Thursday September 29, 2005
The Indians are imploding. After going 43-18 from mid-July to a week ago, they’ve lost three in a row: one to Kansas City and two to Tampa Bay, the two worst teams in the league. Suddenly, the piping-hot offense has left the premises and, having recently had a legitimate shot at home field all the way to the World Series, will have to struggle to even make it to the postseason.
There is only one thing you need to know: They’re from Cleveland. Watch ESPN Classic and you’ll run into a dramatic Cleveland loss eventually. The Shot. The Fumble. The Drive. (If you don’t know what those are, just find someone from Northeast Ohio and prepare for 30 straight minutes of cursing.) This is the team that managed to lose the 1997 World Series with champagne chilling in their locker room — and was victim to Willie Mays’ famous over-the-shoulder catch.
[ADDED: The Indians are the cover story in Sports Illustrated. Be afraid. Be very afraid.]
It’s really much easier if you give up all hope, but you can’t help but be set up for a fall.
It’s the same thing that happens when you believe that, someday, your government will adopt the radical policy of not spending more than they steal collect from the American people … or actually stick with that whole Constitution thing … or that the news media will report actual news and maybe — I know I’m completely out of my mind here — provide actual insight and analysis. (Bill O’Reilly screaming at people, startlingly, does not count as “insight” or “analysis.”)
This is just a sampling of the madness in the surrounding world that I read about TODAY:
(1) Cooing at babies is an egregious violation of infants’ human rights.
(2) Jaywalking with a child in hand could get you five years in prison.
(3) Sitting on a playground bench alone will get you a police citation.
(4) FEMA knew that their relief system was FUBAR but didn’t care.
Well honestly, who’s surprised by the last one? An independent report detailed how FEMA wasn’t up to par in last year’s Florida ‘canes: “FEMA’s systems do not support effective or efficient coordination of deployment operations because there is no sharing of information. Consequently, this created operational inefficiencies and hindered the delivery of essential disaster response and recovery services.”
Then, naturally, “In an Aug. 3 response, [then-Director Michael] Brown and one of his deputies rejected the audit, calling it unacceptable, erroneous and negative. ‘The overall tone of the report is negative,’ wrote FEMA chief information officer Barry C. West in a letter that Brown initialed.”
Wow. Negative. Imagine that. Apparently negativity became an unpardonable sin in today’s society.
There’s blood on your hands, Mike. How many times must government be incompetent before folks stop thinking it just needs more money? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
29 September 2005 at 7:44
Bryan.
It upsets me that our whole conversation last night made it onto your xanga but whatever… *rolls eyes* Couldn’t be more original could you? LoL BTW: Your cousin is NOT 14. Sierra is about 11. Her sister is 14. Anyhoo, I love you. Talk to you later this morning.
FeLiCiA
29 September 2005 at 4:53
But the problem is worse than that: It isn’t “someone’s” fault. Improper planning by the citizens of NOLA, the local gov’t, and the state gov’t caused further reliance upon an ill-prepared and inept federal government. The next logical conclusion may be, “well, then the feds should have been prepared!” – or an illogical one “why wasn’t the UN there to bail us out!” However, I see these as symptoms of a greater problem: Americans are no longer providing for themselves. Social programs such as welfare and social security have been increasing the reliance of citizens on the federal gov’t for a long time, but it’s gotten to the point, it seems, where the local and state government, at least in Louisiana, doesn’t feel the need to plan for the worst becauase they think that the feds will be there to bail them out.
It’s only right that we should be blaming them, whether it’s there fault or not. They’ve left Americans with the impression that they’ll be there for us – for anything. Free handouts for anyone.
But don’t blame one person. A societal change is the only thing that will make things work again. When people stop asking, “Who’s gonna pay my bills?!” and start saying “I need to take care of myself and prepare for my future,” that’s when things like this won’t happen. That’s when government will change. That’s when we won’t pay high taxes.
29 September 2005 at 4:56
oh – and about the babies – from reading the article it looks like they don’t have the glass between random people that want to come look at their friends babies and your baby.. so random people would just be coming up touching your baby.. I think “violation of human rights” is a little strong, but “get your freaking face and hands away from my baby” fits quite nicely.
5 October 2005 at 8:44
Ultimately, each and every one of us is responsible for our own persons. blaming someone else is bunk. yes, Brown, the rest of FEMA, the state of Louisiana, and NOLA officials ALL made terrible mistakes. but we are all free to provide for ourselves. the citizens of NOLA took a gamble by simply living there, and they lost, albeit dearly. period.