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-- C.A. Beard

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On last month's Fix;

the answer to last month's Fix,
"Does anyone care about professional baseball anymore?"
is

Apparently. Perhaps one or two readers. If their team wins. But I have to tell you, with the recent threat to strike again this  season, there was an almost deafening yawn across the fruited plain. Bud Selig should not stop at disfranchising the Twins and that other team - he should go for whole leagues - and see if anyone notices.

Life's About Choices;
 Seems obvious right? But what may not be so obvious is that the person you are today, and the life you live today, is the result of the _average_ of all the choices you ever make. You can choose to party, drop out of high school, skip college and end up a manual laborer. This path is not hard to understand. But what may come as news to people who do this is they expect that once they get a GED, go to a four year school and then get into a profession - they are still not where their peers are that made all the right choices in the first place.

Life is the averaging of choices. As in grade points calculated at UW-Madison. Get a C in a class. Repeat it and get an A. The grade point averages to a B.

I'm contrinually amazed at how few get this. Smokers for 20 years quit, then get lung cancer and feel they've been cheated. It' amazing.

                     Remarks by Lady Thatcher on Receiving the Clare
                     Boothe Luce Award
                     by The Heritage Foundation
 
                     December 9, 2002 |
 

                     Mr. Chairman, Mr. Vice-President, Ladies and Gentlemen:
                     Vice-President Cheney, you pay me particular distinction by your presence here
                     this evening, and I am delighted that you have been allowed to “break cover”.
                     Indeed, you remind me of another intrepid warrior for justice. As the verse goes:
 
                           “They seek him here, they seek him there,
                           Those Frenchies seek him everywhere.
                           Is he in Heaven? Is he in Hell?
                           That demmed elusive Pimpernel!”
 
                     Tonight Mr. Vice-President, for once, we know exactly where you are.
 

                     Clare Boothe Luce

                     I am enormously honoured to receive this award. It bears the name of one of the
                     most remarkable Americans of her day; and it has previously been given to other
                     great Americans. It is inspiring to be in such company – and wonderful, as
                     always at Heritage, to be among true friends.
 

                     New Threats

                     Clare Boothe Luce’s generation fought the twin evils of Nazism and
                     communism. She was indeed in the forefront of that fight. Nazism was defeated
                     in her lifetime. Communism was defeated in ours – defeated above all through
                     the efforts of that great American President, my friend Ronald Reagan. His
                     name is remembered in the title of this building. And it will be remembered for
                     as long as there are men and women on this earth who value their liberty and
                     honour those who secure it.
 
                     Ronnie’s successor in the White House today faces a different but no less mighty
                     challenge. The success in Afghanistan demonstrated that the doubters were
                     wrong: the War Against Terror can be won. But we still confront today a
                     twin-headed monster of terrorism and of proliferating weapons of mass
                     destruction. And both those heads must be removed, if the beast itself is to be
                     destroyed.
 
                     Evil, it is true, has always been with us. But evil was never so technically
                     sophisticated, never so elusive, never so devoid of scruple, and never so anxious
                     to inflict civilian casualties. The West must prevail – or else concede a reign of
                     global lawlessness and violence unparalleled in modern times.
 
                     I am glad that America’s commander-in-chief is made of such stern stuff – glad
                     too that he is assisted by Vice-President Cheney and others in this room. I am
                     also proud that Britain stands where we must always stand – as America’s surest
                     and staunchest ally. Prime Minister Blair and I are, as is well-known, political
                     opponents. But in this matter I salute his strong, bold leadership.
 

                     Political Principles – and Heritage

                     My friends: as the life of Clare Boothe Luce demonstrated, something more is
                     required in politics than simple pragmatism. It is, of course, necessary to learn
                     all the facts, to seek the best advice, to reflect on the options before you decide
                     the course to take. But experience shows that if you lack a coherent set of beliefs
                     and principles, you will flounder. You must know already what you want, and
                     why, and broadly how best to attain it, if you are ever to deal effectively with the
                     thousand-and-one crises that face you in government.
 
                     That is why think-tanks like The Heritage Foundation are so crucial. Your clarity
                     of vision, based on a wise understanding of what limited government in a free
                     country requires, has allowed Heritage to make an outstanding contribution to
                     America. And not just America. One mark of a country’s political development is
                     whether its politicians take seriously the prescriptions offered by Heritage
                     scholars to cure a nation’s ills. And I’m sure, Ed, that you would agree?
 
                     Heritage is the sworn enemy of over-regulation, over-taxation, social
                     engineering, health fascism and environmentalist hysteria. It is the friend of
                     opportunity, incentives, free trade, an effective rule of law, national sovereignty
                     and strong defence. And so say all of us!
 
