Beisbol and Other Games

Didja watch the NLCS last night? It doesn’t get a lot better than that… Game Seven, the best team in baseball (their record, anyway) fighting for their lives on home turf, the scrappy underdogs playing their hearts out, spectacular pitching, at least one God-like play, a game-winning home run, and the outcome in doubt all the way until the last out in the bottom of the ninth. Wow!

So. The Cardinals are on their way to Detroit. All the pundits are calling the series for Detroit, and most are saying this will be a short, very short series. Those predictions give me cause for worry (Hey! This is DETROIT—home of the inexplicable post-season collapse), but, yeah, I gotta agree. On paper, and on the field for both the Division series and the ALCS, the Tigers are and were impressive. They’re well-rested, too. Detroit in five, if not a sweep. Get ready for burning cars in Motown!

Words to the wise, from the New Hampshire Union-Leader:

Can anyone imagine a Democratic House passing a tough border control bill? The Republican House did that this year. Can anyone imagine a Democratic House passing tax cuts? The Republican House has done that year after year. Can anyone imagine a Democratic House approving legislation allowing U.S. forces to be more aggressive in the War on Terror? The Republican House did that this year.

Yes, Republicans have become profligate spenders. Yes, the leadership has lost its way. But nobody who favors limited government and strong foreign policy should be fooled into thinking that the party of Nancy Pelosi, Howard Dean and John Kerry will provide either.

In 1954 Republicans lost the House. It took them four decades to regain it. If conservatives stay home on Nov. 7, they might just cast themselves back into the wilderness for decades to come. Why would anyone take that chance?

What they said.

A keeper: “Anti-Americanisms,” by Peter J. Katzenstein and Robert O. Keohane. A very scholarly but accessible discussion of the varieties and origins of anti-American feelings throughout the world. It’s difficult to excerpt this essay, but I’ll give you this:

With several colleagues we recently completed a book, Anti-Americanisms in World Politics,[1] exploring these issues, and in this short article we discuss four of its themes. First, we distinguish between anti-Americanisms that are rooted in opinion or bias. Second, as our book's title suggests, there are many varieties of anti-Americanism. The beginning of wisdom is to recognize that what is called anti-Americanism varies, depending on who is reacting to America. In our book, we describe several different types of anti-Americanism and indicate where each type is concentrated. The variety of anti-Americanism helps us to see, third, the futility of grand explanations for anti-Americanism. It is accounted for better as the result of particular sets of forces. Finally, the persistence of anti-Americanism, as well as the great variety of forms that it takes, reflects what we call the polyvalence of a complex and kaleidoscopic American society in which observers can find whatever they don't like -- from Protestantism to porn. The complexity of anti-Americanism reflects the polyvalence of America itself.

One recognizes the veracity of the authors’ premises as one reads, especially if you’ve been personally exposed to anti-American arguments and biases at one time or another. Reminds me of some interesting political discussions I’ve had in bars and pubs around the world. This essay is something I’ll revisit from time to time in the future. (h/t: Real Clear Politics)

Song of the Day…As noted yesterday, Dylan’s two-disc Rolling Thunder Revue concert has been in the CD changer for nearly a week now, and has been this morning’s soundtrack as I’ve surfed and read. This song, particularly, has been played and re-played several times. The song, for whatever reason, has some sort of resonance today, far above and beyond its normal “favorite” status. Why? I don’t know. But here it is:

One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)
Originally released on “Desire,” 1976

Your breath is sweet
Your eyes are like two jewels in the sky.
Your back is straight, your hair is smooth
On the pillow where you lie.
But I don't sense affection
No gratitude or love
Your loyalty is not to me
But to the stars above.

One more cup of coffee for the road,
One more cup of coffee 'fore I go
To the valley below.

Your daddy he's an outlaw
And a wanderer by trade
He'll teach you how to pick and choose
And how to throw the blade.
He oversees his kingdom
So no stranger does intrude
His voice it trembles as he calls out
For another plate of food.

One more cup of coffee for the road,
One more cup of coffee 'fore I go
To the valley below.

Your sister sees the future
Like your mama and yourself.
You've never learned to read or write
There's no books upon your shelf.
And your pleasure knows no limits
Your voice is like a meadowlark
But your heart is like an ocean
Mysterious and dark.

One more cup of coffee for the road,
One more cup of coffee 'fore I go
To the valley below.

Ah, Bobby. I owe you so much!

Today’s Pic: Riotous color in a Santa Fe outdoor market - June, 2004. As always, click the pic for the larger version. In this case, you most definitely should look at the larger pic.