Close to Dead

Professional team sports have contributed mightly to the downfall of American culture. I’m not talking about violins and ballet culture. I’m talking about family and friends culture. I’m not talking about golf and tennis.  I’m talking about TEAM sports, like basketball and football and baseball and hockey.

Before professional teams made it so lucrative for players and owners, people got their kicks watching amatuer players – high school and college in person.  Those games didn’t lead to lining the players pockets with moola.  They were played for the enjoyment.  Now they are the farm teams for the pros funded by tax and tuition dollars.

Then ESPN decided that they could make a boatload of money by televising team sports. CBS, ABC, NBC,  And that lead to professionalism. And that lead to billionaires buying teams to make more millions. And cities using tax money to build stadiums to give away to the billionaires. Then, all the ancillary money started pouring in: merchandise, agents, sports books, online betting, etc.

The average family can’t afford to attend more than one game a year. So they veg in front of the Tee Vee in their jerseys and caps and pretend like they are part of the scene maybe even spending the food money on a stupid bet.

Imagine for a moment if pro sports teams didn’t exist.  I know, I know, silly.  But billions and billions of dollars would have been spent for amatuer entertainment. Don’t strain your brain, it’s hopeless. Team professional sports rule U.S. culture and will continue to kill it.

Tell me when you were born, and I’ll tell you your favorite music!

Preferences may change over time, but research shows that people tend to be especially fond of music from their adolescent years

• Big band: Big band music was popular in the 1940s and 1950s, and many geezers grew up listening to it. The upbeat tempo and catchy melodies of big band music can evoke feelings of nostalgia and joy, and it can also be a great way to get people dancing.
• Country: Country music is another genre that is popular among us boomers. The lyrics of country songs often deal with themes of love, loss, and family, which can resonate with people of all ages. Country music can also be a source of comfort and support, and it can help people to feel connected to their roots.
• Classic rock: Classic rock music was popular in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, and we old timers enjoy listening to it today. Classic rock songs are often associated with memories of youth and good times, and they can bring back a sense of nostalgia. Classic rock music can also be energizing and uplifting, and it can help people to feel more positive and motivated.
• Easy listening: Easy listening music is characterized by its soft, relaxing sound. It is often used as background music in restaurants, spas, and other places where people want to unwind. Easy listening music can also be helpful for people who are trying to sleep or meditate.
• Hymns and gospel music: Hymns and gospel music are often associated with religious faith and spirituality. They can provide comfort and support to people who are going through difficult times. Hymns and gospel music can also be a source of inspiration and hope.

To say I’m eclectic in my choice of music is just ridiculous.

Check out my Amazon Music Playlist. Here’s a few from the list.

• Elvis
• Billy Elishe – Bad Guy
• Anna Kendricke – Cups
• Nathan Evans -Wellerman
• Trans Siberian Orchestra
• Shakaria
• Brian Setzer – Let’s Shake
• Waylon Thibodeaux – Jambalya
• Abba
• Buster Poindexter – Hot Hot Hot
• Marc Antony – Vivir Mi Vida

We play music a lot at my house. Don’t turn on the idiot box until late afternoon. Mainly because I like the background noise to muffle my tinnitus.

But also music can:

• Reduce stress and anxiety: Music can have a calming effect on the mind and body, which can help to reduce stress and anxiety.
• Improve mood: Music can evoke positive emotions, such as happiness, joy, and nostalgia. This can help to improve mood and overall well-being.
• Boost cognitive function: Listening to music can help to improve cognitive function, such as memory, attention, and processing speed.
• Promote social interaction: Music can be a great way to connect with others and build relationships. This is especially important for senior citizens who may be isolated or lonely.
• Enhance quality of life: Music can enrich the lives of senior citizens in many ways. It can provide comfort, joy, and a sense of purpose.

There are great streaming services that will give you an almost unlimited library of music – and podcasts!

Here are my musical preferences according to an online study of 350,000.  Try it! It’s not short, but it’s very interesting.

Yeah, exactly how I see myself when I’m floating around growing my Skin Cancers…

I don’t have a FuckIt list. But according to the Washington Post, lots of Boomers do and are chucking them.

Shifting away from a self-centered perspective can help giving up goals feel a bit less bitter. And really, what is the alternative? Keep everything on your bucket list…? This inevitably leads to disappointment and frustration. It might also lead to missing out on enjoying what wasn’t on your bucket list — things brought to you by serendipity that you couldn’t plan for, or things you’ve been taking for granted.

I’m a pretty reasonable guy when it comes to “wishes and wants.”  Sure I had some big dreams, like owning a different car for every day of the week. Or cruising the Caribbean on my giant yacht. Or being able to install a new computer printer in less than half a day. (Yesterday’s project.)

I sure hope this isn’t fake.

I’ve become one of those people: I read obituaries daily. Not just locally but from five other communities in the Midwest.

Legacy.com sends me daily email updates. Why five newspapers/communities?  Because I was an itinerate worker back in the day. We lived in six different communities but the first my first job and I didn’t know anybody. I worked in the newspaper business first as an advertising sales rep and eventually was publisher for four different newspapers in four different communities.

So I knew people. Not KNOW know but knew I their names.  And now they are dying. So I look at the obits for familar names.

Fun. Like Juanita Dick.  If the Boonville Daily News got pranked, I really feel for them. But since the obit is still posted, I guess it’s real. The internet made it really easy to fake obits and submit them. I think (hope) now, the poor schlub at the newspaper that has to approve them is very careful.

There’s even a place where you can buy an obit

Even obits unlike Juanita Dick’s can be laffable.

A recent obit was written like… James E. (Jimmy) Jones, known to his family as Petey. He worked for 32 years at XYZ company where his friends called him Shorty.

I hated when newspapers started charging for obits. I avoided it at the newspapers I ran. Back then, there were two times an ordinary citizen got their name in the paper: when they were born and when they died. And the corporate over-lords decided to go for a money grab among the family of the dead.

Schwartz dies and his widow calls the New York Times and asks the price of an obituary. She is told it’s $10 per word. Okay, she said, have it read, “Schwartz dead” The clerk then tells her there is a $50 minimum, for which you get 5 words. Okay, she said, have it say, “Schwartz dead, Cadillac for sale.

I found out recently that the secretary (not adminstrative assistant) to the owner of one of the newspaper chains I worked for died just a few blocks away.

And of course, there are scams that use obituaries to get more than enough information to set up a identity-theft scam.  Recently, an obit ran three full newspaper columns long.  This on top of the newspaper feature story about the decedent who was active in the community for decades. They included everything but the geezer’s Social Security Number.

Life goes on. Until it doesn’t.

I like X.

I read it to have fun and check out breaking news. I try to follow regular souls. If you are a Republican, you get an auto-block. Repeating ads from Temu and Shein get an auto-block.  BTW: Elon will never do away with the block feature.

FWIW, using acryonyms makes reading and writing X posts easier.

I pride myself that my middle aged daughter asks me to interpret. She just asked me what JFC meant… and FTW, I knew.

There are hundreds of acronyms in use in email, social media and text.

So STFU because IDK and IDC, MYOB. SMH.