It's weird
Michael Lanasa
almost 12 years. Most of the traffic has long ago moved on to one of the
many Cubs blogs. I've stayed along with a few other dinosaurs who have
failed to evolve with the rest of the Internet. I wonder if Usenet is
finally dead?
I'll continue to check here once a day. Maybe when the season starts,
things will pick up.
Claude
"Michael Lanasa" <mpNOl...@yahSPAMoo.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.25810c687...@news.eternal-september.org...
You're right. We're down to a small group. But most of the folks who post
here regularly I respect their input. There's a certain value in this
"intimacy". Just take a look at Al's blog. There is no way I would even
try to keep up in there, much less read all of it. Furthermore, the foremat
of the blogs is a lot harder to follow than the Usenet format where you can
easily pick up where you left off on a thread. I imagine the regulars will
be back as soon as there is some real Cubs news. Perhaps we'll pick up a
few as well. I use Eternal September as my news reader. It is free and
works out well for me.
The old geezer
>
> I'll continue to check here once a day. Maybe when the season starts,
> things will pick up.
I'm still here, but after 50 years I've grown a little weary of the
ol' Cubbies trying to become the Yanks/BoSux of the NL.
Perhaps that statement duzn't make sense but I expected a lot more
from Lou as manager. Maybe he's grown old & weary of all the
shenanigans like me.
The old geezer
Frank Sereno
On 4-Dec-2009, The old geezer <JY...@aol.com> wrote:
> X-Received-Date: Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:05:44 UTC (s02-b30)
TOG,
What did you expect from Lou? He managed the team to back to back division
titles and three consecutive seasons over .500. The Cubs hadn't won back to
back anything since 1908 and they haven't had three consecutive winning
seasons since Durocher's run in the late 60's and early 70's. The way the
Cubs were kicked to the curb in the 2008 playoffs was very disappointing and
then the Cubs over-reaction to that failure led to a lackluster season in
2009. Hopefully the ship will be righted in 2010 and the Cubs can sail to a
World Championship. If I'm lucky, I'll be working a new job near St. Louis
and I won't be able to watch them except for when they are on national TV.
If nothing else, Aaron Miles has left the building this week.
Claude
"Frank Sereno" <fse...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:5FeSm.162873$eG.1...@unlimited.newshosting.com...
Good luck on the St. Louis job. Just be sure to keep the faith.
Casey Miller
I have visited this group daily for over 10 years, but I rarely post
(extremely rarely). I miss a lot of the folks who have emigrated, but
I still far prefer the level of discourse and ease of navigation here.
In an effort to give this group a boost, perhaps I'll make a New
Year's resolution to post more regularly. You'll have to decide for
yourselves if that is a good thing.
>
Frank Sereno
On 4-Dec-2009, "Claude" <cla...@nospam.com> wrote:
> From: "Claude" <cla...@nospam.com>
> Good luck on the St. Louis job. Just be sure to keep the faith.
Well, it's just an interview. If I get the job, my boss would be my old
department manager, but apparently he isn't making the hiring decision. If
he were, I'd be feeling a lot more confdent about the situation.
I've been a Cub fan for too long to give it up now. Even when I talked about
cheering for another team, I couldn't bring myself to follow through.
On the other hand, I grew up in another town from the one I live in now. And
growing up, my friends and I all disliked the high school teams for the town
where I now live. Even after moving here, I was rather indifferent to the
school even though I could practically spit on it from my front door. And
then my son was a pretty good athlete for that school and I was at every
game and meet that I could make, cheering them on like a maniac. And now
that he's graduated, I'm right back to where I couldn't care less about them
again.
Claude
"Casey Miller" <kcmi...@enteract.com> wrote in message
news:ovvih59ackuciip9s...@4ax.com...
Please do. As you know, though we disagree from time to time, the tone is
usually respectful. I'm sure your contributions will be welcome.
Mark Anderson
> What did you expect from Lou? He managed the team to back to back
> division titles and three consecutive seasons over .500. The Cubs hadn't
> won back to back anything since 1908 and they haven't had three
> consecutive winning seasons since Durocher's run in the late 60's and
> early 70's.
