Monday, March 29, 2021

Mad as Hell

In the 1976 movie Network the TV news anchor screams “Get up out of your chairs, open the window, stick your head out, and yell, and say it: “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!” That’s how I’m feeling these days.

I went to the ballpark and a political debate broke out. We’re not to Opening Day but I’ve already had it with all the political posturing. I have yet to watch a single preseason game, and not sure what I’m going to have to do to watch regular season games. Not sure if I’ll even be able to buy a ticket and go to a game. Sounds like tickets will be even more expensive. Baseball wants to attract a younger generation. None of this is helping. All this just to watch 34 year-old Pablo Sandoval?

I quit reading Sports Illustrated because the content became less sports and too liberal. Now I’ve had it with Uni Watch, who won’t utter the Braves name for fear of hurting someone’s feelings. No “Indian iconography” on Uni Watch membership cards.  Now Uni Watch thinks the All-Star Game should be moved from Atlanta due to the state’s new voting law. Says the MLBPA is considering the proposal. Says the Dodgers manager might boycott. Uni Watch has lost a reader and Twitter follower. I’m tired of all the rhetoric.

What’s so bad about the new voting law? The law expands Saturday voting, and allows for Sunday voting if needing. The law forbids outsiders from distributing food and water to those in line, because outsiders could use the opportunity to influence votes. This is just an extension to the longtime law against campaigning near a voting facility. It’s still legal to bring food and beverages to a poll for officials to hand out, so no one will be dying of dehydration.

The new law requires an ID to obtain an absentee ballot. Critics claim this hurts minorities, who supposedly have less access to drivers licenses and other forms of ID. If this is true, how did these people register to vote? Get a checking account? Sign a lease for an apartment? Draw unemployment? Sign up for government benefits? Is it racist of me to ask these questions?

The new law is meant to make it harder to cheat. If there is no cheating, why is this new law a problem? The new law moves drop boxes inside, where they can be better monitored by election officials. This makes access harder, but makes illegal activity harder as well. Why do people oppose this new law?    

Soon you won't be able to go anywhere without a vaccination card. That ID is okay. But you can't get the vaccine without an ID. But you should be able to vote without an ID?

AJC headline: “Sweeping changes” to Georgia Elections Signed Into Law (parentheses mine). I share this link to provide details about the new law, plus another link with analysis.

https://www.ajc.com/politics/bill-changing-georgia-voting-rules-passes-state-house/EY2MATS6SRA77HTOBVEMTJLIT4/

https://redstate.com/bonchie/2021/03/28/the-most-insane-take-on-georgias-election-law-has-gone-forth-and-my-word-n351676

If someone says something that offends or hurts me, I can (a) get over it, (b) take action, or (c) ignore it. What I shouldn’t do is carry a grudge. Should you continue to repeat the story to others? What good does that do?

A gentle Asian lady I know mentioned how none of her coworkers or friends asked how she was doing in the wake of the recent shootings in metro Atlanta. Not that it’s an excuse, but I’d been so busy that it’s been hard to process such things. Were Asians targeted, or spa workers? I made a point to discuss the matter with my Asian friend in small group. This led to a interesting discussion. He was rightfully more concerned about individual attacks that are becoming more prevalent.

MLB ballpark's best traditions: Races, mascots, songs and celebrations - Washington Post.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/interactive/2021/baseball-traditions-mlb-ballparks/

Clayton Trutor's book tells the story of Atlanta sports.

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.rutlandherald.com_sports_trutors-2Dbook-2Dtells-2Dstory-2Dof-2Datlanta-2Dsports_article-5Facede156-2D95be-2D588c-2D8095-2D212ddfe4954e.html&d=DwIFAg&c=UXihhqr7vvdA-hrKyTiC1Q&r=wMWwaEbn9nr4zXI4p6CDP7FGwn1DrBd77MJElrWsP6U&m=yxcbDZEK-wKsmSuYDr6kseXuN8A75TtQBcWf_65VlaY&s=FNAtc_hsVY1JIKkEcwBT73_7mAVywPaDtD1UmEo_Pt4&e=

R.A. DICKEY [SABR Bio] one-time Atlanta Brave and Texas Ranger. Dickey never had a right ulnar collateral ligamentDoctors said he should not be able to twist a doorknob, much less throw a pitch, without extreme pain. The knuckleball was his calling card in the majors. In his fifteen-year career, he only received Cy Young Award votes once. Won the NL CYA in 2012 pitching for the Mets. It took switching to a league where he wasn’t required to bat for him to win a Gold Glove for his fielding. Won the AL GG for pitchers in 2013, his 1st season w/TOR(He did come to bat six times that season & got two hits, one of them an RBI double).

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