Best Halloween Treat Ever; A MLB Championship Parade Cometh

2012

This Halloween Friday will be all treats and no tricks here in San Francisco as the World Series Champion Giants ride, walk, strut and funky chicken their way down Market Street. They've earned the right to be honored with the keys to the city as baseball fans throughout the SF Bay come out to show their gratitude. 

Its become a bi-annual confetti-filled celebration and although rain is likely, nothing stops a champion or its fan base from showing up to give each other a hearty round of applause for a job well done. I must say that this celebration will be as much if not more dreamlike than the past two simply because this bunch of miSFits had to gut it out right down to the last out of a World Series game 7. 

The Giants took October Torture to a new level in 2014. Some of that might've been due to the magic of the Kansas City Royals, but what about St. Louis, Washington and Pittsburgh, who all came into series favored to beat the Giants. There's simply no logical explanation for the many ways the Giants overcame and outplayed so-called better talented teams this post-season. 

I guess you just have to chock it up to that all encompassing adjective called Team Work. I like this defintion of what a team is and is not, listed on wikepedia: A group does not necessarily constitute a team. Teams normally have members with complementary skills and generate synergy through a coordinated effort which allows each member to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.

Come tomorrow, October 31, 2014, San Francisco will honor their champion baseball team with a parade and world series trophy ceremony that turns adults into babbling babies and babies into seasoned jersey wearing fans. It's Christmas in San Francisco Folks and we owe the early gift to that team that wears orange and black and keeps making believers out of us all every other year. Thank You Bruce Bochy and the San Francisco Giants! 

 Did You Realize, That You Are A Champion In Their Eyes!!!

Kansas City Who? Giants Win Another World Series

Game 7
On The Road
Coming Off A 10-0 Blowout
Nobody Outside Their Fans Gave Them A Chance

The San Francisco Giants placed Fire-On-The-Mountain pitcher, Madison Bumgarner, on the mound in relief in the fifth inning with a 3-2 lead.  And the rest is Baseball History!

Even better: Giants add 2014 Series title to '10, '12

Giants 3, Royals 2: KC’s dream season is over

Giants beat Royals in Game 7 for 3rd title in 5 years

2014 Shot Heard Around The World

The Giants Win The Pennant!
  The Giants Win The Pennant!
    The Giants Win The Pennant!
      And They're Going Crazy!
        They're Going Crazy!

Travis Ishikawa just hit a walk-off three run homer, and the Giants are heading to the World Series to take on the Kansas City Royals.

Final Score (NLCS Game 5)
Cardinals 3
Giants 6

Raiderlegend Video Repost

SF Giants In, L.A. Dodgers Out

Going, Going, Gone. That Ballclub is Outta Here!

Before game 4 of the Giants/Nationals game even took flight, orange clad fans at AT&T ballpark watching the big screen cheered loudly as the clock struck twelve on the Los Angeles Dodgers postseason. Their divisional playoff series against the St. Louis Cardinals ended in a big, ugly, Dodgers loss. The so-called best pitcher in baseball, Clayton Kershaw, with a 2-0 lead, gave up a three run homer in the seventh that stood for a 3-2 Cardinals win, ending the series 3-1. 

All the money in their Dodger Blue contracts couldn't buy them a trip to the National League Championship series; not this year and not while teams like the Cardinals and Giants are playing like champions.

Yes baseball fans, the Dodgers lost their chance to represent California in the NLCS while the underdog Giants closed out their NLDS series victorious against the Washington Nationals and are heading to the Championship round.

What can you say about those pesky Giants? They scrap, grind and sacrifice every ounce of their bodies and souls to be the best by beating the best.  How the heck did the Giants do it this time? That's what the baseball world outside the bay area are asking themselves. How do you win a postseason series-clinching game against a powerhouse team with runs off a bases loaded walk, a bases loaded ground ball and a bases loaded wild pitch? Simple, get men on base and let the magic unfold. That, combined with strong pitching, stellar defense and a kid named Joe will get you wins. (Poughkeepsie Journal)

Now, watch closely Dodgers fans and the rest of you bums who underestimated the Giants, its plays like this that show the hunger of a champion, our champion:

Giants Outfielder Hunter Pence Getting It Done

1. Major League Baseball

   Scores & Schedule

   
   

   
   

   
   

   1. Thu, Sep 18
   2. Fri, Sep 19
   3. Sat, Sep 20
   4. Sun, Sep 21
   5. Mon, Sep 22
   6. Tue, Sep 23
   7. Wed, Sep 24
   8. Thu, Sep 25
   9. Fri, Sep 26
   10. Sat, Sep 27
   11. Sun, Sep 28
   12. Tue, Sep 30
   13. Wed, Oct 1
   14. Thu, Oct 2
   15. Fri, Oct 3
   16. Sat, Oct 4
   17. Sun, Oct 5
   18. Mon, Oct 6
   19. Tue, Oct 7
   20. Fri, Oct 10
   21. Sat, Oct 11
   22. Sun, Oct 12
   23. Mon, Oct 13
   24. Tue, Oct 14
   25. Wed, Oct 15
   26. Thu, Oct 16
   27. Fri, Oct 17
   28. Sat, Oct 18
   29. Sun, Oct 19
   30. Tue, Oct 21
   31. Wed, Oct 22
   32. Fri, Oct 24
   33. Sat, Oct 25
   34. Sun, Oct 26
   35. Tue, Oct 28
   36. Wed, Oct 29

