30 June, 2011

{this memory} 6

This image from Tuesday's post shows a statuette of "The Lovers." It is about 18 inches in height and composed of clear glass, hand-formed and attached to a black glass base.

We were having a good morning when we discovered "The Lovers." My wife and I had arrived in Venice the preceding afternoon by train from Rome - early enough to check into our hotel and still have time for some leisurely strolling and exploring as we looked for the perfect place for dinner. We found it in a secluded restaurant with a few outdoor tables alongside one of the smaller canals. Nice beginning.

We were up early the next morning, eager for more strolling arm-in-arm as well as sightseeing, eating, and shopping. We were trying to do as much as we could before another couple joined us that afternoon. It was mid-morning, and we were walking along the water by Giardini ex Reali and not far from Harry's Bar. A well-dressed signore approached us offering a free boat trip over to Murano (and back) where we could visit one of the glass studios.

We knew we were being targeted and lured to buy something, but we had time on our hands and a free trip over and back. We went. After watching some artists work by their glass ovens, we were given a private tour of the showroom and eventually offered something to drink and a place to sit.

"The Lovers" is the piece we decided to buy, and they packaged it and shipped it back to New York for us. I'm sure they thought they "sold" us, but we had planned on a trip to Murano to purchase glass anyway. They just made it easier for us. Rather than return to our starting point, we asked them to drop us at the train station because it was nearing arrival time for our friends; our kidnappers were happy to do so. We found another perfect spot for lunch and then went to greet our friends.

Did I say it was a "good" morning? It was more than that. It was one of those perfect mornings.
TGB

29 June, 2011

Gone With The Pins

A week ago in No Regrets I alluded to a hobby of pin collecting. This post, originally from last July, explains just what I was referring to.
___________________________________________________


Can you spell C-U-R-I-O-U-S ?

Sure you can.

Last week I was asked to say a few words about myself - including something curious or funny or interesting - to a large gathering of parents of new freshmen. Each of the two dozen or so faculty and staff who were there had to do it. Where do I begin?! So many to mention - so little time.

I went for hobbies - primarily because I have one that is a tad unusual and didn't want to scare them with something really bizarre. I have a goal of visiting every Hard Rock Café in the world. I belong to the HRC Pin Collectors' Club, and whenever I visit a Café or Hotel or other approved property, I have my membership card scanned. Doing so creates an official record of that stop which is kept by the corporation. On the corporate website you can find a list of the Top 100 in terms of how many discrete properties members have visited.

How many Cafés are there, you ask? That's hard to say because each year a few close and a few new ones open. There have been just over 200 around the world, but nearly 60 of those have closed. There are currently about 140 properties. My life list contains 82, and 15 of those have closed since I visited. It can be frustrating because typically little notice of a closing is given, and there have been eight that closed within a few months of when I had planned to visit. Those other properties, by the way, include Hard Rock Bars, Casinos (separate from Hotels), Stores, a Vault (museum), a Beach Club, and an amusement park. The last three, however, are closed, and Casino visits earn no credit.

In November of 2008, I was ranked #87 (tie) in the world with 75 visits - which really is dumb but at the same time sort of cool. The image above shows the award one receives for that milestone, and the image below shows the list at that time although I've shortened it for readability at this resolution. Count from the bottom. I have fallen out of the Top 100 today - although two quick visits would push me up enough to regain that status and be tied for #99.

Okay - so why do I do this? I don't know. I used to travel a lot, and HRC does make a great cheeseburger at a reasonable cost. I like the music, of course, and it just evolved. Will I make it to all of them? Nah. I would like to get to the 100 mark (at 82 currently), and then I could hang up my guitar picks without feeling the need for an encore. At the moment there are two new Cafés in the continental US that I could visit (having been to all of the others) and quite a few new ones in Europe. There are also quite a few in Mexico and the Caribbean that I have not seen.

Oh, if you wonder how many pins I have - well, I've sold dozens of dozens on eBay, but that still leaves over 500 in my collection. I'm sure someone out there thinks I'm a nut.

Rock on!
TGB  


28 June, 2011

The Magnificent Seven Psychologists

As part of a bloggers' challenge I need to republish the first piece ever posted to my blog. I'm posting two. The first (The Magnificent Seven Psychologists) was not written FOR the blog, but I'm posting it again because it was THE first post. The second (The Lost Symbolism) was published a few days later as my fifth post. It is, however, the first piece written specifically for the blog, and I think it fits the challenge's purpose better.
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Root \'rüt, 'rut\ n, pl roots.

