Just finished watching the 85th Major League Baseball All-Star Game, played at Target Field in Minneapolis. The final score was American League 5; National League 3--so I'm not a happy baseball camper (being a hyper-SF Giants fan.) But I'm more sad about a NY Times article today mulling over a development not news to me, but sad nonetheless: the decline in popularity of the annual ASG.
http://www.nytimes.com/...
As you can see by Itzl's concerned look, this group is for us to check in at to let people know we are alive, doing OK, and not affected by such things as heat, blizzards, floods, wild fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, or other such things that could keep us off DKos. It's also so we can find other Kossacks nearby for in-person checks when other methods of communication fail - a buddy system. Members come here to check in. If you're not here, or anywhere else on DKos, and there are adverse conditions in your area (floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, etc.), we and your buddy are going to check up on you. If you are going to be away from your computer for a day or a week, let us know here. We care!
IAN is a great group to join, and a good place to learn to write diaries. Drop one of us a PM to be added to the Itzl Alert Network anytime! We all share the publishing duties, and we welcome everyone who reads IAN to write diaries for the group! Every member is an editor, so anyone can take a turn when they have something to say, photos and music to share, a cause to promote or news!
OK, we do have a diary schedule. But, when you are ready to write that diary, either post in thread or send FloridaSNMOM a Kosmail with the date. If you need someone to fill in, ditto. FloridaSNMOM is here on and off through the day usually from around 9:30 or 10 am eastern to around 11 pm eastern.
Monday:
BadKitties
Tuesday:
ejoanna
Wednesday:
Caedy
Thursday:
art ah zen
Friday:
FloridaSNMOM
Saturday:
Dave in Northridge
Sunday:
loggersbrat
The Times article focuses on the decline of interest in the All-Star Game broadcast itself, not Major League Baseball as a whole, but I'm fully aware that baseball was de-throned as most popular team sport in the US a while ago. And maybe that's OK. But gee I love this sport! Basically I have 3 major complaints with it: 1) No women allowed (yet) in MLB (BOO!!); 2) Only emerging LGBT awareness and acceptance (but a little progress); and 3) All that spitting. Yeeeccchhhh.
All in all, a flawed sport, but who among us hasn't been in love with something/someone flawed?
Now, how are you IAN folks doing?
(Apologies to Caedy if I have stepped on the regularly-scheduled Diary. Just didn't see it by 11:15 PM PDT.)