No-no

Dock Ellis, known for pitching a no hitter on LSD against the San Diego Padres and attempting to hit every batter of the Cincinnati Reds, died yesterday from liver problems. He was awaiting a transplant. Here is Ellis talking about his no hitter on LSD, in which the catcher had to wear reflective tape on his mitt so that Dock could see it:

I can only remember bits and pieces of the game. I was psyched. I had a feeling
of euphoria. I was zeroed in on the (catcher's) glove, but I didn't hit the
glove too much. I remember hitting a couple of batters and the bases were loaded
two or three times. The ball was small sometimes, the ball was large sometimes,
sometimes I saw the catcher, sometimes I didn't. Sometimes I tried to stare the
hitter down and throw while I was looking at him. I chewed my gum until it
turned to powder. They say I had about three to four fielding chances. I
remember diving out of the way of a ball I thought was a line drive. I jumped,
but the ball wasn't hit hard and never reached me.

All You Need Is Love

Today is the 28th anniversary of John Lennon's death. He was more than a musician and a songwriter. He was a visionary. He was able to see through the bullshit in the world. He would do whatever he could to make the world a better place, if that meant simply singing a song. Songs like "All You Need is Love", "Power to the People", and "Give Peace A Chance" were both simple and powerful. The message was/is direct. There was no beating around the bush with these songs. The message was the lyric, the song title, the chorus sung over and over like a mantra. Through his songwriting, the purest statement became the most artistic.

Now that we've reached the holiday season, we'll be hearing "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" in our shopping malls and on the local oldies station that turns to all-holiday-music-all-the-time for 2 months. Thank Jesus and Santa that this song gets play, and next time you hear it, listen to the words: "War is over if you want it / War is over now." These lyrics are so appropriate right now. We have soldiers fighting in a foreign land who won't be able to be with their families this holiday season. And we have an incoming president that embodies the kind of optimism and hope that these lyrics express.

"A dream you dream alone is only a dream.

A dream you dream together is reality."