Well, The Common Man is in Minnesota now, watching The Uncommon Wife eat breakfast and The Boy play on the ground with Grandma. Despite the inability of the Minnesota Twins to actually hit a baseball, the trip has been incredibly relaxing thus far. It's nice to get away from the political pressure cooker that is State College.
You see, in their infinite wisdom, over the past year the State College School Board has proposed and begun the process of rebuilding State College Area High School, turning it into an architectural and technological wonderland. The proposed bill for the reconstruction effort was in excess of $100 million, and was initially approved with little input from the community at large.
Understandably, members of the State College community were concerned about a $100 million construction project in their town that they would be on the hook for. After several contentious and marathon-length school board meetings (more than 200 community members spoke at one meeting), the board decided to continue with its plans. In response, a large coalition of community members banded together to back a new slate of candidates for the board, resulting in a relatively massive media campaign that included major radio air time.
Anyway, to make a long story short (and overly simple), the school board was voted out on Tuesday, but will remain in office until December. The bids that have been submitted for their construction project total $17 million more than the board has budgeted. The current board (the one that got voted out) still can continue down this path, can revise their proposal, or can table the matter until the fall. Meanwhile, there is not a viable plan in place to replace the outdated and inadequate high school that exists right now. Pipe dreams of magical classrooms and cynical politics of not wanting to pay up for school construction have gotten in the way of meaningful school reform for students again, and the refusal of the two sides to come to any kind of consensus means that State College's high school students will still be working in crumbling schools for years to come. Given the relative wealth and educational background of the State College community at large, this is unacceptable.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh....They Could Be Watching
A quick programming note: The Common Man, The Uncommon Wife, and The Boy are winging home to Heaven-on-Earth, aka Minnesota, until the end of the week. Expect light blogging between now and then, by which The Common Man means two or three short posts. Sorry, but The Boy needs to meet his great-grandmother.
Last week, The Common Man hinted at "The Atkins Conspiracy," and in the interest of getting himself sued for libel, he thinks it is important to relay it here. It is important to note that The Common Man has no evidence for his beliefs, and nothing aside from his own sparkling reputation to back it up. Nor does he really know if he believes in this conspiracy, or whether it's just fun to talk about and speculate over.
This story begins a little more than four years ago, in Maine, where The Common Man was more like The Common Fatass (not that The Common Man is The Common Skinnyass now). Recognizing that fat, drunk, and stupid was no way to go through life, The Common Man searched for a way to lose the weight while not giving up his carnivorous tendencies. At that time, Dr. Atkins and his diet were all the rage, and The Common Man and the then Uncommon Girlfriend decided to give it a shot. To The Common Man's surprise, he dropped almost 25 pounds in two months, it was a revelation. Ultimately, the diet was not sustainable (in part because The Common Man already has high colesterol and didn't want to know what he was doing to his poor poor arteries (which he swears he could hear screaming in the night)).
Shortly thereafter, Dr. Robert Atkins, the inventor of the Atkins diet, apparently slipped on some ice outside of his apartment, bumped his head, slipped into a coma, and never woke up. Before his death, Atkins had built up a personal fortune in excess of $600 million dollars based on his controversial, counter-intuitive diet plan. Here is where things get interesting.
Sure, the Atkins family tells the public that the good doctor "slipped on some ice," but let The Common Man ask you a question: What would have happened if Dr. Atkins had not slipped and fallen on the ice that day? A very real possibility is that the already elderly Atkins (73 years old) could have (eventually) died from one of many coronary or renal related causes (the two most common complaints about his diet). And how would that have looked, eh? The inventor of the world's most famous diet, dying from the effects of his own diet, a cash cow.
That's why The Common Man wonders whether Dr. Atkins was murdered by someone who feared the financial ruin that would accompany such an unfortunate and ironic demise. Indeed, given the timing of his death, the inheritors of the Atkins empire could reasonably have expected to go on making money for years.
Meanwhile, that bastion of responsible journalism, The New York Post has spent recent days covering the saga of Atkins' widow, apparently the sole beneficiary of the doctor's will. Allegedly, she is "living in fear," with her new husband (who has a reputation for marrying rich women and getting divorced), of the trustees she hired to manage her husband's estate. Apparently, when the trustees refused to release $100 million of the money to her (she's only supposed to get $1.2 million per month), she stopped paying them. In response, the three trustees have brought suit for their back wages ($1.2 million per year, each) and taken out a $15 million insurance policy on her life.
So, given the (thoroughly shaky) motive and cast of weasily characters, there is just enough to give The Common Man's Atkins conspiracy theory just the slightest whiff of plausibility. This is, of course, all that a conspiracy theory really needs to find legs. And now that so many 9/11 Conspiracy Theorists have been disappointed to learn that, indeed, steel can melt. The Common Man recommends The Atkins Conspiracy as the new theory-du-jour to give those idiots something to talk about.
