300

This is the 300th post of Seeking Positivity in the Galaxy, originally titled: My Supposedly Interesting Thoughts!  Thanks for joining me for the stories, top 5s, statistics, digital trading cards, fantasy sports,
and more!  

The number 300 stands out to me in several ways, so bear with me on this tangent with the number 300.  First, it makes me think of bowling.  In college, I took a bowling course for 1 credit hour; I became a decent bowler as my average moved to 207.  Not bad, but it was far from the perfect bowling game score of 300.  

For the last several years, I have taken my summer reading group to a local summer camp where they have a paintball field.  Most of us had never played paintball let alone ever considered shooting anything at someone, but there we were, firing paintballs across a wooded battlefield.  Our paintball rate was quite slow at about 150 feet per second to reduce the pain and whelts that would appear on the skin after getting marked.  The universally accepted maximum safety velocity limit for paintball, however, is 300 feet per second. 

In 480 BC, a massive Persian army bottlenecked at Thermopylae, where brave Spartan soldiers, greatly outnumbered, held the pass.  The number of Spartan soldiers who held the pass was 300.  

An abundant number that is the sum of its proper divisor (568) is greater than the number itself is the number 300.  (I admit that I have no idea what any of that means and I hope I paraphrased the mathmatical rule properly.  But you get the idea)

Personally, the number 300 sits covetously in my mind. It is the issue number of the Amazing Spider-Man comic book that is THE bucket list issue for my collection.  I love the cover!  Spidey swings through a wall of "300s" in his black Spidey suite.  Tons of fun!  This book introduces a new villian who has become one of the most popular anti-heroes in Marvel lore, Venom.  The Amazing Spider-Man 300 is written by David Michelinie and Pencil and Inked by Todd McFarlane.  That combo says enough about the success of this milestone issue, but again, I want it for the unique, fun cover.  

Thank you for joining me for post 300 and my musings on the number 300.  Here is to another 300 posts and maybe it won't take almost 20 years.  Hey, after 300 posts, consider subscribing to Seeking Positivity in the Galaxy.  I wouldn't want you to miss another post!  

Return to the World of Minecraft

I slid open the cabinet door that our main family room television sits upon and saw our X-box sitting there in the dark. No one has turned that on in recent memory. My daughter and her friends like to hang out in the basement where we also have a sizeable television, so I thought they may like to play the X-box if I put it down there.

I unhooked it from the family room and moved it to the basement without much fanfare. I thought I might like to see if they notice it down there and do some exploring. The X-box is where my daughters and I would huddle around to play Minecraft several years ago. My kids are older now (college and high school), so I didn’t think Minecraft would appeal to them anymore, but we have other games they and their friends might like to play.

A weird thing happened. I got the system all plugged in, connected to wifi, and updated the system and games. Then I stopped to look at that Minecraft login. A bit about Minecraft. My girls and I have created in Minecraft for roughly 10 years. We goofed around with several different worlds and play styles, but we kept going back to a world called “Dad’s World.” I played countless hours with them and by myself building in my Dad’s World. If you start with the character in the original spawn point and walk in any particular path to the end of the road we built, it takes roughly 40 minutes for that to happen. All along that “paved path” you will encounter dungeons, towers, houses, boat rides, and villages that we all built. They even secretly built a mall to surprise me.

Like opening the wardrobe that leads to Narnia, I clicked on the Minecraft login and returned to “Dad’s World” for another visit. Memories, tasks, locations came rushing back to me, and yes, I have returned as the adventurer and builder that I am. In a matter of two hours of exploration and road building I discovered a villager/pirate village, a ruin with a broken portal, and I found a massive underground cavern while mining for resources. The absolute joy, creativity, and excitement returned. My girls and even my wife, will indulge me and look at some of the things that I have built recently. But, my mind came alive, and I have played many hours this summer. There is no Mr. Tumnus or Winter Queen or Aslan, but it is a magical world that I want to keep visiting. 

