Whatever Happened to Aleppo?

“Follow the money.”

It’s a short phrase with a lot of impact. If you keep it in the back of your mind, it will help answer a lot of questions.

Why does healthcare cost so much? Follow the money.

Who benefits from this particular legislation? Follow the money.

Why all the vitriol over this person or issue? Follow the money.

I’m hearing a lot of conversation over free speech, hate speech, social media, fake news, and election impact. How many times is Mark Zuckerberg going to stand before a government to explain what he is doing in these areas? And, to be honest, why should he?

Follow the money.

This goes back many, many years, but for the sake of this post, let’s keep it to the more recent past.

In 2016, Donald Trump beat the “favorite”, Hillary Clinton, in the race for President. According to the talking heads of the “major” media outlets, this should NOT have happened. And since it did, there MUST have been some kind of interference in the election process. We’ve blamed the Russians for meddling. We’ve blamed “fake news” for meddling. And we’ve blamed social media for allowing all of this meddling to take place.

And it’s bullsh*t. Follow the money.

The Clinton campaign spent about $72 million on television ads and about $16 million on digital ads. The Trump campaign spent about $39 million on television ads and about $29 million on digital ads. Oh, and according to talking heads, the Russians spent about $100,000 (that’s thousand - not million) on Facebook ads.

Now, let’s look at the impact. Apparently, $100,000 of Russian ads had MORE impact on the election than the Clinton $16 million and the Trump $29 million. Does that make sense to you? And since Facebook “allowed” those ads, it must be Zuckerberg’s fault. Thus his CSPAN performances.

So, if the impact of Russia was, in reality, NOT the impact the Democrats (and some Republicans) are saying, what’s all the crying about?

Follow the money.

Who traditionally benefits the most from political advertising dollars? The “mainstream” media: newspapers, television, and direct mail. Who has the potential to LOSE the most IF social media proves to have the most impact over elections? The same “mainstream” media. So, who do you think are holding the Democrat and Republican parties feet to the flames? You guessed it: the “mainstream” media.

There is a reciprocal relationship here. The Democrats and Republicans spend MILLIONS on advertising and the same outlets provide untold HOURS of FREE advertising by talking incessantly about them on their "news" shows. (Which is another reason third-party candidates are shut out. More on that later.)

Here’s a question: Why the concern over “fake news” being spread on social media, when traditional campaign advertising is FULL of lies, slander, and false statements (which, conveniently, is considered “protected speech” for politicians)?

The answer is simple. If more impact can be had via social media without the spend (only $45 million for digital vs. $111 million for televised), why would anybody spend so much over the “mainstream” media outlets? Thus the “war” on free speech, and the rise of what is considered “hate speech”.

The Bird loves political ads as much as we do!

There will come a time when the traditional media outlets will find themselves with a voice and no ears listening to it. It’s already happening. Back during the campaign, there was a third-party candidate that was taking a major chunk of the voting block by the ear. That was Libertarian Party member Gary Johnson. Now, as we know, there can only be two parties that you can vote between: Democrat and Republican. They not only get your tax dollars to run their campaigns, but they also control who can be in the televised debates, who shows up in polls (and what is reported by the “mainstream” media about those poll results), and who ultimately can show up on the ballot.

During a “mainstream” media interview, Gary Johnson was asked about what he thought about Aleppo. He famously responded, “What’s Aleppo?”

He quickly became a laughing stock - with that response being played over and over and over again. Now, when the interviewer clarified that it was a city in Syria, Johnson replied with a well-thought out and intelligent response. Didn’t matter. They got him.

What that little slice of baloney showed was Johnson had a good grasp on the goings on in the Middle East, but did NOT look to the “mainstream” media for his briefings. Shame on him! You know what? Until that interview, I had never heard of Aleppo either. Thus the reason the game is called “TriviaL Pursuit”.

Whatever happened to Aleppo? I don’t remember really hearing much about it after that. Syria, yes. The Middle East, yes. But Aleppo? Nada.

You have to understand, the Democrats, Republicans, and the “Fourth Estate” believe that YOU, the general populous, are nothing more than slow-minded children that need to be told what to think, how to think, and what is important. You need to be protected from yourself. You can’t make decisions on your own. The great trio will guide you to Nirvana (the transcendent state, not the rock band). They can’t have you making decisions, or worse yet, having intelligent conversations, over the major issues (in other words, “candidates”) on your own.

So, follow the money. As Tony Montana said, “In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women.” (“Scarface”)

Or the votes.

