American as Capitalism

So Mike Piazza caught another ceremonial pitch from Tom Seaver. They played up their bromance at Citifield for all to see. Piazza was protected from the big bad media. He claims that he is a private person. Well if he wants to be a private person, let another of the Mets catchers, Carter, or Grote or somebody else, catch the ceremonial first pitch.

I remember, 1998, at Shea, when Piazza first arrived he’d step to the plate, and the home crowd would boo. After a few times, the Mets would instigate a chant. A drumbeat would sound, to drown out the booing masses and up on the big screen, the “Let’s go Mets” would flash, and parts of the crowd only saw the Diamond Vision, joined in the chant, in short, it worked. You see, Mike Piazza had a big contract with the Mets, although his ego dwarfed his contract, Piazza was the ninth highest paid player in the league. The Mets didn’t (still don’t) want to lose their investment.

This crowd manipulation was particularly cumbersome at the time. The Mets’ production crew was running on a linear system that had only two playout channels, two options of what they were going to show on the big screen. (They upgraded in 2002, lots of goodies, including an instant clip management system, and 19 channels, 19 options, sweet!) By requiring the “Let’s Go Mets” chant in one of its two channels, it divided by half, the options of the technical director. Whether he went to a live shot, or a replay, or a clip or pre-edited sequence from long ago, a decision had to be made, in advance, and stuck with. There was no switching on the fly. The only other channel wasn’t available.

The Mets protected Piazza, they always have. Mike Piazza did not want to answer the steroid question, so the Dwight Gooden graffiti scandal was born. Yes, a successful attempt to control the story, to stop the media griping about the snubbing Piazza gave them.

Why are they still protecting Piazza? Surely they can’t believe that he’s going into the Hall under a Mets cap. He’s not going into the Hall under anybody’s cap. Reporters may not report of his off field antics, due to the need for access, or ethics about deep backgrounds, but they know. (I wouldn’t know they story about the live rat being sent to a reporter, had the Sicilian princess not had my name inscribed on the package’s return address.) The media also know that he was an incomplete player. A DH, with an impressive publicist, and enough family connections to get him in the game.

When Mike Piazza began playing professional baseball, in September of 1992, he was rumored to be a 62nd round draft pick, only chosen as a favor to his brother’s Godfather, Tommy Lasorda. (Also, we’re supposed to believe that Lasorda had only enough juice for a 62nd round draft pick, but whatever.)

And now Tommy Lasorda is vouching for Piazza, big deal. So what else would he do? Tommy Lasorda began playing professional ball in 1945. He is not an innocent; he knows everything there is to know about the game. (In unrelated news, it was 1941, when Steve Rogers was injected with a super-solider serum, thus becoming, Captain America.) There isn't anything new under the sun.

In 1994, an extended baseball strike began which eventually cost the league upwards of $600 million dollars, and the goodwill of the public. People had become disenchanted with the game they felt angry and betrayed. Plus, as they didn’t have baseball to spend their time and money, they got used to spending their time and money on other things. When the strike did finally end, the players were not field fit. The small crowds resented the poor performance, and the clubs weren't making any money. The game needed something to juice it up, and a handful of players were eager to take the juice. They wanted to be rich, and famous, the owners wanted the media to focus on something positive, to lure back the crowds and their money.

Steroids seemed perfect. All gain, and no pain. Nobody had a way of testing for steroids, and if you couldn't prove steroid use, you could profit from it, which is what many decided to do. Steve Phillips, who acquired Mike Piazza for the Mets, is using that as a non-defense defense. He's protecting himself; sort of admitting he turned a blind eye, but not quite. He's a member of the media now, and he still needs access. Without it he doesn't have any story to tell. Without a story to tell, how's he supposed to fulfill his contract, and collect his money? It's a circle. Baseball, as American as capitalism.

Off the mark

So Ralph Alter is upset with Susan Estrich, but for all the wrong reasons. He totally misunderstood the meaning of Susan Estrich’s Mr. Cool piece. He doesn’t seem to realize that the entire piece was designed to undermine the president, towards the end of elevating her friend, Hillary Clinton.

In the first paragraph, she suggests that Obama might be nervous and insecure, and then lists the reasons why nobody would blame him for feeling nervous and insecure.

Second paragraph; everybody makes mistakes, Obama’s already making mistakes, but as he doesn’t seem fazed by it, he’s either already out of touch, or misleading everybody, and that makes him dishonest.

After that, there are three paragraph-type things, dismissing his smarts, and emphasizing how articulate he is, and the superficiality of his style. The line “President Barrack Obama is in charge” really does read as a temporary surrender, an explanation for bidding one’s time.

She then proceeds to define the role of president, and let us know that she doesn’t know if his policies are good ones, (which is odd, because according to Estrich, she really is an expert on seemingly everything) but she knows he’s got the theater down, so that’s all we can expect.

She others him by declaring the nation scared, insecure, and him confident. Then reduces the value of confidence, by contrasting its definition with the definion of competence.

By repeatedly claiming that the Obamas are young, she is parroting Bill Clinton’s point, when on the campaign trail he called Barrack Obama a kid.

