A mildly disturbing story that makes me wish sometimes we could keep the world of sports / entertainment separate from the larger political world. From an ESPN article about my favorite baseball team's All-Star right fielder and a loathsome, repressive dictator:President Hugo Chavez came to the defense of Magglio Ordonez on Sunday, slamming Venezuelan baseball fans who booed the major leaguer at the World Baseball Classic. Chavez lamented that his friendship with Ordonez prompted catcalls from the mostly Venezuelan crowd during the team's 3-1 victory over the Netherlands in Miami on Saturday, saying the fans who booed the Detroit Tigers slugger "have no shame."... Ordonez, one of Venezuela's biggest baseball stars, appeared in a … [Read more...]
What I’m Thankful for #11: Loyal Friends Over Long Distances
This is one in a series of daily posts I conceived of writing many weeks ago while the election still raged on, as I looked for something to write about of more lasting value. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving seemed perfectly appropriate for it. Just in case you wondered, the topics introduced are not necessarily in any particular order. I hope the series is of some small encouragement to you, even as my site traffic takes a dive. Don't worry. The purpose of this post is not to attempt to seek a definition of "Friendship" or to categorize the different varieties and permutations of friends I have, as Joseph Epstein sought to do. Instead, I just wanted to briefly and publicly state my gratitude for the friends I have gained … [Read more...]