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| Prompt: On August 26, 1939, the first televised Major League baseball game is broadcast on station W2XBS, the station that was to become WNBC-TV. Announcer Red Barber called the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York. Do you remember the first baseball game you saw either in person or on television? Are you a baseball fan if so, do you have a favorite team? How do you feel about the prices of the tickets? ============================ I do not remember my first baseball game. I do, however, remember being a staunch Brooklyn Dodger fan for no reason other than that my father and brothers were Yankee fans. I’ve always felt ambivalent about the game. On the one hand, I like numbers, and baseball probably has more statistics than any other major sport. Also, because it is a relatively slow paced game (unlike hockey or basketball), I could do my homework or other projects in the living room without the family constantly jumping up and down and screaming. On the other hand, I often wondered how the outfielders and dugout bench-warmers managed to stay awake; 90% of a game usually involved the pitcher, catcher and batter. So much for childhood. I have one unforgettable baseball memory. In 1992 I lived in Toronto, in a 16th floor apartment near the city center (centre to Canadians). When the Blue Jays finally defeated the Atlanta Braves in game 6 to win the World Series, the first ever team outside the US to do so, Mary and I went out on the balcony expecting to see and hear everyone dancing and singing in the streets. It wasn’t happening. But we did see thousands of fans out on their own balconies quietly raising their beer and wine glasses. Mary looked at me, put down her Molsons and started loudly clapping. I immediately joined in. Within 30 seconds, everyone in the area was applauding and cheering. And shortly thereafter they were pouring out of the highrises and into the streets. Mary and I laughed our heads off. Then we had our own celebration. Toronto, eh. |
| BCoF prompt for August 23, 2025 “So many books, so little time.” ― Frank Zappa Are you like me with a stack of books waiting to be read and reading more than one at once? Or are you a person who only reads one book at a time and then replaces the book when you have finished the one you were reading? Tell us about your reading style? I am a two-, and occasionally three-, books-at-a-time reader. One at my bedside, one in the bathroom, and sometimes one in the home office. I don't always read at bedtime, but when the day's been hectic or troublesome and I can't stop rehashing events, emotions and conversations, I grab something to break the spell. My recent choice is Bored of the Rings by The Harvard Lampoon. It's hilarious and puts a smile back on my face. Various gastrointestinal issues can result in occasional bathroom visits lasting longer than normal. For these times I prefer a book, or better yet a series, whose author has conveniently provided reasonably short scenes and frequent narrative breaks, so I can easily find a place to pause. My current selection is the chronicles of Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters. It's a series of murder mysteries set in early 12th century England wherein a Welsh Benedictine monk, Cadfael, aids the law in investigating murders. No explosions. No shootouts. Just interesting reading, and very well written. I don't have an office read right now. I usually have one only when I want or need to check out something someone has recommended or passed on to me. Or when I need to research something. |
| BCoF Aug 22, 2025 Prompt: Discuss this quote in your entry today- “And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche I didn’t get this at first so I Googled the quote. Turns out most authoritative sites claim Nietzsche never said this. But it’s the quote, not the author, that’s important here. Once I understood the quote, two memories came quickly to mind. The first is a scene I’d bet many people have experienced. At a friend’s birthday party we were in the backyard gyrating to rock and roll from the record player on the back porch. When I took a break to grab some lemonade I heard birthday boy Martin’s grandfather muttering about his grim outlook for the future based on our failure to distinguish between good music and ear-splitting noise. Perhaps an hour later I noticed him smiling as his head gently bobbed along with the beat. I can’t remember the song playing, but I know now he was finally able to ‘hear the music.’ The second recollection is more humbling. The day after a geometry test, Mr. Lind was handing back the graded papers. He made a special point of singling me out as the only student to get the final question, a proof, correct. I was proud of myself for getting the answer, but I was very confused by the fact that no one else had. I remembered that when I read the question, and thought about it, the basics of the answer became obvious in a minute or two. As I looked around the room, I started wondering how the other kids couldn’t see this. A week or so later, I was feeling embarrassed in art class as my attempt at painting a simple farm scene was met with laughter and ridicule. My good friend Susan leaned over and said, “Well, you can see numbers and shapes in your head in ways I just can’t. But I can see pictures and colors in ways you can’t. So let’s only laugh with each other, not at each other.” Susan was really the smart one of us. I miss her. |
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