Off Hours

When you are a baseball geek like me, taking a trip to the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory is a true treat. Consider that I’ve visited 21 MLB stadiums, Cooperstown (three times), and three minor league parks. So my recent trip to Louisville had to include a visit to the museum. Friend Jason Falls set me up for a tour with his client, the Museum (thanks, Jason!).

I thoroughly enjoyed the factory tour, which showed how major league bats are chosen and made. The bats are made by high tech lasers with pinpoint details chosen by Major Leaguers. The factory churns out thousands of bats everyday, a necessary production load given that players will churn through 100-120 bats in any given season.

Of course, sustainable forests are used to harvest the lumber, and there’s a mandatory grading system for which bats make it to the major leagues (very few, my friends). What was really cool was seeing how the bats were made. Plus all of the different stains and paints you can add, well rocked. I couldn’t help it, and purchased my own personal bat (below), as well as a two tone cherry/maroon special for my Dad’s father’s day gift…

To me, baseball has always been about the kids. Combined with the museum tour, you can’t go wrong at the Louisville Slugger Factory. I highly recommend it for anyone touring the Kentucky region… Or for any baseball fan looking for a unique view of the game.

I am amassing a large photo album on Flickr of all of my 2009 baseball experiences, which so far include the museum visit and trips to the New Yankee, AT&T, and Nationals stadiums. Check it out. Photos from the new citi Field will go up later this week.

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moar funny pictures

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On Tuesday night, I was treated to an early viewing of the Soloist at Paramount Studios, thanks to Nedra Weinreich. This important movie discuses the journey of homeless Juliard drop-out Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Fox) and his friend, chronicler LA Times journalist Steve Lopez. The tragic movie highlights Ayers mental illness and the battle he faces living everyday, while also gracing the streets with his haunting music.

Homelessness continues to be terrible issue in a society where healthcare is in a sorry state and a brutal economy with unemployment surging toward 10%. This will continue to be a growing issue for our communities, and that is why you need to see the Soloist. Because the next Ayers or Sykes may be our neighbor.

Perhaps the greatest lesson in this movie was how hard it is to help homeless people. It’s not as easy as giving them meds, an apartment, or another opportunity, or a religious solution. In fact, there can be really no solution unless the person in question wants help.

Letting go and allowing these people to live without forcing a decision on them is unbelievable hard, as Lopez found out. Even harder is giving them the dignity to be people, and to accept them simply as they are.

LA has a horrific homeless problem, with more than 90,000 homeless people. During my trip her this week, I took a photo walk (both photos are from said walk) and met a homeless man, Winston Sykes (pictured above). Sykes is a genuinely nice guy. He was very lucid and told me about his trials, how he felt he was lucky to be alive and that in his many years on the street he had not been attacked or seriously harmed. Sykes felt blessed and discussed how dangerous it was. Yet, though his plight was terrible, Sykes seemed to be a genuinely happy fellow.

If you feel compelled to participate, TakePart helped make the movie and is running a Take Action Now campaign. You can also follow TakePart blogger Sarah Newman on Twitter. Additionally, Steve Lopez discusses his journey with Nathaniel Ayers here.

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This had to be the most serene peaceful wedding I’ve ever attended (full photo set here). Because we had an older crowd, the music shifted a bit from my original set list to go back to the 70s with a lot more disco. Kicking out to much house and rap music would not have been appropriate. The following is the playlist from wedding:

Intro Music
Frank Sinatra – Sinatra at the Sands

Pre-Dinner
Buena Vista Social Club

Dinner
Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
Stan Getz Quintet
Count Basie and the Kansas City Seven - Count Basie and the Kansas City Seven

Pre First Dance
Seal – Kiss from a Rose
The Beatles – Here Comes the Sun
Rolling Stones – Rainbow
Simple Minds- Don’t You Forget Me
The Clash – The Magnificent Seven

