Posted 10:09 PM by Gene

Well, The Other Messiah has come. I did a thing just now I'm a little ashamed of; a bunch of younguns were making a lot of noise in my hallway, and afraid they'd do it all night I opened the door and gave them the evil eye, which shut them up; now I presume they'll be drunk for hours. I suppose I shouldn't have done it; and it's no excuse that living alone and without a family (may as well admit to it) has turned me into a human prune; but I'm dyspeptic. The world ignored this triumph despite its name being attached to it, and on Friday it's back to being a dysfunctional city with little industry, a huge underclass, murders (down 51 this year, at least), bureaucrats as parents and spiraling debt. The only beneficiaries are the owners, who will now drool over their ranking in Forbeslist, and the players, about to triple their salaries in other climes.

I only hope the "celebrations" aren't too severe.

P. S. at 11:05 p.m.: Most of the celebrants seem to be in their twenties. Perhaps I'm sour as I find it increasingly hard to fit in Center City thanks to Rendellism and its notion of educational factories über alles; it's become a hip haven of Connies and Clydes -- where I live is a defacto dorm -- and I've lived in this town long enough to know well enough when most apartment buildings were elderhostels. Part of me resents the change; so if I overstated the notion the other night of Blutoism it was with a rather shriveled heart. Part of me would celebrate too, if I were twenty-something and drank. In the end it's like New Year's. Who in his right mind celebrates being one year older, unless he's eight?

Besides, I must admit, the Phillies haven't been the same for me since Whitey died. That was the year before MARK!!!!! and SAMMY!!!!!, the GREATEST YEAR IN BASEBALL HISTORY, the year that ruined the sport for me and others forever.