Here we go again with the apologists celebrating mediocrity as being
preferable to pathetic. Not to nitpick but actually between 1906 and
1910 the Cubs made it to the WS 4 out of 5 times. Back then (and all the
way up to divisional play) any team just needed to beat the rest of their
league in the standings. In 1908 there were 8 teams so all things being
equal, the Cubs had a 1/8 chance of making it to the post season. By
1969, the first year of divisional play their odds went down to 1/6.
With the current wild card situation the odds of making post season are
down to approximately 1/4 (4 teams out of 16 get in). So you can't
compare past accomplishments (or lack thereof) with current
accomplishments because everything is different. Note that those two
back to back post season appearances are much easier in today's
environment and the Cubs lost both years in the divisional round which
means technically, they didn't even capture a division title either year,
something they did do in 1984, 1989, and 2003 (post 1945 era).
So keep wearing those rose colored glasses and celebrate mediocrity.
Yankees fans don't celebrate a slightly above .500 season so neither
should we.
Claude
"john" <jcad...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:clfjh5593371895tt...@4ax.com...
> internet in summer 95 when I got out of Peace Corps. It was some time
> in that fall that I found this ng. I've been mostly lurking and
> sometimes posting since.
>
> I agree with Claude about blogs too. Too much crap, no killfiles, and
> for some reason Al opens every link in a new window, which annoys the
> hell out of me. My browser has a back button.
>
> I miss a lot of the people too, but I still like it here.
Not to blast Al or his group, but as of this writing there are 956 posts in
response to the Fox-Miles trade. Who has time to wade through them, read
them, keep up with them, and post into them? Certainly not I, but
apparently there are a lot that do. I much prefer our group as a discussion
forum. Besides, it's been nice getting to know each other over the years.
The old geezer
> Not to blast Al or his group, but as of this writing there are 956 posts in
> response to the Fox-Miles trade. �Who has time to wade through them, read
> them, keep up with them, and post into them? �Certainly not I, but
> apparently there are a lot that do. �I much prefer our group as a discussion
> forum. �Besides, it's been nice getting to know each other over the years
What Fox - Miles trade???
TOG
Mark Sieving
wrote:
>
>What Fox - Miles trade???
Jake Fox and Aaron Miles were traded to Oakland for pitcher Jeff Gray
and two minor leaguers, pitcher Ronny Morla and outfielder Matt
Spencer.
Frank Sereno
On 5-Dec-2009, The old geezer <JY...@aol.com> wrote:
> X-Received-Date: Sat, 05 Dec 2009 23:08:12 UTC (s02-b72)
Aaron Miles and Jake Fox got traded to Oakland.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-04-cubs-trade-dec04,0,7280440.story
Cory
I've been posting since the mid-90's, but I RARELY post to ANY of my
sports groups during the off-season. I'm just not as heavily invested
in sports as some other people are. I watch sports for enjoyment and
for the excitement, but I sure do not live or die by sports. I really
don't live or die by any recreational activites (even TV shows), to tell
the truth. There are too many other things in the world to concern
myself with.
--- Cory
Frank Sereno
On 5-Dec-2009, Cory <my_whe...@charter.net> wrote:
> I've been posting since the mid-90's, but I RARELY post to ANY of my
> sports groups during the off-season. I'm just not as heavily invested
> in sports as some other people are. I watch sports for enjoyment and
> for the excitement, but I sure do not live or die by sports. I really
> don't live or die by any recreational activites (even TV shows), to tell
> the truth. There are too many other things in the world to concern
> myself with.
>
> --- Cory
I don't believe that anyone here lives and dies with the Cubs. And sure we
have more important matters to concern ourselves with in our lives such as
work, health, family, God and country. But coming here to talk about the
Cubs gives everyone a chance to escape from some of those concerns. If I sat
around and worried about when I'm going to get my next job, I'd probably go
nuts. Posting and reading here actually helps me keep my sanity.
With a small group like this, it's more like a club and it's nice to just
talk. We no longer have an overriding need to be on topic either. It was fun
to hear about tks' mule or FMR's Browning or Ketel One or having Claude and
t fighting over which one is older than dirt. And if someone is down, we can
pick one another up.
I think it would be great if you could contribute more because your are an
intelligent person. I appreciate that you took the time to write your
opinion.
