"You Ain't Got No Brakes..."

Good news I guess.

I got my truck back and its doing just fine. $300 down the drain to fix my brakes, but I guess I “need my brakes” so I cant complain.

Hopefully I can use the next couple months to save a little bit of money and maybe by the fall have enough for a substantial down payment for a new(er) truck that won’t give me so many problems.

I thought this was kind of funny, but when I got my truck towed to the Firestone, the guy driving the Tow Truck had to strip my gears so he could get it into drive. he was then only using the E-Brake. he then said to me this...

"You Ain't Got No Brakes; you only got the emergency brake. She ain't got nothin' left!"

I thought about telling him.."Yeah, thats why i called a wrecker. thats why I said it dint have any brakes"

He acted like he was suprised that it didnt have any brakes.

No Money - Mo Problems

Called the Firestone guys back.

Said it was rusted really bad and the line is setting higher than the gas tank, which means they are going to have to take the tank off (or move it or something) to be able to reach where the line has broken.

He didn't know how bad it was busted, nor did he know ho much of it was busted, so he doesn't know how much he will have to replace. (I looked before I sent it to them and the only leak I could find was AFTER the split to the master cylinder so I don't think the part of the line that is broken is that long, so it shouldn't be a long line to bend and install, but I'm no mechanic so...)

they close at 7pm, I'm hoping to know something back by this afternoon once they get around the gas tank.

uuuuggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

if anyone wants to spot me a few bucks, i could use a new truck. (never hurts to ask)

-Jebus

More problems with my Truck...

So...as I mentioned before, I've been having problems with my breaks since New Years.

I bit the bullet this morning and called a tow company to drag that heaping pile to Firestone Auto Care. (Its so messed up, I cant even get it out of park)...so...

the damn tow was $70, (for 4 blocks...stupid I know) and so I'm down $70 before the breaks even get fixed. I'm sure this wont be cheap. But I cant complain, Ive put it off for nearly 3 months, and I know its a strain on Rachel since she then became my means of transportation.

more to come. Should get a call later this afternoon saying something about they want my first born in exchange for fixing my truck...

-Jibbles

A-Roid

Anyone start to wonder why A-Rod is playing for the Dominican instead of the U.S.?

according to his Wikipedia article, he was born in New York, NY...

What the F*CK is going on?

Pondering a Move

as soon as I can figure out how to download my posts from this blog, I am going to import them into my new blog which is tentatively titled...

http://thingsthatshouldntmatter.blogspot.com/

There i will be going over things other than just my beloved Cubs. i.e. Technology, Music and Politics.

its going to be hit or miss. bear with me.

-Jibbles

Long Time; No See

Im currently in the time of the year when my job starts to pick up. I work in politics and from the second Tuesday in January until (roughly) the end of May/ early June I am swamped at work. When the Legislature is out of Session June through December my job is a ghost town.

My last post was in June. So I’ve had months to write in my down time at work. But I didn’t. Now that work is starting to get busy, I’ve been hit with the urge to post again. Just in time to be really busy…go figure.

Since my last post I have managed to get a lot of things done. The majority of which were unintentional.

1. I got my laptop fixed, only to have it break in a completely different and unrelated way 3 weeks later.

2. My phone contract with Sprint expired, ditched my Treo, forgot to pay my last bill and got sent to a collection agency for a measly $70. Signed with AT&T and got a new iPhone 3G…and I love it.

3. The brake line on my truck snapped so I’ve been without a car for about 2 months.

4. I’ve gained about 15 lb’s.

5. I painted 3 rooms inside my house. 2 bedrooms and the living room.

6. I built a deck on the back of my house.

7. I bought Arrested Development, Weeds, The West Wing and Entourage complete series’ on DVD and watched every single episode of all four shows. (And loved it)

8. My dad had his knee replaced and will go back in a month or two to get his hip replaced.

9. Jordan and Janelle are expecting their second child (baby girl) and Joey and Fallon are expecting their first.

10. The Republicans took control of the State House and as a result have control of both houses of the State capitol for the first time since reconstruction. Jason Mumpower (R – Bristol) was in line to become speaker but was ousted when he received only 49 votes compared to fellow house republican Kent Williams (R – Elizabethton) received 50 votes for Speaker of the House when he, along with all 49 house democrats, voted for himself for speaker beating Mumpower 50-49. To say the least, it’s been weird.

11. I almost got fired due to the political turnover at work. But because of some strategic tom-foolery, I have a secured job for at least 2 more years.

