Antmeister
06-27-2007, 09:38 AM
Now in a fresh new format, vtbub gives us the scoop on life in Vermont, family and much more...
Bub The Person
Q: What do you like best about living in Vermont?
A: Vermont is stunningly beautiful 9 months out of the year. Summers are green, falls are breathtaking, and winter tops it all. I love watching it snow. Now if it took care of itself right after, I’d be happier.
Q: Ben and Jerry: Good Vermonters or hippie-capitalist scum?
A: Ben and Jerry are from New York, so am I BTW, and have made their name in overcharging for overrated ice cream in the name of social awareness while packing pounds on unsuspecting hippies. They deserve a ton of credit for what they have accomplished, they started about three blocks from where I live, but they tend to get a bit annoying at times.
No sundae should cost $4.25.
Q: Burton Snowboards?
A: Nope, but lived in the Mad River Valley when Mad River Canoe took off. Burton Snowboards makes for a great story though.
Q: How did I meet Sarah?
A: I met my wife at work in 1994. She was helping a woman that I tried to date. Sarah was 21 at the time and while I thought she was cute, she was too chatty. In early 1996, she moved away from home and into the same disabled/senior housing building that I was in. I thought that she would never leave me alone, I was right. We started flirting shortly thereafter and started dating that February. I proposed in May, while..um…having happy time…and she said yes. We were married at her baptismal church on August 8th, 1998.
Sarah has profound hearing loss, but with hearing aids can fully function. She is a remarkable person and I have been truly blessed.
Q: How close am I with my family?
A: Closer than I was. I’m very different in a lot of ways than my family. They are very active, love the outdoors and the like. I am blessed and cursed with a mother who expects a lot from people. It’s good because there was never a sense of pity from home, but it has been hard at times as they are very comfortable with where they are, while I would rather not live in Vermont.
I have a sister I am very close too, and things have greatly improved between myself and my parents. They are wonderful people.
Q: Besides Jamie, do I have any other hot aides?
A: My wife :)
http://a448.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/50/m_090df194a69b28e6502618bcd2ffef97.jpg
Q: ….Two things that piss me off.
A: Drivers, not the golfing kind. Vermont drivers are horrible. One day, I’m going to get squished by some moron on her cellphone while crossing the street or get arrested for road rage while having someone giving me tips on how to cross the street while they are stopped at a green light.
My tolerance for condescending people is nearly nil. Look, I’m happy that your poop smells like roses and you have converted your SUV to bio-diesel. I know I know almost nothing and you do too, you just don’t realize it yet.
Q: What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen on Church Street?
A: Church Street is a four block bricked marketplace in downtown Burlington. If you have seen the marketplaces in Boulder or Charlottesville, then it’s the same thing.
Between the beggars openly asking for drinking money, the kiddies that yell at each other all day, the street performers that are very talented, the ultimate would be one night when a couple couldn’t decide by the bus station if they wanted to fight or have sex, or do both right then and there on the street. Like Paris Hilton, you would like to say you refuse to watch, but you can’t tear yourself away.
Q: How do I feel about fish tacos?
A: Are they supposed to be filled with fried fish? (Not the answer you thought)
I like spicy fish ;)
Q: Will you post another picture of Jamie?
A: http://a905.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/01170/40/94/1170394904_l.jpg
Perv:)
Q: What do you normally eat for breakfast?
A: All-Bran, other parts of the rotation include nutrigrain waffles with sugar free syrup, a bagel sometimes, and eggs once in a while. All breakfasts involve tea, and I don’t eat all of the above at once.
More tapioca Mr. Juckett?
Q: Icky foods…
A: Zucchini, liver, brie, mushrooms and cooked cabbage.
Q: What characistic (sp) do I despise?
A: Fakeness. Damnit, just be yourself.
Q: Favorite kind of music?
A: As I write this, I’m listening to XM’s 70’s on 7 on winamp. I’m not a rocker by any stretch, I enjoy vocal jazz/standards/”soft rock” better than most. I will now proceed to change my own Depends. If I listen to music, it’s too unwind or to clear my head.
Q: My fondest memory?
A: October 27th, 2004, 11:40 ET. We win. It still chokes me up on occasion (like now). Besides the Series win, there are many moments with Sarah that I am fond of, most leading to a quality nap or a substantial drain on the bank account.
Q: Hidden Hobbies…
A: I enjoy flight simming, playing with trains, and scrabble. I also have my ham radio license. Plus that whole business thing.
