Perfection

An article referencing Tom Browning's perfect game can be found here. Near the end of the article, Tom Browning addresses the subject of how many people were in the stands after the 2hour 27minute rain delay.

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Tom, there weren't many, but I can name four:

Akbar Hasan, Blaine Ott, Dan Hall, and one of their 18yr old buddies who had driven them from Lexington to Cincinnati that night and from time to time makes blog entrys here.

So, thanks, cause that was a really cool thing to see.

1984

Recently completed reading George Orwell's classic, "1984". This book is prophetic, scary, and provocative wrapped up in a big ball. Some favorite passages:

"No emotion was pure, because everything was mixed up with fear and hatred. [Winston and Julia's] embrace had been a battle, the climax a victory. It was a blow struck against the Party. It was a political act."

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"[People incapable of understanding] could be made to accept the most flagrant violations of reality, because they never fully grasped the enormity of what was demanded of them, and were not sufficiently interested in public events to notice what was happening. By lack of understanding they remained sane. They simply swallowed everything, and what they swallowed did them no harm, because it left no residue behind, just as a grain of corn will pass undigested through the body of a bird."

***

"One did not know what happened inside the Ministry of Love, but it was possible to guess: tortures, drugs, delicate instruments that registered your nervous reactions, gradual wearing down by sleeplessness and solitude and persistent questioning. Facts, at any rate, could not be kept hidden. They could be tracked down by inquiry, they could be squeezed out of you by torture. But if the object was not to stay alive but to stay human, what difference did it ultimately make? They could not alter your feelings; for that matter you could not alter them yourself, even if you wanted to. They could lay bare in the utmost detail everything that you had done or said or thought; but the inner heart, whose workings were mysterious even to yourself, remained impregnable."

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"The fallacy was obvious. It presupposed that somewhere or other, outside oneself, there was a 'real' world where 'real' things happened. But how could there be such a world? What knowledge have we of anything, save through our own minds? All happenings are in the mind. Whatever happens in all minds, truly happens."

***

"They would have blown his brain to pieces before they could reclaim it. The heretical thought would be unpunished, unrepented, out of their reach forever. They would have blown a hole in their own perfection. To die hating them, that was freedom."

The beginning of sport's most pristine GOOSE EGG

Yesterday, the Cincinnati Bengalberries took the field. To Cliff Blog's great delight, the Bengalberries posted another of their infamous "L"s. This puts the current season record at 0 Wins and 1 Loss.

To make that point crystal clear, here's how many wins the Bengalberries have:

Fifteen more losses, and this team will have reached a MAJOR milestone. A goal never attained in an NFL season- the 0-16 record! After this achievement, they will take their place as the worst professional sports franchise EVER.

C'mon Bengalberries! That first loss was critical, but you've got a lot more losing to do! The tone is set, so don't go screwing this up too!

Wrigley Field Grounds Crew: Hello!

A classic Wrigley Field moment occurred yesterday:



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This was an embedded video of a Major League Baseball play. Why MLB would issue a take down notice to a video on Youtube is a subject of great mystery.

Couldn't it be possible that someone browsing the Internet, or subscribed to a blog, would come across an entry such as this, and think, "Gee that looks fun. I think I'll go to the game in my town tonight."

But no: the insular attitudes at baseball's highest levels have prevailed again. No more MLB on Youtube, and before that, no more free streaming audio of MLB broadcasts, and before that, the ridiculous "home market" blackouts, and on and on.

The clowns in charge of MLB are extremely fortunate that they have the greatest game. No matter how hard they try to screw it up with steroids or the designated hitter, we're allured by the baseball game because of it's intricacies, it's time of year, and it's settings.

The spirit of service

Last night, at the beginning of his acceptance speech, Barack Obama thanked several of the DNC's figureheads. Of one of those figureheads, he said the following:

"...to Ted Kennedy, who embodies the spirit of service"

Would Mary Jo Kopechne concur with this viewpoint? If so, the events of July 18, 1969 must have gone something like this:

Mary Jo Kopechne: "Ted, I'd like to die tonight."
Ted Kennedy: "Well Mary Jo, in the 'spirit of service' I will crash this car into the nearest tidal waters and leave you to drown! I'm a 'spirit of service' kinda guy!"

Winkie's Dream

Fantastic scene:

Beijing, you're very clever

Hello, China! We have learned how to pronounce the name of your one horse town- Beijing. We get it. You're very clever.

Now, here's something for you to learn for 2016:

IPA: /Chiˈcaːgo/

Put down your chopsticks, its time for the stuffed crust...

Upside Down Under

Eight

8
8
8

Destiny in Battle Creek

Recently, Barack Hussein Obama gave another one of his electrifying speeches- this time in Battle Creek, MI. He was no doubt catering to the sugar cereal lobby during the speech. The Cliff Blog has obtained a transcript of the speech and it is reprinted here:

"Heeeelllooooooo! Cereal City!"

crowd applauds wildly- 90sec

"Ladies and gentlemen of Battle Creek- I come to you tonight to report things are not well in our great country. That the economy is a shambles, that costs are up, and that some people are finicky eaters.

"This is the bad news, but I want to assure you, that together, we can take the steps necessary and enact change in our great country.

crowd applauds- 30sec

"It starts with ending our dependence on food groups such as 'fried', 'cheese', and 'sugar cereals'. All of us, need to reach out, and try new flavors and textures.

"For instance, I met a man in Birmingham, Obama, er, Alabama that wouldn't eat anything green (except for a bowl of Green Apple PebblyPuffs) and he adamantly said to me:

'If it's not a bowl of sugar cereal, or it doesn't go "moo moo" or "oink oink" I ain't eating it!'

"This same man professed his love for Sugar Smacks, CoCo Crispberrycruchies, and Choco-Marshmallowarifics- all produced here, in Battle Creek. He also mentioned consuming copious volumes of Cheetos and incidentally, he was around 5'10" and weighed 350lbs.

crowd becomes restless

"My opponent knows this exact same truth: that the junk food diet of the USA is killing us. But, his solution is to close down Battle Creek. To close the Frosted Diddlies factory, to close the Fruity Nut Explosions plant, and finally, to kill Count Chocula himself!

crowd boos

"But, citizens of Battle Creek, Michigan- I stand before you to report that this approach is not the answer. That my opponent is misguided and wrong.

crowd's ears perk up

"No, Battle Creek, I want to retrain the sugar cereal industry here, creating vouchers for retraining programs! We can put people to work and create jobs right here in Battle Creek! People can work to create foods that Americans will have to try if we're going to end our dependence on food groups such as 'fried', 'cheese', and 'sugar cereals'!

crowd senses a handout and begins cheering again

"The citizens of Battle Creek are too intelligent and can work producing flavorful dishes such as sushi and side items such as steamed broccoli! That the citizens of Battle Creek can create minced onion, the building blocks for Thai food, and spinach for the stuffed crust pies of Chicago, Illinois! Which, by the way, is a redneck town filled with a bunch of losers.

crowd applauds wildly- 60sec

"The production costs for a box of Jelly Booberries are eight times the costs for a decent priced Indian buffet. Someone has to supply all those Indian Buffets with the raw materials for Chicken Vindaloo. You, Battle Creek, Michigan can supply those Indian Buffets after the United States helps you understand what a curry is!

crowd applauds wildly, whistling, chanting- 90sec

"So, to you, citizens of Battle Creek, I say 'Let's change! Let's fight! and Let's take back the American stool!'

"Thank you, and good night!"

crowd goes coo coo for cocoa puffs, women faint, men salute- 5min