Hard times
I've endured a few hardships over the years during trips to see the Cardinals play. There have been four speeding tickets, a dead car battery, the oil pan once dropping out of the car and onto the road, then getting chased by a dog going for help. I've experienced rain delays and weather postponements at the ballpark, oppressive heat and humidity most of the time, even a smattering of chilly evenings. I stood during an entire 3 1/2 hour game in Kansas City. I've been gouged for tickets and parking, and seated next to obnoxious drunks (though usually in my traveling party.) I witnessed the very first Rick Ankiel meltdown, watched the Birds blow the outright division title on the last day of the 2001 season, and stood by helplessly as Boston's Pedro Martinez nudged the 2004 World Championship out of reach.But I never went to the park and saw the Cardinals give up 11 runs in an inning and lose 20-6. And for that I'm grateful.
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New lows for the U.S. Congress: Republicans blocked a minimum wage increase today in the Senate, pushing the wage to a 51-year-low relative to inflation. Though productivity has risen sharply by recent estimates, the minimum wage now equals just 31 percent of the average wage for "private sector, nonsupervisory workers." This stands in sharp contrast to the 1950s and 1960s when the minimum wage averaged 50 percent of the average wage in a flourishing middle-class, and it draws attention to the fact that today's so-called economic "recovery" is not being felt by most workers.
Feeding upon that momentum, House Republicans then cancelled a vote this afternoon to renew the Civil Rights Act after a mutiny of Southern legislators, whose states-- Civil Rights attorneys argue-- have been in violation of this law for years, argued that the bill would promote multi-lingual election ballots.
Just beautiful.
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The new "Superman," Brandon Routh, was on Letterman last night, telling the world-- and reminding me-- that he was a native of Iowa (Norwalk and Des Moines.) He told Dave that his parents were jazz musicians in Des Moines in the 1970s and he shared memories of working the corn dog stand at the State Fair as a kid.
And still it seems pointless to resurrect this film franchise. Christopher Reeve's "Superman" is still fresh-- his 1978 debut opposite Gene Hackman and Margo Kidder still a great way to spend a lazy summer afternoon. We need new ideas, Hollywood. New!
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Set your VCR or digital recording apparatus for: Amy Sedaris on Letterman tonight. Her "Strangers With Candy" opens in theaters July 7th. Now that should be a "re-imaging" worth seeing-- the movie and Sedaris' Late Show appearance.
posted by CM @ 6:27 PM
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