much you spend and learn how to think ahead for the various items you want/need to spend it on. And learning that is what helps to get you out of debt. Or, you could win the lottery.
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