2013 Chicago Cubs Schedule Breakdown
My mother, Helen, and her twin sister, Hattie, were lifelong Cub fans. My mom died young but Aunt Hattie went on to celebrate 103.5 years. She always believed in the Chicago Cubs even though she never lived in Illinois and lived in Arizona the last 13 years of her life.When she turned 100 we flew down to celebrate her birthday with all her other family and friends. Weeks before we left I happened to look at the Cubs" schedule and realized that they would be playing on the afternoon of her party. Hattie did not miss a game.I figured maybe I could get the Cubbies to recognize her during the game and if not I would only be out my time and effort. So I started digging and found someone to call. I explained the situation and said she never misses a game and knows all the statistics. The young lady on the phone said, Let me take your name and number and see what I can do.She called me back later and said, OK, I need the exact spelling of your aunts name and we will put it on the big screen during the game, wishing her a happy 100th birthday. But I would like to send you the picture of what it will look like just in case she misses it with all the activities that day. We will put it up early and I will snap a shot and mail it to you. I explained time was short; I was flying out in a couple of days. She made it happen.So at Aunt Hatties party, while the rest of us ate cake and ice cream, Aunt Hattie sat in front of the TV, not talking to anyone, and wore her Cubs jersey over her birthday dress and watched the Cubs.When she opened her framed present that said, "Happy 100th Birthday Hattie Watson from the Chicago Cubs," she was thrilled. She had her picture taken with the sign, not her cake.Aunt Hattie had four children and her middle son said, Mom, when youre gone, the rest of the kids can have everything, I just want that framed sign. He, too, is a Cubs fan but lives in Texas.So for Aunt Hattie and my moms sake, I hope the Cubbies go far this year.Ann Young hopes they keep winning.
Donnie Baker Rant About the Cubs, Donald Trump and the End of Times!
As Wednesday"s Cubs win sinks in, the first logical question for fans is how to get tickets to the next round versus archrival the St. Louis Cardinals.
A better question might be: Are you willing to take a road trip?
The time has passed for Cubs season-ticket holders to purchase postseason tickets for eight possible home games at Wrigley Field.
So, too, has the registration to enter a drawing that offers a chance to buy tickets to the National League Division Series between the Cubs and Cardinals, which begins Friday. Those lottery winners received an email after last night"s game, according to Cubs spokeswoman Alyson Cohen.
That leaves the rest of the Cubs faithful at the mercy of secondhand ticket sellers for the hot matchup.
"We"re already seeing a ton of sales. I don"t see why this couldn"t be the highest-selling series for the postseason," StubHub spokesman Cameron Papp said Thursday.
As of Thursday morning, the average ticket price for Game 3, the first Cubs home game, was $450, according to Papp.
Prices started at $280 and that was for a standing room-only ticket. The cheapest seat was $324 in the left field upper deck.
But a 4 1/2-hour drive down Interstate 55 to St. Louis this weekend for the first two road games could save you quite a bit of cash, Papp said.
The average ticket price at Busch Stadium is $140 for Game 1 at 5:30 p.m. Friday. The least expensive Game 1 ticket was standing room-only, at $115, while a right field terrace seat cost $148, according to StubHub.
"It"s definitely a cheaper deal," Papp said. "The Cubs have a big fan base and haven"t seen success like this in a while, and Cardinals fans are a kind of used to this."
Ouch.
StubHub ticket sales are showing that Cubs fans may already be taking advantage of cheaper prices in their rival"s stadium. By Thursday morning, more customers from Illinois were buying tickets to Game 1 in St. Louis than fans from Missouri, at 36 percent to 35 percent. However, it"s impossible to know how many of those Illinois buyers are Cardinals fans.
For Cubs fans unwilling to go behind enemy lines, there are other options.
Outside of Wrigley Field, there are rooftops bleacher seats available that have sightlines into the ballpark.
