This time of year, Wisconsin hunters start to think about deer season, which begins Nov. 17. But memories of the mass murder by Hmong immigrant Chai Vang of six Americans are still present, as shown by the sales of English-Hmong language signs warning of private property. (More information is available at Ezotic Hunting Signs.)

A Waupaca County man is selling signs that alert hunters in English and Hmong to land that is closed to public hunting in an effort to avert tragedies blamed on racial conflict and misunderstanding.

“That’s where you run across problems,” said Eric Humbert of Ogdensburg, who said his bilingual signs will help eliminate the language barrier.

Humbert had “No trespassing without permission” signs translated with the help of a Hmong co-worker. He had 500 polyethylene signs manufactured and has distributed 350 for $4 each.
[Waupaca County man hopes bilingual signs ease hunting tensions Appleton Post-Crescent 10/23/07]

It appears that Wisconsin hunting licenses are available to legal immigrants with Social Security numbers, so citizenship (including the presumed ability to speak English) is not required.

In addition, the signs assume that Hmong can read their own language; however a Wisconsin study found 70 percent of Hmong had little or no literacy in their native tongue. In addition, 94 percent of Hmong living in America do not speak English at home. Perhaps signs utilizing a simple symbol would be more appropriate.

A post on Discriminations [ “Diversity,” Visible And Invisible] points to the minutes of a University Council Planning meeting at UNC Asheville[PDF]

UNC Asheville will have reached diversity when:

Classes will include substantial variety in the participants’ religion, ideas, political convictions, gender, ability, gender preference, socio-economic status, race, and ethnicity, even if these differences are not visible or otherwise evident.
….
Photographs taken on campus on any given day will reflect a variety of visible diversity.

John Rosenberg asks:

So, diversity will have been achieved when the characteristics and components that it comprises “are not visible or otherwise evident.” I rather like that.

But wait. Once this nirvana-like disembodied diversity has been achieved, how can it be reflected in campus photographs? Perhaps the university’s “Diversity Assessment project” and the new “Diversity Action Council” called for by Chancellor Ponder can ponder this dilemma and come up with some additional proposals.

Well, the claim that they want different religions, ideas, and political convictions will last only as long as those religions, ideas, and political convictions don’t offend against what passes for Received Truth on campus. But what they want the photographs to show, of course, is different colored students.

Here’s the solution the University Of Wisconsin used for its “Diversity Dilemma” in 2000–Photoshop!

This is a 1993 picture of some students rooting for the Badgers:

This is the cover of the cover of Wisconsin’s 2001-2002 admissions application:

And this is the student who was Photoshopped in: Diallo Shabazz.

It says here that Shabazz was “originally with ethnic minority students meeting each other at the PLAYFAIR icebreaker activity for new students…” (Emphasis added.)[JS Online: UW-Madison doctors photo to stress diversity, By Sharif Durhams, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Sept. 20, 2000]

This is not surprising, since he’s a third-generation black activist–his grandfather worked for Marcus Garvey. (See his bio here.)

Elisabeth Malkin writes in the New York Times:

“But after years of strong increases, the amount of migrant money flowing to Mexico has stagnated. From 2000 to 2006, remittances grew to nearly $24 billion a year from $6.6 billion, rising more than 20 percent some years. In 2007, the increase so far has been less than 2 percent.

Migrants and migration experts say a flagging American economy and an enforcement campaign against illegal workers in the United States have persuaded some migrants not to try to cross the border illegally to look for work. Others have decided to return to Mexico. And many of those who are staying in the United States are sending less money home. “

Last night, as I watched the third game of the one-sided and mind numbingly dull World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Colorado Rockies, I thought back to the to the 1960s when baseball was different—and better.

Because I had just finished reading Forbes Field: Memories and Essays of the Pirates Historical Ball Park, 1909-1971 by David Cicotello and Angelo Louisa, uppermost in my mind was the great 1960 World Series when the once-lowly Pittsburgh Pirates upset the mighty New York Yankees.

Until I enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh in 1961, my relationship with the Pirates was distant. I had grown up in Los Angeles where the Pacific Coast League Hollywood Stars, the minor league affiliate of the Pirates, were my team. By rooting for the Stars, fans automatically pulled for the Pirates.

In the late 1950s, my family moved to Puerto Rico where Pirate great Roberto Clemente played winter baseball. I followed Clemente’s team, the Santurce Cangrejeros. (Read Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball’s Last Hero, by David Maraniss)
But avid baseball fan though I was, by the time I reached Pittsburgh, I had only seen one major league game. The Dodgers didn’t get to Los Angeles until after I left.

I was starved for baseball and, even though the 1961 Pirates were out of the running for most of the year, as soon as I got to college I headed for Forbes Field and what would be a lifetime’s worth of happy memories.

Authors Cicotello and Louisa have brought those recollections back home. Their book chronicles Forbes Field from its first days of construction in 1909 through the final game on June 28, 1970. The book includes a transcription of the last home game broadcast on KDKA by the immortal Bob Prince and his sidekick, Nellie King.

The second part of Forbes Field includes reminiscences from former players, managers, club officials and employees as well as several sports writers.

I wasn’t able to submit my own personal Forbes Field experiences in time to meet the publishing deadline. But I’ll recount them to you now.

Every September when classes started and each April and May as the school year wound down, my friends and I wandered over to Forbes Field, an easy walk from the university campus, and entered the left field bleachers during the sixth or seventh inning. By then, the ticket taker had gone home so we just waltzed in to catch the last of the game.

One might think that in September with classes beginning and football underway or in April with final exams and papers closing in that students would have other things to do (like study!) than watch an average baseball team play out the season’s string.

But Forbes Field and all the wonderful players on its field was irresistible.

No matter which team was in town, a Hall of Famer was on its roster.
When I think of the players I watched!

Among them, to name only a few, were the Cardinal’s Stan Musial, the New York Giants’ Willie Mays, the Phillies’ Robin Roberts, the Braves’ Hank Aaron and Warren Spahn, the Cubs’ Ernie Banks and the Dodgers’ Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale.

Forbes Field is long gone, torn down 35 years ago. It was a wonderful old park filled with die-hard fans during baseball’s glory years.

But Forbes Field lives on.

Mention it in Pittsburgh and everyone lights up. Each year fans young and old gather at the site (a small portion of the brick wall left standing) where the Pirates’ Bill Mazeroski’s 1960 bottom of the ninth homer won the seventh game of the World Series, 10-9 for Pittsburgh’s beloved Buccos.