DaaBers and DA BIG IDEA

So I'm watching the last of the Cubs game right now. Cincinnati is winning 11-8 going into the Bottom of the 9th, Bartosh (the Cubs 7th pitcher of the game) just struck out the last batter (Dunn) to end the Top of the 9th. Seem like it's been a pretty goddamn good game, one you wished you were at.

But that's not what I'm posting about. I posting about Daabers. You know, the Chekago Bers.

How 'bout those draft picks? A powerhouse running back and two speedy wide receivers. Let's hope the offensive line can step it up to add the . . . (hold on)

>>>Ronny Cedeno just got his first major league hit with a single to left and a run driven in. It's 11-9.<<<

So back to DaaBers. Howsabout those draft picks?

>>>Awww damn, the 3rd out. Hollandsworth grounded out. I'm impressed with the Cubs. Although they definitely have some issues going on in the pitcher position, our other guys are gettin the job done. Although still a loss, it is a loss with 13 hits and 9 runs. They also spread the wealth around with 9 different guys getting the hits and 5 of those guys driving in the runs. Even when we get outs, much of the time we are putting the bat on the ball and the ball into play. That's how you win games.<<<

Can we talk about the Bears now? With a workhorse running back, two speedy wide receivers, and a ready to go Rex Grossman at QB, their offense just might have the spark it needs. If the offensive line can step it up (perhaps an effective off-season training program in Kankakee, Illinois?) they might just have the one-two punch.

So here's DA BIG IDEA:

Now I know I got some friends who are some good Bears fans, and I sure as hell don't get to see these friends that often. We should pick an away Bears game that isn't too far away. Meet on Friday night (or Thursday night?) in that city. Take in the sites on Saturday. Get crazy for the Bears on Sunday. Rest (or work if you gotta) on Monday.

So yeah, like a four day weekend with a Bears game as the climax. How can you go wrong? I figure since this is my idea, I get to put in the first suggestion for the game. My first instinct was to pick the Redskins game on September 11th, but that's pretty close to when my baby is due, and the date doesn't seem to have any GOOD luck. So my official pick is the December 11th game in Pittsburgh. Seems we could find some cheap accomocations, similarly cheap bars, and freeze are asses off to watch the Bears and the Stealers pound it away. Sounds like good bonding time to me.

Baby Lee  

Baby Lee

Isn't this freaking amazing? Emily and I went in on Wednesday for her first ultrasound. I was astonished as I watched our baby's heartbeat and saw it's limbs and head and bones. All this inside of her belly. What a mystery!


Baby Lee sucks its thumb. 

Harper J. Bienko

Again, congrats to the Cap'n and crew. Go here for a photo of the young lad and some brief words from the Cap'n.

Also, congrats to the Cubs for winning handily today.


And a "too bad" to the Brewers for blowing a 6-0 lead.

Oh yeah, and congrats to the Catholics for your new Papal Head.

A Baby!!!

The Tarantular would like to congratulate Josh and MaryJo Bienko on their freshly born child. We are excited to hear more details (name, weight, etc. etc.)and updates on baby life.

Yeaaaa Baby!!!!!

Spring Posting

I do believe that I have myself proven that the myth of increased blogging in the spring is false. My beer and my front porch already have more pull than the laptop in my study. Thus the longer gaps in my posting.

So I have given in to the baseball enthusiasm and purchased the entire Major League Baseball season on internet audio for only $14.95 (living in North Carolina and not having cable, this seems to be a good option to follow the Cubs). This is an interesting thing since I "simultaneously" listen to a baseball game over live audio stream, say, from WGN radio, while watching the gameday update from MLB.com, which shows the current batter (with the balls and strikes and where the pitch landed in the strike zone), as well as a picture of the field with the names of the defensive players and their positions, and the names of the offensive players at bat/on base. Thing is, the audio is usually behind the updates of the visuals . . . but sometimes the audio is ahead. Like I said, it's interesting.

