PETA's worst nightmare

Yep, we're at it again. My son and I adopted another cat from a no-kill animal shelter this weekend (The Ark in Lacon), and we gave it to Diane as one of her christmas presents.

We have five animals divided among to places - the house and Diane's East Peoria office that is really a converted little cottage home - and they were all adopted from shelters. In the past couple of years, I have a) called Wildlife Prairie Park and alerted them to an injured, but very alive, red-tailed hawk I had spotted in the ditch along I-74 (I waited there near the bird, trying to calm it, until someone with more knowledge than I arrived and rescued the injured raptor; b) taken donations of food, blankets, and cash to TAPS in Pekin, and c) given my time to volunteer for various animal-rescue related events at TAPS and other shelters in the area.

So today, when we head to Diane's folks for christmas dinner, I'll throw on my leather CAT racing coat and leather sneakers, while Diane has to decide between the full-length mink or the waist-link possum, with the leather knee-high boots. We will then go there and consume ham and turkey, and tomorrow I'll head over Echo Valley and pick up some post-christmas New York strips with the gift card I got from my new employer.

And if anyone from PETA tries to call me anti-animal, I will put down my beef jerky strip long enough to tell them to kiss my meat-lovin' rear.

I'm not bragging or pretending to be above anyone else, I'm just trying to show how we love animals and yet don't consider it hypocrisy to eat meat or wear products that have come in part from animals. If it IS hypocrisy (and I can admit to seeing where some people might think so), that's one that I can live with. We all have hypocrisies in our lives, some are much worse than others, IMO. This one? Not so much.

Spying scandal

Don't get me started. But suffice to say Mr. Dennis has provided all the information necessary to show me that only the extreme, lunatic right still supports this awful administration.

Many wise, sane, thoughtful, reasonable, rational GOP'ers (which actually encompasses a majority of that party, BTW) are pretty disgusted and embarrassed by what's going on over at the presidential branch.

So a shout out to people who try to pass themselves off as "moderate", yet can't see anything wrong with our current leadership: You're not.

That being said...

...I will add some stuff here quickly.

Rob: You shoulda bet me. Who would've thought that the team with the worst offense I've ever seen from a so-called "professional" football team would be on the verge of clinching a playoff berth? I still refuse to congratulate Bear fans, because a) your team will get beaten handily long before the Super Bowl; b) many of you still can't see the forest for the trees, the truth being your team is quite possibly the worst 10-game winning team in NFL history that has benefitted from a weak division, a weak schedule, and the usual ungodly "luck" that comes with being a major market NFL team; and c) you would never congratulate the fans of another team.

Nothing would please me more - from a football standpoint - than Favre and the Pack upsetting Team Overrated today. :)

Apologies

I haven't been adding to this blog for over a month. Today is Christmas. It's technically the first day I haven't worked since my last post. It's been an extremely busy two months. So I apologize to the few who check it out, I apologize to the Blogfather, Mr. Dennis, for having to put me on the "Dead Blog" list (my blog sleeps wit da fishes?), I apologize to the family for not taking enough time off, and I apologize to my body, which is in worse ruins than it already was.

So I hope to start blogging again...and to get off that dead blog list.

Now, Tell Me Again Who's Not An "American"?

The Bush Administration (NOTE: I said Bush Administration, not the "GOP" in general) likes to call anyone who questions them Anti-American. Many of their most ardent, loyal, and frankly blind supporters do the same. So imagine my thoughts when I saw this in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune's award-winning "By the Numbers" column:

$32.9 billion

Amount in profits reported by five major oil companies for the three months ending Sept. 30.


$1.2 billion
Amount the federal government spends on a food-aid program to help American humanitarian groups feed the hungry abroad, purchasing produce from American farmers for the effort.

50,000

Number of additional lives the White House estimates could be saved by diverting one-quarter of those funds to buying food overseas, a move opposed by both the farmers and the humanitarian groups, concerned about losing farmers' support for the program, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Now, follow me here...oil companies can soak the American consumer for whatever the hell they want, but when an American farmer asks a certain price for his goods, the White House...not the Government, but it specifically says "White House", wants to buy their food from overseas to save 300 million dollars, and they disguise it as wanting to "save lives" in foreign lands, the same crap the Bush supporters claim is "Anti-American" when someone from the near-right, middle, and left wants to do it.