Last week, The Common Man hinted at "The Atkins Conspiracy," and in the interest of getting himself sued for libel, he thinks it is important to relay it here. It is important to note that The Common Man has no evidence for his beliefs, and nothing aside from his own sparkling reputation to back it up. Nor does he really know if he believes in this conspiracy, or whether it's just fun to talk about and speculate over.
This story begins a little more than four years ago, in Maine, where The Common Man was more like The Common Fatass (not that The Common Man is The Common Skinnyass now). Recognizing that fat, drunk, and stupid was no way to go through life, The Common Man searched for a way to lose the weight while not giving up his carnivorous tendencies. At that time, Dr. Atkins and his diet were all the rage, and The Common Man and the then Uncommon Girlfriend decided to give it a shot. To The Common Man's surprise, he dropped almost 25 pounds in two months, it was a revelation. Ultimately, the diet was not sustainable (in part because The Common Man already has high colesterol and didn't want to know what he was doing to his poor poor arteries (which he swears he could hear screaming in the night)).
Shortly thereafter, Dr. Robert Atkins, the inventor of the Atkins diet, apparently slipped on some ice outside of his apartment, bumped his head, slipped into a coma, and never woke up. Before his death, Atkins had built up a personal fortune in excess of $600 million dollars based on his controversial, counter-intuitive diet plan. Here is where things get interesting.
Sure, the Atkins family tells the public that the good doctor "slipped on some ice," but let The Common Man ask you a question: What would have happened if Dr. Atkins had not slipped and fallen on the ice that day? A very real possibility is that the already elderly Atkins (73 years old) could have (eventually) died from one of many coronary or renal related causes (the two most common complaints about his diet). And how would that have looked, eh? The inventor of the world's most famous diet, dying from the effects of his own diet, a cash cow.
That's why The Common Man wonders whether Dr. Atkins was murdered by someone who feared the financial ruin that would accompany such an unfortunate and ironic demise. Indeed, given the timing of his death, the inheritors of the Atkins empire could reasonably have expected to go on making money for years.
Meanwhile, that bastion of responsible journalism, The New York Post has spent recent days covering the saga of Atkins' widow, apparently the sole beneficiary of the doctor's will. Allegedly, she is "living in fear," with her new husband (who has a reputation for marrying rich women and getting divorced), of the trustees she hired to manage her husband's estate. Apparently, when the trustees refused to release $100 million of the money to her (she's only supposed to get $1.2 million per month), she stopped paying them. In response, the three trustees have brought suit for their back wages ($1.2 million per year, each) and taken out a $15 million insurance policy on her life.
So, given the (thoroughly shaky) motive and cast of weasily characters, there is just enough to give The Common Man's Atkins conspiracy theory just the slightest whiff of plausibility. This is, of course, all that a conspiracy theory really needs to find legs. And now that so many 9/11 Conspiracy Theorists have been disappointed to learn that, indeed, steel can melt. The Common Man recommends The Atkins Conspiracy as the new theory-du-jour to give those idiots something to talk about.
Friday, May 11, 2007
A Change of Plans
The Common Man planned to talk today about how he had officially exceeded the number of blog posts from April already this month. But scrapped that when the President decided that someone needed to blink in this whole Iraq funding issue and graciously did so, relenting to Congress's demand of benchmarks (a concept The Common Man is still not comfortable with when they are tied into continued funding). Then he scrapped that after read a headline in the New York Post and was going to talk about The Atkins Conspiracy (which he a) made up and b) will undoubtedly get to on Monday). Then, he returned home and found this article on Rob Neyer's blog at ESPN.com that linked to this article in the Village Voice.
The Village Voice article documents a perceived string of inappropriate gifts and perks given to Rudy Giuliani by the New York Yankees while he was Mayor of New York City. Between 1996 and 2001, the article alleges that Giuliani received four World Series rings from the team, as well as front-row box seats, memorabilia, and apparel. The article alleges that the gifts given by the Yankees to Giuliani add up to more than $300,000 (though their math can be disputed). Adding to the sordid picture of Giuliani's relationship with the Yankees are the mayor's final hours in office, in which he green lit a $400 million dollar, tax-payer financed ballpark plan for the team, an effort that was almost immediately canceled by Mayor Bloomberg. If true, Giuliani's actions are particularly egregious in light of his enthusiastic campaign against city corruption, in which several prominent city employees were forced to resign after accepting gifts from city vendors. Giuliani himself was highly critical of these employees.
