The Presidential candidate Barack Obama ran on the motto of “change”, yet his cabinet appointments are very familiar faces. And many of his appointments are former adversaries.
The Republican party has always been seen as the pro-business party and Democrats as anti-business.
Now the lame duck Republican president is being criticized by his party for supporting the Automobile industry bailout and the Democrats are fully supporting it. I guess the Democrats see this as entirely consistent; whatever George Bush does is stupid.
The normally adversarial UAW is now supporting the business leaders’ appeals; but, one might ask, is this to help these businesses, or to help themselves? But I really can’s criticize them for that.
Business leaders are declaring that they will try to "hang on" until a more receptive Democratic President is in office.
The most divisive Senator in Washington, Harry Reid, is now calling for bi-partisan support of the newly elected President, saying he was elected as the President of "all the people"; to "give him a chance", and the need to "reach across the aisle". I wonder where this call for unity and support was when our President Bush needed it.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Seeking the Truth
As Christians, we should be in a constant search for truth. I believe that there is absolute truth. I’m not sure whether we always know what the truth is on every issue of life, but we must continue to seek it.
A friend of mine once told me that Reno, Nevada was farther west than Los Angeles, California. I thought, “That couldn’t be true”. I have been to Reno; and I have been to Los Angeles. In fact, I drove through Reno on my way to Los Angeles. After leaving Reno I had to drive about 200 miles farther west to reach the Pacific Ocean. I then turned south and drove down the coastline to Los Angeles. However, if you look at a globe, the great circle longitude line which goes through Reno, Nevada is over the ocean when it gets down to Los Angeles, California. I was wrong.
Jesus, in response to Pilate said, “Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." Pilate then asked Him the oft-quoted question, “What is truth”. Christ had answered this question earlier in a prayer to His Father (in John 17:17) when he said, “Thy Word is Truth”.
For all of my personal knowledge, and all of my self-confidence, my geography was incorrect. But I could simply go to an accurate source and find the truth. The same is true in religion. We may say to ourselves, “I have believed that way all of my life”; or, “everyone in my family believes that way”, or, “the preacher has taught that many times in his lessons.” That may be, but we still could be wrong. What does the Bible say about the issue?
Paul lived “in all good conscience” that he was doing right. Even to the point of persecuting Christians. He was enthusiastic and convinced that he had the truth. Yet he later found that he too was wrong. Let’s all use Paul as our example, seek out the truth from God’s word, and when we find it pray for the courage to admit our errors and change our behaviors.
Remember John 8:32: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”.
A friend of mine once told me that Reno, Nevada was farther west than Los Angeles, California. I thought, “That couldn’t be true”. I have been to Reno; and I have been to Los Angeles. In fact, I drove through Reno on my way to Los Angeles. After leaving Reno I had to drive about 200 miles farther west to reach the Pacific Ocean. I then turned south and drove down the coastline to Los Angeles. However, if you look at a globe, the great circle longitude line which goes through Reno, Nevada is over the ocean when it gets down to Los Angeles, California. I was wrong.
Jesus, in response to Pilate said, “Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." Pilate then asked Him the oft-quoted question, “What is truth”. Christ had answered this question earlier in a prayer to His Father (in John 17:17) when he said, “Thy Word is Truth”.
For all of my personal knowledge, and all of my self-confidence, my geography was incorrect. But I could simply go to an accurate source and find the truth. The same is true in religion. We may say to ourselves, “I have believed that way all of my life”; or, “everyone in my family believes that way”, or, “the preacher has taught that many times in his lessons.” That may be, but we still could be wrong. What does the Bible say about the issue?
Paul lived “in all good conscience” that he was doing right. Even to the point of persecuting Christians. He was enthusiastic and convinced that he had the truth. Yet he later found that he too was wrong. Let’s all use Paul as our example, seek out the truth from God’s word, and when we find it pray for the courage to admit our errors and change our behaviors.
Remember John 8:32: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Election Day thoughts
On the eve of the election 2008, I have a rather solid feeling that Barack Obama will be our next president. Why? Here's my list.
1. The recent economic downturn has changed the focus of the nation away from the war in Iraq, McCain's strongpoint, and toward the economy, which favors democratic promises.
