To steal a line from a different blog, could it possibly be that the Phillie Phanatic is in the best shape of his life? This video evidence might prove it.
But that’s not the first time that the Phanatic schooled us all on the merits of personal fitness.
I should hire him to be my personal trainer.
Fan Interference 
I have to share something completely different here. Something I am getting tired of sharing.
Keith Emerson, progressive rocker and keyboardist extraordinaire, is dead (apparently a suicide) at age 71. The creative blood behind Emerson, Lake and Palmer (early ’70’s.
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They are certainly dropping like flies and it sucks. From what I have read, Keith had a disease that robbed him of the use of his hands and as he was a world class keyboard player…..I can understand the thoughts that went through his head. SMDH
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It’s sad all the way around.
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What is the worst part is that the local government, county government and state governments are ALL cutting education to give tax breaks for the wealthy. Guess what the very first cut in education is and always will be?
The arts ALWAYS die first! Musical instruments being more expensive than watercolor paint goes down first, then the drama club, then the art department…etc. You can’t have future Wal-Mart shelf stockers having creativity or hobbies, you must only teach them how to be scared and work two part time jobs, only teach them enough critical thinking skills to file for government assistance paper work so we can subsidize a new stadium for another billionaire who most likely made his money by bankruptcy laws.
If things keep on as they are, the Lennon’s, the Emerson’s, the BB King’s of the world will cease to exist.
Where will we get our next Yo Yo Ma ,our next Zappa, our next Mozart?
It’s like trying to grow a rose garden in a shit infested sewer, you’re gonna have plenty of fucking fertilizer….but absolutely NO FUCKING SUNLIGHT to help nourish that which you want to grow.
Stupid analogy but,I believe that you get my drift,at least I hope you do.🙏
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No, Slappy, I totally get it. And I agree. One of my few local friends is the band director for a local school district. Every year, his budget gets cut. He hasn’t gotten a raise in about five years, but he still has to do as much, if not more. He basically teaches summer band camp for free.
It’s terrible. Studies show that a well rounded, well educated person has an appreciation for the arts, engages in an art form of some kind. Learning music, for example, helps with higher function; it helps with math.
It’s sad. Just really sad altogether.
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I agreed with everything you said, except the math part. I have a tough time keeping rhythm without a bassist and drummer which is why I only do my own compositions now. I’m playing solos most of the time anyway, so it is usually a ” feel ” more than replicating note for note.
Long story short? If I wrote the music, how can I be off key or out of time? I also get the musicians second excuse, it’s ” MY ” interpretation so I did it my way. I guess what I’m saying is that I am great at maths if I know all the variables, when you get to a=z because y=b I have what you call math anxiety and I panic and then shut down.
What has helped is people like Paperlions, Kevin S and the rest of you explained exactly why sabremetrics work the way they do without overwhelming me with formulated algebra courses.
Again, I have to say that we need people like yahmule, Longfootlefty and the above mentioned to make more efforts to explain how intuitively obvious reasons for sabremetrics work, without needing to go back to college. Call me lazy, but I am getting old and I am getting bombarded with math to figure out why Mike Trout is a percentage point better Ted Williams in 1939 because…I get nervous doing math?
I now have a punchers chance to intuitively understand why that is correct and I am all the better for it. Not more than ten years ago I cared about wins / RBI/ and walks suck but strikeouts are BAD. Now? After almost a decade of reading the comments on Calcaterra different blogs? I understand War, obp, slugging percentage intuitively instead of getting it jammed down my throat with…” learn this you idiot..what’s the matter? Are you too stupid to do the math?”
Nope, thanks to all of you I now understand why and how you got to that realization. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that I am not the only one to have this anxiety. We need at least one of you authors to help us understand why you came to the conclusion that you did and why.
My nomination is either paper or Kevin S because they helped me the most, but your mileage may vary.
Long, long story short? Thanks for replying, you are awesome and I am thankful that you always stick up for me even when I may not deserve it.
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You people have no idea how old it makes me feel to see the musical icons of my generation disappear.
Requescat in Pace – Keith.
Below is the logo for my Fantasy Baseball team. Taken from the EL&P album “Tarkus”.
https://www.google.com/search?q=tarkus+album+cover&rlz=1C1SKPL_enUS442&biw=1366&bih=643&site=webhp&tbm=isch&imgil=amPypFqXFTTWZM%253A%253B-SyFybCqDgHDTM%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fen.wikipedia.org%25252Fwiki%25252FTarkus&source=iu&pf=m&fir=amPypFqXFTTWZM%253A%252C-SyFybCqDgHDTM%252C_&usg=__mdB14YapHaAydjC_O4rQUDYeLtI%3D
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Let’s try this instead:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ef/Emerson,Lake%26_Palmer_-Tarkus(1971)_front_cover.jpg
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Oh hell. Just take my word for it.
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Which team is yours? Or are you talking about a different league than the one we are doing here?
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A league I have stayed with for several years. I have a commitment there, or I would have jumped in with you guys.
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What? You lack the capacity for multi-tasking?
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Thanks for the picture. My links all went screwy.
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I have played fantasy baseball with stex. He’s absolutely wicked and smart. I was a noob with him. I’d love to play with him again. I was hoping he would join us.
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Don’t listen to Indy, she whipped my butt. But we did have the two best pitching staffs in that league.
Don’t rule me out down the road. Right now with job and obligations the wife allows me one fantasy league.. And she is right, for the moment.
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