Viral Vicissitudes

LOL: I am Bearly, managing... Elevated expectations: No, not the ones that one immediately associates with what we were assembling for, as in the "Little League Parade" followed by the "Opening Ceremonies" which, of course, has to include the ceremonial "first pitch". TG today it was choreographed to have two qualified LL's rather than some local celebrity, given that we'd probably still be searching for what's called in baseball a "wild throw" which can result in what's ruled a "passed ball" and sometimes blamed on the catcher. While all these were collectively the reason for the high stimulation among the LL's assembling, most of which had not only their mitts but their pockets and bags full of candy, as it's part of the pageantry in our town, followed by a cleanup by city workers putting in some OT. From my vantage point, the elevated expectations came from what happens when a parent (or a parent of a parent o...

Merch! to the beat. Wall to Wal, mart: In short, in case those that are not well...attired, or you are among getting tired of seeing the same old, worn out...want something more trendy, I am here as your host with the most, up-to-date, definitions as well as what defines good, style statements. So, just in case you have been the missing few, the ones that were not part of the record-setting crowd in what's called down-town, but made up, in our locale by an area that is ranges from a "Campus"...to a "Plaza" and can't forget about something old, as in "Greek"! No matter where one found oneself, there was plenti-full "Merch" (and dice, casinos) as well as pop-up kiosks that made up this "...place where things are bought and sold as a mark-up, or is it market, aka shopping centre..." Merch and Mart, collectively making the scene that depicted our whole home-town, going... Buy-serk! Whereas some came from what's called far and wi...

An Owed to Dear John, who could  really  tie one on. Managing householders, bawlers:  Whether you find your-self in such a position, whether by election, post-interview, or just through a natural succession -- there are a few major and many 'minor' virtues that will be called on -- early and often in some cases. Some that one can actually practice and rehearse on one's own, while others can be called into action at the least desirable, otherwise referred to as "inopportune time" -- the latter almost becoming a law under the name of Murphy... Fun-a-mentals: When I stepped up to the plate (in more ways than one) to manage some youngsters, some of which came from a class titled "Young Fives" (thus, allowing me to classify them as such), otherwise called by the local Little League board "T-bawlers" (at least that's what it sounded like) I was moved to attend a "coaches clinic" which seemed a bit odd for someone listed as a "manag...

The Planet Earth - Movers and Shakers, Land End Users End-visioning: Where one visionary simply gazes out at the field and streams, another comes along and sees it as "Yields beyond your dreams" (enough crops to feed...given just the right amounts of sun and rain). Yet another, as in "Walt goes West" sees it as a place "Where dreams come true" He envisioned it, they built it, and here we still come.  Well, the proverbial dust on the day set aside as Earth Day, had hardly settled and these three groups were all back, kicking up dust, throwing dirt at each other...Can't we all get along...isn't there, at least at this juncture, 48 hours after we all united to save the planet, enough room for all three.?! Well, at least two... Joni meets Ray: "When Harry Meets Sally" -- a film partly addressing the question "Can't men and women just be friends?" was such an earth-shaker that the Library of Congress sought to preserve it as ...

" WHAT , on Earth?!" Day, 2024 Intone-nations: Which I am told by Wiktionary, are present in all languages, both written and spoken, the world over. Features of pronunciation that has to do more with how  rather than what  you say, read. But well, in advance of here and now, it became a two-fold question, one with dual meanings...which I will attempt to 'weave' (spoiler alert!) together in an attempt to "highlight or focus your attention...to signal the illocutionary act performed by a sentence..." Even one presented by a question? (did you detect the rise in my voice as I posed it?) Such as the one I posed to myself this very (Earth) day...what should I wear to reflect such an important event that for much of the world only comes once per year? Well, as I sit here in what many call earth tones, including a light brown (sandy even) hued "breathable" sweatshirt accompanied by green slacks (both all cotton, of course, according to the mandatory conte...

Basic Composition: Parallel lines and right angles Institutionalized: One does not have to look far or wide (as the saying goes) to see both the compelling parallels between the basic elements that make up, then become "standards of excellence" for various national institutions, such as those schools of higher learning that stand the test of time and the ones that not only are attractive due to ivy adorning the same walls, halls that one's ancestors (now called "endowers" as the ones that have left vast sums of money to have their name on the wall) came, to embrace...the same ones that, according to a recent study in what psychologists call "cognitive dissonance" -- which, when applied to marketing some of the most exclusive private academic academies, found many willing to shell out bigger bucks for the more expensive institution ("it must be better, all those that have preceded us there, who are still paying off their loans must know what they...

Dual Purpose(s)..."as I was saying" about the  game of bases and balls.  Strictly, or more broadly stated: As well as in the more literal or figurative sense, limited in scope and context, such as in the actual game of baseball, playing out right before your eyes, or more globally conceptualized, as in idiomatic, as in sayings, phrases that come from "who knows where, never gave it a second thought"... "Take your base" for example: Take it any way you want...but before you do, whether you are the type who prefers to generalize, transfer prior knowledge, from a single instance, or the more, let's just call it "pedantic" type (stickler, stuck on details), take just on step back in time...to a time and place where you either lacked prior knowledge of our frequently strange 'laws of language' (a term which itself offers an example of what we sometimes call an oxy-moronic literary, rhetorical device, one that seems to contradict itself...s...

Base ball, players: Duo lingo Full Coverage: What you've come to expect from prior visits, regardless of the subject matter...ranging from the less well-comings in life (ergo original title of "Viral Vicissitudes"), on to those more obligatory in nature -- most recently including "debts and taxes", the latter of which are now "past due"...which is when you really  need Turbo Tax! as well as what's called the 1040 ES,  which allows a small degree of error and the kind of charity from Uncle Sam I wrote to you about a few days ago, on behalf of all us "selfies" who still have to pay taxes of income that is "not otherwise subject to withholding" 😕😠!!  And finally , once again returning us to activities, that are considered more discretionary, how me might choose to past the time (ergo "pastime"). Including what's called the game of baseball which, if it finds itself in the genre of games we have experienced in the de...

