The Royal Wedding

Just in case you don't know it, there is going to be a wedding today. Apparently, Kate Middleton is scheduled to tie the bond with Prince William. To put it lightly, many people will be watching. (Are there any sponsors?) "This wedding is brought to you by BMW." What a marketing opportunity.

It's going to be an organizational nightmare, as almost 1900 guests are invited to the service at Westminster Abbey , and the logistics of getting everyone in and out are monumental. Security is also a problem. There will be an untold number of police and security agents closely watching every one of the thousands of people that will crowd the route of the participants. What a shame that some maniac  will try to "become famous" by doing something to ruin this special day for two young people who are stepping up to fulfill their social obligations in the face of all this chaos and confusion.

Kate and William are handsome, young, and vivacious. Older people can remember their own wedding day, and relive their own feelings of anticipation and wonder as they stepped into the future passage of their own lives. They can empathize, in some small way, with the emotions of this bright young couple. Younger people can dream of their own future marriage and hope for only a touch of the splendor and elegance  that will be displayed during today's activities.

Not since Charles and Diana has there been such a pageant. Fortunately for us all, the future is not apparent to us as we walk, step by step, through the present. Diana's tragic end, and Charles' wanderings must be ignored so as not to taint the sweetness of this moment. The wishes of us all for a safe, long and happy life for the new couple will be created many times in our fleeting emotions as we watch their public promises to each other.

All in all, it seems strange to me that people would have such "involvement" in this ceremony, but there are human emotions that are caught up in certain "events" of history that tug on our hearts beyond our understanding and make us real participants in these episodes of life. In reality, they are both other-worldly. History, wealth, and social advantage sets them far apart from the rest of the world, but it will watch and hope for both of them on this special day. May Kate and William have a future that is as bright as their smiles. May their wishes and dreams, that I know they must have, for their own future together find fulfillment. May they have health and happiness and peace.

A Lot of Burgs: Milten, Freuden, Rothen, and Wurtberg

It has been busy enough, that I have not had time to  write. I like writing, so you can imagine how busy it has become. Off the boat, on to the bus, off the bus, on to the boat, off, on, off, on.....

Yesterday, we were on the Main river, and pulled into Freudenburg about 9:30 in the morning. We took a bus to the nearby town of Miltenburg (I don't think this is where "uncle Milty" was from). It was a charming town, and we had an individual guide who had a great sense of humor.

She told a story of a threatened invasion by the allies during WWII, and how the large bridge was lined with dynamite. Well, the invasion didn't come, but before they could take the explosives down, a potato truck was driving over the bridge, and the dynamite exploded. "We were in mashed potatoes for a month."

You can see from the photos of the houses how neat and clean the town was. There was a special observer that I found on the second floor of a house. I took his picture, and I didn't have to ask permission! He's down below this paragraph.  Once we toured the town, and had a couple of local brews, we were on to the boat that evening where we had a delightful talk by a local glass blower. He was a real comedian, but he seemed to have a thankful sense of the United States involvement in getting the communists out of Germany and the removal of the Berlin wall. I guess it provided tremendous opportuity for making a decent living which couldn't be accomplished in East Germany.

The next morning(observer to the left), we were on the bus and took a tour of the Wurzburg's Townhouse. It was the house for the Bishops, and it was built in the early 1700s. It is a palace, and I'll bet the pledges to the church were heavy during those times. Talk about tithing? Gold leaf, beautiful plaster ornaments on the walls. No pictures allowed inside, so you'll have to imagine it. You can see the entrance courtyard to the right.

Final trip for the day was to Rothenburg. It was about 1 hour's drive, but it was worth it. This town has stayed the same for about 200 years, because the town leaders decided to keep everything inside the walls unchanged. What a marketing idea! Only with special permission can you change the paint, or the structures, because it will ruin the looks of the past. You can see this in the house I have photographed. It's one of the oldest, and it is leaning. I was leaning too after a couple of local beers.

