Conversations at the Ballpark

After working a few ballgames this year, I've realized that people's conversations are really loud. I'm not sure why people do this, maybe it's the atmosphere or are people are just hard of hearing. Do they want you to listen to their conversation? Or is it because the conversations at ballpark are more exciting than your other workplace? (aka Post Office) So, what I have done is compile the best of the best conversations overheard at The K. Were not talking like ordering food were talking outside of the concession stands. They are some I will not used because of foul language.

Little Girl probably about 5-6 years old
"Daddy, why do they call it the 7th inning stretch?"

Guy on his cell phone
"Tina, why are you breaking up with me"?

Red Sox fan that probably had one too many and then falls over
"Hey, look everbody I can touch my nose and balance myself...whoa here I go"

Little Boy 7-8 years old
"Dad, can we go home? It's 8:30 and I'm cold and wet!

But my favorite of all was last night during T-shirt tuesday giveaway, when two teenage girls said this " With this t-shirt so big we can probably both fit in it." They tried it and they both got stuck for a brief moment. Oh, if only I had a camera.

I know this looks and sounds juvenile, but here's my advice keep your tone very low on your conversations. Advice to myself I really don't need to listen to it, but some of this stuff makes for great funny material.

Signed
Tim "new student of Financial Peace University" Crippen

God Bless VT

I woke up this morning not feeling very well. I wasn't physically sick but more emotionally sick. I hadn't felt this way since the attacks of 9/11. What happen on the campus of Virginia Tech yesterday is nothing more than senseless. I know that there are still a lot of questions to be answered, but at the same time a community as well as a nation grieve for the loss of students and faculty memebers. As christians we should take a moment of our own time to remember these people who loss their lives as well as the family members of those who lost loved ones.

God Bless
VT

Signed
Tim "Hoakie Pride" Crippen

This Tax would never work in Kansas City

Just when you think heard it all.....there's always someone or something that makes you say What????? You've all heard of a sales tax and income tax. Get ready for this one folks in Belgium they have a Barbecue Tax. The government of Belgium's French-speaking region of Wallonia, which has a population of about 4 million, has approved a tax on barbequing.
Experts said that between 50 and 100 grams of CO2, a so-called greenhouse gas, is emitted during barbequing. Beginning June 2007, residents of Wallonia will have to pay 20 euros for a grilling session.
The local authorities plan to monitor compliance with the new tax legislation from helicopters, whose thermal sensors will detect burning grills.
Scientists believe CO2 emissions are a major cause of global warming.
Look, people already know my stand on global warming, but to have big brother look after you in a helicopter is bit much. If they ever started this in K.C. with helicopters buzzing around, I would spell the "Leave me alone" with a bunch of K.C. Strips.

RRFB coming to K.C.

I knew it was just a matter of time before my one of favorite artist was going to show up in the Kansas City Area. Robert Randolph and Family Band is coming to K.C. and I already have purchased my ticket for this one (26.00) for GA not to shabby. He will be at The Crossroads in the Park along with Ziggy Marley on Friday May 4th.

Signed

Tim "Huge RRFB fan" Crippen

An Interesting Time Magazine Cover

With Easter just around the corner, I happen to be walking to the supermarket checkout line and saw and interesting cover on Time Magazine. Why we should teach the Bible in Public Schools but in parentheses it says, "But very,very carefully". I wasn't going to spend 3.99 for the magazine so I looked for the article on the internet and suprisingly the piece was a pretty fair article. In the article it talks about how public high schools are offering elective courses on teaching the Bible. One particular teacher was talking about Beattiudes, why did Jesus did his sermon on a mount and the Golden rule but using different religions like Buddhism that also talk about the Golden Rule only in a remix style.
The National Council on Bible Curriculum for Public Schools found a way to create the Bible Literacy Project to be able to teach the Bilbe that is not only constitutional abiding , but also it was supported by Evangelicals, the Jewish committee, the Islamic Education and this one surprise me the most a liberal watchdog group the people for the American Way. The Bible is used in lot of history from Licolon's second inagural address to Martin Luther King's "I have dream speech" too even some literature like "The old man and the Sea" (A very excellent book, I might add).
But as always the people for separation of church and state have said what about the negative uses for the Bible. Negative uses? Please give me five negative uses for the Bible. Anyway, the way I look at it is that some of our students are so Bible illiterate it's not even funny, but I'm glad to see that some courses are being taught and that there is starting to be a change in the public school system.

Signed
Tim "I wish I had this course when I was in high School" Crippen

Opening Day

A timeline of my day on Opening Day

At 6:49 am I got up, had my breakfast, watch a little morning news and shower.

