Virginia Commonwealth University: Deep In The Heart Of The City

I am going out there, away from baseball on Opening Day Part II...follow if you like:

Well, it's been official for some time now that the VCU Rams are Richmond's baby. The kind of stuff going off around here due to the success of this team exists in a vacuum where the school's trip to the second round of the NCAA tournament along with the now-ailing UVA program. That's where all the money came from to enlarge the school to it's all-consuming pseudoplasmodium-like self as it exists today. the location of the celebration on Broad Street is quite proximal to my house (I live near there). It used to be a no-man's land. I played weekly gigs with my funk/fusion band at a bar on the edge of the fan, mostly for VCU students, and it was like being on the edge of town...to the west and to the north of Broad lurked nothing good. Nowadays it's Extreme Pizza (a name I really did predict in 96 when the term "extreme" became as ubiquitous as a volvo stationwagon was) Five Guys (which I am not ashamed to say I frequent after running or long nights) Chili's (no shit) and student housing lining the street, coliseum lofts and shit like that. all wrapped around the Seigal Center. and all brought about after the swing in enrollment and success of various sports teams years ago. It feels weird, is what I'm saying. I took two undergrad classes at VCU in 98 during the summer and enjoyed both of them. I took 4 grad classes there to complete the requirements for my Virginia teaching certificate. My fiance is about halfway through her courses for her Masters in Special Education. We have given them tons of money. wifey still is...and yet I can't really connect with the utter desperation with which the actual city and its Gov't is treating the national attention. It's like a really shitty SS getting called into the game because the other 2 went down and your bench has the trots from the plane food. He's practically jumping in the air when the batter locks and loads. It makes me feel farther from my city, and protective of my neighborhood mere blocks away from the tear-gas and impromptu horizontal co-ed tossing (which is extremly freakin dangerous when drunk). God I hope we lose this game. My city has so much more than a mid-major with the worst color combo ever.

Banner seen by incoming and outgoing traffic at RIC international airport

We, And I Got A Dog: God "A" to G.I. DNA: "ew..."

Her name is Lemon and she is an American Pit/undetermined terrier mix known as a "pocket Pit". She was rescued by Richmond Animal Control but her puppies were nowhere to be found. She was tied up on a concrete porch and they fixed her up enough for the Richmond SPCA (one of my favorite organizations ever) That is where I adopted her. She is a slim 36lbs, about 2yrs, and a definite sign of "Street Cred" to some in my 'hood but is as timid and sweet a beast as I have ever lived with.

EDIT [after reading comments]:
Tons of comments right away, so cool. The connection that rescues create with other humans-helping-animals is overwhelming. Wifey and I spent the first Sunday after getting her watching Pitbulls and Parolees for 6 hours straight. I have worked with both and am just all about what they do at Villalobos.
I am so proud to be a part of the Dog world. I have two SPCA cats who are my "housekeepers" if you will. Lemon is like a child, just a very...very well behaved child.

If You Want To Know What Makes Me Mad: Read This Article (which has nothing to do with sports)

JPMorgan Chase Over-charges and wrongfully forcloses on US Military Personnel homes.
I swear to God, no matter who sent them or where, when our 100% Volunteer military finally gets to spend time stateside after 3 tours and a Stop-Loss order good for another 3-5 yrs,
A good business should make sure that, at the very least YOU DON'T TAKE AWAY THEIR F88KING HOUSE.

Our free-market economy should not allow people to do a shitty job just because they can and no one stops them. I'm looking at you Bear Stearns, and the Fannies...this is some bullshit.

America, Please choose wisely with whom you do business...some people are just really not very good at their jobs.


I am a dude for the time,
and I support this message.
-Peterson

I have been laid low by Bronchitis and now Blue Devil Baseball try-outs are upon us. I coach High school Baseball, and last night we were in the gym until almost 8 with a couple of kids who didn't eat anything before coming to run. Bad idea, kid. Custodio-maintenance was needed to deal with the biohazard.
I arrived home to my lovely fiance and required 3 medecines and copious attempts at relaxation before I fanally got rid of the worst sinus headache of the decade. Friday will be my first evening off this week and I am loking forward to it with great anticipation. in the meantime, I will try to keep up for my few but loyal readers. As of now all I can say is go watch the ice-dancing on your tivo. Here's a taste:

I don't know who this guy is....but seriously dude, have some shame. (the female was almost worse)

GO AUSTRIA!!!!

Major Coup in JD's Olympic Observation

First of all, I would like to say that I was very saddened to hear of the tragic death of Georgian Luger Nodar Kumaritashvili. My Fiance and I agreed that we would both much rather go that way, in our chosen competative environment than on a couch somewhere or in an elevator, or something mundane like that. Congratulations on your qualifying for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Rest in Peace, Nodar.

I would like to announce the latest 2010 Olympic Competitors to sign on to Team Peterson. Do you recognize that flag? It is the proud flag of Austria. The flag that an astounding 81 atheletes carried in the opening ceremonies. The only way this could have gone better is if I had the Austro-Hungarian Team (which hasn't existed since the first few games)

2010 Topps 5 packs: FAST-Part One

Okay, so I have read everyone else's posts on their blasters and such and I wanted a piece. I have not looked at any numbers, rules, probabilitites or anything, merely one blaster and several pack breaks. I bought these to open and post here. The hysteria of the Topps flagship set only lasts but so long, and I love a good ride.
There is nothing here that I wouldn't trade for the right card.