Gen Con 2026: Photo Journal

Gen Con 2026 was one to remember.  It broke attendance records, brought over 83 million dollars to downtown Indianapolis, and featured a tornado warning about 30 minutes before the vendor hall closed on Saturday.   In reflection of the convention, it is probably my favorite of the five Gen Cons I have attended.  Here are some of my favorite images of my experience: 

Checking out the board at the D&D Tower

Indy Gets Behind Gen Con

Fourth Wing dragon art

Gen Con is always magical

Time for adventure!

Adventure Over!

My favorite new game at Gen Con

No detail missed at the Witchlight Carnival

The Dungeon Masters stage

The destruction of Cardhalla

Farewell Gen Con, until next time!

Gen Con Days 3 and 4 Reflection

The rain fell on the city, but that didn't stop the gamers from descending on downtown Indianapolis for the last two days of Gen Con. It was more than just rain and gamers who descended upon Indy on Saturday, as severe thunderstorms erupted, bringing heavy rain and a tornado warning was issued about 45 minutes before the vendor hall closed. The rain subsided soon after 6:30, leaving cloudy to partly cloudy skies for the remainder of Saturday and Sunday.

Gaming did not stop; shopping continued; seminars and sessions were held; drinks and dinners with friends were enjoyed. Gen Con is always a unique experience filled with fun and games. Here are my top 5 moments of days 3 and 4:

5. Halcyon Daze documentary at the Gen Con Film Fest

I have never attended the Gen Con Film Fest before, but I stumbled across a title that I couldn’t pass up. Halcyon Daze: The Final Voyages of Disney’s Star Wars: Galactic Cruiser. Here is a summary of the documentary from IMdb:

A journey from casual interest to full-on obsession with Disney's short-lived, award-winning interactive attraction. Experience adventure, colorful characters, and the surprisingly profound feelings of its cast and fan community. IMdb Halcyon Daze

Having taken the journey in June of 2023, the second-to-last voyage, this film connected to me in a personal way, with a walk down memory lane, but the film went further as it dove into how community is found through the experience. I am not sure I experienced the profound connections the people in the documentary did, but I can certainly relate to them and see how they would find these powerful connections. I appreciated the research and science discussed in this film that answer the question of how the Halcyon experience has such a life-changing effect on people.

4. Nighttime Walks

A tradition that started when our group began securing hotels that are connected to the convention center is walking the convention center and Lucas Oil Stadium after hours. As if we don’t get enough walking around during the day, it is enjoyable to stroll the convention center and see pick-up games all around in the Play Hall. There are hundreds of empty tables where people have found a place to settle down with their new game purchases and play with friends. It isn’t packed, but this year, it was notably busier into the night than past years. I’m not sure what the difference is, but there are more people playing late into the night than before. The same is true for the field level in Lucas Oil Stadium. Many more games are going late into the night in that space as well. One favorite tradition is seeing the social deduction games underway in the main hallway of the convention center outside the play hall. Blood on the Clocktower and Werewolf, among other games, are played in group after group as we walk down the hall. It is great to see the diverse groupings all working together or against one another in each game.

3. Generosity of Vendors

Over the years, I have encountered generous vendors who have supported my game club with products or large discounts on products. This year was no different. I had two vendors offer free products for my students and teachers to use in the club or in classrooms. I know for some it is a write-off and for some they have the financial ability to do that. When they talk to me about the club and ask questions about the students and how the club works, I appreciate their interest and their belief in what we are doing in our school.

