Double standard?
[I]f America holds something as the moral standard, it should be unacceptable for us as a people to change that moral standard based on fear. The measure of a person or a people’s character is not what they do when everything is comfortable. It’s what they do in an extremely trying and difficult situation, and if we want to claim that these are our ideals and our values then we need to hold to them no matter how dark the situation.
Testimony by US Army officers on torture in Iraq, the Human Rights Watch report.
Oct 8, 2005
More voices:
It’s interesting to hold an opposite position from nearly everyone you know. Especially about something politically divisive. Everyone assumes you think like they do, lots of offensive stuff gets emailed and linked, people nudge you about things and expect something other than a blank stare.
This is a snippet of an entry from Joe Maller’s blog (click through to read in its entirety). I know Joe vaguely in the sense our orbits have intersected occasionally - I worked with his wife. I can’t say I’ve really had an extensive, soul-baring conversation with Joe when we have bumped into each other, but reading his thoughts on his blog, he strikes me as a smart and fair-minded guy. His entry got me thinking about what I had written awhile back, ostensibly the increasing tendency to be dismissive of views not in agreement with our own.
I can’t say I know Joe’s opinions and wouldn’t presume to speak for the him but, his point reminded me of experiences I have had: being in a room full of people when the topic of discussion has turned to the events of the day (and the players), knowing speaking up with an opposing voice wouldn’t be the best thing for the ’ole career or another instance when I got an email from someone which begat to a series of emails ending that friendship.
The email concerned the 2004 election and it struck me out of left field but, the assumption of the person who sent it was, I would agree with the sentiments expressed wholeheartedly. When I didn’t and when I pointed out to the person I didn’t (asking not to receive further emails of this kind), the trouble began and what followed was volleys of emails going back and forth with of increasing intensity. I was tweaking the guy after a point. Truthfully, I knew he felt strongly but, I was disappointed in him, disappointed because he didn’t leave any room to disagree. While I liked him as a person (and he’s a good guy), I also knew to stay friends would mean journeying into the realm of the blank stare regularly. Spending far too much time there already, I can say I wasn’t as interested in increasing my stay so, there went that friendship.
I would have much rather bought him a drink and been able to disagree - which is the way Joe might have handled it. If I see Joe sometime down the road I’ll probably take him up on his invitation to buy him a beer or two because even if I don’t agree with the guy (and in some ways I’m sure I will) - at least he’ll be open minded enough to have a discussion and there aren’t enough people out there these days even willing to do that.
Of course, being a happy drunk helps too.
It’s interesting to hold an opposite position from nearly everyone you know. Especially about something politically divisive. Everyone assumes you think like they do, lots of offensive stuff gets emailed and linked, people nudge you about things and expect something other than a blank stare.
This is a snippet of an entry from Joe Maller’s blog (click through to read in its entirety). I know Joe vaguely in the sense our orbits have intersected occasionally - I worked with his wife. I can’t say I’ve really had an extensive, soul-baring conversation with Joe when we have bumped into each other, but reading his thoughts on his blog, he strikes me as a smart and fair-minded guy. His entry got me thinking about what I had written awhile back, ostensibly the increasing tendency to be dismissive of views not in agreement with our own.
I can’t say I know Joe’s opinions and wouldn’t presume to speak for the him but, his point reminded me of experiences I have had: being in a room full of people when the topic of discussion has turned to the events of the day (and the players), knowing speaking up with an opposing voice wouldn’t be the best thing for the ’ole career or another instance when I got an email from someone which begat to a series of emails ending that friendship.
The email concerned the 2004 election and it struck me out of left field but, the assumption of the person who sent it was, I would agree with the sentiments expressed wholeheartedly. When I didn’t and when I pointed out to the person I didn’t (asking not to receive further emails of this kind), the trouble began and what followed was volleys of emails going back and forth with of increasing intensity. I was tweaking the guy after a point. Truthfully, I knew he felt strongly but, I was disappointed in him, disappointed because he didn’t leave any room to disagree. While I liked him as a person (and he’s a good guy), I also knew to stay friends would mean journeying into the realm of the blank stare regularly. Spending far too much time there already, I can say I wasn’t as interested in increasing my stay so, there went that friendship.