Anyway, I watched the Cubs lose a close one with Loecester blowing a 5-5 tie, walking the first two batters in the 8th, then hitting the next (ending in a 7-5 loss). Then I watched the Brewers lose to the Dodgers 7-3. All in all, a depressing day for baseball.

Tall Tees vs. Tight Rolling

I'm not sure where you live (although if I had to guess it'd be Chicago, Milwaukee or Ithaca) but I wonder if the fashion of tall tees has caught on. Not being familiar with how or where fashion trends start, I'm willing to admit the possibility that this trend started in North Carolina. Noting the many backward ways of my Carolinian compatriates, however, I somehow doubt it. If you are not familiar with the tall tee fashion, it is basically a plain t-shirt that is usually 2 sizes too big and that hangs down to the wearers knees or ankles. I have typically seen tall tees worn in black or white with an occassional pink thrown in. This fashion is prevalent among young black males in my area.

I find this trend very silly. I watched a young man - probably about 14 years old - walk down the sidewalk across the street from my house. His hair was braided, black tall tee down to his ankles, and he was making punching motions in the air, like a boxer sparring. He approached my neighbors (a man, wife and young daughter lounging in their yard) kitty corner from my house, and was confronted about something. I made out the word "hooligan" but didn't hear anything else. I wondered if the tall tee wearer was related to these neighbors and noted that he obviously knew them in a familiar way. Whatever the case, he turned quickly and walked back from wear he had come, again shadow boxing.

I couldn't help but laugh to myself as this boy - looking like a nubian princess with a long black dress - hiked up his pants, karate'd the air and strutted down the street. I wish I could have it on video tape to show him five years down the road. Surely he would realize how utterly ridiculous he appears.

Just like me, when I was 14, with my tight rolled jeans. Where the hell did that fashion start? North Carolina?

Word

The Adam R., Cap'n Pete race has been everything I hoped it would be. From diving catches to last minute 3-point shots to 12th inning home runs, these guys have been pulling out all the punches. I note that Adam is just waiting to see when Cap'n's going to post next. He's probably got three posts saved, just waiting to spring them on the Cap'ns postal efforts.

Whoa! That gives new meaning to "going postal." That's right, you heard that phrase coined here at The Tarantular. Pretty soon, I feel, the Cap'n and Adam R. are both going to be going postal in an effort to earn a moniker change.

Now I know that Adam has tried to get his changed by default, trying to create a blog about The Brewers. Reality check here Adam--No one gives TWO FARTS about the Brewers. Perhaps if you alternated with posts about tours of the Miller Brewery, or observations of drunk Brewers fans. And I just have to note that Adam hasn't posted since the Milwaukee racked up two losses at Wrigley Field. Hmmmm.

Go Cubbies!

Cap'n Ping

I was going to update The Tarantular's loyal readers about how neither Adam or the Cap'n have posted today and then Cap'n Pete slips in a late-in-the-day post on me. I was even going to mention how it would be kinda nice not to have to go into my template and change the score on the sidebar, but hey, I ain't complainin'

Whereas Adam's two posts have focused on the game of baseball, the Cap'n relates a chuckleful story about he and his pa playing a round of golf with a pair of hackers--both who don't seem to know any golf etiquette, and one who thinks moonboots make good golfshoes. I wonder if they had spikes?

At any rate, I'm well into my golf game down here in North Carolina--my first round finishing even, my second round with a one under par, and my third round with one up. I was pretty pissed with my last performance because I had a triple bogey on hole #18. I didn't even open up a new course.

just so the loyal readers know, Emily and I will be in Connecticut for the weekend, so the blogging may be at a minimum. That doesn't mean you shouldn't keep 'em comin' though. BRING IT!

Word.

Cap'n Pete v. Adam R.

