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Blue Tit
Latin name:
Parus caeruleus - meaning, sky blue titmouse.
Typical characteristics:
12 cm. The head is light blue and her face mostly white surrounded by black bands and streaks. The wings and tail are dark blue and yellow underside, sometimes with a hint of dark my tune. The back is dark green. Both sexes are very similar, but the male has however consistently darker and brighter blue color. Juveniles have the summer yellow cheeks and not so bright colors.
- Please Killy… your arm. It’s gross.
- […]
- No, Killy. I do not have a stapler.
Here we go with Killy (left) and Cibo (right). They are the main characters from Blame!, a cyberpunk manga that stubbornly remains as my absolute favorite ever.
Killy has a tendency to shoot his graviton gun in unsafe mode, often leading to...err... minor injury.
Both chibis are a remake of their early 2017 versions, who did not age very well.
Healing the shame of childhood abuse using the compassion cure
“Shame is the lie someone told you about yourself.” Anais Nin (attributed)Tweet This
Several months ago I wrote a blog on how self-compassion can heal the shame ofchildhood wounds and I received many queries about shame and sel...
howdoidate.com/personal-development/recover-shame-childho...
A quote from the Buddha:
Praise and blame, gain and loss, pleasure and sorrow, come and go like the wind.
To be happy, rest like a giant tree, in the midst of them all.
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This week I discovered a place that, while it is a business, functions as a sanctuary and haven from the tumult of Midtown. I spoke at length with the owner, who very kindly allowed me to take photos of his statues and artifacts, with permission to post here. He burns a great deal of incense, both indoors and out, and plays music that is peaceful and lyrical...the combined effect: a balm for the soul. I have never visited another place like it--anywhere.
He explained to me that this was an ancient Chinese statue of Guanyin, who is known as the Goddess of Mercy. I am used to seeing modern ceramic manifestations of the Goddess; this one is carved wood, which was painted with polychrome in the distant past. Only traces of it survive here, but those traces are very eye-catching. I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful face on a Buddhist statue... Such serenity!
Midtown Manhattan, New York City
The KOM League
Flash Report
For
The Week of
February 9, 2020
(It will take that long to read it if the links are accessed)
In recent weeks and now months, this source has been about as speedy in responding to e-mail messages and updates, on the status of former KOM leaguers, as the political apparatus in Iowa has been in counting caucus votes. In the future an attempt will be made to do better, on my part, but don’t bet on it.
Thanks to Jack Morris, baseball necrologist, the following was received. “I found an obit from about four months ago for Chet DiEmidio.”
www.kingfuneralservice.com/obituary/Chester-DiEmidio Sr
Obituary
Chet DiEmidio age 89 on October 12, 2019, of Southwest Philadelphia. Chet was a Philadelphia Police Officer for 31 years and then started a new career as a minor league baseball coach for the Chicago White Sox. Husband of the late Margaret A. (nee Kennedy). Beloved Father of Chet Jr., Debbi, Dean, Rick and Doug. Grandfather of Pete, Sophia, Alexa, Ava, and Nick. Relatives and friends are invited to his viewing on Wednesday evening from 6 pm to 8 pm and on Thursday morning from 8:45 am to 9:45 am at St. Barnabas Church, 6300 Buist Avenue, Philadelphia. Funeral Mass on Thursday at 10 am at St. Barnabas Church. Interment at SS. Peter & Paul Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations to Vitas Hospice, 1300 Wolf Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148 or the Leukemia Society, 100 N. 20th Street Suite 405, Philadelphia, PA 19103 would be appreciated.
Ed comment:
Some truths never surface until the final day of reckoning occurs or long after a fellow retires from baseball and reveals his true age. When reporting to the Miami, Oklahoma Eagles, in 1952 Chester Gerald DiEmidio claimed to have been born in 1933 making him three years younger than he was. He was the property of the Philadelphia Phillies at the time. There is no record of him playing in 1953 but in 1954 he returned to KOM league territory spending a short spell with the Joplin Cardinals of the Western Association. The Joplin Miners had been a New York Yankee affiliate since 1936.
DiEmidio was barely in Joplin long enough to visit friends in Miami, Okla. before he was hopping buses to Hannibal, Missouri and Dothan, Alabama and Erie, Pennsylvania where his baseball playing career concluded.
