Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Congratulations Are In Order



Apparently, not so simple a request after all.

Terrific pitching performances all around for both teams.

And, while the Royals have nothing to be ashamed of, to the victor go the spoils:

Congratulations, San Francisco Giants, on your 2014 World Series victory. And as well on your much deserved MVP, Mr. Bumgarner.


.......... Ruprecht ( STOP )

An Open Letter To The Kansas City Royals




Dear Kansas City Royals:

I wonder if I can ask a small favor: Do you think you could keep me in mind during your pre-game preparations, when you take the field and all through tonight's final 2014 World Series contest against the San Francisco Giants?

I know it's asking a lot. I'm certain you guys will have tons on your mind going into the final and deciding game of the October Classic. But I would really appreciate it if you'd grant me this small consideration.

You see ... I don't like the Giants. I never have liked the Giants. They've always been the hated rivals of my beloved Los Angeles Dodgers. Winning tonight's game would grant me a small solace against the disappointment the Giants furthered themselves through the playoffs and to The Big Dance where the Dodgers did not.

I know, I know ... I haven't been a good spokesman of the American League. As a matter of fact, when talking about it I've usually spewed something to the effect "Nine men take the field at the top of every inning, those same nine men better go to bat at the bottom of it" or some such. It's a mantra I believe in heartily. Yes ... I realize the designated hitter position has not only prolonged some terrific baseball careers (with many men in the position being some of my heroes) but it goes against the grain of being a true sportsman. A ball club should succeed or fail on both sides of an inning without a batting order being jury-rigged. You understand where I'm coming from ... right? You really can't blame me; it's a mindset that's been taught to me since I was a youngster ... and it's something I hold dear and true. It's not like the American League is my enemy or anything. (But, even if it were, it's a "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" thing, that sort of bond. You get my meaning?)


Regardless of my position on the whole National League / American League issue, I'm willing to do this: I promise that conflict won't stand in the way of my rooting for you guys to win the whole enchilada tonight. I mean ... even your uniforms sport the proud color (Dodger) blue which makes things more comfortable standing and cheering on your side of the fence.

So just know I'm gunning for you tonight. I hope your bats and gloves are as hot as they were last night (GREAT game, by the way), your spirits are high, your sportsmanship exemplary and you maintain that focused and competitive edge as you go into tonight's contest.


But, you know ... also with extreme prejudice.

Best of luck. I'll be watching and vigorously applauding your efforts. Keep me in mind.

Sincerely, 


Rupecht

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Dead, More Dead, Deader Still


As a selfless service (and as Halloween approaches), it falls on me to put a little informational PSA out there on the airwaves for your consumption.

Three classics of the horror make up cornerstones of the genre:

Night Of The Living Dead - the George Romero classic that began it all ...

Dawn Of The Dead - the long-awaited sequel to NotLD and a classic in its own right, and ...

Day Of The Dead - the twisted, interesting end piece to Romero’s "Dead" trilogy.

Peruse the reviews by accessing the handy, dandy links and please enjoy. Then? Go watch the films. You owe it to yourself.

Happy Halloween ...


.......... Ruprecht ( What's STOPping you from seeing these classics this Halloween? )

Monday, October 27, 2014

Meanwhile, Over At The Unbelievables' Site ...


Clark, Jeff and Michael
(not necessarily in that order)

 
As we do every year Clark, Jeff and myself are celebrating our Halloween extravaganza over at The Unbelievables

Take a peek and submit an entry if you like.

You could be a winner ... !!!


.......... Ruprecht ( will continue to celebrate Halloween, won't ever STOP )

Friday, October 17, 2014

Everyone Get Out Your Calendars ...


You should be more afraid of being killed by this bola than Ebola

So ... here's what we're going to do:

First, everyone get out your day planners. Take your cell phones from your pockets and purses and access whatever calendar application you have on them. Remove the kitty cat or Planet Of The Apes or rainbow unicorn calendar from your wall for easy access. Or ready your computer to ping you when the following nears:

I want you guys to put down the date you plan on taking a trip to Guinea, Liberia or Sierra Leone. Or if said plans might find you in the state of Texas where, specifically, you know you will be rolling around on a hospital floor. Better yet make a note of when you plan on exchanging bodily fluids with any person you happen upon who has the Ebola virus. It doesn't matter what day or month you jot, simply label something that will work for you.



Then? You can panic about the Ebola virus and contracting it your very own self as the time draws near. Then? You can worry about running to some antique store to purchase a gas mask. Then? You can plan your next grocery run which will include a swing by the pharmacy to snap up a box of disposable, elastic face masks and some latex gloves. Might as well stock up on the anti-anxiety medication of choice while you're there, too.

Don't get me wrong - we definitely have a situation at hand with this virus currently.

But it's a minor one and there isn't a need for anyone to panic about it. Instead of panicking needlessly (and that's exactly what's going on, needless panic) people need to step back from their anxious selves and let the experts who deal with infectious diseases get a handle on it. Yes ... to date there has been some stumbling about in dealing with it. (Which has been nipped in the bud if you've kept abreast of your local news and such. If you don't think the government and the general population isn't up in arms about the snafus, you're living at the bottom of the ocean.)

Here ... let's quote the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention shall we? 

"In the past decade, the United States had 5 imported cases of Viral Hemorrhagic Fever (VHF) diseases similar to Ebola (1 Marburg, 4 Lassa). None resulted in any transmission in the United States."

Five. Imported Cases. None of which - and again I emphasize "in the past decade" - resulted in any transmissions.

Do the math: No transmissions = no deaths.

Until recently, there have been no deaths due to the Ebola virus. 


To put things in gross, under-appreciated (if you will) perspective, why don't we put some things out there that make sense worrying about?* (Even though worrying is a futile act akin to stressing over a bill which never comes due.)

Influenza: Flu kills thousands of Americans each and every year. An especially virulent outbreak occurred in 2004 during which some 48,000 people expired. If you fall into the category of being exceptionally young, elderly or you are immunosuppressed, then do something about it and get a flu shot as a precaution.

Firearms:
Guns kill some 30,000 people every year. That's frightening. You want to be anxious about something? There you go.


Traffic Accidents: Speaking of frightening, road fatalities stack up to around 30,000 or so deaths each year. Nothing to sneeze at. You take your life in your hands each time you get in a car, yours or someone else's. Traffic accidents are the #2 killer of folks residing in the United States.

Heart Disease / Cancer: Oh, look. As the largest cause of death, these two are in a tie when it comes to folks living between the Pacific and the Atlantic. You want something to worry about? Combined, both these lovely items contribute to over half the expirations in America. Worry about eating healthier and exercising more, two things you can personally do to reduce the chance of you becoming a statistic.

 
The Bottom Line: You have more of a chance being killed by a bola (the image at the top of this page) than Ebola.

So quit with the hysterics, already ...


.......... Ruprecht ( The hysteria must STOP. You'll benefit from doing so. )
*All sourced from vox.com


Monday, October 13, 2014

Poor Fred


Much to his chagrin, Fred chose the wrong date for the evening ...


.......... Ruprecht ( STOP )