I hope so

AT&T

While their product is great, I can't continue with AT&T for my TV and Internet.

I'm on a plan that's supposed to be "X" a month, and yet, EVERY month it's a different amount. This month's tally is literally double what it should be. I'm going to call, they're going to claim the difference is because of taxes, fees, the end of a promotional period (it's not), or an increase in the price of strawberries in Kansas. , I'm going to argue, they'll knock something off the top, and we call a truce for a month. Or so it would normally go. But this month we are super tight, and even if we weren't enough is enough. 

What's worse, AT&T just bought out my cell phone provider, which explains why their normally exemplary customer service went down the tubes last month. Ugh.

That's a Pretty Big Difference

"The difference between us is that we're using missile defense to protect our civilians and they're using their civilians to protect their missiles," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Big Blue

15 years ago today, Big Blue collapsed at Miller Park, killing three workers.

I remember my friend Tre calling me with the news, and turning on the TV to watch coverage of the tragedy in the living room of our apartment on 23rd St. 

Frolics Fireworks

The family bugged me to go to fireworks but then gave up the fight, heading off to bed while actively expressing their dislike in who Lisa chose to be their father. Usually that doesn't bother me, but this time I said WTH and rousted them out of bed to go the South Shore Frolics. (Lisa and YaYa chose to stay home, even though Yaya had been the biggest proponent) . No parking whatsoever, so Junie, Smiley and I had to walk from a spot on Indiana and Fernwood to our eventual seats a block east of Texas and Superior (Mapquest it). It was a great view and the fireworks were swell, and I couldn't have had better company. :)

Here's the adult version of the before-mentioned evening: All of the preceding was true. But in addition, the kids got an extra special treat. A group of young males, eager to disprove cultural notions about the role they play in society, decided to start screaming and swearing and hollering the N word, over some slight, be it real or imagined. Before too long they were brawling in the street, both with members of their party and some locals who had told them to knock it off. Two pairs of guys were swinging at each other, and another pair were rolling around on the ground like it was a "stop drop and roll" exercise." As we were sitting at the end of a dead end street about 150 ft from this fracas (actually, Lauren was sitting on my shoulders) I was a bit concerned. Then - and I mean this literally - I saw how cartoonishly inept they were at inflicting damage on one another, gauged my chances of success as "high" if it came to it, and told the kids to ignore it and watch the fireworks. Two squads came to break it up by by then they'd moved on .F'ing ridiculous.

Faux Child Free

Lulu is now away at Girl Scout camp, set to explore Door County for the next five days, Yaya is at a friends house in our old stomping grounds near 31st and Mitchell, LK is still at Grandma's, and Smiley. . . Smiely has spent the entire day glued to his tablet in his room. This is about as close to "childless" as it gets for #TeamSlap

Soccer and Boxing

Wow, the World Cup Finals in on the air, and at the half the score is . . . . 0-0. [crickets chirp]. What a tremendously exciting sport.

Update: 

Rather than waste precious hours of my life watching a World Cup match that is 0-0 *at the completion of regular time* I fired up last nights Canelo-Lara bout. I scored it even up 114-114, with one round that really could have gone either way. The judges scored it 115-113 (one for Canelo, one for Lara), but the deciding score was a ridiculous 117-111 in Canelo's favor. That judge, IMHO, is on crack.

Disappointed a planned bowling outing with Da Boyzzz was cancelled, especially since Mike Ste-- had extended the invitation to Smiley . . . maybe next time.

Walked with YaYa from guitar class to the library then home, a nice brisk pace. Then watched Jerry Quarry v Ken Norton ('75) and now Joe Louis v Cesar Brion ('50) update: then Bob Foster v Mike Quarry ('72)

The South Shore Frolics Parade

The South Shore Frolics parade in Bay View Milwaukee this morning (Pd and I didn't attend)

+

That's Smiley on the drum!

