Posted 7:46 AM by Robert Ronald Smith

Another boring Series

Boston whups Colorado in 4 straight games... big surprise (not) and another depressing drop in what was once an exciting sport. The Red Sox, with player salaries almost 3 times that of the Rockies, was never in jeopardy of even losing one Series game.

What sickens me is the obvious excitement of Red Sox fans, who can somehow delude themselves into believing that their city is better for having a "winner". How can anyone be thrilled at "their team" simply buying overwhelming talent? The last 4 World Series have been yawners, and Boston has won two of those four in 4-0 sweeps.

Baseball is supposedly a "sport", but the World Series has become no more "sporting" than the Roman Circus was. Today's fans flock to the event, not for a sporting event, but to take delight in the destruction of opposition. How a Boston fan can feel anything remotely like pride is an indication that the word "sport" has lost its meaning to them.

Posted 9:49 AM by Robert Ronald Smith

There are annoyances and there are ANNOYANCES

For some reason, my PC thought we just had a time change overnight. Near as I can tell by checking other sources, we did not. Just an annoyance, and not nearly as serious as the baggy-pants jackasses who hang out upstairs and play constant "music" with the bass turned up high, resulting in a near-constant thumping.

Posted 10:14 AM by Robert Ronald Smith

I love a good point of argument

In a splendid example of "what's good for the goose is good for the gander", or "turnabout is fair play", the President of Ecuador is willing to renew the U.S.'s lease on an air base in Ecuador in exchange for an Ecuadorean base in Miami. President Correa made a simple argument:

"If there's no problem having foreign soldiers on a country's soil, surely they'll let us have an Ecuadorean base in the United States."

Seems perfectly reasonable to me.

Posted 12:53 PM by Robert Ronald Smith

Hyped to the hilt

My mind whirls in disbelief as I read about the furor over ticket sales to a concert by Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana, a 14-year-old Disney "creation". Tickets that were listed at $24 are evidently being bootlegged for well over $100 (and much more), and parents of young girls are furious.

I gotta admit... I've never been a concert goer... never understood the supposedly huge advantage to seeing someone perform in person versus just listening. I can remember being to three... Peter, Paul, and Mary & Doc Severinsen included. The other one I've forgotten. Even looking back with the fondness of reminiscing, they hardly seem worth it. I do fully appreciate the difference in listening to live music over recorded, but only when you can get close to the artists and aren't surrounded by thousands of frenetic fans. Watching and listening from a hundred feet or more is not my idea of enjoyment.

But, what really blows my mind is that a concert tour even exists that would drive parents to indulge their pre-teen daughters to the extent of even $24 tickets. When my daughters were of an age appropriate, spending $72 for 3 tickets, plus parking, and assorted other costs was out of the question. How it's possible, in an economy most describe as a recession, that 14,000 will fight to pay that, is beyond my comprehension. Can it be true that kids are indulged to that extent, or that being "with it" is so culturally necessary for kids?

As I write, a friend is in Vegas especially to go to a Tony Bennett concert. That makes a little sense. Bennett has been a star for over 50 years and, at age 80, surely won't perform much longer. Contrast that with a "star" who has been hyped at age 14, and likely will be nobody a year from now. No comparison.

Posted 10:59 AM by Robert Ronald Smith

Does it look safe?

I have little doubt that the new 35W bridge over the river will be safe, but, after scaring the bejeebers out of Minnesota drivers, it would be nice if it looked safe too. It's not a reassuring design...


...especially compared with the built-like-a-brick-backhouse 10th Avenue bridge right next to it. Why they avoided putting a pier in the river puzzles me. With an art/design background, I can admire the looks of the design, but very few people are ever going to see it... it's a piece of freeway that doesn't need to be structurally handsome nearly as much as it needs to be structurally SAFE, and that, to my thinking, includes being obviously safe-looking.

Posted 10:24 AM by Robert Ronald Smith

Paul Jacob arrested

Paul Jacob, long-time libertarian, author of the daily Common Sense commentary for the Sam Adams Alliance, and activist for Term Limits and Initiative and Referendum, has been arrested in Oklahoma City. I worked with Paul several years ago on trying to get I & R passed in the MN legislature. This arrest of professional and mild-mannered Paul illustrates how protective Democratic and Republican politicians are of their overbearing power. In this case, the culprit is a Democratic Attorney General, who is using fuzzy and probably unconstitutional law to persecute those who would petition in Oklahoma. Click on the image to read more.

Posted 9:57 AM by Robert Ronald Smith

I saw it too

I saw the streak in the sky too, on Wed. afternoon, but it seems clear to me that, based on news reports, that there was more than one. I saw one clearly, while I was near the intersection of 66th and Xerxes in Edina, facing west. It was low in the sky, appearing over Southdale to me, and seemed to be traveling almost due west. I would guess that, if it struck the ground it might have been west of Edina.