The article is problematic, in that it is clearly written from a biased perspective and seems to revel in the muck it is raking up. Also, the author's decision to value the rings at $200,000 is based on what the rings would be worth on the open market, not what they cost to make or that the team paid for them (in a closed market). But Caesar's wife must be above reproach, and so should Caesar. So it seems as though an investigation into these gifts is warranted, an investigation that will undoubtedly hurt Giuliani's campaign, whether it uncovers any wrongdoing or not.
The Village Voice article documents a perceived string of inappropriate gifts and perks given to Rudy Giuliani by the New York Yankees while he was Mayor of New York City. Between 1996 and 2001, the article alleges that Giuliani received four World Series rings from the team, as well as front-row box seats, memorabilia, and apparel. The article alleges that the gifts given by the Yankees to Giuliani add up to more than $300,000 (though their math can be disputed). Adding to the sordid picture of Giuliani's relationship with the Yankees are the mayor's final hours in office, in which he green lit a $400 million dollar, tax-payer financed ballpark plan for the team, an effort that was almost immediately canceled by Mayor Bloomberg. If true, Giuliani's actions are particularly egregious in light of his enthusiastic campaign against city corruption, in which several prominent city employees were forced to resign after accepting gifts from city vendors. Giuliani himself was highly critical of these employees.
The article is problematic, in that it is clearly written from a biased perspective and seems to revel in the muck it is raking up. Also, the author's decision to value the rings at $200,000 is based on what the rings would be worth on the open market, not what they cost to make or that the team paid for them (in a closed market). But Caesar's wife must be above reproach, and so should Caesar. So it seems as though an investigation into these gifts is warranted, an investigation that will undoubtedly hurt Giuliani's campaign, whether it uncovers any wrongdoing or not.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Up the Down Escalator
The Common Man is finding it very difficult to sympathize with the Democratic Party these days. He finds this particularly frustrating, since the alternative is so distasteful and untrustworthy. Indeed, as more and morepolitical and more appointees are forced to resign for being thoroughly and utterly corrupt, and more and more and more stubbornly refuse to do so, it has become apparent that this administration is rotten to the core, even if, in some cases, it has become so through the best of intentions.
Yet, Democrats continue to play games with the Iraq war funding, refusing to send the President an acceptable bill, they have a detrimental affect on our soldiers' efforts. It's impossible to sympathize with a group (or a President) whose intransigence is delaying the delivery of properly armored vehicles. It's virtually criminal.
The Common Man is unsure if he's brought this up in this space or not, but he is fairly certain that, if you break something (as we seem to have done in Iraq), it is incumbent upon you to buy it. Any effort to leave the country, at this point, may be emotionally satisfying, but is immorral and will damage America's already shaky credibility with the people of the next country it invades (The Common Man is looking at you Iran!). Indeed, how can citizens of the countries that we "liberate" have any enthusiasm for our presence if our appearance is the harbinger of disaster, chaos, and destruction? The Common Man believes that the U.S. is obligated to stay and is frustrated that Dems are advocating the opposite in a cynical attempt to win votes.
Meanwhile, of course, George Bush is largely to blame for getting the country into this mess. Thanks, George. And now The Common Man is forced to agree with him, even if he shares neither his optimism nor his motivations. The Common Man thinks he may just have thrown up in his mouth a little.
Yet, Democrats continue to play games with the Iraq war funding, refusing to send the President an acceptable bill, they have a detrimental affect on our soldiers' efforts. It's impossible to sympathize with a group (or a President) whose intransigence is delaying the delivery of properly armored vehicles. It's virtually criminal.
The Common Man is unsure if he's brought this up in this space or not, but he is fairly certain that, if you break something (as we seem to have done in Iraq), it is incumbent upon you to buy it. Any effort to leave the country, at this point, may be emotionally satisfying, but is immorral and will damage America's already shaky credibility with the people of the next country it invades (The Common Man is looking at you Iran!). Indeed, how can citizens of the countries that we "liberate" have any enthusiasm for our presence if our appearance is the harbinger of disaster, chaos, and destruction? The Common Man believes that the U.S. is obligated to stay and is frustrated that Dems are advocating the opposite in a cynical attempt to win votes.
Meanwhile, of course, George Bush is largely to blame for getting the country into this mess. Thanks, George. And now The Common Man is forced to agree with him, even if he shares neither his optimism nor his motivations. The Common Man thinks he may just have thrown up in his mouth a little.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Royal Pain in the...
The Commmon Man forgot to extend a warm welcome to a visitor to this great nation while she was here, and regrets his lack of manners. As most of you know, the United States (and specifically the state of Virginia) has played host over the past week to real royalty, as Queen Elizabeth has graced her former colony to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. It's been an interesting visit for Her Majesty, as she's attended the Kentucky Derby, met with survivors of the VA Tech tragedy, toured Jamestown with Dick Cheney (perhaps the unlikeliest couple since Lyle Lovett hypnotized Julia Roberts with his smooth, mournful, baritone voice), and endured a state dinner with a more bumbling than usual President Bush (seriously, he winked at her!).
