2023 Creative Process

I started this blog on WordPress in 2013. Ten years later the world has changed in so many ways. My life has changed in so many ways. Based on the multiple endings and re-starts, many would’ve expected that Cat Lady Prophecy (of me) to have come to fruition. But as it sits today, just the two felines reside in my home. However, I’m simply a modest lotto win away from adding to that number to create a fluffy, spoiled Pride.

In 2013, many people read blogs on the daily. In today’s world, I think that practice is not very likely to be happening. It seems that everyday life moves too fast and no one has time to invest in reading a 8-15 minute piece about random riff-raff. Most digestible ideas and concepts need to be meme ready or reeled in by TikTok videos. Our society as a whole is so geared towards instant gratification that I fear at some point, the old ways will soon be lost to the current generation because the process(es) takes too long or there simply is an APP that does the task quicker (and better) for you. Some of the tasks made obsolete were perhaps better for our daily lives, but within those tasks sometimes there were life lesson on patience, discipline and attention to craft. Anyone, who ventures out into a public venue on a daily basis, should easily be able to see several examples of those three things being short-changed or short-cutted with regularity…and it’s a sad thing to behold.

I have always been stupidly optimistic. Ultimately I expect that quality will figure into my death somehow. Stay tuned. It took me quite a long time to understand my most effective internal process when it comes to being ‘creative’. Sometimes you have to release or put down what you’ve been holding onto instead of rolling it over and over in your mind. This can allow the next idea or concept to come along and not compete with the distraction of the other thing(s). Sometimes you may actually be able to get to the next level of an idea by purging the first phase that wasn’t able to cohesively come together. Just a little tip that has helped me decompress and get to new (better?) ideas and thoughts.

In closing, let me share with you, one of my favorite expressions over the years (one that I’ve used in many job interviews). It is:

If I got hit by a bus tomorrow, I’ve left the person following me a map of how to pick up my work or what was still needing to be accomplished. This fatalistic scenario is utilized to infer that everything can change in an instant, for good or ill. If the world internet got hit by a bus tomorrow, what would we be left with and how would those left move on?

Grass Clippings in my Craw

Good afternoon all! To my faithful readers, sorry it has been six months since my last entry. Much has transpired in those days, weeks and months. For the highlights you can get caught up by listening to my podcast. But what brings me back to the typed word page is this: Outrage.

No it’s not the astronomically high prices at the gas pump even as they slowly relent. No it’s not the Roe vs Wade reversal – but that’s a very interesting debate. In the grand scheme of things, it’s several hundred rungs below all that, but still I feel I’m entitled to vent. And seeing as how this is my blog site…I’m gonna do just that!

Pages: 1 2

Make me the 11th Commissioner of Major League Baseball

Anybody wanna play ball?

Hello and good day. Here we are well into the month of February of the year 2022 and the start of the 2022 spring training has been delayed. In my estimation, Rob Manfred has failed to be the leader Major League Baseball needs and thus he needs to be replaced.

Let’s look at the man’s recent activities in relation to his job duties, shall we? Last year he spearheaded a political play to steal millions of revenue dollars from the city of Atlanta, Georgia (hey Denver, Colorado! Would you like 10’s of millions of dollars?) over a political play that was essentially none of Major League Baseball’s business. Eventually the city of Atlanta was able to recoup some of their losses by ultimately being triumphant in the fall classic aka The World Series. How did good old Rob parlay this great underdog story into momentum for the offseason? By not being proactive in the slightest and sitting on his hands for literally months whilst the franchise teams engaged in a lockout with their players’ union.

Strike one.

Manfred and his focus group of bean counters are worried about the length of games being 45 seconds too long. His fix-all solutions are to try to curtail mound visits and other insignificant rules that add about six minutes to a game. True baseball fans (aka baseball’s core customers) will watch a baseball game if it last 2 hours and 30 minutes or 2 hours and 45 minutes or 3 hours and 6 minutes. He needs to stop obsessing over the micro when the macro is fine. His agenda is letting the sponsors dictate how the game (product) is presented and portrayed. Does anyone remember when the St Louis Cardinals of the National League played the Minnesota Twins of the American League in a daytime World Series game in 1987? That was 35 years ago by my count. Stop making everything about primetime advertising leverage and trying to squeeze an extra 50 Cent, er…50 cents out of each telecast.

