Tag Archives: Field of Dreams

Friday Notes (Sep 11, 2026)

After putting the blog largely on hold this spring and summer, I’m trying to get back into it by doing a bit of catch-up. (Or at least discover if and how I really want to get back into it.)

Five posts so far this month (not counting this one) compared to five posts during the three summer months (June, July, August), so I’m off to a good start.

Didn’t manage even to post a Friday Notes in August, so there’s more than enough for (at least) a second edition this month.

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Spielberg: Not A Fan

mashed potatoesFor the record: I am not a fan of Steven Spielberg‘s movies. I do not like them on DVD; I do not like them in theater three. I do not like them on VHS; I do not like them — I said that, yes! And let me be clear: sometimes when I say I don’t like something, it means I’m neutral; I neither like nor dislike. But in this case, I do mean I actively dislike his movies.

I will readily agree that this, almost universally beloved, director-writer-producer is brilliant at his craft. He’s clearly one of the most successful directors in modern movie history. But I stand with a (very!) small number of critics who find his movies morally shallow and blatantly emotional. Even worse, they are peppered with what I call “Spielbergisms.”

It all started with the damned mashed potatoes.

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Baseball Stories

Mighty CaseyToday is the last day of the All-Star break. Monday was the Home Run Derby, and Tuesday was the All-Star Game itself. Wednesday and Thursday are days off for everyone in Major League baseball. In fact, yesterday and today are the only two days during the entire season that there are no baseball games played.

Tomorrow the season resumes, and all 30 teams begin working their way towards winning their division and getting the pennant. At this point in the season, just past the halfway mark, no one is out of the race, but for some teams winning requires a major change in team performance. And some teams already stand out as the presumptive winner.

It’s the season’s “weekend,” so let’s talk about baseball stories!

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