What a speacial pleasure to wake up, in February no less, to the sound of bird chirping softly, sun filtering through the blinds and the warm snuggliness of your bed. Even better, rolling over to discover it's only 7:42. 7:42! What a great day so far.
The last week has been pretty full, and I have had several items I wanted to blog about, but I have put them off. Here's a digest of some recent thoughts that spans a range of topics:
The Academy Awards: My full wrap up of tonight's gala should come later this week. Topics to watch -- Chris Rock's performance, if any leading lady gets bitchy after she loses to Hilary Swank, how long the Ronald Reagan clip is in the compilation of dead Hollywood people, if I fall asleep because the ceremony is so dang long. Oh yeah, if "Million Dollar Baby" wins Best Picture. It better.
Eastern Washington, The State: Bob Morton, a state legislator from the hinterlands of northeastern Washington, pulled his annual stunt: He tried to get Washington to split into two states. The twist this year: A legislator from King County, which contains Seattle, said, in essence, Go then. We're better off without you anyway. Western Washington sends a bunch of cash to eastern Washington in the form of taxes spent on roads, etc. Do we really want to rank 51st in everything? Look, everyone knows this split isn't going to happen unless Tom DeLay gets to the U.S. Senate. It would mean the Repubs get a couple R Senators. Big deal. Maybe it could be a compromise for D.C. statehood. Now there's a plan.
I love the Internet: Saturday night was happenin' for me. Did my taxes -- online. Filed my FAFSA (student aid for my graduate degree) -- online. I love that! I spent just about four hours doing everything. By the way, I have a handsome overpayment that I expect returned to my bank account soon, so I need to figure how to spend it. I think I could have had more (a deduction for education-related books and I forgot to include some of my professional subscriptions), but I'll just consider that a bonus to Ol' Uncle Sam. We need it after GWB raided the Treasury in his one-two punch of "refunds" and occupation of Iraq.
Whistleblowers: The Chelan County PUD (the utility that uses hydro power to generate electricity and sells it to us cheaply) is working on a new whistleblower policy. Basically, the general counsel investigates complaints now. But she is widely seen as working for the management and commissioners. She says she works for the people. Riiiiight. That's why two significant complaints from mid-level managers resulted in no validity; one was fired and the other threatened. Some objected to how much it would cost to have an outside attorney investigate. The Wenatchee World editorialized: "One wonders why no similar eyebrow was raised when the computer project went $10 million over budget. And since when has the PUD balked at spending money on lawyers? It's difficult to find a law firm that doesn't represent the PUD." Touché.
Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, et al.: Dudes, we know you did it. Steroids, that is. Cop to it, shut up and move on. You're starting to look as pathetic as Pete Rose.
-- Wenatchee, Wash.
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7 comments:
I have a comment about the baseball players. Let em' use stoids. I like watching the ball get hit 600ft.
Seriously though,
I personally believe that Conseco doesn't have the right to make the accusations he has. What he is doing with his book is spreading rumors; takes you back to high school doesn't it? The fact is we only have to go off of what the actual players have to say about themselves using stoids. We all know that Bonds, Giambi, and others probably used stoids but it is not Conseco's place to make that accusation.
It seems to me that Conseco is bitter. My personal opinion is that he is upset because he did not get nominated into the baseball hall of fame. He believes that this is because he did not reach the 500 home run club.
While this may be true, I feel he is trying to bring down as many other great names with him as he can. He admitted to using stoids and did not get into the hall of fame. I think that he feels that it is not fair that other players are (in his opinio) using stoids and getting better results.
If you are the captain going down with the ship why not take your crew with you?
Canseco is an idiot. No argument there.
Jose Canseco, bitter though he is, has a definite point: steroids are rampant. This Spring Training must be a record for lost weight! You can't take the players' word on this; they have no reason to tell the truth. Barry Bonds won't even admit it and his testimony was released. Barry can't get in trouble if he admits it, but he won't even though everyone knows. Last year he could've shot up while on deck, and there would have been no punishment, but he's still silent.
The problem is that the players will have to face that stigma, and they don't want to deal with it. The players know they will never be seen with any legitimacy again as players. I personally think the public really doesn't care, though. Look at Sammy and his corked bat (besides his steroid juiced body). No one discusses it any more. He cheated. It's that simple. People could care less if players cheat because they rationalize the actions.
3, 14, 8, 8, 14, 26, 22: Palmeiro's HR totals before Canseco joined the team. Jose says he introduced Rafael to steroids after Palmeiro hit 22 in 1992.
37, 23, 39, 39, 38, 43, 37, 49, 47, 43, 38: Palmeiro's HR totals after Jose says he gave him steroids. Quite a startling change.
Jose "outed" McGwire as well. McGwire doen't publicly denounce Jose because it would draw attention and condemn him.
When Brady Anderson, a lead-off hitter for Baltimore, hit 50 homers in 1996 (a contract year no less) and never had more than 24 any other time, I knew ‘roids were killing the game. Also, he lost a bunch of weight in the off-season and never showed any more power. GAining and losing muscle like that is not natural.
I think the line of separation for modern and old records should be the strike-shortened year of 1994 when, for some strange reason, everything changed. Hitting numbers suddenly sky-rocketed at the exact time when the Majors needed to boost their ratings and product. Too convenient. Drugs are ruining the purity of the game. The Commish has looked away and everyone in baseball knows it. Bigger hits numbers = bigger ratings, ticket sales, and paraphenalia purchases.
Maris' 61 in '61 looks all the more impressive as does the Babe's 60 because they didn't need to be juiced to do it (though the Babe was probably sauced half the time).
Every change in the game the last 35 years has been made to increase offense: smaller stadiums, a lower mound, the DH, an unenforced high strike, redesigned balls, etc. Either we need to say the game will never be close to pure again or take steps to clean it up. Either way, we need to be honest about it.
The Mariners are terrible. They have never been to a World Series. They lost 99 games last year. Ha ha ha ha ha.
Drpezz,
This is the first thing you've written on this blog that actually makes sense. I commend you for properly understanding the issue for once.
Anonymous,
It probably made sense since you agree! LOL! Your comment was pretty funny. :)
Anonymous posters irritate me.
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