Ralph Atler is off the mark.

How tweet it is...

Did you know that the State Department has a blog? It’s true, Dipnote went online in 2007. It’s been explained to everybody, repeatedly, that Dipnote is an abbreviation of a diplomat’s notes. The diplomat is not blogging, instead, staffers are blogging. They are also tweeting. Most of it is restricted to the “everybody, everywhere hearts Hillary Clinton all the time” line, but occasionally, when nobody’s looking, a piece of valid information gets through. As was attempted in their video, Spring Break, Have Fun, stay Safe. It was a good attempt, but unfortunately, it was also unscripted. It didn’t have enough clear information, it should have been a lot more helpful, but it was a nice attempt.

Unlike this silly Madagascar rumor, non-rumor thing. Last week, Twitter was all a tweet, or rather a re-tweet, regarding the then president of Madagascar who had been ousted by a coup. Dipnote went on Twitter saying that it was aware of the rumor about him going to the US embassy, asking for refuge. Minutes later, Dipnote repeated the rumor, and declared it false, and requested that everybody re-tweet. So a bunch of people did. Here’s the upshot, the US Embassy was never in any danger, there were never any threats to Americans, and Dipnote is still aggrandizing itself for acting quickly to a dangerous situation, even though the dangerous situation, wasn’t.

Former President Marc Ravalomanana did not seek help from the US; he instead went to Swaziland, where a meeting of heads of the Southern African Development Community is planned. The African Union has already suspended Madagascar’s membership. If the education provided to me on all those rainy summer afternoons, courtesy of the Parker Brothers, is to be trusted, it’s entirely possible that the Africans will take some action against the current government of Madagascar. If that happens, the Africans will win. Africa is bigger. They may reinstate the former president, or simply make a deal with the new one. Either way, it’s kind of refreshing to watch a skirmish that has nothing to do with us.

Fair Waring

So is anybody surprised that HRC had to be sworn in as SOS in front of the cameras? Certainly, the Clintons know how to milk a story. That line about Bill giving her "all kinds of experiences" was not only a cheap attention getting ploy, but it was an embarrassment to the nation. Course I realize that this is just another tactic for Bill to play the "aw shucks, I am a bad boy" card, but it's getting to be almost as old as Bill himself. Seriously, there's less snow on that roof every day. Soon, not even that aerosol can of hair paint will be of any help.

This nation has a cuckold as Sectary of State. Everybody knows it, but only the Clintons are allowed to joke about it. I don't find it charming. I find the Clintons using their attention getting ability to play a very dangerous game, with the properly elected leaders of the US government and the people of this nation, being the monkey in the middle.

I have some responsibility for this. For years, I thought that being polite was the correct thing to do. I was wrong. I have had to listen to a scripted rant from various spokesmen of the whole rest of the world, who think we're crazy for impeaching Bill Clinton. (I don't think the whole rest of the world thinks about us all that much, and if they do, they probably realize that American women are also Americans, and as such, entitled to a level of protection under the law.) I will no longer listen to those rants. I will no longer let anybody use the crutch of it's just politics. It is not just business, or just politics, frankly, it isn't even personal. What it is, is a diabolical form of misogyny.

I will attempt to correct that mistake. I will, as politely as I know how, please note the low bar, interrupt the rant, to introduce myself properly and give a brief explanation of my experience. I invite all of the other women who have been targeted by the Clintons and their surrogates to do the same. I understand there will be some embarrassment about this, but that can only be helped if said spokesmen refrain from the rant. Consider the sheer number of women who have been targeted, the likelihood of you running into one or more of us is hardly remote. The more I think about that, the more I think it's a good idea. Perhaps, all the women who have been targeted by them should get together. Alas, all of the stadiums are booked.

When you excuse the way Bill Clinton behaved, the way Hillary Clinton behaved, you're excusing sexism. You cannot elevate practising sexists, without also practising sexism. This slight of hand business is all over. There will be no more smearing, harassment, assaults (sexual or otherwise) just to feed the Clinton machine. Women have a right to live up their potential, whether or not Bill Clinton (or anybody else) happens to be attracted to them. Opportunity should not be to women, what Eddie Murphy's ice cream was to his neighborhood friends.

Who knew so many Democrats would believe sacrificing so many women, could be for the good of the party?

Paterson Death Watch...

The problem with what David Paterson did, and the way he did it, was that he put everybody, including himself, into an impossible position. Everybody understands what happened. Paterson made multiple deals, and handled all of them very badly. It was clear that he’d given assurances to Kennedy, and requested that she not protect herself when the press came after her. She accepted the deal, sweetened the pot, and instead of reciprocating in kind, instead of acting like an adult, he made himself a cat’s paw for the Clintons.