2. Barack Obama's race and his huge support among the black population.
3. Support of Barack Obama by former Hillary Clinton supporters. (They may go to McClain, but I think they are more democratic than feminists.)
4. The extraordinary advantage Obama had with financial fundraising.
5. The Vice-Presidential selection of Sarah Palin by John McCain, viewed by many as not qualified to be V.P.
What to expect now:
1. Increased rise in a "socialized" America.
2. More government entitlements, a larger federal government with more regulations.
3. The loss of a Pro-Life advocacy.
4. More liberal selection of Supreme Court Judges.
5. Increased support in the office of the presidency by the general public.
1. The recent economic downturn has changed the focus of the nation away from the war in Iraq, McCain's strongpoint, and toward the economy, which favors democratic promises.
2. Barack Obama's race and his huge support among the black population.
3. Support of Barack Obama by former Hillary Clinton supporters. (They may go to McClain, but I think they are more democratic than feminists.)
4. The extraordinary advantage Obama had with financial fundraising.
5. The Vice-Presidential selection of Sarah Palin by John McCain, viewed by many as not qualified to be V.P.
What to expect now:
1. Increased rise in a "socialized" America.
2. More government entitlements, a larger federal government with more regulations.
3. The loss of a Pro-Life advocacy.
4. More liberal selection of Supreme Court Judges.
5. Increased support in the office of the presidency by the general public.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
The Seven Tees
The other day I met a pharmacist. As we talked I found out that she often volunteered at the County Poison Center. She shared with me several generic stories about the numerous cases of poisionings she had encountered and how they had occurred. Some were hilarious. In passing she mentioned that she has found that many of the poision incidents are the result of one or more of the seven tees. I asked her about this and she told me that she has observed that most poision incidents involve at least one of the following circumstances:
Testosterone
Tequilla
Tatoos
Trailer parks
Teeth missing
Tee shirts
Tennessee
Testosterone
Tequilla
Tatoos
Trailer parks
Teeth missing
Tee shirts
Tennessee
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Divisions of Society
During the Middle Ages men were considered as belonging to one of three groups; those who pray, those who fight wars, or those who work. Priests, Warriors, or Farmers. They each had their roles in society and it was possible, but rare, to move between groups. I wonder which catagory the aristocricy falls into. I presume the king was considered a warrior.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Thoughts on Time
It is hard to think of a concept more important to mankind, and more universally adhered to, than time. It is of the utmost importance to modern man. It guides nearly every facet of our lives. We assign appointment times to all of our tasks. We schedule events striving to fit as many of these tasks into our days as possible. We even take pride in our ability to multi-task (doing multiple timed tasks at once).
I wonder what it was like before the measurement of time was available? Yes, that once was the case. Sundials are very old, but during medieval times, 500-1500 AD there were no clocks as we know them today; they had not yet been invented. Water clocks were invented in Egypt but were not very accurate. Sundials and sandglasses were not uniform, widely used, or accurate.
It is interesting to note that early Greek scholars believed that time was circular, not linear. Taking their clues from the seasons, the tides, and the movement of celestial bodies, they thought that all events happened over and over again. For everything there was a circle which had no real beginning or end, but returned to its point of origin and renewed itself to begin the next cycle. The lives of men and animals were all part of the earth’s cycles.
Religious observers noted that the life of Jesus Christ was a completely unique event; never to be repeated in the history of man. So the means of measuring time was divided into two distinct periods, before Christ (BC) and after Christ (AD). From this point forward time was measured in linear increments.
In an agricultural world reliance on the seasons, and the associated work tasks, caused measurement of the movements of the sun to be essential. Holy days were established to recognize, and celebrate, these changing natural cycles. During the Medieval Ages summertime was the season for war. Vassals were required to provide military support to the King. No military activity was conducted in winter.
Churches began to measure the day by prayer hours. Lauds (3 a.m.), Martins (6 a.m.), Terse (9 a.m.), Sext (noon), Nones (3 p.m.), Vespers (6 p.m.) and Compline (9 p.m.). Kings and Lords had control of the work lives of men. Workers obeyed time imposed on them by bells, trumpets and horns.
