I personally enjoy collecting sports cards. It’s one of those hobbies that I’ve enjoyed since I was young and, while the glamour may have died down a bit with age, it still brings back fond memories. That said, as a collector, one of the things I would fuss about was whether or not a card was in Mint condition.

So far, it’s easy for a sports card to get ruined (and lots of money lost) in the event of a flood, earthquake, tornado, etc. If you carry cards in your pocket, that’s it as chances are very high that at the very least the corners will get dinged.

Having been to Starbucks recently and getting one of those gift cards where X amount of purchases amount to little deals here and there, I came across a revelation: Why can’t sports cards be the same way?

Hear me out. I get that “cards” stand for “cardboards.” In the past cards were made purely from cardboard meant to be placed as compliments in cigarette and then chewing gum packs. Due to the soft touch of the cardboard kids were able to play all sorts of games with them until the cards got so damaged that they became barely recognizable in the end. Kids used to use them as bike spokes since they were so soft. Today, no child I know still does that. Not to get too paranoid, but the world is no longer as safe and innocent as it was 50-60 years ago. Also, with the widespread usage of TV and video games, kids are more apt to play video games, go on the Internet or watch TV rather than buy baseball cards to use as bike spokes or play outside. In truth, those days are long gone.

Therefore I suggest that the sports card industry be redefined. Fewer kids are buying packs due to the rising costs and adult hobbyists (like myself) will only look for specific cards either in plastics or that are graded. What was once applicable 50 years ago doesn’t seem to apply today. In fact, most cards made today aren’t made of “pure” cardboard anymore! I thus openly introduce the idea that sports cards should be made of hard plastic with slightly rounded edges!

Think about it. Hard plastic has several advantages. Here are some:

• They’re sturdier.
• Rounded edges means less painful nicks on the fingers.
• Also, you can make clear fronts and backs.
• You can use a card to, say, redeem a 500 level seat at 30 cents less for a specific game at a specific stadium. Promotions rock.
• You can use it to place cash on, sort of a gift/merchant card combo.
• They can be traded more than just for the player on the front.
• Career stats don’t need to be displayed since everything is online, where most people are on anyways.

Seriously, plastic might be more costly than cardboard, but if it might lead to more sales, how expensive can it be?

I don’t know if I could ever be this harsh to my own children. Every teenager hates his/her parents. It’s a fact.

This video received over 27 million views and was controversial. Some parents were shocked at the “respect through fear” treatment, noting that the daughter might run away with the first guy that gives her attention. Many others said “good,” and that this is what our society needs in whipping our hooligan children back into shape.

While I personally don’t condone this type of discipline, I personally found the video very entertaining as it’s something I and a number of others can relate to.

Kudos to Jon Burg on this Image!

Brilliant!

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that 1,100 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by, and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace, and stopped for a few seconds, and then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping, and continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally, the mother pushed hard, and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money, but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the most talented musicians in the world. He had just played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, on a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste, and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?

In 1969, Fred Rogers appeared before the United States Senate Subcommittee on Communications. His goal was to support funding for PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, in response to significant proposed cuts by President Nixon.

This is funny!

Frank Howard of the Washington Senators in a 1969 commercial for Nestle Quik. In the advertisement, the opposing catcher rags on him for drinking chocolate milk until Howard, who stands 6-foot-7, hits one deep over the left-field wall. The catcher then asks Howard how long he has been drinking Nestle’s Quik.

“Ever since I was about your size,” Howard tells the diminutive catcher, pinching him on the cheek “like a good boy.”

Classic!

Here’s the link to download it: 1969 Frank Howard Nestle Quik Commercial – YouTube

I started to follow Frank Howard’s career. At 6’8″, he was one of the most feared hitters of his generation, hitting 382 homeruns, which at the time was a lot. It’s a wonder why he’s not in the Hall of Fame.

Monday morning, August 13, 2000. Brighton Beach at West 8th Street. My friend and I, each at the time 17 years old, went to the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) to apply for the Learners Permit exam. At the time, getting those 6 points of ID was really difficult. A passport was worth 4 points, but where to get the other 2?  Those points eventually were procured by means of a Social Security card and a Debit card, but it was a whole to-do to get everything together.

In any case, we took the train to Brighton Beach and walked straight to the DMV building which was adjacent to a Police station.

