Just Turn off the "News"

One thing I've observed since the start of this pandemic is the news media wants to cover the outbreak, but it has no clue what its doing.  I have heard conflicting reports on local TV and radio stations and reporters who apparently have no idea how a virus is transmitted.

All they are doing is stirring up a frenzy and scaring the people who are watching and listening to them.  And it's not just the local stations.  The TV broadcast networks are doing it too, and at times I wonder if their editors are all home sick with the virus.

My advice to you is change the station when the talking heads start to give you "breaking news" on the virus.  (How can this be breaking news when the first cases were reported in Wuhan, China in late December.)

Either change the station or turn off your TV or radio.  You will be much happier than if you let these fools drive you nuts with every little aspect of the virus or more accuratly speculation about it.

Find yourself a couple of solid reliable news sources you trust and listen to them once a day.  If all you want is statistics go to the Johns Hopkins University dashboard that keeps track of cases, deaths and patients who've recovered.

Finally, I saw a feature last Friday night on NBC Nightly News comparing the fight against COVID-19 to the sacrifices and fight against the Axis forces in World War II.  The reporter was trying to show there are similarities.  But, I got to tell you, there'snot much the two have in common.  The people that served in World War II were getting shot at with live ammunition by the Nazis and Japanese.  I dont think there are too many millennials who would hunker down in a foxhill and put their butt on the line today.to stop a virus, let alone take the shelling and being shot at by people wanting to kill them.

Coronavirus

Image courtesy BBC

I hope you are doing well and not impacted by the Coronavirus making its way around the world.  Actually, I should have written made its way around the world as nearly every country on earth has been impacted.

The county I live in has quarantined all one million plus of us to our homes. Well, in theory.  I went to the doctor the day the quarantine started and while traffic was much lighter than normal there were people still doing things the county said were not essential.

I am taking care of myself and trying to avoid other people, but sometimes its just not possible.  I went to the grocery store midday yesterday and was surprised how many people were in the store.

I am not happy about life being disrupted for billions of people but I have no choice.  Stay tuned I will write more soon because I pretty much have no where to go.  Until then stay safe and stay home.

Very Sad to See

While watching one of the big three network nightly news broadcasts this evening I saw something that I really don't like.  I observed the Speaker of the US House of Representatives behave like a two year old.  Nancy Pelosi took what I am told was an advance copy of President Donald Trump's State of the Union speech and tore it in half.

Have the so called "leaders" of this country really sunk to this level that they blatantly act like children?  I see the name calling and imaturity more and more frequently from both sides of the aisle.  And I don't like it one little bit.  The lack of respect for members of the other party and lack of cooperation is no longer acceptable to what I really believe is most Americans.

We have two three year old children in our family and if either one of them tore up papers or deliberately destroyed something, they would be in trouble and probably get a time out if not a good spanking.

It's time for members of Congress to start acting with respect for each other.  Most aren't near to being the leaders they profess.  And many aren't representing our interests on the federal level.  If you had employees like these they wouldn't last in their jobs very long.  So, here it is; this is a call from an old guy in the middle of the US, who doesn't care two bits about the politics inside the Beltway and could care less about what most of these wannabes think of each other.  Start acting like adults, start playing nice with each other and start representing us instead of your party and its big buck donors and lobbyists.  It's time for term limits and to get rid of those who for some reason think longevity equates to infallibility on Capitol Hill.

Someone in DC needs to inform Mrs.Pelosi she can no longer act like a spoiled Kindergartner.  Just like our three year olds she needs to be taken to the woodshed and taught a lesson.

Congratulations to the Newest HOF Members!

Derek Jeter and Larry Walker are the two newest members of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.  I count myself fortunate to have not just watched both of them play but to have watched them in person.  I saw Walker on a number of occasions at Busch Stadium II in downtown St. Louis and that's where I also watched Jeter play with the New York Yankees against the Cardinals on June 11th, 2005.

#2 Derek Jeter - "The Captain"

Jeter's selection was a given.  The only question I have is who didn't vote for him?  Jeter was one vote away from unanimous selection.  As I write this the identity of the Hall of Fame elector is unknown and what that voter was thinking is even more difficult to comprehend.  Jeter had a career with almost 35 hundred hits in over 11 thousand at bats and a lifetime .310 batting average.  The image of Jeter to the left is from a trip I made to the Bronx two years ago.  The image of him is on the exterior right field wall of Yankee Stadium.  I was standing on River Avenue when I took the photo.

The day I saw Jeter play against the Cardinals in St. Louis he was 2-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.  In the field he handled five chances flawlessly.  Normally I wouldn't remember one players day from 15 years ago, but I remembered he had a good day and went back to look it up.  "The Captain" was not a favorite of mine at the time, but as the years passed he earned my respect and now I am proud to be able to say I saw him in person and believe him to be one of the best to ever play shortstop in the history of the game.

The Yankees beat the Cardinals 5-0 the day I saw Jeter play.  But, he wasn't the only future Hall of Famer on the Field.  Larry Walker also played that day coming into the game as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the 8th for Cardinal outfield So Taguchi.  And who you ask was on the hill for the Yankees when Walker came into the game?  Why none other than HOF reliever Mariano Rivera who was elected unanimously to the Hall last  year.

The match up ended up in Rivera's favor with Walker being called out on strikes that afternoon. As it turns out Rivera got a four out save and another Hall of Famer, Randy Johnson, got the win.

Larry Walker playing for the St. Louis Cardinals

Walker was near the end of his career that afternoon, but he had an illustrious one.  Walker had a lifetime average of .313 in 17 seasons with 383 home runs and 230 stolen bases.  He started his career with the Montreal Expos then moved to Colorado to play for the Rockies and ended it with his last two years in St. Louis.  In 2004 Walker was a trade deadline pickup and he helped the Cardinals to the World Series that year against the Boston Red Sox.  Walker hit .293 in the 2004 post season including six home runs with two of them coming against the Red Sox in the World Series.

Walker retired after the 2005 season and in those two years he became a huge fan favorite in St. Louis.  Walker says he will enter the Hall with a Colorado Rockie hat on his plaque.  Walker will become just the second Canadian to enter the Hall.  He will join former Chicago Cub pitcher Ferguson Jenkins who was inducted in 1991.

Walker and Jeter will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 26th along with former Cardinal Ted Simmons and labor leader Marvin Miller who were selected by the Modern Era baseball committe a little over a month ago.

Congratulations to the Hall of Fame class of 2020!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you and yours!  Today brings not just a new day but a new month, a new yea and a new decade.

This year will also feature a presidential election in the country where I live, and bring the world's athletes together in July and August for the 32nd Olympic Summer games in Tokyo.

But above all may this new year bring you health, happiness and prosperity!  Happy New Year!