2. D&D Carnival at the D&D Tower

I didn’t know what to expect from the D&D Tower, but what I discovered was a ton of fun! We entered the tower on the seventh floor and were given a ticket that stated what character class we were. I was a Ranger. Then we discovered that the Witchlight Carnival had appeared! Legend has it that the carnival appears from another plane every eight years and disappears almost as quickly as it came. Visitors got to play games that tested each of our abilities: Dexterity, Charisma, Wisdom, Intelligence, Constitution, and Strength. We received rewards (stickers) for completing the test of our abilities. The carnival, complete with NPCs, had carriages, tents, signs, and more. There was a cyclops that we had to stare down to test our constitution. We had to test our charisma by convincing an NPC which cup we poisoned. After an hour and a half of participating in the fun, we received prizes for our time at the Witchlight Carnival, and we headed out to the convention.

1. The Dungeon Masters Live Play at the D&D Tower

This may be my favorite activity for the entire convention. I joined several hundred D&D fans in the Indiana Repertory Theater to watch the recently created live play group The Dungeon Masters (DMs) official D&D Live Play campaign. The cast is amazingly talented, all led by The DM, Jasmine Bhuller, with players Mayanna Berrin, Christian Navarro, Neil Newbon, Devora Wilde, and special guest Theo Solomon. We laughed, cheered, gasped, and sat on the edges of our seats as we watched this compelling storyline unfold. It was a ton of fun, and I wouldn’t have wanted to spend this Saturday night at Gen Con any other way.

Gen Con Days 1 and 2 Reflection

Walking into the hotel room at 11:30 PM with tired feet from miles of walking, sore shoulders from carrying bags of games, and a heart filled with joy from new and old friends laughing, strategizing, and putting all “to the roll of dice” means Gen Con is here, and it is the midway point. A weary body and buzzing mind are in reflection of what I have experienced and in planning what I still want to do. For now, I reflect on my top moments of the first two days of Gen Con 2026.

5. Dungeons and Dragons shares plans:

From the D&D Tower on West Washington Street, company leaders announced Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft, and a revival of the gritty, post-apocalyptic D&D setting Dark Sun. Writer, producer, and actor Joe Manganiello took the stage to announce D&D Icons will bring Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, and Luke Gygax back to creating classic settings. R.A. Salvatore brings back the Forgotten Realms hero Drizzt Do Urden. Greyhawk was highlighted in the reveal of Greyhawk: Crown of the Witch Queen, where we will experience the ascent the very famous Tasha. Maybe the biggest reveal, at least the one with the most questions, was made by Darth Vader. He announced a partnership between Dungeons and Dragons and Star Wars in 2027. Vader said nothing more other than to stay tuned.

4. G.I. Joe Operation: Crimson Masquerade:

Friday opened with espionage as I joined a G.I. Joe RPG adventure. Five of us took on the roles of various Joes, as we went undercover to stop an arms dealer at a Metropolitan Art Museum Gala. We discovered Major Bludd was planning to sell state-of-the-art weapons systems to a foreign power. Our GM was awesome at teaching us the mechanics of the game and encouraging a game with serious role-play. Then, he let us set up a very cinematic fight at the end to top off the session. Let’s just say the final battle would be great on screen but was probably even more epic in our imaginations.

3. Dungeon Crawl Classic:

There isn’t much to say beyond this was a simple dungeon crawl of zero-level (basically civilians) characters who are certain to die. Not much story, not much role-play, we simply go in, fight, and try to survive. The laughs and action, with new and old friends at the table, made this a game to remember!

2. The Four Doors:

This may be my favorite game discovery of Gen Con 26! The Four Doors was created by Matt Leacock, Matthew Riddle, and Ben Pinchback. Matt Leacock is known for his very popular game Pandemic. I learned and played this game with four enthusiastic strangers who were fun and ready to play. We worked together to try to keep the evil shadow from closing the four doors of a magical lighthouse. Our job was to collect four sacred treasures to protect the doors, then cast a spell to ignite the lighthouse to stop the sinister shadows. This collaborative game was easy to learn, but we found it challenging to win, which is a good thing!

