"Sunday...

...at Detroit Dragway!"  I wonder how many folks remember that one!  That was certainly a long time ago.

I was reminded yesterday, by a 15-year old no less (my grandson), of the dire choices we have coming in November:  Trump v Clinton.  OK, Clinton is a never vote, unless one believes in dishonesty, corruption, hypocrisy, and worse.  (Yep, that could apply to a lot of them!)  But so is Trump.  He's wrong on government health care.  He's wrong on abortion.  He's wrong on the minimum wage.  He's wrong on so much.  Then, to boot, toss in his character or, rather, his lack of character.  I know it's old-fashioned to still think that character matters, but then why not vote for Clinton?  As my 15-year old reminded me, November will be frightening; at least I think so.  But, who really knows?  After W and Obama......

And interesting article noted how many Republicans have continued to behave as if they were Democrats-lite.  Apparently they are slow learners.  It, behaving like Democrats-lite, led to a pretty lousy President in W. Bush.  It continued with the defeats of '08 and '12, esp '12, to Obama no less!  And it has led to Trump getting the Republican nomination.  I've written it before and will continue to do so.  It's not Trump, not at all.  It's the Republican Establishment, surrendering its principles and values.  This article cites another instance, of the conservative Establishment, at least some of them, now using strong-arm tactics employed by the likes of Jesse Jackson and Al "Not-So" Sharpton.  That is, conservatives have threatened, "Hire more conservatives or else......"  Shame on them.  Oh, I have forgotten--there is no shame any more.

I don't remember where or when (which is increasingly common and increasingly frightening to me) I heard that Major League Baseball is getting somewhat concerned with the length of games.  I understand the concern.  We have created a society where fewer and fewer people can appreciate the slower, more deliberate things in life.  Too many people want it now.  Baseball is a game that can take more than a couple of hours and often that's good.  It's an intricate game, with many nuances.  But, I suppose often the games are too long, far too long.  The talk is this will be eliminated and that will be eliminated to speed up the game.  But there seems to me to be the one thing that really lengthens the games--it's the between-inning commercial breaks.  Note, if you go to a game live, how many of the players,esp pitchers, sit in the dugout for an extra few minutes between innings.  They know that the commercials are airing and it takes five minutes or more to run them.  Multiple those minutes by 18 (9 half innings) and see what you come up with.  Games too long?  There's the culprit.  But, with the money involved, is that going to change?  Of course it isn't.  It's yet another consequence of the outrageous sums of money players are paid and owners reap.  There is an alternative.  We can stop watching.