Q: How many siblings?
A: I am the oldest of four. My mom and dad each brought two kids from previous marriages. I am closest to Jessie, born in 1980. Mina, born in 1978, and Cassie, born in 1982, aren’t real close to me, but hopefully that will change as they have become mothers for the first time. I now have, through Sarah’s sister as well, four nieces and two nephews.
Q: Have I lived the majority of my life in Vermont?/Where where you born?
A: I was born on November 26th, 1971 in Glens Falls, NY. I was rushed to St. Peters Hospital in Albany that afternoon for emergency surgery that afternoon, where last rites were given and my heart stopped five times. Needless to say, things have improved, with the exception of October of 1986, since then.
My mother grew up in southern Vermont and we moved there after her marriage ended in 1976. With the exception of a fifteen month stint in Las Cruces, NM in 1979 I have lived in various places in Vermont ever since. I’ve been in Burlington since 1998.
Q: Ultimate career job…
A: I grew up wanting to be the play by play guy for the Red Sox and in my ultimate fantasy, calling a World Series game or a Rose Bowl would be the ultimate wet dream.
At this point, working in some sort of sports field would be where I want to end up. I’ll answer that a bit below.
Q: Biggest Struggle…
A: It’s not what people would think it is. As some of you know, I had been hired as a dispatcher for the Burlington Police Department, well that turned into an absolute disaster. I was allowed to resign. I met some very nice people there, yet it really shook my confidence. I have always been able to make people look past the odd body angles and the chair and have them focus on me the person. That didn’t happen there and it really bothered me. I applied for a series of other jobs after, and only could get an interview to sell cars. That sent me into a serious funk that nearly was very costly. Some medication, an incredible World Series, some head clearing, and my wife, got me back headed in the right direction. In turn it lead to SGS.
Q: A moment that changed my core beliefs…
A: Yeah, I do have one. As a kid, I was quite liberal. Reagan was an old man that was going to get us all nuked. Mario Cuomo was a stud, that sort of thought.
Fast forward into the mid 90’s. I’m working for a disability rights organization. While I had started to slide towards the middle, working there really jaded me as far as what the left was trying to get and how they wanted it. Vermont, believe it or not, was as solid Republican as you could get. FDR never carried it. Even Utah went for FDR in ’36, not Vermont or Maine.
In 1996, we had Clinton as President, Howard Dean as governor, and a statehouse that was Dem controlled. With really no major crises to go around, our bosses decide that we must consolidate our mission, whatever the hell that was, and my department must reapply for our jobs, because we could possibly lose funding if the election went wrong.
For me that was the ultimate screw job. I had spent years working for an organization that claimed oppresition, discrimination, and all the other code words, yet wasn’t working hard to actually solve anything. There was never a unified course of action that could be agreed too that didn’t offend somebody. Whatever compassion I had for the movement, which wasn’t much, went away.
I felt liberated.
Q: TV Shows…
A: If it isn’t a game or breaking news, I don’t watch usually. If I’m tired, I’m a sucker for the History Channel, provided they aren’t on witchburning week. I watch Family Guy clips on youtube and have a huge soft spot for Match Game on GSN.
Q: Proudest moment….
A: My wedding day. It was a day I never thought I would see. Sarah was my firs, and hopefully only, girlfriend, lover, and long term relationship. I had tried to date before, but for whatever reason the answer had already been no. Did I tell you I’m lucky?
We had the traditional Catholic/Non-Catholic wedding. I had it early in the day to beat the summer heat. In the ultimate irony, it was the only 90+ degree day that summer. The church had forgot to see if we had an organist, so it was the only music free wedding I’ve been too. Sarah was so nervous, I had to recite her vows so she could lipread them to say them herself.
Hard to believe it’s been almost nine years.
Q: Greatest Fear…
A: I hate getting into a van. I had the fortune of having a chair collapse at a stoplight that was hit a bit too quick. I have really nothing to use to grab onto. I’ll walk pretty much anywhere, and if getting in and out of a car seat was easy, I love to ride, but sitting on something with wheels atop of sitting on something with wheels scares me and I travel out of need not like.
Q: Politics…..
A: In Vermont, I’m a conservative. For the country, I’m a center-liberal. I believe in gay rights, am pro-choice guy that thinks government should stay out of the bedroom, that our troops are underfunded, and cringes at political correctness. I’d say “Rockefeller” Republican, but the right pisses me off as much as the left.
Q: Am I spiritual/religious?