Stacey Loukas, director of sales at Wrigleyville Rooftops, said the company is selling tickets for $300 that include food and beverage options for both Cubs home games. So far, Wrigleyville Rooftops has sold about 500 tickets at its seven rooftop locations, each of which accommodates 200 people. After Wednesday"s Cubs win, the company"s rooftop at 1032 S. Waveland Ave., a customer favorite with views over left field, sold out, Loukas said.
The other option takes a little bit more confidence.
Fans who believe that the Cubs will advance can register for the drawing to buy tickets to the National League Championship Series until noon Thursday, and for the World Series until Oct. 16.
Meanwhile, officials from the Better Business Bureau are warning people to watch out for scammers selling fake tickets.
"Cubs fans have waited many years for a postseason opportunity," Steve Bernas, CEO of the bureau"s local office, said in a statement Thursday. "We don"t want their excitement to be spoiled by losing money with fake tickets or poor merchandise."
The organization advises fans to check for an official hologram and license to avoid bogus tickets. When buying online, it"s better to buy with reputable ticket brokers on licensed sites, and avoid those that may contain clumsy English translations, as foreign counterfeiters are common culprits.
Credit cards can often be a safeguard against scams as customers can dispute a charge before they pay.
Babe Laufenberg, Dallas Cowboys radio color analyst and former NFL quarterback, answered questions in a chat Wednesday. Here are some highlights.
Question: We all know the Pats" offense is a force, but their defense seems vulnerable. How would you attack NE if you were Jason Garrett?
Babe Laufenberg: I would videotape their practices...and pray. A lot.
Question: Do you like the idea of starting McFadden or Michael and bringing in Randle as the change-of-pace back. I know he"s no Dunbar.
Babe Laufenberg: I like the idea of starting McFadden. He is more of the downhill runner that I believe this offense functions best with. They have a power running game, not a bunch of trapping and pulling by their linemen. Then spot Randle in the game as you see fit.
Question: What can we expect from Greg Hardy on Sunday? Do you think he can be his disruptive self after not having played in 2015?
Babe Laufenberg: It has been a long layoff for Hardy. However, he was able to go though a training camp, so that will help. No question he is an elite pass rusher, or at least was. In the two years before last year"s suspension, he was fifth in the NFL in sacks in the combined 2012 and 2013 seasons (26). The bigger question is, how many plays will he be good for? 30? 35? Don"t see him taking many more snaps than that. And always worry about injuries after a player has had a prolonged absence. Reducing his play this week will reduce that risk.
Question: The Cowboys are going to have to score a bunch to keep up with the Pats. Do you think Weeden"s improved play vs. Saints might allow Dallas to be more wide open on offense?
Babe Laufenberg: I think the worst thing you can do is decide before the game that you will need to score 50 points. The games kick off, and then they take on a life of their own. Green Bay was held to 17 points by SF on Sunday. Seattle scored 13 on Monday. I am not a big fan of "limiting the other team"s possessions," but I do think the fewer possessions New England has the football, the better the chances for a Dallas win.
Question: Who is deciding not throw downfield (except on a final comeback drive) - Linehan or Weeden?
Babe Laufenberg: Don"t confuse the Saints game with the Atlanta game. Cowboys had a deep shot to Terrance Williams early, then hit Brice Butler for a big one later. The Cowboys WRs are just not guys who are going to line up in press coverage and beat you on a consistent basis. Did a very poor job of getting away from press/man coverage vs New Orleans. Have to take your shots occasionally, but until Dez Bryant returns, this will be a vertically challenged team in the passing game.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL CHAT
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McDonalds Offers Breakfast All Day SUPERIOR, Wis. -
McDonald"s is now officially serving breakfast all day and every day at all Northland locations.
The general manager at the Tower Avenue location in Superior says breakfast all the time has been the No. 1 customer request.
"It"s good to be able to finally give the customers what they want at changeover. Theres no turning people away, said Paula Tomlinson, general manager in Superior.
And in select locations youll be able to customize your order to create something like egg on your burger.
