Some more This and That!

As we begin this third week in June, can you believe just which Major League Baseball team has the best record in the entire American League? Who'd a thunk that after that unbelievably bad beginning last April the Boston Red Sox would have worked themselves to the top of the American League East and have fewer losses than any other American League team. In fact, only one National League team, the Philadelphia Phillies, has a slightly better won/loss average than the Sox, but both teams have the same number of losses.

The Sox now seem to be in that groove most baseball watchers thought they'd in when the season began.

The Gators are heading for the College Baseball World Series in Omaha. Guess where my sports station will be tuned beginning Saturday.

Although there was perhaps too long a period of it, the weekend rain was just what was needed to put some natural moisture into lawns and gardens. It was kind to me Saturday morning and stayed away just long enough to get my yard mowed. Just as my tractor was rounding the corner heading for the garage, the first drops began to fall.

Combined with the previous week's sunshine, the rain did spring my vegetables into life. We have several planted around the swamp, all were planted just two weeks ago. All of them are now showing much more promise than we saw all last season. Methinks in another few weeks, if the night stalkers keep away from them, we'll be eating more fresh vegetables than we had all last year.

I saw a commercial for an item that looked really useful over the weekend. The item was being offered for $19.95 plus shipping and handling. In the fine print it was explained that S&H would be $15.95. So now that $20 item was up was up to $35. Then, I could get a second one with my favorite come-on, "free." All I would have to do would be to pay the S&H. That's $16 for a "free" $20 useful gadget. Or, more accurately put, about $50. I'll bet thousands of the items will be sold. Except one won't be coming here.

Speaking of commercials, I'm finding myself further and further out of sync with today's culture. I saw at least three of them yesterday when I looked to Gator Wife and asked, "What in the name of Heaven was that about?" She had no clue, either. I guess I'm among the people that today's ad writers care little or nothing about. An ad I can't understand, or one that is just plain unimaginative for that matter, is just a total waste of the comany's money.

By the way, you businesses, there are many of us who still don't do Twitter or Facebook.

Since I'm apparently on a negative kick, I have to wonder if television news programs honestly think that cutesy gimmicks really fool the viewers. All those spinning graphics do, you know, the ones that give us pertinent information like "In Augusta," is stall for time. They really don't hide the fact the stations have no news to report. Feature after feature, but news? Precious little. And most of what little they do have has been handed to them in a press release of some sort.

And I just hate those dumb white lines that go in circles on weather maps. Even Channel Six has been using them lately. I see absolutely zero difference between their use and non use, except, of course, they distract the viewer.  Nothing changes on the map.

Fool 'em. That's what we'll do. The stupid viewers will think we're really good.

I'd rather see some real reporting.

Gator