A: Not really. I have respect for what others believe but I would classify myself as agnostic. If we are judged, it would be on how we live our lives and not what we do on Sunday mornings. It’s my view that faith and love come from what’s inside us together. If I’m wrong, then I can be lectured for eternity.
Q: Woo-hoo you’ve won the Lotto, where are you going?
A: Arizona for a long overdue visit to a friend. Then plan where I’m moving too, because it’s not going to be in the snowbelt.
Q: Hornsmaniac?
A: The other girl said his cocky looked funny.
Q: Open a Bed and Breakfast?
A: My wife has toyed with a coffee shop, but a B&B would not be on my list of business wishes. A sports bar, on the other hand.
Q: Online business/the future?
A: I would think that my working future is online. I started school back in May to get my degree in E-business management at Westwood College Online. Currently, I’m carrying a 4.0 in my first term. If all goes well, I have my degree in three years.
I forsee myself in some part of the sports industry. Baseball is my first love, and I move closer to 40, I want to work in a field that I like. How that plays out, I’m not sure.
I also think I have a book or two in me somewhere an doing that as a hobby while getting kids to keep the tradition of buying baseball cards alive sounds like a sweet way to make a living.
Bub the Jock
Q: Claude Julien the answer in Boston?
A: They still play NHL Hockey in New England? Go Habs.
Q: If you could talk to one Red Sox player dead or alive, who would it be and what would you talk about?
A: It would have to be Ted Williams. We joke about Chuck Norris and what he is capable of. Our grandparents did the same about John Wayne, well Ted Williams was a real life John Wayne.
Q: I know you are a huge baseball fan, what other sports do you follow?
A: Baseball is number one by a large margin. I’d place golf, college football and basketball on the tier below with the NFL under that. I enjoy watching Tiger Woods, Michigan Wolverine football, North Carolina basketball, and have a passing interest in the Pats and Giants. Contrary to popular opinion, I do not root for the house in blackjack. There isn’t anything that I won’t watch, but the NBA and NASCAR are quick stops and the NHL isn’t any better.
Q: How competitive are you?
A: I want to win, but I don’t mind getting beat if I can learn our just flat-out get outplayed. I was never very good at multiplayer sports sims, and it sucked.
Q: Is chess a sport?
A: Not according to ESPN, but yes. Anything that involves mental competition is a sport except field hockey, which is just an excuse for hormone filled teenage girls to pound the crap out of each others shins.
Q: Favorite Text Sim
A: Does Microleague Baseball count? I wore out the floppy disk in the 80’s.
There is a rotation of text sims I play, my favorites are Fast Break College Basketball and Action PC Baseball. Both are very deep, yet easy to figure out and enjoy. Second and Ten is wonderful too.
Q: First FOF…
A: I think it was FOF2, the first EA release. I still think that was the best. I lurked at “the sideline” but don’t think I joined FOFC ‘til after the split.
Q: Other games outside of text sims…
A: Cribbage, Yahtzee, poker, amateur war gamer.
Q: The Sox…Worth It?
A: In spades. I had no idea how much it all meant until they won it. I started watching in ’74. Rooting for the Sox is not always a warm and fuzzy feeling. If I could take one lesson from my longest affair, it taught me how to lose. It’s great to win, but it’s just as important to learn how to lose.
There are a lot of life lessons in sports. Hope springs eternal :)
Q: Penn State vs WVU… Who win title quicker?
A: By advice of counsel, I refuse to answer on the grounds that I might incriminate myself…..
Nah, it’s an easy answer. West Virginia will win a national championship in the next couple years. They have an easier schedule and have talent in White and Slaton that is legendary. They are a fun team to watch. Penn State won’t turn the corner until JoePa’s transition is complete. They had that great run two years ago, but with Ohio State and Michigan as must beats, the deck is stacked against them.
They could do it, but the odds are much better in WVU’s favor.
Bub The Blogger
Q x2: Release the ITB Drunken Podcast!
A: If I had it, I’d release it. At the end of the first season of In The Bleachers, bsak16, Easy Mac, Swaggs, and myself had a holiday party on air during which, ol’ bsak became absolutely toasted and had a very good time coming up with new names for college football teams. There was no way that show could have been released, despite being an absolute riot to do and I think only I was sober.
Unfortunately, the computer garbled the recording of the show, so I’m not sure that the show even exists. If it does exist, I let you know.
Q: How did you break your computer?
A: Brian asks this knowing full damn well what happened.