The Greeks divided the year into twelve parts which they called months. Each month was divided into thirty parts called days. Their year only had a total of 360 days, or 12 times 30 (12 x 30 = 360). Since the Earth goes around the Sun in one year, the Greeks decided to divide the earth’s circle into 360 degrees.
The Egyptians and Babylonians considered the day to be from sunrise to sunset. They divided it into twelve parts that are called hours. They also divided the night, the time from sunset to sunrise, into twelve hours. But the day and the night are not the same length, and the length of the day and night also changes through the year. This system of measuring the time was not very accurate because the length of an hour changed depending on the time of year. Somebody finally figured out that by dividing the whole day into 24 hours of equal length (12 hours of the day plus 12 hours of the night), the time could be measured much more accurately. The hour was divided into 60 minutes, and each minute is further divided into 60 seconds. Dividing both the hours and minutes into 60 parts comes from the Sumerian sexagesimal system, which is a base 60 numbering system.
Like everything else, the accurate measurement of time can be both a blessing and a burden. Well, I gotta go now. I have appointments to keep.
I wonder what it was like before the measurement of time was available? Yes, that once was the case. Sundials are very old, but during medieval times, 500-1500 AD there were no clocks as we know them today; they had not yet been invented. Water clocks were invented in Egypt but were not very accurate. Sundials and sandglasses were not uniform, widely used, or accurate.
It is interesting to note that early Greek scholars believed that time was circular, not linear. Taking their clues from the seasons, the tides, and the movement of celestial bodies, they thought that all events happened over and over again. For everything there was a circle which had no real beginning or end, but returned to its point of origin and renewed itself to begin the next cycle. The lives of men and animals were all part of the earth’s cycles.
Religious observers noted that the life of Jesus Christ was a completely unique event; never to be repeated in the history of man. So the means of measuring time was divided into two distinct periods, before Christ (BC) and after Christ (AD). From this point forward time was measured in linear increments.
In an agricultural world reliance on the seasons, and the associated work tasks, caused measurement of the movements of the sun to be essential. Holy days were established to recognize, and celebrate, these changing natural cycles. During the Medieval Ages summertime was the season for war. Vassals were required to provide military support to the King. No military activity was conducted in winter.
Churches began to measure the day by prayer hours. Lauds (3 a.m.), Martins (6 a.m.), Terse (9 a.m.), Sext (noon), Nones (3 p.m.), Vespers (6 p.m.) and Compline (9 p.m.). Kings and Lords had control of the work lives of men. Workers obeyed time imposed on them by bells, trumpets and horns.
The Greeks divided the year into twelve parts which they called months. Each month was divided into thirty parts called days. Their year only had a total of 360 days, or 12 times 30 (12 x 30 = 360). Since the Earth goes around the Sun in one year, the Greeks decided to divide the earth’s circle into 360 degrees.
The Egyptians and Babylonians considered the day to be from sunrise to sunset. They divided it into twelve parts that are called hours. They also divided the night, the time from sunset to sunrise, into twelve hours. But the day and the night are not the same length, and the length of the day and night also changes through the year. This system of measuring the time was not very accurate because the length of an hour changed depending on the time of year. Somebody finally figured out that by dividing the whole day into 24 hours of equal length (12 hours of the day plus 12 hours of the night), the time could be measured much more accurately. The hour was divided into 60 minutes, and each minute is further divided into 60 seconds. Dividing both the hours and minutes into 60 parts comes from the Sumerian sexagesimal system, which is a base 60 numbering system.
Like everything else, the accurate measurement of time can be both a blessing and a burden. Well, I gotta go now. I have appointments to keep.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Staining the Cabin
My son and I own a piece of property near Point Isabel Ohio. It consists of about 25 acres and contains a small pond, lots of woods and a wooden cabin. One of the first items on our to-do list when we purchased the property was to stain the cabin. We went to Home Depot and purchased five gallons of the stain, (we chose chocolate because our grand-daughter Kristin loves chocolate). Due to one thing after another, a year later we still did not have the cabin stained.
Finally last week we went to work. First we took the stain back to Home Depot and had them reshake it. We bought brushes, and buckets. I rounded up my ladders, a large tarp and wasp spray. We tried to get the airless sprayer to work, but it had been in storage so long that the internal parts were cracked. So we began, using 4 inch brushes.
