Squirrel

There is a lot going on and a lot behind some of the worst of what's been happening in Minneapolis. There's a difference between protesters and rioters.

So you think burning down the precinct house was people trying to kill cops? Or a symbol to kill cops? The aim wasn’t to kill cops or send a message cop killing was the agenda. No one was hurt or killed. It’s a symbol of burning down the system, the blue culture that has allowed the murdering of black men. Of course there are good cops, but why don’t more stand up to this and work to change the system here? There were four police officers at that scene ... to subdue an unarmed man who committed a non-violent crime involving a $20 forgery. Four. And not one of them stopped this, despite the screams from onlookers. And the stop involved a gun drawn and pointing at George Floyd’s head, and ended with him on the ground, in handcuffs, gasping for air and saying his Mother's name until he was dead. And then at a peaceful protest downtown, tear gas was used. After decades of examples of this, being unheard, while I don’t condone the violence, I understand it, particularly the burning of the precinct house, after an arrest wasn’t immediate.

I don't know anyone who condones violence, but when you spend a lifetime of being unheard, and there is no meaningful change in attitudes and how you are seen, this is where the anger goes. It's sad it comes to this, but I don't think major change happens without it. I consider Minneapolis my home even though I haven't lived there for 23 yrs. It will be my landing spot when I retire and I wish I were there now to lend a hand and a voice to the pain and protests. (And no, that doesn't mean I'd be out there looting and setting fire to things ... I don't condone it, but I understand it.)

The Fort Myers facility, the parking lot, anyway, is currently being used as a COVID testing site. At least it was when I left there two weeks ago. So, not sure if that's the place for it?

Yeah ... I drive through there in the summers as I work way up north. Well, not this summer, hopefully next summer. I live south of downtown, but in the city.

Chicago ain't so great, either. It's all messed up. Stay safe ... and sorry about your Aunt. It's never easy losing someone, but especially now, is even worse.

MODERATOR WARNING: Please stop referring to Manfred or owners or players as knuckle-draggers, neanderthals, sleazy, crooked, etc. You can make your points fairly, honestly and passionately without characterizing individuals in a less than civil manner. Dislike, like, whatever ... keep the debates in civil territory. Thank you.

I just heard this told another way ... 'A priest, rabbit and minister walk into a bar, the bartender asks them, 'What will you have?' The rabbit replies, 'Dunno. I'm only here because of autocorrect.'

He's also involved in ocean cleanup projects, from what I see on his Instagram page

While most want baseball back, all you've said above only emphasizes why it's unrealistic. I guess if there's a will there's a way ... but as I see it, the only way back will compromise the safety of all involved, one way or the other. I mean, we could have them play in full hazmat suits!

Yes, she does

Rosario is #1, hands down. No contest. I’d put Cruz up there, too.

Thanks. Just got home yesterday. I don’t plan on going anywhere. At least not for now.

They already agreed to a contract. MLB wants to break that now. If it's about the money, the owners made it about the money when they reneged and went public with it without negotiating first and quietly. They set it up in public first ... well maybe, but we can't afford it unless the players ... Yes, as Cap'n Piranha said, it's about the optics, and the owners win that one, thanks to Snell and good PR, however, the money it's about comes from them, and them alone. It's a management tactic ... 'look how much these guys make?' to put the pressure on. I agree that the grocery store clerk should be making much more, and this whole thing emphasized that, big time. They aren't making less because of the players and what the players will or won't agree to. But, MLB and the players already agreed on a contract, and MLB are the ones reneging and doing what they can to make out how bad the players are for not just agreeing to breaking the contract. I don't buy it. I've been on the receiving end of that tactic enough times in my life. I want to see baseball again as much as the next person, but I don't blame the players on this. MLB and the owners handled it poorly, imo. It's not about what the players deserve or don't, should or shouldn't ... there was an agreement made already. Then there's the safety issue ... I'm not sure how you get past that, unless everyone is in quarantine the entire half season.