1. The Stars Come Out:

I had the chance to meet, face-to-face, authors Jim Zub and Stacey King, whom I have interviewed several times on the podcast Teachers in the Dungeon. While waiting in line to see Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, creators of DragonLance, I met Jesse Theiler and Joelle, creators of The Dungeon Cocktail Experience. Then Joe Manganiello stepped in front of me to talk to Margaret and Tracy. I came face to face with Joe’s dog Bubbles, with whom Joe carries everywhere. He turned to say hi to me, and I gave him a hi right back. It was a good afternoon checking the box of “rubbing elbows with celebrities.”

As I finish writing this, I have crossed the midnight hour, sliding into early Saturday morning, which means we have officially passed the halfway mark of Gen Con. I plan to post the top 5 moments of days 3 and 4 on the normal day Seeking Positivity In The Galaxy posts, which is Tuesday, August 4.  

Reading/Viewing Stats for the first half of 2026

We are halfway through 2026. It is time to reflect on the media and literature that I have consumed to this point in the year.

It has been a good year for streaming shows. I really enjoyed Wonderman, Maul: Shadowlord, and

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Season 2, but the big surprise for me was The Residence. This Netflix murder mystery drew me in with quirky humor, a likeable yet eccentric detective, and a compelling cast of characters. There were moments in a few episodes that seemed a bit superfluous, but it is a detective story.

I have been taking advantage of the Marvel Unlimited app with thousands of Marvel Comics. I finally finished up my full read-through of X-Factor, and after reading the more recent Imperial story, I have moved on to the Ultimate universe. I have to say, an early impression is that I have been missing out on some very good storytelling!

I have read some good books this year so far. I am trying to catch as many baseball games as I can, as both the Cubs and Tigers are in a mid-season surge, and I keep looking at the sad amount of podcasts that I have listened to this year.

Well, here is the data for the halfway mark of 2026.

Movies Watched: 9

Rewatch: 6

First Time: 3

In Theater: 2

T.V. shows streamed: 63

First time: 61

Rewatch: 2

Books Read: 9

Fiction: 7

Nonfiction: 2

Pages Read: 2,074

Audiobooks: 0

Fiction:

Nonfiction:

Hours Listened:

Books Abandoned: 0

Fiction:

Nonfiction:

Pages Read;

Short Stories Read: 0

Fiction:

Nonfiction:

Pages Read:

Comic Books Read: 114

Print: 41

Digital: 73

Book Titles:

Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerun

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Duke Volume 1 by Joshua Williamson (Graphic Novel)

Transformers Volume 1 by Daniel Warren Johnson (Graphic Novel)

The Fallbacks: Bound for Ruin by Jaleigh Johnson

All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison (Graphic Novel)

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire by Dr. Chris Kempshall

Dating and Dragons by Kristy Boyce

Movies Watched:

KPop Demon Hunters

Mario Brothers

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Mandalorian and Grogu

Ticket to Paradise

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

Karate Kid

Good Morning Vietnam

T.V. Series Watched:

Wonder Man

Vox Machina Season 2

Vox Machina Season 3

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2

Maul: Shadow Lord

Daredevil Season 2

Big Mistakes

The Residence

Podcasts: 8

Lost Ballparks (3)

The Colbycast (2)

The Rebel Basecard Podcast (2)

Coffee with Kenobi (1)

MLB Team’s Games listened: (min 5 innings)

Total: 38

San Francisco Giants (Spring training 2)

Chicago Cubs (Spring Training 3)

Chicago White Sox (Spring Training 1)

World Baseball Classic (4)

Chicago Cubs (12)

Detroit Tigers (5)

New York Yankees

San Francisco Giants

Anaheim Angels

Washington Nationals

Tampa Bay Rays

Atlanta Braves

Miami Marlins (3)

Chicago White Sox

San Diego Padres

Colorado Rockies

Coca-Cola Kids (A Team) Fantasy Baseball: Mid Season Update (updated 8/24/26)

Week 15: Coca-Cola Kids (94-151-35) vs. Fried Chicken Bucket (130-123-27)  11-7  "Kids Come On Strong with a Balanced Attack Against Fried Chicken Bucket"  (5th Division, 10th League)

