Dylan Charles's Blog, page 28

In this I Believe

Nowadays, keep their beliefs to themselves among family and friends or risk an argument to which there is no end. Political discussion, is, for the most part, reduced to vitriolic soundbites provided for us by either the media or our favorite politician. If ever we need a retort to someone who holds a different political belief than us then, by golly, it exists. Our leaders don't debate each other, they trade soundbites so that, in the weeks that follow, people will be able to quote back...

Outside the Fence

I have a tendency to stay away from groups. I try not to belong to things. It's equal parts introversion and orneriness. If you're on the outside, you're free of the constraints of that group. You don't have to meet every Wednesday night and discuss Russian literature. You don't have to speak some weird, hidden code language with indecipherable jargon. No commitments, no obligations, no nadda.

At school, I stayed away from extracurricular activities. No latin club for this cool cat! I never...

Hello New People

Two things occurred to me recently:

1. I need to write a new blog entry, but I don't want to do a lot of work.

2. I know of at least a couple of people that just started reading my blog and who are new to the wonder that is my writing.

An idea struck! I should do a "Best of the Blog" blog entry! Minimal work for me, maximum enjoyment for you! Win-win! Plus, this way I don't have to talk about the Superbowl. Goddamn Giants.

So, in no order, some of my favorite blog entries:

A Mopsy Proposal: This i...

Walk It Off

There is only one way to beat a cold, I figure. It doesn't involve chicken soup and bed rest either. No, the best way to beat a cold is to ignore it. If you pay it any mind, it'll bring you down to its level.
Don't stay in bed. Get up and get some chores done. Take a shower and down a cup of hot coffee. Actually make that two or three cups of coffee. The key is that you have to prop up your ailing and weakened body with as many stimulants as you can take. Do not slack! Keep moving! The moment ...

The Ball

I bought a baseball the other day. The lengths I went to get it were more than one might expect, seeing as how Baseball is out of season. I finally managed to find one right near Fenway Park, an obvious place to buy a ball really.

There's something intrinsically and inexplicably soothing about holding it. I've been tossing it to myself for the last two hours without even thinking about it and I miss it if I've set it down somewhere. It's something that demands to be held and admired. Its...

The Lost

When learning about baseball's history, it is impossible to ignore the forty years that African Americans were not allowed to play, regardless of ability. Any attempt by a black american to play ball was rejected by Major League Baseball. They were shut out and forced to form their own leagues.

There debates, even now, about the possibilities. What if they had been allowed to play? How would things have been different? How would they have measured up against Major League Players?

In my mind...

Preparations

As I may have mentioned, I'm getting prepared to watch baseball from season's beginning to season's end. The only problem is, I'm not entirely sure what I should do to prepare for this. I'm trying to get caught up to speed on the subject, but I'm not sure where I should go, what I should watch and what I should read to do this.

I'm going to go to Fenway at some point and take a look-see and I've already started watching Ken Burns: Baseball (excellent documentary by the way). I just need some m...

Preperations

As I may have mentioned, I'm getting prepared to watch baseball from season's beginning to season's end. The only problem is, I'm not entirely sure what I should do to prepare for this. I'm trying to get caught up to speed on the subject, but I'm not sure where I should go, what I should watch and what I should read to do this.

I'm going to go to Fenway at some point and take a look-see and I've already started watching Ken Burns: Baseball (excellent documentary by the way). I just need some m...

The Stories of Baseball

For me, the sport in and of itself is not the draw. The draw is the people. It's why boxing always held more interest for me than any team sport. It was the individual who made the sport what it was. The fire and sheer ballsyness of Jack Johnson, the lightning style and class of Sugar Ray Robinson, the sturdy and unrelenting force of Rocky Marciano. They defined their sport and their sport defined who they were simultaneously.

With boxing (or any sport that's solely about the individual)...

A Sporting Attempt

Living in Boston means living with sports. In Durham, sports talk was mainly limited to people yelling about college basketball, because that was the biggest game in town. Sure, we had the Durham Bulls, but they don't inspire the same level of fanaticism as, say, the Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics or Bruins. There are four major sports franchises crammed into this one city and lord, does it show.

I've long resisted any attempt to become involved in the sports culture, but more and more, that...