Softball: Sacrifice
Dear People,
In our first community game of the Obama era, my team crushed Jeff W's 22-17, perhaps because my side played as if we were nothing less than a vibrant athletic metaphor for the future itself. Ultimately, though, none of that is important because the harsh reality is that my beloved iMac is still at the Apple Store, and thus I'm forced to peck this missive on an old IBM laptop that makes me feel unskilled and lascivious.
In all candor, my befuddled little fingers are not one with the keyboard, and yet if this is what it takes to assure your aerobic release, I will do nothing less. And therefore there will be a game at Codornices this Sunday at 11, IF I get enough commits by this Friday morning…Raymond
PS: The insatiable city of Berkeley has just informed me that park rental fees are going up 20%, effective immediately (to $68 for a two hour slot). Unfortunately, this means that for now on games will be $4, which for the record, will still just cover the cost of the field, balls, ice packs, sundry other stuff and of course, my 10 cent an hour organizing fee. Nevertheless, I understand your rage, and if you as a people so choose to impeach me for fraud, abuse of power or even dereliction of fraudulent abuse, I will accept your decision stoically, resign before trial, and promptly return to my cherished childhood dacha in Eastern Ukraine.
1/30/09
Softball: Notes on the Political Economy of Aerobic Release
Dear People,
There will be a match at Codornices this Sunday at 11, and as of now there are still four slots left.
Please bring $4 for the field, which I am fully aware represents an inflationary travesty in a world on the verge of deflationary collapse, and yet for what it's worth, I, like you, am just a mere pawn in the Man's cruel and callous game…Raymond 845-7552
PS: A couple people have asked why we need to reserve the field given that we'd usually be able to grab it anyway. So just to clarify: I have to actually "pull out the papers" a few times a year to enforce our territorial rights, and given that our people come from all over the Bay Area, I concluded years ago that it's worth paying for. More fundamentally though, it's highly likely that if we didn't consistently reserve the park, within a few weeks there would be various lunatics who would (In fact, I know that to be so from my contacts at the City Parks Department).
Like banking, your commits are based on trust (that the field will be available), and like civilization itself, that costs. Yep, life is tradeoffs. Moreover, life is with people, though of course people are a pain in the ass. And while not one to dwell on literary arc, that is why you will pay the $4, do so with joy, and then scream out to the Gods, "Thank you, Sir; May I have another?!" I think you see my point.