BTW, if they're really concerned about where the 300 million will come from to save these people, why don't they roll back the tax breaks for the rich that were unnecessary and unwise? They'd have that money...and much more...in a couple of months.

Better yet, ask Exxon-Mobil and the other disgustingly greedy profiteers in the oil business to donate 300 million to worldwide hunger. Amazing, isn't it?

Funniest Parody I've Seen In A Long Time

Love Fox News or hate 'em, you've got to chuckle at these.

Miers Withdraws

I don't see what the problem was with her, other than inexperience. I wouldn't have personally been a fan of hers, but I do agree that when a president has the opportunity to choose a justice, he's probably going to choose one with a similar belief system to his. That's America. But wasn't it just a few years ago that the same people who were against her nomination were clamoring for "less lifetime judges" and "more non-judicial types" to "fix our Supreme Court"?

So it seems the Great Uniter has accomplished the impossible: Not only did he make the Dems and GOP more divided than ever before, but now it appears he has caused a fracture within the GOP itself.

Is the beginning of a long, hard row to hoe for the GOP? Many of the more moderate members of the party are pretty put off by the far right extremists who a) Bush panders to and b) think they are the mainstream, when they are the farthest thing from it.

I feel for sensible people like McCain and Spector and others like them, even for the Ray Lahood types who don't always follow the company line. What far-rights and far-lefts don't seem to grasp is that the other side is sometimes simply correct, and it's okay to take the opposing position once in a while.

And I'm beginning to think that Mr. Bush couldn't unite two pieces of bread to make a sandwich.

...And The Cubs Are Left In The Dust!

Congrats to the White Sox! How cool, eight wins in a row over two years for the American League in the World Series. I'm startin' to like baseball again.

From The Minneapolis Star Tribune

Who are the dead of Operation Iraqi Freedom? How did they die? Like the rest of America, they are a diverse group. A numerical portrait of U.S. military members who have died so far in the war in Iraq:

Number who died since major combat ended April 30, 2003: 1,846.

Percent who died since major combat ended: 93.

Number lost in November 2004, the month with the most deaths: 137.

Percent of the dead who were in the Army: 68.

Percent in the Air Force: 1.

Percent in the National Guard or Reserves: 25.

Percent who died in three Iraqi provinces with mostly Sunni Muslims, the branch of Islam to which Saddam Hussein belongs: 53.

Percent who died outside military action: 23.

Percent who died in accidents on land: 12.

Number who died of illness: 9.

Number of friendly fire deaths confirmed by the Department of Defense: 4.

Number killed in rifle and grenade attack by fellow soldier at Camp Pennsylvania in Kuwait: 2.

Number of commanders killed in so-called fragging attack — by a soldier on a superior — at a camp outside Baghdad: 2.

Percent who were officers: 10.

Number older than 45 years: 30.

Number who were age 18: 20.

Number of women: 44.

Percent of the dead who were women: 2.

Percent who were Hispanic: 11.

Percent who belonged to a minority group: 25.

Number from California, the most of any state: 215.

Number from Alaska, least of any state: 4.

Number from Texas: 174.

Number from New York state: 92.

Number from Puerto Rico: 16.

Percent from the South: 38.

Percent from the Northeast: 16.

Number of foreign citizens: 76.

Number from Mexico, the country with the most foreign citizens: 27

Number identified by the Defense Department who were awarded posthumous citizenship: 24.

Number who died after five years or more in military service: 568.

Number who died within first three months of their tour of duty: 925.

Percent of total dead who were married: 40.

Percent with children: 30.

———


NOTE ON NUMBERS: The numbers are based on counts by the Department of Defense and Associated Press. Most items are based on 1,985 deaths tallied by the DOD as of Oct. 25. The AP's count, which includes deaths reported by news staff in Iraq, has been consistently somewhat ahead of the DOD's. The percentages for minorities were last updated Oct. 15, and the number of foreign citizens was updated Sept. 3. The numbers for marital and parental status, as well as when killed during tour of duty and military service, include 245 deaths in Afghan operations that cannot be separated out.