I thought that painting the higher side first was a good idea but I found the water-thin stain dripping all over the ground, the plants, and myself. Holding the brush over my head was very difficult and several rest breaks were required. But even after resting I was not able to make much progress. My arms ached to the point that I couldn't hold up the brush. Finally I just began to work, with my wife, on the sections I could reach from the ground. What a whimp.
My son Tony was much more adept at staining. He not only completed the section I had left, but completed the most difficult sections, including the eaves. My daughter-in-law MaryBeth completed half of the back of the cabin by herself and then came around and helped my wife and I on the front. I felt as though I had not done my part. Not only that, but we needed to purchase three more gallons of stain and Tony and MaryBeth went back to the property two additional times and finished the job.
All in all, the cabin now looks great. What I had envisioned as a relatively simple job turned into an arduous task. Younger muscles saved the day
Finally last week we went to work. First we took the stain back to Home Depot and had them reshake it. We bought brushes, and buckets. I rounded up my ladders, a large tarp and wasp spray. We tried to get the airless sprayer to work, but it had been in storage so long that the internal parts were cracked. So we began, using 4 inch brushes.
I thought that painting the higher side first was a good idea but I found the water-thin stain dripping all over the ground, the plants, and myself. Holding the brush over my head was very difficult and several rest breaks were required. But even after resting I was not able to make much progress. My arms ached to the point that I couldn't hold up the brush. Finally I just began to work, with my wife, on the sections I could reach from the ground. What a whimp.
My son Tony was much more adept at staining. He not only completed the section I had left, but completed the most difficult sections, including the eaves. My daughter-in-law MaryBeth completed half of the back of the cabin by herself and then came around and helped my wife and I on the front. I felt as though I had not done my part. Not only that, but we needed to purchase three more gallons of stain and Tony and MaryBeth went back to the property two additional times and finished the job.
All in all, the cabin now looks great. What I had envisioned as a relatively simple job turned into an arduous task. Younger muscles saved the day
Monday, May 5, 2008
Every Man
I believe the Bible is absolute truth; the word of God.
The Bible says “God made man in his own image”.
Since man produces after his own kind,
Every man has been created in the image of God.
I am the descendant of a man.
I too was created in the image of God.
Therefore every man, including me, is related to every other man.
And every man, including me, was created in the image of God.
Every man is a member of my family.
Every man is subject to a specific life time on the earth.
Every man is subject to the elements of nature.
(He requires air, water, food, shelter etc.)
Every man has feelings.
(He likes some things, and dislikes others. He shows sensibilities, intelligence and ignorance)
We must assume that he is doing what he feels is right for himself.
Does this mean that I should love every man?
Proverbs 21:2 says, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts”.
My response to every man should be love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness.
God will judge the heart of every man.
The Bible says “God made man in his own image”.
Since man produces after his own kind,
Every man has been created in the image of God.
I am the descendant of a man.
I too was created in the image of God.
Therefore every man, including me, is related to every other man.
And every man, including me, was created in the image of God.
Every man is a member of my family.
Every man is subject to a specific life time on the earth.
Every man is subject to the elements of nature.
(He requires air, water, food, shelter etc.)
Every man has feelings.
(He likes some things, and dislikes others. He shows sensibilities, intelligence and ignorance)
We must assume that he is doing what he feels is right for himself.
Does this mean that I should love every man?
Proverbs 21:2 says, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts”.
My response to every man should be love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness.
God will judge the heart of every man.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Beginners
What a valuable asset are the beginners
Precious tyros, rookies, novices
Bright with ideas
Alive with confidence
Unafraid, voluntary servants to dreams
Working hours upon end
Trying every option
Failing in most, and yet
Undaunted and resilient
Pressing on
Gaining experience, seniority, familiarity
And mediocrity
Yet some slim few
Radicals all, full of luck and serendipity
Gain great success and acclaim for themselves
And move forward the achievements of mankind
Precious tyros, rookies, novices
Bright with ideas
Alive with confidence
Unafraid, voluntary servants to dreams
Working hours upon end
Trying every option
Failing in most, and yet
Undaunted and resilient
Pressing on
Gaining experience, seniority, familiarity
And mediocrity
Yet some slim few
Radicals all, full of luck and serendipity
Gain great success and acclaim for themselves
And move forward the achievements of mankind
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
What is a Cemetery
I have been an amateur genealogist for several years. Every once in a while I come across something which really strikes a chord with me. Here is one striking definition of a cemetery, as presented by the Lutheran All Faiths Cemetery brochure, in Middle Village, New York.
