I went to the Mets game this afternoon, figuring that I ought to do as many "outside things" as I can before all the indoor stuff -- classes, studying, crying -- begins. Disregarding how horrible the Mets are -- and they really are terrible -- what's really interesting are the advertisements all over the outfield wall and the between-innings scoreboard filler. One of the Mets' biggest sponsors appears to be Acela -- you know, the high-speed trains that have been taken out of service due to safety issues. There's a sign on the bleachers behind the outfield wall -- "hit this sign and win a free ticket on Acela." Like that's an incentive now. (And, besides, how many ballplayers take the train -- and if they did, can't they afford to buy their own tickets? I mean, if they can't, is there even any hope for the rest of us?)

But funnier still was the between-innings promo sponsored by Acela -- a mock movie trailer for the Mets, with the Acela logo all over it, with printed quotes like -- "high speed action at every turn," "unending excitement," and "a thrill ride like no other." Meant to apply to the Mets games, I know -- if you watched the game you know it didn't -- but quite a scary proposition when applied to Acela. "High speed action at every turn?" On a train? No thanks. "A thrill ride like no other?" I think I'd rather walk.

Of course, the worst offender is the ad right next to the one for Acela. "Off-Track Betting." Now that's not really the kind of thing I want to think about when I think about taking the train....