RUGator

One of my favorite sports writers is Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. He “gets it.”

In the following column, he continues his verbal assault on baseball’s ills.

Please go to: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AqmkYeBr583jGfAuLzh5Zek5nYcB?slug=jp-manny050709&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

He rightfully calls for an immediate and complete banishment from baseball for all those who test positive for performance enhancing drugs.

Throw ‘em out! All of them. A-Rod, Ramirez, Clemens, Tejada. All of ‘em. Out!

Can’t take it anymore.

While I was scrounging around for another quarter to buy a Diet Coke, this was what he was doing.

He wasn’t alone either.

http://www.nysportsday.com/2009/03/24/another-a-bomb-from-a-rod/

And I’m sick and tired of hearing that sports fans are willing accomplices to this type of behavior.

Tired of it.

Can’t take it anymore.

Why can’t I be a fan and enjoy sports and the role it’s played in my life without having to apologize for this crap?

Hey A-Rod (and whoever else), I’m sick and tired of you. This isn’t good enough for me. As a fan, I’m not going away. I’m not bailing out on the sports and teams I love.

But I am bailing on you.

Thank you Tyler Kepner (NY Times writer).

Thank you for taking the gloves off in your terrific piece on Alex Rodriguez:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/08/sports/baseball/08kepner.html

I’m done.

You lost me MLB.

And I was a good one too.

“ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS”
- George Orwell, Animal Farm, Ch. 10

Before becoming a teacher, I worked as a tax collector for the IRS. Here’s what I learned during those horrible days:

1. Most people have no idea how many people DO NOT pay their taxes. If they did, they’d bail out too.

2. If you’re going to owe money, owe A LOT of money. You can get away with owing a lot of money. Owe a little? You’re screwed.

3. Most Americans have no idea how LITTLE a government agency like the IRS knows/can do/ or will do. They are master illusionists. And for the most part, it’s worked.

Think about this: the new Treasury Secretary, the person responsible for, among other things, enforcing the tax laws, was a tax delinquent himself. Think about it!

And then read/re-read Animal Farm.

Better yet, open your eyes and bear witness to Orwell’s prognostications coming true

Step 1: Convince people to give you money.

Step 2: Don’t give it back.

It’s official.

I’m in total freak-out mode.

Happens every time I come off any extended break from work. Be it the first day back from a weekend or after a holiday vacation, I still get the willies.

I like time off. FREEDOM!!!!

To do nothing but hang out with my family. Doesn’t have to be anything “special,” just hanging around, doing whatever comes up. I’m real good at doing “nothing.” Love it, in fact (just ask my wife).

As a kid, I used to call the feeling I’d get on Sunday nights, “60 Minutes Syndrome.” You know the creeping up on you feeling you get on Sunday nights, thinking about having to get back “in the swing of things.” My stomach would start churning just as the sound of the 60 Minutes stop watch sound would start “ticking” away right after the Sunday night football games of my youth.

And not much has changed.

At least I’m not alone. Right?

One of my favorite old school grooves.

Turn it up, then turn it out!

21 years ago I first heard “Keep Looking” by Sade. I would play it over and over again hoping that I would find what I was looking for.

She was with me the whole way.

Here is the song followed by the lyrics.

Keep Looking by Sade

Some will tell you that you’re wrong
You do it all the wrong way
Some will tell you that you’re wrong
That you don’t know the way

They enjoy cheapness
Don’t show your weakness
Don’t let them bother you, no
They enjoy cheapness
Don’t show your weakness
Oh no

It’s no use sitting down
Don’t walk ’round with a frown
Oh no, keep looking
It’s no use sitting around
With your head in your hands
Oh no, keep looking

Some will tell you that you’re wrong
You do it all the wrong way
Some will tell you that you’re wrong
That you don’t know the way

They enjoy cheapness
Don’t show your weakness
Don’t let them bother you, no
They enjoy cheapness
Don’t show your weakness
Oh no

It’s no use sitting down
Don’t walk ’round with a frown
Oh no, keep looking
It’s no use sitting around
With your head in your hands
Oh no, keep looking

Keep looking
Keep looking

Don’t lay awake at night
Thinking about your worries
Thinking about your problems
Don’t lay awake at night
Thinking about your worries
Keep looking

Don’t lay awake at night
Thinking about your problems
Thinking about your troubles
Don’t lay awake at night
Thinking about your problems
Keep looking

Keep looking

If you never let it show
They’re never gonna know
Keep looking

If you never let it show
They’re never gonna know
Keep looking

Keep looking
Keep looking

I want to go to England.

Incognito.

Leave some stuff behind.

Not for sightseeing purposes, though. I just want to live with a family for a week or so and see what their life is like. Do they go to work everyday? What do they watch on t.v.? What’s their house look like inside? Where do they go food shopping?

Sounds silly, I’m sure.

But for the longest time, it’s something I’ve wanted to do. This whole notion of living like someone else does in a different country has always appealed to me. And it’s in England that I’d want to do it. Don’t ask me why. I couldn’t give you an answer.

The closest I’ve come (in my mind’s eye) is through this song which I’ve added below.

I’ve heard it said that great art has the ability to move you even if it’s not understood. Perhaps I was on to something when I first heard it a long time ago.

John, why don’t you use some of those new golf balls I gave you? Saving them. Saving them? For what? We’re playing golf right now.

But we’re only in 8th grade, Mr. C. I’ll start doing a better job once I get into  high school.

What do you expect? I’m only a junior. I still have next year to get it right. It’s not like colleges are gonna look at my grades from this year.

I’ll figure things out once I graduate. It’s only my second year in college.

It’s only my first job, what do you expect? I’m just getting used to life in the real world. It’s not like I’m going to be working here my whole life.

So when does the switch get turned on? What does it take before we put our feet down? Both feet.

Don’t think for a minute that the thought doesn’t occur to me to. Is this it? When am I going to start living and not just spectating?

There’s a fine line between writing about life and experiencing it.

Isn’t there?