His plan was obviously to appoint Kirsten Gillibrand. Hillary Clinton had taken some heat (much of it from me) for her habit of pulling the ladder up behind her. As Gillibrand had worked to get her elected in 2000, when HRC ran against professional tomato can Rick “look at my butt” Lazio, she was chosen to proclaim Clinton as her mentor. She might have said it in Chinese, or French…

Paterson opted to have the press bloody up Caroline Kennedy. It was deliberate, and it served to punish the Kennedys for backing the new president. (It’s Barrack Obama who’s given Hillary Clinton the security clearance she lacked as co-president of the United States.) Also to protect Gillibrand from media and its questions. It was also intended as appreciation towards the Clintons for getting Spitzer out of the way of Paterson’s ascension. It will also prove it be his ultimate undoing.

Even after he’d admitted that he’d hung her out to dry, Kennedy still acted like an adult and tried to do the right thing by the state, and withdraw her name from consideration. If he’d handled himself properly, it would have worked. Instead, he had snide rumors gratuitously circulated. Of course everybody knows that there is no such thing a personal situation that will keep any Kennedy from public service, but by minimizing the fall out, she, unlike the other players in this ugly game, wasn’t trying to fool anybody, she was trying to protect the people of the state. She and her family walked 26 blocks, on a NY winter’s evening, to have their dinner out, show face, and really put the public a little more at ease. That’s a gesture of a true, seasoned player.

Nobody wants to be seen as a pushover, it sets an impossible tone. It’s the same reason women can be unyielding about the beginning of a relationship. It’s not that she doesn’t want to see you, she doesn’t want to tell your children that the first real date she had with their father, involved liquor, a famous hotel, and not even a gaggle of girlfriends to feign the appearance of propriety.

If the Kennedys don’t end his career, they invite every hustler, grifter, scammer to target all of them, and all their foundations. The Special Olympics, The River Project, all the environmental stuff, the housing, the heating, everything. It will be as if someone has rung a bell… it’s nothing more, or less than the way the world works.

So with David Paterson’s career very much over, who benefits? Andrew Cuomo looks like he feels like he’s in the running, but I wonder if he’s thought it through. I think he knows that HRC is largely a figurehead, and as such he figures she won’t have enough influence to jeopardize her job. He’s probably been assured that Bill will behave, but what if the Clintons, who have repeatedly been stone cold busted telling untruths to the public, are lying also to him. Even in private. OMG! What if HRC is conspicuous when disagreeing with the president? Is it possible she’ll lose this plum assignment, and need a place to land. With Paterson out of the way, and the Kennedys and Cuomos fighting each other, she can reluctantly agree to be called.

HRC Hearing.

So Hillary Clinton's confirmation hearings began today. How nice. That woman uses the word smart as frequently as Ted Haggard uses the word fabulous. Honestly, is no one on this planet a grown up? The woman deliberately exploits her own daughter Chelsea as a human shield, and no one objects. What's up with that? By the by, wasn't it nice for John Kerry to offer Chelsea an internship? Wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more, say no more..., anyhooo... I was surprised to know that HRC was urged to reveal more of her husband's donors. Hadn't that already been done? That should have already been done. But of course Hillary Clinton should have also resigned her seat in the Senate.

What about this business that international abuse of women isn't culture, according to Hillary Clinton, it's a crime. Well, that's nice too. Am I the only one who remembers, it was the year 2000, the Puerto Rican Day Parade. It was NYC, and a bunch of damn fools got loaded, and proceeded to sexually assault numerous random women. Hillary Rodham Clinton was responsible for capitalizing on that event to call for the names of all victims of sexual assault to be published. She was a woman in her fifties then. I found that disturbing at the time, I find it even more deeply disturbing now.

If somebody is willing to do something once, and then repeats the thing, twice; what right do you have to put your money that they won't do it yet another time? This nation needs to use its head, to protect itself. To keep records, recordings, of the things that are actually happening. In order for this nation to have the freedoms in the future, that this nation, and its citizens have come to expect, this nation has to be self reliant. We have to look out for our own interests for the future, and not simply rely on those things we are owed. Just because Mrs. Peacock owes Colnel Mustard, is no reason to think she won't blab about him being in the library with the candlestick. True or not, he won't be in any position to call in the debt.

Lame Duck Senator

Isn't Hillary Clinton's refusal to step an extreme slap in the face of New York State? Seriously, she is a lame duck senator. She can't make any deals, because everybody knows that she's leaving, and won't be in a position to hold up her end. She's doing harm to the transition process. By not vacating the seat, she's keeping the hands of Gov Paterson tied behind his back, adding to whatever burdens come naturally to a governor of New York. On top of all that, she is ensuring her replacement will be more junior in the senate, than junior senator from Delaware, and maybe even Illinois.

Instead of aiding the transition process, untying the Governor’s hands, instead of preparing for her new job at state, how is she spending her time?

She’s bargaining with Bon Jovi to get her campaign debt paid down. She’s selling her email list to Bill’s charity. That she’s all about the Benjamins, there is little doubt. She’s holding on to the headlines, having her surrogates lavish public, although dubious, praise onto her, hoping to bury any reference to the tenth anniversary of her husband’s impeachment.

She should resign. She should spend this time boning up on world issues. Our position on Gaza, the riots in Greece, so many other things are going on. For the good of the world, for the good of the nation, for the good of New York, Hillary Clinton should resign.