Strike two.

The farce that is the Hall of Fame selection process is EMBARASSING. Your all-time hits leader and all-time home run leader are not inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame. Regardless of the speculative circumstances surrounding a player’s accomplishments, if their stats are in the record books and acknowledged as the yardstick for the sport, then these players are legit and should be considered on their accomplishments (period). Case and point, recently the besmirched designated-hitter David Ortiz was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. In 10 category comparisons (seasons played, hits, runs batted in, home runs, walks, runs (scored), doubles, Gold Gloves (defense), stolen bases and strikeouts) between Ortiz and Home Run Champ Barry Bonds…Ortiz only is above Bonds in one of those categories (career doubles 632 vs 601). What is missing here is the ‘good guy’ double standard MLB and its coverage crusties employ. Ortiz, despite getting caught with his hand in the performance enhancing cookie jar, is a personable and likeable personality. Bonds on the other hand was viewed as kind of a ‘Richard’ throughout the sport and thus is not given the same chance to rehab his legacy. As far as the All-time Hits King in Pete Rose Sr…he should 1000000% be in the Hall of Fame as a player. If the sport wants to permanently disbar him from the Hall as a manager, I’d support that no questions asked. As a manager, Charlie Hustle was middling at best. But as a player, competitor and recordholder (for a record that was set three dozen years ago that will never be touched again), the now 80-year-old Rose deserves to be pardoned by Manfred and enshrined.

Strike three…YOU’RE OUT ROB!

Pages: 1 2

The Perfect Fantasy Football Season Doesn’t Exi…

Oh hi there! Welcome to my Blog site.

I don’t often get to brag (read NEVER) about my success with a fantasy football team. In most realities, my fantasy football teams generally leave me feeling like a Dallas Cowboys fan in the second round of the playoffs. Eeesh…too soon? But this year I was part of three fantasy leagues. In one ESPN league, I was the commissioner. Then in another ESPN league, I was a participant. And last but certainly not least, I was in a Yahoo league as a participant. In my ESPN leagues, I did respectable (by my low standards) by going 9-5 and qualifying for the playoffs in each before being rudely dismissed in each. I’m sensing that you may not be impressed with my my regular season .643 winning percentage. OK fair enough. Let me up the ante…

How about a perfect season? You heard correctly!! I matched the 1972 Miami Dolphins of the NFL (year of my birth btw)! In my lone Yahoo league entry, I posted a 15-0 regular season before sweeping the two rounds of playoffs to claim the undefeated, undisputed crown! Here are the screen shots of the standings, roster, bracket and recap.

Pages: 1 2

Top 10 List of ill-advised times or moments to shotgun a beer

(as heard on the Chuck and Dave Podcast)

Chuck and Dave Podcast – Episode 91 – Business Jargon III

** Note: Shotgunning a beer definition – Taking a can of beer, turning it sideways and using a key or sharp instrument to puncture near the base of the can. Then, using the tab on top of the can to open, drink from the punctured area while tipping the can upright until the contents of the can are consumed. It is basically a party-way to ‘chug’ the beer.

10) “I’d like to call to order, this meeting of the Cub Scouts…”

9) When drinking from a glass beer bottle.

8) At the front of the line to pass through the metal detector to go into the court house.

7) After receiving Communion. (to lose the wine aftertaste…and possibly a chance at the afterlife)

6) To conclude your job interview (job applicant).

5) To celebrate your friend’s one year of sobriety at the AA meeting.

4) On a float trip with a beer found at the bottom of the river.

3) To successfully complete the 12th beer in the 12 Minute Shotgun Beer Challenge.

2) Before heading out to walk the tight rope at the circus.

1) To kick off the baseball game…as the home plate umpire. Play ball!

Enjoy. Have a great evening. Peace. #33 – The Freak <<09-26-2021>>

TV Time Warp – 07-25-2021

Hello all. I hope your month of July has been a thing of smiles and laughs. For myself, it has been like mentally stepping back in time. From a weather pattern perspective, this July here in Missouri has contained some of usual steamy days packed with July hotness. But it has also featured more than a few weekends of significant rain. With the presence of this rain, my usual outdoor activities have been prone to cancelation. With these freed up hours, enter into the equation some TV classics! Re-engaging these old favorites has been nostalgic and almost like entering a mental Twilight Zone. (cue the dramatic theme!)