9:02 Am I leave for the ballpark

9:54 Am I arrive with some enthusiam

10:40 Am get your assignment (Your assignment should you accept it is to feed humgry royals fans)

10:43 am I get a blue shirt and nice freaking apron

10:49 Am I arrive at field level 034 (near the section of 132)

10:52 Am I work on the nachos. (there is actually and art form to this)

Around 11:30 I start packing the hot dogs ( While doing this I said the phrase "Why aren't you going down in the other end" this phrase is referring to wrapping the hot dogs but still not as funny as Adam Sandler's phrase in Happy Gilmore "Why aren't you going in the Hole")

By 2:30 P.m. My feet are really starting to get sore

At 3:10 The first pitch begins

At 5:15 I see Tim James waiting in line for food.....It was great to see you Tim too bad I couldn't have talk to you longer

At 6:05 The Royals win 7-1 over Boston Red Sox yeah were 1-0 on the record

6:35 Pm. Call it day

Around 7:00 went back to my truck to get my baseball

At 7:15 Alex Gordon signed my baseball...that right there was cherry on top of a great day.

At 10:08 P.m I will finish up this blog

Signed
Tim "Extreme tired Royals fan" Crippen

Pictures from the zoo

A new J.R.R. tolkien book

After reading the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books, then later seeing LOTR trilogy movies. I thought there wouldn't be any more books by Tolkien. Well, while I was doing some job searching on the internet .......I happpen to catch that there will be another book by J.R.R. Tolkien called "The Children of Hurin". The book was finished by his son Christopher and there is big hush hush as to what the details of the story is. Tolkien hasn't written a book since "The Silmarillion" in 1977 after his death which was also finished by his son. You can talk about the New Harry Potter book all you want, but for me when the new tolkien book comes out April 17, I will probably be in my own little geek world.

Signed
Tim "Gimley" Crippen

Where's my thrill?

Whenever I get in one of those down moods or just don't feel like myself, I pop in a CD of my favorite artist right now. Robert Randolph and the Family Band and their album "Colorblind". If you haven't heard their music it's a mixture of soul, R and B, and little bit of party all wrapped into one. I'm hoping they come to K.C., but so far on their tour schedule the closest they will be is in Chicago. Anyway, there is a song on the album called "Thrill of it" which has and awesome bass sound in the background. I happen to be listening to it this past weekend and somewhere in the song, the lyrics kind of struck a chord with me. The lyrics went like this "It might hurt just a little bit, while I'm trying to figure this out. I'm on this ride for the "thrill of it" living a dream that's what life is all about." Those words sound so opposite of BB King song "the thrill is gone" but of course BB king sings the blues. The reason I write those lyrics is that I'm hoping that there is more to life than just living a dream. I do agree that when you figuring out what you want your dream to be that it is going to be a struggle and sometimes it's going to be painful. These past couple of months, I feel like at times there is a struggle between me and Jesus (And I know that I will never win this battle) I know that he has something out there for me and I don't see the big picture and then I keep saying "where my thrill?" where did I go wrong? or why am I not back into broadcsting? I try to take it day by day but at the times I kind of wondering is this dream really worth pursuing. Anyway, I just need your thoughts and prayers to think of me as to what I'm suppose do and where God is really leading me.

Update: I have ordered the purple complaint free bracelets and they should be in sometime within the next two or three weeks. I did get an email from Rev. who started this and his idea will be shown on Oprah this Tuesday.

Inheriting a new sister in law

Some of you might know that I'm soon going to be inheriting a new sister in law. My brother proposed and she said yes. So, tonight I will reveal a picture of brother and future sister in law Her name is Crystal Enjoy

Let the Madness begin

In March there are three things that always happen. St. Patrick's Day, spring officially begins and March Madness turns adults into crazy lunatics. The field of 65 is set and experts and wanna-be's want to prove that they know college basketball better than anybody else. But how do you pick your brackets??? I've seen differrent ways of how people pick from who has the better mascot to who has the better student body. I remember one year a science geek picked his brackets by figuring who has the best science deparment. Go figure!!! I have looked at my brackets and have picked my Final Four This Year : Kansas, Florida, Texas, and Memphis. My upset pick in the tournament: Oral Roberts to beat Washington St. This year's George mason: Winthrop. So, good luck on your picks and remember any team can beat any team on a given day.
Signed
Tim "K-State should be in the tournament" Crippen

THE no complaint bracelet and the sweet sound of "Amazing Grace"!!

If you don't like something, Change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain. Words spoken by the famous poet Maya Angelou. I write this in my blog to tell you about the lastest craze going on......that is starting to get national attention. We all have heard of the W.W.J.D. bracelets as well as Livestrong braceletes. Well now I want to introduce to you the "complaint free bracelets" in the color of purple.