Over the years contact was made and maintained with the recently departed and he enjoyed reliving some of the great days of his youth. His obituary describes how he went to work as a protector of the citizenry and then at retirement embarked on a second career in the game he loved.
DiEmidio enjoyed reminiscing about some of his 1952 Miami teammates including Jim Owens and Seth Morehead who went on to play in the major leagues and Bert Convy who made it in a big way in music, television and the movies.
With DiEmidio’s passing there are now six members of that 1952 Miami Eagles who have even the slightest chance of seeing this report. They are: Wayne Doyle, Billy Ray Long, Jimmy Obringer, Jim Owens, Eddie Sack and Don Tullar.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Weissman from last issue
In the previous issue of this seldom read and often ignored report, there was a header that just stated “Weissman.” The intention was to write a segment regarding a person by that name who played one game in the KOM league. However, due to lack of space, or fatigue, I never got around to finishing it. It was my hope some reader would point that out and ask “Why?” They didn’t so here goes.
Richard Weissman was born January 2, 1925 in East St. Louis, Illinois. He registered for the draft on his 18th birthday which, although being redundant, was January 2, 1943. At the time of his draft board physical examination he was 5’ 11” and weighed 145 pounds. His parents Louis and Sophie were Russian immigrants coming to this country in 1897. Mr. Weissman was listed as an iron worker and scrap metal dealer in East St Louis.
Not much was found regarding Richard Weissman but he did play in one game, at second base, for the 1948 Chanute, Kansas Giants.
Young Weissman moved to the west coast and lived in Lodi, Alta Loma and Canoga Park, California before moving to San Dimas where he passed away on March 26, 2008. His obituary wasn’t located but I wonder if it was mentioned therein that he was a professional baseball player for one game? I doubt that aspect of his life would have appeared and probably few, if anyone, outside his immediate family were aware of that fact? However, I now believe that at least a dozen people will know for I estimate that is the size of this reading audience.
____________________________________________________________________________
Comments regarding the previous issue.
It was never the intention to take a political poll regarding the impeachment efforts in Washington and the tempest in the teapot over the removal from office of this here preparer of the Flash Reports.
So, without further ado here are some comments generated by the report for January 26, 2020.
•
Hey John, as far as a vote goes, there is absolutely no hesitation from the Chanute native-----YOU are absolved of all blame for any malfeasance. So continue on please. As for the other person (certainly not "gentleman") facing charges, the guy with the orange hair (like an orangutan), charge him GUILTY as charged and let's move on. More Flash Reports please. Do not cease!! Your Pal Casey Casebolt
•
John: In my capacity as an ex-officio (or something like that) member of the KOM jury, I vote for your acquittal! - Jerry Hogan-Novelist from Fayetteville, Arkansas
Reply:
Boy, I'm relieved. Thanks.
•
If I knew how to vote for you I would/. I don't understand much about what is going on but I love your articles and don’t want them to stop. Thanks for all you do. Judi Bartley Jordan—Daughter of longtime Dodger player, manager and scout—Boyd Bartley
Ed reply
You just voted for me. Thanks. As you can see much of what I write is tongue in cheek.
Thank you, John! I gather there is no increase in the price of our subscription for 2020! I enjoyed all your updates, plus your views on "sign stealing." What do you think about major league baseball getting electronic computer reading-and-calling of balls and strikes instead of umpires? Elaine Brooks—From the Bay Area of San Francisco
•
I tried to add a response to your Flash Report but could not get logged in. It was a really good one. Sorry, Neil says sorry also. Dave Davis in Austin, Texas. The “Neil” to whom he referred left this world in 2012 but they still communicate and Dave shares what Neil, a late, great friend, thinks about these missives
•
John, I vote for acquittal... and in your case, too! Curtis Davis aka Brandy's son .. Brandy was a Bartlesville Pirate before becoming one in Pittsburgh, Pa.
•
John I was sure glad to receive this report. I was beginning to wonder if any more were going to come. We need them, as spring training is still a few weeks away. Don Papst—Chanute, Kansas.
•
Curtis Heider wrote “I vote for acquittal for you.”
