Nobody 714

Sunday, October 7, 2007
Nobody # 714

Nobody Asked Me But:

I learned so much from the first volume of Arthur Schlesinger Jr.’s autobiography that I was doubly sad when he died before writing Volume II. So I received a joyful surprise at Borders last Monday when I discovered that he had authorized his sons to publish his “Journals, 1952-2000.”

So far it is everything I hoped for. For example, I have always considered Adlai Stevenson to be the very personification of liberal. But Schlesinger, while working on the Stevenson campaign in 1952, found him much more eager to embrace the conservative Democratic South than the New Deal North. When famed NY Times columnist “Scotty” Reston, believing that Adlai and Ike were somewhat alike, both good rather than great men, decided to vote for Eisenhower, Schlesinger understood: “If we are going to have a Republican it might as well be the one running on the Republican ticket.”<<<

Worse and worse: Later, (1956) Stevenson claimed that his stand for “moderation” in the civil rights movement was an act of bravery in the face of demagogues who wanted immediate change. He even had the gall to propose a year moratorium on any drive for increased rights for blacks. Adlai, I am so glad that I didn’t waste my very first vote on you.<<<

MOTHER’S MILK In Arizona, a Red state with more registered Republicans than Democrats, the Dems have beaten their foes in the campaign funding game by nearly 14-1. The totals: Democrats - $22.1M, Republicans $1.6M.

An omen? I sure hope so.<<<

Can anyone be familiar with Justice Clarence Thomas’s just released autobiography, “My Grandfather’s Son” and believe that he rules according to law as rather than personal philosophy? The entire book is an attack on liberalism. That’s fine for a politician or a political philosopher but unseemly for a person wearing the robe of the highest court in the land. In fact, I think this book is grounds for impeachment.

There is no justice in a mind so absolutely closed.<<<

I wrote this last Tuesday. On Friday the New York Times chimed in with the following: “The rage he harbors raises questions about whether he can sit as an impartial judge in many of the cases the Supreme Court hears.”<<<

After reading last week’s Nobody, Elizabeth, a huge Diamondback fan, wrote – Phillies’??

Here’s my reply:

Good morning Elizabeth,

I'm sorry!! I picked with my head, not my heart. I think the Phillies’ are the hot team right now. My heart choices are (1) Diamondbacks, (2) Rockies, (3) Cubs, (4) Red Sox.

love, Dad

Actually, after reading the following my heart switches from the Cubs and Red Sox to the Phillies’:

“Gillick (Pat Gillick, the Phillies’ general manager) said that for many years he felt that talent was everything. But he said after watching Philadelphia overcome injuries and other adversity this season and overtake the Mets, he had concluded that talent was overrated.”

"Talent is important," he said, "but what is more important is mental toughness, character, passion and the desire to win.”

I think he is right. Given the choice between an 8 talent with a 10 character vs. a 10 talent who plays a me-first, team-second game, and I will take the 8 every time. This is why I like the D’backs, Rockies and Phillies’. Actually, the Cubs, who I haven’t followed closely, may have “it” too, although with Sorriano and Zambrino as stars, I doubt it.

This is also why I love Ben Howland. If a 10 talent doesn’t have a 10 character as well, he doesn’t recruit him. They is no way that the Bruins were one of the four most talented teams in the country the last two seasons, and yet they made it to the Final Four both times.

And watch out this year and next because Ben’s team will have character AND talent.<<<

Play-offs follow-up: It’s nice to note that a key player on each of my favorites played Bruin baseball – Garrett Atkins - Colorado, Eric Byrnes - Arizona and Chase Utley - Philadelphia.<<<

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Everybody is writing about the 50th anniversary of Jack Kerouac’s road “trip.” Like most bits of history, it passes through cycles of interpretation. It was good. It was bad. He was lost. He was found. Most current writing puts him in the lost column including Slate’s Meghan O’Rourke who writes:

“It’s a book about death and the search for something meaningful to hold on to — the famous search for ‘IT,’ a truth larger than the self, which, of course, is never found.”

She’s right. There is no IT if we take that word to mean a permanent escape from the twin realities of our humanity, our aloneness and our mortality. (Actually these are two parts of the same thing.) But she’s wrong if she thinks there are no ways to soften “IT,” because there are -things such as family, duty, acceptance, yes, even adventure, and above all love.

The Christian bible says this beautifully in the 13th chapter of Corinthians:

If I speak in the tongue of men and of angels but have not love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.

And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but have not love, I am nothing.

If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, nor pompous, it is not inflated.

It is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury.

It does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.

For we know partially and we prophesy partially, But when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought as a child, I reasoned as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things.

At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face.

At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.

So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

I believe that the perfect (the escape from anxiety) will never come except in moments that are all too brief but beautiful beyond belief. In those moments we step outside ourselves and transcend existence. We live.<<<

And it’s not the eternal contradiction, but it’s close, when students are taught “On The Road” by having to write tightly organized, double-spaced term papers on it.<<<

Speaking of on the road, next week’s Nobody will be late, because I will be visiting Greg and Benjamin in Reno.<<<

Excuse me, my telephone is ringing. Wrong number. It was Judy Giuliani. She thought this was Rudy’s press conference telephone number.<<<

Hillary, this is Jim, the guy you should have picked to run your campaign. But no hard feelings, just a reminder that you are at your best in those too few moments that you drop the canned performance and let your warmer side shine through. People don’t want cold fish for dinner nor for president.<<<

And for you Barak, damn the teacher’s union and full speed ahead on your merit pay proposal.”<<<

And I will even help Fred, “open mouth, try to remove foot,” Thompson just this once. It’s Russia, Fred. We buried the Soviet Union back in the 80’s.<<<

From the Nixon tapes Nixon:

“The government is full of Jews. Second, most Jews are disloyal. You know what I mean? You have a Garment and a Kissinger and a Safire, and, by God, they're exceptions. But Bob, generally speaking, you can't trust the bastards. They turn on you. Am I wrong or right?”

OK, maybe Nixon was worse than Bush. But our current guy is certainly runner-up.<<<

Grady Little speaks out:

“Ever since Ned and I came to this ball club, we do everything together. When decisions are made that work out OK, we celebrate together. When decisions are made that don't work out too good, we cry together. We don't sleep at night together."

Say what???<<<

Did you know that there is a vendor hierarchy at Dodger Stadium? You may start off with ice cream or some such thing, but it takes more than 20 years to work up to selling peanuts.<<<

And here is a great etch-a-sketch of Dodgers past.<<<

Blackwater = Black mark for America. How much damage can Bush be allowed to do to all that America stands for?<<<

Torture = Another secret revealed: In 2005 Bush endorsed of the harshest interrogation techniques ever used by the Central Intelligence Agency. How much damage can Bush be allowed to do to all that America stands for?<<<

Flash: The White House homeland security adviser says we don’t torture if the detainee “becomes cooperative.” Duh!<<<

“Once there was the military-industrial complex. Now we have the mercenary-evangelical complex.” Maureen Dowd.<<<

The picture is of Gilbert Arenas training. This is the same drill that I used to make him do when he was late for class.<<<