I would have much rather bought him a drink and been able to disagree - which is the way Joe might have handled it. If I see Joe sometime down the road I’ll probably take him up on his invitation to buy him a beer or two because even if I don’t agree with the guy (and in some ways I’m sure I will) - at least he’ll be open minded enough to have a discussion and there aren’t enough people out there these days even willing to do that.
Of course, being a happy drunk helps too.
Oct 6, 2005
Tales from the workaday world.
Just some jewels from a variety of sources to reassure you that in fact working these days can truly be maddening:
Garrison, who lives in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, said he never thought he would be rewarded for getting fired. Then again, he never dreamed he would be fired after he ate two of the six pieces of pepperoni pizza left over from a company meeting.
Or this jewel from the Monster blog:
Workplace Mistakes to Avoid. To guard your job security, be sure to avoid the 10 common pitfalls on this checklist from Jennifer Star, a New York City-based corporate recruiter and trainer specializing in administrative-support personnel:
Or another one:
These kinds of firings open a dangerous can of worms for employees, whose once-deemed personal lives may now be subject to their employers’ scrutiny and, ultimately, may be grounds for termination. The one-time proverbial wall between economic church and state is being broken down. Fast.
And finally this jewel which reminded me of the client I had that had two kinds of deodorizer in the men’s bathroom.
Workplace Bathroom Etiquette. People tend to equate the bathroom with privacy. And although you can’t see anyone when you’re behind a closed stall door, that doesn’t mean you’re alone or that people can’t hear you.
Getting back to the deodorizer thingee, I couldn’t quite grasp why there were two different kinds of deodorizer in the bathroom. It implied that each spray would be used for a different purpose - perhaps one was for flatulent individuals and the other for cases of severe defecation?
I was just trying to make sense of the logic behind the decision for a variety. It appeared as if there was some serious thinking going on behind it.
Of course, that’s not to say any men’s restroom I’ve been in has ever been terrific although I do remember the executive loo from years back when I was a guard on a midnight shift and I can honestly say I know from personal experience that those corporate kings do in fact have their very own throne rooms.
Just some jewels from a variety of sources to reassure you that in fact working these days can truly be maddening:
Garrison, who lives in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, said he never thought he would be rewarded for getting fired. Then again, he never dreamed he would be fired after he ate two of the six pieces of pepperoni pizza left over from a company meeting.
Or this jewel from the Monster blog:
Workplace Mistakes to Avoid. To guard your job security, be sure to avoid the 10 common pitfalls on this checklist from Jennifer Star, a New York City-based corporate recruiter and trainer specializing in administrative-support personnel:
Or another one:
These kinds of firings open a dangerous can of worms for employees, whose once-deemed personal lives may now be subject to their employers’ scrutiny and, ultimately, may be grounds for termination. The one-time proverbial wall between economic church and state is being broken down. Fast.
And finally this jewel which reminded me of the client I had that had two kinds of deodorizer in the men’s bathroom.
Workplace Bathroom Etiquette. People tend to equate the bathroom with privacy. And although you can’t see anyone when you’re behind a closed stall door, that doesn’t mean you’re alone or that people can’t hear you.
Getting back to the deodorizer thingee, I couldn’t quite grasp why there were two different kinds of deodorizer in the bathroom. It implied that each spray would be used for a different purpose - perhaps one was for flatulent individuals and the other for cases of severe defecation?
I was just trying to make sense of the logic behind the decision for a variety. It appeared as if there was some serious thinking going on behind it.
Of course, that’s not to say any men’s restroom I’ve been in has ever been terrific although I do remember the executive loo from years back when I was a guard on a midnight shift and I can honestly say I know from personal experience that those corporate kings do in fact have their very own throne rooms.
Oct 4, 2005
Oct 2, 2005
ICU. Telemetry. ICU. Telemetry. ICU...
Three weeks and counting and that’s pretty much how it could all be summed up. We’re in the ICU, no we’re in telemetry. Three weeks and counting since the EYOC took the trip to the hospital.
It’s really amazing. There are times I’m sorry for bringing him to the hospital. Remembering how afraid he was before the journey, how terrified and trapped he felt - go to the hospital or just hope whatever is bothering him just goes away. Man, I tell you, wherever there is an opening on your body, once you’re in the hospital they find a way to put something in it. There are good days and there are bad days but, there are more days which there wouldn’t have been without the trip.