•
My father talked about playing in one of these Pacific theater barnstorming games perhaps in Hawaii. Details were very sketchy. Thanks for another interesting reading, Bruce May—son of Wilbert May 1946 Carthage Cardinals
•
Finally!! Two observances of the celebration of Leonard Van De Hey’s life: July 18- Elroy, Wis: July 19- Marshfield, Wis. Kathy Finck
Ed reply:
Thanks for letting me know you are still tuned in.
Ed comment:
Van de Hey was a member of the 1950-51 Carthage Cubs and Kathy kept the readership informed of Leonard’s last few months of life in this realm. He passed away October 4, 2019 in Ashtabula, Ohio.
•
Hi John: Yesterday (January 28) would have been my Dad, Tom Kordas’ 88th birthday. Just wanted to share a picture and caption from the newspaper right before he had to report to Army training camp back in the early 1950s. Hope you and all the remaining Carthage Cubs are doing well. Greg Kordas.
Ed reply:
A note was sent to Greg stating that his father left the Blackwell, Oklahoma Broncos in late August of 1952 to serve his country. The next year he was stationed at Ft. Chaffee, Arkansas and played baseball for that Army base team at Ft. Smith and their nickname was the “Smokers.” They were Arkansas State amateur champions and played in the National Baseball Congress tournament in Wichita, Kansas.
This is a relevant place to state that every attempt is made to send condolences to surviving family members of deceased former KOM leaguers. Each week I receive reminders from Legacy.com of the anniversary of those deaths. This is the one received for Thomas Kordas.
mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/kordas/FMfcgxwGCkmXKlGNz...
Kordas passed away 1/23/2017 in Monee, Illinois
•
I read with pleasure your good writing in these reports. Even though I really do not know most of the players from those KOM days, I appreciate the diligence and details that you display in each Flash Report. As I look at the photos that often include signatures of those players, I am often struck by the clarity of these athletes’ handwriting, and as an old fogey educator, I bemoan the decline of cursive writing in the modern age. Even Connie’s left-handed signature was usually legible. Yikes, I really AM old!—Jackie Swensson. She is the widow of Conrad Swensson who pitched for the 1949-50 Ponca City Dodgers.
Ed reply:
Thanks for the kind words. Things have changed way too much over the years.
•
Hi John. How about the sign stealing going on back then and the lengths they go to do it?
I have not gotten a reply from Bobby Ramsey's family. I mentioned some pictures and thought they might like copies. Thanks for keeping in touch. Marge Qualls
Ed reply:
Hope you eventually hear from the Ramsey family. People are often slow to respond.
Ed comment:
Ramsey, Qualls, Bill Virdon, Don Taussig and John Gabler were members of the 1950 Independence, Kansas Yankees. For historical perspective, the latter three guys cited made it to the major leagues.
•
John, I really don't know how you can have all that information and photos etc. Of course working very hard but I admire you with all my heart, thank you very much. Ernie Wallerstein played minor league baseball as Ernie Klein—From Havana, Cuba now living in freedom in New Jersey.
•
Hi John, been trying to remember some pros that I met over the years. Hank Bauer, Spook Jacobs, Roger Maris, and six other Yankees/A's who were at Spook’s house next door Tom Earp—Kansas City (Yes, Tom is kin to the famous lawman of the same last name.)
Ed reply:
Could that rookie who pitched a no-hitter be the late Bob Grim?
Earp’s reply:
Yes, thank you. (It) Niggled at my mind for some years now!
Ed reply:
Having a mind niggling isn't pleasant . ________________________________________________
Now to the Don Biebel story
In the previous issue of whatever this is publication is called, a reference was made to the current baseball scandal—sign stealing. In that report, like most, space it concluded prior to my finishing what I wanted to say. Thus, I told the folks to look up key words like “Don Biebel” and other things like the Chicago Cubs scoreboard.
This is a link to the Chicago Cubs sign pilfering scheme.
thebaseballcodes.com/2019/11/19/that-time-when-the-cubs-w... Now, if you clicked on that site and read the article the rest of this report will make sense. If you ignored the link then do the same for the remainder of this submission.