It’s a simple word, but what it signifies depends on whom you ask. A musician sees a root as the fundamental note of a chord while the mathematician defines it as a set of values. It can be the underground portion of a plant, part of a tooth, or a computer account with special privileges. Rooting is a skill in the martial art of Kung Fu, and millions remember Roots as the Alex Haley novel or the television miniseries of the mid-1970s.

Taken together these definitions suggest that roots are fundamental, contain values, convey privilege, and help us hold our ground when challenged. It’s in these qualities that we find a personal meaning – where “I” began, where “I” sprang into being. This, of course, is Haley’s meaning. Because of Haley’s story, many of us – not just African Americans – were motivated to begin the search for our own heritage. It is a source of personal pride, for example, to know that my great great great great great grandfather, John, was born in North Carolina in 1750 (about the time Haley’s saga begins) and to know the names and something of the lives of the intervening six Browns.

I am, however, an academic psychologist and a few years ago began to wonder about my scholarly roots. I wanted to see if I could trace my intellectual heritage back 130 years or so to the beginnings of scientific psychology. My goal seemed reasonable.

Historians generally identify two individuals as pivotal in the earliest days of the modern scientific psychology tradition: Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920) of Germany and William James (1842-1910) of the United States. At least one writer has referred to them as the “old world pope” of European psychology and the “new world pope” of American psychology. Was I “related” to either of them?

James’ career was less orderly than that of Wundt. He began as a physiologist with a medical degree, spent the middle years teaching psychology, and finished as a legendary professor of philosophy at Harvard. (His brother, Henry, was a noted American author.) During his decade of teaching psychology at Harvard, James is credited with mentoring many of those who earned the first psychology doctorates in America and helped found American psychology.

Wundt, also with a medical degree, is considered to have established the first laboratory in psychology in 1879 at the University of Leipzig, and the first psychology doctorates anywhere were earned under his direction. Many Americans (James almost did) made the pilgrimage to Leipzig to study with the master. They represent the founders of the American tradition.

When my initial research showed a relatively quick and direct connection to Wundt, I was understandably excited; he was my great great great great grandmentor! Only five scientists stood between the founder and me. About two years ago I asked my colleagues if they had ever done the same. To my surprise, none had, and I embarked on a project to develop a faculty genealogy for the psychology department – tracing our collective academic ancestors back in time through dissertation advisors and mentors. With psychology’s brief history and clear beginning, it’s likely that all of us could be traced back to its founding and probably to Wundt or James.

So I had a new focus for scholarly inquiry, one that I fully expected to lead in unexpected directions. Most of my scholarship has involved the experimental analysis of behavior – studying rats and pigeons in the celebrated “Skinner Box,” and while the majority of my laboratory studies had led to predicted results, I had no idea where tracing academic lineages would lead me and what stories might be revealed. I was eager.

The project has three phases. First, names of mentors are traced back as far possible, usually through a review of dissertations. This can sometimes be completed online, but often requires travel to the relevant university library. Second, personal recollections and anecdotes about mentors are solicited from those still living, and historical works and biographies are examined for earlier ancestors. Third, a narrative describing the flow and interaction of influences on one’s approach to psychology is developed, noting where we followed in our mentor’s footsteps and where we diverged. Just as with parents and their children, the apple generally falls close to the tree but on occasion rolls off on its own.

My dissertation adviser and mentor was Stan Pliskoff, obviously from the Bronx to anyone who knew him. He was a gifted teacher, an exceptional scientist, and editor of the most prestigious journal in our specialty, the psychology of B.F. Skinner. How Pliskoff became a “Skinnerian” remains a mystery. His dissertation (NYU, 1956) didn’t follow that paradigm nor was his mentor, Howard Kendler, predisposed to that approach. In a recent communication, Kendler (now in his mid-80s) wrote me that Pliskoff was “always a warm, amusing guy although I could never interest him in theory.”

In retrospect, I can see that. I recall the time Pliskoff was to deliver a prime time public lecture on Skinner’s Beyond Freedom and Dignity, a book that had caused quite a stir in 1971 (cover of Time magazine, etc.). When I asked him how he prepared for the lecture, Pliskoff confessed he hadn’t read the book but did call Fred Skinner to ask what the fuss was all about! The crowd was large, and both the lecture and discussion were terrific.