One day I go and EYOC can barely talk or move. He doesn’t seem to even be aware of where he’s at. Then. I get a surprise towards the end of last week when my sister calls and tells me EYOC will be discharged in the coming week!?!? Since I had been the day before, I was somewhat dumbstruck by the announcement. How can you release someone so very seriously ill? The next day I go down and EYOC looks better than he has in weeks. He’s awake. He appears to have his wits about him. He moves (albeit very slowly). The difference in his condition from my previous visit only 48 hours before is remarkable! I can hardly believe it, it’s as if a higher power has come down and breathed life back into his lungs again.
Afterward, I sit in the cafeteria with my sister, amazed and relieved at the change in his condition. Just glad to see him regaining some of his strength and beginning the progression back to normalcy.
Then the next day I get the phone call from the cardiologist that the EYOC has been shuttled back to the ICU after an unexplainable drop in both blood pressure and blood sugar - I imagine next week’s release date was a little too optimistic. So, I just keep puttering away. It’s this strange limbo not knowing what will happen and not being able to plan because it really depends on someone’s health. EYOC will be 82 next week and I can’t imagine he’ll be happy celebrating in the hospital. Ah, if only they’d let me bring the kitty for a visit.
Three weeks and counting and that’s pretty much how it could all be summed up. We’re in the ICU, no we’re in telemetry. Three weeks and counting since the EYOC took the trip to the hospital.
It’s really amazing. There are times I’m sorry for bringing him to the hospital. Remembering how afraid he was before the journey, how terrified and trapped he felt - go to the hospital or just hope whatever is bothering him just goes away. Man, I tell you, wherever there is an opening on your body, once you’re in the hospital they find a way to put something in it. There are good days and there are bad days but, there are more days which there wouldn’t have been without the trip.
One day I go and EYOC can barely talk or move. He doesn’t seem to even be aware of where he’s at. Then. I get a surprise towards the end of last week when my sister calls and tells me EYOC will be discharged in the coming week!?!? Since I had been the day before, I was somewhat dumbstruck by the announcement. How can you release someone so very seriously ill? The next day I go down and EYOC looks better than he has in weeks. He’s awake. He appears to have his wits about him. He moves (albeit very slowly). The difference in his condition from my previous visit only 48 hours before is remarkable! I can hardly believe it, it’s as if a higher power has come down and breathed life back into his lungs again.
Afterward, I sit in the cafeteria with my sister, amazed and relieved at the change in his condition. Just glad to see him regaining some of his strength and beginning the progression back to normalcy.
Then the next day I get the phone call from the cardiologist that the EYOC has been shuttled back to the ICU after an unexplainable drop in both blood pressure and blood sugar - I imagine next week’s release date was a little too optimistic. So, I just keep puttering away. It’s this strange limbo not knowing what will happen and not being able to plan because it really depends on someone’s health. EYOC will be 82 next week and I can’t imagine he’ll be happy celebrating in the hospital. Ah, if only they’d let me bring the kitty for a visit.
Sep 30, 2005
Time to move?
Via BlogSensei (link at right).
Your personality type is RCUAI
You are moderately reserved, moderately calm, unstructured, moderately accommodating, and intellectual, and may prefer a city which matches those traits.
What Places In The World Match Your Personality?
City Reviews at CityCulture.org
Via BlogSensei (link at right).
You are moderately reserved, moderately calm, unstructured, moderately accommodating, and intellectual, and may prefer a city which matches those traits.
The largest representation of your personality type can be found in the these U.S. cities: Washington DC, Oklahoma City, Raleigh/Durham, Louisville, New Orleans, Greensboro, Austin, Albuquerque/Santa Fe, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, Denver and these international countries/regions Luxembourg, Iceland, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Slovenia, Netherlands, Greece, Puerto Rico, Denmark, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Turkey, Sweden, Ireland
City Reviews at CityCulture.org
The good ole days?
On the heels of the debacle that was Katrina, the latest headline to make me cringe had to be the one referring to the dialog between Bill Bennett and a caller on his radio show the other day. Bennett’s comment had been taken largely out of context but, that didn’t make it better. It’s the kind of statement that bought us the fun guys in the Nazi party of post WW1 Germany or maybe even that gregarious bunch that swears allegiance to the Grand Dragon.