© Emittravel 2018

And the Bottom of the Ninth to You!

Today (20181008) the 2018 baseball season has come to a close for the Cleveland Indians. They lost the five-game series in the first three games against the Houston Astros. Not a particularly great way to end the year. And I’ll admit, I’m not disappointed. I’m bummed, but not disappointed.

It wasn’t much past the All Star Game that when asked how I thought the Indians would do this year I would respond with, “They will clinch the Central Division, but that’s about it. It would be awesome if they would win the American League Division series, and incredible if they could win the pennant, but I doubt they would win the World Series this year.” My reasoning was that they were playing at the top of the division - but the division sucked! Most of the other teams were in rebuilding years, and the Indians had a pretty solid line up. But compared to the rest of the American League, we weren’t much to write home about.

So, I was bummed that the season ended so quickly, but not disappointed. However, one thing I had, in spite of the above paragraph, was hope. You see, as I’ve said repeatedly, baseball is the only sport where you can’t run out the clock or take a knee. You have to play until the final out. And because of that, I always have hope that things could change before that final out.

I wish I could say the same thing for the rest of the Cleveland Indians “fans”.

My wife and I are fair-weather fans. We try to get to at least one or two football games at the high school where she teaches. However, we only go if the weather is decent. You know, “fair”. The Cleveland Indians fans, on the other hand, are fair-weather fans of the other sort. You know what I mean.

When the Indians are winning, people are wearing their gear, screaming in the stands, and letting the world know that Cleveland is a true sports town. But when they aren’t doing so good? They are leaving the stands before the game is even over. And like I said above, it’s never over until the final out.

Are you from Cleveland? Do you call this place CleveLAND? Are you one of those who say it is “us against the world”? I wish it were so.

At around the 7th inning, the wheels came off. I won’t go into the stats - you can look those up yourself - but in the 7th Houston scored three runs to put them in the lead for the first time. Then, during the 8th, they scored an additional SIX runs, bringing the score to 10-2. I had the game on my tablet (my wife and I are “Slingers”) up until 17:00, when it was time to head for home. I then had the local radio station (WMMS 100.7 FM) giving me the audio play-by-plays for the rest. I wish I hadn’t.

As I listened to the “voice of the Cleveland Indians”, Tom “Hammy” Hamilton, I got angry. At one point Hamilton informed us that after the top of the 8th fans were leaving the stadium in droves. It was a mass exodus. And that’s not what really blew my stack. It was when Hamilton said the season was over for the Indians. He thanked the production staff for such a great job over the season (and yes, they have), since it was over. When the Astros’ 9th inning pitcher came out, he said that after he was done pitching he would be going to the visitor's clubhouse to celebrate.

THE GAME WASN’T OVER!!!

I don’t give a rat’s ass what the score is. You don’t call the game over before it’s over!!

So, in closing, I want to leave you with a few suggestions for next year:

It’s time for Tom Hamilton to retire. He’s had a great run, but I prefer my sports announcers to be informative, a bit entertaining, and maybe a LITTLE biased towards the home team. I don’t think he is able to do that anymore.

Cleveland fans need to put up or shut up. You sit in your seats until the very end of a Marvel movie to see the end credit “shawarma” stinger, but leave when your team is down? What impact do you think that has for the players when they see the seats empty?

Cleveland fans need to stop bad-mouthing the Indians. Remember the “wait until next year” unofficial slogan the Indians rallied for years? In 2016, when the Indians looked for a World Series win they haven't seen since 1948, what did the fans do? They gave the Chicago Cubs home field advantage here in Cleveland by selling their tickets to Chicago fans and providing the Indians a sea of Cubs blue to rally them. Maybe you aren’t ready for “next year”.

And finally, you should read a book about baseball. Not a book of stats. Stories. Read books like “Indians Memories” by Tim Long and Don Fox, or “The Curse of Rocky Colavito” by Terry Pluto, or “Shoeless Joe” (the story that inspired the movie “A Field of Dreams”) by W.P. Kinsella, or “For the Love of Baseball” by a bunch of different writers taking you on an emotional roller coaster.

This off season, fall in love with the game of baseball again. So next year, you will root, root, root for your home team; and if you don’t, well, it’s a shame.

© Emittravel 2018

Knowing Another

Knowing Another

May I be graced by God to know the love of one,
To opportune the chance to love;
Experience the joy
and intense sorrow
That comes from a lifetime,
though cut far too short;
A "soul-mate" to share life's burdens
(to fortune to carry that of the other).
To sing
  cry
shout
whisper
weep
scream
pass on to another,
The meaning of life that God may bestow,
by knowing another in such a manner as this.

