Matsui is the first Japanese player to win the MVP award in the baseball World Series as the New York Yankees won their 27th title. (That number instantly brings to mind the immortal 1927 Yankees with Ruth, Gehrig, and others, probably the best team ever.) I watched in absolute amazement at his high-RBI performance in the finale, which put down the Phillies' fading hopes for a repeat championship. He hit for an average over .600 in the series; when you take into place that the last person to hit for an average of .400 in a full season was decades ago, hitting over .600 against some of the major leagues' best pitchers is an extraordinary performance and validates the credibility of Japanese baseball
Massacre at Fort Hood
Is Army psychiatrist Major Nidal Hasan insane? The brutal mass murder of 13 (and climbing) is inexcusable, and I reject any attempts to rationalize his motives. Two words: Guantanamo Bay, and I want the best CIA interrogators to use whatever means necessary to figure out what made Hasan do what he did, every day to serve out the rest of his miserable existence on earth before he goes to hell. To the victims, the dead (rest in peace), the 28 injured and their loved ones, my deepest sympathy; my thanks to those heroic soldiers whom put an end to the carnage.
Political Cartoon
This Jerry Holbert cartoon does a good job of showing the Obama Administration's manic, undisciplined attempt to taking on a vast array of initiatives, none of which are really effective or in the best interests of the United State. I think an interesting variation would focus on political divisions within Democrats themselves--e.g., Obama, Pelosi, Reid, and Blue Dogs, all pulling on the American taxpayer from the four directions.
Musical Interlude: My Favorite Dolly Parton Tune
Most people know country music singer Dolly Parton for a cluster of pop songs (e.g., "Islands in the Stream", "9 to 5", etc.) in the 1980's, but particularly with respect for a mid-70's country chart-topping single, which Whitney Houston transformed into a power ballad in the 90's: "I Will Always Love You". It is my understanding that the song was really more about her split from male singing partner Porter Wagoner and starting her own solo career. I remember watching that old show and Dolly doing promos for Biz detergent (which often came packaged with free towels). I also knew that Dolly Parton looked a lot different than other female singers. The song below was one of the duo's biggest hits, a sad song about a couple and their little girl, afraid of the dark; the fact that children are often afraid of the dark is not that unusual, but the moving story goes beyond that.