I was using a home built computer when Smart Guys Sports started. I still work from the bedroom, it’s the easiest place for me to write and to type. Obviously the bed office gets used for other activities and one Sunday morning, the wife and I were having some “quality time” together when her arm slapped the computer crashing to the floor. We vowed never to mix sex and cyberspace again.
Q: You have been apart of numerous blogs, which is your favorite, which did I get the most out of?
A: I seem to be a jack of all trades when it comes to blogging as I have written about al sports, college football, politics, and the Red Sox and who knows what’s next. The first one, Smart Guys Sports, was my favorite. We made some mistakes, had a ton of fun and were ahead of our time in offering deeper analysis on sports in a blog format. For me, it showed that I could be successful in something I put my mind too, 2004 was not a good year for me.
Having said all that, In The Bleachers is the one I get the most out of. Brian has done an incredible job and it’s always a kick to realize that people are reading you. I’m delighted to see the concept still involve and look forward to spending Sunday mornings writing about how I spend my Saturday’s.
Q: How did you get into blogging?
A: I had read a few blogs, I forgot how I stumbled into them. I was an avid reader of The Sports Frog, a rather funny look at sports, and Cable Newser, having and endless fascination with the behind the scenes of the media, (I studied radio my first time in college), so I had the concept of what was readable. I started to get real sick of the lack of sports news on ESPN.com and said, “I can do better than this.”
And, I think, we did.
Q: What happened to Smart Guys Sports?
A: A friend of mine talked me into trying to make money on the internet. She had a product she could make, I had the ability to market it, or so she thought.
In trying to figure out how to do basic business 101, I got away from writing and after careful consideration, the decision was made to separate the SGS ideas into different sports. The archive still exists, but In The Bleachers was the direct child of SGS and Brian has taken that to a new level, with Charlie and Chris.
Q: Dynasty, and not the show…
A: I can tell you how many I have finished, and that’s slighty lower then the amount I’ve started. I’ll come up with a great idea or two, and then between playing and writing about playing, it feels like work. My notepad directory has some great half-written dynasties. I’m not a quick-simmer and between playing things out and writing them, it becomes less fun.
Q: Current blogging…
A: Right now, just ITB and that is only in the season. I’m in school now and that’s priority #1. I look to return to blogging a bit more in the future. I do enjoy it.
Bub the Philosopher
Q: If I could change one event in history….
A: I would have liked to not have Hitler come to power. The world really became a darker place because of him. The cold war, which at times terrified us during the 80’s, was a direct result of one of the bloodiest and idiotic times in our history. Great people and great things came out of World War II, but at a cost the world will never pay again.
Q: A world without corn dogs…
A: Would be a bad place. I didn’t like hot dogs or mustard as a kid, but we moved out west and found Der Wienierschtznel and discovered corn dogs and brown mustard. When I get banished to hell, I hope to have a deep fryer. *sniff*
Q: Joe Camel….
A: He looked better in a tux then most people I know. I like mascots. Yes, unfairly railroaded.
Q: What actor/actress can do no wrong?
A: I think Tom Hanks had the best run in recent memory. Did anyone see the straight guy in Turner and Hooch turn into Cary Grant? He gets a mulligan for the Da Vinci Code.
I’d also say Jennifer Anniston, but not for her acting skills.
Q: Do I conceal?
A: Yeah on Church Street when the girls walk by. You get a show. Oh, that’s not what you meant? The only thing I shoot in public is my mouth.
Q/A: Beer and Pizza. Beer and wings are better.
Q: 3 Things to do/see…
A: I want to see Pebble Beach, because the first thing I’m doing if I get to heaven is play a round at Pebble Beach. By far the prettiest golf course ever created.
Second, I want to do England. I’m a sucker for tradition and England sops it up with crusty bread. I’ve lived in New England for much of my life, I want to see where we came from.
Cross-country train trip would be the third. Just to say I saw America.
Q: 3 people to eat with….
A: Ben Franklin would be one. Besides the stories he would have, and one would think he wouldn’t be shy, Franklin would have a very good grasp of today’s world and perhaps a word or two of calming advice.
Queen Elizabeth II would be #2. She has seen so much, been apart of so much that people have no idea about. To slide some sherry into her and let her be candid would be the ultimate dinner guest. Sorry, I’m keeping her thoughts confidential.
Third would be John Wooden. No matter where in life we are, and just how much we think we know, there is so much more to learn. Wooden’s lessons haven’t lost a thing and even an evening listening to him would be a life long treat.