Throughout her trip, Americans have tripped all over themselves to get close, catch a glimpse, and prostrate themselves before her. According to USA Today, Virginia has "spent about $11 million on the queen's visit, [and] has been preparing for months." Despite this extravagance, it's not as though the commonwealth's efforts have been unappreciated by its people. The same article points out that "Nearly 20,000 people entered a lottery for 108 spots on Richmond's Capitol Square, where the queen strolled on her walkabout. Thousands more gathered on the lawn around the square to await her arrival and watch her on giant screens." Similar crowds awaited her at Churchill Downs (where there were long lines to get pictures with an Elizabeth impersonator). Statesmen and VIPs and commoners alike bowed before her.
This fascination with the Queen and her family is not terribly surprising (she is, after all, the ultimate celebrity), but the reason for her fame and attention at this point is puzzling. As The Uncommon Wife pointed out, "didn't we, like, fight a war so that we wouldn't have to fawn over royalty?" Yes, yes indeed we did. And it's not as though this woman has any social clout. Sure, the papers report what she says and she wears, but it's not as though 20 million 80-year olds are suddenly going to jump up and buy "a fine wool coat of lime green, with a matching silk dress in a small floral print and a lime green hat with a fuchsia trim." She's not a trend-setter. And, obviously, though the head of the (at this point) fictitious British Empire, the woman has no more political power than The Common Man does. Indeed, the first time she even tries to excercise any political muscle, The Common Man is certain that her people will kindly remind her that her ancestors used to imprison, torture, and execute them on a fairly consistent basis and that she has no real qualifications for her "job" aside from that ancestry.
So why does this country (and England, and Canada, and Australia, and New Zealand) care so much, particularly after casting off the British yolk 231 years ago? The Common Man doesn't get it. And that's saying a lot, considering how much The Common Man gets.
Throughout her trip, Americans have tripped all over themselves to get close, catch a glimpse, and prostrate themselves before her. According to USA Today, Virginia has "spent about $11 million on the queen's visit, [and] has been preparing for months." Despite this extravagance, it's not as though the commonwealth's efforts have been unappreciated by its people. The same article points out that "Nearly 20,000 people entered a lottery for 108 spots on Richmond's Capitol Square, where the queen strolled on her walkabout. Thousands more gathered on the lawn around the square to await her arrival and watch her on giant screens." Similar crowds awaited her at Churchill Downs (where there were long lines to get pictures with an Elizabeth impersonator). Statesmen and VIPs and commoners alike bowed before her.
This fascination with the Queen and her family is not terribly surprising (she is, after all, the ultimate celebrity), but the reason for her fame and attention at this point is puzzling. As The Uncommon Wife pointed out, "didn't we, like, fight a war so that we wouldn't have to fawn over royalty?" Yes, yes indeed we did. And it's not as though this woman has any social clout. Sure, the papers report what she says and she wears, but it's not as though 20 million 80-year olds are suddenly going to jump up and buy "a fine wool coat of lime green, with a matching silk dress in a small floral print and a lime green hat with a fuchsia trim." She's not a trend-setter. And, obviously, though the head of the (at this point) fictitious British Empire, the woman has no more political power than The Common Man does. Indeed, the first time she even tries to excercise any political muscle, The Common Man is certain that her people will kindly remind her that her ancestors used to imprison, torture, and execute them on a fairly consistent basis and that she has no real qualifications for her "job" aside from that ancestry.
So why does this country (and England, and Canada, and Australia, and New Zealand) care so much, particularly after casting off the British yolk 231 years ago? The Common Man doesn't get it. And that's saying a lot, considering how much The Common Man gets.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Picking and Choosing
Observant readers may have noticed (not on this blog, but in the news) a few weeks ago that Nancy Pelosi was roundly criticized by the President, his administration, and Republicans of all shapes and sizes when she and a diplomatic envoy went to Syria and met with some high mucketymucks. Presumably, her trip was a response to the Iraq Study Group's recommendation to engage Mid-East actors in high level negotiations and encourage them to withdraw support from terrorist organizations and to close their borders to Iraq, effectively shutting off the pipeline of weapons and foreign-born Iraqi terrorists.
