Woolly X-Men

I just read an article linked to Yahoo about a Woolly Mammoth on display in Japan. So, I have to ask, if there were Woolly Mammoth's were there Nappy Mammoths? Hairless Mammoths (Mexican)? Were there flightless Mammoths?

And what about the name Mammoth? Webster says Mammoth means 'Huge'. Were there Mini Mammoths? Toy Mammoth's? Or are all Mammoth's mammoth in proportion?  Could there have been Jumbo Mammoths? Do Jumbo Mammoth's eat Jumbo shrimp? Grade-A Extra large mammoths?

Naming a Mammoth mammoth sort of reminds me of Pokemon. I never understood why each Pokemon, no matter the breed, said their own name over and over again. Their name was the only vocabulary they were granted. Which makes me wonder what a Pokemon with Tourrettes syndrome would say? They might go un-diagnosed for centuries with Tourrettes.

Yes, there was a Mammoth Pokemon. It was called Mamoswine. Really. I'm serious. Think of the poor trainer opening his Poke-ball and seeing this thing?


For that matter, why is it that every x-man coincidentally have the name of their secret power as their name. Wolverine is a wolverine. Guess what Storm and Cyclop's powers were? Bet you can't guess.  If you want to beat an x-man in a fight, don't tell him your name or he will kind of, sort of, know what's coming. Introduce yourself as X, and they are going to either be stumped or send O-man over to block your secret square.  If I was named after my secret power...my x-man name might just be Mammoth.

Kidding.

My X-Man name might be Timex, since I tick like a clock. Or Mallard, since I used to be fast and ran like a duck when I was a kid.

Or maybe since I am 54 and still have my hair, my x-man name and power might be Woolly.

I don't like Magneto's Hat, it bothers me. He needs to get a new hat. Post comments if you have an idea for a new hat for Magneto.
If I was Magneto, I would be embarrassed. A very silly hat indeed.


 Luckily, since I brought hats up, I can post this picture.

My daughter said I should post that picture on my blog, so I did. I like the idea of someone opening up a hat store. It intrigues me. What would make you say to yourself, I think I will open up a hat store? We can sell Fedora's and bowler hats. And Magneto hats. And hats made out of Mammoth Wool. I think I can rise to the top of the hat industry. We can cover our losses. This business is just the brim. There is no salary cap.



Cheers, nca

Dodger Blues and Snake Eyes

For close to 30 years I was a diehard L.A. Dodger fan. There was no question about it. To live in Phoenix in the 60’s and 70’s, you were pretty much either a Dodger fan, or a Giant fan. Cubby fans did not really count, since most of them were expatriate pretenders. On the AM radio, you picked up Dodger games and Giant games. The Giants had a minor league team that played at Phoenix Muni, so they had a bit of a local advantage. But the Dodgers had Vin Skully and Jerry Doggett on the microphones, which for my acoustic taste there was really no comparison.

It helped that my Dad and brothers were also hooked on the Dodgers. It was pretty much a family affair. Unlike all those Cubby fans, we were well rewarded for our dark blue obsession. We were listening on the Radio when the Dodgers won National League pennants in  1977, 1978, 1981, and 1988. We had our AM transistors dialed in during the World Series championships in 81 and 88. I was not old enough to really remember the Koufax and Drysdale era, but certainly my Dad and big brother would. I think we bled Dodger blue. Fernadomania? We were there. Oral Hershiser’s 59 consecutive scoreless endings? Gibson’s limping, game winning HR in Game 1 of the 88 World Series? Oh yeah!

Along with our mutual love for the Dodgers, came our inherent and natural dislike of the Giants and the Big-Red Machine.

Vin Skully could orally conjure a game up in our heads like a perfected dream-scape. If a photo speaks a thousand words, a Skully call spoke a thousand pictures. There was something very real and comforting about a Skully called game that tied us Adler boys all together. I remember driving from Prescott Arizona to Phoenix during the summer of 1980 listening to a game with Jerry Reuss on the mound. Without ever mentioning one very important and telling stat, tension and excitement ratcheted up as each inning passed by. One glaring omission was obvious to all without any spoken announcement. The Giants could not touch the ball. As I got closer and closer to my home in Phoenix, my driving became slower and slower. I creeped onto Amelia Avenue as Vin called the last pitch of the no-hitter. I had heard every pitch described in magnificent detail. I could not wait to tell my Dad and Brothers. It felt as if I had been given an irreplaceable and precious gift to share with all who would listen.

To this day, I can’t listen to a radio broadcast without thinking of Vin Skully. After that, I think about my Dad.  Us Adler boys and Dad were all bonded together through our love of all things Dodger Blue. A Phoenix spring High-light would occur each year when the Dodgers and Giants would stage an exhibition game at Phoenix Muni. My brothers and I would ride our bikes to the park early hoping to pick up a few Dodger autographs and foul balls. One would think we would all have a bond that would never be broken.

Along came 1998 and our Dodger Blue obsession passed out of our lives like a snake in the grass. A Diamondback snake to be more precise. The Arizona Diamondbacks became our local team! Even before Randy Johnson pulverized his first bird and their Luis Gonzales Series winning bloop single we had all decidedly turned our backs on L.A. and dawned D-Back pinstripes*.


MLB Baseball was in our hometown, and we would never again look toward the west coast for our National pastime.

Perhaps this says something about the nature of loyalty. Or maybe it says something about obsessions. Or, maybe it does not say anything as momentous as all that. Dad has been gone a while, and mostly my brothers have all moved away from this sunny hot valley. Summer days listening to Vin Skully and Dodger Baseball are a fond part of my past. OH, gotta run. Chase Field is calling my name. Play Ball!!!

Cheers, nca

*PS - Diamonbacks converted from Pinstripes to Sedona Red in 2006. That sounds like a Crayola color :(