THE WRONG TEAM WON

The third and last of the past midnight WS nights. The good guy's lost. However substantive blogging will be delayed to later today or Friday.

Couch potatoes have only poor (as in bad) Met  or Yankee Baseball or "Futball" to watch; but in just over a month football training camp opens.  Can Basketball and Hockey be far behind?

WEDNESDAY AM

As I noted yesterday the CWS games take a long time. The second game Tuesday night lasted 3hours 45 minutes. The good team won so there will be a winner take all game 8pm on ESPN tonight.

The CWS college game is slow because they play small ball since the stadium in Omaha is very large with the wall in center being 408 feet. Home runs are rare. Also the aluminum bats that they use have been deadened and are less lively than the wooden bats organized ball uses. Years ago the college bats were too lively and a danger.

The third reason the hits are mostly singles is that the ball is  not as tightly wound as league baseball and the seams are raised; both factors reduce the carry of the ball when hit. This will change next year with the seams  being flush.

This will have to do for a Wednesday blog because of the hour and a doctor's "social" visit in the morning.

If something should happen that merits a blog I will write one.

Addendum 7:35 am; Unlike the baseball we watch, the college game is not built around the play for a big inning or the home run in most college fields. Yes some are bandboxes but most and especially the stadium in Omaha are so deed that the HR is rare. The pitching is very good at least the first time through the lineup and few pitchers go more than 5/6 innings. Good relief is the norm, and most games are low scoring very often won by 1 or 2 runs.

Therefore the sacrifice bunt is an integral part of the  game, and in effect teams  play with one out in the inning. The Suicide squeeze is a common maneuver and has been very frequent in the CWS. The stolen base and hit and run plays are more than in pro basketball. 

Obviously it has its devotees and this couch potato would not watch it without a sentimental interest.   

AN ATTACK ON HIGHER EDUCATION

In 2008 Bob Ingle and Sandy McClure published a book titled The Soprano State. Named after a popular TV show it dealt with corruption and the influence of the Mafia in New Jersey politics.

It also focused on mainly Democrat political machines in the state especially the Norcross dominated South Jersey against those of Northern Jersey’s featuring Essex and Hudson Counties. Yes; for the most part Union County and Plainfield were below the radar. The minority Republicans were not ignored.

There has been some changes and Christie parlayed his US District Attorney’s position into national political prominence and the Governorship.

But he never gained control over the legislature and after a bitter interparty political fight led by South Jersey's Norcross; Sweeney gained control over the Senate.

Sweeney has little moral virtues as evidenced by his letter of support published in the Green pre-primary flyer promoting the local Council Candidates. Remember that he was  a leader in 2011 in attempting to destroy the state health insurance pool to favor insurance companies some repesented by Norcross..

Sweeney also has a most dangerous agenda; politicalizing New Jersey’s higher education system. This was accelerated by a failure to secure for Rowan University the Rutgers’s Camden Schools.

Using the recent Athletic Department scandals he first tried to abolish the Rutgers Board of Trustees. Failing in that effort he is now attempting to legislate the increase of that Board by four politically appointed trustees.

He has received Senate approval but the Assembly has not voted on that bill as of this moment. However, Sweeney has given Rutgers an ultimatum of 90 days to comply with his demands.

In view of Sweeney's history it can be surmised that  his interest is not to better education but to find a new haven for political partisanships .

Freedom of education from political or religious control is essential for Democracy. The alternative is the loss of freedom of thought and either a Police State as in a dictatorship; or a Theocracy, the impetus for the colonists fleeing Europe.

PRE BOG POSTING

Monday night I watched the College World Series baseball game netween my alma mater, UVA 40 and Vanderbilt. Like all college ball games they last about 4 hours. Vanderbilt did not score in 8 innings. Virginia out hit them 16 to 6 ,but lost 9:8.

In the third inning  Vandrbilt scored 9 runs!!! on three hits, an error,a hit batsman and  5 FIVE walks all by one of the best College pitchers.

The Series is best out of three.

I intend to post something before noon.

JEAPORDY

This past weekend was so perfect that it was more suitable to sitting outside and watching the world go by than deciding on a blog subject.

For you Jeopardy fans and those who think they know everything; I have a question and will welcome answers. If you are not ashamed don't send anon.

The question Jeopardy style: "The oldest history book."

WEEKEND FILLER

Someone asked the other day, “What was your favorite fast food when you were growing up?”

“We didn’t have fast food when I was growing up,” I informed him. “All the food was slow.”

“C’mon, seriously. Where did you eat?”

“It was a place called home,” I explained. “Mom cooked every day and when Dad got home from work, we sat down together at the dining room table, and if I didn’t like what she put on my plate, I was allowed to sit there until I did like it.”

By this time, the kid was laughing so hard I was afraid he was going to suffer serious internal damage, so I didn’t tell him the part about how I had to have permission to leave the table.

Here are some other things I would have told him about my childhood if I figured his system could have handled it:

My parents never drove me to school. I had a bicycle that had one speed: slow. If it was too cold or snowy, I walked.

We didn’t have a television in our house until I was 10. It was black and white, and the station went off the air at midnight, after playing the national anthem. It came back on the air at about 6 a.m. and there was usually locally produced news to begin the day.

I never had a telephone in my room. The only phone was on a party line. Before you could dial, you had to listen to make sure people weren’t already using the line.

Pizzas were not delivered to our home… but milk was.

SUMMER IS HERE POTPOURRI

Almost summertime and life is one of luxury.

Some viewers have not been able to  see Dawg's pictures. I will try to work out the problem tomorrow.Sorry. 11:22 PM, I hope I have fixed the problem. try it.

DAWG enjoys his chaise and chair where he can watch the world go by.

 An addendum to Health Care 2015; both the right (WSJ) and left (Times) wings of the print media have almost daily articles with some reference to health care costs or problems especially relating to Medicare and what appears to excessive gaming the program for millions of dollars by providers. 

There have been articles about physiotherapists charges for multiple procedures which may or may not have been performed but seem  excessive for the actual so called treatment. Hospitals and radiology providers have been featured.This Friday the millions of dollars billed by certain oncologists both groups and individuals for using an anti-anemic drug which has fallen out of favor due to potentially serious side effects.

Statistics are quoted but it is also contended that the collection and interpretation of those statistics  could be flawed. If so the charges of improper usage could be doubtful.

Our favorite blogger is up and jogging; well almost if you can consider slow ambulation.