During the 30 years war, around 1631, the Catholic general arrived at the outskirts of Rothenburg ready to attack. The mayor offered a large bucket of wine as a peace offering. The General refused to drink it, but bargained that if anyone could drink it in three minutes he would not attack the town. The mayor did it and saved the town. Now, in the town square there is a large clock, and on some of the hours, "the mayor" comes out of a window, and raises his glass as if to drink the wine.

I want to show you some of the "other" beautiful things we are seeing during this trip. They are the kind of things we don't take the time to notice when we are surrounded by all the "shoulds and oughts" of our everyday life. Enjoy. 

Koblenz and the Marksburg Fortress

Tuesday, April 26th

Docked in Koblenz, Germany. A town of about 106,000 souls, necessarily on the Rhine. It lies at the juncture of the Rhine and the Moselle rivers. On the tip of the juncture, is a statue of Emperor Wilhelm I, placed here is 1879, destroyed in 1945, and rebuilt in 1993. (A lot of turmoil, don't you think?)  Impressively large statue, that I did not photograph so it is not included. (Sorry.) Our morning was brief with a walk into the town, then back to buses for a trip to Marksburg castle.

During our brief walk, we saw some of the impressive churches in Koblenz, and shops. This town is a business center for the export of automotive parts, pianos, paper, machinery, boats and barges. The headquarters of the German Army Forces Command is located here. From this castle, the views of the Rhine are impressive.

The Martzburg fortress is where we spent the majority of the morning. Taking a bus about 25 kilometers from the dock, we arrived at an impressive structure bordering the Rhine, and situated on a rocky hill. This castle was built around 1230, and it lies above the town of Braubach. It is the only medieval castle which has never been destroyed in the area of the "middle Rhine."  It's height on the mountain is impressive, and it is clear why it was never destroyed. It is one of the sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Rhine Gorge. I believe it is now maintained by the State.

We made it back to the ship for a nice lunch on the sun deck. This was a traditional German lunch of pork barbecue (not flavored like North Carolina), sausages, hamburgers(allegedly invented in Hamburg,Germany),and jelly rolls (or called Bismarks when I was a child in Chicago), and Black forest cakes (tasty, but terrible for a diet). Then it was off again on the Sky (our boat) and up the Rhine. Taking in the sites of this stretch of Rhine was beautiful. It is a protected site with no bridges, and the towns are neat and tidy.

All in all, the trip is an excellent time to consider. Consider what? Consider people, what they are, their history , and the future. Germany is a powerful country. Its people seem to be proud, organized, and industrious. Quite respectable.  I have noticed little trash on the sides of the river, and no evidence of deterioration of the houses along the route. They are well preserved with clean and fresh looking paint. I am looking forward to further travels up the Rhine. 

Cologne Germany

In the morning, we landed in Cologne, Germany. Germany is an interesting country. A bit smaller than the state of Montana, it has a population of 82.2 million people, and it is an economic powerhouse. Germany is one of the top five economic powers in the world, and Cologne is the forth largest city in Germany and a significant reason for that economic success. Located on the Rhine river, Cologne has been a transportation center for the shipment of goods (a source of much of its economic power).

It's current population is around 1 million residents. Prior to WWII it's population was 800,000 shrinking to 40,000 after the war. With the allied bombing, over 90% of the center of Cologne was destroyed by war's end, but it has essentially been rebuilt since that time.

The most incredible structure in Cologne is the Cathedral. This building (picture nearby) was begun in the 13th century, but was not completed until 1880 (union job). There were numerous delays, the longest from 1560 to 1842 when Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia laid the ground stone to finish the building.

Incredibly, this structure was not destroyed during the allied bombing in WWII. Numerous explanations are available, but the most convincing seems that the American's did not want to damage it because of a "deal" with the Germans not to bomb St. Paul's Cathedral in London.  (Our guide told us that he had talked with American Veterans from WWII, and they confirmed this story.) Almost as plausible is the thought that the two spires were good land marks for the pilots, and they did not want to lose them. As one might guess their is also a theological explanation which I won't go into.   On our trip we saw photographs of the rubble in  this city and around the Cathedral after the war, and either way, the Cathedral's survival was certainly a miracle.

