One step in the right direction

The famous phrase "Do you believe in miracles?" was said by Al Michaels during the 1980 Olympics when the U.S. Hockey Team defeated the dominant Russian Team in which in most cases was not even given a chance. Today, I stepped in the right direction.... After feeling nearly defeated for several months, I finally got a call this morning that made me feel a little upbeat. I received a call from Fox 4 News here in Kansas City for the job of Production Assistant. I interview this Wednesday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. I haven't gotten the job yet, but at least it's a step in the right direction. I really need all the prayers that I can get.

Signed
Tim "Thank You Jesus and Yippee" Crippen

An ode to the New York Yankees 2007 season

Let me just start by saying this "the yankees this year will not make the playoffs this year." With nearly a 1/3 of the season played the New York yankees are 13.5 games behind Boston and it doesn't look like they will even come close to catching up. Unless, some miracle happens this team will finally get a feeling of what feels like to be fan of a team who hasn't been there in over 20 years. So, since I despise the yankees, their owner and their payroll. I decided to write a poem about their team and their season. It's called "An ode to the New York Yankees."



The yankees, the yankees it must be true. Your 13.5 behind Boston and your feeling the blues. Even with a team payroll of 195 million all in your stock. Your still behind the Boston Red Sox. With batters like Jeter, A-Rod, and Giambi that were suppose to be big hits. This season it has been more like swing and a miss. George Steinbrenner is angry that his team isn't winning. So, he goes and spends more money to do some problem solving. Sure, he can fire Brian Cashman the GM and the manager Joe Torre if he wants too. But why do that when The Boss know that after the season's over he'll be seeing them at the McDonalds drive thru. The Yankees were happy when they signed Roger Clemens to be their savior. Even Jesus Christ laughs at this and says "I'm not doing your team any favors." The season is still young and this team can make up some ground, but their pitching staff is so bad their nowhere to be found. This team is too good to sit back and just be rolled over. Hey, Yankees don't worry here in Kansas City we know what it's like not to be playing in October.

Signed Tim "the yankees are dead" Crippen

Let the pictures do most of the talking

Who is that nighttime creature with the glow in the dark eyes?

Roscoe the neighborhood dog

Uh Oh Roscoe has our nighttime creature stuck in a tree.

Who wins this standoff?

The Raccoon....but only because Roscoe is scared of the rain

Advertising, promotional giveaways, and supporting charities (the funny side of baseball)

As a kid, going to the ballpark was a once a year privilege. Every year when they had Nazarene night at the royals our whole family would go and have a blast. The first time I went to a royals game the hot dogs I think were around $2.50, you could bring a small cooler, the turf was artificial and the cheap seats were orange. Yet every year the promotions staff always trys to find new and inventive ways to get you to come to the ballpark. When I was young you were lucky to eithier get a hat, bat or some stuffed animal to promote the team. Nowadays, we have bobbleheads, buck night on hot dogs for only a select few games and T-shirt tuesdays. (This coming tuesday they have T-shirts of the three condiments that are used in the hot dog race) Although, the promotions from the Royals are not too bad compared to like Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
This Friday the Devil Rays are promoting Legends of Wrestling Night where famous wrestlers from the WWF past will wrestle after the game. This probably would have been cool if I was back in the fifth grade. I'll take Fireworks Friday anytime thank you very much. The Milwaukee Brewers earlier this month had Free prostate cancer screenings.....if you get your screening you will receive two tickets for a future brewers game. Look, I'm all for screening cancer, but why not do it at a doctor's office instead of mobile unit outside of the stadium. You must desparately want tickets if you want to bend over for Dr. Jellyfinger.
Speaking of prostate cancer, MLB is celebrating prostate cancer awareness on Father Day's. Now last weekend, MLB did the same thing on Mother's Day for Breast Cancer awareness. Don't get me wrong....I'm all for supporting charities whether it be a ribbon, a patch or a pin. When MLB starts using pink bats it messes up the game. I can only imagine what they'll do on Father's Day eithier using blue bats or blue baseballs.
Finally my last gripe of the day is the advertising. I know teams need to sell advertising to make money and all, but when you read a story like I read today about how Fenway Park which is known for their left field wall "The green monster". Anyway, their thinking of selling advertisemnet on that wall. There are some things that are sacred in baseball .....the green monster and the ivy in wringley field is another. However, if they decided to have adverstisements on these spots..... I would suggest the following....For the ivy Ivy's Italian garden resteraunt and the green monster would only be fitting if they put a green monster energy drink can.