Week 16: Coca-Cola Kids (105-158-37) vs. Pacaya Chiltepes (136-132-28)  10-10  "Kid's Pull out a Tie with Division Leaders"  (5th Division, 10th League)

MLB All-Star Break

Week 17: Coca-Cola Kids (115-168-37) vs. ACEsymptomatic (137-156-27) 9-10 “Not Enough Fizz at the Plate to Overcome ACE”

Week 18: Coca-Cola Kids (124-178-38) vs. Browntown (140-162-38) 3-15 “BrownTown Crushes the Kid’s Can”

Week 19: Coca-Cola Kids (127-193-40) vs. ACEsymptomatic (159-172-29) 5-14 “Nothing to See Here, Kids Lose” (5th Division, 10th League)

Week 20: Coca-Cola Kids (132-207-41) vs. Oxford Publicans (177-166-37) 3-13 “Publicans Dominate the Kids in Week 20” (5th Division, 10th League)

Week 21: Coca-Cola Kids (135-220-45) vs. Orange Drink (169-191-40)  3-15 "Kids Fans Wear Paper Bags Over Their Heads in Week 21"  (5th Division, 10th League)

Week 22: Coca-Cola Kids (138-235-47) vs. The Mecca of Red Necka (185-196-39)

The MLB season is flying by as we approach mid-season in a few weeks. This is a good time to revisit Coca-Cola Kids A Team and look at mid-season leaders and MVPs of the first half.

Team Leaders after 14 Weeks:

Runs: 43 - Ketel Marte / Julio Rodriguez / Kazuma Okamoto

1B: 57 - Jonathan Aranda

2B: 24 - Rafael Devers

3B: 2 - tie Dillon Dingler / Ketel Marte / Sam Antonacci

HR: 20 - Colson Montgomery

RBI: 58 - Dillon Dingler

SB: 11 - Julio Rodríguez

BB: 48 - Jonathan Aranada

Ks: 108 - Kazuma Okamoto

BA: .293 - Sam Antonacci

IP: 102 - Jesus Luzardo

W: 6 - tie Jesus Luzardo / Robbie Ray

L: 7 - Kyle Bradish

SV: 12 - Seranthony Dominguez

Hits: 90 - tie Jesus Luzardo / Freddie Peralta

BB: 42 - tie Kyle Bradish / Robbie Ray

K: 110 - Jesus Luzardo

HLD: 12 - Robert Suarez

SP ERA: 2.83 - Ranger Suarez

RP ERA: 0.56 - Robert Suarez

QS: 10 - tie Logan Webb / Michael McGreevy

This Kids team just hasn’t measured up in the first half of the season. Lots of solid players with solid fantasy stats, but no superstars have risen to lead this team to regular wins. One first half MVP is catcher Dillon Dingler. In a season where the Kids were counting on last season’s MVP Cal Raleigh to lead the team, Dingler has stepped up when Raleigh struggled to start the season and ended up on the IR.

On the pitching side, there are lots of average seasons in play, but Jesus Luzardo has lived up to expectations and led this team in four pitching categories.

The Kids are out of contention and have already made three trades to make the team respectable by adding categories they have struggled with like stolen bases. Expect more trades as the deadline approaches. Kids management looks to pick up a variety of rookies or young players after the deadline.