This city is well known for German beer, and for lunch, I stuffed myself with wienerschnitzel (fried pork), potatoes, and German beer. It was excellent, but quite filling--ruined my "diet" again.

Probably the most interesting thing for me  about this city--I am interested in strange things-- is that everywhere you look there are people and families enjoying life together. Children playing, young people in love, middle aged folks sitting and talking about the events of the day and the month, and shoppers. Isn't it true that we all want to do these things--have a good time and "connect" with each other. It is difficult to believe that merely 70 years ago our United States was bombing and killing all this human joy. Don't get me wrong, I know these are  complicated issues, but none of us like it. Do we? How can we continuously get ourselves into situations where we justify these kinds of depraved activities. Apparently, it is not the people that do this, it is the governments. I know that sounds idealistic, but if no one makes these kinds of statements, we are doomed to continual violation of our fundamental and, as I believe, innate instincts as people: "love one another," isn't that better?

The Anne Frank House-Amsterdam

Want to go somewhere that will move you? Go to the  Anne Frank house in Amsterdam, Holland. Anne had to hide with her family upstairs, in the back of a house in 1942. They hid there for 2 1/2 years. They were Jewish, and the Nazis had taken over The Netherlands.

Anne wanted to be a writer, so she began to keep a journal. When she heard over the radio, that the Americans were bombing Germany in 1944, she believed she would publish her journal after the war ended. Unfortunately, someone (we still don't know) turned them in to the Nazis, and all in her family,except her father,  died or were killed in the concentration camps. Anne was about 15 when she died.

Anne died from starvation and disease about 6 weeks before the camp was liberated.  Her father, who survived, had her Diary published.

The house has been returned to its original condition, minus the furniture at her father's request. Going through the house with it's movies, documents, experiencing the space she lived in before they were "taken" sends shivers down one's spine. Hearing the "rumors" of the death camps and living in fear of discovery was not fun to experience, but it filled me with emotions of dread and fear that she must have felt, magnified one hundred times. Seeing the movies again of the"selection" at the camps, and watching movies of the prisoners waving goodbye to friends as they pulled away in the open boxcars recalls once again in me a deep feeling and realization of what people can do to one another. We know their fate now, they didn't.

That entire episode of human history is a scar on all of us. It is scar on the German people (I am part German). It is all well documented in the Anne Frank house, and stands as a testament to our potential for cruelty to one another.

I haven't read the Diary of Anne Frank, but I downloaded a copy of it for my Kindle, and will give it a go. I probably should have read it 60 years ago when I was young,  but let's hope it's never too late. Her book is her legacy. Even at such a young age, she has much to teach all of us.

Dykes and Windmills,and Polders

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Nice leisurely cruse into the Rhine last night with a good night's rest. Breakfast of eggs, bacon (healthy isn't it), and then a talk about windmills. If one stops to think about it, why would a country fight nature so much. Building cities below sea level doesn't seem to make sense? But the land is fertile, and good, and the Dutch put considerable resources into keeping their country "afloat" (so to speak).

Today the boat stopped at Kinderdijk. A small town off the Lek river. This town has had windmills since the 1700s. Why windmills? 40% of the Netherlands is below sea level, and they use them to control the flow of water. First a dyke is built, then a canal is built near the dike, and the windmill is the power source to pump the water off the "land" creating what is called a polder (that's land that is created by removing the water). The reason I know some of this is because we had a lecture this morning about it. There are 17 windmills in Kinderdijk, and the modern ones don't need wind, they are powered by electricity that powers large Archimedian screws that I have pictured here. These screws turn and help lift the water out of the land and into a canal that dumps it into the river.