J.P. Wiegand

©Emittravel 2004

Back in 2004, a lady I worked with showed me part of a poem that described the love she had for her late husband. This wonderful lady, aged in body only, shared with me a part of her heart; a love that transcends "till death do us part". It was from this inspiration that the above came to be. Now, you have a part of my heart. -j.p.

©Emittravel 2018

Pundit-cation Without Representation

I listen to quite a few podcasts. 131 shows to be exact. That’s a lot of podcasts. Some are more active than others. About 26 of them are music. The rest are made up of current events, stories (i.e. “The Moth”), and lots and lots of geek. There are about seven that focus primarily on technology and its impact.

I’m sure most of you have heard of “Silicon Valley”. It’s not a real place, as far as the postal service is concerned. It is, however a real place for the rest of us. It is located in the southern San Francisco Bay area of California and is where many technology companies hang their hats.

Most of the technology-related podcasts I listen to are based in the southern California area. That’s not surprising, since San Francisco is the hub of technology. The unfortunate side-effect to this is that the folks who do the podcasts report the impact of technology based on what is seen in California.

California, if you haven’t noticed, is NOT the entirety of the world - or just the United States for that matter.

Much of what I hear has little-to-no impact by the time it reaches my part of the country (Ohio). You think I’m kidding? I’ve yet to see anyone riding a Segway down the streets of Seven Hills…

This localized focus is not limited to just technology. If you ever watch cable news, or read “major” publications, you’d think that the entire country resides in either California or New York. The rest of the country, and the opinions expressed, are basically ignored - or worse, taken as the ramblings of the “uninformed masses”.

If you look up a map of election results from the 2016 Presidential election based on votes, you’ll see that the far ends of the country are blue (Democrat) and the middle is red (Republican). The majority of states are red - again, in the middle of the country - you know, NOT California or New York.

The majority of cable news networks and “major” publications are based in California and New York. This is why you hear so much vitriol over the current administration from them. If you don’t pay attention, you’d think that is the way the majority of the country thinks.

So, what can you do? Well, you could turn off your TVs, but that won’t help. You see, those folks think that their opinions are the only ones that matter and you need to think like they do. Just turning off your set won’t let them know that you disagree. You could write them and tell them. You could write their advertisers and tell them. But honestly, it won’t matter. As I said, for some reason, the folks in California and New York think that those of us in the middle are truly in the “flyover states” and can simply be ignored.

And that is what we need to do to them: ignore them.

According to an article in Wikipedia, Donald Trump received 62,984,828 votes. Hillary Clinton received 65,853,514 votes. That’s a difference of 2,868,686 votes. Hillary Clinton received almost six million more votes than Donald Trump in California and New York alone. So, you can see why the pundits in those states were ACTUALLY shedding tears after the election.

In 2016 there were about 200 million registered voters (I’m not even going to refer to the fact that there are over 300 million people in the United States). This means that 71,161,658 registered voters did NOT vote for either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump.

So, the next time someone whines that we should get rid of the Electoral College, tell them that by popular vote, that big chair in Washington, DC should be vacant right now…

© Emittravel 2018

The Majority Rules - Except When it Doesn’t

Every once in a while, someone brings up the whole “let’s get rid of the Electoral College” shtick. Because, as you know, the popular vote is the desired method for those living in California and New York; states that feel they alone should determine the outcome of every Presidential election. And of course, that outcome should always be a Democrat.

Before I get into this too far, let me be clear: I’m not a Republican. I’m not a Democrat. I belong to the largest voting block: Independents. In other words, I don’t belong to a minority party. Also, I voted for the person I felt best fit the job requirements for President. I didn’t vote based on gender, or whether or not the person was racist, sexist, or any other -ist. And I didn’t vote for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump.

Now that that is out of the way…

The complaints concerning the Electoral College are from Democrats. The reason is that in most elections, they win the popular vote. Seldom does a Republican win the popular vote. Again, refer to the comment about California and New York in the first paragraph (both HEAVILY Democrat-voting states). If you remove both of those states, Republicans would normally win the popular vote.

The major difference between the two is that with the Electoral College, votes are not strictly based on population. This keeps the playing field level. Or, in a word that the Democrats prefer (in all areas EXCEPT voting), "fair". With the popular vote, the majority voice wins. And why the Democrats prefer it confuses me.