Signed
Tim "just keep baseball simple stupid" Crippen

Movie Fans will eithier love this website or hate it.

It's a good thing that I saw Spiderman 3 this past weekend before I had heard about this website. It's called themoviespoiler.com. In it you will see current or recent films probably within the last four years on how the storyline goes and how it ends. What a bummer!!! This particular website I happen to have mix reviews. On one hand this is great for all those stupid films that I thought about seeing, but I'm glad that I didn't see. Then there is the classic side of me who wants to go to the movies to be entertain and be surprised. It probably won't make a dent in the industry, but at the same time you know there be somebody who comes out of the theatre who saw the film before you did while your waiting in line to buy tickets and then the person coming out gives the spoiler away while your waiting in line. I just hope this doesn't happen when I try to buy tickets for the Pirates of the Carribean 3 movie.....cause I really want to see what happens to Captain Jack Sparrow.

Signed

Tim "don't spoil the movie for me" Crippen

A boy named Johnnie

There was boy name Johnnie who when you look at him he looks like any other normal 18 year old kid. He doesn't say much, but when you get to talking to him he's very open. At six years old, Johnnie's father left his family. Then at age twelve Johnnie's mom goes to prison for drugs. He moves into a foster home and his life doesn't seem to get better. He gets into trouble with the law as well as school for eithier fighting, stealing or causing disruptions in class. He transfers into another foster home and he wonders if his life is ever going to change. His new foster mother knew that Johnnie needed to change so when she said "Were going to church!"
Johnnie thought I have heard of church, but during his entire life with his family or his first foster parents never took him to church ever. It was this foster mother who had believed in Johnnie that he needed Christ in his life. Since that moment, Johnnie has been attending church on a regular basis, he got his G.E.D. last July, he will be going to community college this fall to study music and he hopes one day he will become a music teacher. Then this past month he has also reuntied with mother since she got out prison both of them realizing they made mistakes. How do I know this Johnnie? Well to protect the innocent I won't use his last name but Johnnie was working with me at concession stands at Kaufman Stadium yesterday and he wanted me to share this story with you about perservance and struggle.

Signed
Tim "way to go johnnie" Crippen

My Sonic moment and the RRFB concert

This past Sunday was only the second time I have ever complain at a fast food or sit down resteraunt. It's a good thing those purple bracelets haven't arrived yet. (I'm still waiting after six weeks) Otherwise, I would have been switching from wrist to wrist. The guilty party of this complaint is the Sonic Drive Thru at Johnson Drive and K-7. I go there just to get a large cranberry limeade....that's it no food. I waited 20 minutes and I'm getting frustrated. I go up to the front and ask politely "Hey, do you happen to have my cranberry limeade?" The carhop told me it should be there in about a couple of minutes. I said okay and went back to my truck. Fifthteen minutes later, no limeade...I thought this is ridiculous and I left without getting my drink. I file a complaint online....then two days later I get call from the manager of that particular sonic. He apologize and realize that there is no excuse for what had happen. On Friday, I received in the mail three coupons for three free medium cherry limeade's or any other medium soft drink along with a buy one get one free sonic burger. I'll use the coupons, but there is still no excuse for what happen.



Now, the Robert Randolph and the Family Band concert last night at the Crossroads in the Art district area was pretty awesome. No rain, cypress mulch was used for the ground instead of the hard pavement and the bbq pork pulled sandwiches were great. My cousin Jeffrey and I had a wonderful time being practically in the front row. Then afterwards we spotted Jason Crosby, the organist of the band and he signed my CD. I was about ready to leave when Robert Randolph came off his tour bus and he signed my CD as well and we even got to talk to him for about of couple of minutes. We both got to shake his hand and thought what great guy to talk too. I just like to say to say thanks to Robert Randolph and his band for putting on a really good show last night. It was worth the $26.00.



Signed

Tim "RRFB fan" Crippen


PS: Pray for the people of Greensburg, KS as that town is trying to recover after deadly F5 tornado destroying nearly the entire town.