More new stuff

Another new addition to this self-indulgent claptrap is located to the right (or at the bottom of the page depending on your screen size) entitled "The Daily Montage." If you click on any image, it will take you a current news item (or other stuff) related to the current president. Rather than move to Canada, this is my way of coping with the second term.

Webcams

You may have noticed over there to the right, a box that may or may not have a picture in it. This is a shot from a webcam at the soils department at the University of Wisconsin. If you don't see anything (or much of anything), it's night, or the image will improve later in the day. When visible it shows Lake Mendota and Picnic Point. So if you ever want to check out the conditions in our wonderful town look there. You may also enlarge it or go to its site at http://www.soils.wisc.edu/asig/webcam/big.jpg.

Another of my favorites is located at the Engineering Department. This camera can be manipulated by you in some fun ways. You can pan left or right; up or down. You can also zoom in. (That is if someone else is not doing the same thing.)

This is located at http://lakecam.engr.wisc.edu/view/view.shtml

It's much more fun because it updates quickly, so you can see cars and students go by. The colder it is the faster they go.

If you go to the Lake Mendota preset and zoom the telephoto all the way, you can see the area of my parents' house across the lake.

Speaking of my parents, a webcam exists for their snowbird home in St. George Island, Florida. Should all of us in the frozen north wish to experience warmth and sunshine vicariously try this site: http://www.beachvillage.net/cam.htm

And then there's this: Ann and I will be visiting Italy in March and even a webcam exists for where we are going. http://www.campaniameteo.it/webcams.asp

At the bottom of that page you may also click on webcams for other coastal cities we plan to visit--Positano, Salerno, and Campania.

Happy viewing.

Ryne Sandberg 

All is Right With the World . . . Today

Yes, the tsunami toll continues to reel; the 109th Congress was sworn in amid hopes, promises and threats, and, oh yes, Ryne Sandberg was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame today.

In addition to all that will be seen, heard, and read about him, I'd like to add my two cents, having seen him play at least 100 times in person and over 500 on tv.

(First cent) Consistency--Sandberg would go through the same routine when he took his position. He would locate himself on the left field side of second base to take the warmup grounders, almost in a line from first to second base. And each warmup throw would be the same speed and would 'hit' the first basemen, Mark Grace, usually, from the belt up, but never over the head. One time, on a close play at first base he made a spectacular catch and toss to the pitcher covering. They were fortunate to get the out. Later, as Sandberg and the pitcher headed for the dugout at the end of the inning, Sandberg apologized for causing the pitcher to have to reach back for his throw and promised he would do better next time. The pitcher shook his head and thought that no other second basemen would have even got to the ball, much less hit the pitcher on the run with the throw.

(Second cent) Thoroughness--my favorite part of Sandberg's game was to watch him run the bases. He had good speed, but his greatest asset was his smarts. Whenever he was on base, no matter which one, just before leaving the base, and just before the opposing pitcher went into his stretch and about to deliver the pitch, Sandberg turned to look at each outfielder to see where he was playing. He did this to judge how much time he would have to take an extra base on a single or double. He did that on every pitch.

(OK, three cents) I also saw Sandberg very early in his career, when going to Cub games was a venture into the dark side of the inner city. And few people were willing to take the risk. Attendance was normally below 10,000 in early spring and September. Many fans could actually hear the players. One time, while a Cub pitcher was struggling, which also was not uncommon, I heard Sandberg, a man of few words, shout, with some irritation, "Throw Strikes!" The next pitch was called a strike. Sandberg shouted, "Better!"

(I can't resist a fourth cent) Sandberg despite his school boy looks and quiet and professional demeanor, was an inveterate prankster. Nailing shoes to the floor, giving a player a hot foot or hundreds of other pranks were his specialty. Early in his career, whenever the victim became known, Sandberg was never suspected, but could be seen over in a corner, snickering. Of course later in his career, players became wise to this and he had to work harder to give himself plausible denialability.

I feel lucky to have been able to observe him at his best, and hope to go to Cooperstown at the end of July to watch receive this well-deserved recognition.