For those younger readers, if I mention the TV series One Day at a Time, you may think I’m talking about the recently concluded remake/reboot featuring Justina Machado. But hold up, that is not the show I’m talking about right now. The OG One Day at a Time show debuted in 1975 and ran through 1984. I think I discovered it in reruns as a kid some time around 1980. I would’ve been 7 or 8 at that time.

• 

• 

Pages: 1 2

Hump Day 07-21-2021

Hello from the quagmire of spreadsheets and grind of extricating funds from an employer! Lunch time comes early and just wanted to say hello before I scurry back into my ground hog burrow.

Hope everyone is having at least of moment of success today. As always, message me, text me, tweet me your thoughts for posts or just feedback!

Peace. #33 – The Freak / <<07-21-2021>>

Cleveland Indians 2021 (First 32 games) – 20% Check-In

Hello all and welcome to my blog!

I did an Indians baseball piece about three weeks ago and wanted to keep the trend moving. After 16 games, the Indians split wins and losses to sit at 8-8. I took a look at series opening games, overall series won-lost and finishing games of series as well (games 3-4 of the series or official two game series finales). I brought back the inning by inning tracking of runs…and good news: The Indians finally put a tally on the board in the fifth inning! It took them until their 20^th game to do so, but it has been done!

Since those first 16 games, the Indians improved in winning first games of series by going 3-2. Of those series that they won game one…they won each of those series. Again, the team has been finishing strong in series by going 3-1 in last official game of each series (the Cincinnati series had the final game postponed by weather). The team sits at 18-14 overall, one game back of the Chicago White Sox. With their current record, the team is 4^th best (by record/percentage) in the American League.

Over games 17-32, scoring for the team increased (which is good!). They scored 74 runs despite being no-hit by the Reds a few days ago. That comes out to a decent 4.6 runs average per game. It is worth noting that the Indians have only broken double digits in scoring once so far this year (11 vs the Tigers). Which should be no surprise as the offense lacks established hitters in several lineup spots.

1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	Extras
8	4	6	13	6	16	8	10	1	2

Runs Scored By Inning

With 20% of the schedule in the books, I’m pleasantly surprised. It’s a long season, but in taking a long hard look at the product in the dugout and on the field – this team seems to be overachieving…for the moment.

Pages: 1 2

Cleveland Indians 2021 (First 16 games) – 10% Check-In

Hello all and welcome to my blog! I usually address my Indians at least once or twice a year in blog or podcast form. I’ve already done a preseason preview for my SoundCloud podcast – that did not predict some of the 11th hour curveballs from a rostering standpoint. But in today’s piece, before the first pitch against the New York Yankees, I will break down some early season trends and give my two cents worth of insights. Without further prologue, here we go.

So far the Indians have started six series (3 home, 3 away). In those first games of each series, the team has one win (1-5). The goal for every team starting a series is to win the series. Typically most series are three game sets…so to lose more than 80% of those first games, that makes it an uphill battle to win the next two all the time. Of those six series (the last set with the White Sox was snowed out for the second game and postponed until later), the Indians have only won one series. To the point of this paragraph, their lone series opening game win was also in the only series they have won so far this year (vs the Detroit Tigers at home).

Here are the results by series so far: at Detroit (1-2) lost series, versus Kansas City (1-1) tied series, versus Detroit (3-0) won series, at Chicago (2-2) tied series, at Cincinnati (1-2) lost series and versus Chicago (0-1) temporarily lost series.

Pages: 1 2

The Postal Service in 2021 (02-16-2021)

Good evening y’all readers! Hope everyone is staying stay and warm during the Snowmageddon Polar Freeze (SPF -75) event presently underway in the Midwest of the United States. As bad as it is here (Missouri), I imagine it must be infinitely worse up in Michigan, New York et al and on into Canada. How do human beings acclimate to such harsh temperatures? I feel sorry for the people that live in places like Texas and the nearby states who are completely caught off guard by stuff like…snow.

