Thursday, February 28, 2008

Bits and Pieces of Flotsam and Jetsam.

I'm still trying to figure out which end is up. But that's the story of my life as we all know. I've got a leaky. toilet, a leaky roof, bills up the wazoo, and I'm grinding my teeth. But I'm still hanging in there.

I enjoy being all alone in my house because I can cut up and walk around in my underwear without anyone. noticing, but I'm also more alert to every little sound that the house makes. Every little rattle, creek, or snap gets my attention more than when Darwin was alive. I inspect the house more, become more concerned about how much it'll cost to get the place squared away.

I moved off the third floor down to the second floor where the heater works much better, and I'm only a few steps from the all-important kitchen and bathroom. The bed is a lot firmer and larger than I'm used to, but I'm adjusting. Spring's coming soon, and that means I have to figure out what the hell to do with the backyard, because as we all know, I did not inherit my mother's green thumb. Matte of fact, I hate flowers and plants of all kinds. All those years of helping Mother with her garden have erased any desire for things horticultural. Enough about the comedy of errors that is my life.

Baseball season starts in a month, and it will be interesting to see if the Pirates' new strategy of sweeping out the front office while leaving the on field talent virtually unchanged will work. 3 to 1 odds says that the Pirates go down in flames in the first month of the season and don't recover. Will the fans actually call BS on the "Fireworks and Bobbleheads" approach that has filled PNC Park in spite of 15 years of mostly forgettable baseball, and actually give the Pirate management the tongue lashing they deserve, or will they fall over themselves like ravenous wolves for the Byung-Hyun Kim Bobblehead that's sure to be a hit amongst the collectible crowd.

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are slugging it out like a couple of heavyweights in the Democratic Presidential race while Republican Senator John McCain is trying to persuade the country that the way it can recover from the eight year hangover of the Bush the Younger era is more of the hair of the dog that bit us. In short, if we stay at war, make the tax cuts permanent and keep spending like drunk sailors in the PI, all will be well in the USA. Oookay!!

Hillary keeps screaming about her experience while Barack counters that change and a fresh approach are what we need. Considering that a Clinton or a Bush has been running this country since 1988, maybe Obama isn't far off. I liked Bill Clinton even though he had the morals of an alley cat, he was a pretty good president. I'm not sure Hillary can bring back those glory days. McCain says he can see troops in Iraq for the next 100 years. Given the hard time the Army and the Marines are having meeting recruiting and reenlistment goals, that might be the length of a tour in Iraq or Afghanistan before McCain's done.
I guess that means that I have to side with Obama. Yes, he does not have a ton of experience, but two of our greatest persidents, Abe Lincoln and John Kennedy became president after limited experience in federal politics. And his attitude of actually talking to the people that we're at war with instead of bombing them back to the Stone Age, may heal some of the rifts we've opened with the rest of the world. And what would it say to the problem of race relations in the US if a black man could be elected President. And Obama could be elected without having been anointed by the usual Civil Rights dinosaurs, who feel that they and they along determine who's black and who ain't? Hopefully, by the time Pennsylvania votes in the primary, there will still be a race. Obama has the momentum and is the Democrat's golden boy right now.

Finally, raise a toddy, or two and fly your Terrible Towel at half mast. Legendary broadcaster Myron Cope has passed on and will be decking those Yonko Broncos and dishing out Cope-a-Nuts in that Press Box in the Sky. Mr. Cope was a Pittsburgh original. His act could not play anywhere else. He had a face for radio, a voice for newsprint, and his creation, the Terrible Towel has energized the Pittsburgh Steelers and their fans for over 30 years and 5 Super Bowl titles. But Myron Cope had a brilliant sports mind that betrayed the madness. He was an ace sportswriter and wasn't afraid to criticize anyone when they needed it. He was one of the last of broadcasting's characters. He will be missed by the millions of people who make up Steeler Nation. Bye Now Myron.

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