This is a Cemetery…Lives are commemorated, Deaths are recorded, Families are reunited, Memories are made tangible and Love is undisguised.
This is a Cemetery...Communities accord respect, Families bestow reverence, Historians seek information and Our Heritage is thereby enriched. Testimonies of devotion, pride and warmth are carved in stone to pay warm tribute to accomplishments and to the life, not the death, of a loved one.
The cemetery is homeland for memorials that are a sustaining source of comfort to the living. A cemetery is a history of a people, a perpetual record of yesterday and a sanctuary of peace and quiet today.
A cemetery exists because every life is worth loving and remembering – always.
This is a Cemetery…Lives are commemorated, Deaths are recorded, Families are reunited, Memories are made tangible and Love is undisguised.
This is a Cemetery...Communities accord respect, Families bestow reverence, Historians seek information and Our Heritage is thereby enriched. Testimonies of devotion, pride and warmth are carved in stone to pay warm tribute to accomplishments and to the life, not the death, of a loved one.
The cemetery is homeland for memorials that are a sustaining source of comfort to the living. A cemetery is a history of a people, a perpetual record of yesterday and a sanctuary of peace and quiet today.
A cemetery exists because every life is worth loving and remembering – always.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Opening Day
Every life experience is a learning opportunity.
Yesterday morning my son called me and invited me to attend the 2008 opening day baseball game for the Cincinnati Reds. I should say that in Cincinnati “opening day” is a very big event, and since I had never been able to attend an opening day game before this, I was happy to go.
The rainy weather was supposed to clear up right around game time. It was raining steadily when I met my son, Tony, and his brother-in-law Steve, at the entrance to the ball park. We had agreed to meet near the statue of the recently departed and highly revered Reds radio broadcaster Joe Nuxhall. Surprisingly the ticket my son gave me was printed using a water soluble ink. The ticket information was running so we had to go around the turnstiles and have our ticket hand scanned. My stadium bag was seriously searched, but no liquids or other prohibited items were discovered.
After entering the facility we soon became separated. Having only attended one other game at the Great American Ball Park, I was unfamiliar with the section and seat numbering scheme. The crowd was very large, especially around the venders’ stands, so getting separated was not unforeseeable.
I could not immediately find a sign directing me to our seating section so I asked for directions a couple of times. I received clear, simple instructions telling me how to get to my seat. Unfortunately, both of these helpers sent me in the wrong direction. Somehow I found myself in front of an elevator door which had my section number on it. It turns out I needed to go through a restaurant/luxury lounge to get to my seat. I was reunited with Tony and Steve who were also in the queue waiting for access through the lounge area.
Once the usher dried off our seats and we settled in, I was thankful that we were far enough under cover to avoid the trickling down of the now intermittent rain. During the time getting to our seats we missed the flyover. There was a short rain delay. Someone said that there were some bald eagles on flying display, we missed them also, but I enjoyed the other pre-game ceremonies.
I’m sure the opening day events are far more than the normal. There were several tributes, a fruit basket was presented to Dusty Baker from the Findley Market merchants, a singing performance by Nick Lechey’s choir, an over-sized American flag covered the entire outfield, Kathy Wade sang the National anthem, and Todd Portune threw out the traditional first pitch. Finally: “Play Ball”.
Great American Ball Park is a marvelous place for a sporting event. It reminded me of our recent tour of Rome and the Coliseum. I noticed that our tickets indicated our seats cost $60 each. I began asking myself, “how many games a year do they play”, and “how many seats does this place hold”, and thinking, “no wonder a former county commissioner was asked to throw out the first pitch”. The announcer declared “sold out” attendance at 42,000+, even though many seats remained empty. This was probably due to the rain.