I think I answered everything. This was a pleasure to do. Hope you like it.
--Ron
Bub The Person
Q: What do you like best about living in Vermont?
A: Vermont is stunningly beautiful 9 months out of the year. Summers are green, falls are breathtaking, and winter tops it all. I love watching it snow. Now if it took care of itself right after, I’d be happier.
Q: Ben and Jerry: Good Vermonters or hippie-capitalist scum?
A: Ben and Jerry are from New York, so am I BTW, and have made their name in overcharging for overrated ice cream in the name of social awareness while packing pounds on unsuspecting hippies. They deserve a ton of credit for what they have accomplished, they started about three blocks from where I live, but they tend to get a bit annoying at times.
No sundae should cost $4.25.
Q: Burton Snowboards?
A: Nope, but lived in the Mad River Valley when Mad River Canoe took off. Burton Snowboards makes for a great story though.
Q: How did I meet Sarah?
A: I met my wife at work in 1994. She was helping a woman that I tried to date. Sarah was 21 at the time and while I thought she was cute, she was too chatty. In early 1996, she moved away from home and into the same disabled/senior housing building that I was in. I thought that she would never leave me alone, I was right. We started flirting shortly thereafter and started dating that February. I proposed in May, while..um…having happy time…and she said yes. We were married at her baptismal church on August 8th, 1998.
Sarah has profound hearing loss, but with hearing aids can fully function. She is a remarkable person and I have been truly blessed.
Q: How close am I with my family?
A: Closer than I was. I’m very different in a lot of ways than my family. They are very active, love the outdoors and the like. I am blessed and cursed with a mother who expects a lot from people. It’s good because there was never a sense of pity from home, but it has been hard at times as they are very comfortable with where they are, while I would rather not live in Vermont.
I have a sister I am very close too, and things have greatly improved between myself and my parents. They are wonderful people.
Q: Besides Jamie, do I have any other hot aides?
A: My wife :)
http://a448.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/50/m_090df194a69b28e6502618bcd2ffef97.jpg
Q: ….Two things that piss me off.
A: Drivers, not the golfing kind. Vermont drivers are horrible. One day, I’m going to get squished by some moron on her cellphone while crossing the street or get arrested for road rage while having someone giving me tips on how to cross the street while they are stopped at a green light.
My tolerance for condescending people is nearly nil. Look, I’m happy that your poop smells like roses and you have converted your SUV to bio-diesel. I know I know almost nothing and you do too, you just don’t realize it yet.
Q: What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen on Church Street?
A: Church Street is a four block bricked marketplace in downtown Burlington. If you have seen the marketplaces in Boulder or Charlottesville, then it’s the same thing.
Between the beggars openly asking for drinking money, the kiddies that yell at each other all day, the street performers that are very talented, the ultimate would be one night when a couple couldn’t decide by the bus station if they wanted to fight or have sex, or do both right then and there on the street. Like Paris Hilton, you would like to say you refuse to watch, but you can’t tear yourself away.
Q: How do I feel about fish tacos?
A: Are they supposed to be filled with fried fish? (Not the answer you thought)
I like spicy fish ;)
Q: Will you post another picture of Jamie?
A: http://a905.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/01170/40/94/1170394904_l.jpg
Perv:)
Q: What do you normally eat for breakfast?
A: All-Bran, other parts of the rotation include nutrigrain waffles with sugar free syrup, a bagel sometimes, and eggs once in a while. All breakfasts involve tea, and I don’t eat all of the above at once.
More tapioca Mr. Juckett?
Q: Icky foods…
A: Zucchini, liver, brie, mushrooms and cooked cabbage.
Q: What characistic (sp) do I despise?
A: Fakeness. Damnit, just be yourself.
Q: Favorite kind of music?
A: As I write this, I’m listening to XM’s 70’s on 7 on winamp. I’m not a rocker by any stretch, I enjoy vocal jazz/standards/”soft rock” better than most. I will now proceed to change my own Depends. If I listen to music, it’s too unwind or to clear my head.
Q: My fondest memory?
A: October 27th, 2004, 11:40 ET. We win. It still chokes me up on occasion (like now). Besides the Series win, there are many moments with Sarah that I am fond of, most leading to a quality nap or a substantial drain on the bank account.
Q: Hidden Hobbies…
A: I enjoy flight simming, playing with trains, and scrabble. I also have my ham radio license. Plus that whole business thing.
Q: How many siblings?
