Baseball To The Rescue

A pennant race is a welcome diversion from the high anxiety of Wall Street and the election. At least the games are a welcome diversion.

Hit the mute button. Sports talk on the radio and TV isn't all that different from political and economic commentary. It's shrill and self-important, delivered with an urgency that suggests you've got a hundred dollars bet on the game and only ten dollars in your pocket. The style is the substance. All the hype doesn't approach the tension from needing a two-out hit with the tying run on second base. The chatter, stats and posturing mean you care, but, to quote Yogi: "In baseball, you don't know nothin". What Yogi means is all the thought and analysis and preparation doesn't predict the outcome.

It's hard to ignore the crash on Wall Street, but don't you think the Seattle Mariners should get some of the bail out?...and the whole National League too, except "da Cubs". It's been 63 years since the Cubs were in the World Series. They lost to the Tigers in 1945 and 1935, the Yankees in '38 and '32, the Philadelphia Athletics in 1929, the Red Sox in 1918 (Babe Ruth pitched and won 2 games for the Red Sox). A hundred years sinced they won it! They beat the Tigers in 1907 and 1908. I think they're going to make it to the World Series this year. However, "in baseball you don't know nothin".

Twins comeback against the Rays last Thursday night made Friday dawn brighter. Friday and Saturday the starting pitchers got smoked early. Liriano to the rescue on Sunday, and it was bombs away last night in the first game against Chicago. Twins win, 9-3. Twins are young and fun, but their inexperience has been a weakness down the stretch. It's no coincidence that Mauer and Morneau are the most consistent hitters. They are the "old" guys who been through the pressure before. Over the last six weeks their good young pitchers have been inconsistent and run out of gas early. Blackburn tonight, Slowey on Thursday. Can they win the division? Sure they can; however, in baseball you don't know nothin'.

Best baseball book ever: "The Glory of Their Times" Lawrence Ritters' collection of stories told by baseball players who played between 1890 and 1920.

Sports Page Fallout, Gopher Football: Tom from Hibbing called last Thursday morning after the Sports Page: "C'mon, Scott, how can you and Fred not know who the Gophers are playing this weekend? It's Florida Atlantic! You guys gotta be on stuff like that!" Before I got deeper in Tom's doghouse by asking who is Florida Atlantic and why are the Gophers playing them, Tom reminded me that they beat Minnesota last year. Oops...
BTW, Gophers won,...Ohio State this week. The Gopher are big underdogs, however, in football you don't know nothin'.

In October, John Bauer starts his eighth year as coach of the Itasca Community College Women's Basketball team. His teams are well-coached, always hustle and will probably be one of the top teams in the state again. However, in basketball, you don't know nothin.

Guido's Arts Roundup

GUIDO’S GUIDE/ARTS ROUND-UP/KAXE/September 18, 2008

Over at Ironworld: re: the Night Sky Observation, originally scheduled for last Thursday. It’s tonight (9/18). Representatives from the Paulucci Planetarium and the Hibbing Community College Astronomy Club will be there to show you how to use telescopes to pick out any number of items-of-interest passing by in the night sky. This accompanies the main exhibit, “In The Dark: Start Seeing Things”, now through 1/4/09, where you can actually get a context-expanding sense of what life is like for a mole or termite. Then 10/2, in the Film Series, it’s “Seeing In The Dark” by Timothy Ferris, 7 pm in the theater. More info: ironworld.com

At Range Creative Art Center in Hibbing, fall classes are now gearing up---woodcarving, pastel portraits, fused glass, and more---rangeartcenter.org

Up in Bigfork at the Edge Center, check out “Natural Perspectives” in the lobby gallery---pottery, drawing and prints---by Keith Williams, Marko Fields and Stephanie Hunder, and on 10/11 it’s Sam Miltich and the Clearwater Hot Club, at 7 pm. Details at the-edge-center.org

Bemidji Community Art Center, through 10/25, in effect three shows: “Natural Motion” by photographer Sean McCroy (slow shutter speeds, long exposures, turning nature surreal); “Color Studies” by GeGe Holden (fabric art, featuring seasonal themes); and “The Dolls: Homeless Women Telling Their Stories Through Art” (autobiographical dolls, each one with a unique narrative)---this, by Sandra Haff and the artists at I Love A Parade, and some of those folks will be on hand 10/3, as part of First Friday, 5-7 pm. These dolls will tell stories, some of them heartbreaking, all of them thought provoking. bcac.wordpress.com

