Sometimes it seems the entire human race has consumed
A big cup of "STUPID"....

I've found that there are days when everything works smoothly, everyone does what they're supposed to do, and everything seems to make sense. Today wasn't one of those days. It must be some sort of unconscious sociological thing, but I kept encountering situations that made me wonder how people manage to survive from day to day, in spite of themselves. It's just amazing, I tells ya...

I was driving down 7th Street in CDA today; I got to the stoplight on Lakeside Avenue, and there was one car ahead of me, stopped at the light. I stopped behind the motorist (2 ladies, I believe), and the light turned green. They just SAT there. I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel. They continued to SIT there. Motionless. I briefly "beeped" my horn. They continued to STILL sit there. I beeped again. Then one lady motioned, pointing upward, that the light had turned green. And they FINALLY got across the intersection.

Later on, I was heading north on 4th Street, ready to cross Sherman. The light turned green in my favor. No one was in the intersection. I was in the far lane. As I got ready to accelerate, a crowd of 7 or 8 twenty-somethings just barreled across the street in front of me, as if they were claiming eminent domain. These were well-dressed, touristy young people, who APPEARED to be smart enough to tell a Red Light from a Green Light. You would think, anyway. I had just left "Java On Sherman", and nowhere on their menu board is listed a "cup of Stupid". But someone's brewing it somewhere...



Finally, 'twas time to head home. I was heading east on Sherman. At the 3rd Street intersection, I saw a crowd of 10 or 12 people, and it appeared as if they were going to head across the street, only some of them wanted to cross the intersection westward, and some wanted to cross it northward. But there they all stood, talking amongst themselves, pointing at this and that, all furiously engaged in some sort of debate as to which direction they wanted to go. They reminded me of "The Retouchables", that gang of cops on the old Dick Tracy cartoon show. When the light changed in my favor, I got out of there, and glancing in my rearview mirror, there they were, still pointing, gesticulating and debating which way to go. I kinda thot "DAMMIT, JUST GO SOMEWHERE!!! ANYWHERE!!!"

I don't want to generalize and say that crowd consisted of tourists, but I really believe they were. They didn't have a clue. And it makes me wonder. Whenever I go somewhere which is unfamiliar to me, I try my best not to be a stupid, unconcerned, bumbling, gawking TOURIST...I kinda try to blend in with my surroundings. But I tell ya, it's days like these that makes me wonder just how the human race manages to survive, in spite of itself, day after day after day...
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I saw something tonite on the tube that was bound to happen sooner or later. I saw it "live". So did everyone else who was watching, in addition to approximately 30,000 at Seattle's Safeco Field. Tonite, during the Seattle-Los Angeles game, Seattle reliever Rafael Soriano was hit IN THE HEAD after pitching to Vladimir Guerrero, the hitter. Guerrero is one of the strongest baseball players ever, and he swung, smacking the ball, sending it right towards the pitcher, who didn't have time to react. He was struck on the right side of his head, right behind the ear; he hit the ground, grimacing in pain, and was taken to Harborview Medical Center. Horrific. And the game wasn't over. Seattle eventually won, but the tempo of the game changed considerably after that harrowing occurrence. I have long thought that a pitcher is gonna get KILLED someday. That baseball was flying at over 100mph when it struck Soriano. Maybe someone should invent a pitching helmet?
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I don't know if much was made of a rather historical occasion that happened 40 years ago yesterday (August 29th), but it's noteworthy to me, anyhow. It was 40 years ago that the Beatles made their last-ever concert appearance at Candlestick Park, San Francisco. Basically, the Beatles got tired of screaming fans who drowned out the music to such a degree that they could barely hear their instruments as they played. They did play "live" one more time, in January of 1969, when they did a few songs in the "Let It Be" movie. They played on a rooftop in London. The folks below could hear 'em, but except for a few people in nearby buildings, no one could see 'em. After about half an hour, the police shut 'em down. Which proves that not even the Beatles were immune from the law.
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In closing, let me just say that I try not to drink anything out of that "cup of stupid", but sometimes it happens in spite of myself. Or, maybe it's something in the air we breathe. That would make more sense. Hopefully the major leagues will get smart and do something to protect its pitchers. That wouldn't be stupid at all!