You see, Democrats believe that the minority voice should supersede the majority voice. The number of individuals that consider themselves LGBTQLMNOP, for example, are an EXTREMELY small percentage of the population, but their “feelings” should supersede the “feelings” of the rest of the country who, ironically, fall into Darwin’s preference for evolutionary success.

(Oops, sorry. I made the cardinal sin of dropping a little science here - and the only science that counts is what the liberal establishment considers valid - you know, like man-made climate change for example.)

So, to wrap this up, I feel that Democrats should be grateful that the Electoral College exists, and should quit whining over the popular vote. Because, in their mindset, the majority voted for Hillary Clinton, so they should be happy that Donald Trump won.

Or, to be even more accurate, Gary Johnson or Jill Stein should have become President.

But that would probably be taking things a bit too far…

© Emittravel 2018

Let Me Pitch One To You

Did you know that there were different rules for the different Major League Baseball leagues? Sure.

In one league you have to tag the base after a pop fly is caught before advancing. In the other you don’t have to.

In one league the third foul ball hit is considered the third strike and an out. In the other they only count the first two as strikes - up to two strikes.

In one league it is four balls for a walk. In the other league it is three balls for a walk.

Okay, I’m just kidding. But to be honest, there IS one rule that is different between the leagues:

In the American League you can substitute having your pitcher hit for what is called a Designated Hitter. In the National League the pitcher has to hit.

Really. That’s it. The only difference between the two leagues is called the Designated Hitter Rule.

And it is dumb.

Not only is it dumb, but it gives an advantage to the National League team. And I’ll explain why.

The argument over which league is right (pitcher should hit or not) is older than the tale of the Beauty and the Beast (with respect to Alan Merken, Angela Lansbury, and Howard Ashman). And who is right is simple: The American League is right. And I’ll prove it.

The way the rule is enforced is based on the ballpark of the home team. If the home team is part of the National League, both teams - regardless of league - have to have their pitcher in the batting line up. If the home team is part of the American League, both teams - regardless of league - use a designated hitter.

Now, in the National League, the pitchers take batting practice on a regular basis. They are used to swinging a bat because they are forced to swing a bat. In the American League, the only time a pitcher takes batting practice is if they are playing against a National League team in a National League park. That means the pitchers are not used to swinging the bat.

That is one reason the National League has the advantage.

Another reason is that when the National League plays in an American League park they take the best hitter that is not regularly in that days line up and make them the Designated Hitter. And I’ve never seen it where they use their pitcher in the Designated Hitter role.

I’m an American League fan (#RallyTogether), I believe that it is in the best interest of everyone that the pitcher does not hit. Outside of the catcher, the pitcher is involved in EVERY play that happens when they are pitching. The other players only have to “do something” when the ball is hit to them. And as for the catcher, that person is covered in protective padding to reduce the chance of injury.

Come to think of it, outside of the umpires, only the catcher wears protective gear. The pitcher? Na da. Sure, there may be an elbow guard or shin guard for the batter, but that is minor.

I’ve seen players at the plate get hit by a pitch in the wrist.

(Above: Justin Turner hit by pitch 20180319)

How would you like to have your pitcher (who’s very livelihood is based on throwing a ball at high speeds accurately, WITHOUT hitting the batter) be the one hit by a wild pitch? It’s bad enough for a pitcher to get hit by a ball coming off a bat!

(Above: Carlos "Cookie" Carrasco exits the ballgame 2018)

To be perfectly honest, I believe the National League agrees with the Designated Hitter rule and would do it if they were allowed. And here is how to prove me right or wrong:

Change the rule. Instead of the home team’s ballpark determining whether or not a Designated Hitter can be used, make it optional based on the league. So, when in a National League park, the National League pitchers will hit, and the American League can use a Designated Hitter. When in an American League park, the American League will use a Designated Hitter, and the National League can still make their pitchers hit.

I can guarantee that if that was the way the rule worked, the National League would GLADLY use the Designated Hitter, which would prove they really DON’T believe that pitchers should hit.

Why? Because they don’t want their pitchers injured either.

(Above videos were obtained from YouTube and the MLB. No profit is made from those reading this blog and are encouraged to support their favorite MLB team.)

© Emittravel 2018

D.U.I. (Driving Under Imbecility)

The other day, while my wife and I were on the freeway (she was driving), I noticed that after the person passed us on the left, they drifted partially into our lane then swerved back into their own.