Here are a few packs highlights that came through pretty well overall. One thing...kinda major, NO BREWERS. Pit. (SO FAR Looking for Prince Fielder base/parallel and Target exclusive Brewers Team set only)

What do we do with these things again? If I wind up with one of those cards, Topps and I will come to terms.

EDIT:[By way of Cardboard Junkie, thanks to Hand Collated for this info]


These "Cards Yer Ma Tossed" in the Target-Grey would have been cool. As a matter of fact just as cool as Topps Archives without the gold stamp. that's it, Which is really not that cool.

This need not have been done again. Insert or not, Base set or not, real back or not, this is one of many powerfully supurfluous insert sets to be had in these packs. I have omitted some altogether in favor of a "you want?" list. (details later)

Frank Robinson for the Cincinnati Redlegs, would have coveted an O's card, but the back is authentic-style, much cooler than the alternative. Wonder what that means odds-wise?

Cards I'm Glad to have:

Cards I'm sad to have:

Cannuck or Night owl can have this Russ Martin card. I love the guy alot, but no. Not this, No.

K. Correa: too busy, less patterns and lines and I would look again.

Longoria 2nd year (yes, last year's card and the most regretable bs reprint filler I have seen from 2010 Topps to date)...stamped in gold...after "my mom threw it away"....hmm...where was my mom during 1992-94 Toppsgold rush? she coulda thown out my cards and made some money.

Must be a slow year for baseball releases for me to ba talking so much sh** already.

see you for part deux.

Peterson

Outside the Boxes 2: odd things on cards

Here we have a Chrome Checklist with a "protective film on it, yeah, ok. Also we see a checklist decoy, that is actually a television schedule for the doomed league. Lastly we have dude Bucky over here. I want postulations on why Bucky's finger is in his mouth. (You can't use peanut butter or boo-boo because those were my first two)

There is some s**t in this ole box. more to come...

Outside the boxes 1: Eagles Star RB Brian Westbr

Hey Peterson nice #/50 parallel of Brian...uh...

Ok, wow. I didn't even know they had photoshop for real life...errrrrrrr. How do you miss the letter blocks for part of the name on the front?

Sketch Factor 10

Holy Cow!? and up to now I never thought twice about scetch cards... until this recent post from Trader Crack's. I used to watch Voltron in French when I lived in Paris as tot. Check the practically patented "Artist Stamp" of a signature. The perspective and motion of this scetch eliminate all of the inherent goofiness of piloting a man-shaped craft constructed of multiple tiger-shaped attack craft.

...feeling generous?
Click Here to Buy me my first. (I used to be quite the stippler myself)

Is this where the line for the Bandwagon starts? Great.

I really am more of a letterman guy, or I was, when I was a teenager. Conan was still funny in college and often was a regular part of our pre-game with the 11pm simpsons. I, like alot of us, am just not sure how this situation got so f^^^ed up. You would have to bribe me generously to get me away from NBC on Thursday nights, but I have tivo and never watch a second more of network tekevision than I have to.
Oh, and I will never forget what they did to arrested development. Never.

EDIT:[Notice who's name is ostensibly absent...]

Bizarro Baseball: Doc Ellis

If, for some reason, you have not yet seen this, give it a go. You will not be disappointed...

Completely Unrelated or "High School Teaching, you gotta love it"

Congrats Coach Favrett and Tigers Football

Yeah it's just a ring ad, but this is the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championship ring. For the first time since I can remember (since hearing of Hampden-Sydney in 1991, and my graduation and subsequent alumnus status after 2001) that the Tigers were able to take the ODAC conference in football. I wish I was paying closer attention nowadays. Games were a regular activity for me. Shirt and tie, bourbon and finger sandwiches. I made a really off-the-cuff choice of schools. I wanted to pick one where an oft-recycling Yankee with long hair would stick out. I did a little too well.
Sorry for the delay boys, but I waited too. Congratulations. I promis I will make the hour-plus drive for a game this coming season. even if you won't let me drink outside anymore...

I thought I would give a shout-out to what I was doing for part of the time when I wasn't collecting cards. at all.

Hearing Brewings of Squirrels...

I know I said I was going to wait until I had my first 'Squirrels AUTO to post about them, but I can't resist even the most innane of news concerning Richmond Baseball.

Well, they are holding a contest to decide the name of the mascot for our new Baseball team here in Richmond. I will be honest, the logo saved the name for me. I was despondent with the name, but both the "squirrel", and the "acorn R" logos are actually pretty impressive.
I love how the above squirrel could be found on the side of a WWII bomber or reigning death from above in some forest west of here(city squirrels are too well fed to jump very high, much less glide). Either way this logo means business.

Now for the mascot name, only one came to mind...NUTS. I don't know if I am just stuck on it, or if I am to dull right now to think of anything better. There are too many famous chipmunks and I can't process it all. you be the judge.

Besides what are we really doing with baseball here in richmond? Prepping young talent to ship off to Fresno of SanFran where we will never see them again until they play the Nats someday (even that assumes that you have the "nuts" to go deal with DC for baseball).

I will almost definitely go to a Nats game see old Pudge squat a few more times or see Nyjer Morgan, or the million-dollar arm that may or may not show up. All this while getting rocked by Brewers.

ME: "But Jonny tight-lips what about the brewers abyssmal pitching staff?
JTL: "I ain't sayin nuttin".
ME: "...but we signed Randy Wolf!"
JTL: "Tell 'im to go suck a lemon."