A Hero. A Man. A Legend. We lost such a man this weekend. Ron Santo, legendary Chicago Cub finally succumbed to the disease he’d been fighting since he was boy. At age 70 Ronny had spent his entire career in professional baseball, but his life and legend were much bigger than that.

During his 15 year career he was a nine-time All Star and perennial Chicago favorite. If there was ever a Camelot age for Chicago Cubs baseball, it was during Ronnie’s playing days – including the mythic 1969 season.

After leaving the field, Ron went on to coach, and then to provide 21 years of color commentary, calling every Cub game – home or away. When Type 1 diabetes took both his legs, Santo would hobble in on crutches or roll in with a chair. Nothing was going to keep him from enjoying and sharing his life’s passion. No one held or communicated the spirit of Chicago Cubs baseball better than Ron Santo.

Jack Brickhouse, Harry Carey, and Ron Santo. Three legendary broadcasters. Each was ‘the voice of Cubs’ sometime during the past fifty-plus years. Jack has a statue at the Chicago River. Harry has his signature restaurant and numerous area icons. Ronnie has his immortal playing legend within the walls of Wrigley Field – and in the hearts of millions of Cub fans around the world.

Thanks Ronnie. Rest in peace. You will be missed.

In an odd footnote, Ron Santo is probably the most gifted player to ever NOT be inducted at Cooperstown. Now that he’s gone there will no doubt be an outpouring of emotion and nostalgia – but where were those emotions when the man was still here to revel in them? This is more a reflection on the jaded institution than on Ronnie’s career.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you are aware of the cacophony of growing outrage about the full body screening and “Touch my Junk” procedures now in place at 43 US airports. Once again, the administration – and in particular the TSA – has coughed up the ball by failing to properly communicate with the flying public. They are now reaping the results of that failure – and thwarting their own objectives.

“Much to do about nothing” was my first reaction to this new procedure. What could the big deal be? Well, last week I flew from Seattle to San Diego – and found out this system leaves much to be desired. The problems come down to communications and training.

Every successful administration knows the public hates surprises. The TSA has done a miserable job explaining and preparing the public for this process. Had they taken a nuanced approach — versus the dictatorial approach they selected — the public would be more inclined to accept and tolerate this latest impingement of privacy. Sending out a press release and doing a 20/20 segment is simply not adequate. They failed.

At the Seattle airport the incompetency continued. I was accosted by a poorly trained and ill mannered TSA agent that, without explanation, randomly selected me and told me to enter their new gizmo. “Empty your pockets. Take off your belt. All your pockets.”  Bad scan. I forgot my wallet – so he took it from me and sent it through the luggage scanner. All my credit cards, my IDs, my cash – and I’m now separated from it with hordes of people in between. Finally they get a clean picture of me. My stuff, piled up at the of belt, is a mess. My wallet? It was lying there as well. All the care and respect you would expect from uncaring bureaucrats.

Rude, uncaring, insolent, abrasive, dismissive. Civil service attitudes have arrived at he TSA. The dolt that accosted me? He was already off to randomly select the next victim.

I don’t care one wit that someone gawked at a screen of me minus my clothes (what a horrible job that must be), or that some dude needed to pat down my crotch (yuk). My issues were with the treatment of passengers, the lack of communication, and the complete lack of adequate training. All of this combined to produce a program that the public is now rebelling against.

Now, in addition to this poorly trained civil servant – and presumably his incompetent supervisors – is the larger issue that they did NOTHING to communicate – at an airport level – what we as passengers were in store for, what we could expect, or how we could best adjust our behaviors to make the process smooth.

By the way, as I was leaving, a dangerous looking grandmother was heading into the machine. I felt much safer knowing her and her underwear were free of pyrotechnic devices.

I’m sitting in San Francisco International Airport waiting for my flight. It’s 9/11/08. Seven years ago today the world was going mad. Today the air is thick with 9/11 tributes, which I find completely fitting and proper. Those touched personally of course have a special kinship with the event that the rest of us have been spared. I was home in San Diego when it happened. I was up early and saw plane number two hit in real time. It was like a surreal nightmare which one could not fully comprehend – or awaken from. No one I knew personally was touched, but like all Americans, I was forever changed.

