SNYDERMANIA: Apr 10, 2009

Friday, April 10, 2009

SO LONG, NEIGHBORHOOD GRID IRON STAR

Antonio Smith, former Arizona Cardinal and neighborhood celebrity has moved to Texas. The Dallas Texans offered him something like two million dollars a year to sign with them. The Cardinals were only paying him something like a million dollars a year. I ran some figures is my head and realized I’ve been working since 1976 and still haven’t made my first million. I can’t comprehend a million bucks a year, let alone two million bucks a year. Back to the subject at hand, Antonio Smith is a nice guy and I wish him the best.

ANTONIO SMITH

INDIANA SWORD FIGHT?

A deadly sword fight took place in Indianapolis last night. A 77 year old woman was killed trying to break up the duel between her 69 year-old brother-in-law and her 39 year-old grandson. Both men are in the hospital. They really shredded each other up. Details are sketchy.

All I want to know is who the hell fights duels – with swords? A life was lost and the whole thing is quite tragic; I get that. But a sword fight? Maybe the two idiots had seen too many Errol Flynn movies. I wonder if one of the idiots said the words , “I challenge you to a duel.” Maybe just one of the guys was a psychopathic idiot and he came after the other guy with the sword and the other guy picked up a sword to defend himself. Wait, who has swords lying around the house?

Is there anything to be learned from this madness?

Maybe.

First, never try to break up a sword fight. And second, never underestimate the stupidity, the recklessness, the sheer lunacy of your fellow man.

A sword fight?

WRITING REPORT

I didn’t get any work on my book done this week. My teaching responsibilities kept me busy and I’ve been spending a lot of time on the blog.
I received the following rejection email today, the first in over a month.

Sorry, not for me.
Pahearn

Short, firm, and to the point. Could a rejected writer ask for anything else ?

STEVE MCQUEEN

The King of Cool was on Richard Nixon’s notorious “List of Enemies.” Ironically, Steve McQueen’s political beliefs were conservative.

NORTHERN EXPOSURE

Goethe's final words: "More light." Ever since we crawled out of that primordial slime, that's been our unifying cry: "More light." Sunlight. Torchlight. Candlight. Neon. Incandescent. Lights that banish the darkness from our caves, to illuminate our roads, the insides of our refrigerators. Big floods for the night games at Soldier's field. Little tiny flashlight for those books we read under the covers when we're supposed to be asleep. Light is more than watts and footcandles. Light is metaphor. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Lead, Kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom Lead Thou me on! The night is dark, and I am far from home- Lead Thou me on! Arise, shine, for thy light has come. Light is knowledge. Light is life. Light is light.

FIELD OF DREAMS

Well, you know I... I never got to bat in the major leagues. I would have liked to have had that chance. Just once. To stare down a big league pitcher. To stare him down, and just as he goes into his windup, wink. Make him think you know something he doesn't. That's what I wish for. Chance to squint at a sky so blue that it hurts your eyes just to look at it. To feel the tingling in your arm as you connect with the ball. To run the bases - stretch a double into a triple, and flop face-first into third, wrap your arms around the bag. That's my wish, Ray Kinsella. That's my wish. And is there enough magic out there in the moonlight to make this dream come true?