4.01.2008

Let's...play ball?

Well, it's April again. How about that. Time sure is linear in a four-dimensional plane of existence*.

April means a couple things in my neighborhood: Nicer weather and baseball. Actually, I'm sure it means those things in places other than my neighborhood, but living a few blocks from Wrigley Field seems to exacerbate the effects, especially of the latter.

Basically, it's the time of year when stupid people come out and get really stupid in groups. This leads to incidents like stolen car covers and swiped cheese fries**. What I'm saying is that things get both stolen and barfed on.

This of course leads us to the question why I chose to live in the heart of Cubs Village if the fans annoy me so much. The fact that 3 out of the 4 theaters at which I regularly perform are within blocks of my apartment provides a quick answer.

I guess what I am saying here is that I look at baseball season as a 6-month side effect. A side effect that is occasionally good for bits and therefore tolerable. I just wish there was a time when the nice weather and baseball did not immediately coincide.

Here's a report from Opening Day:

Fukudome debut spoiled by Cubs' loss to Brewers

When Kosuke Fukudome hit a three-run homer off Milwaukee closer Eric Gagne to tie the season opener in the bottom of the ninth inning Monday, fans all over Wrigley Field held up professionally made signs with English words on one side and Japanese on the other.

It was meant to be a two-sided version of the phrase "It's Gonna Happen." But something got lost in translation, and the Japanese side read: "It's An Accident."


I don't think we could have asked for a better start than that.


* My favorite new saying when someone says they can't believe it's (day/month/time of year) already. I'm sure nerds are already crafting their comments to tell me how incorrect I am, but I like saying it.
** A story that I now realize I never shared in this space. This must be rectified soon. Perhaps a theme week is in order. Reminiscings by Tim
***.
*** Hey, I'm posting again!

8 comments:

Wandering Explorer said...

Welcome back, stranger.

And I don't care what Nerds say, that's a good comeback. Considering that time, being linear or otherwise, was moving significantly slower during March than any other time of the year, I for one am glad for April.

Walking Into Pictures said...

This nerd is stealing it. Nerd.

Scott said...

"Most people think time is like a river that flows swiftly and surely in one direction. But I have seen the face of time and can tell you, they are wrong. Time is an ocean in a storm."

-- The Prince of Persia

And if you feel that you can't trust the word of a person who would be, in the modern world, an Iranian, I give you the guy from Gallifrey, the traveler in the TARDIS; The Doctor himself.

Click here for 14 seconds of debunking your infantile assumptions about the very substance of time.

Issues of the curvature of spacetime aside, where I found the most amusement in this post was when you seemed to imply that you are not, in fact, nerdy as hell. Need I link to the small-scale library of Congress that is your comic book collection?

- Scott

Timmy Tapeworm said...

I would actually classify myself as a geek, which essentially means I like all the nerdy cultural things but don't have the intelligence to back it up.

Timmy Tapeworm said...

And my comic book collection is, relatively speaking, pathetically small.

Anonymous said...

I think I am going to agree with Tim on this one...

A "nerd" is someone with an obscure (to the general populace) intense interest that involves the exercise of intellect. Examples are calculus, quantum physics, 17th century English literature, abstract art, opera, Rachmaninov conciertos, and so on. Being a nerd automatically implies intellect. They exist in all avenues of knowledge as super-specialists.

A "geek" is someone with an obscure interest, but not necessarily an academic one. For instance, Star Trek, World of Warcraft, or something that involves imagination. A "nerd" is a logically stronger condition than a geek. Nerds are obviously geeks, but not all geeks are nerds. A geek is interested in things that are fun and sometimes even frivolous. A nerd, however, understands that his/her object of interest is of potential value to humanity - although humanity doesn't know it yet.

Finally a "dork" is a general term for one who is not socially adept. Obviously, the terms "dork" and "nerd" (and therefore geek), can occur in the same person, and often do.

Anonymous Jones said...

I changed my mind. Now I think the funnier thing is Tim (aided by Jess) arguing that he is not a nerd as a result of lacking the prerequisite intelligence.

Also, Tim, have you considered stealing your comics off teh intarnetz? Because it's not very hard, and there are some very solid scans out there. Not to mention there's a lot of choice as to which comic book reader you'd prefer, most of them available as free downloads.

Jess, I already appreciated the finer distinctions among them. (You and I should have a long discussion about the difference between "hot," "pretty," and "cute.") But for arguing your point so well, and for such a succinct, comprehensive list, I dub you a word nerd. Own it.

- Scott

Anonymous said...

Sweet :)