Still, White House spokesperson Dana Perino claimed, "We do not encourage and, in fact, we discourage members of Congress to make such visits to Syria. This is a country that is a state sponsor of terror.... I don't know what she is trying to accomplish, and I don't know if anyone in the administration has spoken to her about it. In general, we do discourage such trips.... I know that Assad probably really wants people to come and have a photo opportunity and have tea with him, and have discussions about where they're coming from, but we do think that's a really bad idea." A spokesperson for the State Department argued that "it's not the right time to have those high-profile visitors to Syria." Mitt Romney called her visit "outrageous," and said "It's a very bad idea to be carrying out a separate and independent foreign policy from the president of the United States. I just don't know what got into her head, to be completely honest with you. I think it was a huge, huge mistake." Indeed, silly woman, I don't know what got into you. You leave that there difficult diplomacy to the menfolk.
Anyway, most media outlets, and the whole of conservative pundits and politicians said nothing about the visits of Republican congressmen Wolf, Pitts, and Aderholf two days before Pelosi's trip. Indeed, they all met with President Assad, but Pelosi was the only one singled out.
Now, in a stunning reversal of policy, the White House has decided to engage Syria in diplomacy on its own. At a conference in Egypt, Rice had "constructive and transparent" talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem over securing its borders with Iraq. It was the first meeting on the ministerial-level in more than two years. On a related note, Major General William Caldwell pointed out that "There has been a reduction in the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq for more than a month." Of course, there has been no criticism of Rice's meeting.
The Common Man does not know whether Pelosi's trip has had any discernable effect on Syria's foreign policy. But both the White House and Ms. Pelosi should be commended for their efforts to encourage Syria, in a face-to-face manner, to change their policies regarding their support of Hezbollah, their interference in Lebanon's internal affairs, and their lax border security. Yet, the differing reactions to the two meetings points out the height of hypocrasy at work in this administration. Indeed, between alternately giving "Brownie" and George Tenets medals of freedom and using them as scapegoats at the first sign that they are breaking from the administration's line (not that they weren't, in reality, incompetant and blundersome), the marginalization of Colin Powell, and the singling out of Speaker Pelosi, it's a wonder that anyone trusts and supports this administration anymore.
Still, White House spokesperson Dana Perino claimed, "We do not encourage and, in fact, we discourage members of Congress to make such visits to Syria. This is a country that is a state sponsor of terror.... I don't know what she is trying to accomplish, and I don't know if anyone in the administration has spoken to her about it. In general, we do discourage such trips.... I know that Assad probably really wants people to come and have a photo opportunity and have tea with him, and have discussions about where they're coming from, but we do think that's a really bad idea." A spokesperson for the State Department argued that "it's not the right time to have those high-profile visitors to Syria." Mitt Romney called her visit "outrageous," and said "It's a very bad idea to be carrying out a separate and independent foreign policy from the president of the United States. I just don't know what got into her head, to be completely honest with you. I think it was a huge, huge mistake." Indeed, silly woman, I don't know what got into you. You leave that there difficult diplomacy to the menfolk.
Anyway, most media outlets, and the whole of conservative pundits and politicians said nothing about the visits of Republican congressmen Wolf, Pitts, and Aderholf two days before Pelosi's trip. Indeed, they all met with President Assad, but Pelosi was the only one singled out.
Now, in a stunning reversal of policy, the White House has decided to engage Syria in diplomacy on its own. At a conference in Egypt, Rice had "constructive and transparent" talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem over securing its borders with Iraq. It was the first meeting on the ministerial-level in more than two years. On a related note, Major General William Caldwell pointed out that "There has been a reduction in the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq for more than a month." Of course, there has been no criticism of Rice's meeting.
The Common Man does not know whether Pelosi's trip has had any discernable effect on Syria's foreign policy. But both the White House and Ms. Pelosi should be commended for their efforts to encourage Syria, in a face-to-face manner, to change their policies regarding their support of Hezbollah, their interference in Lebanon's internal affairs, and their lax border security. Yet, the differing reactions to the two meetings points out the height of hypocrasy at work in this administration. Indeed, between alternately giving "Brownie" and George Tenets medals of freedom and using them as scapegoats at the first sign that they are breaking from the administration's line (not that they weren't, in reality, incompetant and blundersome), the marginalization of Colin Powell, and the singling out of Speaker Pelosi, it's a wonder that anyone trusts and supports this administration anymore.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Denying denial
Indulge The Common Man as he discusses the baseball. He does it so rarely.
It will come as little shock to most of you that Major League Baseball has problems. Indeed, despite record-breaking revenue and ever-increasing attendance, between steroids, amphetamine abuse, rising ticket costs, and a declining popularity with young males, baseball has its share of issues it will need to resolve in order to remain competitive with other sports leagues (*ahem*NFL*ahem, *ahem*Mixed Martial Arts*ahem*) in the long term.
