Find the good news for Bush… I can’t.
from The Northern Virginia Journal – 10/29/84
– Iraqi troops slaughtered
– First Md. flue case confirmed
– FBI probes Halliburton contract
– Feds to triple number of election monitors
– Missouri joins other states importing drugs from Canada
– Scientists estimate 100,000 Iraqis may have died due to war
– IAEA says it warned U.S. about explosives in April
– Watch your account: Checks clear faster
– Exxon Mobil profits surge on oil prices
Naturally, anyone with a head as large as mine either has many undiscovered mental powers, or water on the brain. In my case, it is of course the former (think for a second, which is first former or latter? My trick, latter comes later).
Anyway, I’ve never been much of a baseball fan, or much of a cap wearer either. But in the last few years, especially starting with the McGuire/Sosa home run race in ’98, I’ve been following baseball more closely. And with the bald spot on my head growing like the hole in Earth’s ozone layer, I’ve been adding more caps to my wardrobe.
In our home, we cheer for the Cubs. My wife’s from Illinois, it’s a rule and I’m fine with that. Following them to the heartbreaking finish of their 2003 season was my initiation to the ranks of the suffering Cubs fans. I even bought some ‘official’ Cubs merchandise, a cap and jersey, to outfit myself for fandom. But the jersey is like wearing a wetsuit, rubbery and uncomfortable, and the cap was a size too small and just too stiff. Still, I wore both regularly to do my part for the team.
Last season was also my introduction to the Red Sox, mostly through a great HBO Documentary called ‘The Curse of the Bambino‘ which recounts the many long years of suffering for the Red Sox and their fans since their fateful sale of Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees in 1919. Like the Cubs, the 2003 playoffs looked hopeful for the Sox, until, as usual, they suffered painful defeat at the hands of the Yankees. As a freshly-minted Cubs fan, it was easy to share the pain of the Red Sox and root for them over the hated-winning Yankees.
The 2004 baseball season was the first I have ever followed from opening day. All season long, I could actually tell you generally which teams were doing well and which were not. When I was in Boston in July to work at the Democratic Convention, I bought a Red Sox cap (when in Rome and all that) and cheered their wins over the Yankees in Fenway that weekend. The cap was very comfortable, much more so that my Cubs cap. A nice fit, even for my big head.
After returning from Boston, I went online and bought myself a new Cubs cap, this one to match the brand, size and style of my comfy Red Sox cap. It arrived, fit wonderfully, and took its place as my starting cap. All was good, and the Cubs were winning. Until I left the cap behind at a friends wedding in California on September 25th. Returning home from my friends wedding without my Cubs cap to wear, I began wearing my Red Sox cap again.
And just look what happened.
For the two weeks that I had that Cubs cap, the Cubs were 10-2. From the day I lost the cap through the end of the season, they were 2-7. Sorry Cubs fans, it’s my fault they didn’t reach the playoffs this year.
And the Red Sox? Down 3-0 in their playoff series against the Yankees, they won four straight to put themselves in the World Series, and then swept the Cardinals, the team with the best record in baseball this season, to win the World Series. With their cap on my head, they reversed the curse and ended their 86-year long championship drought.
This is wierd science folks, but there’s just no disputing the awesome power of my head. If I’m wearing a teams cap, that team WILL win! Can I learn to control this power? To harness it? Am I more like the mutant X-man Professor Xavier, or the horror queen Carrie?
I must use this power for good (or for money)! So, with baseball season over, I have a new cap to wear for now. And next season, if you would like, you can buy me a hat, and send money (power like this doesn’t go cheap), and maybe YOUR team will win next year! (preferred stye: The Franchise by Twins Enterprise, XXL)
Good music and bad movies, either can get lost. If you’re a musician or film maker who managed to lose your work, don’t give up hope. Lost items have been turning up everywhere lately.
Last August came word that the Clash’s long lost ‘Vanilla Tapes’ had been found. Long believed to have been left behind on the tube by a drunken roadie, they were discovered in stoage by Clash guitarist Mick Jones (I hope someone apologized to the roadie).
Then last week a briefcase full of lyrics, stolen from U2 was discovered in an attic and returned to the band.
And now comes word that Ed Wood’s long lost final film has been rediscovered. The late Ed Wood earned fame for how bad his work was, and his work became cult classings such as Plan 9 From Outer Space and Glen or Glenda?. Certainly fans will be eager to see Necromania, Ed’s adult movie about a couple seeking assistance with their sex life from a coven of witches – or maybe we’re not ready for it.
for further reading: The Clash, U2, and Ed Wood, Jr. from Wikipedia
According to a report from Nielsen//NetRatings, Democrats.org is the fastest growing web site in the country.