A: I am the oldest of four. My mom and dad each brought two kids from previous marriages. I am closest to Jessie, born in 1980. Mina, born in 1978, and Cassie, born in 1982, aren’t real close to me, but hopefully that will change as they have become mothers for the first time. I now have, through Sarah’s sister as well, four nieces and two nephews.
Q: Have I lived the majority of my life in Vermont?/Where where you born?
A: I was born on November 26th, 1971 in Glens Falls, NY. I was rushed to St. Peters Hospital in Albany that afternoon for emergency surgery that afternoon, where last rites were given and my heart stopped five times. Needless to say, things have improved, with the exception of October of 1986, since then.
My mother grew up in southern Vermont and we moved there after her marriage ended in 1976. With the exception of a fifteen month stint in Las Cruces, NM in 1979 I have lived in various places in Vermont ever since. I’ve been in Burlington since 1998.
Q: Ultimate career job…
A: I grew up wanting to be the play by play guy for the Red Sox and in my ultimate fantasy, calling a World Series game or a Rose Bowl would be the ultimate wet dream.
At this point, working in some sort of sports field would be where I want to end up. I’ll answer that a bit below.
Q: Biggest Struggle…
A: It’s not what people would think it is. As some of you know, I had been hired as a dispatcher for the Burlington Police Department, well that turned into an absolute disaster. I was allowed to resign. I met some very nice people there, yet it really shook my confidence. I have always been able to make people look past the odd body angles and the chair and have them focus on me the person. That didn’t happen there and it really bothered me. I applied for a series of other jobs after, and only could get an interview to sell cars. That sent me into a serious funk that nearly was very costly. Some medication, an incredible World Series, some head clearing, and my wife, got me back headed in the right direction. In turn it lead to SGS.
Q: A moment that changed my core beliefs…
A: Yeah, I do have one. As a kid, I was quite liberal. Reagan was an old man that was going to get us all nuked. Mario Cuomo was a stud, that sort of thought.
Fast forward into the mid 90’s. I’m working for a disability rights organization. While I had started to slide towards the middle, working there really jaded me as far as what the left was trying to get and how they wanted it. Vermont, believe it or not, was as solid Republican as you could get. FDR never carried it. Even Utah went for FDR in ’36, not Vermont or Maine.
In 1996, we had Clinton as President, Howard Dean as governor, and a statehouse that was Dem controlled. With really no major crises to go around, our bosses decide that we must consolidate our mission, whatever the hell that was, and my department must reapply for our jobs, because we could possibly lose funding if the election went wrong.
For me that was the ultimate screw job. I had spent years working for an organization that claimed oppresition, discrimination, and all the other code words, yet wasn’t working hard to actually solve anything. There was never a unified course of action that could be agreed too that didn’t offend somebody. Whatever compassion I had for the movement, which wasn’t much, went away.
I felt liberated.
Q: TV Shows…
A: If it isn’t a game or breaking news, I don’t watch usually. If I’m tired, I’m a sucker for the History Channel, provided they aren’t on witchburning week. I watch Family Guy clips on youtube and have a huge soft spot for Match Game on GSN.
Q: Proudest moment….
A: My wedding day. It was a day I never thought I would see. Sarah was my firs, and hopefully only, girlfriend, lover, and long term relationship. I had tried to date before, but for whatever reason the answer had already been no. Did I tell you I’m lucky?
We had the traditional Catholic/Non-Catholic wedding. I had it early in the day to beat the summer heat. In the ultimate irony, it was the only 90+ degree day that summer. The church had forgot to see if we had an organist, so it was the only music free wedding I’ve been too. Sarah was so nervous, I had to recite her vows so she could lipread them to say them herself.
Hard to believe it’s been almost nine years.
Q: Greatest Fear…
A: I hate getting into a van. I had the fortune of having a chair collapse at a stoplight that was hit a bit too quick. I have really nothing to use to grab onto. I’ll walk pretty much anywhere, and if getting in and out of a car seat was easy, I love to ride, but sitting on something with wheels atop of sitting on something with wheels scares me and I travel out of need not like.
Q: Politics…..
A: In Vermont, I’m a conservative. For the country, I’m a center-liberal. I believe in gay rights, am pro-choice guy that thinks government should stay out of the bedroom, that our troops are underfunded, and cringes at political correctness. I’d say “Rockefeller” Republican, but the right pisses me off as much as the left.
Q: Am I spiritual/religious?