Kendler – a prolific author and scientist – had studied with Kenneth Spence at the University of Iowa (1944), and Kendler’s early writing was central to the most important debates in learning theory. Spence received a Ph.D. from Yale University in 1933 and was a towering figure in the middle decades of the twentieth century, probably one of the most important psychologists in the world although today few remember him. He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences and is still the only psychologist ever to deliver the Silliman Lectures, Yale’s oldest and most prestigious series.

Spence’s mentor at Yale had been Robert Yerkes, also elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Yerkes is best known for establishing the Yale Laboratories of Primate Biology in Florida, the leading facility in the world for the study of great apes. Today it is located in Atlanta and is the federally funded Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center. He is also remembered for offering, as president of the American Psychological Association (APA), the services of psychology to the army when we entered World War I. Under his leadership mental tests were developed and used for the first time by the army. Yerkes had received a doctorate from Harvard in 1902 under the direction of Hugo Münsterberg.

Münsterberg is a more tragic figure. A talented scientist, he was invited to head temporarily the psychology laboratory at Harvard at the end of the nineteenth century. After earning acclaim as teacher and chairman, he was offered the permanent position of professor. Although he had a very successful career after settling at Harvard and was elected president of the APA in 1898, he was a German by birth and loyalty, and he faced increasing hostility as World War I became imminent. He died as he stood to give a lecture at Radcliffe College in 1916. He had earned both M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Leipzig, the latter in 1885 under the direction of Wilhelm Wundt and only a few years after Wundt founded that first laboratory in psychology.

Wundt was a prolific scholar, publishing nearly 60,000 pages in his career, but he is best remembered as an organizer and advocate. It was he, more than any other individual, who made the case for psychology to be a science in its own right rather than a branch of philosophy or physiology as it then was.

I have been fortunate enough to visit Leipzig, located in eastern Germany, twice since the fall of the Iron Curtain. The first was quite brief, just six hours between trains, but in June of 2002 I was able to spend a couple of days there. On that occasion I visited the grave of Wundt, sat at his desk, signed my name into his student ledger, held one of his books, and examined some of the apparatus he invented as he set psychology on a modern scientific course. Unfortunately the original laboratory had fallen victim to the bombs of World War II.

My initial journey was complete, and I have begun a similar process for my psychology colleagues, two of whom I’ve also traced back to Wundt. I knew who my intellectual ancestors were and had touched physically and emotionally the beginnings of scientific psychology. I continue collecting personal reflections and anecdotes, and the grand challenge of tracing and understanding the progression of societal and intellectual influences beckons. As with most scholarly quests, progress has been slow, but it’s also been wonderfully rewarding.
TGB  
Originally posted July 1, 2010   

The Lost Symbolism

As part of a bloggers' challenge I need to republish the first piece ever posted to my blog. I'm posting two. The first (The Magnificent Seven Psychologists) was not written FOR the blog, but I'm posting it again because it was THE first post. The second (The Lost Symbolism) was published on July 5, 2010, as my fifth post. It is, however, the first piece written specifically for the blog, and I think it fits the challenge's purpose better.
___________________________________________________


Three Blue Lions and a Two Dollar Bill
I wasn’t going to, but I guess I’m going to have to anyway - explain this blog’s subtitle [since changed], that is.

On the surface, it appears quite simple, but I suppose there are deeper levels of meaning if you’re drawn to such things. The Two Dollar Bill is, of course, a reference to Thomas Jefferson. I am a native Virginian, a graduate of the University of Virginia, and carry a profound respect for this brilliant and multi-talented American. He personifies Renaissance Man, and Jefferson has pretty much been the face of this United States Note since 1869, ironically replacing Hamilton who was on it for its first seven years.

The number “Three” is my favorite integer. That’s all. That and that it is a symbol of the unity of body, mind, and spirit, and in that sense it represents the soul. It is commonly found in folklore - as in three wishes, three tries, three princes or princesses, or three witches. The common expression, "third time is a charm" is an encouragement to put discouragement aside and try again or make that extra special effort. I don’t believe in ever giving up. There is a verse in Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching which states that out of the Tao (out of the transcendent) comes the One. Out of the One come Two. Out of the Two come Three. Out of the Three come all things. What more does one need to know?

