Before we dive into today's topic and you figure out why an April Morning Report has a summer title, I wanted to thank the readership for all the positive feedback on last Thursday's Whole Milk Marriage Report. This issue brought in record views to the blog and a huge amount of reader feedback and support, which meant a great deal to me.
But now, to this week's business. Though the title may not have given it away, the custom banner certainly did. Yesterday, along with being April Fools' Day and the day I finished Infinite Jest (Suck it, Otter 21!) was the opening day of the 2013 MLB season for most teams. The day was enjoyed by baseball fans across the country, though in some cities more than others, with Boston, DC, and Chicago among the cities briefly enjoying a 1.000 Winning Percentage.
While some readers likely find baseball boring to watch, it is my favorite sport to watch, either at a park or on TV. Physically going to a game is steeped in Americana and tradition in a way that no other sporting event can boast. And televised baseball can work to serve almost as a soundtrack to one's day, playing out in the background as life unfolds around it. Even though the first trip I ever went on as a wee baby was to Cooperstown, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame, I can't speak as eloquently about it as true, long-term, full-time fans of the game could, but I can pull a quote that I think captures something about why I like the game so much: “The fundamental truth: a baseball game is nothing but a great slow contraption for getting you to pay attention to the cadence of a summer day." That, my favorite sentence from my least favorite book by my favorite author (Michael Chabon'sSummerland), captures it for me.
For other people, though, it's something else. For photographer Don Hamerman, it's the aesthetics of the ball. Others may be drawn to the history of the game's famous firsts. Still others the oddball trivia of old baseball cards. Some the poetry. Some the comedy. Some people even look to the game as religion, telling the story of how "In the big inning God created Heaven on Earth."
So, whether you subscribe to MLBtv to watch along at work, or you haven't seen a game in FOR-EV-ER, baseball is here. Even those who don't watch can look forward to the summer days it heralds.
Ah, the terrible Tuesday. That longest day of the week, when the
weekend seems like it was ages ago, and next weekend is a distant speck
on the horizon. And lord knows we all look forward to the weekends,
even if it means two Report-less days. And Report-less weekends mean
there was no Report this past Sunday; the only person who received
communication from me that morning was Mom. While that is great for Mom
(and I hope you wished all of your mothers a Happy Mother's Day, dear
readers!), it meant that as a collective readership, we could not enjoy a
selection from the glut of adorable mom-stuff that found its way online
this weekend.
Well then, let's consider today "Mother's Day (Observed)" and take a
look at something cute. While Time Magazine is getting all the buzz
about moms lately for their controversial cover photo (BOOBS!),
Newsweek's Daily Beast put out some
shots of parent-child bonding
that are infinitely more shareable. How about that polar bear cub
gazing up at mom? And little zebu getting in trouble? But my favorite
is the tamarin, if only because it involves the statement, "admires its
mother's mustache," a seldom-used combination of words.
Sometimes, though, little babies, be they animal or human, need some
time away from mom. (Hear that, Time magazine cover lady?) They long
to get out and explore the world on their own. Experience it for
themselves. But sometimes, something gets in the way. And sometimes
that thing is a window. And sometimes the results are cute
photographs of planned escapes, adventures, and lives.
The main question that arises here is not what they are planning, but
which one is cuter: The kitten with its arm around the other in photo
four, or the two-head-kitten-totem-pole of photo seven? Or do dog and
raccoon on the outside looking in trump them all?
And finally for today, we can't discuss animals looking out windows without me thinking of an
animal looking at Macs.
This is actually the funniest thing I have ever sent in a Morning
Report. Without fail, it makes me laugh out loud every time I read it.
I would make puns and witty remarks about it, but really, the writer of
the piece has already got everything covered. The entire process of
analysis. Everything you would experience when you see a horse in an
Apple Store. It's all there. Ready to be laughed at.
Eat something terrible for you today; it's the 72nd anniversary of the opening of the first McDonalds (in
San Bernadino, California).
Til tomor- THERE IS A LITTLE PONY IN THE APPLE STORE.