But the issue that The Common Man wants to address today has been far less visible in the public eye until the recent death of St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock. Hancock was killed in an car accident at about 12:30 AM on Sunday morning, slamming his rented SUV (his car was in the shop due to another accident a few days earlier) into the back end of a tow truck that was stopped in the middle of the highway. Hancock was killed almost instantly. Since his death, police have revealed that the pitcher's blood/alchohol level was .157, or nearly twice the legal limit in Maryland. In addition, he had eight grams of marijuana in the car and was talking on his cell phone at the time of the accident.
These facts, of course, do not mitigate the tragedy of Hancock's death, as the loss of any life is a tragedy. That said, the culture from which Hancock comes and the reaction to it should give us insight into how one young man could be so stupid. You see, baseball is a sport that likes its beer. Most clubhouse refrigerators are well stocked with complimentary bottles and players are well-known to go out after their games for a few pops. Some of the most famous baseball players in the game's history have been heavy drinkers/probable alcoholics: Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Pete Rose. During Spring Training, Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa, the man who was supposed to be responsible for setting the tone for his team and for maintaining discipline amongst his players was charged with DUI. Though LaRussa only blew a .93 (Florida's limit is .08), he was asleep at the wheel of his car, sitting at a red light with his foot on the brake. And he did not initially wake up when officers tap, tap, tapped on his car window. The problem is not confined to the Cardinals. Prominent players Esteban Loiza and Dontrelle Willis have also been popped for DUI in the last year, as has Washington Nationals GM Jim Bowden.
Perhaps this is not so bad. After all, there are more than a thousand major league players, coaches, and prominent front office people. Some of them will, undoubtedly fail their good citizenship exams. But, of course, it is likely that far more players are stopped by police and released because they are recognized. Indeed, The Common Man is fairly sure that Johan Santana, Jason Bay, or Ichiro have a better chance of getting off with a light warning and an autograph than he or you do.
And before accepting Hancock's death as an isolated incident, consider the statements of Hancock's teammates and fellow players in the aftermath of his death. According ESPN.com, Cardinal Jim Edmonds "believed that by eliminating one of several elements -- alcohol, talking on the cell phone, speeding, a tow truck parked in a traffic lane with somewhat limited visibility -- Hancock probably would have made it to his destination." Houston Astros manager called what happened to Hancock a "perfect storm" of events that led to his death.
Such rationalizations deflect attention from the central problem that Hancock was drunk and distracted. Of course, if one to remove, say, the truck in the middle of the road, Hancock would have likely made it to his destination (which, according to the woman he was talking to, was another bar). But thousands of drunks make it home every night without killing anyone. This does not mean that driving drunk is somehow a better idea than calling a cab in those instances. Instead, it simply demonstrates that stupidity does not guarantee that you'll be hurt or hurt others. It just makes it much more likely. Sometimes, it takes a while for Darwin to catch up to idiots. After all, there are so many of them to get to. Baseball players, macho guys that they are, tend to believe that they have a high tolerance and deny that alcohol influences them in any significant way.
Following Loiza's arrest, the Oakland A's became one of the first major league teams to ban alcohol from its clubhouse, citing concerns about legal liability and public safety. Since Hancock's death, the Cardinals have followed suit. For far too long, baseball's dirty secret has been that it has a drinking...if not "problem," then what? Habit? Enthusiasm? Perhaps that's unsurprising, given that the league is filled with young, macho men, many of whom have been drinking heavily since their teens. But it is now incumbent upon Major League Baseball and its Commissioner, Bud Selig, to ban all alcohol, save for celebratory champaign, from major league clubhouses. It's time to send the message that work time is work time, and play time is play time, and that it's not imperative to have beer on hand at all times. And trust The Common Man, he says this as a man who has a healthy enthusiasm for beer.
It will come as little shock to most of you that Major League Baseball has problems. Indeed, despite record-breaking revenue and ever-increasing attendance, between steroids, amphetamine abuse, rising ticket costs, and a declining popularity with young males, baseball has its share of issues it will need to resolve in order to remain competitive with other sports leagues (*ahem*NFL*ahem, *ahem*Mixed Martial Arts*ahem*) in the long term.
But the issue that The Common Man wants to address today has been far less visible in the public eye until the recent death of St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock. Hancock was killed in an car accident at about 12:30 AM on Sunday morning, slamming his rented SUV (his car was in the shop due to another accident a few days earlier) into the back end of a tow truck that was stopped in the middle of the highway. Hancock was killed almost instantly. Since his death, police have revealed that the pitcher's blood/alchohol level was .157, or nearly twice the legal limit in Maryland. In addition, he had eight grams of marijuana in the car and was talking on his cell phone at the time of the accident.
