Greetings! As Moe has already mentioned, I am honored to be filling in here for a bit while Katherine is busy with her immigration law work. I'm not a huge fan of single-axis descriptions of anyone's politics, but if forced to describe myself that way, I'd call myself generally a centrist, with a few outlying positions. I'm a member of the Board of Trustees at First Unitarian Church of Baltimore, and I've been volunteering with various Democratic campaigns since 2000. I'm an unrepentant Southerner (born in Nashville, raised in Memphis). I'm a sushi fan, budding foodie, and oenophile. I believe government has its place, but that bureaucracy can make you stupid. In the words of Annie Savoy (from Bull Durham, one of the finest movies ever made), "The world is made for people who aren't cursed with self-awareness."
Six months out of the year, though, I become "Baseball Fan", and I'll be handling the baseball blogging here. I won't be making six posts a day on it, since that's not what this blog is about (if that's what you're looking for, though, I can recommend David Pinto's Baseball Musings or Mac Thomason's Braves Journal. I'm an Atlanta Braves fan from back in the days when they were a train wreck every time they stepped on the field, which just goes to show what excessive exposure to TBS at an impressionable age can do to you. I'm developing an attachment to the Baltimore Orioles, too, which just goes to show that I've got a thing for teams that regularly get beaten like rented donkeys.
I'll happily continue to put my oar in on the other discussions, too, and I'm hoping to add some posts on other topics as the Muse inspires me. I'm glad to be here, and I'll be writing my first baseball-related post soon, where I'll open myself to general mockery by making predictions about who's going to go to the World Series.
Let's play ball!
More necessary baseball blogs: Bronx Banter, Futility Infielder, Baseball Prospectus on-line, Clifford's Big Red Blog, and last, for the best writing about baseball in the known universe, trot on over to the YES Network cite and take a look at Pinstriped Bible. The Professor writes about the Yankees first, it's true, but about baseball generally, as well. And he's having a meet and greet for baseball fanatics at a pizza parlor in Manhattan in the near future.
Life is short, baseball, thank god, is long.
Posted by: Harley | February 11, 2004 at 11:04 AM
"What do you get when you cross a Unitarian with a Jehovah's Witness? - Someone who still goes door to door, they just don't know why."
[sorry :) ]
Posted by: Californio | February 11, 2004 at 12:44 PM
Whaddya mean we still have Manny? YEAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!
Go Sox!
Posted by: spc67 | February 11, 2004 at 01:05 PM
What do you get when you cross a Unitarian with a Jehovah's Witness?
Someone who knocks on your door and says, "Hi. I'd like you to tell me about your religion." :)
Posted by: Michael N. | February 11, 2004 at 02:16 PM
Harley, you forgot Baseball Primer. I like the guys at Baseball Prospectus, but a) they're not really a blog and b) they charge for a lot of their content. Baseball Primer's got more links to articles around the web, and more discussion.
Posted by: Josh | February 11, 2004 at 02:46 PM
So, what's the batting order at OW now? A religious centrist, another centrist, and a moderate rightie.
Posted by: Mithras | February 11, 2004 at 03:02 PM
More like two Democrats and a one center-right Republican.*
Sounds like a "balanced" CNN panel. *g*
TW
* Not to disparage Moe Lane but other than national security issues, I am curious if he has any positions which might be considered "right" or "right of center."
Posted by: Thorley Winston | February 11, 2004 at 03:10 PM
I am curious if he has any positions which might be considered "right" or "right of center."
He's happy to endorse a Republican administration for looting Iraq, but won't consider voting for a Democratic candidate who voted against part of that 87 billion package for Iraq's occupation.
Posted by: Jesurgislac | February 12, 2004 at 04:02 AM
"Not to disparage Moe Lane but other than national security issues, I am curious if he has any positions which might be considered "right" or "right of center."
Thanks for reminding me to post a response, Jes; btw, much better attempt to piss me off, this time. Didn't quite work, though. :)
Anyway... well, I don't like affirmative action much, on soft bigotry of low expectations grounds, I'm status quo on current abortion practices and I don't get weak in the knees over faith-based charities. Oh, yeah, a balanced budget would be nice, but nobody's offering me one.
That's about it.
Posted by: Moe Lane | February 12, 2004 at 06:46 AM
Thanks for reminding me to post a response, Jes; btw, much better attempt to piss me off, this time. Didn't quite work, though. :)
I wish you would post a response, Moe. I'm still finding it bewildering that you're just fine with Republican plans to loot Iraq, while Kerry's vote against Bush's 87-billion package is enough to make you refuse to support him. Any time you care to explain your reasoning, I'll read with interest.
Posted by: Jesurgislac | February 12, 2004 at 06:59 AM
Moe Lane wrote:
How’s about just opposing it because just because it is flat out wrong for the government to discriminate against people based on skin color?
Meaning what? You agree that the federal government should have taken the issue from the States or you agree with abortion on demand with little or no restrictions?
I don’t either even though I’m opposed to them, but that's largely because it is such a minor issue.
Is it more important that the budget be balanced or that the cost of government be minimized (keeping in mind that federal interest payments are pretty much just the time value of borrowing money at the risk-free rate)?
Posted by: Thorley Winston | February 12, 2004 at 10:48 AM
"How’s about just opposing it because just because it is flat out wrong for the government to discriminate against people based on skin color?"
How's about you just accept the fact that I'm opposing it for the reason that I've stated? :)
"I'm status quo on current abortion practices"
"Meaning what? You agree that the federal government should have taken the issue from the States"
Actually, yes. I'd rather not have individual states deciding when an organism stops being a blob of flesh and starts being a citizen. Weird of me, I'm sure.
Moe
PS: I'd answer your budget questions, except that I barely speak enough Economics to recognize your question.
Posted by: Moe Lane | February 12, 2004 at 10:54 PM
Hmmmm...and I was just here to welcome Michael (I'm a frequent reader of his significant otter's blog which pointed the way here).
Well...ahem... welcome, Michael.
Posted by: Charles2 | February 13, 2004 at 01:42 PM