Between innings I took the opportunity to walk through the “luxury lounge”. Literally hundreds of people were sitting around eating chips and cheese, drinking beer, and watching the game on the big screen TVs. I wondered why they couldn’t just stay home and watch the game in their living rooms. That’s when I began to understand. For many people opening day is not so much a baseball game, as a networking opportunity, a family bonding event, or just a place to be seen and to tell others, “I was at the game”.
I would say the majority of those in attendance wore Reds gear, especially hats and jerseys. Many were numbered and their favorite player names were on their backs. As I expected, the color red was everywhere, signals of a great fan base. Yet somehow, it seemed that many were only casually watching the game.
The crowd was really into the “jumbotron”. Interviews and games were conducted with fans, dancing fans were “surprised”, Icons held races, and even a “kissing cam” held everyone’s attention. Reds history and stats emblazoned the electronic scoreboard. Somewhere the speed of each pitch was being displayed, but I never actually found it myself. Miniature U.S. flags were given to given out to those in attendance, but it was disheartening to see so many of these symbols of American patriotism being tossed on the floor or in the garbage containers.
Tony needed to leave the game early due to a mandatory training commitment, and Steve left about a half inning later. I still enjoyed watching the game. But soon after that, the family seated in front of us left. The young kids were getting bored. Next, the group of men to my right, who talked about their business activities for the majority of the game, also left early. I looked around and I would guess that nearly half of the crowd had departed before the last out.
My wife called me and wanted to know if she should start down to pick me up. I said sure, even though I knew that I would have no delays in making my exit. I waited for her along Third Street, in front of the famous In-Between bar. Another large screen was thumping out a video of Vanilla Ice singing and dancing. The party was rolling over from the game.
I can honestly say that I very much enjoyed my first opening day game, but baseball today is not what it once was. Oh, by the way, the Reds lost the game 4 to 2. The Diamondbacks had two solo home runs.
Yesterday morning my son called me and invited me to attend the 2008 opening day baseball game for the Cincinnati Reds. I should say that in Cincinnati “opening day” is a very big event, and since I had never been able to attend an opening day game before this, I was happy to go.
The rainy weather was supposed to clear up right around game time. It was raining steadily when I met my son, Tony, and his brother-in-law Steve, at the entrance to the ball park. We had agreed to meet near the statue of the recently departed and highly revered Reds radio broadcaster Joe Nuxhall. Surprisingly the ticket my son gave me was printed using a water soluble ink. The ticket information was running so we had to go around the turnstiles and have our ticket hand scanned. My stadium bag was seriously searched, but no liquids or other prohibited items were discovered.
After entering the facility we soon became separated. Having only attended one other game at the Great American Ball Park, I was unfamiliar with the section and seat numbering scheme. The crowd was very large, especially around the venders’ stands, so getting separated was not unforeseeable.
I could not immediately find a sign directing me to our seating section so I asked for directions a couple of times. I received clear, simple instructions telling me how to get to my seat. Unfortunately, both of these helpers sent me in the wrong direction. Somehow I found myself in front of an elevator door which had my section number on it. It turns out I needed to go through a restaurant/luxury lounge to get to my seat. I was reunited with Tony and Steve who were also in the queue waiting for access through the lounge area.
Once the usher dried off our seats and we settled in, I was thankful that we were far enough under cover to avoid the trickling down of the now intermittent rain. During the time getting to our seats we missed the flyover. There was a short rain delay. Someone said that there were some bald eagles on flying display, we missed them also, but I enjoyed the other pre-game ceremonies.
I’m sure the opening day events are far more than the normal. There were several tributes, a fruit basket was presented to Dusty Baker from the Findley Market merchants, a singing performance by Nick Lechey’s choir, an over-sized American flag covered the entire outfield, Kathy Wade sang the National anthem, and Todd Portune threw out the traditional first pitch. Finally: “Play Ball”.
Great American Ball Park is a marvelous place for a sporting event. It reminded me of our recent tour of Rome and the Coliseum. I noticed that our tickets indicated our seats cost $60 each. I began asking myself, “how many games a year do they play”, and “how many seats does this place hold”, and thinking, “no wonder a former county commissioner was asked to throw out the first pitch”. The announcer declared “sold out” attendance at 42,000+, even though many seats remained empty. This was probably due to the rain.
