...being...

I have to admit. I am really sorry to see Manny go.

During the Red Sox recent resurgence (03-08) Manny has been the teams most valuable player. Hands down. No doubt about it.

No one else has consistently put up those kind of numbers over that period of time. Most players haven't even been on the team that long.

Not Lowell, not Schilling, not Beckett, not Youkilis, not Pedroia. Not even Papelbon. Not even David Ortiz.

Not even David Ortiz has put up the sort of consistent high quality numbers that Manny Ramirez has.


I was watching a game the other night. I believe we were playing the Angels. But can not be sure. Ortiz was up. Other team had the shift on. Ortiz lined the ball right to the second baseman. Ortiz jogged to 1st.

Inning over.

Several innings later Manny grounded out to shortstop. He jogged to 1st. The boos came raining out of the crowd.


Maybe there is some truth to what Manny was saying right before he got traded.

Up until a few days ago I did not think there was any shot Manny got traded. More than that, I thought it would be terrible for the team. I thought it would be terrible for Manny.

But, for whatever reason, Manny escalated things to a point that neither side could escape from. Manny had to be traded. We could have taken scraps in return. Both sides still would have been better off.

Jason Bay is a pretty damned good hitter. But he ain't no Manny.

Earlier in the season Manny was talking about wanting to retire as a member of the Red Sox. It seemed like a win win situation. Manny could have went down as one of the all-time greats to play for the team. He made a ton of money. He could have continued to do so. And he earned every penny. He won 2 world series in 4 years and was on a team that was going to compete for at least the next few years.

Something went wrong. I'm not really sure what. And it is probably the case most of us never will.

I hope that Red Sox fans can look back on the time that he was hear and appreciate all that he did for the team. I hope they can appreciate all he did for them. Manny had fun . He often made some hair brain moves. But he worked at the game. He worked hard. You don't hit that well that consistently without working at it. And he was alot better in the field than anyone gives him credit for.

I am sorry to see Manny go.

This past week...

The highway to hell is broad...

People are astonished that every year there are sixty thousand cases of suicide in Europe... but one ought rather to be surprised that there are so few. Every man of the present day, if we go deep enough into the contradiction between his conscience and his life, is in a state of despair.

... the permanently armed condition of Europe together with its profession of christianity is alone enough to drive any man to despair, to doubt of the sanity of mankind, and to terminate an existence in this senseless and brutal world. This contradiction, which is a quintessence of all the other contradictions, is so terrible that to live and to take part in it is only possible if one does not think of it-if one is able to forget it.

And this is the only explanation of the dreadful intensity with which men of modern times strive to stupefy themselves, with spirits, tobacco, opium cards, reading newspapers, traveling, and all kinds of spectacles and amusements. These pursuits are followed up as important, serious business. And indeed they are a serious business. It there were no external means of dulling their sensibilities, half of mankind would shoot themselves without delay, for to live in opposition to one's reason is the most intolerable condition. And that is the condition of all men of the present day. All men of the modern world exist in a state of continual and flagrant antagonism between their conscience and their way of life. This antagonism is apparent in economic as well as political life. But most striking of all is the contradiction between the Christian law of the brotherhood of men existing in the conscience and the necessity under which all men are placed by compulsory military service of being prepared for hatred and murder-of being at the same time a Christian and a Gladiator.


Crimson flames tied through my ears
Rollin' high and mighty traps
Pounced with fire on flaming roads
Using ideas as my maps
"We'll meet on edges, soon," said I
Proud 'neath heated brow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I'm younger than that now.

Half-wracked prejudice leaped forth
"Rip down all hate," I screamed
Lies that life is black and white
Spoke from my skull. I dreamed
Romantic facts of musketeers
Foundationed deep, somehow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I'm younger than that now.

Girls' faces formed the forward path
From phony jealousy
To memorizing politics
Of ancient history
Flung down by corpse evangelists
Unthought of, though, somehow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I'm younger than that now.

A self-ordained professor's tongue
Too serious to fool
Spouted out that liberty
Is just equality in school
"Equality," I spoke the word
As if a wedding vow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I'm younger than that now.

In a soldier's stance, I aimed my hand
At the mongrel dogs who teach
Fearing not that I'd become my enemy
In the instant that I preach
My pathway led by confusion boats
Mutiny from stern to bow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I'm younger than that now.

