Not Your Body, Not Your Choice
The less science trusting among us took to gathering in large groups to demand the country end the lock-downs and get America back to work. There they stood shoulder to shoulder, many brandishing weapons, some wearing masks, some were complaining that they wanted to get their haircut, others wanted to get their jobs back. All of them were risking infection with the virus that has the world staying home.
Some protestors say it’s their body, their choice. (See photo above.) Wow! Now these people are pro-choice! The only thing is it isn’t just their body, their choice. Some of these people are going to get infected and they will infect others. That’s when this becomes someone else’s body and it’s not that someone else’s choice.
I reminded listeners of the argument I heard conservatives use in ’90s: The right to swing my fist ends at your nose. These people are swinging their fists right now and innocent people will end up getting too close.
Also, this meme makes an excellent point:
Is It Really That Crowded?
My comment on Facebook says most of it:
To be fair to HuffPo, here is a link to the article, which shares more images. Though I believe the image above is deceptive, others in the article seem less so. A couple photos show people violating the rules by gathering in groups to play volleyball.
But, as with any of the reopening efforts, success will depend on whether or not people will follow the rules.
A Dimland Radio Pedantic Moment: w/r/t
The hosts of the very successful podcast The Greatest Generation do a thing that puzzled me for some time, because I didn’t know what they meant. The hosts review an episode of Star Trek each week. They started with Star Trek: The Next Generation and have gone beyond that series to review Star Trek: Deep Space 9.
Over the years, hosts Ben and Adam have developed a series of running jokes, recurring characters, and various catch phrases. One of the phrases they have taken to using is “double-U slash arr slash tee.” For the longest time I couldn’t quite figure out what that meant. I figured it was a text shorthand written as w/r/t, but what did it mean?
I looked it up. It stands for the phrase “with regard to.” I understand why people would use w/r/t when texting, but while talking? It takes more time to say it than the phrase it replaces.
Oh, well. It’s their thing.
Crazy Play, Cool Coincidence
In my attempt to cope with there being no baseball, I picked up a copy of Tim Wendal’s 2014 book Down To The Last Pitch. The book delves into what may be the best World Series in baseball history: The 1991 World Series between the Minnesota Twins and the Atlanta Braves. It has been a pleasure to relive that classic series and Wendal also adds a good deal of baseball history connecting to varies aspects of the 1991 games.
The author uses a 1991 World Series collision at the plate to write about two other notable home plate crashes between a base runner and a catcher. One was during the 1970 All Star game that saw Pete Rose tackle the catcher Ray Fosse. The collision was so violent Fosse’s shoulder was separated. Come on, Pete! It’s only an exhibition game. Settle down.
The other home plate collision described by Wendal came in July of 1985, it was a regular season game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Seattle Mariners. In front of the Mariners’ faithful, the Blue Jays turned one of the most unusual double plays ever.
Toronto’s catcher Buck Martinez completed the first half of that improbable double play by holding onto the ball during a violent collision at the plate. He got the out, but had broken his ankle in the process. The remaining base runner thought he might be able to take third on the play.
While still sitting on the ground, he couldn’t get up due to the broken ankle, Martinez attempted to throw the runner out. The throw went wide of third and out to left field. The runner then tried to make it home. The left fielder threw the ball to the plate. Martinez, still on the ground, ankle still broken, caught the ball and tagged the runner out. It was scored a 9-2-7-2 double play. That’s right field to catcher to left field back to catcher. Incredible!
The cool coincidence? Well, prior to my reading about the play my son suggested I check out a documentary series about the Seattle Mariners on YouTube. I watched the first four parts of the series the next day, the day after I read about that incredible play. Can you guess what amazing play at the plate was featured in one of the parts of that documentary?
The first part of the series is here. I forget which part of the series covers that play, but this link will get you to another video showing it.
Don’t panic. Wash your hands. Stay home. Stay safe.
Dimland Radio opening theme song: Ram by The Yoleus
First ad break bumpers: Perfect Skin by Lloyd Cole and the Commotions and Another Day by Paul McCartney
Second ad break bumpers: Sex Beat by Urban Guerrillas and Tide Is High by Blondie
Closing song: Angler’s Treble Hook by $5 Fiddle
That’s it! See you next Saturday night for Dimland Radio 11 Central, midnight Eastern on www.ztalkradio.com you can also download my show from the z talk show archives page. You can email your questions and comments to drdim@dimland.com
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