Thoughts of a Common Man

The 27-Time World Champion Greatest Franchise in the History of Organized American Sports is going for it! 100 games in and the trade deadline this afternoon and the Yankees have made two deals already with one more on the horizon. If they get Sonny Gray they will have addressed the weaknesses that Pops and I identified just a couple of weeks ago. So, it should be fun! The kids are exciting. Judge has been a monster all year, and Clint Frazier is fun to watch. He has a really quick swing... ...runs fast. And that's what's exciting. The old guys never went first to third. They don't look tired. On Sunday morning the Buffalo News published a story of the 1985 team that won 97 games and finished a game short of winning the AL East. I was 20 and recall being gathered around a radio as the Yanks played the Jays. They lost game 161 to be eliminated and my college buddies jumped all over me. And that's what might happen if this young team falls short....

I'm thinking that I got a shot. Reince is out. Spicy is out. Mooch is in. And that's what gives me hope. I can swear like the Mooch! But it gets more and more odd every day. Donald is trying to get Sessions to quit so that he might be able to hire someone who could possibly be the stooge to try and fire Mueller to get that pesky witch hunt, that might put the entire family in prison, over with. Which would certainly set the whole White House aflame. And that's where I come in! I was listening to Mooch talk to Chris Cuomo. He threw in so many Italian-American references that I was getting uncomfortable. Then later he was quoted as saying that Steve Bannon (another guy who might be on the way out) wanted to try and bend himself into a position that would allow him to get to a particular appendage that should not be reached by ones own mouth. All true stuff! No fake news!! And I never watched House of Cards, but I'm thinking that if, as a writer, ...

I was seated in the waiting area at Logan Airport, reading baseball trade rumors on my phone, and listening to Mellencamp. When I looked up, the entire waiting area, was filled with people. Hundreds of 'em! All looking around for a place to plug their phone. "Excuse me, is anyone sitting there?" A woman asked me, pointing to the obviously unoccupied seat next to me. "I don't see anyone, do you?" I asked. I must have delivered it all right because she laughed...plopped down beside me. A kid of about three, wearing a Spider-Man shirt started doing laps down the middle of the aisle. His mother ran along behind him as if the two of them were doing a performance. No one looked amused. And I like kids...I do...but not so much when they aren't mine and especially not when they're screaming and making me move my feet. I knew I'd lose my seat I I got up, but I had to hit the rest room before the flight. I was dragging my bag behind m...

Who's side are you on? Cellino? Or Barnes? Seems that the two lawyers who put that call 888-8888 jingle in your head forever are now heading for a court battle with each other. I'm kind of enjoying it. I'm not a grand fan of lawyers. I get their whole deal, but it's a game to them and a lot of times people's lives are greatly affected by their word charades. I've had more than a few encounters with lawyers because I have to, given that I work in a field where lawyers sometimes poke their noses in. One simple afternoon, years ago, has become imbedded on my conscience. The lawyer was arguing a point that was an absolute stretch. In fact, she knew it was out and out lie... ...but she clung to that flimsy lie... ...and told it over and over again until the judge slapped her down. As I was walking out of the hearing room I kept thinking: "She KNEW it was a lie." So, it's hard to respect everything about that profession... ....

I definitely was a Cub Scout. I recall going to the scout leaders house and trying to figure out how to tie knots. I wasn't very good. I remember the uniform and getting roundly harassed by any sibling that wasn't in a uniform at the time. John was with me through all of it and was in his own goofy uniform so it wasn't so bad, but Corinne was certainly taking pot shots and what dweebs we were. And then we were graduated to weabols (I don't even know if that's spelled right). That's where the journey ended...right after the soap box derby race. I remember the motto: Be Prepared. Loyalty. Love of God and Country. Help others. All good stuff! I listened to the heat the organization has taken through the years... ...didn't think too much about it. But The 45th President out the Scouts back in the news because he went out and gave an absolutely horrid speech in front of them. It's cringe-worthy to any of us who have suffered to p...

Caught an HBO documentary on Princess Diana, as it has been (unbelievably) 20 years since her death. What a shame that she died so young. Every time I see her I think: "What a beautiful woman." And it's not just her physical beauty. She appeared to be very nurturing to her boys, and she was roundly cheered for fighting for the less fortunate. She was a champion for the homeless. She actually went into the downtrodden neighborhoods and talked to the men and women who were suffering. She walked the walk. Yet, part of what touched me were the days of Diana as a very young girl. A bit of a tomboy, always laughing. Insecure, vulnerable. Always smiling broadly. What hit me about it was the feeing that she was absolutely cheated out of a life that she seemed to be thoroughly enjoying... ...even while speaking about AIDS, or land mines... ...and while dealing with her dopey husband and being shunned by those tight-asses. She stood up tall. Raised her...

Back in early 2009 I went to the New England Book Festival Awards ceremony to pick up an award for "Nobody's Home." It was my first award ceremony and I even wore a suit coat (sneakers though). I grabbed a beer and sat down to a guy who looked familiar to me. M.William Phelps. I recognized him from his photo on the back of his books. He writes true crime drama. I had read a number of his books. We spent a few hours chatting. I asked him about what it's like to interview killers. He told me that he was definitely affected by it. Well, he has a new book out this week about his constant communications with serial killer Keith Jepperson. How could a relationship with such a guy not creep into your real life. Jepperson told Phelps about feeding a Whopper to one of his victims... ...after she was dead... ...then laughing because she wasn't enjoying it. Phelps is a good dude. I really enjoyed my evening with him and his lovely wife. But he could...