The color “Blue” is my favorite hue, mine and that of more than half of my species according to those who study such things. Blue is cooling and reminds one of peace and calmness. Midnight blue is said to promote meditation and intuition. Blue is often associated with freedom, strength, and new beginnings. For example, blue skies signify optimism and better opportunity. It’s the color of loyalty and faith, and around the world, blue represents water, the source of life.
The “Lion” is a reference to my astrological sign, Leo. We Leos are generous and warmhearted, creative and enthusiastic, 
broad-minded and expansive, 
faithful and loving. And trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind … oh wait, that’s the Boy Scouts. Then there is the Azure Lion Rampant of Scotland represented on the Royal Standard of Scotland. I’m not a royal, but I am of Scots descent – which brings us to Saint Andrew's Cross or The Saltire, the national flag of Scotland. And now we are back to blue again.

Sort of makes you wish you hadn't asked, doesn't it.
TGB   

27 June, 2011

{this moment} 6

A Monday ritual. A single image - no words - capturing a moment from the past. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment over which I wish to linger so that I can savor every treasured aspect. If you are moved by my {this moment} too, please leave a comment below. On Thursday in another ritual called {this memory}, I'll share the story behind this moment.
{this moment}

Copyright © 2011 Thomas G. Brown

{this moment} is a ritual copied and adapted from cath's wonderful blog ~just my thoughts. She, in turn, borrowed it from Pamanner's Blog. Check out their blogs, and if you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your {this moment} in the comments for all to find and see.
TGB   

26 June, 2011

Repent, O Scottish Sinner

here was a Scottish painter named Smokey Macgregor who was very interested in making a penny where he could. As a result, he often thinned down his paint to make it go a wee bit further.

As it happened, he got away with this for some time, but eventually the Baptist Church decided to do a big restoration job on the outside of one of their biggest buildings. Smokey put in a bid, and because his price was so low, he got the job.

He set about erecting the scaffolding and setting up the planks and buying the paint and, yes I am sorry to say, thinning it down with water.

Well ... Smokey was up on the scaffolding, painting and painting. When the job was nearly completed, there was suddenly a horrendous clap of thunder. The sky opened, and the rain poured down - washing the thinned paint from all over the church. The thunder knocked Smokey clear off the scaffold, and he landed on the lawn among the gravestones and surrounded by telltale puddles of the thinned and useless paint.

Smokey was no fool. He knew this was a judgment from the Almighty. He got down on his knees and cried out, "Oh, God, Oh God, forgive me. What should I do?"

And from the thunder, a Mighty Voice spoke ...


"Repaint! Repaint! And thin no more!"

23 June, 2011

{this memory} 5

In its literal content, this photo from Tuesday's post shows the crew of 10 (four officers, six enlisted) that it typically took to fly the B-24 Liberator bomber behind them. This image was taken just after they were assigned to their new plane (note no markings on her yet), and they joined the 8th Army Air Force, 93rd Bombardment Group (the Traveling Circus), 330th Squadron in 1944, flying out of Hardwick Airfield just south of Norwich, England.

They flew "long-range strategic bombardment raids on Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany, attacking enemy military and industrial targets as part of the United States' air offensive. The squadron was one of the most highly decorated units in the Mighty Eighth, continuing offensive attacks until the German capitulation in May, 1945."

But, Thom, your dad was an officer in the Navy. True, but the gentleman kneeling on the left was my uncle - actually my wife's uncle but close enough. Uncle Bill McAleese. He was in that highly decorated group mentioned above, and I saw at least one Distinguished Flying Cross and a whole passel of Air Medals in his collection.

 As with most of that generation, he didn't say a lot
       about those experiences. He did tell us about
          the time he screwed up. He was the navigator,
           and told them where to go as they crossed
            the English Channel. Unfortunately, he was
         homing on the wrong signal and led them
     right into a whole lot of enemy fire they didn't
want to be in. Although they collected more than a few holes they didn't need, they corrected course, dropped their bombs, and made it back to Hardwick.

We met only a few years after my dad died, and Uncle Bill became my second dad. He never had children of his own. We golfed together. He helped me build my home. He was there when I was sick and when my girls were born. We laughed often, and he taught me not to bother to put my coat on until the ladies were at the open door. Sadly, he passed away a few years ago.