Note from Don Biebel
John. Now you've done it. I'll be afraid to answer the phone now for fear MLB will be calling to suspend me without pay. Ha! Ha! myctfocbd.com/cbdbieb
Ed reply:
Don't you love it? I can't believe people are getting bent out of shape regarding something that has gone on since the birth of Abner Doubleday. Would you like to share some comments regarding what has been going on since electronic snooping has come about? I can make you a household name, again.
I'm sure glad to have known Don Biebel, off and on, over six decades. Have a great day, week and year.
Biebel’s response
Sign stealing is trying to get too modern with all this electronic equipment and too many people involved. The old KISS method is what you need. Keep.it simple stupid. If you can’t come up with a foolproof set of signs you have a problem. Things are getting tougher though with all this free agency and nobody staying on the same team for multiple seasons anymore. I was always concerned that one of our guys would get plunked and seriously hurt by my error or by being crossed up by the opposing pitcher. Like you say, what's the big deal it’s been going on for nearly 150 years.
I might add that one day while spending the afternoon in the scoreboard I caught Bob Buhl www.google.com/search?q=bob+buhl+baseball&oq=Bob+Buhl...
and Joey Jay www.google.com/search?q=joey+jay+baseball+player&oq=J... of the Braves sitting in the bleachers with a pair of binoculars. After making a phone call I had them promptly escorted back to the Braves locker room since they didn’t have tickets. Fun at the ‘ol ball park. The (Hank) Sauer story is still tops myctfocbd.com/cbdbieb
Ed reply:
Did the Cubs give much thought to their sign stealing when they released or traded a player? Who was actually in charge of authorizing the sign escapade in Chicago?
Biebel’s response
Not really we only did it the second half of the ‘59 season. At least that's the only time I was involved. Al Dark www.google.com/search?q=alvin+dark+stats&oq=Alvin+Dar... was the one that came up with the idea. All players were not included, (Ernie) Banks was one of those. You're coming up with lot of dirt about me. I'm really a nice honest guy.
Comment:
Biebel and Yours truly exchanged numerous other messages along this line and he felt I may have exposed his past to which I remarked “Don't worry you'll come out of this looking like a hero. You have to know the old batboy protects his former Carthage Cubs.”
Those comments led to this exchange. Biebel replied “I know you will protect me I appreciate that. Hope all is well with you. Love the reports.”
This editor admitted “I'm doing better after a trip to the emergency room yesterday. To which Biebel replied “Well I hope so, hope nothing serious.” The response to that was “They did every test known to mankind and found nothing. They didn't even find a sign of a brain when doing a CAT scan.”
Biebel opined “We’re better off without a brain. I'll never forget a comment Don Anderson (Carthage manager) said to me after I screwed up something and was trying to explain what happened. He said ‘Biebel, every time you think two runs score. I don’t think anymore.’”
Confession was made to Biebel that I never thought Anderson liked me when I as batboy. But years later he made up for it by visiting in person with me and calling by phone about once a month.
At this juncture in our conversation, regarding sign stealing, we ran out of ammunition and the subject turned to the girls the ball players dated in Carthage. For obvious reasons they will not be named. However, I recall every one of them for I set up dates for many of the single players. Never knowingly did I do that for a married player.
In perusing the names of the former Carthage Cub girlfriends it was discovered that the majority of them are deceased. However, one of special interest had a teaching career at a major university in the south. After over 30 years of marriage her husband passed away and she then married a prominent surgeon in the mid-south. He was two decades her senior and she is now a very rich widow living in the State of Florida. I told Biebel where she lived and that he should give her a call and relive the summers of 1950 and 1951. If any of you Carthage boys from the graduating classes, circa 1951-53 want to know to who I’m referencing, let me know
___________________________________________________________________________
And in contusion, collusion, collision or conclusion…
Finally, this report comes to a merciful end with this note from the 1950 Iola first baseman, Bob Schwarz. “John, I must say, your keeping coming, THE KOM LEAGUE FLASH REPORT (yet a low minor league, having ‘few’ highlights organization to write about,) is no small task for you, need I say. Be thankful that the good LORD blessed you with ‘WIT’, dry as it is. Thanks. Bob.”
Comment:
Yes, my wit is pretty dry. So, in order to read this report just add a cup of water and hope for the best.
