The Obligatory Cubs Failure

The damn Chicago Cubs failed again and will not win the World Series. Most likely, the damn Cubs will never win the Series...

I spend to much damn time listening to Sports Talk Radio. I spend to much time watching baseball on TV. I need to become a grumpy White Sox fan or icky Cardinals fan or {shudder} Soul Sealing Hell Spawned Yankees fan. Or I need to more powerfully divest myself of Sports "Fever".

After two straight winning season in 2007 and 2008 the Cubs as a team choked both time in the Playoffs. While Lou Piniella is a good manager over the long hard slog of a 162 game baseball season and he's done a nice job of utilizing and maximizing his bench players potential; The short 5 game first round playoff series is too dicey and often one bad game or a couple hot players can take it over and crush the hopes and dreams of little Cubbie fans worldwide. Now, it's not totally Piniella's fault as the idea of playing 162 games and then having your Championship chances ruined by a "mere" 3 losses is bad planning by the MLB.

But, it's all based on the drive for more games and more revenue and if the Baseball Cartel could figure out a way to add more games and keep Fenway, Wrigley and Yankee Home Run Stadium open year round they would but Chicago winters, especially lately, aren't too conducive for that prospect. That's enough of Money Ball and wistful lamentations for Baseball purity.

The 2009 Cubs failed as an organization. Several players did very well, Derek Lee especially. But several decisions and baseball incidents caused the team to collapse.

The first and worst move was the acquisition of known malcontent Milton Bradley. Bradley appears to be a not nice person who finds ways to blame everyone but himself for his extensive history of problems. The Cubs ostensibly claimed they acquired Bradley to be a left-handed run producing hitter. Bradley does not drive in a large amount of runs and was not what the Cubs needed. So Bradley was what his history advertised and not what the Cubs declared... To make room for Bradley's forced signing the Cubs traded Mark DeRosa.

DeRosa has always been considered a role-player but if his last 4 seasons are taken alone his numbers show him to be an everyday player, who will produce a .285 average, 15-20 home runs, score and drive in 80+ runs. DeRosa was widely acknowledged as a good influence, clubhouse leader and showed a willingness to play a variety of positions for the Cubs during his two seasons with the team. Each of those attributes turned out to be exactly what the Cubs needed and missed in 2009.

The Cubs made the risky decision to enter the season with no backup for talented but slightly injury prone 3rd Baseman Aramis Ramirez and it turned out to probably be the worst cost-benefit analysis of the season. Ramirez got hurt and missed significant time during the season (DeRosa could have filled in at 3rd) but with DeRosa gone and when Ramirez went on the Disbaled List, the Cubs moved Mike Fontenot from 2nd Base to 3rd. Fontenot was to be given the shot to be the everyday 2nd baseman and he might have been okay this year if he also did not have to worry about playing everyday at the hot corner. The added pressure along with being a regular everyday player hampered his ability to adjust at the plate and kept Fontenot in an extended hitting slump.

Incredibly talented Carlos Zambrano again exploded into full blown Big Z meltdown mode in his underwhelming season. Zambrano is such a gifted baseball player he's got Nuke Laloosh's pitching power with the hitting ability of Crash Davis, unfortunately as Costner alluded to in Bull Durham Zambrano's apparently also got Laloosh's "5 cent head".

The off season abandonments of Felix Pie, Casey McGehee, and Jason Marquis contributed to the sad bad 2009 season.

And Non-Cub Alfonso Soriano continued his slow decline into baseball agedness. The Cubs have 6 years and $100 Million USC left of his .250 hitting Designated Hitter fielding ability left.

Fortunately for Cubs Fans the season's withering won't be seared into their psyche like 1969 or 1984 or 2003 or 2008...

Does anyone need

another report to tell them soldiers embrace alcohol as a self-medication?

Nearly twice as many US army soldiers today are either alcoholic or engage in damaging behavior such as binge drinking than six years ago, and experts blame the rise on repeated tours in war zones.

Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, told the national daily that he believed eight years of combat were at least partially responsible for the rising number of US soldiers with alcohol disorders.

Actually, I'm sure the young college Republicans and the 'Never Served and Never Will' Chicken Hawk Pro Human Party of Deferments does need to be told this since they have no idea what a combat tour is...

Why hasn't there been an upswing in enlistment by the Republicans, the Toxic Fox Commentators, the Neocons and their children in order to be sure to be front and center in the liberation of Iran for which they are cawing for daily.

Suicides continue, No One Cares

The U.S. Army said the number of soldiers who committed suicide last year has increased for a fourth straight year.