The weather was sunny and about 75 degrees. Apparently, this is the warmest Easter around here since the early 1900s (global warming anyone?).  Holland is located around the middle of Canada in latitude.

The people are from all over the world. Australia, Canada, Japan, it's quite a group. Our program organizer is from Belgium. Many more sights to see, and eating to do along the way.

Our room is small, and I feel a bit like an astronaut, but that's OK because in my next life I might want to be one, and it's getting me used to it.  

I think I understand this thing about the water here. What I don't understand yet is the name of this country. One person told me that the name is Holland (English) and The Netherlands (Dutch). Another said that Holland is a province of The Netherlands. It's just not clear at this point. I'll explain it when I find out.

Nice Vacation to Europe

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Flew to Amsterdam over night. Wasn't too bad a flight. 7 and1/2 hours, and I got about 4 hours sleep. God bless Sonata. Don't take them very often, but on a trans Atlantic flight, it makes sleeping so much easier.

Because of "connections" it took us three different reservations to get  to Amsterdam. Boston was our first try, and the flight from Raleigh was delayed and we couldn't make the connection. Delta did some good work, and then decided to send us to Minneapolis, but that flight from Raleigh was also delayed, and we finally got a flight to Atlanta, which worked. Left Hotlanta by plane about 10:30pm, but it turned out to be a good time to eat something and try to get some shuteye on the flight.

The Viking  people (our tour group)had someone meet us at the airport ("Schiphol"), and drive us to the hotel- the Raddison Blu Hotel. We were both pretty tired, but went out on the town anyway, grabbed  some dinner, and then got a good night sleep.

Next morning we had a two hour guided tour of Amsterdam with a "native" guide. Saw many of the interesting and picturesque sites, and I will place some of them in the accompanying photos.

Amsterdam is pretty with all the canals. It was a major port in the 15 thru the 1700s. WWII caused much chaos, but the city seems to have survived. 

Marijuana is legal here, so if you go into a coffee shop many of the "younger" people (which includes just about everyone at this time in my life) are using it, and if one is not very careful (what did I say?) you can get a secondary high (LOL,LOL,LOL).

Keep y'all informed as we head down up Rhine, as we hope to see some pretty sights. I'll include pictures. (No pictures allowed in the Red Light district, sorry.)

So far the weather seems similar to North Carolina. It is 73 degrees here today and sunny.

The Father of the Constitution: James Madison

I found a space in my calendar early in the week, so I mounted my Harley, and rode off to the Blue Ridge Mountains. I have ridden for over twenty years now, and taken two trips across the United States, so a few day's  ride up into Virginia is a real treat.

Leaving about noon on  Saturday, I followed 501 all the way to Lynchburg, and then switched to US29 on my way to the mountains. One of my favorite roads off 29 to get to the Parkway is US 60, so I traveled to Amherst, and then up route 60 to the Parkway. It didn't turn out to be a pleasant ride because it was about 52 degrees all the way, and I could feel I was getting a bit hypothermic.  I'd show you some pictures, but it I was in the clouds, and they would be all white.  The fog made it a bit nerve racking, as at times I felt I could see only 30 feet in front of me. I got off the Parkway around Staunton, and the warm bath and a couple of beers took the chill off satisfactorily.

The next day, my real adventure began, because I decided to make it a history trip,  and head for Mount Vernon (General Washington's home). I had never been there, and I decided this was the time to do it. US 29 to Interstate 66, put me in the area of Washington, D.C, and then around 495 (the Washington beltway), 95 south, and I was there. That's his home on the left. (Great photo isn't it?)

The tour was not very informative, but I enjoyed seeing the home and the surroundings. He purchased this home with 2000+ acres, and when he died, he owned about 8000+ acres. Some businessman huh? I took a photo of his grave also so you can see it. All in all, I'm glad I took the time to see this historic place. I suggest you take the time to read 1776, the book, it gives a good picture of what Washington did during the revolution. What a Great Patriot!

