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The ramblings of a geek and romantic
Giving you the know how to combat all of life's bull...
Created on 2003-03-09 20:06:17 (#940186), last updated 2006-12-15
1,388 comments received, 979 comments posted
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Basic Info| Name: | Mike From |
|---|---|
| Birthdate: | 03-15 |
| Location: | Vancouver, Washington, United States |
| Website: | SAVE FARSCAPE |
Bio"...I have come to understand that baseball is a perfect metaphor for hope in a democratic society.
It has to do with the rules of play. It has to do with the mode of enforcement of these rules. It has to do with certain nuances and grace notes of the game
First, it's the remarkable symmetry of everything.
All those threes and multiple of three, calling attantion to-virtually making a fetish of-the game's noble equality.
Equality, that is, of opportunity. Everyone is given exactly the same chance. And the opportunity to exercise that chance at his own pace.
There's none of that scurry, none of that relentlessness that marks other games-basketball, football, hockey.
What I mean is, in baseball there's no clock.
What could be more generous than to give everyone all these opportunities and the time to seize them in as well? And with each turn at the plate, there's the possibility of turning the situation to your favor. Down to your very last try.
And then, to ensure everything remains fair, justices are ranged around the park to witness and assess the play. And if the justice errs, an appeal can be made.
It's invariably turned down, but that's part of what makes the metaphor so right.
Because even in the most well meant of systems, error is inevitable. Even within the fairest of paradigms, unfairness will creep in.
And baseball is better than democracy-or at least better than democracy as it's practiced in this country-because unlike democracy, baseball acknowledges loss.
While conservatives tell you, "Leave things alone and no one will lose," and liberals tell you, "Interfere a lot and no one will lose," baseball says, "Someone will lose." Not only says it-insists upon it.
So that baseball acheives the tragic vision democracy evades. Evades and embodies.
Democracy is lovely, but baseball's more mature."
-Richard Greenberg
It has to do with the rules of play. It has to do with the mode of enforcement of these rules. It has to do with certain nuances and grace notes of the game
First, it's the remarkable symmetry of everything.
All those threes and multiple of three, calling attantion to-virtually making a fetish of-the game's noble equality.
Equality, that is, of opportunity. Everyone is given exactly the same chance. And the opportunity to exercise that chance at his own pace.
There's none of that scurry, none of that relentlessness that marks other games-basketball, football, hockey.
What I mean is, in baseball there's no clock.
What could be more generous than to give everyone all these opportunities and the time to seize them in as well? And with each turn at the plate, there's the possibility of turning the situation to your favor. Down to your very last try.
And then, to ensure everything remains fair, justices are ranged around the park to witness and assess the play. And if the justice errs, an appeal can be made.
It's invariably turned down, but that's part of what makes the metaphor so right.
Because even in the most well meant of systems, error is inevitable. Even within the fairest of paradigms, unfairness will creep in.
And baseball is better than democracy-or at least better than democracy as it's practiced in this country-because unlike democracy, baseball acknowledges loss.
While conservatives tell you, "Leave things alone and no one will lose," and liberals tell you, "Interfere a lot and no one will lose," baseball says, "Someone will lose." Not only says it-insists upon it.
So that baseball acheives the tragic vision democracy evades. Evades and embodies.
Democracy is lovely, but baseball's more mature."
-Richard Greenberg
ConnectInterests (53):
anime, avril, bad translations, bass, beatles, buffy, classic televsion, cowboy bebop, ethnographies, farscape, film noir, final fantasy, firefly, friends, geekiness, george romero, guitar, inuyasha, ironically appreciating kelly clarkson, j-horror, joss whedon, kittens, leaf on the wind, lembas bread, lord of the rings, love hina, mario kart, movies, mystery science theater, neo-realism, penny-arcade, poking, porn, puffy amiyumi, red dwarf, rpgs, sci-fi, settlers of catan, simon pegg, sleep, smiling politely, spaced, subarus, tang, the danger room, thomas jefferson, tickling, trigun, vs battles, weaponry, werewolves, women, zombies
External Services:
 | ilikefarscape@livejournal.com |
Schools:
Heritage High School - Vancouver, WA (1999 - 2003)Evergreen State College - Olympia, WA (2003 - present)
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