Sheila and I have been seeing a lot of each other over the past several weeks. Most weekends we spend the whole day doing something together (today she's at her house getting caught up on some things too). Last weekend we did a lot of walking. Weekends before it was barbecuing, visiting, or going out to eat. Last night we went to a baseball game. Next weekend is the county fair. When she comes over later on, I'm firing up the grill and slow-cooking a flat brisket.
We've been doing a lot of things together, and having lots of fun.
However, I feel the need to catch up here, and to post some random thoughts and observations.
* * * * * * *
Dennis Rodman was over in North Korea not so long ago. A lot of people, most notably on the talk radio circuit and a few here and there on Fox News have a problem with him.
Me, I don't have a problem with Dennis Rodman going over there. I really don't.
My problem with Dennis Rodman is that he came back.
* * * * * * *
There seems to be a push in some (if not all) in the "blue" states to tighten gun control laws in the wake of some tragedies. There are even some efforts on the federal level.
I can't point to a single law, passed or proposed, that would have prevented these tragedies. Connecticut will require the registration of high capacity magazines while outlawing the possession of newer high capacity magazines.
First of all, the criminals aren't going to register their magazines. They simply won't. Those in favor of this law must know this, yet they insist on magazine registration.
That tells me that the purpose of this law (and other laws requiring registration of firearms) have only one purpose. That purpose is to let the government know where the legally held firearms are. They don't seem interested in knowing where the criminally held firearms are. Why is that?
A conspiracy theorist will tell you that the purpose of these laws are to set the stage for a future confiscation.
I find that kind of viewpoint difficult to disagree with.
As I've said before, criminals don't register their guns.
* * * * * * *
While driving around Tuesday night, I tuned in to one of the talk radio shows, and it was Andy Dean interviewing a professor. I unfortunately did not catch this professor's name or which institution of higher learning he was with. The professor criticized Andy Dean for not wanting to "invest" in infrastructure such as roads and bridges.
I don't know about the professor, or about you, but me, when I think of the term "invest" and the act of investing, I'm doing so because I want to get some sort of monetary return on this.
How do I invest in the widening of some interstate highway somewhere? There's no toll being collected on that highway (at least not here in the West) and no dividend that the highway is going to pay me. There might be a publicly owned construction firm that I could buy stock in, but I wouldn't be "investing" in it since I'm not allowed to designate a portion of my tax dollars to purchase stock in that company.
Likewise, there are extremely wealthy owners of sports franchises in Major League baseball or the NFL who demand that the city buy them a new stadium using public funds. The politicians then beg the voters for another tax increase in order to "invest" in that new stadium or arena in order to keep the team.
If the word "investment" is accurate in these instances, then how come the major Wall Street corporations don't form consortia to "invest" in new ballparks and basketball/hockey arenas?
Two reasons. One, they don't have to if they know that gullible voters can be suckerered into increasing the sales tax, and two, the projects won't return money anyway.
Seattle blew up the Kingdome a few years back, and they're still making payments on it.
* * * * * * *
This brings up another topic. Sheila and Iwere talking about baseball strikes that seem to occur every so often. I remember that one back in 1972, the one in 1981, and especially the one in 1994. There always is some debate over what the cause of the strike is. Some say the baseball players are being greedy, and others say the owners are being greedy. I'll go so far as to say that both sides are greedy, and that one consequence of a bunch of money gathering in one place is that everybody who is near that money will get into a bitter fight over who that pile of money belongs to.
I have another theory as to why there are baseball strikes, hockey lockouts, and other labor disputes in professional sports.
The cause of these strikes are the fans.
When the strike is over, the fans always come back (there were a lot of fans who did not come back after the 1994 baseball strike; and who never will). The fans are willing to pay $10 for parking, $60 for a ticket, $8 for a beer, $4 for a hot dog.......it's the fans who keep coming back, no matter what the price is, that is causing these labor disputes.
If the fans were to form a union and demand lower ticket and concession prices and to go on strike until their demands were met, they might stand a chance of actually winning such a strike.
* * * * * * *
Yes, we went to a baseball game last night. Parking was free, the great seats were $10, and we got a good honest game out of it. It was the Triple A Tucson Padres, who are in their last year in Tucson, hosting the Fresno Grizzlies. Next year they play in El Paso, and unless the local Golden Baseball League franchise is re-activated we will be without baseball here in the Old Pueblo next year.
Tucson isn't exactly a baseball town. The Sidewinders did not get fan support, and now they're in Reno playing as the Aces. The Tucson Padres came here with their owners expecting Escondido to build them a new ballpark, but that fell through. El Paso then agreed to build a new ballpark for them and it will be ready next year.
I like minor league ball, in that you get an honest game. The players are all itching to move up to the majors, so they're not yet crybabies.
As for major league ball: I won't go.
When the players came back after the 1994 strike, I went on strike as a fan and I'm still on strike. I can't so much tell you the teams who have been in the World Series since then.
* * * * * * *
Don't forget to pet a dog or a cat.