When I was two years old JFK was assassinated. I grew up in a world of adults frequently asking one another ”where were you when…?”  Because I was a baby, I never experienced the horror of that event. The closest I ever came to understanding it was in 1985 when the Challenger exploded, killing all aboard, including the first teacher in space. Nothing of course could prepare any of us for the atrocities of seven years ago today. Now I too ask, “Where were you…?”, as do so many others.

There was also a frequent refrain about how much the world had changed since that day in Dallas. Phrases like ‘the end of innocence’ and ‘the end of Camelot’ were frequently used. Since I did not know a world before that date, I could not relate to any change at all. Was the world better?  Was the world worse? We tend to idealize the past. It’s a universal human tendency – and it’s usually incorrect. The world is a much better place today than it was 40-odd years ago, but it certainly is different as well. 

How about the the youngest among us today?  They are born into a world of color coded threats, encroachments on civil liberties, US troops fighting in far off lands, stringent security and global terrorism (and global warming). They do not know life before this…then again, they will not know of ‘duck and cover’, ‘cold war’, ‘mutually assured destruction’ or other relics from a nightmare era I hope we have left in the dust bin of history. Their world, on balance, is a better one from many perspectives.

Is the world better overall? Is the world worse on balance? People tend to find what they are looking for, so the answer to both could be yes. If you want to believe the world is worse since 9/11, you can find ample evidence. If you want to believe the world is better in spite of 9/11, and that humanity, for all the warts and indiscretions, continues an upward spiral of accomplishment, then there is plenty of evidence for that as well. As an optimistic realist, I strongly hold the latter view.

However, and regardless of your world view, today is a day for all Americans to reflect on what has happened, what changed, and what we learned. To remember that the world can be a dangerous place, and that ideas do matter. Some of those ideas are worth defending at any cost. I’m not wrapping myself in the flag here. Our nation was based on dissension and revolution. We need many voices in the public square. Today however is a day to quiet those voices and reflect.

The sun will come up again tomorrow, and we can again begin our quarrelsome discussions. It’s also a good time to ask someone “where were you when…?”

– Carl Melville / Blogvious

There were two historic milestones in 1908. The world saw the Ford Model-T for the very first time, and the Chicago Cubs won the World Series for the very last time. Even my beloved Wrigley Field was not built until six years later, 1914. Could this be the year? Could this be the end of the curse? Was the 20th century simply a rebuilding century? As many diehard cub fans know, we’ve been down this road before.

The last time that I was this excited about the prospect of the Chicago Cubs entering the World Series was 1969. I was eight years old, and with childlike curiosity and glee I watched as the season unfolded and the Cubs continue to rack up victories. Ron Santo. Billy Williams. Don Kessinger. And of course the beloved Mr. Cub himself, Ernie Banks. George Will said that the golden age of baseball was whenever you are 10 years old. In my case he was off by two years but I certainly understand his point of view.

Those of you that follow baseball may remember that 1969 was also the year of the so-called Miracle Mets. What seemed like a miracle to the rest of the world seemed like a nightmare to me as my first place cubbies continue to lose game after game after game, all the while the Mets — who had been in the cellar all season long continue to rack up late-summer victories. My Grandfather, one of the greatest Cubs fans that’s ever lived, tried to warn me that fading in the fall was something the Cubs were known for. You can guess – or remember how the story ended. The Cubs didn’t go to the World Series, they didn’t win the National League pennant, they didn’t even win their division. It was also when I became familar with the Cubs mantra “There’s always next year”.

It’s now almost 40 years later and the Cubs are once again poised to go all the way. This could be the year, and what a way to end a century of losses. As I write this, the Milwaukee Brewers are four games behind the Cubs and have a better won / loss record in the last 10 games. The only thing worse than losing to the Mets again would be losing to the Cheeseheads from Wisconsin. The fact that the Milwaukee Brewers are even in the National League (vs. American) is surely a sign of the coming apocalypse. If you see a Packers fan of horse, run for cover.

