Baseball: The Mets are a tease this year -- sometimes they show signs of improvement, then they can't beat bad teams -- in fact, do horrible. The Padres are not that good without their aces, but the Mets get swept. But, the low point was two sad outings versus the dogs of baseball -- the Seattle Mariners.
There one win wasn't really anything to write home about ... they scored eight runs in under three, then proceeded to do absolutely nothing for the rest of the game. We survived without sweeping ... let's get out of here, and play the Yanks for four (one a split-stadium doubleheader). [After whipping them in Yankee stadium, they were whipped at Shea.] Still, there was a ray of sunshine -- the manager and Beltran responded when showed up by an umpire -- their power at times goes to their heads -- both being tossed.
Both were fined [a total of $900 ... seriously], but remarkably, the umpire himself was suspended a game for bumping into the Mets' manager. Apparently, his apology wasn't enough. Good job MLB.
Books: You Know Where To Find Me by Rachel Cohn is superior teen fare, concerning a rebel with lots of issues, the latest the suicide of one of her lifelines, her troubled (if on the outside, allegedly in better shape) cousin. We view things through the survivor's eyes, including her abuse of prescription drugs (apropos of a recent NYT article, they can be more dangerous than the illegal kind) and realization that she can rely on certain people more than she thought. And, what political buff can not like someone who cares deeply about D.C. statehood?! Choice bit -- when she is informed that her cousin didn't just peacefully leave this earth -- she choked on her own vomit, fairly typical in such suicides.
Congress: Addington and Yoo testified (we do things under affirmation/oath these days) today -- I caught some of it on WBAI. Addington came off as an asshole, Yoo as a loser playing dumb (though on his own, he loves to defend his p.o.v.), and congressional Dems (including Chairman Conyers) showed their distaste for both. Subchair Nadler, from a Manhattan district, also didn't take Yoo's exaggerated claims of privilege on face value, particularly demanding Yoo himself defend them, not just cite his former bosses.
Toss in Addington's pre-existing conditions, this is more of the same -- congressional oversight artificially limited by extreme executive claims and a weak response. Meanwhile, the few Republicans that showed up served the role of apologists. Addington sanctimonious started off saying that we should remember that everyone clearly is patriotic and cares about America. But, he took the scared straight path all the same: "No American should think that we're free, or that the war is over. Because that's wrong."
Actually, some of us still think we're free, and basic limits on executive discretion still exist.