2026 Coca-Cola Kids A-Team (updated 6/28/26)

Position Players

C: Dillon Dingler, Detroit Tigers

1B: Jonathan Aranada, Tampa Bay Rays

2B: Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks (Keeper)

3B: Colson Montgomery, Chicago White Sox

SS: Trea Turner, Philadephia Phillies

OF: Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners (Keeper)

OF: Sam Antonacci, Chicago White Sox

OF: Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox

Utility: Rafael Devers, San Francisco Giants

Bench

1B: Kazuma Okamoto, Toronto Blue Jays

C: Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners (Keeper)

3B: Matt Chapman, San Francisco Giants

IR: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels

Pitchers

SP: Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants

SP: Kyle Bradish, Baltimore Orioles

SP: Jesus Luzardo, Philadelphia Phillies

SP: Robbie Ray, San Francisco Giants

RP: Robert Suarez, Atlanta Braves

RP: Seranthony Dominguez, Chicago White Sox

P: Jeff Hoffman, Toronto Blue Jays

P: Ranger Suarez, Boston Red Sox

Bench

SP: Freddie Peralta, New York Mets

SP: Michael McGreevy, St. Louis Cardinals

SP: Casey Mize, Detroit Tigers

Players Dropped or Traded:

Eugenio Suarez, Cincinnati Reds

Andres Gimenez, Toronto Blue Jays

Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies (Traded)

Randy Arozarena, Seattle Mariners (Traded)

Taylor Ward, Baltimore Orioles (Traded)

Xander Bogaerts, San Diego Padres

Kody Clemens, Minnesota Twins

Pete Fairbanks, Miami Marlins

Carlos Estevez, Kansas City Royals

Mason Montgomery, Pittsburgh Pirates

Caleb Thielbar, Chicago Cubs

Coca-Cola Kids (B Team) Fantasy Baseball Mid-Season Update (updated 8/17/26)

Week 15: Coca-Cola Kids (114-98-40) vs. Splendid Splinters (109-98-45) 6-10  "Pitching Struggles to Keep up with the Splinters"  (4th in League)

Week 16:  Coca-Cola Kids (120-108-42) vs. Underdawgs (81-143-46) 13-3  "Underdawgs are Just That as Kids Dominate the Week"  (3rd in League)

MLB All-Star Break

Week 17: Coca-Cola Kids vs. Trot’s Cardinals 5-8 “Kids Bring Power and Strikeouts but Nothing Else”

Week 18: Coca-Cola Kids (138-119-49) vs. All Choked Up (140-128-38) 5-8 “Kids Pitching Goes Flat in Week 18” (6th in League)

Week 19: Coca-Cola Kids (143-127-54) vs. Anyone but the Cubs (83-198-43) 9-6 “Kids Take Down “Anyone” with Balanced Attack”

Week 20: Coca-Cola Kids (152-133-57) vs. Acuna Matada (149-141-52) 6-11 “Power Outage for the Kids in Week 20” (5th in League)

Week 21: Coca-Cola Kids (158-144-58) vs. Bregging Rights (159-147-54)  8-7  "Kids Keeping Steady in Week 21" (6th in League)

Week 22: Coca-Cola Kids (166-151-61) vs. Release the Kimbrel (208-119-51)  3-12  "Late Season Slide for the Kids"  

Week 23:  Coca-Cola Kids vs. Gourmet by Gorman  9-7  "Kids Hitting and Relief Pitching Pull Through"  (8th in League)

Week 24:  Coca-Cola Kids (178-179-66) vs. Splendid Splinters (204-141-69)  

The MLB season is flying by as we approach mid-season in a few weeks. This is a good time to revisit Coca-Cola Kids B Team and look at mid-season leaders and MVPs of the first half.

Team Leaders after 14 Weeks:

Runs: 57 - Zach Neto

1B: 58 - Kevin McGonigle

2B: 24 - Rafael Devers

3B: 3 - Kevin McGonigle

HR: 25 - Hunter Goodman

RBI: 47 - Hunter Goodman

SB: 15 - Ronald Acuna Jr.