I then went on to Dunfires, Va, to spend the night, and after a good nights rest, I decided, as long as I was in the area, to go on to James Madison's home in Montpelier, Va., and am I glad I did. Traveling there answered one of my lifelong questions about the creation of our government: How was it done, and who did it? The answer is James Madison.

After graduation from "the College of New Jersey" (now Princeton) around 1771, he stayed to take further courses. He then returned to his home (seen in the nearby picture to the left) , and began to study the history of governments sometime around the middle of the 1780s. His close friend, Thomas Jefferson (some friend, don't you think?), sent him numerous books, and he studied every recorded attempt at self government by "the people" rather than by a monarch. He brought his ideas to the Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia in May 1787. His idea was known as the "Virginia Plan" and it became a significant part of our newly formed government, replacing the Articles of Confederation. It was Madison's intellect, and review of history, that formed the basis for the framework of our government.

One satisfying discovery I made while at his home, is that Madison named his horse "Liberty," and I now feel a kinship with his ideas because Liberty is the "name" of my motorcycle. (I have never been able to get the plate "liberty" as someone else has it. I didn't want you to think I couldn't spell it correctly.)

Another pleasant surprise on this trip was meeting "Sparky." He was a three year old Dalmatian that I "met" at Waugh's Enterprises, a gigantic Harley Davidson dealership in Orange, Va.. Sparky was full of energy, friendship, and curiosity, and added a tempo to a pleasant day of riding my "liberte." All in all it was an adventure-full of new ideas and feelings about our great national history. James Madison was a genius, and he gave us all the gift of Liberty. We need to work to preserve it. It's not free. 

Freshman Bball Player Leaves Duke for the NBA

Apparently, Kyrie Irving, a Freshman at Duke, announced that he is leaving Duke for the NBA. He is hiring an agent--that makes him ineligible to return to college basketball-- to make himself ready for the June 23rd NBA draft.  Indeed, he had a short career at Duke, indeed, indeed.

About five years ago when a Chicago high school student and basketball player was debating between Duke and the NBA. I couldn't resist, so I called the undergraduate admissions office, and told them they needed to issue a press release. I asked them to say," Mr. Livingston--I believe that was his name-- don't apply to Duke. Go into the NBA because we are not going to accept you here.  Duke is fundamentally an academic institution, and we expect our students to get a degree. At most, you will stay at Duke for one, maybe two years, and that is not our objective. Besides missing the finer points of a formal education, you will leave, and demonstrate priorities that we do not endorse." I could tell from their response, that they appreciated my idea, but they had no choice but not to release a similar statement. They would have been fired even though it was best that they say this, and it demonstrated an important  truth.

I have no idea what Mr. Irving's money needs are--don't we all have them?--but I think this is a slap in the face to the University and what it stands for, and to the management of Duke basketball. Coach K, you went after too much, and it's clear that Duke has been used. It might be appropriate for Coach K to apologize to the University community.

Basketball is pure entertainment. No one remembers who was the captain of the basketball team 8 years ago, but they would recall the name of the scientist who discovered the cure for aids. Education and what it can contribute to society is priceless. Who will graduate three years from now--Mr. Irving's class-- and discover a cure for cancer, or find a new principle in physics that will allow space travel to become practical, or a cure for diabetes, or make transplants safer and practical? Maybe that person could have been in Kyrie's place.

On a more personal note, education and the singular chance for a college education--what Mr. Irving will now miss--gives the individual the opportunity to learn about our world--history, art, music, science, sociology, and all things that give one the tools to navigate the waters of life with a sense of being a part of mankind. That's not going to be picked up by Mr. Irving as he travels around the courts of the world playing basketball.

On a recent trip to Scotland, my wife and I went to Edinburgh, Scotland, to visit the University. While in a cab ride to the University, I mentioned to the driver, that I wanted to see the University because so many famous philosophers had been there, and created the basis for the ideas that made America's Constitution. He them proceeded to mention David Hume, and John Locke, and then he threw in a few other well known names like Adam Smith.  He did not name the captain of the Scottish football team from the 1700s,he was simply an entertainer.