Now, if you were a police officer and witnessed this, you might flash your blue and reds and pull the person over. You might also give the person a breathalyzer test due to the erratic driving. But, most likely, you would not be able to arrest this particular person for driving under the influence of alcohol. You see, as this person was passing us they were looking down at the phone in their lap.

What?!? You mean someone was texting (or Facebooking, or Twittering, or whatevering) while driving?!?

Hard to believe, I know, but true.

In the State of Ohio, it is illegal to use any electronic wireless communications device while driving. If you are over the age of 18 this is considered a secondary law. This means that a police officer has to have another reason to pull a driver over other than texting. If you are under the age of 18 it is a primary law, which means they don’t need another reason to pull you over.

So, if you are weaving or driving erratically a police officer can pull you over. But here is where it gets tricky. Just because you are driving erratically does NOT mean you were texting. You could have been drinking. Or you could have been dealing with Mayhem under your seat.

If the officer smells alcohol on you, they have a few options to prove you were driving under the influence. One of these is a breathalyzer. However, they cannot force you to take a breathalyzer test right there. You can refuse it. Of course, this is much like pleading the Fifth; which makes you “guilty” regardless of the truth.

If, on the other hand, you were texting and driving, it is much more difficult for the officer to prove. First off, they have to have seen you with your phone in your hand. And you are too savvy to get caught doing that. That is why you drive looking at your lap. You aren’t stupid enough to hold the phone up in view. (I’m clearly being sarcastic here.)

What if the officer asks you to hand over your phone? Can they take it to prove whether or not you were using it while you were driving? Nope. A police officer may take your phone if there is reasonable cause, but they may not search the data on the phone without either the driver’s consent OR a warrant.

You see, you have this little thing you can hide behind called “privacy” and there is NO WAY you are going to voluntarily give a police officer the evidence to condemn you for your own stupidity.

And that needs to change right now.

When I was a kid the police cars used to have the words, “To Serve And Protect” emblazoned on them. If those words are true, they should ABSOLUTELY be able to stop a car from driving erratically to protect US.

There should be a simple test available that if a police officer stops you for erratic driving they would be able to TAKE your phone, run the test, and figure out whether or not you’ve been using it. Like a breathalyzer. And if you refuse to hand over your phone, you should IMMEDIATELY be arrested, have your car impounded, and taken to the police station where you can sit and wait for the warrant which would OBVIOUSLY be provided.

Oh, and one major difference between driving under the influence of alcohol and texting: after a period of time the amount of alcohol in your bloodstream will go down - so if you can delay the time between the traffic stop and the breathalyzer long enough, your blood/alcohol level may drop enough to be proven "not guilty". But your phone? Baby, that shtuff is out there FOREVER!

And if you WERE texting and driving?!? That should be a felony charge. You want to put your life at risk? Go to prison. Just don’t stay on the road and put OUR lives at risk.

Make up your damn minds. If you want to text, text. If you want to drive, drive. If that Facebook post is so important, pull your car over and take care of it. Just don’t do both at the same time. Because, regardless of how good a multitasker you think you may be, in reality, you suck at it.

I’m reminded of a Gallagher routine where he thinks we should be driving with those rubber-tipped dart guns we had as a kid. Whenever we see someone driving like an idiot we could lean out and shoot a dart at their car with a flag that says, “IDIOT!” A cop sees you driving down the road with a half-dozen flags on the trunk of your car, they pull you over and give you a ticket for being an A**HOLE!!

For some people, they wouldn’t be able to see past the flags.

© Emittravel 2018

What’s Your Hurry?

Today (20180429) was sports Sunday here in Cleveland. The Cavaliers played the Pacers in Game 7 of their playoff series, and the Indians played the Mariners in Game 4 of their 4-game series. The Cavaliers pulled a win - taking the series, and the Indians pulled a loss - losing their series 1-4 (good thing it’s only April baseball!)

Recently, much has come from the MLB concerning the speed of the game. Apparently, some think baseball is too slow, and the MLB wants to try different things to speed it up. I’ve written a few times about this already (here and here, for example), so I won’t spend too much time on it in this post. I do want to expand a bit on a Twitter post I wrote recently (follow me at @nocturnecsh):

“00:30 left on the Cavs/Pacers clock. Went to the bathroom. Came back to 00:21. & a clock will speed up #baseball? Who are you kidding @MLB?”

I went to the BATHROOM and only NINE seconds had lapsed on the clock. That’s basketball for you.