Between innings I took the opportunity to walk through the “luxury lounge”. Literally hundreds of people were sitting around eating chips and cheese, drinking beer, and watching the game on the big screen TVs. I wondered why they couldn’t just stay home and watch the game in their living rooms. That’s when I began to understand. For many people opening day is not so much a baseball game, as a networking opportunity, a family bonding event, or just a place to be seen and to tell others, “I was at the game”.
I would say the majority of those in attendance wore Reds gear, especially hats and jerseys. Many were numbered and their favorite player names were on their backs. As I expected, the color red was everywhere, signals of a great fan base. Yet somehow, it seemed that many were only casually watching the game.
The crowd was really into the “jumbotron”. Interviews and games were conducted with fans, dancing fans were “surprised”, Icons held races, and even a “kissing cam” held everyone’s attention. Reds history and stats emblazoned the electronic scoreboard. Somewhere the speed of each pitch was being displayed, but I never actually found it myself. Miniature U.S. flags were given to given out to those in attendance, but it was disheartening to see so many of these symbols of American patriotism being tossed on the floor or in the garbage containers.
Tony needed to leave the game early due to a mandatory training commitment, and Steve left about a half inning later. I still enjoyed watching the game. But soon after that, the family seated in front of us left. The young kids were getting bored. Next, the group of men to my right, who talked about their business activities for the majority of the game, also left early. I looked around and I would guess that nearly half of the crowd had departed before the last out.
My wife called me and wanted to know if she should start down to pick me up. I said sure, even though I knew that I would have no delays in making my exit. I waited for her along Third Street, in front of the famous In-Between bar. Another large screen was thumping out a video of Vanilla Ice singing and dancing. The party was rolling over from the game.
I can honestly say that I very much enjoyed my first opening day game, but baseball today is not what it once was. Oh, by the way, the Reds lost the game 4 to 2. The Diamondbacks had two solo home runs.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Spring Renewal
Today is the 12th of March. The temperature for tomorrow is supposed to be in upper 50s. That's quite a contrast from the bleak weather we have had during the past week or so. We actually had 15 inches of snow fall on our place last Saturday. Today, Wednesday, it is nearly gone. Anyway, I am ready for spring.
I have decided to do my own lawn care this season. I figure I will save some money and get some exercise. This is actually the first time I have done lawn care, except for mowing, in about 10 years. So I did my research; went to several websites and read about lawn care. I bought the "Lawn Care for Dummies" book at Barnes and Noble. I even browsed through several articles in the DIY magazine section at the Home Depot. This is going to be a lot more difficult than I thought. But I bought myself a new Scott's broadcast spreader and my first bag of 20-4-0 (I can't remember exactly what those numbers stand for), and I am ready to go.
The best thing I learned was to "follow the manufacturer's instructions" on the product's package. This sounded easy enough. Then I realized that the instructions varied depending on the soil type, geographic area, sun or shade conditions, highth of grass cut, rainwater available, and your watering schedule, not to mention whether you have sod or seed and your specific type of grass. Wow!
I decided to ask for guidance. There is a gentleman at church who is the "outdoor type". Believe it or not his name is Jim. Gentleman Jim has done some farming in his day, so I thought he would be the perfect person to ask for advise. He told me that he watches his neighbor. "When he fertilizes, I fertilize; when he seeds, I seed; when he waters; I water. It all seems to work out pretty well."
So I'm thinking, my neighbor does his own lawn care and he has a healthy lawn, so I think I will just take Jim's advise and follow my neighbor's lead. I just hope he doesn't get up too early in the morning and I miss him applying that spring treatment.
I have decided to do my own lawn care this season. I figure I will save some money and get some exercise. This is actually the first time I have done lawn care, except for mowing, in about 10 years. So I did my research; went to several websites and read about lawn care. I bought the "Lawn Care for Dummies" book at Barnes and Noble. I even browsed through several articles in the DIY magazine section at the Home Depot. This is going to be a lot more difficult than I thought. But I bought myself a new Scott's broadcast spreader and my first bag of 20-4-0 (I can't remember exactly what those numbers stand for), and I am ready to go.