The scary thing is, this is a former Secretary of Education speaking - like, you’d think this would be a smart person? If there is one small part of you that can even attempt to justify his statement, I suggest you swap out the word black in his comments and replace it with the name of your very own religious or ethnic group and see how well it sits.
Surprisingly enough, Bennett and his caller were citing Freakonomics, a book that is doing quite well recently. I haven’t read Freakonomics, so I can’t speak to the accuracy of their comments. I did however, read a snippet of the book as posted on Amazon which drew a correlation between the abortion rate and the decreasing crime rate. It’s a great thing when you can mask your own bs theories behind some kind of pseudo science. Not only that, it’s better still to get rich off of it.
I don’t know if I will actually plunk down money to buy Freakonomics but, I certainly want to read it. If only to see if there is any mention of our country’s increasing prison population as well as the declining US birth rate. Much as they may want to lay the decreasing crime rate at the door of Roe V Wade, I would like to think the issue is a bit more complicated than they would have you believe.
In the meantime, I have to say again one of the benefits of living in a free and open society is people have the ability to publicly put their foot in their mouth - I’m not agreeing with what their saying but they do have a right to say it.
On the heels of the debacle that was Katrina, the latest headline to make me cringe had to be the one referring to the dialog between Bill Bennett and a caller on his radio show the other day. Bennett’s comment had been taken largely out of context but, that didn’t make it better. It’s the kind of statement that bought us the fun guys in the Nazi party of post WW1 Germany or maybe even that gregarious bunch that swears allegiance to the Grand Dragon.
The scary thing is, this is a former Secretary of Education speaking - like, you’d think this would be a smart person? If there is one small part of you that can even attempt to justify his statement, I suggest you swap out the word black in his comments and replace it with the name of your very own religious or ethnic group and see how well it sits.
Surprisingly enough, Bennett and his caller were citing Freakonomics, a book that is doing quite well recently. I haven’t read Freakonomics, so I can’t speak to the accuracy of their comments. I did however, read a snippet of the book as posted on Amazon which drew a correlation between the abortion rate and the decreasing crime rate. It’s a great thing when you can mask your own bs theories behind some kind of pseudo science. Not only that, it’s better still to get rich off of it.
I don’t know if I will actually plunk down money to buy Freakonomics but, I certainly want to read it. If only to see if there is any mention of our country’s increasing prison population as well as the declining US birth rate. Much as they may want to lay the decreasing crime rate at the door of Roe V Wade, I would like to think the issue is a bit more complicated than they would have you believe.
In the meantime, I have to say again one of the benefits of living in a free and open society is people have the ability to publicly put their foot in their mouth - I’m not agreeing with what their saying but they do have a right to say it.
Sep 25, 2005
Sep 24, 2005
I am binary and I must change.
The world is such a simple place, as simple as we make it that is.
Once we are able to apply a label to a person, place or thing - we have the ability to compartmentalize how we will approach the person, place or thing evermore.
Case in point, how many buzzwords can I throw out there for you in the next paragraph and how quickly or rather how crisp are the images these words bring to mind: liberal, conservative, fundamentalist, minority, republican, democrat, christian, muslim, terrorist, freedom fighter, peace keeper, working class, protester, pundit, administration - see, even as I was writing those words, it seemed that each and every one bought a very clear image into my minds’ eye.
And... that’s a problem.
Because, it’s been my experience the world we live in is nowhere near as simple as black or white, wherein every issue can be divided into two clear areas of (dis) agreement. Here’s the rub though, I find I have a natural tendency as I get older to gravitate towards the ease of breaking down each and every ideological dilemma I run across into a very clear and distinct binary mode of thinking: black or white, good or bad, right or wrong. It’s never as simple as that though and I have to take a step back and remind myself of the very fact all the time.
The reason I broach the subject is I find an increasing amount of rhetoric broken down into these terms. It’s bad math. It‘s the math of a static society and I think it is a very important thing for all of us in this country to be aware of it and to try and resist its pull. The point I’m trying to get at is in a democracy, it’s healthy to disagree. Plurality is supposed to be one of the strengths of democracies and I believe we are well along the way to forgetting that.
