Asides

The Cubs Won; That’s What Matters

Aroldis Chapman, closer for the World Series champion aroldis-chapman-girlfriend-cristinaChicago Cubs throws the fastest pitches ever recorded: 105 miles-per-hour. He also is the first player to be penalized under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence rules. Not to worry, though, his accuser, Cristina Chapman, mother of one of his children, was the special guest of the Cubs at Wednesday’s game.

The allegations had caused the Dodgers to void a trade deal with the Reds for him. They made a deal with the Yankees, who subsequently traded him to the Cubs.

And the $1 million in lost salary for his thirty-game suspension? Chapman’s share of the playoff pool will be close to half that.

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My Florida Trip, Part 2

Interstate 405, Los Angeles
Interstate 405, Los Angeles

I used to think the 405 freeway in Los Angeles was the worst road anywhere.

After driving across Florida on Interstate 4, I understand why that highway is lined with billboards advertising lawyers.

Interstate 4 near Orlando
Interstate 4 near Orlando

Read about “America’s Most Dangerous Highways”

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New Frontiers in Journalism

The Chicago Cubs have finally made it to the World Series, chicago-dogdispatching the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. Before accomplishing that, however, a writer for the Chicago Tribune felt compelled to publish an insult-filled column about the City of Angels.

“By the mid-1800s, buoyed by the California Gold Rush and a budding pornography industry, Los Angeles had become a densely populated haven for hooligans, bandits, prostitutes and executive producers.”

Of course, the Los Angeles Times had to respond.dodgers-home-stand-special

“…on the day the L.A. put-down was written, there were fewer than a half-dozen public officials indicted and no blizzards in Chicago, so it was a slow news day.”

 

tronc, Inc., formerly known as Tribune Publishing Company, owns both newspapers. “tronc” – no capital letters – is an acronym for “Tribune On-Line Content.” In true corporate fashion, their “About Us” web page is mostly gibberish. The Tribune Company had owned the Chicago Cubs until 2009.

More importantly, having lost the bet on the National League outcome, the East L.A. band Los Lobos is to perform a cover of a song from the Chicago band Umphrey’s McGee. No word yet on what the song will be.

loslobos umphreys-mcgee-wakarusa

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The Great Barrier Reef Is Dead… or is it?

Outside magazine has declared Australia’s Great Barrier Reef dead at the age of 25 million years.

reef-after“For most of its life, the reef was the world’s largest living structure, and the only one visible from space. It was 1,400 miles long, with 2,900 individual reefs and 1,050 islands. In total area, it was larger than the United Kingdom, and it contained more biodiversity than all of Europe combined. It harbored 1,625 species of fish, 3,000 species of mollusk, 450 species of coral, 220 species of birds, and 30 species of whales and dolphins.”

Cause of death was climate change and ocean acidification.

Reports of its death are greatly exaggerated, to paraphrase Mark Twain. The Conde Nast Traveler says it’s just some coral bleaching and the reef will eventually recover.

reef-before“In reality, the tragic state of the Great Barrier Reef should be a wake-up call… large sections escaped from the 2016 bleaching, and are in reasonable shape. The message should be that it isn’t too late for Australia to lift its game and better protect the GBR, not we should all give up because the GBR is supposedly dead.”

We report. You decide.

Outside magazine

Conde Nast Traveler

 

 

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