12. Thanks to a thoughtful donation from a friend, I got a free piano. (that I have no room for, so its sitting in my kitchen)

All in all it’s been pretty eventful. In hindsight, I wish that I had been documenting this all as it happened. I’m sure I’m leaving out some pretty juicy details. Owell, that’s life.

Blogspot is supposedly working on getting an iphone ready website or an app that will allow me to get better and faster with the posts. Until then, I guess I will continue to be sporadic. Although, it’s bound to be more posts about work here in the next 6 months. It’s going to get really interesting with all this fighting on Capitol Hill. Nashville Politics is ridiculous.

Dog Ate My Homework

Well, the posts have been sparse.

My wonderful lab Sammy chewed through the cable on my laptop battery charger, so I haven't been able to post.

the only place Ive got to do so is at work, and there, I barely have time to scratch my ass, let alone write about how bad-ass the Cubs are. I visited my Parents for the 4th of July Holiday (seeing as how I haven't seen my mother since Christmas) so Ive been completely out of the loop as far as the Internet goes.

So, until I can buy a new charger, or my dog becomes self aware and teaches himself how to do electrical work, I will be out of commission.

Sorry

Jb

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

Thank God for Aramis Ramirez and D. Lee

Rain Delay.......Reasons to Hate The White Sox

Dear Sox Fan,

1. Your 1919 team was involved in arguably the biggest scandal to hit baseball since Pete Rose thought it was a good idea to Play, Coach and bet on the same team or since the development of steroids.

2. Your Home Uniforms looks like prison garb.

3. Your fans are complete assholes.

4. Ken “The Hawk” Harrelson and all his stupid ass annoying catch phrases.

5. Your own manager hates you.

6. Your fucking catcher got in a fight with our (former) sissy-ass catcher…AND GOT HIS ASS BEAT!!!

7. You play your home games on the “smellier” side of town.8. Your team color and logo was once tied to Gangsta-Rap, i.e. Eazy-E.

9. Bobby Jenks could have the most ridiculous facial hair in Major League Baseball.

and Finally...

10. No matter how good you get; no matter who you sign; no matter who your manager is; no matter who you play and who you beat; no matter how many World Series Titles you win…..You will always be the 2nd favorite Sox Team, and you will always be the 2nd favorite Chicago Team.

This is why you suck and this is why I hate you.

Well Shit; Cubs Win...Cubs Lose.

Well Shit! It looks like we are having the Derrek Lee story all over again. At the time Lee was arguably the best player on the field and he went on the DL for what seems like a lifetime.

Fast-forward to last night, Sori goes down and is sub’d out before I could even get comfortable in the recliner and I find myself once again cursing my Sharp Aquos before I have a chance to scratch my ass.

So where does that leave us?...Well, the Cubs have a multi-player option to consider.

• Do we move DeRo to Left and have to choose between Fontenot, Cedeno, or recall Eric Patterson to play 2nd?
• Do we recall Matt Murton and let him finally get a chance to prove himself even though Lou wants a left handed bat?
• Do we recall Micah Hoffpauir and shove him in Left even though he’s kind of slow?
• Do we leave DeRo at 2nd and start both Johnson and Edmonds in the outfield?
• Do we platoon those two in Left and give Pie another shot in Center?
• Do we bring up Sam Fuld and put him in Right and move Kosuke to Center?
• Do we re-sign Sosa?
• Do we bring in Bonds?
• Do we let Henry Blanco pitch?
• Can DeRosa play all 9 positions simultaneously and just let everyone else bat?
• Can we move Kerry back into the rotation and sign Jesus to close the games?

Okay, so those last 5 arent that realistic.

But the Cubs do have a lot of things to think about. Sori is going to be out for a long while. Just when it gets hot as balls outside and that baseball starts flying out of Wrigley, it only makes sense that our home run leader goes on the shelf. So where do they go from here?

They have to keep in mind that Lou wants a left handed bat. He wants a new Center fielder (for whatever reason, I say keep Reed for his attitude. Team morale goes further than talent sometimes. Look at Barry Bonds; he can hit but nobody wants to be around him because he's an asshole)

We are about to enter a bunch of inter-league games so we are going to need a DH. Ward is already on the DL so we can’t use him. Is filling this hole going to factor in when it comes to adding another starter? What about September call-ups? You know that when they say 6 weeks, that really means about 2-3 months. You can bet that Sori isn’t going to be starting in Left on that 6 weeks-1 day game; it just isn’t realistic. It’s going to take longer. It took Lee a year to truly be comfortable again. I bet he’s out until 2nd week in August at least. If he comes back then but isn’t producing, are we going to have to platoon him in left with someone else? Who’s going to bat leadoff now?

There are a shit tone of questions that went through my mind when this happened last night.

