YIKES!

The hazards of teaching day and night, means no time to play or post! I will try to update the blog by Wednesday night. I have quite the backlog including two reviews. I also will have my 2000th post coming up!! So hang in there for a couple days and I should have plenty of blues news and videos for you by the middle of the week!

Thanks

Tom Gary
The Blues Historian

Computer Issues

Well, my hard working laptop finally gave up the ghost. I have been using an old gateway PC computer with a Pentium four processor. It starting acting strange a week ago, and I have been trying to save it. I used all of my limited knowledge of computers on it, but it is done:-( However, I did back up everything on an external hard drive. So it should be interesting to see if it actually worked!! I do know there are some Mac lovers out there in cyberland who love these things, but this is frustrating for me. I am slowly figuring out how to work this thing, but it still doesnt want to do what I want it to do. Plus I think Blogger is set up for PCs, because I don't seem to have much luck with copying and pasting, as slickly as my PC did it. I also miss my right and left click buttons on my mouse! The mac has one and it doesn't seem to work like I want it too:-)

Hang in there!

Tom

The Curse Lives!

Here is an interesting article about possible curses that could effect the Cubs. As of press time the Cubbies are losing! Perhaps a bonehead decision to pull out Zambrano, but I think it is the goat!

Anyway this article comes from Yahoo Sports.

Cubs curse talk of a hex

By Steve Henson

Wednesday, Oct 3, 2007 7:45 pm EDT

PHOENIX – The temptation to root for the forever forlorn Chicago Cubs is strong. After all, the team hasn't won a World Series since 1908, and a 99-year underdog is tough to resist. But here are three reasons to spare yourself the heartache.

The Curse of the Billy Goat, the Black Cat and Steve Bartman.

The Curse of the Billy Goat befell the Cubs during Game 4 of the 1945 World Series, and the team hasn't returned to the Fall Classic since. William Sianis brought his pet goat to the game – he had two tickets – but was escorted out of the stadium because of the goat's foul odor. Sianis, who owned the legendary Billy Goat Tavern, supposedly placed a curse on the team, and when the Cubs lost Game 7 to the Detroit Tigers, he sent a telegram to owner P.K. Wrigley that read, "Who smells now?"

The (forever capitalized) Black Cat walked in front of Cubs third baseman Ron Santo at Shea Stadium late in the 1969 season, the Cubs choked away an eight-game lead and the Mets became Amazin'. These days, Santo signs Black Cat memorabilia and it sells for $76.99 on Amazon.com.

Bartman, of course, was the Walkman-wearing Cubs fan who deflected a foul ball during Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were five outs from the World Series when Bartman's gaffe set off a chain of events that resulted in the Florida Marlins winning the game and advancing to the World Series a day later. Reporters have tried to locate Bartman this week without success. Friends (apparently, he has a few) say he's doing OK, but don't expect him to be throwing out the first pitch before Game 3 at Wrigley Field on Saturday.

There is much hand-wringing on the North Side these days over what calamity could befall the franchise next. Manager Lou Piniella will have none of it, though.

"There are no curses here," he said. "There never have been. It's a figment, it's good copy. But games are won or lost on the baseball field."

The Arizona Diamondbacks, of course, don't mind all the negativity surrounding their opponent. Said impish outfielder Eric Byrnes: "Bartman and the Billy Goat, I consider them teammates."

UPDATE

Ok, I turned off the TV tonight for game two. I swear I saw a goat in the outfield. Yup, It was a goat in a cubs uniform. Oh-well it was fun while it lasted:-)

CUBS WIN!!!! CUBS WIN!!!!!

I have been very reluctant to post anything about the Cubs. After all, with the goat, and a boat load of other curses (think Bartman!!) I didn't want to jinx them!!!! yet, they amazingly have overcome and are in the playoffs. However, I fear a first round trouncing by Arizona. The Cubs have been a perplexing team all year. They win a ton of games, and then turn around and lose a bunch of games. Arizona is a great team, so I think the Cubs playoff run maybe short, but at least it is finally next year:-)