Anna: All my fault. It was everything. I blamed you, blamed everyone but myself. The Ladies, they sapped my life until I was too weak to bear your child. I'm not long for this world, and I deserve it
CSX Q418-11 breezes east through Woodbourne after nightfall with CN D9-44CW 2550 leading a bright future CW40-8 after taking entirely too long to spin their power in Philly. I had very limited time to get ready for these guys as they managed to sneak up the line to Langhorne without me hearing them on the radio until then, leaving me with this "for what its worth" shot.. January 11, 2017.
Monday 23 November 2009: This one's for Buttercup (and, you can blame Eydie Gormé for my inappropriate affection for ruffles). I think she'll like these sexy, comfortable Destroy boots. A trip to the mart of darkness (SW Food Mart in Southwest Harbor, ME— avoid at all costs, if able), then a quiet pre-Thanksgiving dinner with our son before the holiday drama begins. Made matzo ball soup and latkes without a spot on a ruffle. Bought the shirt and jacket a size too large to make sure the sleeves would be long enough, which is worth the enormous waist room trade-off for these particular pieces (Redcats are dreadful at sizing). Guess I was going for Alexander McQueen on a budget... a very LOW budget. Except for the magnificent boots, of course.
Black boyfriend blazer: Roamans (yes, I know), roamans.com, c.$19 (on sale + coupon), c.2009
Ivory ruffle peachskin blouse: Roamans (yes, I know), roamans.com, c.$15 (on sale + coupon), c.2009
Shape FX leggings: Spiegel online, spiegel.com, c.$11 (on sale), c.2008
Black Destroy mid-calf boots with silver buckles: (Great winter boot— fantastically comfortable and well balanced in the snow.) Shoegazer, Ellsworth, ME, c.$70, c.2005
Patent Anya Hindmarch tote: Target online, www.target.com/, c.$20, c.2008
Jewelry: Assorted necklaces, Additionelle, Montreal, Canada, additionelle.com, c.$10 (BOGO), c.2006. Watch, Avenue, 3rd Ave. & 44th St., NYC, avenue.com, c.$20, c.1999. Sterling snake ring w/ pink glass stone, W Hotel Store online, whotelsthestore.com, c.$15 (on sale), c.2007. Sterling Russian wedding band (thumb), street fair, 3rd Ave., NYC, c.$10, c.1999. Engagement ring and wedding band: Pyramid Studios, Ellsworth, ME, 2005 & 2006 respectively.
Hair: Paul Mitchell extra-body daily shampoo & rinse. Paul Mitchell super skinny serum.
Face: Clinique 3-step #2, super-defense cream, even better makeup SPF15 in neutral, quick liner in black honey, high impact mascara in black/brown & color surge lipstick in tenderheart: all from the Clinique counter at Macy's, Bangor, ME or online, clinique.com
Music: "Cyber toy" by Hicham Chahidi www.MusicScreen.org
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
When I look back upon my life
It’s always with a sense of shame
I’ve always been the one to blame
For everything I long to do
No matter when or where or who
has one thing in common too
It's a Sin is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their second studio album, Actually (1987). Written by Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant, the song was released on 15 June 1987 as the album's lead single. It became the duo's second number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, spending three weeks atop the chart. Additionally, the single topped the charts in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, while reaching number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100. A demo of the track was first cut in 1984 with Bobby Orlando, and the song's form in the demo remained intact to the final version, although the released production is far more dramatic. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It's_a_Sin
The village of Vík is the southernmost village in Iceland, located on the main ring road around the island, around 180 km by road southeast of Reykjavík. Despite its small size it is the largest settlement for some 70 km around and is an important staging post, and thus it is indicated on road signs from a long distance away. It is an important service center for the inhabitants of and visitors to the coastal strip between Skógar and the west edge of the Mýrdalssandur glacial outwash plain. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vík_í_Mýrdal
CC BY picture of the Northern lights (Aurora borealis) over the Víkurkirkja church at Vík í Mýrdal, Iceland by AstroAnthony on Wikimedia Commons w.wiki/5CcA
"The devil (or at least the female form - check the name on the bicycle) made me do it" as often the cry of some of contemporary Christianity. More likely it is blame another so one does not have to accept personal responsibility for one's actions.
Then I could admit I wanted to get a photo of a good bike - that might be denial.