In spite of all of that, what I remember most was that he was not Italian. My wife is Italian, and her family is Italian. I love 'em all, and they love me. When the entire extended family of about 50 would gather, however, Uncle Bill and I were the only two who were not Italian. He taught me how to fit in, and I knew he always had my back - whether it was needed or not.
TGB

20 June, 2011

{this moment} 5

A Monday ritual. A single image - no words - capturing a moment from the past. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment over which I wish to linger so that I can savor every treasured aspect. If you are moved by my {this moment} too, please leave a comment below. On Thursday in another ritual called {this memory}, I'll share the story behind this moment.
{this moment}

Copyright © 2011 Thomas G. Brown

{this moment} is a ritual copied and adapted from cath's wonderful blog ~just my thoughts. She, in turn, borrowed it from Pamanner's Blog. Check out their blogs, and if you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your {this moment} in the comments for all to find and see.
TGB   

19 June, 2011

Sex On The Sabbath

man wondered if having sex on the Sabbath was a sin because he was not sure if sex was work or play. He asked a priest for his opinion on this question. After consulting the Bible, the priest said, "My son, after an exhaustive search I am positive sex is work and is, therefore, not permitted on the Sabbath. I hope I have helped you."

It wasn't the answer the man was hoping for though, and he thought to himself, "Wait! What does a priest know about sex? He's celibate and abstinent"

So he went to consult a protestant minister - one who was a married man and had sexual experience. He asked the minister for the answer and received the same reply. "Sex is work and not appropriate for the Sabbath!"

Not pleased with the reply either and getting frustrated, he sought out the ultimate authority - a man of thousands of years of tradition and knowledge. He asked a rabbi.

The rabbi pondered the question and stated, "My son, sex is definitely play." The man replied, "Rabbi, how can you be so sure when so many others tell me sex is work?" The rabbi softly spoke, "Because, my son ... if sex were work, then my wife would have the maid do it."
Author Unknown   


16 June, 2011

{this memory} 4

In its literal content, this photo from Tuesday's post shows an alleyway in Gamla Stan, The Old Town, which prior to 1980 was known as Staden Mellan Broarna, The Town between the Bridges. If you know Swedish, then you know we are in Stockholm on the island of Stadsholmen. The Old Town dates back to the 1200s and is filled with the kind of medieval alleys and cobbled streets you see in this image.

Another version of this photo was recently selected for on-line publication by Indie Ink.

In early June of 2003 my daughter and I were in Stockholm for only a couple of days after arriving by train from Oslo. I was there primarily to do some research on René Descartes who died in Stockholm in 1650. Although his body was later returned to France, I visited the churchyard where he was first buried, and fortunately for me, Adolf Fredriks kyrka was only a few blocks from the Hard Rock Café which I was adding to my list of visited properties. (See Gone With The Pins) After all, all research and no rock makes Thom cranky.

The scene in the image is of Gåsgränd and only a couple of blocks from the Nobel Museum, our ultimate destination that day. The scene caught my eye as we walked, and I recall actually passing it by and then backing up to look more closely. It drew me in and captivated me as it has many of you.

We returned to our room - one of sixty cabins on the Malardrottningen Yacht Hotel which was once the super-luxury yacht of Barbara Hutton. It was docked at Gamla Stan. From there we took the overnight ferry to Helsinki and got our first taste of "white nights" as our wonderful adventure continued. These were special times with my older daughter.
TGB

14 June, 2011

{this moment} 4

A Tuesday ritual. A single image - no words - capturing a moment from the past. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment over which I wish to linger so that I can savor every treasured aspect. If you are moved by my {this moment} too, please leave a comment below. On Thursday in another ritual called {this memory}, I'll share the story behind this moment.

{this moment}

Copyright © 2011 Thomas G. Brown

{this moment} is a ritual copied and adapted from cath's wonderful blog ~just my thoughts. She, in turn, borrowed it from Pamanner's Blog. Check out their blogs, and if you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your {this moment} in the comments for all to find and see.
TGB   

12 June, 2011

The Last Two Gifts Of Creation

t seemed that God was just about finished creating the universe, but there were two things left in His bag of creations. He was more than ready to rest though and simply decided to split them between Adam and Eve. He told the couple that one of the things He had to give away was the ability to urinate while standing up.