I’d like to say it was because of the high-demand for the pumpkin patterns we’ve posted, but the truth is more obvious. With Election Day looming, people are gearing up for their long awaited opportunity to un-seat our current court-appointed President and they’re looking online for information about where and how to vote, and to find ways that they can help send Bush back to Texas.
Democrats.org Fastest Growing Site
iMedia Connection, 10/25/04
Democrats.org Fastest Growing Website In America
Democrats.org, 10/27/04
Here’s a column that everyone should read from today’s Washington Post. The GOP’s Shameful Vote Strategy by Harold Myerson describes how the GOP no longer even tries to hide their voter suppression efforts. The good news is this will be the last campaign in which Bush is bothered by this whole ‘Democracy’ and ‘Vote’ business. Work for his defeat, or plan for the third term of Generallisimo El Busho as our self-appointed ruler for life. Yeah, I’m kidding… I think. But it could happen.
Well, the week-long Halloween Horror Film Fest has proven to be a heavier lift than I expected. Who knew that I would get tired and want to sleep? Damn, a few years ago I would have watched these movies in one sitting! Now, midnight rolls around and I can hardly keep my eyes open. In my defense, I did have to wait for the baseball game to finish, so it was a late start. A sweep by the Red Sox would be a big favor to my film fest. The good news is, I’ve seen each of the movies in my Horror Film fest many many times, and so I remain qualified to review them now, and today’s offering is The Fog.
Now anybody who likes scary movies has to be a fan of John Carpenter films, just has to. Halloween was the beginning of a string of great flicks, including his re-make of The Thing and today’s pick, The Fog. This is a VERY cool ghost story, with a plot that really moves the story (rather than gets in the way as with our earlier pick Sleepy Hollow).
So, there’s this little sea-side town, see, and they’re getting ready to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the town’s founding. And just around then the local priest (Hal Holbrooke) discovers the diary of his ancestor priest (how does that happen?) which describes how the town’s founding began with the betrayal and murder of a group of wealthy lepers who were seeking to establish a colony nearby. Eight lepers were killed when their ship was mis-led onto the rocks in a heavy fog. And now, 100 years later, the dead leper sailors are looking for some payback. Got it?
The Fog doesn’t miss an opportunity to go for the easy jump scare, often as a setup for the real thing. And that’s OK, because it’s just what you’re watching this sort of movie for. Jamie Lee Curtis demonstrates that she’s good at running scared, and Adrienne Barbeau shows she can climb on top of a light house in a storm dispite how top-heavy she is. And in the end, Hal Holbrooke gets the answer to his final question in fine style. All-around, a great flick, two thumbs WAY up!
further reading: Leprosy (Hansen’s disease) from Wikipedia
 Martin Slovacek |
Name: Martin Leopold SLOVACEK Sr.
Birth: Feb 1882 Polesovice, Moravia
Death: Dec 1953 Berwyn, IL
Burial: 7 Dec 1953 Bohemian National Cemetary, Chicago, IL 1
Occupation: Carpenter
Father: John SLOVACEK
Mother: Marie MELICHARKOVY
1: Hedvika IVACHULA
Birth: 15 Oct 1881 Polesovice, Moravia
Death: Jul 1968 LaGrange, IL 1
Burial: 11 Jul 1968 Bohemian National Cemetary, Chicago, IL 1
Father: Unknown IVACHULA
Marriage: 1906 Polesovice, Moravia
Children: Lydia (1908-1979)
Alois (1909-1994)
Jerry Martin (1910-1986)
Hattie (1913-1929)
Martin Leopold (1915-1976)
Care to dig deeper? Explore the Casey/Geltmaker family tree online.
If you have any information about Martin Slovacek or believe that you may be connected to my tree in any way, I would be very glad to hear from you! Please send me an email to: chris@casey.com
Ward Sutton’s cartoons land truthful blows on George Bush with brutal regularity making it a must read for any comic-reading, freedom-loving, democracy-supporting reader out there, check out his strip The Sutton Impact in the Village voice. Here’s a recent example, Reasons to Vote for Bush
From that comic I found this great link to a first-rate Sutton flash animation, Schlock & Awe! Give it a watch, and then share it with a friend.