On the other hand, we won…which is nice. 3 in a row ain’t too shabby. Also, the team chasing us in the Central is St. Louis and Albert "Take it in the" Poo-holes also went on the DL this week. So maybe that will slow them down a bit. Fingers crossed.

Thank God we have a day game today so I don’t have to wait too long to hear someone else talk about all their concerns and how quickly we could spiral down the shitter, or how we could press on and not skip a beat and win this division by 12 games.

PLEASE GOD; LET 1:20 GET HERE SOON!!!!!!!!!!!

Eliot Ansinof, author of Eight Men Out, Dead at 88

It's a sad day as a fan of baseball as I awoke and read the headlines that Eliot Asinof (author of Eight Men Out) has passed at the ripe old age of 88.

Ive read the book, Ive seen the movie at least 20 times and its a shame that hes gone.

If you are a fan of baseball I would highly suggest the book. Hell, go read it anyway; even if you don't follow baseball you need to know about the 1919 Chicago Black Sox for no other reason than a history lesson.

regardless, its an amazing book. You should read it. The movie is also thrilling. it ranks right up there for me in the category of Best Sports Movie along with Major league, Field of Dreams, Hoosiers and of course Basketball(kidding)...but seriously, go buy the DVD and pay your respects!

-Jebus

Courtesy Gene Wojciechowski From ESPN

This is an artlicle that I thought was really good so I thought I'd post it. I need to make clear, for copyright purposes, that I in no way am claiming ownership of this piece and its pictures nor am I taking credit for it. I simply put it up to be read. All credit and copyright is due to Gene Wojciechowski and the writers of ESPN.com

Windy City blows away competition for weirdest sports town

By Gene Wojciechowski ESPN.com(Archive)
Updated: June 9, 2008, 1:08 AM ET

New York City? You were the best, but you're done.

No more Isiah Thomas. King George is in semi-retirement. Willie Randolph isn't worth the trouble. We're left with Joba Chamberlain pitch counts and reports of Jeremy Shockey maybe stiffing the Giants on minicamp. So time for NYC to take the sports buyout and live off the 401(k) money.

Boston? Helluva run, my friend. Helluva run. I've got so much respect for you, but let's face it, Manny's getting up there in years, the Celtics are likable, and the Patriots can't keep rolling out Super Bowls, supermodels, super spies and wiretaps forever, right?

Los Angeles? Talk to us when you get an NFL franchise. Until then, you're Sacramento with traffic, Kobe and the Reggie Bush investigation.

Dallas? Formidable, but you've got some holes in your swing. T.O., Romo and Jessica aren't going to be around forever.

Miami? Promising, especially with the Big Tuna and Jason Taylor in town, as well as the Heat's Pat Riley, the No. 2 pick and those goofy trade rumors involving Dwyane Wade.

Phoenix? The midseason Shaq deal and postseason Mike D'Antoni drama were a start, but you're not there yet.

San Francisco? When Barry Bonds left, so did the vibe. Mike Montgomery to Cal doesn't get it done.

Houston? Underrated, thanks to Roger Clemens.

No, the new and undisputed leader in the sports city clubhouse is none other than Chicago. It has to be. No sports town is more compelling, more exciting, more screwed up than Chicago.

Seriously, how can you possibly question Chicago's No. 1 ranking after what has happened here lately? Chicago is now the epicenter of sports weirdness, controversy and dubious achievements. Only Boston comes close.

In the past nine days …

• The Bulls all but hired Doug Collins as coach. Then they didn't.

It all sounds very Hallmark card-ish, very convenient and very suspicious.

You mean to tell me that if Reinsdorf hadn't wavered in supporting general manager Jim Paxson's choice of Collins that Collins wouldn't be the coach today? Collins got tired of Reinsdorf's stall tactics, however well-intentioned they were. How could Collins stay excited about the Bulls when the Bulls' owner wasn't excited about him?

And this stuff about Reinsdorf's not wanting to fire Collins a second time -- and endangering their friendship -- is borderline hilarious. Collins is a career coach. He knows the realities of the job. And Reinsdorf is a career businessman. Since when did he get soft?

Anyway, the Bulls are 2-for-2 when it comes to botched coaching searches. First, D'Antoni to the Knicks. Now, Collins back to TNT. But the Bulls, thanks to those 1.8 percent odds, do have the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft.

• The Bears' starting tailback got himself arrested for the second time in five weeks.

Cedric Benson has been arrested on land (June 7) and sea (May 3). He can go for the trifecta the next time he boards a plane.

