Satire, Flash Mobs, and Parodies... Oh My!

Lately we tend to see a new group of flash mobs invading our cities every summer. Everything is fair game from "Thriller" to "Everybody Dance Now." So here's my question, what will be the big one this year? Here's one from last year, using a little ditty from the "Sound of Music." Parodies and satires have been around for awhile now. I can remember listening to some of the old classic satires from folks like Tom Lehrer and Spike Jones on the old Dr. Demento Show on KMET Radio, Sunday nights in Los Angeles. Parodies are another thing altogether, and for the current popularity of that, perhaps we have none other than Weird Al Yankovic to thank. His hilarious send ups of current hits were a staple of the 80's. Think "Like a Sturgeon" or "My Bologna," mocking Madonna and The Knack respectively. Today I came across a funny riff on the enormously popular "All the Single Ladies" from Beyonce. It's called "All the Wrinkled Ladies." If you know the original, I think you'll like this "newer" version. It's from Anita Renfro. See you soon. I'll be serving in Mexico for awhile, so my postings, and comments will be sparse. Blessings!

Maíz, Corn, and Immigration

I was talking to friend awhile back and he asked me about immigration. His question was along the lines of why people from Mexico come to the states looking for work, as opposed to staying in their own country and finding a job. Let me answer that as best I can. In Mexico, Maria needs to buy corn to grind into masa to make tortillas and any other number of incredible Mexican culinary delights. Increasingly over the last few years, the cost of buying that corn locally has climbed. It has not climbed because the growers are making more money, it has climbed because the raw costs associated with corn growing, things like water, seed, and fertilizer have all gone up. Now what is interesting in this is that the cost of buying corn in Mexico that is grown in the United States has actually gone down. Now the savvy folks out there are probably saying “Well of course Dave, we are more productive growers up here.” And you know what, we may be. But that is only half of the reason. The other half has to do with the fact that the US government subsidizes US corn growers, guaranteeing a non level playing field between us, and the Mexican farmer. In essence, what we do for our corn farmers is this. We guarantee them a stable price for their corn, and even sometimes pay them to not farm, just so we can manipulate the price of corn. There is no free market in the US corn industry. Because of this, international corn dealers can dump cheap US corn on the Mexican market, essentially creaming the local village farmer. So what does Juan do if he cannot farm corn profitably on his ancestral land anymore? He comes to the US to seek work in beef and chicken slaughterhouses where the animals we stuff full of good old US feed corn are processed. As I talked with my friend, he began to see why this was a problem. And then he asked me why Mexico just didn’t support and protect the price of corn in their country like the US does. Interesting isn’t it? Instead of becoming indignant that the US government is subsidizing prices in a supposed free market system, my friend asks why Mexico doesn’t do the same thing our government is doing. Do you know what the answer is? It is because when the Mexican government tried to impose tariffs on the importation of cheap US corn [syrup] to protect their sugar cane growers, we took them to court, charging illegal trade practices. To quote Sidney Weintraub, a political economist with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC., “The Mexicans never had a chance because their argument was based on fair play, and the US [argument was] on law." Now the sugar industry in Mexico is struggling to stay afloat, sending even more potential immigrants towards el norte looking for work. I wonder why Mexico just can’t get this system fixed.

Tlayudas Anyone?

This will be my lunch Tuesday after I land in Oaxaca, Mexico. A giant tlayuda with all the trimmings. One of my favorite foods. I'll be back later in the week.

All Eyes Are On Washington Tonight

*Update Below* Tonight is the night. The phenom takes center stage in Washington D. C. and I ain’t talkin’ about Sarah Palin, Rand Paul, Barack Obama, or any other politician. Nope, today is not about primaries, tea parties, and oil. Today is about Stephen Strasburg, the fireballing right handed pitcher for the Washington Nationals. To hear his backers tell it, this guy is Sandy Koufax, Nolan Ryan, and Walter Johnson all wrapped in one, with perhaps a little Carl Hubbell on the side. The savior of a franchise. The Lord of the mound, the anointed of Major League Baseball. I am not sure we need to really play the game tonight. After all, it is against Pittsburgh, one of the worst teams in the National League for as long as I can remember. Let’s just give the guy a win and call it good. Even Dan Patrick and the Danettes were musing on the radio this morning about the possibility of a no-hitter. Not one to want to throw cold water on a party, but we’ve been down this road a few times before. Here’s the pattern. Young player is dominant in high school or college, signs for millions in bonus money and is quickly brought up to the bigs because no owner is making this type of investment to watch a kid play ball in Toledo. Now some of these kids make it, but for every Koufax, who took 7 years to become the dominant pitcher he was, there is a Mark Fidrych, a one year respite from the doldrums of summer. I am not saying young Mr. Strasburg will not have a long, spectacular career. I hope he does. I am just saying let’s keep our wits about us. While it is entirely possible this kid is the second coming, it is also possible he will be just an average pitcher, struggling with control and lacking a major league curve ball when it counts. Besides, even if he flames out quickly, we’ll soon have Bryce Harper, baseball’s newest 17 year old future star coming up soon. He was just drafted last night and will be signing for about $345 million dollars to play for the same team as Strasburg, the Nationals. I wonder where Rich Reichardt is today? *Update* In his debut, Strasburg struck out 14 in seven innings while walking none. A pretty impressive performance for the rookie pitcher.

Now Entering the Hall of Fame, Ken Griffey Jr.

Sometime in the early 90's I decided to take my son to see the California Angels play the Seattle Mariners at Anaheim Stadium. We went figuring we would be able to by tickets at the gate, because back then no one ever went to see the Angels play. As we were walking into the parking area, us savvy folks always parked outside and saved a few coins, a guy approached me and wanted to know if I wanted some good tickets. I think I paid $40.00 for two club level seats just up the third base line from home plate. It was the perfect place to watch Ken Griffey Jr. hit. And hit he did. I am not sure when it happened. I am not even sure who won that night. But this much I know. Griffey hit a line drive shot out of the park that night and we saw it. Now I know a lot of you are saying big deal, lots of guys hit home runs, and I agree. But not every hitter can put a ball clean out of the stadium. And very few will ever do it like Griffey. You see, he didn't put the ball over the tops of those right field bleachers. Nope. He put that screaming line drive through the entrance tunnel to the seats in right field. He could have killed someone. It was one of the hardest balls I have ever seen hit. Yesterday, Ken Griffy Jr. retired from the game of baseball. From 1993 through 2000, he was the most feared hitter in baseball. An all star every year, gold glove winner every year, and the American League leader in home runs 4 of those years. He was the total package, hitting .294 and 351 home runs . And he did not take steroids. Griffey is retiring with 630 lifetime home runs. In my book, that places him fourth on the all time list, right behind Aaron, Ruth, and Mays. I count myself as privileged to have seen the future Hall of Famer play. Congratulations Ken Griffey Jr. on a great career.