Typical-Brooklyn on Monday morning,  when we walked into the building it was packed to the brim with people, so much so that it was hard to identify lines, let alone which line to take. We decided to either try another day, or another DMV with less people. Needless to say, we left at the nearest exit which led us into a lot with a large fence around it.

I initially thought that we had somehow ended up IN jail, rather than at the subway station. In any case, we finally found the exit and headed towards the subway station. All of a sudden, somebody called out from behind us, “Excuse me sir!” I turned around and asked what was the matter. He asked what we were doing. I replied that we were headed to the train station. He told us to go across the street because Mayor Giuliani was dedicating the street we were walking towards.

Having crossed the street, my friend and I were watching from 60 feet away Rudy Giuliani, in front of a police precinct, dedicate a street to Harry Ryman, an officer slain while off duty 20 years prior. Channel 2 News, Fox 5, Channel 7, etc reporters were all there. I wanted to get closer but all the officers were outside forming a human barricade. Making a couple of attempts and getting caught (it was a miracle that I wasn’t thrown into jail for my  actions since the precinct was right there), I waited until the end of the speech where people were clapping and the human barricade broke into a bunch of random cops shmoozing and drinking coffee. I told my friend that I was trying one last time and he told me that I was nuts (I was)!

Dressed in a dark navy polo shirt, jeans, and a baseball cap, I made my way to the front, a few feet from the podium where Giuliani was about to finish his speech. He eventually finished, stepped down from the podium and briskly walked the opposite direction with his 5-6 secret service officers to his car. I followed him and just as about he was to make a sharp left turn into a lot where his limo presumably was, I called out to him, “Hey, Mayor Giuliani!” the secret service agents all turned around to see a 17 year old kid who had the youthful appearance of a 12 year old, ready to kill. Then Giuliani turned around, visibly annoyed. I stuck out my hand to shake and he shook it, and with a politician’s smile, saying “how are you?” He turned around again and I called out, asking for his autograph. He asked me if I had a pen and I said I didn’t. “Sorry,” he said, “I can’t help you out.”

Looking back, there was absolutely no material evidence that any of this ever happened save for my word. I didn’t have a camera, digital cameras were not in use, and cellphones, let alone smart phones, weren’t widespread yet to take pictures. Looking back, we lived in the dinosaur age in terms of technological advances. Heck, the Twin Towers were still around! Needless to say, there was nothing to document what happened.

This story is what remains.

Note: as proof of the event, I found a letter from the Mayor’s office here: http://www.nyc.gov/html/om/html/2000b/pr314-00.html

“Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani joined First Deputy Police Commissioner Patrick E. Kelleher today as he renamed West 8th Street between Surf and Neptune Avenues in Brooklyn after Police Officer Harry R. Ryman who was killed 20 years ago today in an off-duty shoot out. At the time of his death, Officer Ryman was assigned to the 60th Precinct in Brooklyn.

On August 14, 1980, Officer Ryman, assigned to the 60th Precinct’s Anti-Crime Unit, was shot and killed while off-duty as he attempted to prevent three males from breaking into a parked car outside of his apartment. Officer Ryman confronted the suspects, and upon identifying himself as a police officer, was shot and fatally wounded. Officer Ryman was able to return fire, and wounded one of his assailants.

“I am honored to rename West 8th Street between Surf and Neptune Avenues in Brooklyn, ‘Police Officer Harry R. Ryman Place’”, Mayor Giuliani said. “In the twenty years since his death, his family, friends and fellow officers have honored his memory by emulating him and the example he set. Harry Ryman was a dedicated police officer who heeded the call of duty 24 hours a day. Today is New York City’s turn to pay this tribute to Officer Ryman so that he is never forgotten.”

“We dedicate this street so that every rookie officer who comes to the 60th Precinct will read the name Police Officer Harry Ryman before they even walk through the door, and will find the inspiration they need to follow his example of honor and commitment,” said Deputy Commissioner Kelleher. “We dedicate this street so that the citizens of this neighborhood and of this City will have a permanent and visible reminder of a true hero, who demonstrated to all of us that courage and a sense of duty are not qualities that you hang up with your uniform at the end of the day. And we dedicate this street to let the family of Harry Ryman know that this City recognizes the awful sacrifice that he was called to make, that you were called to make, and that you continue to make for the people of this City.”

Prior to joining the New York City Police Department, Harry Ryman served in the United States Navy. His five children, Nora, Janet, Margaret, Harry, and Edward attended today’s ceremony. His wife, Dorothy, passed away in 1999.”

This can be downloaded here: giuliani-ryman