These facts, of course, do not mitigate the tragedy of Hancock's death, as the loss of any life is a tragedy. That said, the culture from which Hancock comes and the reaction to it should give us insight into how one young man could be so stupid. You see, baseball is a sport that likes its beer. Most clubhouse refrigerators are well stocked with complimentary bottles and players are well-known to go out after their games for a few pops. Some of the most famous baseball players in the game's history have been heavy drinkers/probable alcoholics: Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Pete Rose. During Spring Training, Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa, the man who was supposed to be responsible for setting the tone for his team and for maintaining discipline amongst his players was charged with DUI. Though LaRussa only blew a .93 (Florida's limit is .08), he was asleep at the wheel of his car, sitting at a red light with his foot on the brake. And he did not initially wake up when officers tap, tap, tapped on his car window. The problem is not confined to the Cardinals. Prominent players Esteban Loiza and Dontrelle Willis have also been popped for DUI in the last year, as has Washington Nationals GM Jim Bowden.
Perhaps this is not so bad. After all, there are more than a thousand major league players, coaches, and prominent front office people. Some of them will, undoubtedly fail their good citizenship exams. But, of course, it is likely that far more players are stopped by police and released because they are recognized. Indeed, The Common Man is fairly sure that Johan Santana, Jason Bay, or Ichiro have a better chance of getting off with a light warning and an autograph than he or you do.
And before accepting Hancock's death as an isolated incident, consider the statements of Hancock's teammates and fellow players in the aftermath of his death. According ESPN.com, Cardinal Jim Edmonds "believed that by eliminating one of several elements -- alcohol, talking on the cell phone, speeding, a tow truck parked in a traffic lane with somewhat limited visibility -- Hancock probably would have made it to his destination." Houston Astros manager called what happened to Hancock a "perfect storm" of events that led to his death.
Such rationalizations deflect attention from the central problem that Hancock was drunk and distracted. Of course, if one to remove, say, the truck in the middle of the road, Hancock would have likely made it to his destination (which, according to the woman he was talking to, was another bar). But thousands of drunks make it home every night without killing anyone. This does not mean that driving drunk is somehow a better idea than calling a cab in those instances. Instead, it simply demonstrates that stupidity does not guarantee that you'll be hurt or hurt others. It just makes it much more likely. Sometimes, it takes a while for Darwin to catch up to idiots. After all, there are so many of them to get to. Baseball players, macho guys that they are, tend to believe that they have a high tolerance and deny that alcohol influences them in any significant way.
Following Loiza's arrest, the Oakland A's became one of the first major league teams to ban alcohol from its clubhouse, citing concerns about legal liability and public safety. Since Hancock's death, the Cardinals have followed suit. For far too long, baseball's dirty secret has been that it has a drinking...if not "problem," then what? Habit? Enthusiasm? Perhaps that's unsurprising, given that the league is filled with young, macho men, many of whom have been drinking heavily since their teens. But it is now incumbent upon Major League Baseball and its Commissioner, Bud Selig, to ban all alcohol, save for celebratory champaign, from major league clubhouses. It's time to send the message that work time is work time, and play time is play time, and that it's not imperative to have beer on hand at all times. And trust The Common Man, he says this as a man who has a healthy enthusiasm for beer.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Sanctuary
Recently, The Common Man has staked out a spot in beautiful Schlow Centre Region Library, located conveniently in downtown State College, to do some mid-day studying/work. The facility is less than a full year old and is a fine combination of sun-lit porticoes, cherry bookshelves, and grand vault ceilings. Friend of the blog, snarl, would love it, or at least appreciate the inviting practicality of the space that merges its books with its reading space. It has been, for the most part, a quiet and convenient place for him to study without having to worry about bumping into colleagues or students who will interrupt his work.
That said, The Common Man is more than a little interested in his fellow library-enthusiasts. Indeed, day after day, The Common Man sees the same people walking and sitting about the library, engaged in various combinations of sleeping, grunting, walking, and reading. Because it is free and quite and pleasant (warm in the winter, A/C'ed in the summer), it seems that the least fortunate and most harmless nutjobs in the State College area flock to it in droves.
Right now, I'm looking at a 60ish woman in a brown and red flowered jacket, who gives the appearance of total normality. Yet, two days ago, when she encountered a fellow library lover, she stood and talked to him (her talking, him listening) for at least 20 minutes with no pauses for breath. It was amazing. A true feat of endurance. Today, she appears to be wondering through the stacks with little direction, weaving through them, slalom-like, not even glancing at titles or authors. Earlier, there was a gentleman, balding and with a short beard and over-sized glasses, walking up and down the aisles of the adult section, mumbling to himself and swinging his arms back and forth. Oop, there he is again, grabbing a reference book, saying "there I'll get this one. (inaudible mumble)," and walking away. There was an elderly gentleman in the chair next to The Common Man until 5 minutes ago who simply grunted again and again, every 15 to 20 seconds. And The Common Man has not even begun to talk about the homeless gentleman with the long, unwashed hair and beard that has been using the library this week. These "clients" are here with no real discernible purpose (not that The Common Man has one, mind you, aside from finishing his work for the semester).
