Well, good luck. The concept hasn't worked very well in countries who've gone for it whole hog. Even the Chinese Communist Party backed way off. Although, IMHO, there are some things better run by society as a whole than by predatory capitalism (like healthcare, although mixed private-public systems can work). But come back tomorrow for the opposite end of the spectrum. It's much scarier.
Seen at Tower Grove Pride.
A sculpture in the plaza opposite the baseball stadium, next to the big cards shown yesterday. These letters, in red with white piping and in this typeface, have been part of the Cardinals logo for as long as records exist. STL has been adopted as the city and region's abbreviation for ages. It's the airport code. There are multitudes of websites that use this or that-STL to create a unique URL. Nobody here misses the point.
We are three days from the end of the Major League Baseball season. Our beloved St. Louis Cardinals have won their division (there are six) and will proceed into the complex system of playoffs.
Two of the team's all-time greats are retiring at the end of the season. Albert Pujols has been one of the greatest hitters in the history of the game. He played here for 11 seasons, went to California for the big bucks where his production tailed off with age. He came back here for one final season and, at age 42, is tearing up the field. He will finish the season fourth on the all time home run list, based on records going back to the late 19th Century. Yadier Molina, Yadi to the fans, has played here for 18 years at one of the most physically demanding positions in sports. By general acclaim, he is one of the greatest defensive players ever to put on the catcher's armor. Both are headed to the baseball Hall of Fame after the minimum waiting period.
The team set up these boards in a plaza across from the stadium for the fans to leave personal notes and memories. I got there just as the line was forming on Friday. They will be presented to the players today.
Not St. Louis but meaningful to me. This picture was taken some years ago on Miyajima Island, Japan. If I understood correctly, the whole island is both a Buddhist temple and Shinto shrine. We found this on a path through the woods. The little animals give it an asleep in a manger feel.
See how other City Daily Photo members chill out at https://citydailyphoto.org/category/theme-days/
STL has a couple of annual events that come in twos, a big, official one involving a mass parade downtown and a smaller celebration that's more fun in one of the neighborhoods. St. Patrick's Day is one. The other is Pride Fest. There is a huge thing in the city center (I was out of town for this year's) and a smaller, more informal affair in Tower Grove Park. Everybody is friendly, the crowds aren't onerous, and people are happy to talk and be photographed.
I learned that this macaw was cared for at a wild bird shelter. Its handler said that it doesn't talk but will bite if provoked (note taken). She also said that it was found during a bust at a drug house. How it got there is anyone's guess.
This is the musician who was playing the pipes in yesterday's post, now seen under his left elbow. I'm puzzled about the instrument he is playing here, with ten strings and a tiny body. A mandolin usually has eight strings and a somewhat bigger body. A ukulele has a small guitar-shaped body and four strings. So what's this? The performer got some power with it along with his voice. I'd be happy to update this if any astute reader can fill us in.
