To my knowledge, there’s no silver in my “silverware” drawer, but after yesterday’s purge, it is now neat and clean. My “Hollywood Bungalow” isn’t vast and the lack of storage space tends to contribute to the buildup of clutter… Books, CD’s, a growing compilation of collective works in the “baby stuff” category… a light-up model of Hogwarts Castle… The new mantra in the house is, “when in doubt, throw it out…” It’s in that same spirit I labor on this day to scour the “Blog Ideas” file:

  • I’ve been meaning to buy some reusable shopping bags, but other priorities have preempted the purchase. Those little plastic bags, like the one made famous in “American Beauty,” are made from petroleum and they take over 1,000 years to degrade in a landfill, which is where most of them end up…
  • A few Friday’s ago I was horizontal in my evil lair watching a day of two Red Sox games wind down. It was the day of the Red Sox “Jimmy Fund” TV/Radio telethon. This annual Boston event is so widely embraced that no other than Mr. George Steinbrenner of the New York Yankees donates every year. As I lay there, my body slowly affixing to the bed as the minutes passed, I thought about donating, but I was far too comfortable and accelerating toward unconsciousness to be bothered. Then I saw this replay of a boy who’s been battling cancer for most of his brief life. In a past year he sang the national anthem at Fenway… in a full body cast. I went downstairs to this spot and shot $100 across the ether.
  • Speaking of doubleheaders, Chicago Cub Hall of Famer Ernie Banks is credited with the phrase, “Let’s play two!” It captured his pure love of the game by expressing the desire to play two games every day. Sadly, the single-admission version no longer exists as a scheduled event in Major League Baseball. In fact, the current Collective Bargaining Agreement between the owners and the players union states, “doubleheaders shall not be scheduled in the original schedule.” The reason is obvious.
  • I don’t know if many of these are Pollock’s or if they Matter, but I’ll probably take in the show…
  • Finally, “M” did come up with the quiz answer of Jimi Hendrix’ “Wind Cries Mary” from his 1967 debut, “Are You Experienced.”

I’m pretty sure “M” googled or, um, “asked” the lyrics…