Does anyone not connected to the victim care? Blog posts are meaningless. I can't name a single soldier who took his own life.

I'm sorry they didn't receive the help they needed but even those words taste as a chalky hollow platitude. Like something a Chickenhearted Warmonger would say; while not contemplating the underlying causes or questioning his rabid support for the murder of innocents in far away lands by the American Military and the toll it takes on the minds and bodies of those who never truly return home.

The Dow went down by 400 points Obama's to blame!

To announce there should be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or anyone else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about anyone esle. - Theodore Roosevelt

I recall the Bush supporters and warmongers calling anyone, who dared speak up to point out illegal behavior, traitors and calling for arrests and death for treason. It's going to be awesome the next 4 years because now their guy is on the outs. I expect all of a sudden they, the Real Americans, will see themselves holding up all that is good against the evil tide of Socialism and be forced to stand up to the evils and excesses of the US Federal government. Soon the words of Teddy Roosevelt will be highlighted upon their blogs as they predict and ascribe everything evil under the sun to the islamo-marxist milieu created by Obama's ascendancy.

Flopping Aces points out the following occurred since Obama was elected: I’m disappointed that the nation will have to endure this quisling-in-chief for four long years. Today the Dow sank below 400 erasing gains, yesterday hamas rocketed Israel and a chill wind blew in an overcast, rainy day in Philly. A sign of things to come?

Steven Den Beste predicts the following: My comments follow in bold.
2. The US hasn't suffered a terrorist attack by al Qaeda since 9/11, but we'll get at least one during Obama's term. I guess the Amerithrax attacks and the DC Sniper don't count as terrorism...

3. We're going to lose in Afghanistan. Because Bush won Afghanistan already?

4. Iran will get nuclear weapons. There will be nuclear war between Iran and Israel. (This is the only irreversibly terrible thing I see upcoming, and it's very bad indeed.) Joe The Plumber knows Israel!

CDR Salamander: Also, we should all bask in the glory that to much of the Muslim world that knows their Sharia - we just elected and apostate to Islam as our President. We now have waiting for us in the new year the most Leftist government this nation has seen arguably in 70 years... Tune in, turn on, drop in like a Daisy Cutter. The Democrats now have to govern. They will show themselves. You now have your liberty and Constitution to defend. Attack their policies. Attack their proposals.

Moonbattery: There are people lowdown enough to know in advance who and what was elected yesterday, and to have voted for the Moonbat Messiah anyway. What they have done to this country is beyond forgiveness.

But an ultra-radical leftist like Obama could not be elected in a center-right country, or even a center-left country, without a great deal of deception.

Sadly, I guess the real fear is Nation of islam brownshirts will soon be knocking on the door of every pro-Americans' home to take their guns and force them to convert. Meanwhile, Obama will sign a Nuclear Arms deal with Iran who will then destroy Israel. And pass the 100% tax on all Americans making $1 USC a year and placing people into collective farms to begin the glorious transformation of America into The USSA.

Baseball proves God exists and

HE. HATES. THE. CUBS.

Pour Your Misery Down
Pour Your Misery Down on Me
Pour Your Misery Down
Pour Your Misery Down on Me ~ Only Happy When It Rains, Garbage

The Cubs resoundingly lost both home games to the Dodgers (7-2 and 10-3) and find themselves down 2 games to none in a best of 5 series. Technically, it's not over but...

It's been tough being a Cubs fan for the last 25 years. If prayer were real then, I believe the Cubs should probably have won the World Series in 1969, 1984, and 2003. What is the explanation for those losses and the 100 years of Cubs misery?

The sinful nature of Chicago Cubs fans? (Quick somebody go and sacrifice that damn Billy Goat!)
Can't we find at least One Good Man in Chicago?
Predestination? Lack of Unconditional Election for Cubs supporters?

And what should believers take from the success of the Yankees in the past 85 years? Are their fans and players more righteous or praying harder? What explains the recent salvation of Red Sox Nation? New found piety? A return to the graces of god? War in Heaven?

Unlike many of the absolutely devastated Cubs fans over the 2 resounding defeats in Wrigley Field at the hands of the LA Dodgers, I will not decry and lambaste the Cubs players personally. With the exception of Aramis Ramierz alleged involvement in cockfighting over the previous winter I can't think of any criminal actions perpetrated by the players. Derek Lee had only an okay baseball season but it is my understanding he is a good and dutiful father who has set up a charity (to which he devotes a large amount of time and money) to curing macular degeneration.

No, sadly the Cubs as a team are not playing winning baseball during the Division Series. And with only 3 games needed to win, the Cubs 2 losses almost certainly doom their fans to lament and declare yet again "Wait till Next Year".