This Cheney Guy Is Something Else...And It Ain't Good

Looks like he's the leaker, and then I see this story in the Houston paper this morning saying Ol' Dick is the main guy trying to keep this whole torture of prisoners thing going:

Led by Vice President Dick Cheney, the administration is floating a proposal that would allow the president to exempt covert agents outside the Defense Department from the ban.

Meanwhile, a provision by Sen. John McCain would bar the use of "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment" against anyone in U.S. government custody, regardless of where they are held.

"There's a lot of public pressure to retain the language intact. At the same time, there's pressure from the vice president's office to modify it," said Tom Malinowski, the Washington advocacy director for Human Rights Watch, which supports McCain's provision.

Just One More!

Go, Sox, Go!

I've always kind of liked the White Sox, if only because any success they have pisses off Cub fans. But I actually found myself staying up for all 14 innings of last night's Game 3.

The American League has now won seven straight World Series Games. The AL owns the three longest World Series winning streaks, 10 games each time. The AL rules.

Now, the Sox may not sweep, indeed, I didn't expect them to sweep Houston. But it would be extra sweet to keep the current streak alive, started last year by Boston rubbing out the Cardinals in four straight.

Love it!

Go, Sox, Go!

In The Wake Of The NCAA v. Bradley Debate...

...there is the beginning of a great discussion over at Bill's place.

To back up what I said on that subject, I'll add this:

The recommended method is to refer to a person by their tribe, if that information is known. The reason is that the Native peoples of North America are incredibly diverse. It would be like referring both a Romanian and an Irishman as European. . . . [W]henever possible an Indian would prefer to be called a Cherokee or a Lakota or whichever tribe they belong to. This shows respect because not only are you sensitive to the fact that the terms Indian, American Indian, and Native American are an over simplification of a diverse ethnicity, but you also show that you listened when they told what tribe they belonged to.

What's in a Name? Indians and Political Correctness
by Christina Berry, All Things Cherokee

North Country - Good Flick

Diane and I went to see North Country Friday night at Rave Theatres.

I love movies, and I love to talk about them. But unlike almost everyone who tries to be a movie critic, I don't try to criticize first, or look for how I can say something negative just to sound cool. I go in, rather, with the intent of enjoying the movie, and then I like to talk about it with co-workers, or now since I have this blog, just jot down a few thoughts about it.

With that in mind, here goes:

North Country is based on a true story of the world's first Class Action Sexual Harassment suit. It takes place in the iron ore mines of Northern Minnesota, a few hours drive from my home.

Charlize Theron, Richard Jenkins (Illinois Wesleyan grad who has become an outstanding character actor in both comedies and dramas), the outstanding Frances McDormand, and Woody Harrelson are the main stars, but the supporting cast does a great job of capturing the lifestyle and personalities of the tough people of the Iron Range.

First thing I noticed was, unlike the cartoony, over-the-top accents of "Fargo", this movie pays enough attention to detail that the actors actually capture the Iron Range accent without going to far. As a Minnesotan, I appreciated that greatly.

Secondly, the movie has surprisingly little courtroom drama, which I expected more of after watching the previews. The story centers more on the how the life of one woman is affected by her job and the crap she has to endure at work. It also tells of the struggles of the other women in the mines, as they battle internally over whether to complain and risk losing their job, or keep quiet. Same goes for the men NOT involved in bad behavior...many characters are shown conflicted as to what they should do.

Minnesota mines are not the underground type, they are open-pit mines. The scenery is beautifully captured, and the movie goer can almost feel the cold, whipping wind even on a springtime or fall day in Minnesota.

The actors all did a good job at creating their characters, and the young man who plays Theron's son (Thomas Curtis) Sammy is outstanding. Also of note is the performance of Xander Berkeley as the women's supervisor, Mr. Pavich. Berkeley played in the first two seasons of Keifer Sutherland's "24" on Fox, and nobody catches the Minnesota demeanor in this movie like Berkeley. If you see the movie, and you see Mr. Pavich, and you say, "what a geek", you will have seen a true mine supervisor in Northern Minnesota. Company man, unattractive but thinks he's a player, that kind of guy.

