Today's Historical Abomination

On January 11th, 1973, the "American" League of major league baseball adopted the "designated hitter" rule, an abomination that has tainted the purity of baseball ever since. When "god" (whoever she is) created baseball, it was ordained that a lineup consisted of 9 players. Allowing a 10th player is just plain wrong, and the world has been going steadily downhill ever since. If we really want to save America, I believe that an excellent first step would be the elimination of the designated hitter.

Boris, That's Why We Have Delivery

This story made me chuckle:

In a new book recounting 79 taped interviews with President Clinton while he was in office, author Taylor Branch has bestowed us with some gems, such as this one about Boris Yeltsin's drinking:

Yeltsin was visiting Washington in 1995 when, late at night, Secret Service agents found the Russian president stripped to his underwear and trying to hail a cab on Pennsylvania Avenue. He wanted a pizza, he slurred.

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/09/from-the-clinton-interviews-a-drunken-boris-yeltsin-on-pennsylvania-ave.php?ref=fpblg

I hope they explained to Mr. Yeltsin how to call for delivery. That's what Americans do when we're drunk, in our underwear, and want a pizza.

Celebrate!

August 9, 1974 was a really good day, for those of us old enough to remember.

History in 100 Words

The history of the human race in 100 words:

Alan Charles Kors

George H. Walker Endowed Term Professor of
History

• First, tribes: tough life.
• The defaults beyond the intimate tribe were violence, aversion to difference, and slavery. Superstition: everywhere.
• Culture overcomes them partially.
• Rainfall agriculture, which allows loners.
• Irrigation agriculture, which favors community.
• Division of labor plus exchange in trade bring mutual cooperation, even outside the tribe.
• The impulse is always there, though: "Kill or enslave the outsider."
• Gradual science from Athens' compact with reason.
• Division of labor, trade, the mastery of knowledge, plus time brought surplus, sometimes a peaceful extended order and, rules diversely evolved and, the cooperation of strangers - always warring against the fierce defaults of tribalism, violence, and ignorance.
• No one who teaches you knows what will happen.
• http://www.sas.upenn.edu/home/news/trans_Kors.html

Pretty accurate in my opinion.

The Bush Legacy

While I find a new reason to scream about the Bush administration on a daily basis, I think the worst part of his legacy (even worse than Iraq) will be his appointments to the Supreme Court. This weeks decisions are a sign of things to come. Consider the 3 decisions related to the First Amendment: corporations and churches are protected by free speech, but individuals are not. That's the bottom line of the decisions. Corporations can spend unlimited amounts of money to influence elections, churches can get taxpayer money to promote their values, but you can't carry a sign reading "bong hits 4 jesus". And that scares me.
The corporatocracy controls this administration, and they're going to do everything they can to hang on to power. So expect more de-regulation, slime ads, and environmental destruction.
We're stuck with John Roberts for a long time, and that scares me.
Added: Tom Toles illustrates: