Some more or less random thoughts this morning:
I’ve been a New York Yankees fan for over half a century. I remember watching people like Mantle, Maris, Berra, Ford, Howard, Richardson, Skowron, etc., etc. on black and white TV almost every fall. That was when they actually played the World Series in the fall (instead of early winter) and when almost every game was played in the afternoon. “Prime time” sports hadn’t been invented yet. Kids could actually watch the games without staying up until midnight. And they wonder why American kids don’t want to play baseball anymore. It’s because they’ve never seen a World Series game, you idiots! Anyway, we’d come home from school and the game would already be in progress. Sometimes we’d have to listen to them on the radio. Didn’t matter. It was great stuff. Especially if you were a fan of the mighty pinstripes. Except, of course, for that horrible, horrible day in October, 1960 when Bill Mazeroski hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the ninth in Pittsburgh to beat the Yankees and win the series. It was the first time in history that a walkoff home run had ever decided the outcome of the fall classic. It took me months to get over that one.
But last night was good. The Yankees won their 27th World Series. Far more championships than other team in any other sport (at least in major professional sports). As often happens, it wasn’t one of the big “super stars” that decided the outcome. It was Hideki Matsui – probably playing in his last game as a Yankee – who provided all the big hits. I loved it. All’s right with the sports world, at least until next spring.
On a more serious note: In the news this morning it was reported that some major banking firms on Wall Street (like Goldman Sachs) have received as much swine flu vaccine as the local hospitals in New York City. It was quickly pointed out that no rules were broken, but I have to say that this just really smells bad. Flu vaccine is routinely distributed to corporations every year, but this isn’t your “routine” flu. Why should major banks on Wall Street get 200 doses of this stuff when doctors can’t get it and people are standing in line for hours to get it all across the country? Like pregnant women and kids. This just doesn’t make sense. This is a case, I think, where Barack Obama should get in front of the microphone and simply say, “No more. We (the administration) will not only control distribution, we will strictly enforce the guidelines that already exist”. I for one would love to see the guy show a little more backbone. Like millions of others, I voted for “change”, not a limitless perpetuation of the status quo. First the banks take our money, and now they get first dibs on flu vaccine? Like I said, it just really smells bad.
Speaking of politics, Michael Steele, the chairman of the RNC (Republican National Committee), said yesterday that the GOP gubenatorial wins on Tuesday were the beginning of a “Republican Renaissance”. Now there’s an oxymoron if I ever heard one. Does either major party in this country have a clue, even a small inkling, of what’s really going on? I’m beginning to think not.
Speaking of political humor, one Republican congresswoman stood on the floor of the House last week and said that passage of any of the currently proposed healthcare reform bills would be more dangerous to the future of the United States than terrorists. Say what? You’re kidding right? No, probably not. The inmates are truly running the asylum.
I think I’ll go back to that waterfall. Life is simpler there, even if it’s only a temporary reprieve from ”real life”.