The Common Man does not wish to make fun of these people and, certainly, none of them are cause for alarm. After all, this is a public building and they are the public (indeed, they are the public who do not work during the day and can, therefore, afford to come to the library). They are not terribly disruptive and seem to keep to themselves. They are weird, but not weird-bad, just weird-noticeable. But The Common Man wonders who is looking after these people after the library closes and where their caretakers are during the day. The library seems to have become a kind of makeshift refuge for those who are normally unable to care for themselves. That, of course, is not the library's job, but it seems to be one that it has accepted willingly.
Anyway, it is far too easy for us to forget these people exist. Indeed, I assume they head home after 5:00 or so, this being their only public appearance of the day. It's also easy to assume that they like coming the library every day, rather than wonder if they are coming to the library every day because they have no other place they can go where the poor, old, and indigent can simply be without buying anything. This town needs more places like the Schlow Memorial Library. More parks. More museums. More public spaces.
That said, The Common Man is more than a little interested in his fellow library-enthusiasts. Indeed, day after day, The Common Man sees the same people walking and sitting about the library, engaged in various combinations of sleeping, grunting, walking, and reading. Because it is free and quite and pleasant (warm in the winter, A/C'ed in the summer), it seems that the least fortunate and most harmless nutjobs in the State College area flock to it in droves.
Right now, I'm looking at a 60ish woman in a brown and red flowered jacket, who gives the appearance of total normality. Yet, two days ago, when she encountered a fellow library lover, she stood and talked to him (her talking, him listening) for at least 20 minutes with no pauses for breath. It was amazing. A true feat of endurance. Today, she appears to be wondering through the stacks with little direction, weaving through them, slalom-like, not even glancing at titles or authors. Earlier, there was a gentleman, balding and with a short beard and over-sized glasses, walking up and down the aisles of the adult section, mumbling to himself and swinging his arms back and forth. Oop, there he is again, grabbing a reference book, saying "there I'll get this one. (inaudible mumble)," and walking away. There was an elderly gentleman in the chair next to The Common Man until 5 minutes ago who simply grunted again and again, every 15 to 20 seconds. And The Common Man has not even begun to talk about the homeless gentleman with the long, unwashed hair and beard that has been using the library this week. These "clients" are here with no real discernible purpose (not that The Common Man has one, mind you, aside from finishing his work for the semester).
The Common Man does not wish to make fun of these people and, certainly, none of them are cause for alarm. After all, this is a public building and they are the public (indeed, they are the public who do not work during the day and can, therefore, afford to come to the library). They are not terribly disruptive and seem to keep to themselves. They are weird, but not weird-bad, just weird-noticeable. But The Common Man wonders who is looking after these people after the library closes and where their caretakers are during the day. The library seems to have become a kind of makeshift refuge for those who are normally unable to care for themselves. That, of course, is not the library's job, but it seems to be one that it has accepted willingly.
Anyway, it is far too easy for us to forget these people exist. Indeed, I assume they head home after 5:00 or so, this being their only public appearance of the day. It's also easy to assume that they like coming the library every day, rather than wonder if they are coming to the library every day because they have no other place they can go where the poor, old, and indigent can simply be without buying anything. This town needs more places like the Schlow Memorial Library. More parks. More museums. More public spaces.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
What's in a name?
The Common Man just found out. According to Stephen Colbert and astro-physicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson, apparently the scientific community has chosen to ignore The Common Man's decree that the new planet be called The Common Mania. Instead, they've chosen to call it either Gliese 581-c (after the star it revolves around) or New Earth. Look, The Common Man loves Stephen Colbert and considers him the funniest man on television today. That said, he cannot help but be more than a little disappointed in Colbert, who he knows would support The Common Man's bold, decisive, and self-congratulatory move to name the planet after himself. It is a far grander idea than Colbert's recent push to get a bridge in Hungary named after him. As for those scientists, The Common Man calls on any and all readers to talk to any scientists that they know in order to lay the foundation for The Common Man's grassroots effort to undermine "New Earth" and Gliese 581-c.
Of course, all of this could be moot The Boy gets to this planet and finds out that someone is already living there and has named it. Obviously, any inhabitants will have to die in order to ensure the immortality of The Common Man and his name. Sorry. That's just the way things work in the real world(s).
Of course, all of this could be moot The Boy gets to this planet and finds out that someone is already living there and has named it. Obviously, any inhabitants will have to die in order to ensure the immortality of The Common Man and his name. Sorry. That's just the way things work in the real world(s).
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