Watching Joe Frazier v Manuel Ramos for the Heavyweight belt (June 24, 1968). GREAT opening round. Update: but not much more than that.  Frazier did what Frazier did and the fight was soon stopped by the ref

Lewis-Rahman

Yesterday I also watched the Lennox Lewis-Phil Jackson fight from '94, and Lewis's upset loss to Hasim Rahman in 2001. That one ticked me off, because Lewis lost for no other reason than he was cocky and lazy. They compared it later to Tyson-Douglas, but nuh-uh. Douglas was motivated and fought a great fight, whereas Rahman stumbled through the whole affair. Lewis should have owned this match. There was no excuse for Lennox to clown around with a big grin and his guard down, and he paid for it allright; one punch and he was out and his belts were gone. It was irritating and it made the announcer's earlier quote - which I loved - ring prophetic: [paraphrased] "he better stop taking this so lightly, because his chin doesn't know the other guy's a 20-1 underdog"

Watching the Lennox Lewis-David Tua championship bout from Armistice Day 2000.

Regret

We scrimped and saved to send Smiley to summer camp w/ the Y, and dammit we pulled it off, although we could only afford a half-session. Then tonight the camp called, saying Smiley was asking to please stay and finish out the week, and the Y even offered to slash the price for him. Still, given my checkbook balance, it had to be a no. 

Major guilt, major regret here. A little bitter that #TeamSlap was thrown in the deep end decades ago and left to fend for itself ever since, but OTOH, proud as hell that what we have is our own and that no thanks are owed to anyone.

Noah

#TeamSlap watched "Noah" last night. The first ten minutes or so were so awkward and trippy that I thought about giving the film a pass, but I'm glad we stuck it out. It was a powerful thought provoking epic that struck a nerve in everyone that watched it.

 The girls (Lu and YaYa) finished the film disliking Noah (the man) for the actions he took and contemplated, but I told them they were missing the point. Noah wasn't given a blessing and a free boarding pass by God;  he was handed a massive responsibility and a terrible burden. As it would for anyone of sound mind, the weight of it nearly broke him. Frankly, his actions made sense. That he rose above it and used the free will he was given to give mankind another chance . . . that's the true moment of heroism and grace in the story, and it could only have come after living through what he did and felt. It's not a perfect film, but it's a dang fine movie and right up there with The Ten Commandments.

Eduard Shevardnadze

RIP Eduard Shevardnadze

Just FYI

You'll see that I'm tagged in a fair number of pictures from the Fourth. Please keep in mind that today's digital cameras can easily add one, even two hundred pounds. Adjust your perception accordingly. Thank you in advance.

Rising Star

Lulu voting on the Rising Star app

Dropping Smiley off at Camp

Happy 4th!

Getting ready for our annual Fourth of July trip up to Omro, WI to visit with great friends and eat, watch a small town parade and of course watch the fireworks. Hope everyone enjoys reflecting on what a great country we live in while having a great holiday!! (My favorite holiday). - Lisa

Apparently, I know a serial killer

I *KNEW* that alleged serial killer in West Allis - the guy inclined to put his victims in luggage bags - looked familiar. According to a trusted source from Job Prior, he's the son of George, the driver.

Walter Dean Myers

RIP children's author Walter Dean Myers, age 76

A great response from Sara Rogers to the hue-and-cry from the folks screaming about the SCOTUS "Hobby Lobby" decision out of pure reflex:  I'm mad as hell too but for the opposite reason. I'm mad that people who are so against this decision don't really know what it all involves. I'm mad that, as a society, we demand things without thinking of what the long term cost is for others. I'm mad at the sense of entitlement running rampant. I'm mad that people don't realize that the government has far too much control and say in our every day lives already. But I'm most mad about the fact that people with differing opinions and views can't share their opinions without being name-called, ridiculed, and insulted. What has happened to this country?"

He Ain't Wrong

Damn right Paulie