The old geezer
>
> I don't believe that anyone here lives and dies with the Cubs. And sure we
> have more important matters to concern ourselves with in our lives such as
> work, health, family, God and country. But coming here to talk about the
> Cubs gives everyone a chance to escape from some of those concerns.
Pro Sports is the opiate of the American masses!
If I sat
> around and worried about when I'm going to get my next job, I'd probably go
> nuts. Posting and reading here actually helps me keep my sanity.
Man, did you lose your job? Sorry to hear that. I know a while back
you were talking about it...how your plant was going to close.
The place I work for is on real thin ice. Kinda like being on the
Titanic. They cut the pay 10% (which wasn't all that great to begin
with...woulda been great if it was 1980), then our hours down to
35...& are thinking of going to 30 hours in 2010. NOBODY is hiring
here in Upstate New York (except Burger King) because of the high NYS
taxes & endless regulations. And then the politicians wonder why
everyone is moving out. DUH!
Well, not to worry. Something always comes up! I was down to my
final two weeks of unemployment in 2003 when outta the blue a job
offer came in for factory work. Good company. I left for a new job
in 2006 & since that company has closed its plant here(almost) & moved
most of its operations to Alabama where the taxes ain't so
devastating.
The old geezer
ND: Sierra Nevada Porter
NP: Landmass - Steve Roach
tks
or having Claude and
> t fighting over which one is older than dirt.
O.K.....For the record.
It's Claude I tell you....It's Claude!...
Would I lie?
tks <hoping they buy it>
Claude
"tks" <tks...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:hfgpu4$1hd2$1...@adenine.netfront.net...
Just to prove my point....This is no exaggeration....tks is so old, he even
saw the Cubs play in a World Series game. Word is that they are going to
wheel him out to the pitcher's mound on opening day, wake him up, and then
try to get him to throw out the first ball.
CardsFan
"Claude" <cla...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:hfgurh$eh3$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
I'd pay to see that.
AJM
Frank Sereno
On 6-Dec-2009, The old geezer <JY...@aol.com> wrote:
> Man, did you lose your job? Sorry to hear that. I know a while back
> you were talking about it...how your plant was going to close.
Yeah, about 180 people lost their jobs. Well, that's not entirely true. A
lot of the people in management were given job opportunities at other plants
so the final tally isn't quite as bad. They still had to uproot their
families and all.
I wouldn't have minded so much if we had been an unsuccessful plant, but we
were one of their most profitable operations. But whenever you have a
merger, plants are going to get closed. And more often than not, it's going
to be plants that weren't originally part of the controlling company.
If worse comes to worst, I'll go back to school so I'm qualified for
something that pays about half what I used to earn. Life will go on.
Claude
"CardsFan" <m...@here.com> wrote in message
news:hfhfd0$ea1$1...@mailhub227.itcs.purdue.edu...
The problem is that we will then have a new curse---the *old* goat curse.
Michael Lanasa
says...
>
> "CardsFan" <m...@here.com> wrote in message
> news:hfhfd0$ea1$1...@mailhub227.itcs.purdue.edu...
> >
> > "Claude" <cla...@nospam.com> wrote in message
> > news:hfgurh$eh3$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
> >>
he
> >> even saw the Cubs play in a World Series game. Word is that they are
> >> going to wheel him out to the pitcher's mound on opening day, wake him
> >> up, and then try to get him to throw out the first ball.
> >
> > I'd pay to see that.
> >
> > AJM
>
> The problem is that we will then have a new curse---the *old* goat curse.
It will be 100 more years before they let tks back into Ricketts Field.
Michael Lanasa
fse...@nospam.com says...
It seems like it was years ago that you talked about losing your job. I
didn't realize you were still off. Best of luck Frank.
Michael Lanasa
fse...@nospam.com says...
>
>
> With a small group like this, it's more like a club and it's nice to just
> talk. We no longer have an overriding need to be on topic either.
That's kind of how I think about the group now: a club. We don't always
talk about the Cubs, but that's the common bond we all share.