What that pointed out to me was, again, the value of education and it's contributions to the lives of all of us. Oh, yes, we need entertainment, but such a public rebuke of priorities of a great University as Duke is disturbing to me, and should be upsetting to all those who love Duke and what it stands for. "Eruditio et Religio," knowledge and faith, maybe it should be Basketballio, Eruditio, et Religio, as demonstrated in yesterday's announcement from Duke basketball.

No Patient is an Island in Arizona's Medicaid

A recent news article reported that Arizona's governor, Jan Brewer, has proposed a $50 dollar fee to the state's Medicaid recipients if they smoke, or if they are obese and don't succeed in following doctor's orders to lose weight or stop smoking.  Private insurance plans are already using these techniques, but government sponsored programs have not previously used dollar incentives to control behavior. The Governor has proposed these changes to help cover the soaring costs of the state's Medicaid program. Medicaid is one of two programs, along with education, that rank as states' top two expenses.

While our nation moves further into a national health care coverage, the forces of inter-societal tensions will continue to rise as we share the burdens of our brothers and sisters illnesses, some of which we will inevitably view to be a result of irresponsible behavior. This proposed $50 fee is an example of the growing desire to force those undisciplined individuals among us, who raise the cost of everyone's health care coverage, to cover some of those costs themselves. But where should we draw those lines? What if the person can't help himself? Should smokers pay more to a national health system? How about heroin addicts? I could go on...

I once encountered  a young woman (around 40+) in my medical office applying for disability because of vascular disease. She had previously had major surgery for an occluded (closed) major artery in her abdomen, and had been told to stop smoking because it contributed to her vascular disease (good evidence supports this idea). When she reported that she was still smoking, I explained that she should not ask me to help her apply for disability coverage because I felt it was wrong for her to ask others to give her money when she was doing something to "cause" her disability. She never came back to my office again. Was I right? I think so, and the $50 dollar fee is just a governmental example of my individual censure of this patient.

In the health insurance arena, "no man is an island" seems to certainly apply for the "sins" of each of us end up costing everyone, and because of the high costs of medical care those "costing" the system will likely generate an amount of  subtle public disdain. We all understand that some illness is not, as far as we know, related to any "sinning." The child with a kidney tumor, the elderly adult with a brain tumor, the auto accident caused by  someone else, again, I could go on. Is it fair to have these persons pay more because of an illness that they did not create themselves? I think not.

But then there is the self-created illness. Very likely lung cancer, and certainly emphysema, sub acute bacterial endocarditis in an addict (from dirty needles), these are self induced, and clearly the result of  abhorrent behavior. But when I think about it, what of the accident while driving a motorcycle? I happen to ride one for recreation. Some folks might say this is dangerous behavior, and the individual should pay more for medical care--some insurance companies, I have heard,  won't cover motorcycle accidents. That might seem clear to some people, but now lets take rock climbing (something I have no interest in). If someone falls, who should pay? When I think about it, the dividing line between risky and responsible behavior becomes vague, the deeper we analyze. It almost seems that one person's risky behavior is another person's recreation.

The purpose of insurance is, by the way, to have a big enough group, so the costs are spread around equally. Those taking the "higher risks", ostensibly seem to be all of us. Who doesn't climb a ladder, or speed in their car, or eat too much butter (me), or a million other "dangerous" behaviors. I don't think we can separate any one kind of  behavior as dangerous, because much of what we do is dangerous. Let's face it, living  is dangerous, and we all contribute to the costs of medical care. So as for charging extra to smokers, or those who eat too much, I'm not convinced it's fair. Governor Brewer, I'd reconsider your decision.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

OK folks, yesterday was opening day for the major league baseball season. I know that means winter is almost over--the season starts too early doesn't it-- and spring cannot be far behind. The scores from the six recorded major league games yesterday were: six to three, four to two, two to zero, seven to six, two to one, and five to three(eleven innings). I know that's silly, but I've always wanted to report the scores that way because a radio announcer in Chicago used to do that when I was a teenager. I've always thought it was hilarious.