   Dodgers 2 Game 4 Final Cardinals 3	Nationals 2 Game 4 Final Giants 3

   All times are in Pacific Time

Banks, Prisons & Profits; JPAY

Its one heck of a hustle; to bilk the poor out of monies they send to prisons for their incarcerated loved ones. Who would'a thought that privatized prison management includes privatized money lending overseers who takes huge percentages off the top from monies meant for the someone in need? 

Talk about paying for a crime committed; this practice of taking from the poor, in some cases forcing families to use what amounts to a money laundering service, in order for an imprisoned family member to receive cash gifts from outside the prison is c-r-i-m-i-n-a-l. Some prisons no longer accept money orders, only money transactions processed through their designated financial firm.

Reminds me of a chrome plated license plate I once saw on a fancy car in Manhattan years ago; ¢RIME P8Y$

While many of us law-abiding citizens are focused on the criminal actions of offenders getting caught, prosecuted and jailed for crimes, most never consider the private businesses that prey on the imprisoned offender and their families.  Some might call it justice, but its a blind justice at best when you see poor families paying high fees to correctional institutions through their financial firm partners. 

I read an article today in the San Francisco Chronicle (Justice for all - if you have cash). In it, Columnist Jon Carroll speaks on the subject of private prisons and sheds light on JPay, a firm that handles financial transactions for the prisons.

Its a subject that needs to be dragged out into the light, analyzed and hopefully changed so that poor people in jail are not victimized by a system that we as tax paying citizens endorse. Let's educate ourselves and go after all criminals that prey on our system. 

Prison bankers cash in on captive customers

MegaBanks have the federal prison system locked up

Senator Questions Bank of America's No Bid Prison Deal

The Center’s report also noted that JP Morgan Chase & Co. issues high-fee payment cards to federal inmates when they are released. The cards contain inmates’ earnings from prison jobs and any leftover money sent by their families. JP Morgan holds a similar financial agency agreement with Treasury to provide the cards.

JP Morgan and Bank of America are the two biggest U.S. banks by asset size. Both have declined to comment on their deals with the Treasury Department.

The Center’s report was the second in a two-part series about prison bankers, companies that profit from inmates’ families through exclusive deals with prisons. The first part of the series detailed how JPay Inc., a Miami-based technology company, has gained access to 70 percent of U.S. offenders, and holds a monopoly on transferring money into prisons that house about 450,000 inmates.

I urge those not behind bars to educate yourselves about how the prison system of today is a private, for profit institution housing commodities that might someday be trading on wall street.  See who's getting richer and who poorer by a penal system that's embarrassing to label rehabilitative.

It's American tragedies like this that make Bernie Madoff and company look like Robin Hood and his merry men. The saddest thing about it is, for the incarcerated, it's an accepted reality of life in prison; and for the prison operators and their board members its just good Business practice, as long as it shows a profit.

Epic 18-Inning Giants Win: A Baseball Classic

I joined the torturous Giants game around the seventh inning stretch.  Who knew it would be eleven innings later before the high tension stress level that is October Baseball would release us viewers from its addictive grasp. An after game stretch never felt so good.

The Giants and Nationals played the longest postseason game in hours and minutes ever played between two major league baseball teams.  Mind you the game is over one-hundred years old. 

It was a postseason game for the ages with the underdog, under-credited San Francisco Giants getting a game winning home run from Brandon Belt in the top of the 18th.  As always, there were many heoroes for the Giants who pitched, hit and defended like it was 2012.  For as great as the pitching of Hudson and Petit were, the media had all but given the game to their beloved Nationals (best team in baseball) before our own Kung Fu Pablo Panda Sandoval doubled in the ninth with two outs and two men on. We won't even discuss the go-ahead Posey score that wasn't. At that moment, if Pablo goes down the Giants go down. Instead, no longer a rookie with a playoff game under his belt, Joe Panik scores and the epic back and forth duel between baseball soldiers marches onward. 

I hate to dwell on the media bias against the Giants but when you hear a national television commentator say during extra innings that there's six batters before the Nationals pitching spot comes to bat, but the Nationals should have won it by then, your suspicions of a Giants hating media are driven home.  That's why most Giants fans prefer local broadcast to national every time, the national makes the game double-torturous for us.  

But in the end, a Giants win, a city's celebration (fans were honking and hollering in the SF streets last night), and our recognition of Giants Orange October determination is more rewarding to us Giants fans than any unfavoring remarks thrown out by Fox, ESPN or other national sports commentators and/or analysts. Its what makes winning against all odds so..............Sweeeeeeeet!  