SIDENOTE: When I returned to Minnesota a week and a half back for my grandfather's funeral, I asked my Uncle Dick about the movie. He joined Reserve Mining in Babbitt, Minnesota in 1954 and still lives up there. I asked him if he was aware of the case (the case came forth in 1984, but the movie not only changes names, it changes dates, as it plays out in 1989. Not sure why. Probably to protect from lawsuits.) and he said it did indeed happen at his mining company.

He said he heard tales at the time of what was happening, but he didn't work with them. They were all (with one exception) working inside the buildings that convert the iron ore into taconite, and he was out driving trucks and running the huge claws that dig at the earth, and he said that he, like many others, turned the other cheek. He didn't say it, but I have the feeling he wishes he and others would have done something about it before it got to court. He also said many of the ladies still work there, and they didn't want money, they just wanted to be treated fairly. You'll have to see the movie to see whether that happens or not.

Who Will Get Cheated Today?

Three races ago, NASCAR inspectors found Jimmie Johnson's car to be illegal (body too high in the rear end, increasing downforce and improving handling) after he recorded a victory at Dover.

NASCAR did nothing.

Last weekend, with Tony Stewart comfortably leading and running away with the race at Lowe's Motor Speedway, NASCAR changed it's rules in the middle of a race, by ordering the teams to pit their cars and run a tire pressure mandated by NASCAR. Several laps later, his handling changed significantly, Stewart crashed when his tires...NASCAR mandated tire pressure...let go. Jimmie Johnson, struggling at the time of NASCAR's "safety-related" decision on tires, went on to win, and pull into a first place tie with Stewart in the points standings.

Who will get ripped off by NASCAR today in it's efforts to help Jimmie Johnson (car owner, Jeff Gordon and Rick Hendrick) win a championship?

George Carlin and I agree: We Hate This Crap.

So the Parents Television Council is mouthing off again.

Parents Group Warns Against 4 Fox Shows

George Carlin said it best:

There are two knobs on the TV...one turns the channel, and the other one turns the damn thing on and off!

The ironic thing, of course, is that Fox, the same company that owns Fox News, is being targeted here. I've said it before, nobody plays both sides like Ol' Rupert. One one side, he's got Fox News preaching (and I do mean "preaching") from the right, then you turn on Fox or worse yet FX (or "better yet", if you're me) and you get The Shield, Nip/Tuck, and Rescue Me. Those three shows, by the way, are ALL among the best five shows on television of any kind on any channel, and they all air on FX.

Organizations like the PTC do no good. None. Zip. Zilch. Nil.

This, however, is the funniest line in the story:

A Fox spokesman said the network never comments on reports by the Parents Television Council.

Why is that funny? Because when you go to FoxNews.com, you see this about every second week:

Plus, are R-rated movies keeping Hollywood's box office down? We'll examine the issue with Brent Bozell, president of the Parents Television Council.

Don't miss a very special edition of "Your World with Neil Cavuto" today at 4 p.m. ET!

They put Bozell on this channel to spew his nonsense whenever they can, and they never take him to task for his claims. That's why it's funny.

Is This Going To Happen?

Rove To Resign

Time magazine said resignation was the most likely scenario if either man is indicted, citing several legal and political sources.

Rove could be charged with perjury for failing to testify that he had spoken to Cooper about Plame, despite later correcting himself.

A former White House official said Rove’s break with Bush would have to be clean, with no “giving advice from the sidelines” for the sake of the administration.

That last paragraph? Chjea, right, that'll happen.

Then there was BAD football

The Minnesota Vikings. Holy crap.

After a pathetic 1-3 start, the Vikes said they were going to change their season around with a big win at Chicago. That was before the "sex cruise". Acting stupid is is something that overpaid, overspoiled, bratty, stupid, intellectually challenged, 'roid raged athletes do every day.

But the Vikings took it to new levels. In public, in front of 16- and 17-year old servers on a pleasure boat in the middle of a lake, the Vikes decided to rehearse for a porn film. I don't care if they have orgies every night of the season, just don't be so stupid as to do it on a boat in front of kids. Nothing good can come of it. And nothing good, now, can come from this season.

