Your letters and emails are the property of this newspaper and may be published. Please keep them short. For verification purposes only, all correspondence must contain your real name, address and telephone number.
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Every one of my commentaries ends with the above. Since several of you continue to write to me without the items requested, I have to assume that you don’t bother to read to that particular portion at the conclusion so today I thought I’d place the verification statement here at the beginning. Please comply. And if you think I’m speaking to you, I am.
You’ll also notice that I’ve been asking for your real name. Some of you have been using aliases and you think the members of the editorial staff are not intelligent. They certainly are.
Just one more thing. Most people take the time and trouble to write when they disagree with something I said or, in many cases, something they think I said. I have no problem if you disagree with me. I do have a problem when you jump into the gutter and escalate an intelligent debate into a barroom argument by calling me names. There’s no need to be rude by insulting me.
President Reagan said that one could disagree without being disagreeable.
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The total cost of Citifield Stadium, the brand new home of our beloved Mets, will come to more than eight hundred million dollars and it seems that the powers that be want us to pay for it now in one season. Have you seen the new ticket prices? There are infield box seats going for as much as five hundred bucks each. These are not for us. Then there are choice seats listing at $375, $225, $175 and $150. Can you imagine shelling out a couple of hundred bucks for a ticket to one game plus the hot dogs, scorecard and parking? Baseball fans may be required to increase their credit card limits if they plan to attend a few ball games.
I love baseball. I also love cruising. Let me see if I can make a dollar comparison. If I book it within the next few weeks I can reserve a cabin for a seven day fall/winter cruise on one of the better ships in the ocean for as little as about $700 and that includes all fees, taxes and fuel surcharges. Add about $250 for airfare and ten bucks a day for tips and the total is under $150 a person a day. That $150 includes all shows, music, dancing, the best service in the world, loads of activities, interesting ports of call, and – catch this – unlimited food. Yes. I did say unlimited food. If you able to consume them, you can feast on more than ten meals a day – at no extra charge. The big joke there is that you come aboard as a passenger and you leave as cargo. They bring along this forklift…..
I know that this sounds like a commercial for a cruise line but notice – I haven’t mentioned the name of any one company or vessel in particular. Of course, being a veteran cruiser, having taken seventy, I do have my favorites but I won’t mention them unless you want me to. Even with that many sailings under my belt there’s a travel gal nearby who knows more about cruising than I do and if you’re interested in booking a trip I recommend her very highly. Telephone Camille at 917-562-4410 and please tell her that Stan says Hello.
Now back to our original discussion. For that same $150 you can sit in a decent seat at a baseball game or spend an entire day on the high seas in the Caribbean sunshine. Where would YOU rather be?
I am StanGershbein@Bellsouth.net wishing you a Bon Voyage.
