Being loved

There are many tributes to Yogi Berra. The most amazing is the universal love that people have for him. Yogi was very small by baseball standards. I doubt a 5'7'' man would be allowed to catch. He would probably be moved to second base. Perhaps given his excellent arm third base. He was a very competent outfielder.

What makes Yogi so loveable is the humility and decency. I don't think he ever bragged or said a bad word about any athlete. He mentored in a simple way and mentored hundreds. He took great pride in the game winning triple by Joe Girardi a fellow Italian Catcher. He had a key triple in a one zero game and Yogi beamed with pride about some player he called Joe Girardio.

Modesty and a good sense of humor are the reasons many of us love Terry Bradshaw or Michael Strahan. In the end it is meant as a form of entertainment. There is room for thoughtful analysis but there is a difference between the classy
Chris Colinsworth and the loathed Tiki Barber. Throwing athletes under the bus when you were the king of fumbles and excuses is low class. The other athletes do not need to mention their history. If you didn't know Bradshaw has won four Super Bowls you would mistake him for the NFL version of Bob Uker. Phil Simms is a first rate commentator who might talk in passing about his career.

What is also belongs in a discussion of Yogi is his love of his wife and his friendships. He played cards with Phil Rizuto as the later was in hospice. He went home only when his friend went to sleep. He called his wife Carmen his greatest team mate. It is fitting that the Yankee greats were on hand for the great runs in the late 90s.

Hopefully Derek Jeter as the greatest living Yankee will assume some sort of role like Berra. He does have the love of the game. He also has enough resources that he need never work again. The torch of Berra has now been passed to a
Different sort. Jeter has more diva in him but understands the traditions and history of the Yankees.

One almost never heard Berra discuss his service in World War 2. Perhaps being there on D Day made every future situation trite. He didn't whine about missing time to serve his country.

What surprised me the most is how his Yogisms are even known abroad. Sometimes I quote him as a local philosopher. Apparently, these may have taken a life of their own. Berra said "I never said half of the things I said". I can relate to this as my sense of humor is widely known. I get credit for many jokes that I never uttered. Some of these are better than the ones I did.

Yogi groomed the late Elston Howard as his successor. Howard was the first Black Yankee and later one of the first Black coaches. You hear plenty about Berra being mentored by Bill Dickey but very little about how Berra mentored Howard. Sadly in the great tradition of Yankee catchers Howard and Munson died way too early. Munson like Berra was devoted to his family. He was the heart and soul of those 70 teams. Sadly Munson and Murcer are no longer with us.

The term national treasure is thrown around too frequently. However in the case of Yogi it was well deserved. I intend to drink a bottle of Yoo Hoo in his honor.

RIP Yogi Bera

The world has lost more than a great ball player. Yogi was a comedian and philosopher. I was shocked that in the UK he was widely known for his wit. He made fun of himself as a simple man but was a shrewd businessman investing in the Yoo-hoo drink that I still enjoy today as a middle age adult. In Phil Rizutos last years Yogi visited him in the hospital until the end. I will leave this post with a classic Yogi quote.

If you don't go to other people's funerals they won't go to yours.

Pedophelia and Our Afghan Allies

There are some who mitigate all practices no matter how abhorrent to cultural differences. The fact that pedophelia has a long history in Afghanistan. In this case soldiers were given lectures to ignore this problem.

This was a mistake we need fix.

The Dumbest Man in Professional Sports

JPP of the NY Giants wins this hands down. Awaiting a 15 million dollar a year contract he decides to play Willie Coyote and blows off part of his hand. Rather than be forthright he hides the condition and does not work with the medical staff. He might step on the football field but he is not an elite althlette anymore.

At this point JPP deserves to be cut. His whole behavior has been injurious to the team. We should take the fifteen million and give it to Eli and a signing bonus
And reduce the burden of his contract.

There are those who will give credence to maturity issues. Over time JPP can be forgiven unlike Tiki Barber. I never bought the crying act after the fumbles. His treatment of his QB and coach were classless. Okay JPP was immensely stupid but he certainly did not do this maliciously. He was fun to watch but screwed up.

The Giants have no pass rush. Perhaps Moore is mentally with JPP. The First Pick in the draft is looking good. I would trade Eli to the Bils for their number one pick. The team needs a total rebuild and winning four games with Nassib makes more sense.

Hire Bill Cowher.

In the meantime Preston Parker needs to go. The drops and wrong routes are not funny. If someone hasn't signed Corey Washington bring him back.

Dahl may be a coaches favorite but he has to go.

Now some of you noticed in one part I said to trade Eli and in other parts I mentioned keeping him on a more friendly
Deal to the salary cap. If management thinks they can quick fix the defense fine. If not rebuild.

Perspective

I gave my nephew a stupid gift. On both events at the WTC I was wearing a NY Yankee Jersey. I refer to it as the cursed shirt. It was tucked away deep in my closet. I never take it out or wear it. My nephew calls it the good luck
Shirt. He wears it all the time and calls it a Lucky shirt.

I prefer never to see the shirt again. However, it is a genuine Jersey that costs more than one hundred dollars. There is no logical connection between the shirt and those experiences. I never wore it again after 9-11. When my nephew asked for it I was perplexed.

Then again in another era hand me downs were more common. I had plenty of clothing from siblings. I even reluctantly
gave my brother one shirt I got as a giveaway when the Yankees were still playing at Shea. I remembered watching in awe as Catfish Hunter, Bobby Bonds, Thurman Munson and others took the field against the As.