> It was fun to hear about tks' mule
I never get tired of hearing about tks' ass.
tks
O.K. I get it. I see what you all are doing. Ganging up on tks....making
fun of Milton Burro...and trying to paint me as a senile old poop. Well
I've had enough. There comes a point where you have to defend
yourself....Time to fight back and let the chips fall where they may!
I'll have you know there are literally thousands and thousands of people
out there that will tell you that.....Actually there are more people
available that are willing to state, in my defense, that....There is
absolutely no doubt or argument that can be made to the effect....I
don't even know how anyone in their right mind could possible
believe....It just seems incredulous to me that there is anyone....All
of you know as well as I that it is virtually impossible to....It is
senseless to even attempt to make a case....Why in the world do any of
you even consider the fact that....er...ah...damn...
What in the hell were we talking about????
tks (I need a nap.)
CardsFan
Since I sorta set up Claude to take a shot at you, I'll try to be fair:
The A.M.A. says watching the Buffalo Bills play football is currently best
practice for insomnia.
AJM
Claude
You'll get no argument there---either from me or the Geezer, who is the
other Bills fan in this forum. I casually follow the Bears, and the
parallels between the two teams are quite striking (unexpected when the
season began). Do you suppose it could be the "Jauron Curse"?
Claude
I went through a stretch of unemployment once. It really was a depressing
experience. The rejections, the sense of worthlessness, and the irrational
fear that I would never get hired. I remember during my job search, on the
Chicago El, looking at people going to work, feeling very envious, even
though I knew they were going to very menial jobs. It's a tough time, Frank,
and even though you might not react the way I did, I have some sense of what
you're going through.
Frank Sereno
On 6-Dec-2009, Michael Lanasa <mpNOl...@yahSPAMoo.com> wrote:
> It seems like it was years ago that you talked about losing your job. I
> didn't realize you were still off. Best of luck Frank.
That's a pretty good indicator of how long the 2009 season was for Cub fans.
I got the word the plant was closing on February 10 of this year. I was
officially released on September 11. I've been applying all over the country
and had about 5 phone interviews and I think tomorrow will make my 3rd face
to face interview in ten months of searching. That's just how bad the
employment market is for printers. Of course, it doesn't help that I'm on
the wrong side of 50.
For those who would like to know, I've been a printing pressman for the last
thirty years. I've run a number of sheet-fed offset presses, but for the
last decade and a half I've been running a six-color Heidelberg Speedmaster
CD 102. Unfortunately, the places that have Heidelbergs usually have newer
ones with computerized control consoles that I have no experience working
with and nobody seems to want to give a person a few weeks to learn the
nuances of the newer equipment. And even though I've learned how to put ink
on paper with four different manufacturers' printing presses, most employers
today want someone who has experience on their particular kind of machine.
So it doesn't do me much good to apply at shops that have Komori, Mitsubishi
or KBA presses, but I do anyway. I've applied to shops from Maine to
Washington state, from Florida to California. And usually I don't even get a
rejection notice.
Anyway, thanks for the well wishes from everyone. When I get back to
working, I'll let everyone know.
In the meantime, this is the week that Milton Bradley is supposed to find a
new home.
Paddy Waggin
I don't know why I'm so late to the party.
But Claude knows some of my family traits...
I also had training in the printing field.
In the Chicago area....
My best bud went to work for RR.Donnely right out of HS. Stayed 30+
years. THEN, was let go, just B-4 retirement....
Nice.. Huh?
Really turned me sour against BIG CORPORATE GEEKS...
Plus the fact that he now has, Prostate Cancer, which I attribute to all
those years breathing ink, paper pulp, smoke, and such from his
environment....
So..... happy new year to all...LOL
yumy...@sbcglobal.net
> I realized the other day that I've been reading this newsgroup for
> almost 12 years. Most of the traffic has long ago moved on to one of the
> many Cubs blogs. I've stayed along with a few other dinosaurs who have
> failed to evolve with the rest of the Internet. I wonder if Usenet is
> finally dead?
>
> I'll continue to check here once a day. Maybe when the season starts,
> things will pick up.
Personally, I'm pretty disgusted with the team and everything that has
happened over the past year. That tends to kill my interest in posting
to the group. Also, other than trying to dump Milton Bradley, there
hasn't been too much Cubs news. What we need is for someone on the
team to do a "Tiger".
Lance