Some Leaves and Stuff

A beautiful fall weekend, the likes of which we rarely see in November, meant a lot of time outside for the kids and a lot of leaves being bagged by the grown-ups.  There was also time for football, soccer, partying, and even some basketball.  But mostly it was the leaves.  With three big old trees in the yard, you just take it in stride…

53 Bags

Illinois’ offense looked competent and borderline good for the second straight week, scoring 35 points against the Gophers.  We’ve said all along the O&B would need 30+ points a game to win; too bad they waited until the season was halfway over to wake up.  Of course the competition has been less stringent after that brutal September, but how much do we attribute to more manageable foes, how much to the Offensive Coordinator finally getting it together, and how much to having a quarterback who can actually pick up blitzers and hit open receivers?  And we note that Minnesota made adjustments at halftime (and the Zooker did not) and nearly caught up after that terrible blocked punt, but Charest hit McGee on a crucial third down and Illinois got that final touchdown.  To their credit, the Illini never gave up on the season and still have the Illinois rivarly with Northwestern and a winnable home game against Fresno State.  Win those two and we’ll forgive some of the earlier crap…

Big Fun Halloween

It was one of those days, as a co-worker of mine would say, with the fun-meter pegged.  Start with the last soccer game of the year for the Sidekicks, which comes as something of a relief with the weather turning worse and several of my players losing interest.  The two little Beems had fun though, and that’s what matters.

Then we were off to Champaign for our only family football game against Michigan.  And what do you know – the Zooker’s boys showed up to play.  A great hustle play by Terry Hawthorne led to an old-style four-down goal-line stand, after which the Illini went on to dominate the third quarter and pull away from the Wolverines.  We could scarcely believe it.  The Orange and Blue looked like the team we thought they could be, at least for one day.

Had to miss the 4th Quarter (which was painful) to get the kiddos back to their Uncle’s house in time for Trick-or-Treating.  We let the kids choose their outfits this year, and in a decision that warmed my heart they both decided to be super-heroes.  After that, the Missuz and me donned our costumes and hung with my sis and pals in downtown C-U.  Dubstep on the prairie - who knew?  This year our ensemble was Mermaid-and-Shark, the beats were massive, and the beer was plenty cold.  The best costume seen at Cowboy Monkey, and the winner of their impromptu contest:  some dude dressed as the Monarch of Venture Brothers fame.

Check out the brief photo-album (follow link and click on ’slideshow’), and drop us a line with your own Halloween news and stories.

Chicago Olympic Smackdown

Chalkie (unofficial Chi-town Bid Masot)

In the end, not even the bedazzling glow of an appeal by beloved President Barack Obama could sway the International Olympic Committee.  Chicago is out, Rio is in.  So much for all those ‘Chalkie’ t-shirt sales.  So much for a new corruption fiasco revenue stream for Chi-town.  In a fitting bit of irony, the Chicago bid appears to have been out-politicked by the international community within the IOC.   Too bad we still don’t have Blago heading up our fine state; with him (and his hair) given free rein to implement the Chicago Way and work all the bid-angles along with Mayor Daley, who can doubt the IOC would’ve eventually been persuaded.

From where I’m sitting, south of I-80, this failure is a good thing.  Sure the Olympics would’ve brought jobs, cash, and publicity to Chicago, but at what price?  Veteran Tribune Columnist John Kass knows the score.  He was ready to invest heavily in T-shirt sales along these lines: ‘Chicago 2016′ on the front, ‘Terra Haute 2020′ on the back.  Why, you ask?  Because, as he so eloquently puts it:

As every Chicago politician knows, Terre Haute, Ind., is home to a federal prison. That’s where a few would be tossed after boodling their way to Olympic fortunes. And why 2020? That’s how long it would take for grand juries to do their work.

Movies: The Informant!

…directed by Steven Soderbergh, written by Scott Burns from Kurt Eichenwald’s book, starring Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, and Joel McHale.

The Informant! has been marketed as Matt Damon clowning in the cornfields – a shrewd move on the part of Warner Brothers.  But anyone who knows how Steven Soderbergh works will realize it’s a little more complicated and darker than that.  The movie provides an ironic examination of a landmark price-fixing case from right here in  central Illinois.  Yes, everyone form around Beemsville remembers those strange days 15 years past, when good ol’ ADM found themselves with the hand in the lyceine-cookie jar.  And we also remember how those articles in the Decatur Herald & Review kept rolling out, each one making the government’s star witness Mark Whitacre seem stranger and more crooked.

Damon plays Whitacre in this film.  A goofy, somewhat vulnerable, and yes, likable Mark Whitacre.  Give Soderbergh credit: it’s the only way the movie could possibly work.  If the audience doesn’t connect with Damon in the first fifteen minutes, if we don’t begin to wonder what’s really ticking in the brilliant but flawed head, this becomes more  a curiosity rather than a story.  But Soderbergh and Damon are in top form, and like Special Agents Brian Shepherd (Bakula) Bob Herndon (McHale), we want to believe him.  We want him to help bring down the greedy arrogant corporate giant.