But on a serious side, there is something nostalgic about the beginning of the season. It represents many things: hope for the new players and their game; a new beginning for those teams that didn't get into the World Series last year; new thrills in sport; new controversy on close calls with a lot of kicking of dirt, much spitting in the dirt and scratching of a certain spot on one's body (why does it itch so much?). It's relaxing to go to a game, have a few beers and a hot dog--a baseball game is not a baseball game without a hot dog and mustard (sorry you vegetarians)--and anticipate the thrills of the incipient season. I guess it just represents renewed hope.

I can still remember playing high school baseball in Chicago when the season opened in April. Damn, was it cold. If you actually hit the ball with one of those  old wooden bats, you hands almost fell off. It would really hurt you ability to play the piano.  I just couldn't hit that thing. It came in so fast that it sizzled, and if it hit you, you feared injury of even death. I used to look "about" where I thought it was going, and swing in that area.  Unfortunately, it was rarely there, so you can guess I was a terrible hitter.

I remember one time--I still feel guilty about it-- while playing first base, I got a hard throw from the shortstop. It was in the dirt, and a lot of dust--they didn't take good care of the field-- flew up in the air as the runner arrived. The base lifted up off the ground, and the ball went under the base. The umpire couldn't see the ball, but to him it  looked like it "arrived in the vicinity" of the first baseman (me) before the runner got there so he called him out.  The other team went nuts, and while they were verbally attacking the ump, I reached under the base and retrieved the ball. It was too late for him as the ump didn't see me do it, and I didn't offer the truth (I confessed in church the following Sunday).  If that runner sees this article, I apologize for that moral lapse. But that's baseball isn't it? I think we were playing Parker High that day.

There is something about baseball, which makes it unique among all sports, and I  think this contributes to making it America's Pastime. (Please follow my argument here, it's complex.) This sport is the only sport which has a rhythm which is very much like the rhythm of life. Yes, believe it, the rhythm of life!  Ninety-eight percent of it is routine and boring-- throw the ball catch the ball, throw the ball catch the ball--but every once in while all hell breaks lose, and everyone tries to get out of a "fix." If this doesn't describe  the rhythm of life, I don't know what does. Get up early, go to work, come home, go to bed, etc., etc.,etc.. Another similarity is the fact that the more you know about the details, and I mean a lot of details of the participants, the more you can understand what is going on. I don't know another sport where that is so true.

Because of this "rhythm" I am talking about, I think most of us can sit back, watch a game, and experience a "feeling of life" that we are very familiar with, and that we experience every day. The biggest difference with that "feeling" during a game,  is that it really doesn't matter very much what happens--at least until the playoffs arrive.

My favorite play in baseball is the steal. Once a man (I was going to say "person," but it's not that way yet) gets on first, it's exciting to watch the possible confrontation. How fast is the base-runner? How fast is the pitchers delivery? How strong is the catcher's arm? How good is the shortstop or the second base-person (OK)? It's always an exciting play.

It's amazing to me that Abner Doubleday got it so right with all the measurements. Ninety feet between bases makes it just about right for close plays if someone hits it to the shortstop or the second baseman, and tries to make it to first. Again, with the steal, there is that rifled throw to second (quite a long distance) that has to be right on to get the runner.  Those plays are always close. I don't think Abner experimented with the distances between bases, but it wouldn't surprise me if someone found some old charts one day that he used to work out these "oh so perfect" distances.

Finally, there are a lot of problems in the world today-- political unrest, war, nuclear catastrophe in Japan, monetary crisis and debt, viral plagues-- and there is no better remedy than going out to the ball park, and filling your stomach with goodies while you watch the summer game that is full of hope, youth, and a modicum of excitement. Take yourself out to a ball game this summer and see what I mean.