"It's a very handy thing," God told the couple whom he found under an apple tree. "I was wondering if either one of you wanted that ability."

Before God had a chance to explain any further, Adam jumped up and blurted, "Oh, give that to me! I'd love to. Please, please, please let me have that ability. It would be so great!"

"When I'm working in the garden or naming the animals, I could just stand there and let it fly. It would be so cool. I could even write my name in the sand. Oh please, God, let it be me to whom You give that gift. Let me stand and pee. Oh please ..."

Adam went on and on like an excited little boy who actually did have to pee. Eve just smiled and told God that if Adam really wanted that so badly, he should have it, that it seemed to be the sort of thing that would make him happy, and that she would be quite content if Adam were the one given the speciall ability.

And so ... Adam was given the ability to control the direction of his urination while in a vertical position. He was happy and celebrated his ability by wetting down the bark on the tree nearest him. He laughed with delight all the while, and it was good.

"Fine," God said and looked back into his bag of leftover gifts. "What's left here? Oh yes, multiple orgasms ... "

Author Unknown

09 June, 2011

{this memory} 3

In its literal content, this photo from Tuesday's post shows the walkway in our front yard on Hyde Street (now Howe) in Norfolk, VA in late 1951 or early 1952. I was three and sitting in my trusty Radio Flyer red wagon. Also in the wagon is an empty soda bottle - probably Yoo-Hoo, a favorite chocolate drink. It could have been another favorite, Cream (or Creme) Soda, which I insisted on calling "wild onion" for some reason.

While I don't remember much about this era, there are a few snippets of events, but mostly I've heard the stories so many times that they now seem like memories. Perhaps most famous is the time I took all of the old newspapers in our garage, rolled them up somehow (or folded), loaded them into my wagon, and delivered them around the neighborhood. "Used?" you say. Yeah - what did I know! I was three and just being a paperboy. Of this one I actually think I may have a vague recollection.

What is clearer to me is that I had a wonderful childhood and that on occasion I was quite a handful.
TGB

07 June, 2011

{this moment} 3

A Tuesday ritual. A single image - no words - capturing a moment from the past. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment over which I wish to linger so that I can savor every treasured aspect. If you are moved by my {this moment} too, please leave a comment below. On Thursday in another ritual called {this memory}, I'll share the story behind this moment.

{this moment}

Copyright © 2011 Thomas G. Brown

{this moment} is a ritual copied and adapted from cath's wonderful blog ~just my thoughts. She borrowed it from Pamanner's Blog who found it on Life inspired by the Wee Man. Check out their blogs, and if you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your {this moment} in the comments for all to find and see.
TGB   

05 June, 2011

Reading Is Believing

here was a fine Christian lady whose business required her to travel a great deal. That meant she did a lot of flying, but flying made her nervous. To calm herself, she always took her Bible along to read, and it usually helped. On this particular flight she sat next to a man who watched her pull out her Bible. After she had done so, he gave a little chuckle and went back to what he was doing.

After a while he turned to her and asked, "You don't really believe all that stuff you read in there do you?" The lady replied, "Of course, I do. It IS The Bible, isn't it?!"

He prodded "Well, what about that guy who was swallowed by that whale?" "Oh, Jonah," she replied, "Yes, I believe that. It is in The Bible after all."

"Well," he asked, "how do you suppose he survived all that time inside the whale?" Thinking about it, the lady said, "I don't really know, but I guess when I get to heaven, I will ask him."

"What if he isn't in heaven?" the man asked sarcastically. "Then you can ask him," smiled the lady.
Author Unknown   

03 June, 2011

Curse Of The Billy Goat

Last Sunday, I went to watch the Chicago Cubs play the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field in Chicago. I had to. These are "The North Siders" and the oldest baseball team still in its original city. Tradition. Since 1871.

Mind you, it's not that I am a Cubs fan, although it's hard not to root for a team that hasn't been to the World Series since 1945 and hasn't won a Series since 1908, the longest drought in baseball. I went because I wanted to see Wrigley Field.

Originally built in 1914, the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field became home for the Cubs in 1916. It's the second oldest active ballpark, and it's small, seating only 41,160. How could a college professor not go to a park famous for "Bricks and Ivy?" It still uses a scoreboard with hand turned numbers, plays on real grass, and didn't install lights until 1988. This is baseball as it's supposed to be.