Well folks, so far the Cap'n is gettin' his ass handed to him by the Robinsteiner. Granted, there's a few days left in the month, but the Cap'n needs to back up his trash-talking comments with some good old-fashioned blog posting. Ya feel?

I keep clicking over to the Decrepit Cap'n Pete hoping to see something other than the digital reprint of Too-loose LaTrek.

The score as of 10:30 p.m. EST:

The Pickle - 2

Coney Island - 0

(and that's a big fat zero)

(and not as in Cap'n Pete, he's our hero, gonna take pollution down to)

The NCAA Blues (CBS--YOU SUCK!!!)

I must admit, I turned off my Tele at Luther Vandross. I mean, c'mon.

I remember back in the day when the National Championship celebration was actually televised. Seriously, can the constituent audience really be more interested in silly cell phone commercials, redundant car adds and blurbs about CSI and David Letterman?

Goddamnit!!!

I'm pissed!!

Illinois lost!

And they couldn't even have the decency to give me the jouissance of watching the North Carolina players make a bunch of asses of themselves (although the shot of McCants taking his jersey off certainly helped the cause).

Please please, if you must have a cell phone, be it not cingular or that other brand I can't remember except for the guy who didn't want to talk to his mother-in-law for 20 minutes about her cat. And please, please do not go see the horrible looking movie about a haunted wax museum. And please, please do not buy anything from Pontiac.

Furthermore, do not watch your television. It is evil.

Fuck!!

Update:
Nice job Adam. I love you for posting about baseball this evening. Such a rebel.

The Cap'n vs. Adam R.

Spring is in the air, the flowers are in bloom, the flies buzzing and the smell of fresh cut grass tickling the nosehairs.

There is a theory goin round that blog traffic/interest wanes during the winter months and picks up again come springtime.

Well we here at The Tarantular are going to test this theory. Beginning today and running through April 30, the blog that posteth the mosteth will earn the right to have their moniker changed on The Tarantular Chief Jason.

Will it be Cap'n Pete of Coney Island?

Will it be Adam Robinson of The Pickle?


Only the Tarantular Chief Jason could bring you such a dynamic, jaw-twisting and fingernail-biting contest.

Tune in here for daily updates.

Word.

Terry Schiavo

is still dead.

A very astute observation was found via CPRobes. The Liberal Conservative Blog has this to say:

The rise of the Terri Schiavo story never puzzled me: Like OJ, Scott, and Monica, Terri is just another freak show designed to distract us from the real news (such as the fact that our country is bankrupt; like Nazi Germany we've invaded and occupied a sovereign nation under false pretenses; as a parasite of this planet's gifts, we're killing our host; and so on).

That's what I used to think. Now I can see why Terri resonates so strongly. She is us, and we are her.

America is a brain-dead former beauty queen of a nation being kept alive by a feeding tube. Through this tube, the rest of the world funnels $2 billion a day, and that's just to support our shopping habits. We'd deteriorate faster than Terri Schiavo if the Chinese, Japanese, Saudis, Koreans, and others stopped paying the hospice bills. Like Terri Schiavo, we are oblivious to our own circumstances. I don't pretend to know what went through Terri's mind, such as it was, but it couldn't have been much less substantive than tonight's episode of Survivor.

May Terri RIP.

Adam Kotsko

Aye me.

Woe is me.

I remember the days--many many moons ago--when Adam Kotsko actually visited and commented on my blog. He made me feel so . . . so . . . special that he would bless my URL with his presence.

Ah but gone, gone are those days of innocence. Gone, gone are those days of Kotskoian bliss.

I understand that Marioworld is more important than little ole chiefjason. No hard feelings.

I'm just gonna go play Hitman 2. May the crosshairs on my screen symbolize freedom and a new day.

Update

Johnny Cochran: Dead

Terry Schiavo: Dead

The Pope: Not quite dead.

Gerry Garcia: Dead (?)

Update to the update:
The pope is dead. The 9 days of mourning have started.