Apparently a clock does little to speed the game.

I’m an all-things time related junkie. Favorite time related movie? “Memento”. Favorite time related book? That’s a toss up between H.G. Well’s “The Time Machine” and the Bible. Favorite time related album? Alan Parsons "The Time Machine". Favorite time related sport? That’s easy: BASEBALL! And not because it is “slow”.

When you put yourself in a position to focus solely on the game in front of you, time slows down - and not in a negative way. When the pitcher is on the mound and is looking to his catcher for the best pitch to befuddle the batter, who is watching the pitcher to see what pitch he will throw to try and befuddle him, time ssslllooowwwwsss down. The tension is palpable. Nothing else matters in that moment.

Sure, in football there are all of these guys running around the field when the ball is snapped. In basketball nobody ever STOPS running (except for the clock: which never seems to run at all). But in baseball, the moments before the action are just as important as the moments after the pitch/swing. And you can’t rush that.

Maybe the problem isn’t the pace of the game. It’s us.

It’s amazing to me that people today drive with one hand on the wheel, one holding their smartphone, and both eyes looking anywhere but through the windshield, and yet they drive so close to the car in front of them they think that they have all the time in the world to hit the breaks and come to a stop if needed.

I’m not sure about the state you live in, but here in Ohio we have a little thing called “assured clear distance”. If you ever rear end someone, you’ve been cited for it. It is the failure to maintain an appropriate distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you. “Back in my day” (that’s old man speak) that would be one car length for every TEN miles an hour - on dry pavement with clear visibility. The distance is to be greater on wet pavement, more for snow-covered pavement, and at night. This is to allow sufficient time for the person behind to come to a complete stop and not hit the car in front. And yet, people drive right on your bumper like that will allow them to get to their destination that much faster.

So, maybe it’s WE that need to slow down, rather than rush the game of baseball. Because as far as a sport is concerned, baseball is pretty much perfect as is.

© Emittravel 2018

There Is No Joy In Mudville?

With a two-run walk-off home run, Indians’ catcher, Yan Gomes, secures the home opener series win against the Kansas City Royals. And talk about a celebration at home plate!

Photo: David Richard, USA TODAY Sports (2017)

To be honest, record aside, I’ve been a little worried about my home team. They just have not been playing up to the caliber of the team I’m used to seeing. The bats have not been very hot. And as good as the defense has been at keeping opposing teams from crossing home plate, it takes hot bats to win games.

But that’s not it.

The real reason for my worry is that, from the games I’ve been able to watch, I’ve not seen much joy. You know, like two-run walk-off home run to win a game kind of joy.

I’ll admit, I wouldn't want to be the guy standing in the outfield in 34-degree temperatures either. That kind of chill can . . . chill your attitude. But regardless, there is a joy that the team exudes that I think is the secret ingredient, the Emeril “BAM!” of baseball.

I’ve seen glimpses of it. There was one game where I caught Indian’s short stop Frankie Lindor with his arm around the shoulders of the opposing team’s second baseman - both with big smiles on their faces. THAT joy.

With the beginning of Cleveland Indians baseball, the subject of the removal of Chief Wahoo has been in the news. For those not in the know, the MLB and the Cleveland Indians ownership have come to an agreement to retire the beloved mascot at the beginning of the 2019 season. He will no longer be available on any MLB officially licensed merchandise and no longer diplayed on the players’ uniforms. However, he will still be available in the team shop and on non-official MLB merchandise, and fans can still display him proudly at games. This, as a matter of coincidence(?) lines up with Cleveland hosting the 2019 All-Star Game.

I bring up Chief Wahoo for a reason: In spite of his removal, it is my hope that the joy that the SMILING mascot displayed will not disappear from the club and the fans that support it.

So my desire is that, as the temperatures go up, so does the joy level. Because, regardless of the team’s record, this is NOT Mudville!

© Emittravel 2018

Stuff My Brain Says #83

A law isn’t a law unless it is enforced.

No matter the topic -  gun control, taxes, even jaw walking - laws are completely meaningless if not enforced.

So, if you are mad about a nineteen year-old being able to purchase a firearm to use in a killing spree in a gun-free school zone, or whether or not President Trump paid his “fair share” of taxes, and you think the solution is more laws, look first at what laws are ALREADY on the books and are not enforced.

You’ll realize that we either need less and more effective laws, or increased enforcement of those that already exist.

Sometimes Congress does its best work when on vacation.

© Emittravel 2018