BB: 51 - Kevin McGonigle

OPS: .938 Munetaka Murakami

IP: 110 - Sandy Alcantara

W: 8 - tie Cam Schlittler / Sandy Alcantara

SV: 18 - Paul Sewald

CG:  1 - Sandy Alcantara

K: 118 - Cam Schlittler

HLD: 12 - Robert Suarez

SP ERA: 1.62 - Cam Schlittler

RP ERA: 0.56 - Robert Suarez

SP WHIP: 0.92 - Cam Schlittler

RP WHIP: 0.84 - Robert Suarez

QS: 12 - tie Michael Wacha / Sandy Alcantara

The Kids are sporting three mid-season most valuable players. Cam Schlittler on the mound has sported incredible control of the plate leading the team in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, and WHIP. Hunter Goodman has brought the power to the Coca-Cola Kids this season not unlike his counterpart from the 2025 season Cal Raleigh. The big surprise of the season for the Kids is the Detroit Tigers rookie Kevin McGonigle who is leading the team in 3 offensive categories.

The Kids do miss having Ronald Acuna Jr. who is on the IR.

2026 Coca-Cola Kids B-Team (updated 6/28/26)

C: Hunter Goodman, Colorado Rockies

1B: Kody Clemens, Minnesota Twins

2B: Travis Bazzana, Cleveland Guardians

3B: Sam Antonacci, Chicago White Sox

SS: Kevin McGonigle, Detroit Tigers

OF: Kyle Tucker, Los Angeles Dodgers

OF: Jac Caglianone, Kansas City Royals

OF: Seiya Suzuki, Chicago Cubs

Util: Zach Neto, Los Angeles Angels

Bench:

1B: Rafael Devers, San Francisco Giants

OF: Michael Harris II, Atlanta Braves

IR: Munetaka Murakami, Chicago White Sox

IR: Ronald Acuna Jr. Atlanta Braves

Pitchers:

SP: Cam Schlittler, New York Yankees

SP: Freddie Peralta, New York Mets

SP: Brandon Woodruff, Milwaukee Brewers

RP: Dennis Santana, Pittsburgh Pirates

RP: Robert Suarez, Atlanta Braves

P: Paul Sewald, Arizona Diamondbacks

P: Sandy Alcantara, Miami Marlins

P: Orion Kerkering, Philadelphia Phillies

Bench:

SP: Michael Wacha, St. Louis Cardinals

SP: Kyle Bradish, Baltimore Orioles

SP: Hunter Brown, Houston Astros

Off the Team:

Jose Altuve, Houston Astros

Dansby Swanson, Chicago Cubs

Dillon Dingler, Detroit Tigers

Shane Baz, Baltimore Orioles

Kris Bubic, Kansas City Royals

Erik Sabrowski, Cleveland Guardians

Carlos Estevez, Kansas City Royals

A Little Human Harmony

A little story to demonstrate my observation of human harmony. Recently, I was driving on a four-lane, business highway through our town. On one side is the back yards of a neighborhood, and on the other side is hole 18 of a golf course. People will often speed through this area as the speed changes from 35 to 45. Nevertheless, it can be a “get out of the way” stretch of road.

On this particular day, there was a group of about 8 vehicles, including mine, and it took me a minute to realize something seemed off. I wasn’t passing anyone, and they weren’t passing me. Every car in our group was simply cruising along at a sweet, calm 35 miles per hour. I felt a moment of harmony created by human choices to not rush, to fall into place, and just be. We all drove in this peaceful harmony for about half a mile until there was a stoplight to snap us out of harmony.

The title of this blog is “Seeking Positivity in the Galaxy,” and I found it! It was a matter of moments, but it left an impact on me. Now, I continue to look for this human harmony, or if others are experiencing it while I am completely missing it. I have tried to create it in the same stretch of road, but there is always someone who is in a hurry or someone to slow. I have tried to set a pace shopping to see if others would walk in time, but there was always a shopping cart that needed to get through or someone stopping to, well, shop. Making it happen probably is the wrong way to go about it.

Anyway, it happens! Human harmony exists; we just have to wait for it and be ready to experience it when it does. 

May the Fourth Be With You: a reflection

I love Star Wars. I have ever since my grandma took me to see Star Wars in the theater in Yorkville, Illinois, in 1977. Who knew my life would be shaped in such a way on that unassuming trip to the movies.