If you're keeping stats at home (and you can bet Bears GM Jerry Angelo is), Benson has almost as many booking photos in 2008 as he did touchdowns in 2007 (four). And did I mention that linebacker Brian Urlacher, the Bears' best player and absolute face of this franchise, could be a holdout if his contract demands aren't met?

• White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen threw a hissy fit (again); a local columnist called for his firing (again); and owner Reinsdorf dismissed Guillen's behavior as little more than frustration over a losing streak (again).

So what happens? Since Guillen's tirade, the first-place White Sox have won six in a row and given themselves some elbow room atop the AL Central.

• Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano had another one of his tiresome tantrums in Saturday's loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Zambrano, 8-2, has a long history of losing it -- on the mound, in the dugout, in the tunnel, in the clubhouse. He likes to punch and kick things: water coolers … walls … Michael Barrett.

The next time he suffers a meltdown on the mound (and he will), I'd love to see manager Lou Piniella simply step out of the dugout, call for a reliever and tell Zambrano the clown act is done for the day -- no matter whether it's the first inning or the ninth, or whether the Cubs are ahead or behind. Maybe then Zambrano would get the message. Intensity good. Public ragefests bad.

• And, oh, the Cubs have the best record in baseball.

• And Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who has spent time at Wrigley this season, is intensifying his efforts to bid for the Cubs and its gorgeous senior citizen stadium from doofus owner Sam Zell. (Cuban also is trying to make nice with influential Reinsdorf.)

Zell, whose media ventures have some debt issues, would sell Ron Santo and his toupee if he thought he could make a buck.

• The No. 2 pick in the 2008 WNBA draft, Sylvia Fowles, lasted exactly five Chicago Sky games before she injured her knee.

• Chicago was named one of four finalists for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

• A former high school hoops player who has a home in Chicago won a big race. Maybe you've heard of him: Barack Obama.

Second City? Not anymore.

Gene Wojciechowski is the senior national columnist for ESPN.com. You can contact him at gene.wojciechowski@espn3.com.

Roid Rage

Quick thought on steroids in baseball.

Been seeing a lot, I repeat A LOT, more “small ball” lately from more teams in baseball and I have a feeling why.

Back in the day (like 3 years ago) baseball was about dingers and how far they went. Just like Tom Glavin, John Smoltz and Greg Maddux said in the 90’s tv commercial…”Chicks dig the long ball.”

But it seems now that steroids are less prevalent in the game, it seems that more players are doing the little things to help their clubs and more and more teams are becoming les and less dependent on the homerun. I think its actually very good for baseball as a game and a business and its very entertaining for people like me that are baseball enthusiasts that could really care less if some players had 17 inch forearms and can hit 82 homeruns in a 162 game season…who the hell cares.

I get more of a kick out of watching players like Ryan Theriot, Dan Uggla, Brandon Inge, and players of the like that are gritty, nose to the dirt, hard playing baseball players. I think that’s what baseball is all about. I think it has helped the resurrection of the stolen base. I think its making a comeback. It’s a good time to be a small fast baseball player, who in years past would have been benched to come in as a pinch hitter in the 8th or more so had been playing in the minors because they couldn’t hit it over the fence more than 10 times a year.

Now it seems to me that managers and the league itself is in the middle of transitioning back to the teams of athletes. Not a team of mediocre supporting role player with a beefed up 1st baseman, or corner outfielder that can give the Hulk a run for his money.

Baseball is back and it feels good…to me. But I can see where people outside the sport are frowning because of the lack of homers this season. I can relate…I am a baseball guy. And I hate the NBA. But when I watch, I am looking for the uncontested drive to the basket and the windmill, under the legs slam. Now, there is a lot more than basketball, like footwork and the 3 pointer and good looks with great passes.

The things that hurt major sports leagues are the things that make them professionals. There are a lot of dudes out there that can dunk a basketball. The reason why they arent in the NBA is because they look like a crippled giraffe when they dribble or pass. Same as in major league baseball. There are a lot of people in the minor leagues and a lot of guys that play college ball, but in years past, they didn’t get a second look from scouts because they couldn’t hit it 450 feet to dead center. That all starting to change. Now its much more appreciated if you can field a grounder, which doesn’t seem like much, but some of those roid guys couldn’t even clap they were so effing big. Hell, Sosa sneezed one year and went on the DL. Sometimes bigger isn’t always better.

So where does that put us?....

Teams are getting better, there are more positions becoming available for true athletes in baseball.

You are going to see a few more “5 tool players.”

You are going to see the return of the stolen base.

And you are going to see a lot less dingers. And personally, I like it that way.

Streak Ends

Well,

I guess all good things must come to an end. Even being the best team in baseball, and playing one of the worst, even the good guys lose from time to time. As was last night.