A: Not really. I have respect for what others believe but I would classify myself as agnostic. If we are judged, it would be on how we live our lives and not what we do on Sunday mornings. It’s my view that faith and love come from what’s inside us together. If I’m wrong, then I can be lectured for eternity.
Q: Woo-hoo you’ve won the Lotto, where are you going?
A: Arizona for a long overdue visit to a friend. Then plan where I’m moving too, because it’s not going to be in the snowbelt.
Q: Hornsmaniac?
A: The other girl said his cocky looked funny.
Q: Open a Bed and Breakfast?
A: My wife has toyed with a coffee shop, but a B&B would not be on my list of business wishes. A sports bar, on the other hand.
Q: Online business/the future?
A: I would think that my working future is online. I started school back in May to get my degree in E-business management at Westwood College Online. Currently, I’m carrying a 4.0 in my first term. If all goes well, I have my degree in three years.
I forsee myself in some part of the sports industry. Baseball is my first love, and I move closer to 40, I want to work in a field that I like. How that plays out, I’m not sure.
I also think I have a book or two in me somewhere an doing that as a hobby while getting kids to keep the tradition of buying baseball cards alive sounds like a sweet way to make a living.
Bub the Jock
Q: Claude Julien the answer in Boston?
A: They still play NHL Hockey in New England? Go Habs.
Q: If you could talk to one Red Sox player dead or alive, who would it be and what would you talk about?
A: It would have to be Ted Williams. We joke about Chuck Norris and what he is capable of. Our grandparents did the same about John Wayne, well Ted Williams was a real life John Wayne.
Q: I know you are a huge baseball fan, what other sports do you follow?
A: Baseball is number one by a large margin. I’d place golf, college football and basketball on the tier below with the NFL under that. I enjoy watching Tiger Woods, Michigan Wolverine football, North Carolina basketball, and have a passing interest in the Pats and Giants. Contrary to popular opinion, I do not root for the house in blackjack. There isn’t anything that I won’t watch, but the NBA and NASCAR are quick stops and the NHL isn’t any better.
Q: How competitive are you?
A: I want to win, but I don’t mind getting beat if I can learn our just flat-out get outplayed. I was never very good at multiplayer sports sims, and it sucked.
Q: Is chess a sport?
A: Not according to ESPN, but yes. Anything that involves mental competition is a sport except field hockey, which is just an excuse for hormone filled teenage girls to pound the crap out of each others shins.
Q: Favorite Text Sim
A: Does Microleague Baseball count? I wore out the floppy disk in the 80’s.
There is a rotation of text sims I play, my favorites are Fast Break College Basketball and Action PC Baseball. Both are very deep, yet easy to figure out and enjoy. Second and Ten is wonderful too.
Q: First FOF…
A: I think it was FOF2, the first EA release. I still think that was the best. I lurked at “the sideline” but don’t think I joined FOFC ‘til after the split.
Q: Other games outside of text sims…
A: Cribbage, Yahtzee, poker, amateur war gamer.
Q: The Sox…Worth It?
A: In spades. I had no idea how much it all meant until they won it. I started watching in ’74. Rooting for the Sox is not always a warm and fuzzy feeling. If I could take one lesson from my longest affair, it taught me how to lose. It’s great to win, but it’s just as important to learn how to lose.
There are a lot of life lessons in sports. Hope springs eternal :)
Q: Penn State vs WVU… Who win title quicker?
A: By advice of counsel, I refuse to answer on the grounds that I might incriminate myself…..
Nah, it’s an easy answer. West Virginia will win a national championship in the next couple years. They have an easier schedule and have talent in White and Slaton that is legendary. They are a fun team to watch. Penn State won’t turn the corner until JoePa’s transition is complete. They had that great run two years ago, but with Ohio State and Michigan as must beats, the deck is stacked against them.
They could do it, but the odds are much better in WVU’s favor.
Bub The Blogger
Q x2: Release the ITB Drunken Podcast!
A: If I had it, I’d release it. At the end of the first season of In The Bleachers, bsak16, Easy Mac, Swaggs, and myself had a holiday party on air during which, ol’ bsak became absolutely toasted and had a very good time coming up with new names for college football teams. There was no way that show could have been released, despite being an absolute riot to do and I think only I was sober.
Unfortunately, the computer garbled the recording of the show, so I’m not sure that the show even exists. If it does exist, I let you know.
Q: How did you break your computer?
A: Brian asks this knowing full damn well what happened.