So, I am going to try and make a promise and stick to it. The next time I am ready to apply a label to someone, ready to paste one of those buzzwords prominently across them and their argument, I will take a step back and try to look at the issue from their point of view. I know I will more than likely screw up a majority of the time but, I won’t ever change unless I make the attempt. My small effort probably won’t have the grand sweeping effect I would like but, I figure you’ve got to start somewhere and maybe if you’re reading this you’ll be willing to give it a shot too.
The world is such a simple place, as simple as we make it that is.
Once we are able to apply a label to a person, place or thing - we have the ability to compartmentalize how we will approach the person, place or thing evermore.
Case in point, how many buzzwords can I throw out there for you in the next paragraph and how quickly or rather how crisp are the images these words bring to mind: liberal, conservative, fundamentalist, minority, republican, democrat, christian, muslim, terrorist, freedom fighter, peace keeper, working class, protester, pundit, administration - see, even as I was writing those words, it seemed that each and every one bought a very clear image into my minds’ eye.
And... that’s a problem.
Because, it’s been my experience the world we live in is nowhere near as simple as black or white, wherein every issue can be divided into two clear areas of (dis) agreement. Here’s the rub though, I find I have a natural tendency as I get older to gravitate towards the ease of breaking down each and every ideological dilemma I run across into a very clear and distinct binary mode of thinking: black or white, good or bad, right or wrong. It’s never as simple as that though and I have to take a step back and remind myself of the very fact all the time.
The reason I broach the subject is I find an increasing amount of rhetoric broken down into these terms. It’s bad math. It‘s the math of a static society and I think it is a very important thing for all of us in this country to be aware of it and to try and resist its pull. The point I’m trying to get at is in a democracy, it’s healthy to disagree. Plurality is supposed to be one of the strengths of democracies and I believe we are well along the way to forgetting that.
So, I am going to try and make a promise and stick to it. The next time I am ready to apply a label to someone, ready to paste one of those buzzwords prominently across them and their argument, I will take a step back and try to look at the issue from their point of view. I know I will more than likely screw up a majority of the time but, I won’t ever change unless I make the attempt. My small effort probably won’t have the grand sweeping effect I would like but, I figure you’ve got to start somewhere and maybe if you’re reading this you’ll be willing to give it a shot too.
More free stuff.
There’s a dog and pony show coming to NYC and select other cities to trumpet the benefits of Acrobat 7.0. Since it’s a freebie, one where they give out free copies of the program and a justifiable way to get out of half a day of work, it’s always worth registering for these things (employers love training that doesn’t cost them anything).
You can register for the thing here.
There’s a dog and pony show coming to NYC and select other cities to trumpet the benefits of Acrobat 7.0. Since it’s a freebie, one where they give out free copies of the program and a justifiable way to get out of half a day of work, it’s always worth registering for these things (employers love training that doesn’t cost them anything).
You can register for the thing here.
Sep 23, 2005
Sep 20, 2005
Exhaustion.
I find myself just way too tired to even be concerned about writing anything at the moment. Aside from a few longer, partially completed entries over the last few days, I find myself so caught up in the maelstrom it is hard to focus on anything else. Today was a bit of a wash as I had been feeling like I was coming down with something for several days and finally I found it necessary just to have a day to sleep.
So in lieu of any words of wisdom, I think I’ll just post a picture or two I’ve been taking recently:
I find myself just way too tired to even be concerned about writing anything at the moment. Aside from a few longer, partially completed entries over the last few days, I find myself so caught up in the maelstrom it is hard to focus on anything else. Today was a bit of a wash as I had been feeling like I was coming down with something for several days and finally I found it necessary just to have a day to sleep.
So in lieu of any words of wisdom, I think I’ll just post a picture or two I’ve been taking recently:
Sep 17, 2005
The week that was.
In a few hours it will be a full week since this drama began. This has been like the storm that was forecast, something which was inevitable, something I knew would be coming, something I was even in the process of preparing for but, like any storm, when it hits you don’t know how intense the fury of the storm will be.
So, there is good and bad in the whole situation. One thing is assured and that is things will change, of that I have no doubt. The question now is how rapidly that change will occur and how well I will weather this storm. In regard to the EYOC, there is very little I can do at this point, he’s seen to that. In a certain bit or irony the person who respected his wishes the most is the one who now can do little to affect the outcome of the situation.