I think the point might be, if it's not safe for 3 people at home plate, how is it safe for 30 people in a dugout?

I am truly sorry, and I didn’t mean to sound so cavalier. Truly.

As for when will this be ‘over’ ... couldn’t tell you. Reopening guidelines included a caveat that a decline of cases for two weeks ... most states that are reopening (think GA, FL, TX) have not yet seen any decline. Another was medical supplies and capabilities in the event of a (likely) resurgence. We still are not ramping up supplies like we should as a nation. I could go into more details on that, but, well, reopening is happening despite not doing anything that is recommended to best manage this thing. As for ‘when will I feel comfortable’ again ... that’s all individual and relative. My work is looking at possibly January before we have a live audience again. But it will all be how things are managed. They are not being managed, at all, on a national level. Some states are doing quite well, some not. Florida opened some of its beaches and is now looking to close them again, at least locally, where I am, because people refuse to follow guidelines and protocols. People refuse to wear masks in public or distance themselves and cough down the aisles and over the produce at the grocery store. When your citizens can’t even comply on some of the most simple things, and your leaders defy some of these very basic things, too, can’t say comfort will return to most of us soon. I’ve never been concerned for myself, but I don’t want to spread this to anyone. When people are being forced back to work without proper safety and sanitation gear (think meat packing plants) because their workers’ lives don’t matter compared to the bottom line, I can’t speak to comfort. It will be what you think you can do. It’s relative. You’re young and will probably be fine, but then I’d keep my distance from people who are more at risk and compromised. I’ll be flying home on Wednesday ... I’ll let you know how I felt. Even if it was a ‘comfortable’ experience, I don’t know when I’ll be able to go back to see my Mom.

Then there were these guidelines, that were not published because the wh shelved them: https://apnews.com/2a1cf36c0ad1ae31938351f6f74abe28 The follow up article: https://apnews.com/7a00d5fba3249e573d2ead4bd323a4d4

Well, there’s this article: https://www.npr.org/2020/05/09/853052174/public-health-experts-say-many-states-are-opening-too-soon-to-do-so-safely?utm_campaign=npr&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=nprnews&fbclid=IwAR0T5LVFbYN6MlsEwoLzb2iXgKe38Kj-TCv_GEfGULXf_oG2ABDEQMyuw8U

Little Richard died yesterday, bone cancer. Rock n roll forever.

Oh! The 1991 Halloween Blizzard! I remember that, that was really big!

Hmmm, I really don’t hate anyone. Dislike maybe, but hate? Maybe the Yankees, in general, but no one specific. AJ had his moments. There was the nose thumbing mock that he did one game. At one time maybe A-Rod, but man, he’s become a really decent commentator. Eh, too much lately going around to think about who I hate, even in terms of loving to hate. I miss baseball.

Where’s my laugh emoji?

A very good reality check on just where we are with this. His analogy that we are just in the foothills right now and have mountains to go, and that this is ‘the big one’ were certainly just that, a reality check.

Oh, for sure, then they should say that, imo. And yes, I hope this is only a 2020 thing, but since they've talked about realignment in the recent past, they could be using 2020 as a way to ... shuffle it ... as they've talked about doing. I hate subterfuge! And has the question even been answered about the DH? I suppose home field calls it, but if this is the wave of the future hitting us now, that question is going to need to be answered sooner rather than later. But I'm still going to try and figure out the mileage for each division to see if it was truly done 'fairly'. I'm sure someone actually did do this, but I want to see for myself. What else have I got to do? No work now until September. But the way it just appears now, the East looks to have the easiest travel, and no way around that really, considering the cluster of teams in that area ... Philly, NY, Boston, DC. Still ... Pittsburgh will still be team to have to travel the most in either division, Atlanta a lot more in the central than the east, the rest of the central more to get to Atlanta, which is further (farther?) away than Pittsburgh to most of them, and if the East has to go to Florida anyway, it's should be easy enough to schedule teams to make that loop mostly at once, like they do when we travel to the west coast in a regular season.