Stories out of the Viking camp now say that they were all consenting adults, so no crimes were committed. Unfortunately, the underage employees of the boats are saying they were being offered money to join in by some players, with other players apologizing for them and protecting the kids. While I'm glad SOME players had a brain, soliciting young kids is, indeed, a crime, isn't it? And rumors persist that some of the ladies were flown in from Atlanta for the event. Hookers? I'd only say probably. I can't see wives or girlfriends being willingly involved in multiple-partner sex in public, so I'd have to lean a bit towards "paid help". But we'll see what happens. I could be wrong.

Meanwhile, on the field, the Vikings are 1-4 after handing the Bears a victory. Oh, and before Bear fans get all excited, your team had 192 yards total against one of the easiest defenses in the NFL to gain ground against. The Bears suck. Big. The Vikings just suck bigger right now.

That being said, if the new owner makes some changes at the top right now, the Vikings will still finish higher in the standings than Chicago. Sex parties and all.

Thank goodness hockey has started.

Then, there was football failure

Upon arriving home, I looked to my Minnesota Gophers to whip Wisconsin and get me in a good mood last weekend.

Whip them they did. Everywhere except the final score. In one of the great collapses in Big 10 history, the Gophers went from a 34-24 lead with three minutes left to a 38-34 come-from-ahead defeat thanks to a soft prevent defense, (The "prevent" only prevents one thing: victory) and a freshman punter who dropped a perfect snap and gave up a touchdown with :35 seconds left.

The Gophers rushed for 400+ yards against proud Barry Alvarez and his proud Badgers...and lost. How in the h-e-double hockey sticks do you do that? The better team did not win that game, only the luckier one.

Another annoying item from that loss:

Laurence Maroney went for a career high 258 yards, yet the pundits say he lost ground in the Heisman race, because the Gophers lost to Wisconsin on a fluke.

Note to Heisman voters: This is not an "MVP" of college football, it's about the best player. How a freshman punter can affect a premier running back's Heisman chances is beyond me. Unlike the NFL or NBA, where it is supposed to be the "Most Valuable", the Heisman is about the "best" player, regardless of team quality. And I see no better this year than Maroney.

Trying to get back in the swing

Two weeks of doing mornings instead of afternoons were followed by the death of my last remaining Grandparent last week, and a three-day trip to Minnesota to honor him.

He was not an average man, he was not a good man, he was a great man. I've talked of him in this blog before. He was the self-made success who ran a farm, a country general store, and a bus route all at the same time from the 50's through the mid 80's, when Reaganomics busted him and countless other small farmers in the midwest.

I consider myself one of the luckiest dudes ever, because both of my parents (who had me young) were also born early in their parents' lives. So I had four grandparents until I was 29, and still had a grandpa until the age of 44. I know lots of folks who barely remember any grandparents, and I had four of the best, and for a long, long time.

We laid Grandpa to rest Wednesday morning, cried our tears, and then honored him as he'd have honored anyone else: we all congregated at my uncle's beautiful house in the Minnesota countryside for a day of memories, tall tales, and laughs about Grandpa. I saw cousins I hadn't seen in years. I was able to introduce my lovely Diane to cousins and aunts and uncles who had yet to meet her, and they all loved her immediately, as expected. They all wonder how I got her. I say the same thing to everyone: I'm an overachiever in that department.

I finally got to see my goddaughter's baby, and lo and behold, the little guy became enamored with Diane (no surprise there). Did he like me? Not so much. I saw a nephew from Nevada for the first time (he's 1), and I got to make peace with an uncle that I've been bickering and battling with since Dubya took office. Without going into too much detail, he's a bit ashamed of what's going on right now. He'll never vote Democrat, and I don't expect him to, but he's not going to support the far right wing ever again. Good move that, I say.

We're moving closer to meeting in the middle politically. Something that all of us should do.

All in all, a sad time, but a wonderful time, and a new beginning for long-gone-away family members. Terrible that it takes a death to do that, but we made the vow to not wait until another funeral to get together. Accidents aside, family deaths go in cycles. If everyone lives out a full life, we'll not have another round of funerals for 20-25 years. We will not wait that long to get together again.