Surface Book: Hands-On with Microsoft"s "Ultimate Laptop"
Walking through the questionnaire at Microsofts Help me choose Surface microsite can result in the recommendation of a Surface Book with a 1TB SSD. Theres no real magic here: just select 1TB next to the How much storage do you think youll need built-in to your device question along with enough higher-end requirements, and voila!
The thing is; you cant yet order such a Surface Book. Your current options are limited to a 512GB option.
A quick chat with the Microsoft Store reveals thata 1TBoption isindeedplanned, but theres still no ETA.
You: I went through the questionnaire, and it recommended a 1TB version of theSurface Book. However, I dont see that listed on the Surface Book preorder page.You: Can you clarify if the Surface Book is or will be available with a 1TB SSD option?LaTonya S: We do not have the 1TB option on our site, Im afraid. We were not given information about when it would be available.You: But do you have information that it will be an option eventually?LaTonya S: I am showing that it is an option. So it would be available eventually.You: Excellent, thanks so much.
The moral of the story is: if you need the ultimate in storage in your Surface Book, youll want to wait a little while before pressing that preorder button. Well report back as soon as we receive word that you can get the full 1TB of ultra-fast PCI Express SSD storage.
Updated: It looks like more info is leaking regarding the pricing of the potential i7, 1TB storage, 16GB, dGPU. For anyone looking for a beefy Surface Book get ready to shell out over $3,000.
The Flash | Inside: The Man Who Saved Central City | The CW
Barry is speeding back to full force.(Photo: Dean Buscher)
Spoiler alert! The following contains spoilers for Tuesday night"s episode ofThe Flash.
The Flashis back after five long months, but it"s like it never left.Despite all the doom and gloom that Barry is struggling with in "The Man Who Saved Central City," he is still unequivocally the Flash, and the show is undeniably a happy, shiny comic book show. The season 2 premiere ran the gamut of comic book winks, joyful optimism for the heroism of the Flash itself and plenty of puppy-dog acting from Grant Gustin, who was just a pleasure to watch. Because when Barry cries, we cry. And I might have teared up once or twice in this episode.
Welcome backFlash. Looking forward to the future and even more comic book insanity.
Shinyhappy people
Professional scene-chewers Captain Cold and Heat Wave are back to battle Barry in a jarring opening to the episode, with Barry narrowly defeating them with the help of Firestorm. He"s applauded by Iris, Caitlyn, Cisco, Ronnie and Eddie (??) at the lab, but then Harrison Wells comes up and gives him the warmest compliment of all, and we cut back toBarry alonein the lab, imagining a parallel lifesix months after the "singularity" that almost destroyed Central City.
Lonelyand angsting (though Barry"s version of angsting is less broody and more wounded puppy)he might be --Barry"s still a hero and he"s working as the Flash by himself while Joe and Cisco work on an anti-metahuman task force with the police. For some reason, they and Iris talk openly about Barry"s identity in the middle of a police station, but all the people of Central City are apparently selectively deaf after the Flash saved their city, so it"s okay.
Iris tries to convince a dejected (butstill constructive) Barry to appear at Flash Day to accept his key to the city, but Barry"s having a severe case of guilt and won"t hear her reasoning. In a flashback to that fateful day, it turns out that Eddie wasn"t the only victim but Ronnie was as well -- dying after he merged with Martin as Firestorm to create a nuclear fission and stop the storm. So we can effectively call that the worst honeymoon ever.
Flash Day is adorable anda great callback to the comics and the city"s adulation of Flash. However, the festivities are mired in gloom as Barry is slightly late to accept the award and a withdrawnCaitlyn lingers on the fringes. Not to mention thehooded figure who ruinstheceremony with some flying debris, and who Barry spectacularly fails to defeat. We do get a hint ofCisco"sVibe powers as hegets flashes of the mysterious Bane lookalike.
Back in a Smash
Tumblr | @thecwflash
Looks like there"s a new big bad meta in...