I know I’ll be moving - I just don’t know how soon and where I’m going to wind up.
The other day I was having a discussion with the EYOC and telling him he had to get better so he could “rake the leaves” around the house, no more lying around for him. On the surface, it probably sounds incredibly cruel. The truth of course is he hasn’t lifted a finger around here in a long time but, even though that’s the case what do you say to someone? Do you tell them the time they have is running out?
It’s been my experience from what I have observed that the longer someone has a routine of their own, the longer they are able to do the things they want and live life without being directed what to do, the better off they are. I watched as my Ex’s grandmother, a frail tiny women of her early 80’s, slowly succumbed to the ravages of age. Funny thing is, the woman had been so busy all the years prior to when the deterioration suddenly happened. She took care of her aging and very ill husband, cared for a younger but direly afflicted neighbor suffering from Arthritis and just performed these almost superhuman feats you couldn’t imagine a person of her stature being capable of.
After the people she was caring for passed, her remaining family wanted to leave her ensconced in her apartment with nothing to do but stare at the walls as the time ticked past. She no longer had things in her life to challenge her and in that vacuum, that boredom and ennui she finally allowed herself to succumb. Why not? She no longer had duties to distract her from herself, no longer had things to keep her mind and body occupied. I imagine the days slowed down for her insufferably
and with nothing else to focus on she just let go.
When people no longer are interested in life - it’s not a good thing. Something all of us should take note of.
In a few hours it will be a full week since this drama began. This has been like the storm that was forecast, something which was inevitable, something I knew would be coming, something I was even in the process of preparing for but, like any storm, when it hits you don’t know how intense the fury of the storm will be.
So, there is good and bad in the whole situation. One thing is assured and that is things will change, of that I have no doubt. The question now is how rapidly that change will occur and how well I will weather this storm. In regard to the EYOC, there is very little I can do at this point, he’s seen to that. In a certain bit or irony the person who respected his wishes the most is the one who now can do little to affect the outcome of the situation.
I know I’ll be moving - I just don’t know how soon and where I’m going to wind up.
The other day I was having a discussion with the EYOC and telling him he had to get better so he could “rake the leaves” around the house, no more lying around for him. On the surface, it probably sounds incredibly cruel. The truth of course is he hasn’t lifted a finger around here in a long time but, even though that’s the case what do you say to someone? Do you tell them the time they have is running out?
It’s been my experience from what I have observed that the longer someone has a routine of their own, the longer they are able to do the things they want and live life without being directed what to do, the better off they are. I watched as my Ex’s grandmother, a frail tiny women of her early 80’s, slowly succumbed to the ravages of age. Funny thing is, the woman had been so busy all the years prior to when the deterioration suddenly happened. She took care of her aging and very ill husband, cared for a younger but direly afflicted neighbor suffering from Arthritis and just performed these almost superhuman feats you couldn’t imagine a person of her stature being capable of.
After the people she was caring for passed, her remaining family wanted to leave her ensconced in her apartment with nothing to do but stare at the walls as the time ticked past. She no longer had things in her life to challenge her and in that vacuum, that boredom and ennui she finally allowed herself to succumb. Why not? She no longer had duties to distract her from herself, no longer had things to keep her mind and body occupied. I imagine the days slowed down for her insufferably
and with nothing else to focus on she just let go.
When people no longer are interested in life - it’s not a good thing. Something all of us should take note of.
Sep 16, 2005
There’s a reason the Mets play in Flushing.
When nobody was looking, the Mets just went and flushed their season down the crapper.
I’m not happy about it but, I can’t say I’m really too upset either. Thing is, at the beginning of the season the best thing Mets fans were hoping for was not to be in last place (which the Mets are currently occupants of in their division). So, one might ask, “How can you not be upset if they’re in last place?”
Well, coming into the season, David Wright though promising was still an unproven commodity. Jose Reyes had yet to play a full injury free season and a couple of Mets were coming off bad seasons (as evidenced by the Mets trying to trade them in the off-season, Cliff Floyd comes immediately to mind).
Now as we close on the end of the ’05 season, we find the left side of the infield is young and is only going to improve with time and experience, there’s starting pitching to meet the needs of next season. It all boils down to there being just a couple of holes that need filling. Waiting to see if Mike Jacobs is the answer at first is one question. Figuring out what life after Mike Piazza will look like is a second. Finding a more solid closer than Brandon Looper is the third thing.