At Jaques Art Center in Aitkin it’s still the western and Native American displays (Barb & Rod Furan, Linda & David Hommes) through 9/27. Coming soon: “Apples to Abstracts” by Stephanie Mirocha (watercolors) and “Turning Trail” by Tom Larson (woodcarvings); opening reception on 10/8 4-7 pm. Brown Bag Lunch (3rd Thursday) today, 9/18, at 12:15. jaquesart.com

Ripple River Gallery: closing out this weekend, “Imaginary Friends”, paintings & collage art by David Norstad, dolls & toys by Tracy McMan. Up next, 9/24-11/2, Diane Rutherford (batik) and Bob Carls (wood turnings). And on 10/4 a very special event: an open house and raku pottery demo/firing with Jim Loso---the raku guru---for more: ripplerivergallery.com

MacRostie Art Center, GR: two September exhibits, sponsored by Hawkinson Construction. In the MacRostie Gallery, “Dysphoria” by Jesse Albrecht (a must-see) and in the Minnesota Gallery, mail art, another very cool Paula Brandel idea. The reception for this is actually a closing reception, a week from tomorrow, 9/26, 5-7 pm. Lots of fall classes starting in October: paper, pottery, drawing & painting, woodcarving, gift-making---check out the whole list at macrostieartcenter.org And next month as part of the October Minnesota Gallery exhibition John Zasada & Tina Fung-Holder & others will be doing demos of baskets & containers, functional & not, with birch bark, twine, twigs, grass, and other stuff that grows in your yard.

‘Goods From The Woods’ this Sat. (9/20) 9-5 & Sun (9/21) 9-3 at the IRA Arena---the 6th annual---always a showcase of art and artistry and exceptional how-to demonstrations. goodsfromthewoods.org

At Reif: tonight, 9/18, “A Fine & Pleasant Misery”, Pat MacManus, sponsored by Arrow Embroidery/Photo Express, 7:30; tomorrow, 9/19, “James & the Giant Peach”, sponsored by Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital, 7 pm; Saturday, 9/20, Jayme Stone, sponsored by Grand Rapids GM, 7:30; a week from Saturday, Riders in the Sky, over in Greenway, sponsored by Ogle’s Marketplace Foods, 7:30; 10/4, Glenn Miller Orchestra, sponsored by Woodland Bank, 7:30; 10/12, Cathie Ryan, sponsored by Timberlake Lodge, 7:30; 10/16, the Rose Ensemble, sponsored by Itasca Community College and an anonymous Reif donor; 10/18, 7:30, “Marilyn: Forever Blonde”, sponsored by Carlson/Wagonlit/Rapid Travel, featuring Sunny Thompson, aka Sonia Peterson when she was in high school here in GR. www.reifcenter.org for tix, calendar, links, & more. In Reif’s lobby, through 10/12: photography by Mark Harlow, large-format, up-close pictures of very wild animals, land- & sky-scapes.
Other/Fabulous Category: 9/27, 8 pm, at Ted Mann Concert Hall (U of M, West Bank): Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra---legendary, cutting-edge, unabashedly political, not PC---do the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) walk in the Minnehaha Park neighborhood, then go to this show. A great day. Guaranteed

1 woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every 3 minutes in the U.S.

KAXE member from Grand Rapids, Anna Johnson was our guest on the Morning Show today. Anna is a 1 year survivor of breast cancer. In Anna's case, they caught it very early, and she is doing well.

But her life was changed by her diagnosis, and Anna is doing something about it.

On September 19th, Anna will join hundreds of other women and men in Minneapolis to walk 20 miles for 3 days. At night they'll camp in tents.

When we talked with Anna this morning she asked us to take a moment to think of someone we know who has been affected by breast cancer. She said everyone knows someone and almost everyone knows MORE than one person affected by it.

The funds that each walker collects for the 3 Day walk benefit the Susan G. Komen foundation.

Since its inception, the Breast Cancer 3-Day has raised more than $300 million that has been invested by the beneficiaries, Susan G. Komen for the Cure^® and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund, for breast cancer research, education, and community outreach programs.

Eighty-five percent of the net proceeds from the Breast Cancer 3-Day benefit Komen for the Cure, the world’s largest and most progressive grassroots network fighting to end breast cancer. Fifteen percent of the net proceeds from the Breast Cancer 3-Day benefit the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund, a special field of interest fund that provides ongoing support for breast cancer initiatives including research, treatment, prevention and education.

You can make a donation in Anna's name by going to www.the3day.org. Click on Donate Now and search for Anna Johnson from Minnesota.

Walk Tall Anna! We're all rootin' for you!