Remember that dead guy from the beginning of the episode, Albert Rothstein? Well thank goodness for the powers of TV foreshadowing, because the new mysterious metahuman was this guy. Not so dead, but definitely radioactive, because after some sleuthing by the team that Barry refuses to recognize, they find out that Rothstein is nuclear, and is powered by absorbing radiation and morphing his own atomic structure. We get Iris being a pivotal part of the team (that X-ray reveal was important, guys!), Martin Stein naming Rothstein Atom Smasher, and Cisco hugging him out of the pure joy of having a partner-in-nicknaming. And Cisco even brings Caitlyn back to the team, despite her working at Mercury Labs and wanting to stay as far away from S.T.A.R. Labs as possible.
Speaking of S.T.A.R. Labs, if those unanswered bills weren"t sign enough, Barry is now the ownerof the labs after Harrison Wells passed it down to him. Barry gets a visit from an attorney who gives Barry Harrison"s living will, but before Barry can wrestle with the idea of watching it, he sees the team at the lab and rushes over.
They"ve solved the case but Barry is still unwilling to endanger them, going off to fight Atom Smasher on his own and nearly losing before Cisco taps into the alarms to distract Smasher and let Barry escape.Barry gets treated to another flashback and a pep talk from Joe, who puts on his protective father jacket and tries to help him move on. But it turns outthe only one who can help him truly move on isHarrison Wells himself, who records a confession to the murder of Barry"s mom, Nora Allen, thus freeing his dad from years of wrongful imprisonment.
Elated by the news,Barry finally assembles Team Flash toask them for help in defeating Atom Smasher. The plan is pretty simple -- lead Atom Smasher on a merry chase to a nuclear power plant and overload him with radiation to render him powerless -- but this plan offers us the best part of the episode: the Flash signal. (WhichCisco, our resident audience surrogate,apparently "saw in a comic book somewhere," and not in the newspapers of another embattled city.) But I don"t care, it was just another example of this show"s unadulterated joy in bringing its comic book vision to life -- besides, Batman can worry more aboutArrowstealing all of his villains rather thanFlashstealing his signature light show. But,in the midst of all our comic fan squealing, we do get a hint at our villain for the season: Zoom.
Moving forward
Barry would not have been able to move past his guilt if it weren"t for his visit toaskCaitlyn"sforgiveness and their watching of Harrison"s tape together -- they"ve long provided the emotional core of the team. But whileCaitlyn is easily forgiving,I feel like this could be sowing the seeds for Killer Frost, or at least laying the grounds for some animosity between Caitlyn and Barry. It"s too early to tell yet, but it would be a good way to shake up the dynamic of their already fractured team.
Of course, the waterworks really come during Henry and Barry"s entire reunion and the realization that they would have to ultimately live apart. Henry is the perfect self-sacrificial father who would let his son be the hero, while Barry is still not done growing up yet, despite Martin"s touchingly brief "graduation speech" on moving forward. At least we got that wonderfully meta moment when Henry told Barry, "I"ll race you."
Barry is stronger when he"s not alone though, and surrounded by his "family," he gets a new suit (the white crest, yes!)and a state-of-the-art security system that gets beaten by Jay Garrick two seconds later. Hello, Harrison 2.0.
This Is Not Happening - Steve Rannazzisi - Rock"n"Roll Ralphs - Uncensored
I Only Had 15 Seconds To Change My 9/11 Lie
10/6/2015 6:31 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF
"League"star Steve Rannazzisi admits he did a "terrible" thing by lying about 9/11, but says the lie was not premeditated ... it started at an off the cuff quip at The Comedy Store.
Steve went on Howard Stern"s show Tuesday and explained his lie ... that he was in one of the Twin Towers during the attack and it became a life-changing moment that led him to pursue his career in comedy.
According to Steve, he was just asked by someone at the club where he was during the attack and the phony story just spilled out. He says once that happens you have 15 seconds to say it was BS or else you have to own it.
It"s a really good interview. He says he chose to talk about his lie on "Stern" because Howard personifies New York and felt it was the right venue.