I think the Baseball playoff system is deeply flawed. But because this is tied into millions and millions of dollars it's not going to change except for the possible addition of more games. It makes little sense to play 162 (or 163 if you happen to be White Sox) and then find that 3 losses abrogate the entire last 6 months. It needs to change.

But, even if the playoff system does change, the probability of a Cubs World Series victory is just below that of the Mayan End of the World Prophecy in 2012.

Update:
After a discussion of the miserable Cubs with friends last night I offered up my suggestion for a changes to the Playoff System.
Idea 1: Reduce the Regular season to 150 or 154 games (play more double headers) and have a 9 game LDS and 9 game LCS and retain the 7 game WS.
Idea 2: Again reduce the Regular season to 150 or 154 games and have 3 Division winner and 3 Wildcards. Top 2 division winners get the first round 5 game series off, resting up for the winners of the wildcard worst division for Round 2.
Idea 3: The wildcard team and the worst division winner get ZERO or Only ONE home playoff game in the first round.

Update 2:
It's over. Dream crushingly over.

Marines Lead the Way.

According to researchers, "A significant number of U.S. veterans back from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan begin abusing alcohol after returning".

The Corpse has always prided itself on the 'Tip of the Spear' Mantra. And when it comes to problems post Iraq War the Corpse is leading the way yet again.

"Active-duty Marines were also found to be at increased odds of continuing to binge drink after deployment, as well as to experience new-onset alcohol-related problems," wrote Isabel Jacobs and colleagues at the Naval Health Research Center in San Diego, California."

Ooh-Rah!

Anyone who has spent time on base knows this, just stop by any seven day store and look. Watch the number of young men with high and tights enter and make a straight line to the walk-in cooler and emerge with 24 cans of self medication for the day.

This, while it of course receives little attention in the public's eye, is another one of the benefits of the Warfare State. Thousands of lives ruined by war which will reverberate amongst thousands more with alcohol related diseases, alcohol fueled crimes (Drunk Driving, Domestic Violence, Assaults) and family problems so often captured in print by the children of veterans who never re-enter society and never form good familial bonds.

Of course, what do Bush, Cheney, Karl Rove, or any number of the Warmongers care? Their families don't suffer from the consequences. But, the people who do suffer, who lose sons and daughters, fathers and brothers have allowed themselves to be controlled and manipulated to transfer their unconscious anger and their grief and their unhappiness from the true cause onto false fronts and imaginary hobgoblins. Their anger is used and directed, dividing the people and keeping all of us beholden and in chains to the Warfare State.

Angst Rock

This post began as a discussion of the new album Viva La Vida by Colplay and of the band itself. I saw an online photo of the famous painting used as the backdrop and (without googling) my internal monologue told me the painting was Liberty Leading the Way by Eugene DelaCroix (1832) in praise of the 1830 Paris riots. The image having been implanted in my middlebrow brain when I visited the Louvre in 2000. Anyway I was ready to slam Coldplay for the cheesy use of such an iconic painting because their graffiti style title name covered the exposed bare bosom of Liberty. Whether the it does or not is now irrelavant to this post.

Of course, Gwyneth Paltrow, wife of Coldplay's lead singer, describes the album as "brillant".

Anyway...

In Jan 2003, I deployed to England, JAC Molesworth. Besides the fact England has some town names, which to an American ear, just have an odd ring to them (Catworth, Stow Longa, Thrapston, Alconbury, GODMANCHESTER) Coldplay was entering the bigtime with their second album release. I heard it and I liked it and I bought it. Due to a confluence of personal events, the intellectually stultifying and mentally depressing atmosphere of the Corpse itself I was not very happy during 2003 so I found myself listening to "Sad Rock" quite often.

As an aside I still wonder if mankind listens to sad and emotionally depressing music because they are already unhappy or if the music itself pushes one into a depressed mood. I think it's a combination and it varies from individual to individual. However, I think one can create and nourish "negative" brain pathways forming a happy or sad personality through repeated exposure.

Back to Coldplay. I liked the album but while I was in Danelaw I realized I've heard this music before back in the 90's! Radiohead. The Bends and OK Computer capitalized on the Angst ridden music scene of the 90's. Of course, it wasn't that Radiohead capitalized on the 90's genre by being cliche but due to their complex and impressive musical talents.

So, the question is why is Coldplay such a huge group today? I think it has something to due with Susan Jacoby's thesis from The Age of American Unreason. People have allowed themselves to become intellectually lazy and Coldplay resonates because they have the patina of a highly impressive band which the musically elite and those with a cultured ear would listen to.