Get Your Three Wolf Moon!

100% Badass

At this point, just about everyone has their own little anecdote about the transcendent awesomeness that is Three Wolf Moon t-shirt. ABC News ran a story, the New York Times, and now Beemsville.

I personally have a buddy/co-worker who was so ecstatic upon receiving his shirt he couldn’t stop talking about it.  His mother-in-law heard about his enthusiasm and created a custom Three Wolf Moon-inspired ornamental mirror which he now hides/displays proudly at the office.  Another co-worker claims that upon donning his Three Wolf Moon shirt certain male-specific dysfunctions were no longer an issue – much to his wife’s chagrin/relief.  (I don’t want to reveal this co-worker, but the initials are B.O….)

NFL… Yawn

I kind of forgot the NFL season kicked off yesterday – at least for awhile.  Was busy fixing/repairing a broken swingset for the kids, and between multiple trips to the hardware store and then mowing/cursing at the lawnmower, the bulk of my afternoon was spent outside.  It was a fine day.  As I worked, I listened and participated in the kids’ make-believe time, which included adventures for Bullfrog-boy, Porcupine-man, Lava-Girl, and the Swing Princess.  It’s a fortunate family that has siblings who can play together and don’t need external entertainment.

First Days

 

Today we participated in a ritual shared by millions of others this time of year: The Very First Day of School.  It was not without some small share of drama, as it turns out one little boy who used to bother my girl incessantly on her bus-ride to pre-school is actually in her kindergarten class.  Definitely a situation worth monitoring.  

We’ve been looking forward to this day for a month or so.  My girl is so excited for the new experience of friends, learning, and the next chapter of her young life.  She has an inquisitive mind after all.  Me, I had mixed feelings – not only because this is such a major change in her life (for her and little brother), but because of the serious questions I have about the state of the educational system in this country and our state.  My questions come from my own personal knowledge having worked in the system as well as the careers of several family members.  They revolve around what we choose to emphasize in our schools (is it learning, achievement, socialization, self-esteem?) and who we pick to lead these efforts.

Pulling Up Lame

The years go by and injuries take a lot longer to heal.  I was talking to a buddy of mine I used to play basketball with in high school, and he agreed.  It gives a guy added respect for guys like Brian McBride and Nesta, and even confused old Brett Favre…

This time for me, it seems like a strained hip-flexor/upper groinal, which has now led to hamstring problems as well.  Near as I can figure, I picked this one up volunteering in the dunk tank two weeks ago – either slipping off the seat or trying to catch myself when some smart-ass kid ran up to hit the lever after he missed with his shots.

The kicker is, I was sort of training to run in the annual Abe’s Amble 10K at the State Fair Grounds this weekend.  Last Sunday was supposed to be my last longer run to get ready, and it just wasn’t happening.  Now I’m wondering how much time I need to take off before I can get back to it.  Too long, I reckon.

And of course it goes without saying that Mrs. Beemsville is eager for the ol’ upper groinal to be back to full strength…

wait for it….

…because, naturally, she’s tired of me whining about it.

Gameday: USA v Mexico

Azteca-Never Won There

Today Team America tries to take points from Mexico at Estadio Azteca – something we’ve never been able to do.  We’ve managed a tie and a whole lot of losses in Mexico City.  The two sides are evenly matched from an objective viewpoint, and it will likely come down to mentality and execution.  If the USA can avoid the mental lapses that led to the lion’s share of this summer’s losses, if we can withstand the early Mexican bull-rush and finish a chance or two, a tie or even a win are definitely possible.  But Mexico always plays its best at the Azteca.  The 5-0 spanking of the Yanks B-side in the Gold Cup has the monkey off their back, and they really need a win.  Drop points today and Mexico is looking at a dogfight to qualify for South Africa.  Truthfully, all the pressure is on El Tri.

Beemsville will cover the match from the unofficial watch party at Sammy’s Sportsbar (5th and Adams) in downtown Springpatch.  Come on out and join us.  Kickoff is 3:00 CST.  You can watch the match in English on obscure Spanish network Mun2, which is now widely available on Dish, DirecTV, and most major cable providers (today only!) thanks in no small part to the outrage expressed when we all learned we might not be able to watch our team.  In English.  Stay tuned for postgame analysis…

Photos: Small Town Parade

The annual Findlay Walleye Festival took place last weekend, and we have a few photos from the parade.  Sometimes it seems like the small towns in Illinois just keep getting smaller, but most of them have some kind of festival weekend – usually involving sweet corn – to get folks back and reacquainted.  And gatherings like the Walleye Festival have a timeless quality you can enjoy on all kinds of  levels.