This all started by Christ Church Unity of Kansas City, MO by the Rev. Will Bowen

He said churchgoers were griping mainly about trivial things, such as the choice of hymns at the Sunday service or the informal dress code at the church’s Saturday night worship.
And so he asked his flock to take a pledge: to swear off complaining, criticizing, gossiping or using sarcasm for 21 days. The Rev. Bowen said the inspiration for the no-complaints campaign came to him while taking a shower. And now, the idea has begun to spread far beyond middle America.
People who join in are issued little purple bracelets as a reminder of their pledge. If they catch themselves complaining, they’re supposed to take off the bracelet, switch it to the opposite wrist and start counting the days from scratch.

Here are the suggested rules:

1. Begin to wear the bracelet, on either wrist

2. When you catch yourself complaining, gossiping or criticizing (it’s ok, everyone does) move the bracelet to the other arm and begin again.

3. If you hear someone else who is wearing a bracelet complain, you may point out their need to switch the bracelet to the other arm; BUT if you’re going to do this, you must move your bracelet first!

4. Stay with it. It may take many months but when you reach 21 days you will find that your entire life is happier, more loving, more positive and more abundant.

Well, I think we should add one more of God's Commandments "Thou shall not whine". If it works for some people great! I be willing to try it, but I would need someone accountable for this....to find the free bracelets go to www.ccunitykc.org.

Now, Amazing Grace......one of the best films I've seen so far this year. It takes place in the 18th century england as William Wilberforce maneuvers his way through Parliament endeavoring to end slavery in the empire. All the actors and actress did very good jobs, but the one that stole the show was Albert Finney who is best known for playing Ebenezer Scrooge or the Older Ed Bloom in "Big Fish" . Plays the preacher John Newton who wrote the song Amazing Grace. The ending, without giving it away, was also one of the best too.....watching it reminded me of my grandmother. If you get a chance to see it.....I highly recommend it.

Signed

Tim " I'm really tired right now" Crippen

Find the two people who don't belong on this card?

Scientists their at it again......also a record selling card

Once again scientists are at it again, this time their diving into christianity. James Cameron, film director who directed "The terminator" and "Titanic" has a new documentary this sunday on The Discovery channel entitled "Last tomb of Christ" in which challenges basic tenants of Christianity. They say that with DNA testing that the remains of these two stone boxes will determine whether they are of Jeus Christ and of Mary Magdalene. Really??? We can't even figure out who the father of Anna Nicole Smith's baby? How we are going to prove something that happen over 2,000 years ago. Haven't we gone down this controversial road with books like "The Da Vinci Code" and movies like "The Last Temptation of Christ"? Sometimes I swear that these reasearchers have nothing else better to do with their time. Now, that these scientists have made me mad again......I think I better give them a call and ask them to come Kansas City. We would all hop in my truck and head over to Union Station to show them The Dead Sea Scrolls (I still want to see this exhibit myself)......that way they'll get understanding of the truth in Christainity.

As a baseball card collector I wish I had this particular card in my collection. Yesterday, a Southern California auction sold a 1909 rare Honus Wagner Tobacco Card for 2.3 million dollars. This card is known by collectors as "The Holy Grail" of all cards. It is rare because they are only 60 available around the world. Plus, Honus wagner ask tobacco company stop using his image because he didn't want promote smoking to kids. Hmmm.......I wonder what I can get for my 1962 Mickey mantle and my 1975 George Brett Rookie Card?

Signed Tim "baseball collector " Crippen

Unreal

If we were to order Calamari rings they be the size of monster truck tires

Why it is so hard to get back into broadcasting?

This question has been bothering me for nearly three years. That's how long it's been since I left my job at KWCH-TV in Wichita, KS. At first, I thought I'll never go back to it. Yet, for some reason or another my mind kind of drifts on coming back to it anyway possible. WHY? Probably, because I still have this chip on my shoulder of wanting to direct or be a techinical director for newscast or sporting event. I did some in college, but never for a commercial station. I'll admit the way I left was not the way I plan it. I get upset seeing people who were in the same position as I was and were moving up. Now, if they had few more years it wouldn't have bother me so much ( I still be upset, but not as badly) But, when a snot nose punk kid whose only been there six months moves from working camera operator to techincal director and you've been there for three years?.....I'm wondering what's going on? At the time, I didn't express my feelings how I felt so betrayed and yet at the same time I was kind of wondering what am I'm really doing here.

