US – Friday, July 30

Arlington graves may be mixed up
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has just gotten quite a bit of company: As many as 6,600 graves at the country’s hallowed Arlington National Cemetery for fallen U.S. service members may be mislabeled, one lawmaker said on Thursday.COLLEGE DROPOUTS
Political movements are becoming ever more like a match tossed into a room full of dynamite: No matter which stick you are aiming for, chances are a lot of others will fire off, too.Talking about the ‘C’ word
A drama about a woman diagnosed with terminal cancer doesn’t exactly sound like the most entertaining new series on the fall prime-time slate. But there is more buzz surrounding Showtime’s “The Big C” than perhaps any other series premiering this season, and the incomparable Laura Linney is a major reason why the series is high on critics’ must-see lists.Rabbis, controversy, and jail time at Chelsea’s wedding
Although facts on the famed Clinton-Mezvinsky wedding, which is rumored to happen this weekend, are tighter than Hillary Clinton’s smile, some details have leaked out. Sources report that groom Marc Mezvinsky  has “hurt” his father’s family by not inviting them to the wedding (Ed Mezvinsky pleaded guilty in 2002 to swindling investors out of $10 million.Table for two
For Paul Rudd, the decision to star in Jay Roach’s new comedy, “Dinner for Schmucks,” was an easy one. “I thought the script was really funny,” he says. “That was it. It was kind of a no-brainer.” Of course Rudd, who’s built an impressive resume of smart comedies, was just as enamored of the man behind the camera.  Short-term living in Jersey City
Subletting in NYC typically involves some kind of covert transaction. Try to find a budget traveler who hasn’t enjoyed the risk of Craigslist’s lease-free rentals. But thanks to a bill Gov. David Paterson signed into law last Friday, renting an apartment for less than 30 days isn’t kosher. Fortunately, there’s a saving grace for those in search of short-term living: Jersey City.Jobless claims fall, still high
New claims for unemployment benefits slipped last week, but stayed at a stubbornly high level that underscored the labor market recovery was having trouble gaining traction.So long, Snuggies. Hello, Acushakti
Could nail mats like the Acushakti be the next Snuggies?

It’s possible, according to a top consumer survey.Taking a joy ride through Italy
Unless the locals covered you in meatballs and sang “Nessun Dorma” upon arrival, this vacation could hardly be more Italian. For this is a “Vespa vacation” — a two-wheeled tour of the nooks and crannies, the winding back roads and the off-the-beaten-track hidden gems of breathtaking Umbria, a beautiful region located in Central Italy.It’s so hard to say goodbye
For many job-hopping careerists, smuggling a resignation letter in their bag like a guilty secret, there are few workplace rituals so hard as saying so long.

Neil deMause

Popping the sports bubble

I went to a Mets game last week, and speaking as a Yankee fan, I have to admit that in the battle of the ballparks, the Mets won. Citi Field is far from perfect, but at least it feels like you’re at a baseball park — unlike the new Yankee Stadium, which bears an uncanny resemblance to a new Marriott with a really garish big-screen TV in the lobby. 

What I noticed most, though, was something I’d never seen at a baseball game: The upper deck was packed to the gills, while the acres of hyper-pricey seats down below were half-empty. It’s something you first saw in NBA games over the winter, as penny-pinching fans scurried for the rafters. Teams have reacted with “Messin’ With Recession” specials and even $1 seats, and if the Yanks and Mets haven’t followed suit yet, the marketplace is starting to do it for them: I got my tickets on StubHub for below face value, and spotted plenty more bargains where those came from. 

After years of soaring ticket prices, apparently all it took was a complete global economic meltdown to return sanity to sports. As White Sox fan (and economist) Allen Sanderson told me: “Fans say they won’t change their behavior, but it’s like when you ask smokers, if cigarette prices go up, will you smoke less? ‘Oh, no, no, I’m addicted.’ Fans will buy fewer tickets, or one beer instead of three.” 

Of course, the economy will recover someday — we hope — and then what? The answer may depend on the other American pastime that returned last week: taxes. For all the complaints about players earning more per game than teachers earn in a year, the Great Ticket Price Hike didn’t happen when salaries jumped in the 1970s — it came after Ronald Reagan cut tax rates for the rich in the ’80s. All those new millionaires, it’s now clear, were spending their filthy lucre not just on million-dollar condos, but on $200 box seats. “Let’s go, millionaire’s tax!” isn’t something you hear chanted much at the ballpark — but maybe it should be. 

Neil deMause writes alternate Mondays in this space. He can be contacted at demause.net and fieldofschemes.com.

Metro does not endorse the opinions of the author, or any opinions expressed on its pages. Opposing viewpoints are welcome. Please send 400-word submissions to letters@metro.us 

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