With The Pandemic still motoring on, like a dude on a scooter holding up highway traffic, I have found a tad more time to blow some life into the embers of my blog. Over the last 12-14 months, I’ve noticed a huge change in how a particular institution has performed.  That institution that I am referencing is none other than the US Postal Service!  (cue the dramatic reveal music!)

If we take a look at grocery stores, big box stores and the other online giants – they have had to modify their day-to-day operations for Covid. But for the most part, they are still selling things and people are buying them pretty close to on-par with before Covid time if not performing better, sales-wise. Meanwhile, smaller mom and pops shops along with dine-in food restaurants and bars have taken huge losses or been forced to close permanently. The main difference between these two groups and their survival has been the online presence. Larger corporate based entities with online capabilities have thrived, while local sole proprietors have shuttered their doors or barely kept afloat. Even with the online companies being adaptable, there are still glitches in the matrix.

Pages: 1 2

Can We Have A Little Debate? 02/14/2021

Riddle me this: Is Debate class even part of school teachings anymore? As someone who is (eesh) 31 years removed from high school, I am a bit out of the loop on whether or not Debate is taught in junior high or high school anymore.

For those who may be wondering, I had this topic settle into my brain probably about five to six months ago after mindlessly falling down an online thread rabbit hole. This topic should go hand-in-hand with the freedom of speech concept, which sadly that is all the notion of freedom of speech can be considered at this point…how can you have any sort of real debate without examining both sides to an argument? This is not to say there isn’t a third or fourth side to arguments, but in principle there are usually two stark opposition positions to a topic. I would have to think that there would have to be something along these lines because there are still thousands of students in law school and many newly licensed attorneys over the last two decades. But is this only something that occurs when students go off to college? Enquiring minds want to know!

Pages: 1 2

Looking ahead (01-31-2021)

Good afternoon to one and all who found their way to my tiny virtual blog corner of the universe. Here in Missouri (of the United States), the weather is dreary, gray, blustery and cold. Not the bitter cold of the extreme north or south poles, but cold nonetheless. By now some parts of the country and the world for that matter have endured literal feet of snowfall but within the St Louis region we have maybe had half of a foot cumulative. Some locally enjoy the snow (or at least the appearance of it) and on the flipside some loathe its very mention. At this time…there’s really not much first hand to report on that front so we shall move on.

Pages: 1 2

Picture Purge January 31, 2021

So it’s that time again to de-clutter ye ol desktop and the accumulated pixel dust ends up here. So feel free to check it out…and judge me as you wish.

Everyone stay safe out here and on to February!!!

Peace. <<01-31-2021>> — Freak #33

MLB Names – They’re All Offensive!

Good afternoon to one and all! Also Happy New Year!!

I have uploaded a project I started working on several weeks ago. It’s a spreadsheet of all the Major League Baseball teams. This spreadsheet contains their origins along with the status of how long their current nickname has been in use. To poke a little fun at my favorite team, the Cleveland Indians, (because they chose to cave into financial peer pressure) I set out to compile a list of why each and every other franchise should be forced to change their names as well. I hope you enjoy the post and as always, I look forward to your feedback. Have a great weekend!

blog_offensive12252020_oDownload

Peace. <<01-10-2021>> #33 https://scottlatta5000.weebly.com/ – Don’t forget to check out my website for links to all my social media and other projects!

Why don’t you write more?

Hello all. As I type this I am three days into a head cold, yes it’s just a head cold. This sucks. I’m not majorly debilitated in any way, I just have head congestion and a little scratchy throat. In years past, before the C word spread over the globe, I would’ve taken some Sudafed and boldly gone out into the world to carry on in spite of the sickness. Ah but this is the broken year 2020 and all the rules have changed. In the last 9 to 10 months, the old world has disappeared like the ice in a fast food cup sitting on the asphalt during the noon day sun of summer. Gone are the days of ‘toughing it out’. Replacing those sickly souls slogging along coughing and wheezing, are the devout hand-washers and toilet paper hoarders. We are sitting at three weeks to go until the end of this blasted year. I had remained virtually (ha, see what I did there?) sniffle-free for most of the year. Almost made it to the end. Oh so close.

Pages: 1 2