Some random thoughts from perusin’ the web…
Jobs Report Doesn’t Bode Well for Obama – Not a good jobs report today. Unemployment inched down, but only because so many people have left the work force. It’s a damned tough environment for a sitting president to win re-election. Frankly though, there’s just not much Obama can do to get things going on the economic front. This is a global downturn, and U.S. government economic policy isn’t the key to our economy. Romney says he’ll create 500,000 jobs a months and drop unemployment to 4%. That’s about as likely as Gingrich’s promises to lower gas prices to below $2.00 a gallon. However, it’s pretty obvious Republicans SHOULD have the edge given 1) the down economy, and 2) an American public who is stupid enough to actually BELIEVE some of the crap Republicans shovel down their throats. The only thing working against them is 1) their OWN ineptitude and 2) a complete lack of any strong candidates.
Redneck Massachusetts Man Attacks Hawk - No South Dakota, we do NOT have a monopoly on redneck losers. In Massachusetts, a man was arrested when he attacked a Red-tailed Hawk who had captured a pigeon…presumably to “protect” the pigeons in the park? The story also notes other memorable Massachusetts losers, such as a fish hatchery operator who shot herons, Osprey, and even Eagles that hung around his hatchery. Never underestimate just how incredibly cruel, selfish, and evil people can be.
Sioux Falls Man found Guilty of Raping 7-year Old – See the story above, multiply the horror and disgust by a factor of, oh, around 1,000, and you have this story of a Sioux Falls man raping a 7-year old. About 99% of the time, I’m against capital punishment….but BOY do stories like this make me at least pause and consider it for a second.
First Hummingbird of the Year - Like clockwork since we’ve moved into our current house, the first Ruby-throated Hummingbird of the year arrives sometime during the first week of May. Today was the day for 2012, when I saw a beautiful male hummingbird flitting around the yard much of the day. The link at the top of the paragraph shows the migratory progress of the Hummingbirds for this spring. I will GREATLY enjoy having them around my yard for the next 4 1/2 months, until they depart by mid- to late-September.
Mariano Rivera Tears ACL, Career Over - Mariano Rivera, storied “closer” for the New York Yankees, badly injured his knee while shagging fly balls before a game this week. Not only is his year over, his career could be over, given his age. Don’t think I’ve ever talked baseball out on my blog before, but I am a huge baseball fan. I’m also a huge Mariano Rivera fan. He’s had one of the most remarkable careers in the history of baseball. In the 9th inning of any close game, there’s no one else you’d rather have on the mound. But…the “closer” in baseball is SO incredibly overrated. The only reason a guy like Mariano Rivera HAS a “closer” role is because of the invention of the “save” statistic. In no other way is baseball “strategy” dictated by a statistic than how Major League managers manage their bullpens. Got a 4-run lead? Throw some other reliever out there. But you have a 3-run lead??? BRING IN THE CLOSER!! A guy like a Mariano Rivera will throw maybe 60-70 innings all year long. That out of roughly 1,500 innings your team plays during a year. Each of the 9 guys on offense, or any of the starting pitchers, are MUCH more important to the team than is the rarely used “closer”. Rivera will be missed. He’s a true gentlemen, a great pitcher, and a great Yankee. But in terms of the effects on the Yankees themselves…it’s not that big a deal to replace those 60 innings a year.
I saw the news about Rivera. Damn. I agree with your assessment of him. He says he will be back next year, but I don’t know . . . .
Baseball is my favorite men’s sport. Its brutality level is much less than other men’s team sports. I used to watch quite a bit of NBA and NFL, but I haven’t seen an NBA game in years. The fact is, they don’t play very good basketball. I learned how to play from Bill Russell, John Havlicek, Willis Reed, Clyde “The Glide” Frasier, and others of that era.
I still watch some NFL, but only because I love the aerial offense. Sometimes I feel too sickened by the violence, and turn off a game. Now with the Saint’s bounty scandal, I can’t say that I’ll watch this fall.
I learned to play softball from listening to Herb Carneal and Halsey Hall broadcast Twins games in the summer. Now the Twins are so painful to watch! They did manage to win last night though.
My favorite thing is a summertime softball or baseball game. I put my cap on, grab a bag of seeds, sit in the bleachers or on the grass outside the fence, watch, spit seeds, and mellow out. A minor league or local ball game is a thing of beauty and good for the soul.
BTW, are you watching the Kentucky Derby?
Rivera is indeed a class act. If he does come back next year, I hope it’s one save and then walks away. The 43 year old body may not hold up and he deserves to go out on top. I say that as a Yankee hater.
The Derby was a great race this year D.E.
Ha! I’m a Yankee hater too!
I’m still mad about killing wolves and birds.