TIGERS LOSE. . .

The Tigers lost tonight and I'm sad.

But, consider this: they had NO World Series experience and played the team with the second-most World Series wins.

AND they had a record-breaking losing season 3 years ago and are now the second-best team in the country. This has been quite a season!

I'm still proud of them!

Election Day Challenge

I heard on the news that polling places across the country are short of poll workers. Because many poll workers tend to be elderly, many poll workers are frightened by the ever-increasing technological demands of computerized voting machines. I know it sounds like age-bigotry, but it's just the truth.

I have a challenge to offer to all the Young Republicans (notice -- Jim the Wiser --that, in the interest of impartiality, I placed them first), Young Democrats, Young Libertarians, Young Centrists (if such people exist) and readers of MoveOn.org. If you truly value the freedoms our country offers and care about fair elections, please take a day off of school or work to become a poll worker! You won't make much, but you'll be aiding your country. You are much more capable of managing the voting machines than a technotard septuagenarian or octogenarian.

I also have a challenge to employers nationwide: give your employees the day off, with pay, if they choose to be poll workers!

I know it's fashionable to be cynical about our country and its freedoms and that patriotism seems to be the cloak of old people with magnetic ribbons on their car trunks and plastic American flags flapping from their back windows, but there are still some great things about America and one of them is the peaceful transfer of power every 2-4 years.

Voting is not only a right, it's a privilege -- and we should all (individuals and employers alike) be willing invest in it. Stop complaining about the system and start being part of the solution!

Happy Mole Day!

Today is (or was, until 6:02 pm) National Mole Day -- how did you celebrate? While not as much fun as National Talk Like a Pirate Day, National Mole Day recognizes the importance of moles, which provide better life through chemistry.

Not being scientifically minded, I was previously unaware of moles' existence (until today) and am still unable to comprehend their importance now. I am, however, relieved to know that someone understands moles. (Jim, maybe you can explain them to me sometime).

TIGERS!

I haven't posted in a LONG time -- I just haven't had anything to say. I've been in what has become an annual state, the autumnal doldrums. I used to like autumn more than any time of year -- the crisp chill, clear blue skies and great leaf colors. Now, though, I just associate it with things dying, cold weather and the ever-faster passage of time. But, here's the good news. . .

Last night, I got to be at a really great game. The Tigers shut out the stinking New York Yankees! Yes, I know that the Tigers clinched the division title today and, yes, I know that this was the day to be at Comerica, but last night was awesome! The atmosphere at the ballpark was electric -- one of the players said that, even though there were 43,000+ fans there, it felt like 100,000 to them on the field. Kenny Rogers pitched one his best games ever and it was just a great game to watch. AND there was a fight right in front of us and 4 NY fans had to be escorted out (one of them in a headlock). Ah, baseball at its finest!

I could have gone today, too, but I couldn't take the tension two days in a row. Hopefully, I'll get to go to one of the ALCS games. It's wonderful to be a Tigers fan right now. From Opening Day (which I was fortunate enough to attend), when we couldn't believe they had won, to the clincher today, this season has been quite an adventure! No one is laughing at the Tigers now!

I know there have been lots of exclamation points in this post, but that's how I feel -- I LOVE BASEBALL!