This is the field of Babe Ruth's called shot in the 1932 World Series. Ruth supposedly pointed in the general direction of center field with his bat and on the next pitch hit a home run to center field.

This was the home of broadcaster Harry Caray who for 17 years announced the games and led everyone in the enthusiastic singing of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh inning stretch. "Holy Cow!" was his iconic expression.

This is the field where owner P.K. Wrigley ejected Billy Sianis during the 1945 World Series. Billy had shown up with two box seat tickets and his goat, but Wrigley said the goat smelled. After getting the boot, Sianis supposedly said, "The Cubs, they ain't gonna win no more." They lost the game and the Series (3-4), and they haven't been back to a Series since then.

This is the field where double plays inspired poetry - "a single, rueful stanza from the point of view of a New York Giants fan seeing the talented Chicago Cubs infield of shortstop Joe Tinker, second baseman Johnny Evers, and first baseman Frank Chance complete a double play." The poem was published in 1910 at the end of several years of Cub domination of the National League, including the Giants.

These are the saddest of possible words:
"Tinker to Evers to Chance."
Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds,
"Tinker and Evers and Chance."
Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble,
Making a Giant hit into a double –
Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble:
"Tinker to Evers to Chance."

And this is the field where Clyde McCullough played catcher for most of his 16 major league seasons. "Who?" you're thinking. I'm not surprised. Clyde was a friend of my father - who was a pretty good ball player in his own right, I might add. Clyde started in the Show in 1940 and retired in 1956, which means he got to play with future Hall of Famer Ernie Banks in his first years. He was a major league pitching coach and a minor league manager for many years after that. I remember seeing some of his many awards when I visited his home once with my parents.

Clyde wasn't a legend, but he did play in 1099 games, batted a career .252 (.297, best season), and hit 52 home runs. He also played in two All Star games. Both my mother and father watched him play in 1946 at Wrigley Field, and he caught a no hitter there in 1955.

My father got to know him in the Navy. Clyde served in 1944 and 1945, the last two years of the war, but I think they met playing navy ball in Norfolk. He was discharged in time to return to the team for the 1945 World Series. He wasn't in his best shape, of course, and batted only once as a pinch hitter. He struck out, but he played in the World Series. Wow!

He is the only player to have appeared in a World Series game without playing a regular-season game in the same year. Surely I needn't remind you that his 1945 Series was the last time the Cubs went to the fall classic. Curse of the Billy Goat, indeed.

So I sat there thinking of Ruth and Wrigley, of Tinker and Evers and Chance, of Harry Caray and the Curse, and of Clyde McCullough and my father. It's why I was there. I had to come.

I also had to leave early due to the 2 and 1/2 hour monsoon delayed start, but the Cubs were leading as I left. No runs were scored after I left which, if you do the math, means the Cubs won. It's the only game they have won in their last six. They should bring me back.
TGB  


02 June, 2011

{this memory} 2

In its literal content, this photo from Tuesday's post is of the Churchyard of St. Mary Magdalen on Magdalen Street in Oxford, England. You can just make out some tombstones behind the fence, and with the bicycles' presence, it's clear this was an unexpected snow. I see much more. There is for me, of course, a moment.

The memory is of the year my daughter took off from medical school to earn a masters degree in Medical Anthropology from the University of Oxford. During her first semester, I was on sabbatical from my college and arranged to do a portion of my work at Oxford.

I rented a room in a small boarding house not far from where she stayed in Linacre College and soon had a daily routine that involved morning study in the Bodleian Library where I had obtained Reader privileges, lunch somewhere walkable, then an espresso at a favorite haunt, and either an occasional afternoon opportunity to use the Duke Humfrey's Reading Room or perhaps some sightseeing. Many days, of course, involved some time or a meal with my daughter. A look at this image instantly takes me back to a wonderful and unforgettable interlude in my career.

My daughter describes the picture more specifically. She and a friend were members of the Linacre Boat Club, usually rowing eights, and were on their way to practice. The snow was, indeed, unexpected but did not deter them. She loved crew, and she loved Oxford enough to consider leaving medicine behind for a doctorate in anthropology and a career in the academy. She described this particular day as one of her favorites.

Memories of special moments - in spite of the unofficial slogan:

Oxford
Where Your Best
Isn't Good Enough
Since 1088
TGB