Get ready major league baseball, cinderfella comes home Monday to possibly closeout this second round of dancing and move on to the next baseBall event; the league championship series.

Final 
Giants 2
Senators 1

Giants lead series 2-0

In A Perfect World

Barvy podzimu: fotografická soutěž (září 2013)

Postseason baseball divisional play arrived with a bang as eight teams scrapped and clawed their way through games that ended in one run victories and defeats. Its October, the Indian Summer weather is brilliant and baseball has taken center stage in sports. What else could a sports fan ask for!

Major League Baseball

Scores & Schedule

1. Thu, Sep 18
2. Fri, Sep 19
3. Sat, Sep 20
4. Sun, Sep 21
5. Mon, Sep 22
6. Tue, Sep 23
7. Wed, Sep 24
8. Thu, Sep 25
9. Fri, Sep 26
10. Sat, Sep 27
11. Sun, Sep 28
12. Tue, Sep 30
13. Wed, Oct 1
14. Thu, Oct 2
15. Yesterday
16. Today
17. Tomorrow
18. Mon, Oct 6
19. Tue, Oct 7
20. Wed, Oct 8
21. Thu, Oct 9
22. Fri, Oct 10
23. Sat, Oct 11
24. Sun, Oct 12
25. Mon, Oct 13
26. Tue, Oct 14
27. Wed, Oct 15
28. Thu, Oct 16
29. Fri, Oct 17
30. Sat, Oct 18
31. Sun, Oct 19
32. Tue, Oct 21
33. Wed, Oct 22
34. Fri, Oct 24
35. Sat, Oct 25
36. Sun, Oct 26
37. Tue, Oct 28
38. Wed, Oct 29

Tigers 6 Game 2 Final Orioles 7	Giants 3 Game 1 Final Nationals 2
Cardinals 10 Game 1 Final Dodgers 9	Royals 4 Game 2 Final Angels 1

Economics 101 From Compton to the Commonwealth

Here's an incredible discussion with an extraordinary man who reflects the economic opportunity that America still offers to All groups, if only all had the methods in place to acquire the means to financial success.

His book "How The Poor Can Save Capitalism; Rebuilding The Path To Middle Class" is described as a memo for understanding how with the right tools, policies and inspiration, poor communities can rise up to become economic participators within our capitalist society.

Amazon.com
John Hope Bryant is an entrepreneur, author, and advisor and one of the nation’s most recognized empowerment leaders. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Operation HOPE and Bryant Group Companies. Recognized as one of Time magazine’s “50 for the Future” leaders, Bryant is the author of Love Leadership and is the only African-American bestselling business author. He served as chairman of the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability, Subcommittee on the Underserved and Community Empowerment, and was appointed by President Obama in 2014 as a member of the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability for Young Americans. He is also cofounder of the Gallup-HOPE Index, the only national research poll on youth financial dignity and youth economic energy in the United States.

As I listened to Mr. Bryant lecture/educate the commonwealth club and share history, strategy and many truths and falsehoods about American economics and the poor, I was filled with a new and brighter hope for America. And I must admit that my outlook on the subject of economics and equal opportunity in our country has been grim.

We all should take the time to hear out this bright and courageous man who brings a fresh new approach to solving old problems of poverty, class and culture here in the land of the free and home of the brave.

Hear the truth about our country, our people and our history, then step up and make a change that affects our community in a positive way. Mr. Bryant in his speech makes one take notice of economics being at the root of many troubling issues in America and he offers solutions to the crisis. An equal playing field would definitely be a start.

I urge anyone who is wondering not only how we got into this economic crisis in America today, but also those desperate to find and hear of a good solution to balancing out the inequalities that exist between the haves and have nots. My sister will applaud this Fredo moment.

"A Fredo Moment"

Let's Go G-I-A-N-T-S

Yes, it's October folks, and I think San Francisco Chronicle sports writer Ann Killion said it best, "And just like clockwork, the Giants magically snapped into postseason form."

How else do you explain the Giants miraculous 8-0 shutout of the "Buc" Pirates in Pittsburgh last night? 

It was as if the Giants had simply taken a postseason off in 2013, an odd year, and are now picking right back up where their 2012 championship postseason left off.  I count 11 wins and our orange and black will be marching down market street hoisting what rightfully has belonged to them the past two even numbered years of this decade.

Again quoting Ann, "they looked like a different team than the one that limped into the postseason." Everyone stepped up in last night's wild card win, with Madison Bumgarner silencing the buccaroos and Brandon Crawford delivering the knockout punch.  It was all so good, historic even.  

Next up are the Washington Nationals who sported the best record in the National League's regular season. But this ain't the regular season and these aren't your regular season Giants.

Here we go again Giants fans, an Orange October that keeps us up late into the evenings cheering our boys toward victory.  Bring'em home safely Bochy.

And with Hunter Pence rallying the troops, we can't lose.  

"This is where we fight, this is where they die"