I don’t know. I guess I accept it as a day for me, a fan of Star Wars. I appreciate when someone says to me, May the Fourth Be With You or Happy Star Wars Day. It makes me feel good. I enjoy my fandom. So how do I spend the day?

To start, I don’t take the day off from work. I am fortunate to work in an environment where I can wear a Star Wars shirt. So I get to show off my newest or most favorite Star Wars threads. This year, I wore my new Mandalorian and Grogu film t-shirt. I listened to my Star Wars playlist on Spotify as I got ready in the morning. I collected the limited May the Fourth cards on Star Wars Card Trader. It is always fun to see what card designs they come up with. This year, the cards were pretty much focused on the Mandalorian and Grogu. That is fine with me!

When I came home from work, I immediately fired up Disney+ and watched the final two episodes of Season One of Maul: Shadow Lord. I gasped, sat on the edge of my seat, said “Oh No!” many times, pondered, cheered, pondered some more, then it ended, and I was in disbelief. It is an amazing show and was a great way to celebrate Star Wars Day.

I wasn’t done. I knew I wanted to do more to celebrate my fandom in my own little way. My family left me alone (although I always do wish they would join me), and I decided to watch Solo: A Star Wars Story. I love this film and was always disappointed that it didn’t do better at the box office. I still can’t figure out why people didn’t care for it. I think it gets better the more it ages. It was hard for some to accept that someone other than Harrison Ford could play Han Solo, but I feel that Alden Ehrenreich did an exceptional job.

Anyway, I have to share a moment that just turned out perfect. When Solo and crew enter the malestrom on the way to Kessel, a thunderstorm heavy with lightning started to roll in outside. I had the window open so I could hear the thunder off in the distance. As the Kessel scene started to pick up with action in the mines, the storm hit outside and lasted all the way to the takeoff, and Kessel run in 12 parsecs. It was a dramatic play in the movie and a dramatic storm outside. It was great!

I didn’t want the night to end even though it was getting late on a work night. I let Rogue One roll anyway. I got about an hour in before I called it a night.

It was a great day and pretty par for the course over the last several May the 4ths. I love celebrating “Star Wars Day.” I know it isn’t for everyone. It isn’t their fandom, and I am totally cool with that. I mean, I don’t celebrate Die Hard at Christmas, which isn’t really parallel to this at all, but it was the best I could come up with. Well, May the Fourth Be With You…Always.  

Fantasy Basketball: Rough Season for the Flat Soda Bombers

It wasn’t a complete disaster for the Flat Soda Bombers, but we could say that the Bombers did just that; they bombed.

Full disclosure, the team manager hasn’t ever managed a fantasy basketball team, and he hasn’t followed the National Basketball League since the Michael Jordan days.

The Kids took 6th place in the league while their star, first-round pick Giannis Antetokounmpo spent most of the season on the injured list. Not to make excuses for the Bombers, but some may argue there weren’t any other NBA stars on the team. It was a team of really good middle-grade players. You can be the judge.

Here is the final roster for the Flat Soda Bombers:

Starting Line-up:

PG: CJ McCollum, Atlanta Hawks

SG: Kevin Porter Jr. Milwaukee Bucks

G: De’Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs

SF: Zion Williamson New Orleans Pelicans

PF: Bobby Portis, Milwaukee Bucks

F: Kel’el Ware, Miami Heat

C: Jaylin Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder

C: Kristaps Porzingis, Golden State Warriors

Util: Saddiq Bey, New Orleans Pelicans

Util: Coby White, Charlotte Hornets

Bench:

SG/SF: Devin Vassell, San Antonio Spurs

PF/C: Onyeka Okongwu, Atlanta Hawks

SG/SF/PF: Ausar Thompson, Detroit Pistons

IL: PF/C Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

IL: C Nikola Vucevic, Boston Celtics