Absurd Link of the Week

9 year old Boy Banned from Little League for Being Too good

from the linked ESPN.com article:

League attorney Peter Noble says the only factor in banning Jericho from the mound is his pitches are just too fast.

"He is a very skilled player, a very hard thrower," Noble said. "There are a lot of beginners. This is not a high-powered league. This is a developmental league whose main purpose is to promote the sport."

Noble acknowledged that Jericho had not beaned any batters in the co-ed league of 8- to 10-year-olds, but say parents expressed safety concerns.

There are two things that are emblematic in describing the idealized vision of the American way of life. Equal opportunity and a strong spirit of competition. While these two don’t exactly characterize and fully describe what being an American is, there is enough of a presence in our society to say that these are somewhat accurate characteristics. These two, I believe, play off of each other and often co-exist peacefully. Once in a while, however, people (dumb fucking people who should be sterilized) are so concerned with keeping things on an even keel that not only does it hinder the notion of competitiveness, but completely squashes it.
I think the right to equal opportunity (for the most part) is what makes this a great country. However, egalitarianism and equality can sometimes be a double-edged sword in which more harm than good is done. Of course, the same can be said about competition being taken to the extreme. I can recall a personal experience in which a kid I played little league with was instructed by the coach—who also happened to be his dad—to purposefully bean the opposing team’s best batter just to give our team an advantage. However, this happens with less frequency and is usually attributed to people being complete assholes. In contrast, this story is symptomatic of a deteriorating culture.
The problem extends beyond the realm of sports and competition. Our society is concerned with equality in other aspects of daily life, such as our education system. A notable example of this is the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.Similarly, general distrust for those who are better has become the norm. This can be seen in politics where candidates have much more success if they are better at portraying themselves as regular blue-collar folk. This same mentality is the reason why Obama’s perception of an elitist had a negative effect on his poll numbers.
This kind of behavior not only punishes those who strive to be better but also rewards and promotes mediocrity. It further propagates the argument that we live in a country where entitlement is rampant. Why would anyone try harder to maximize their potential when its as rewarding to strive for mediocrity? As alarmist as this might sound, if this trend continues our future will be that of a dystopia not unlike the world the characters in Kurt Vonnegut’s short story “Harrison Bergeron”. Quite frankly, that’s not a world I want to live in. So yeah, fuck it, let the kid play. Let him pitch his no-hitters.

No, FUCK YOU Red River bus. More later.

Admissions, Part 1

1) I like kids,but not all kids. There are always those kids that make you wish their parents had never reproduced. These are the kind of kids where you can tell that they will be assholes growing up. My two little kids are of that kind.
2) I like being home. I don't like long bus rides.
3) My dad and brother are much better dressers than me.
4) Weekends are always too short
5) I need to learn how to reprioritize goals, people, actions.
6) I like making lists.
7) Seven is a great prime number.

Kiss and Ride on the CTA

I'm on vacation, but I'd thought I'd transcribe a little something I wrote on the, train ride from O'Hare to my friend's place in Wicker Park late Tuesday night. I will update more on my trip to Chicago later on this week, or when I come back. Radiohead was amazing....

After a series of time lapses, a couple of turnings of the on and off switch of consciousness, I find myself riding the CTA in the midst of what is becoming yesterday and the remnants of what is still today.

I was planning on numbing my mind for the remainder of the train ride, but there she was walking a minute or two before the sliding doors closed.

There is a sign by the door that reminds me alot of the ones posted in the Parisian Metro and the RER. Makes sense. These are sister cities after all. I find myself adjusting my glasses awkwardly as an excuse to grab a quick glance. Because, really, no one wants you to think that you're staring.

Already I feel like a new man. What is left behind is separated and sheltered by these high speed steel cages.

She rests her head on her bag. Not a traveler, so she can't possibly be escaping from anything. No, hers is the look of someone who endures because what she happens to be there. She is sharing this experience because I happened to jump in on the train that she was planning on taking. There is no what was, but only a what is for her. For me, this moment is fleeting and I'm trying to hold on to it through these clumsy words. For her this is her sense of self, this being, late at night commuter train into the city, and affording to sleep without worrying where she is going. Her natural disposition is to be here. Meanwhile, we arrive at my stop and I get out into the muggy night dragging my carry on. Welcome to Chicago, I imagine her whispering.