First Dance and On
Eric Clapton – You Look Wonderful Tonight
John Lennon – Woman
Jewel – Standing Still
Abba – Dancing Queen
Madonna – Vogue
Will Smith – Get Jiggy with It
Michael Jackson – Don’t Stop Until You Get Enough
Blondie – Heart of Glass
Barry White – Can’t Get Enough of Your Love
Prince – Kiss
Donna Summer – Bad Girls
Earth, Wind & Fire – Let’s Groove
Diana Ross – I’m Coming Out
Bonnie Raitt – Thing Called Love
The Pretenders – Brass in Pocket
Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You
Elvis – Can’t Help Falling In Love
Madonna – Crazy for You

Exiting Music
Prince - Raspberry Beret (Extended Edition)
Bob Marley – Jamming

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One of the more successful global warming videos I’ve seen. Well done, National Geographic.

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I’m not sure if you saw the Social Media Rabbi video yet, but if you haven’t check it out. In addition to the video, I did prepare a short outtakes film of some silly moments shooting the movie.  Here they are:

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I recently bought a refurbished Nikon D60 with a nice 18/200 lens, and wow! The difference between what I was using (Canon IS3) and this is amazing. I am still learning the camera, but have already had a couple of nice photo shoots in London and last night at the Wizards-Spurs game.

I am stunned by the difference the D60 makes. I definitely asked from advice from the likes of Richard Binhammer and Andrew Feinberg, who all said, “Invest in the lens and not the camera!” It seems they were right.

I also bought a tutorial video, which is helping rapidly learn the D6 and how to use it. I was amazed at the quality of shots from the game, but not satisfied. If I knew how to use the shudder speed and the manual settings a little better I could have had even better shots!

So one of my next, immediate goals is to learn how to shoot better pictures with my camera, and how to use Photoshop to my advantage. I am thinking of toying around with the camera a bit more on my own until I finish teaching my class at Georgetown. Then I think a class is in order.

The thing that photoblogging and walking is doing for me is it’s providing a creative outlet. My personal blogging and painting has waxed as I’ve taken over my business blog in the past four months. This gives me a new creative outlet, and one that’s relatively easy to do. Simply grab the camera and go.

So, we’ll see where this crazy photo adventure takes me. It promises to be a fun ride!

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Dear Mr. Selig:

Steroids have been the bane of your sport (Arod image by William Holtkamp). It just happens to be my favorite sport, and that’s why I am writing this letter to you. So I hope baseball is monitoring online and that you read this.

I used to be a season ticket holder, and still go to 5-15 games a season. I’ve visited 19 ballparks throughout the league. I am your prototypical dream fan, and I need you to do something for me.

I know you’ve restrained tongue and pen, and waited for due process. You’ve tried to play as fair as possible with the union, and honor the fact that steroids and drug testing were not officially banned for a time period.

But now you need to change that. It’s time to invoke some action in the best interest of the game. Yes, I know you have to wait for due process with Bond, but A-Rod’s admission that he has done steroids is the last straw. It’s time to revoke records and awards.

Three MVPs Ken Caminiti, Jason Giambi, and now A-Rod have admitted use. Their MVP titles should be stripped (even post-humously) and given to the runner up that year. If Bonds is found guilty, all of his steroids MVP awards and records from ‘98 forward should be taken away. If Clemens is found guilty, he, too, should have any awards given to him during this era taken away from him. Let an asterix be affixed to any known steroids user’s records.

The game’s honor has been sullied. Restore it.

Sincerely,

Geoff Livingston

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Just an update on the Virgin Gorda post and reconciliation with my wife. It looks like we are doing a trip to renew our vows, only I am taking her to London for the long Valentine’s Day weekend. Any suggestions for romantic spots are welcome (image: Big Ben, London by 13Bobby)!

I am not much for publicly getting too deep about private matters on the blogosphere. All I can say is that the past five months of separation have been extremely trying and profound. I’ve had many friends who supported me, counseled me, and kept my spirits up. I want to thank you for your help.

The future is always uncertain. I do know this: Love can be deeper, more profound and richer than anything you can imagine during that period when you fall “in love.” Today I have that.

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This is too funny!

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