Debts, Collectors: all is forgiven. Two weeks on: No fooling! That is, two weeks to the day, that many of us, caught off guard, claimed we would never be fooled again. Similar to when, in the past we heard an aspiring leader (as in on running for office) make the claim "Read my lips -- no   new   taxes " Well, that's what he said, as we heard it loud and clear but it's apparently not what was on his mind. Forgive me for not be a mind reader. In any case, in one well-crafted paragraph, I'm here to remind you that, if you haven't "rendered unto Caesar" his so-called "due" you have until midnight tonight to at least file a form that, based on the bottom line, will tell you whether you owe his uncle Sam or vice versa. The details to be worked out (debated) at another date, such as the one they allow you, if you file what's called an "extension".  Which, depending on who you are, what tax bracket you find your-self in, after taking...

The Game of base-ball, materialistically speaking. A series, of questions... Game, On ?! Comma, other punctuation called for, "intended for all audiences". That is, whether you consider yourself a past-time purist, concerned with how this past-time has become punctuated itself with greed, to such avaricious levels that could find itself...past its time. And for those who have not yet found themselves among the dis-contended...dis-connected (literally!) consumers, cynical about how the continued rule changes, resulting from off season meetings of league officials, owners..."Money ballers!" (if you haven't seen the movie you won't appreciate the reference or the appreciation of the role of athletic analytics...which collectively create new, improved algo-rhythms, designed to first capture our attention, then reinforce us to, as they say in base-ball, "keep us in the game!"). A game that is increasingly elusive for the everyday consumer to afford, eve...

Turf, Managers Out of My League: So, as I have pointed out here, for those who care enough, want to show respect for what's still consider a national pastime, while all-the-while, looking more international by the day, while other sports teams may be accompanied by a coach on the side line the so-called "head honcho" in the game of baseball, who is usually found pacing the dugout, the one I mentioned a few posts ago is covered by a bigger umbrella, given the number of roles they subsume, is referred to as the "manager" who in turn calls upon many specialized coaches (e.g., pitching, first, third..."who's on second?"). Their respective importance reflected not only by the umbrella reference, but even in the event they are removed prematurely (i.e., prior to the end of their formal contract), a "golden parachute" (don't you have such a clause, for a soft landing, just in case...?). While the various coaches may go under-appreciated, dur...

Leveling and Channeling...Fields of Play.   Right, left...center: Takes a while to establish your area(s) of strength (as well as...) which will eventually determine where you'll get assigned, on or in the field of play which, as my most recent post pointed out, is oddly referred to at times as a "park" whereas others, as if you owned it, a "yard". And, of course, politically speaking, these designations will also be accompanied by a color chart, state-by-state. Well, regardless what state you reside in, or which side of the ball park you find yourself, this post is an attempt to be inclusive, as in covering all the bases...we're talking base-ball after all, aren't we...? Whether you consider yourself a free-trader, commercially speaking, a level playing field is a concept about fairness -- not that each player has an equal chance to succeed, but that they at least agree to play by the same set of rules😉. There are even governing bodies who pass rules a...

"Going Yard!" Calling you out. Multi-Dimensionally speaking: B4 I get to the specific dimensions specified at the "league level" -- from the MLB all the way down to the smaller ball parks (a peculiar way to describe a place that has few things resembling trees and concurrent increase of sin-thetic in/outfield grass) that contain teams with smaller salaries, and where I find my-self currently trying to "manage"...T-Ball! Where it's rumored the best and brightest managers are found...given that this is the level where habits are formed, prior to all those "poor sports" emerging. So, please allow me some lee-way and hope that I don't play a spoiler by pointing out only a few quirky colloquialisms that have found their way into our daily lexicon, many of which we have almost come to rely on, depending on your age and circumstances ("did you even get to first base...?")..."I think I landed the job; I certainly hit a home run dur...

Pleasant Pastime Posting: Home Opener, pep talks...minor, major concessions.  Double takes, natural pairings: It's almost as if they were meant to be together...that you can't have one without the other...Such as balls and bats...ball in glove -- the former if you are content to just what pre-gamers call "shag balls", the latter if you want to just go out and have, as the son said invited his dad in "Field of Dreams" (gets me every time😂)..."you want to have a catch?". And then there's the player duets, as in pitchers and catchers -- who are frequently the first to report to what's still called Spring Training and who, if they are pressed, will  state their preference, partly due to their ability to effectively 'communicate' (which includes all kinds of interesting signs the catcher does and if the pitcher does not appreciate will occasionally 'wave off'...sometimes via a disapproving head nod, and others a mere shrug of th...

The times...they just keep on changing -- DUH! (no fooling!)    Get with it! Yeah, right? How exactly is one expected to "understand and change to fit with what is now happening and accepted in the culture..." when it's tough enough these daze we find ourselves in...no matter what zip code, time zone you are at this very moment (many of which have already expired since you began reading this post😟)..to simply keep track of what exactly what time it is. Even in this age of so-called smart watches, is it now...to be precise, is it "...25 or 6 to 4...?" And even if you card to look, glance at your watch at such a "witching hour" -- "does anyone...really care?" As in "Chicago" time, borrowing lyrics from two different albums, the words and ideas conveyed just as relevant today as they were in the late 60's to early 70's... Sooner and  Later: As in no sooner had I came up with an answer to the question of how, what I would do wi...