It’s not much, certainly not as bad as it has seemed in seasons past. So, it’ll just be a matter of the old Dodgers lament of wait until next year!
When nobody was looking, the Mets just went and flushed their season down the crapper.
I’m not happy about it but, I can’t say I’m really too upset either. Thing is, at the beginning of the season the best thing Mets fans were hoping for was not to be in last place (which the Mets are currently occupants of in their division). So, one might ask, “How can you not be upset if they’re in last place?”
Well, coming into the season, David Wright though promising was still an unproven commodity. Jose Reyes had yet to play a full injury free season and a couple of Mets were coming off bad seasons (as evidenced by the Mets trying to trade them in the off-season, Cliff Floyd comes immediately to mind).
Now as we close on the end of the ’05 season, we find the left side of the infield is young and is only going to improve with time and experience, there’s starting pitching to meet the needs of next season. It all boils down to there being just a couple of holes that need filling. Waiting to see if Mike Jacobs is the answer at first is one question. Figuring out what life after Mike Piazza will look like is a second. Finding a more solid closer than Brandon Looper is the third thing.
It’s not much, certainly not as bad as it has seemed in seasons past. So, it’ll just be a matter of the old Dodgers lament of wait until next year!
Sep 15, 2005
Excitement.
I don’t imagine anyone finds these little personal dramas entertaining. I just started the blog to get into the habit of writing for the most part. The blog is my stretching and warm ups before attempting the marathon of a longer project. The longer entries are the tough ones, I get into a groove and then somewhere along the way I get distracted or the train of thought gets derailed and an idea dies on the vine (been a bunch of those half composed entries sitting in the draft que).
But, before I get side tracked once again, the thought for today was about excitement.
I’ve heard quite a few people bemoan a lack of excitement in their lives through the years. It seems to be a common enough complaint, “Life just isn’t exciting anymore!” or the old saw “Boy! Could I use some excitement!”
Funny thing is, I find as I rack up days in my time on the planet, I’ve come to the conclusion I could do without “excitement.”
Yep, that’s me, pining away for mundanacity. Sure, when I was a younger man, I craved excitement! with the best of them. However, it dawned on me after enough of that excitement, usually the whole excitement thing wasn’t associated with good things. The excitement thing wasn’t working for me if you catch my drift.
See, excitement is all fine and good if that’s your thing but, it seems to me that along with it come big emotional highs... and lows. Great when it’s a positive thing to be sure but, those lows. Boy! They sure have a way of taking their toll on a person. I’m getting enough gray hair at this point not to really be up for getting more and gray hair is one of those add ons to the excitement thing.
Kind of reminds me of the phrase, “May you live in exciting (sic-interesting) times.” Which has an interesting and unique story all its own.
I don’t imagine anyone finds these little personal dramas entertaining. I just started the blog to get into the habit of writing for the most part. The blog is my stretching and warm ups before attempting the marathon of a longer project. The longer entries are the tough ones, I get into a groove and then somewhere along the way I get distracted or the train of thought gets derailed and an idea dies on the vine (been a bunch of those half composed entries sitting in the draft que).
But, before I get side tracked once again, the thought for today was about excitement.
I’ve heard quite a few people bemoan a lack of excitement in their lives through the years. It seems to be a common enough complaint, “Life just isn’t exciting anymore!” or the old saw “Boy! Could I use some excitement!”
Funny thing is, I find as I rack up days in my time on the planet, I’ve come to the conclusion I could do without “excitement.”
Yep, that’s me, pining away for mundanacity. Sure, when I was a younger man, I craved excitement! with the best of them. However, it dawned on me after enough of that excitement, usually the whole excitement thing wasn’t associated with good things. The excitement thing wasn’t working for me if you catch my drift.
See, excitement is all fine and good if that’s your thing but, it seems to me that along with it come big emotional highs... and lows. Great when it’s a positive thing to be sure but, those lows. Boy! They sure have a way of taking their toll on a person. I’m getting enough gray hair at this point not to really be up for getting more and gray hair is one of those add ons to the excitement thing.
Kind of reminds me of the phrase, “May you live in exciting (sic-interesting) times.” Which has an interesting and unique story all its own.
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