The Cubs had won 9 out of the last 10 contests and were riding a 9 game winning streak. But they couldn’t hold on as the Padres scored one final time in the bottom of the 8th to make the score 1-2 and became the proverbial "nail in the coffin."

It was a good run. This is probably the best team I have ever seen wear a Cubs uniform. I have to admit that I, like a lot of other Cubs fans both new and old, have become spoiled. I expect them to win. I know exactly what the Yankee fans were all up in arms about a few years ago when they signed A-Rod and didn’t make the playoffs. With a payroll this big and the number of superstars and very talented young bench players, I expect them to win. So when they lose (although I've become very accustomed to losing over the past 26 years of my life) it still makes me mad. But I have to remind myself that every team is going to lose.

In fact, a few years ago I heard a press conference with Dusty Baker say something along the lines of this....

Every team in baseball will win at least 50 some odd games. Every team in baseball is going to lose 50 some odd games. But what separates the good teams from the bad teams is determined by what you do with the 50 some odd games after that.

I think that’s a good way of looking at it. The Cubs will win their 50 games. And they will lose their 50. But what makes this year different is that they are also winning that other 50 games. Bob Brenly said last week that the Cubs are winning the games that they are expected to win, and they are also winning the games that they have no business winning.

This is also a good way of looking at it. So, I realize that we can’t win them all, but it sure is going to be fun trying. After all, when’s the last time a baseball team had a record of 140-22?...Id take that unrealistic record any day.

On a Roll; 8 of Last 10; 8 in a Row; 37-21

We had a little scare in the bottom of the 9th, but my boys came through...again!

Kid-K comes through again.

Perfect Homestand

Loves:

1. F.U.B.A.R.
2. The Beatles.
3. Music.
4. The Color Green.
5. Sunflower Seeds.
6. Outside Concerts In The Summer.
7. Fall Weather.
8. Politics.
9. Making Money.
10. Guitars.
11. CHICAGO CUBS.
12. Spitting.
13. Tennessee Titans.
14. Tennessee Vols.
15. Really Old Twangy Country Music.
16. X-Box360.
17. My Family.
18. Cursing.
19. Women With Curly Hair.
20. Wearing Flip-Flops Year-Round.
21. Charcoal Grills.
22. ESPN TV & Radio.
23. Beautiful Women.
24. The NFL & MLB.
25. The Sound of a Pedal Steel Guitar.
26. Girls With a Dirty Mouth.
27. Amazon.com.
28. My iPod.
29. David Letterman.
30. High Definition Television.
31. Trying to reach the end of the Internet.
32. YouTube.
33. My House.
34. My Truck.
35. Captain Morgan & Diet Coke.
36. Snow.
37. My Treo.
38. Nashville TN, Austin TX, Chicago IL.
39. Fettucini Alfredo with Broccoli, Shrimp, Chicken, Mushrooms & Peas.
40. My Dogs Sammy & Sadie.

Hates:

1. Closed Minded Conservative People.
2. Racists.
3. The Bush Administration.
4. Traffic.
5. St. Louis Cardinals.
6. Florida Gators.
7. Cold Bathroom Floors In The Morning.
8. Being Broke & Not Having Money.
9. Hot Weather.
10. Migraines.
11. People That Abuse Children & Animals.
12. All Forms of Public Water.
13. Hypocrites.
14. Rednecks.
15. Girls That Smoke.
16. Lip Synching.
17. The NBA.
18. Liars.
19. Analog Television.
20. Hangovers.
21. Tomatoes, Cottage Cheese, Sour Cream.
22. Creed, Nickelback, Shinedown, 3 Doors Down, Really Bad Rap Music, Toby Keith, Montgomery Gentry, Aaron Tippin, The Music Mafia, James Blunt.

Things I Will Never understand:

1. The obsession people have with Bob Dylan, The Police and Johnny Cash. Sometimes I think people just like them because they think it’s cool to like them. Listen, just because someone is a good songwriter doesn’t make their CD sound good. Grow a pair, the music isn’t that good.
2. Why Women need to buy new clothes, purses and shoes every year; they are just buying them to impress other girls, guys don’t care.
3. Why people do things twice when you can do it once and be done with it.
4. Why Saturday Night Live is still on the air.
5. Why The Simpsons stopped being funny after 1995.
6. Why The Red Hot Chili Peppers haven’t put out anything good since Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik.
7. Why we are in this war.
8. Why people turn into snobs when they come into some money.
9. Why forgiving and loving religious people are so intolerant of gay people and of interracial dating.

Same date, same song, same dance...