It is pretty odd that my nephew sees the same item as lucky. Perhaps our perceptions to a certain extent are subjective.

Racist Bird Brain

If someone on the right made remarks about mostly Black and Indian immigrants the Duck would be screaming racism. However as a moron follower of Marx he feels himself above basic norms of behavior. Interestingly his comments on immigration are especially dumb.

West Indian immigrants run the entire gamut and can be found in every profession. The most notoriously, bad mouthed group is Haiti. However, one can visit business run by Expatriates and visit with skilled professionals in almost every endeavor. All of the West Indians readily become American with ease. A surprising number serve with honor in our military. In two generations they are indistinguishable from other Americans.

I will contrast this with Emigrants the Duck champions. They do not absorb American values and have tendencies that would shock even the most jaded of us. Lefties are very fond of hyping homophobia when expressed from a right of center pastor. Lefties pretend much more incindiary comments aimed at Jews and gays from Muslims are rather quaint. Homophobia is a problem in the West Indies. The largest group of gay asylees comes from Jamaica. Of course Obama will
not dare lecture West Indians or Muslims about mistreating gays. He did lecture Africans who do not emigrate for this reason.

Immigration is about individuals and how well attached they are to our values is subject for debate. I have not witnessed anything other than love for the USA in my community. Education for its own sake is not as prized as learning a vocation. There is nothing wrong with those who wish to labor in those areas. Sucky views them as unwashed
Masses who need the divine wisdom of the all mighty Marxist State.

In reality almost every immigration story centers around jobs.

The Dark Ages

The refugee crisis is exacerbating the end of Europe. The continent will not didappear. However, the era of cradle to grave entitlements and open doors will end. Europe will find itself beset with high crime. The era of light prison sentences will likely yield to something more American in style. The Jews will flee first. Those with money will flee to Australia or perhaps Russia. America was given a bullet to the head by the Obama policies. We will find that Obama has damaged the country more than its enemies could.

By 2100 nuclear exchanges will have destroyed this formerly great planet. The architect of this soon was the far left that allied with Nazi theocratic thugs. Saying that a people who are intolerant of their own coreligionists and inhuman to others is a cultural variant is part of the game to usher in the bankruptcy of Capitalism.

Capitalism itself was never the problem. The problem was socialists expanding social programs and killing business. Mourn not for the arrogant know it all sin the EU. Mourn for a planet less free by those who endangered our future for political points.

NYC parades

Some NYC parades are gaudy, most are boring and some dangerous. The West Indian day parade can be gaudy but at times violent. It is unfortunate that a few jerks can spoil an event for thousands. You live in NYC you learn which parades
Are safe and boring.

The Left and BS rhetoric

When police are executed, lefties become free speech partisans. They are free to rationalize exhortations to extreeme
Criminality, but go near any of their sacred beliefs and you will find yourself suspended or threatened with discipline. Question whether race and gender should be a factor in hiring and admissions and you might find yourself
Branded a white supremacist. Point out some ugly realities in Islamic history and you might have protesters at your door for a decade.

Policemen just happen to be turning up bullets as an Obsma approved racial hate group starts loudly calling for violence against cops. Of course Obama could show actual leadership and talk of rational discourse, but that would be
The actions of a genuine leader. We are stuck with the Socially Promoted Preppie Diversity Hire Barney Fife. Sorry but any look at his bio shows this is Dramatical fighting of windmills rather than substantive life experience angst.

Despite what the far left tell you, Black people want good jobs, safe streets and schools that function. The ones I know and are part of my life are just as bothered by street crime and a lousy job market because they are on the front lines of those maladies. I sit with a buddie from work laughing at my being profiled multiple times by Vermont Police. It was so bad the police knew where I kept my title and registration better than I did.

In all truth the experiences of being stopped asked dumb questions was annoying. Yet there was never any inclination that I should be disrespectful. Why are you at KFC? JPs is closed, I eat in the back table regularly. You regularly eat there. Six days a week, I even come on my days off, it's like home. The officer in question had observed me eating there multiple times and joking with the family that owns the place.

When asked to assume the position I did so. Captain Crunch, diet Mountain Dew and Charmin. Are you sure there's nothing in that Dew. Nothing but pure cafine and chemicals. Do people really mix it with alcohol. Captain Crinch what are you 8. You got any guns. Nope and no drugs either. Roll up your sleeves. Got nicked by Black Fly. It sure is frustrating but my non hostile gentle responses let them understand they have the wrong guy.

Racism of the Duck

One can see the not too subtle racism in the Ducks statement of incredulous astonishment when I state the gulf states and Iran should settle Muslim refugees. The Christian refugees should be granted Asylum. The Druze can settle in Israel or Lebanon.

I get these high handed lectures about the nature of Islam. They will spend thousands killing each other in senseless
Wars but the cost of the refugees is now the burden of European taxpayers. There were refugee camps in Europe after WW2. But the refugees were resettled. Israel deals with refugees each and every day. Many of these refugees are fleeing Jew hatred from Muslims and far left governments. Contrary to the lies of the Timmerman family they were

Failure of the political establishment

The political elites have mostly with rare exception failed us in the immigration crisis that is global. With the rare exception of Syrians these are economic refugees who should be returned unless they have a compelling Asylum claim. Gays and Christians from dangerous spots should be accepted. All the other Ashlee's should be repatriated.

Muslim countries have the means and wealth to settle their own refugees. They refuse to do so because the shrill left is mired in post colonial guilt. These refugees need to return home with expedited removal hearings. The sob stories
Need to stop and some common sense respect for the tax payer and our under employed.