I did give my two weeks notice to them and a lot of my co-workers were kind of wondering if they was anything that could change my mind and stayed.....I told them the damage was already done. If there was anything that I would have changed is that I should have expressed my feelings to the Production Manager and told him my problems instead of being so silent and acting to much like whining little kid. I know that I can't change the past, but I can certainly try to do something about my future. So, why is so hard to get back into the business? Well, there are a number of factors. One, most of the equipment that I edit was analog. Now, it has gone digital. Two, college graduates you see more of them coming out and some of them will be getting their first taste of the business. Three, the positions that you are qualified for are few and far between. Most of these positions are usually part-time. Your drive.......ask yourself this question "How bad do you want it?" Then, finally ask the Lord this one important question "Lord is this where you really want me in my life?"

I normally don't usually put myself out like this especially in my blog, but this has been on my mind for a long time and I had to get it out.

Signed
Tim "pondering many questions" Crippen

Wow what a dinner

I have to say thanks again to all the people who helped cook, clean, and pitch in on last night's Romantic Dinner for 13. I wasn't too sure how this was going to turned out but, it turned out to be a lot better than what I thought. A big thanks to Shawnee Church of the Nazarene for allowing us to borrow the kitchen for one night.

Signed
Tim "giving away prizes" Crippen

PS: If anybody has pictures of last night's event.....send them to me and I will post them on my blog.

Global warming.....what global warming?

You are probably wondering what this picture above is? Well, to tell you the truth this is Denver International Airport about two months ago when they had that blizzard. I put this as reminder that it is still winter and yet for some reason today I saw someone walking in shorts??? I know I'm guilty of it too, but at least at certain point I do put jeans on.

Today was one of those days I was listening to the radio when I heard this scientist wacko talking about global warming and how the ice caps in the North Pole are melting. He was also saying that the San Fransico airport will be flooded by 2035 or 2040.....I don't remember which year cause I nearly choked on a turkey sandwich. Look, I know we all have our opinions on this issue and before you think I'm anti-environment I'm not. Sure, I would like to use alternative fuels to save earth as well as my pocketbook. I recycle newspapers and aluminum cans. I think people do pitch in......it's just that when these scientists go off the extreme end that's when I think these people need to get challenged.

If I learned anything in science while I was in grade school is that there is a scientific method. The steps are as followed Observation, question, hypothesis, experiment, and results. Somewhere down the line these environmental pukes didn't do enough experimenting. They probably did some small experimenting procedures in the North Pole and said it's all due Global Warming. Well, how do we know that...should we just trust you at face value? I'll admit I don't know if there is a global warming problem, but I do know that the San Fransico airport is not going to flood, we have record cold temparutures in the country, we have snow that is over eight feet in upstate New York. Then if anything could be funnier is that a few months back former vice president Al Gore goes on the Oprah Show (I don't watch Oprah I just heard a radio clip) and explains what will happen if we keep this up. Then at the end of the show Oprah tells Al Gore, "thank you Al for being our Noah." Thank you for being our Noah? I know Noah was warning people about a flood, but didn't God tell Noah first. My point is simple we just need to enjoy what God has created for us and not go into a panic mode that earth is going to hell and handbasket.

Signed
Tim " I'm still upset about the Bears losing" Crippen

Sad Day in Bears land

I don't know what was worst today seeing the way the bears lost or watching that disgusting snickers commercial. Look, I'm not going to make excuses like the weather was awful or that Rex Grossman played a bad game. Face it, this team got beat by Peyton "Blockhead" Manning and the Colts end of story. Now, that Peyton won the big one can the sports media people just get off his back so I don't have to listen to it anymore. Yeah, it would have been nice to see the Bears win, but to see them get back in the Superbowl made me feel like I was ten years old again. I think I jinx the team by sitting on a Colts blue inflatible chair (the team was leading before I sat In the chair). Anyway, congratulations to Indianapolis this year on winning the superbowl....I just wish it wasn't against the Bears that's all. Oh, one more thing before I end my post tonight. The halftime show with Prince really wasn't that bad...I especially like the marching band coming onto the field with the glow in the dark sticks.

Signed,
Tim "sad Bears fan" Crippen

Boy's scream kills 443 chickens

I had to read this story twice to believe it myself, but it is true. A court in East China has ruled that 443 chickens were killed by a four year old screaming. Let me set up the story........the boy arrived at a village home in the eastern province of Jiangsu in the summer with his father who was delivering bottles of gas.
A villager was quoted as saying the little boy bent over the henhouse window, screaming for a long time, after being scared by the dog.
"One neighbor told police that he had heard the boy's crying that afternoon and another villager confirmed the boy screaming by the henhouse window."
A court ruled the boy's screaming was "the only unexpected abnormal sound" and that 443 chickens trampled each other to death in fear.
The boy's father was ordered to pay 1,800 yuan ($230) in compensation to the owner of the chickens. If a little boy's scream can kill that many chickens imagine what opera singer can do.

Signed

Tim " I'm glad that I'm not a chicken" Crippen