The best thing I learned was to "follow the manufacturer's instructions" on the product's package. This sounded easy enough. Then I realized that the instructions varied depending on the soil type, geographic area, sun or shade conditions, highth of grass cut, rainwater available, and your watering schedule, not to mention whether you have sod or seed and your specific type of grass. Wow!
I decided to ask for guidance. There is a gentleman at church who is the "outdoor type". Believe it or not his name is Jim. Gentleman Jim has done some farming in his day, so I thought he would be the perfect person to ask for advise. He told me that he watches his neighbor. "When he fertilizes, I fertilize; when he seeds, I seed; when he waters; I water. It all seems to work out pretty well."
So I'm thinking, my neighbor does his own lawn care and he has a healthy lawn, so I think I will just take Jim's advise and follow my neighbor's lead. I just hope he doesn't get up too early in the morning and I miss him applying that spring treatment.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
The Blizzard of 08
Just last week I was sitting out at the lake, enjoying the spring-like weather, without a coat on, thinking how nice it is that winter is finally over. Today we have about 15" of snow. What a change. I shovelled off the driveway early this morning, then another 3 or 4 inches came down and so I shovelled it again. The second time was much easier, but my shoulders were aching from lifting the snow and throwing it back a couple of feet.
What was scheduled to be a very busy weekend ended up with nothing much to do. All of the scheduled events were cancelled. Most of them were rescheduled.
The ham radio bands were jammed with fellows like me with nothing better to do than talk on the radio. Even the mail did not run today. Church services are on for tomorrow, assuming the parking lot has been cleared. The preacher plans to get to the church building early and make sure it is OK for everyone to come.
This weather reminds me of the old joke. "I stayed in all day to avoid getting cabin fever".
What was scheduled to be a very busy weekend ended up with nothing much to do. All of the scheduled events were cancelled. Most of them were rescheduled.
The ham radio bands were jammed with fellows like me with nothing better to do than talk on the radio. Even the mail did not run today. Church services are on for tomorrow, assuming the parking lot has been cleared. The preacher plans to get to the church building early and make sure it is OK for everyone to come.
This weather reminds me of the old joke. "I stayed in all day to avoid getting cabin fever".
Thursday, March 6, 2008
White Death Is On Its Way
Once again the weather forecasters are predicting massive amounts of snow for tomorrow. The latest estimates are for up to 10 inches of snow. I doubt that it will happen to that degree. The last huge snowfall was also going to be massive. Stores were packed with people stocking up on the essentials, bread, water, and canned goods. We did get some snow, but not nearly up to projections. The weatherman Derrick Beasley's theme song is "Derrick said it would be like this". The station continued to play it, even when it was blatenly inaccurate.
I have a 4 wheel drive truck and a 4 wheel drive Jeep, but I doubt that I will actually need either to get around tomorrow. The roads will be initally snow covered, but shortly will be plowed, salted and clear. Better weather in the next couple of days will even eliminate the need to shovel off the driveway. Soon Spring will be here and everyone will just be eager for Mother's day when it is once again safe to plant flowers without fear of frost. Bring it on.
I have a 4 wheel drive truck and a 4 wheel drive Jeep, but I doubt that I will actually need either to get around tomorrow. The roads will be initally snow covered, but shortly will be plowed, salted and clear. Better weather in the next couple of days will even eliminate the need to shovel off the driveway. Soon Spring will be here and everyone will just be eager for Mother's day when it is once again safe to plant flowers without fear of frost. Bring it on.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Me - A VIP
I guess it just happened so slowly that I didn't even notice it was occurring. I have always just considered myself an average Joe; perhaps appreciated by my immediate family but relatively unknown beyond that. Then today I discovered that I have become a Very Important Person. How did I become aware of my new found status? Well, today I received personal phone calls from Barach Obama, Hillary Clinton, Congressperson Jean Schmidt, County Commissioner candidates and callers seeking my approval of the school tax levy. You would think this is a heady position to be in, but it has begun to be a little annoying. Perhaps it will end soon. Let's just see what happens tomorrow. Gotta go now to vote.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Day before Primary Elections
Once again Ohio will play a big part in the national election of the President. The Democratic primary will most likely be decided (between Hillary Clinton and Barach Obama) by the results of the Ohio primary. I predict Obama will win. We will see tomorrow.
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