5 Things I Like, 5 I Don't..

I've been putting this off for a while.. 

I saw this being done and while I like the concept and wanted to put my twist on it, I couldn't bring myself to sit down and actually WRITE anything.. 

I still have a bunch of content for this blog, but I have had ZERO motivation to do a thing.. 

Anyway.. I decided to jump on the wagon here.. 

I'll do the Negative first, just to give us a Good thing to end on.. 

5 Things I Don't Like

1. My brain. 

Well, this is a love/hate thing. I love the fact that it's there and I use it etc.. I hate some of the thoughts it puts into my consciousness. I hate the depression and anxiety I deal with. The constant feeling that I'm not enough.. That I deserve to be alone and that nobody would truly even notice my not being here. 

2. Minis/Coins

I'm not really a fan of the coins and mini cards that have been popular the last while. I know the minis put out by A&G, GQ, etc are throwbacks to the old Tobacco releases. But at the same time, they get to be annoying if you don't have the proper storage/pages for them.. 

3. The "Angry Birds" Jays Logo

I've voiced my displeasure over these uniforms and logos before. This was the period in time where "Blue" was taboo apparently. I liked every Jays uniform and logo aside from this one. 

4. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox

The teams both play in the same division as Toronto. 

But that's not the reason.. 

The reason is the entitlement I hear from both sets of fans.. Yankees fans believe they should be annointed a spot in the World Series Opening Day. I read people saying if this season happens with the Grapefruit/Cactus Leagues that "Yankees won't lose a game.. Just give us the Division" 

The Red Sox fans are not quite there for entitlement, but up there for obnoxiousness. Maybe it's a Boston sports trait.. I notice the same thing in Bruins fans. 

5. Redundant Card Sets/Not Listening to Collectors

There are 33 Topps branded sets in retail release in 2019. That's not including the Online exclusives.

We had 8 Bowman sets

Of the 8 Bowman sets we have two draft products, Base, Chrome, Heritage, Platinum, Sterling, and Best

Now.. I don't care about Bowman in the slightest since they're all over the place with numbering and what belongs to what set.. (when you have the same numbering system used in 3 products it's VERY annoying.. Especially when you also have CHROME in those products) 

With Topps, you know we have the Base, Opening Day, Update. 3 Chrome products, Big League, Allen and Ginter, Allen and Ginter X, Gypsy Queen, Three Archives products, Heritage, Tribute, Inception, Transcendent, Fire, Tek, Diamond Icons, Museum Collection, etc etc etc.. 

Now I know some of these products are aimed at "higher end" collectors.. And that's fine..

To me we don't need Two A&G sets. We can consolidate the Archives into One. 

Some of these, I'd (I know this suggestion will be blasphemy) but say for Heritage.. Consolidate Bowman and Topps Heritage 

Consolidate the Chrome

Big League is great for what it is.. An accessible set with not a lot of gimmicks. 

Some of these high end sets could go to online distribution and they could put Total into the retail wilds. 

Would anyone be upset if they had to order their Fire Or High Tek or Inception online?? 

Oh.. And for Bowman.... FIX THE NUMBERING AND CROSS SET INSERTS!!!!!!

*Big sigh and releases breath, calming down*

There.. I did it like that for a reason.. Why leave all worked up? 

Now... 

5 Things I Like

1. My Job

I really truly enjoy my job as a bus driver. I feel we have a very underrated effect on children and their education. I feel we can help set their days by simply being pleasant to them. I always greet them by name when they walk on my bus. 

2. The Card Collecting Communities

I've come across some amazing people online. People in the blogging community, the Twitter community, the Facebook community, and the Team Collectors. 

Through Twitter, I've found the Team Collectors, I've found First Row Collectibles. I've found bloggers I enjoy on Twitter and on the Trading Card Database. 

For the most part they're all supportive and understanding.

3. Ballparks

This one is fairly easy to get.. Close your eyes.. well.. Maybe wait until you're done reading this... 

But Close your eyes..

Say the word Ballpark

What comes to mind? 

Yankee Stadium.. Fenway Park.. Wrigley Field.. PNC.. Dodger Stadium.. Polo Grounds.. 

A field of green with odd quirks along the fencing and the facade. The only constant is the 90 foot square in the middle. 

But I love finding out about the parks. I love collecting cards on ballparks. 

4. Out of the Park Baseball

I love playing baseball management sims. I used to play Baseball Mogul for years but got into Out of the Park. It's deeper than Mogul, with almost limitless options to play. 

I'm playing a game I started in 2019.. And at the start of the 2022 season, the Miami Marlins moved to Austin Texas. I'm thinking about doing a simulation of a thought experiment I saw on Twitter based on this what if.. "What If the Dodgers never left Brooklyn?" 

5. Everyone reading this Blog 

Yeah I guess this is a mushy copout, but really.. I'd be writing this for practice and no real reason if I didn't have people like you reading my drivel.