I was using a home built computer when Smart Guys Sports started. I still work from the bedroom, it’s the easiest place for me to write and to type. Obviously the bed office gets used for other activities and one Sunday morning, the wife and I were having some “quality time” together when her arm slapped the computer crashing to the floor. We vowed never to mix sex and cyberspace again.
Q: You have been apart of numerous blogs, which is your favorite, which did I get the most out of?
A: I seem to be a jack of all trades when it comes to blogging as I have written about al sports, college football, politics, and the Red Sox and who knows what’s next. The first one, Smart Guys Sports, was my favorite. We made some mistakes, had a ton of fun and were ahead of our time in offering deeper analysis on sports in a blog format. For me, it showed that I could be successful in something I put my mind too, 2004 was not a good year for me.
Having said all that, In The Bleachers is the one I get the most out of. Brian has done an incredible job and it’s always a kick to realize that people are reading you. I’m delighted to see the concept still involve and look forward to spending Sunday mornings writing about how I spend my Saturday’s.
Q: How did you get into blogging?
A: I had read a few blogs, I forgot how I stumbled into them. I was an avid reader of The Sports Frog, a rather funny look at sports, and Cable Newser, having and endless fascination with the behind the scenes of the media, (I studied radio my first time in college), so I had the concept of what was readable. I started to get real sick of the lack of sports news on ESPN.com and said, “I can do better than this.”
And, I think, we did.
Q: What happened to Smart Guys Sports?
A: A friend of mine talked me into trying to make money on the internet. She had a product she could make, I had the ability to market it, or so she thought.
In trying to figure out how to do basic business 101, I got away from writing and after careful consideration, the decision was made to separate the SGS ideas into different sports. The archive still exists, but In The Bleachers was the direct child of SGS and Brian has taken that to a new level, with Charlie and Chris.
Q: Dynasty, and not the show…
A: I can tell you how many I have finished, and that’s slighty lower then the amount I’ve started. I’ll come up with a great idea or two, and then between playing and writing about playing, it feels like work. My notepad directory has some great half-written dynasties. I’m not a quick-simmer and between playing things out and writing them, it becomes less fun.
Q: Current blogging…
A: Right now, just ITB and that is only in the season. I’m in school now and that’s priority #1. I look to return to blogging a bit more in the future. I do enjoy it.
Bub the Philosopher
Q: If I could change one event in history….
A: I would have liked to not have Hitler come to power. The world really became a darker place because of him. The cold war, which at times terrified us during the 80’s, was a direct result of one of the bloodiest and idiotic times in our history. Great people and great things came out of World War II, but at a cost the world will never pay again.
Q: A world without corn dogs…
A: Would be a bad place. I didn’t like hot dogs or mustard as a kid, but we moved out west and found Der Wienierschtznel and discovered corn dogs and brown mustard. When I get banished to hell, I hope to have a deep fryer. *sniff*
Q: Joe Camel….
A: He looked better in a tux then most people I know. I like mascots. Yes, unfairly railroaded.
Q: What actor/actress can do no wrong?
A: I think Tom Hanks had the best run in recent memory. Did anyone see the straight guy in Turner and Hooch turn into Cary Grant? He gets a mulligan for the Da Vinci Code.
I’d also say Jennifer Anniston, but not for her acting skills.
Q: Do I conceal?
A: Yeah on Church Street when the girls walk by. You get a show. Oh, that’s not what you meant? The only thing I shoot in public is my mouth.
Q/A: Beer and Pizza. Beer and wings are better.
Q: 3 Things to do/see…
A: I want to see Pebble Beach, because the first thing I’m doing if I get to heaven is play a round at Pebble Beach. By far the prettiest golf course ever created.
Second, I want to do England. I’m a sucker for tradition and England sops it up with crusty bread. I’ve lived in New England for much of my life, I want to see where we came from.
Cross-country train trip would be the third. Just to say I saw America.
Q: 3 people to eat with….
A: Ben Franklin would be one. Besides the stories he would have, and one would think he wouldn’t be shy, Franklin would have a very good grasp of today’s world and perhaps a word or two of calming advice.
Queen Elizabeth II would be #2. She has seen so much, been apart of so much that people have no idea about. To slide some sherry into her and let her be candid would be the ultimate dinner guest. Sorry, I’m keeping her thoughts confidential.
Third would be John Wooden. No matter where in life we are, and just how much we think we know, there is so much more to learn. Wooden’s lessons haven’t lost a thing and even an evening listening to him would be a life long treat.
I think I answered everything. This was a pleasure to do. Hope you like it.
--Ron