5 things I don't understand that others do understand. Or seem to.

Weddings. I definitely do not understand the modern wedding with its event-like atmosphere. And I wonder,   "Is the male a necessary or accidental component in a wedding? I mean if the girls could have a wedding without the guy, would they?

NASCAR. I like cars and I like driving fast, but I do not get the interest in this particular event. There's a big concrete circle, cars that look all the same except the color, and hairy man-fans with a man-crush on a driver. No thanks. 

Chicken and dumplings. It's bland, it's gooey, it doesn't smell very good, it looks worse, and it would taste a lot better if the components were left separate.

Chewing tobacco. How does this habit start?

Hair frosting for men. Look, if you're a guy and you've had your hair frosted, it's nothing personal, but is it really worth sitting in one of those beauty parlors with aluminum foil on your head to get the hair you want? I mean . . . dude, man-up a little.

That's it. You can go back to what you were doing . . .

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University Park's Barnes & Noble Closing? Say it ain't so . . .

The Agora in Athens.

Athens had its Agora, Rome its Forum, London its markets and pubs. And South Philly ... the corner deli. They are all much the same. A place to meet, shop, eat & drink, gossip, and let the kids run around a little with friends. Now, air-conditioning and automobiles later, we have malls, plazas, and stores the size of the Colosseum, but our places are not so much different than the places of ancient Greece.

Which brings me to the not so happy point ---

On December 31, we will lose a big part of the unofficial meeting place for many Fort Worthians, the Barnes & Noble in University Village Park. And everyone I talk to has the same reaction to its closing, something like, "Now where are we going to go?"

It has become, in the ten years at that location, a "get-a-way" from the job or the kids, a meeting place for joggers, bikers, dog-walkers, and cigar smokers. It is our "public house," as it were, where we grab a cup of coffee, meet a friend to chat, or just sit down with a book and a cappuccino. Couples like it, shoppers like it, husbands like it, children like it. It's the starting point for walking, talking, shopping, and coffee drinking, and it just kind of works.

And we all hate to hear it's going away.

There are the stated or public reasons for the closing. The lease is up and Barnes and Noble doesn't want to pay the high rates of that commercial space. The shopping center people can't be blamed for asking the rate the market will bear. And B&N is looking to cut costs. The company itself is up for sale. It's share of the book business is steadily declining, suffering from a two sided attack: Amazon and online sales of printed books, and the new e-book sales for readers like the Kindle, Nook, and iPad. That doesn't leave much room for growth for the old bookstore.

Well, chin up. Something will take its place. I hear the Starbucks' Store is staying, which is some consolation.

But to the Barnes & Noble folks. Thank you. You have a great store, friendly staff, and you make everyone feel welcome. It won't be the same without you.

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Rangers Win! Rangers Win!

Baseball is unlike other American sports. It is not only something we play or watch being played, it is a part of who we are.

The giants of the game, the individual players and the teams, are a part of our folklore and mythology -- in both victory and defeat. Describing the American story without the game of baseball is just not possible.

The Texas Rangers are relative newcomers to this tale. But in our forty years of competition we have become accustomed to the defeat part of the baseball equation. We have flirted with success but never attained it.

Until last night.

Something happened during this recent put-the-team-up-for-sale fiasco. Nolan Ryan was given more responsibility, Jon Daniels became an experienced general manager, Ron Washington was hired and retained.

Maybe we didn't notice the stars align and good players being signed. We actually went looking for good pitching -- and found it -- and the found remained good even after they took the mound here. We're not used to that.

The Texas Rangers' win last night and the chance to win the American League pennant is one of those rare moments of baseball triumph, and we are all enjoying it. It is one of the highlights of my baseball enjoying life. A baseball equivalent to Surprised by Joy.

What is particularly satisfying for me is Ron Washington's old-school baseball strategy: solid pitching, aggressive base running, sacrifice at-bats. And the end of the steroids-era home run derby baseball.

So, to all the Texas Rangers' baseball people: office, coaches, players -- thank you, this city will enjoy your accomplishment for a long time.

It took us a few years to get there, but in baseball's way of the cross, that's just about right.

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