                     It would be a sad day if conservatives failed to recognise how immensely
                     positive the results of that approach have been. And it would be altogether
                     inexplicable if this happened when our opponents have reluctantly seen the
                     merit of conservative insights and policies. Thankfully, the likelihood of such
                     folly is diminished every time another Heritage Backgrounder lands on a
                     politician’s desk. Please keep them landing!
 

                     America Today

                     My friends: it is always good to come to America. Whereas other countries
                     remind you of problems, America teaches you possibilities.
 
                     America today is the only global super-power. Like it or not – and, on balance, I
                     do like it – that is a fact. Only America has the reach and means to deal with
                     Osama Bin Laden or Saddam Hussein or the other wicked psychopaths who will
                     sooner or later step into their shoes. The rest of the world can and should do
                     more. But so often wealthy countries with much to offer and more to lose just
                     cheer – or grumble – on the side-lines.
 
                     For those who love liberty, the fortunes of America are even more our
                     preoccupation than in years gone by. So I make my own tonight the words of the
                     poet Longfellow:
 
                           “…….Sail on O Ship of State!
                           Sail on, O Union, strong and great!
                           Humanity with all its fears,
                           With all the hopes of future years,
                           Is hanging breathless on thy fate”
 
                     Thank you for this wonderful award.

1. Sheryl writes
Subject:         Re: lastcall
   Date:         Sun, 1 Dec 2002 16:26:27 -0800 (PST)
   From:         Sheryl Langer <sqlanger@yahoo.com>
     To:         serge <serge@ppsa.com>

What do you mean does anyone care anymore????  Pro baseball is raking in revenue
so apparently "someone" still cares......just not you!!  I care.......being a "fair weather
fan" I only care when my team is doing well!!!  Sorry, but it's the truth.

SQL
 

2. And Doug gets his hair up - or his appetite?
Subject:             Re: lastcall
       Date:             Sat, 23 Nov 2002 21:49:38 -0600
      From:             "Douglas E. Wilken" <wilken@cloudnet.com>
        To:             "serge" <serge@ppsa.com>
> "Pro Baseball. Does anyone care anymore?"

Sacrilege, sir!  I'll have your liver for that!
 

3. But an honest answer comes from the South
   Date:         Mon, 25 Nov 2002 06:51:21 -0600
   From:         "Donahue, Brian" <brian.s.donahue@Vanderbilt.Edu>
     To:         "serge" <serge@ppsa.com>

> "Pro Baseball. Does anyone care anymore?"

Pro what?

-Brian

Florida;

2. Duval COunty, Oct 31: The London Guardian reports that the Organization for Security and Collaboration in Europe is sending election monitors to - of all places - FLorida. Russian and Albanian election monitors have been tasked with assessing whether the mid-term Florida election meet the international standards for "free, open and honest" elections.

New Jersey;

Wisconsin;

Washington D.C.

Net News;

1. Anonymous submitter

Hu's on First?

Scene: the Oval Office.
George: Condi! Nice to see you. What's happening?
Condi: Sir, I have the report here about the new leader of China.
George: Great. Lay it on me.
Condi: Hu is the new leader of China.
George: That's what I want to know.
Condi: That's what I'm telling you.
George: That's what I'm asking you. Who is the new leader of China?
Condi: Yes.
George: I mean the fellow's name.
Condi: Hu.
George: The guy in China.
Condi: Hu.
George: The new leader of China
Condi: Hu.
George: The Chinaman!
Condi: Hu is leading China.
George: Now whaddya' asking me for?
Condi: I'm telling you Hu is leading China.
George: Well, I'm asking you. Who is leading China?
Condi: That's the man's name.
George: That's who's name?
Condi: Yes.
George: Will you or will you not tell me the name of the new leader of China?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir? Yassir Arafat is in China? I thought he was in the Middle East.
Condi: That's correct.
George: Then who is in China?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir is in China?
Condi: No, sir.
George: Then who is?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir?
Condi: No, sir.
George: Look, Condi. I need to know the name of the new leader of China. Get me the Secretary
General of the U.N. on the phone.
Condi: Kofi?
George: No, thanks.
Condi: You want Kofi?
George: No.
Condi: You don't want Kofi.
George: No. But now that you mention it, I could use a glass of milk. And then get me the U.N.
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Not Yassir! The guy at the U.N.
Condi: Kofi?
George: Milk! Will you please make the call?
Condi: And call who?
George: Who is the guy at the U.N?
Condi: Hu is the guy in China.
George: Will you stay out of China?!
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: And stay out of the Middle East! Just get me the guy at the U.N.
Condi: Kofi.
George: All right! With cream and two sugars. Now get on the phone.
(Condi picks up the phone.)
Condi: Rice, here.
George: Rice? Good idea. And a couple of egg rolls, too. Maybe we should send some to the
guy in China. And the Middle East. Can you get Chinese food in the Middle East?