Yes, my guard stood hard when abstract threats
Too noble to neglect
Deceived me into thinking
I had something to protect
Good and bad, I define these terms
Quite clear, no doubt, somehow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I'm younger than that now.

Home Made Cherry Pie

There are two types of men in this world. Men who like pie. And men who like cake. What category you fall in speaks volumes about you. As a man. I myself am a pie man. Good lord I love me some pie.


Come to find out we have a cherry tree in our back yard. I never knew that cherry trees actually grew cherries. I did not really know how cherries grew to tell the truth. I did mention to lauren once, much earlier in the spring, that the tree might blossom some cherries. But she quickly shot down the idea. I am nothing if not a big dreamer. And she often plays the role of keeping me in check. But every once in a while I am right. And this was one of those times.

This is a story about berries. Berries are the thing out here in the spring and summer. The grow everywhere. The got berries you never heard of. And the berries that you have heard of are a dozen times better than you have ever tried. I can say, without exaggeration, that I have had the best berries I have ever had the pleasure of tasting out here. Oregon is berry country. We go to one or two farmers markets a week. There is a huge one downtown on Saturdays. And there is a smaller one just 5 blocks from our house on Sundays. This past Saturday we struck gold. We got 2 overflowing pints of the most delicious organic strawberries you ever tasted for just $3. We got 2 full pints of raspberries for the ridiculously low price of $5. I'm talking full pints. Not the little dinky half or quarter pints that grocery stores usually charge $5 a piece fore. And, finally we gut 10 fresh and delicious apricots for only $3. We had to stop ourselves from buying more.

We made chocolate raspberry pancake. We made raspberry muffins. We made chocolate raspberry muffins topped with sugar and crushed almond. We marinate fresh strawberries and oranges in a simple syrup flavored with fresh basil. And, of course, we gorged ourselves on delicious fresh berries.

But our prize of the week was the cherry pie.

And this is our story.

a tale of two cities

Portland was recently ranked Bicycling Magazine's 'Best Cycling City'. It is generally ranked among the top in the world for bike riding. It is the only major U.S. city to be designated as Platinum Level by the League of American Cyclists.

Everyone owns a bike here. It is hip. It is cool. You drive around the funky South East section of town. The damn things litter the street ways. The city has erected little stands for people to park and lock up there bikes all over the city. Just look outside of a coffee shop on SE Belmont. Come visit Portland and you will see what I mean. Bikers have their own lanes here. The city gives out maps advising bikers on the quickest and safest roots. Bikers even have their own special 'green box' at intersections that cars are not allowed to enter.

Bike choice is big out here. Vintage road bikes are the thing. They are huge even. You can tell that someone is cool when they are riding a 1970's Schwinn Road bike around. It is definitely not cool to ride around a newer but cheaper bike.

I brought my Giant Mountain Bike out here. It cost me about $200 brand new. It was cheap. But it did the trick. We went through a lot of effort to bring that bike out here. There was zero room for it in my Tacoma. But we somehow found a way. It took us hours of planning and organizing to pack that truck. The bike was one of our big 'maybe' items. And we did it. And we were proud.

My bike was stolen the other day. I was not really upset. I could not be. I stole many a bike when I was younger. Lauren woke me up on a Saturday and asked if I had moved my bike to the cellar. It is not the best way to be woken. But I took it in stride.

Summer is here. Gas is through the roof. I've decided its high time I commute by bike. But I do not currently own one.

I am currently looking for a new bike. I am thinking something hip. A nice road bike. But, my lord, the damned things will set you back a pretty penny. Bikes that would be given away in Pittsfield to need kids sell out here for around $200. I'm talking about the road bikes that you have all seen sitting around in basements or attics all over Pittsfield. They sit there because nobody will take them. You certainly couldn't sell them. That would be a joke. Bikes you couldn't even give away in Pittsfield still sell for $100 plus out here. I'm talking cruisers from the 40's. Bikes caked in rust. Bikes older than my grandparents.

I have my eyes peeled. My limit is $200. I hate to spend the money. We try so hard to save. And make so little. But it is worth it. I believe.

I suppose Wii will just have to wait.