I’m over 2000 miles away from the friendly confines of Wrigley Field now, but if the Cubs managed to make it, I will find a way to get back home and see at least one game. This is one that simply can’t be missed. However, if they fade, I will do what all true Cub fans do; I look forward to next year. Being a Cub fan from an early age has taught me to both deal with adversity and have faith in the future. Eamus Catuli. Go Cubbies!

– Carl Melville / Blogvious

In a previous post I pondered the proposition of Twitter. To Twitt or Not to Twitt. Open minded but skeptical, I said that I would try to see what all the fuss was about. I was unexpectedly surprised with what I discovered.

More than just a self-aggrandizing podium for ego-centric technorati, though there is plenty of that, Twitter is actually fun – and a bit addictive. I’ve set up several Twitters now and am using them for personal and business reasons. Have they had a huge impact? Probably not. But as anyone involved in SEO can tell you, every little bit counts.

If you’ve not yet Twittered, take it from a would-be-doubting-dinosaur, it’s worth a look. For more information or to sign up, go to www.twitter.com.

– Carl / Blogvious

Don’t you love the old rock groups that recapture the public eye?  Well, not always. The Strolling Bones can still kick it out, but a few others need to pack it up and move along.

Remember Devo? Yes, that Devo. As in “Whip It” and a host of other widely forgotten tunes? Well they are back. What are they doing? Touring? Recording? Nope. They’re suing McDonald’s. Yes, lovable Ronald McDonald – a guy not geeky enough to be a member of Devo – is now the target of a lawsuit.

Seems Donald had donned the red Devo hat. While they are at it, they are also suing American Idol. They are actually suing because they claim a toy in the Happy Meal box is wearing ‘their hat’. As I said, you can’t make this stuff up. If you really want details, here’s the link: Divo sues over Happy Meal Toy.

By the way guys, the 1980’s called. They said your 15 minutes ended when Members Only went out of style.

– Carl Melville / Blogvious

In the Pantheon of great comedians, those that blazed trails, smashed barriers, and changed popular culture, none stand taller than George Carlin. A master of the language and an incredible comic talent, he used his gifts to actually change society’s norms. He gave voice to an entire generation, making it OK to challenge authority – especially arbitrary rules created for the benefit of the few. He did all this while keeping us laughing.

A friend of mine once referred to Carlin as “…a burnt out remnant of the ’60’s…”. While far from burnt out (he continued creative and productive work until the day of his death), he truly was a product of the 1960’s. Shunned by the establishment, he was a huge underground and counterculture hit. I was in grammar school when I first heard the “Seven Words You Can’t Say On Television”. Even at that tender age, listening to something I know I was not supposed to hear, I began to wonder “why?”.

Carlin made us ask “Why?” on a range of social, religious, and political issues. Agree with him nor not – he always left us laughing. He was also an equal opportunity harpooner. Democrat or Republican, white or black, north or south, everyone was fair game – so long as their pomposity made them stand out.

Raised a Catholic, Carlin saved his sharpest barbs for religion. Any religion. I have no doubt this offended many. The issues he raised, for the most part, were fair game – but not normally things we are comfortable talking about. No one could do that like Carlin.

When I listen to the razor sharp comedy of Chris Rock, and note the uncomfortable feelings it brings up in his audience, all the while laughing hysterically, I can’t help but think also of George Carlin. He’s left an indelible mark, and he will be missed. Bye George, and thanks for asking “why?”

If you’ve not heard of Steampunk, you are not alone. What an unbelievable visual tour de force. The look is hard to describe. My best shot was Retro-Nuevo-Chic-Techno-Deco, but even that comes up short. A friend is really in to this look and turned me on to it. The keyboard pics are just some of the items these guys concoct. To see and learn more about this genre, visit The Steampunk Workshop. Not sure how well they work, but I want one.

For more information on the Steampunk genre, visit Wikipedia.

– Carl / Blogvious