“The End of Everything at State College”

08 Tuesday Nov 2011

Posted by in Go Sox

≈ 5 Comments

Although at this site I tend to focus on baseball, I also follow sports in general.

Those of you who know of what has occurred at Penn State with Jerry Sandusky and all those around him have no doubt read numerous articles about this tragedy. If you haven’t read about it, start with the 23-page grand jury report (you can get to it from this site).

There is no sugar coating possible here.

Thanx to a Facebook posting by a former colleague, Justin Barrasso, I came across the following article and pass it on. It’s not about the facts nor about the outrage(s) per se but about the corollary damage that comes when those we invest with power and prestige fail to do what is right.

Continue reading »

It Wasn’t ‘The Final Solution’

07 Monday Nov 2011

Posted by in Family and Friends

≈ 11 Comments

The railway tracks. Click Here to see more photos by Maria Jesus Verdugo.

It Wasn’t ‘The Final Solution’

Thankfully.

A month ago I reversed the death walk that many of the 1.1-1.5 million Jews exterminated at Auschwitz-Birkenau were forced to make.

Whether or not you’ve visited this extermination camp or have simply seen pictures in any of the now many museums, films, or books dedicated to the memories of this and other Nazi camps, you probably have a picture in your mind of Jews being unloaded from boxcars and standing on the ‘platforms.‘

Continue reading »

For Hard Core ‘Base Ball’ * Fans

05 Saturday Nov 2011

Posted by in Go Sox

≈ 13 Comments

Now that we have to suffer with no beisbol (as my friend Nelson refers to it) until the mid Feb. spring training reporting time, I thought I might offer a small contest for the Hot Stove League participants amongst you.

So here it is:

Predict some occurrence that will happen this winter (e.g., Pujois signing with the Yankees, Tito being chosen as manager of the Cubs, or perhaps Torre going to the Sox as a manager, etc).

Continue reading »

Bill Moyers: “Democracy Begins at the Bottom”

04 Friday Nov 2011

Posted by in The Outer Loop

≈ 2 Comments

For those of you who have followed MillersTime’s The Outer Loop blog, you know that episodically I post or link to articles and speeches that I believe help us understand what is happening in our country.

Once again I turn to Bill Moyers for his insights. This time it is a speech he gave in October 2011 celebrating the 40th anniversary of Ralph Nader’s Public Citizen organization.

Continue reading »

A Wok on the Wild Side*

02 Wednesday Nov 2011

Posted by in Escapes and Pleasures

≈ 3 Comments

Three San Francisco Chinese Restaurants Worth Your Time & Money

 

Having just returned from a long weekend in SF and Napa, I thought I’d give readers the benefit of the good fortune we had in having three good Chinese meals while we were in SF. The first is inexpensive, seedy, and has what I call ‘Chinese comfort food.’ The second has some of the best, and most expensive, dim sum I’ve had in years. And the third is the best of all and worth you going out of your way to find.

Continue reading »

Final Two Baseball Contest Winners

01 Tuesday Nov 2011

Posted by in Go Sox

≈ Leave a Comment

Now that ‘that’s’ over, MillersTime can announce the two winners of the contests that had not been previously decided.

For Contest #1 – make a prediction about the 2011 baseball season –  the clear winner was Peter Shimm who back on Feb. 7 boldly said that neither the Sox nor the Phillies would be in the World Series. How did he know?

Continue reading »

Frank Rich Adds His Voice

26 Wednesday Oct 2011

Posted by in The Outer Loop

≈ Leave a Comment

MillersTime readers hopefully know by now that I often post articles or links to articles that I believe advance a debate, help our understanding of what is going on in our country and the world beyond, or pieces that I just think deserve wider circulation.

Today I post Frank Rich’s recent article in New York Magazine. Rich left the NY Times this year because he indicated he wanted more time to think about what he was writing as well as the opportunity to write longer articles.

While the current media and various constituencies are jockeying to put their spin on what is taking place with OWS and the Tea Party, Rich takes a step back and looks at an historical context for what is now occurring, and, in the process, I think, adds good perspective.

Click Here

Feel free to add your comment below.

Theo Says Why He Did It? What Do You Think?

26 Wednesday Oct 2011

Posted by in Go Sox

≈ 1 Comment

If you’re a Sox fan, you’ve probably read ex-GM Theo Epstein’s Boston Globe explanation to The Red Sox Nation on why he decided to leave the Sox for the Cubs. (He also took out a full page add in the Globe a few days earlier, thanking Boston fans. To see the add, Click Here).

I am very curious as to what Sox fans’ reaction is to Theo’s farewell explanation

For those of you who are not Sox fans, who hate the Sox, who love another team, I am curious also about your reaction to his column.

I will leave my reaction until after hopefully a number of you will comment in the section below. Do indicate whether your a Sox fan or not, and as always, be civil.

Click Here to read Theo’s piece.

‘The Worst Congress Money Can Buy’?

18 Tuesday Oct 2011

Posted by in The Outer Loop

≈ Leave a Comment

For the past 30+ years, ever since my wife Ellen became the Director of Center for Responsive Politics and the good Larry Makinson taught all of us how to follow the money in Congress with his Open Secrets work, I’ve been aware of and followed the role of money in politics.

I thought I pretty much knew the most of it. But this morning I read an article by Thomas Ferguson (The Price of Power: Congressional Leadership Positions for Sale to the Highest Bidder) that even made me wince and included information that Ellen says she didn’t know and Larry never told me.

And so I link to this article for those of you who want to understand just why Congress is and will continue to be so responsive to those who fund their campaigns.

Click Here

(Note: The article linked to above was first posted at The Washington Spectator.)

An Open Invitation to MillersTime Readers

18 Tuesday Oct 2011

Posted by in Articles & Books of Interest

≈ 1 Comment

You may have seen over the past year or two that every so often there has been a posting from someone other than moi.

I wanted to make it known to everyone that I am open to posting ‘articles’ from all of you. More than open, I encourage folks to consider writing for MillersTime. You can review movies, books, plays, restaurants, comment on political and social happenings, push an idea, ask or answer a question, describe an interest, write about a trip, a hobby or even something about baseball.  You can also send pictures or brag about someone in your family.

Continue reading »

‘The Habit of Art’

17 Monday Oct 2011

Posted by in Escapes and Pleasures

≈ 1 Comment

Being deprived of Broadway theater because of my favorite younger daughter’s move from the NYC to Miami (previously discussed Here) and because I felt i needed to repair my tarnished reputation with my wife for the Chinese ‘Debacle’ (also discussed earlier), I took my good friend Mary L’s advice that the only DC theater currently worth attending was Alan Bennett”s The Habit of Art **** at the Studio Theatre.

Ah, thank you Mary.

At last, a Studio Theatre presentation that I could both understand and recommend to others.

Continue reading »