Start With These Nine

Now that the GOP-controlled Senate has taken a stand against the Bush Administration (see "90-to-9" below), for the first time in the years of the "selected" president's reign, we can start the path to a better, more co-operative Washington by singling out the nine dolts who voted against the McCain amendment:

Allard (R-CO)
Bond (R-MO)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Stevens (R-AK)

I mean, come on. When Santorum, Frist, Lott, Warner, and even Norm "whatever George wants I'll do" Coleman vote with the Dems on something, you know it must be a cut-and-dried deal against Bush and Rummy. So these nine dudes are on the shit list today...and for a long time.

90-to-9.

Some sanity in Washington:

THE SENATE has taken a major step toward stopping the most damaging and shameful American conduct during the war on terrorism. An amendment to the defense appropriations bill offered by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and approved Wednesday night by the resounding vote of 90 to 9 would end four years of uncertainty about the rules for the military's treatment of detainees.

Read the whole story...

This sensible amendment, BTW, is being threatened with a veto by the administration, and they (the administration) are already working over house members to weaken the bill and the McCain amendment.

That, my friends, is shameful. When a bi-partisan vote of 90-9 goes through the Senate, when the GOP and Dems work together and agree on something, wouldn't the great "uniter" want to take this and run with it instead of against it?

My Cynicism Gets The Better Of Me Again Tonight

I see that both CNN and Fox are reporting about the possible terror attack on the New York subway system, and the first thing...the first thing...that comes to my mind is the administration is trying to deflect attention off their own troubles again.

I know I'm not alone here, either. Why is it that so many of us immediately think this way when we read this kind of news?

Hockey's Back!

Oh, I love the NHL. I don't care what anybody else thinks, either. I just love the stuff. Fast, physical, extreme...it's totally awesome, baby. (Take that, Vitale, you Duke fan.)

The Minnesota Wild got off to a great start last night, whipping Calgary 6-3. One of the guys that worked in the Rivermen office last year is with the BlackHawks now, and you can bet I'm going to tap that resource for good seats when the Wild comes to the U.C.

Darn, I Thought He Might Have Opened His Eyes!

FoxNews.com headline: "Bush: Radicals Abuse Religion".

Well, needless to say, I got a little excited. Did George say something bad about the zealot christians who are bound and determined to ru(i)n this country?

Then I read the story. False hope again. But I agree with what he said about the radical terrorist wing of Islam. He just needs to say the same about the radical wing of christianity.

Busy Week

My schedule is screwed up. I had to work mornings (up at 3:30 instead of 8) for three days last week, and I have to do it again tomorrow. So my body clock is running backwards.

To catch up:

Good:

DeLay - The Hammer is gettin' Nailed. Good.
Gretchen Wilson's new CD came out last week. It's awesome. And it's Country with a capital "C". Good.
Had a great day Sunday at Tailwaggers, put on by TAPS in Pekin. Hopefully a bunch of good doggies found new homes. They raised a LOT more money than they did last year, and they're quite happy about it. Good.
Hockey is back. Looking forward to the return of the NHL, and to the upgrade in talent for the once-again AAA Rivermen franchise. Should be a blast!

Bad:

The Gophers ran into a buzz saw in Happy Valley. The Gophers came out flat, the Nittany Lions are...dare I say...almost back. Big 10 is going to be too nerve wracking all year. Are there any teams capable of rolling through the conference unbeaten? I don't think even OSU is. Gophers = bad.

The Vikings. Holy hell. I knew the offense was going to suffer without Moss, the greatest wideout in the game BY FAR, but I didn't expect Culpepper to turn into a 98-pound sissy in the pocket. Yuck. Mike Tice, can you please just resign? Vikings = terrible...and they'll STILL win the NFC North.

I wasted 30 minutes of my life tonight checking out Michael Savage on Markley's station. This guy is absolutely nuts. A lunatic. Thinks the Bush Administration isn't far enough to the right socially. Oh...My...god. Savage = Dispicable.

Go, Go, Gophers!

I posted this last night, but it didn't take:

How 'bout those Gophers? 42-35 double OT thriller over then-#11 Purdue! Biggest win in Glen Mason's nine years (has it been that long already?!?!) in Minny.

The Gophers improve every year under Mason, but always seem to make mistakes and collapse at bad times. In the last three years, there's been a 21-point lead squandered to Michigan, a 28-point lead squandered to those same Wolverines, and a game in Iowa that saw Minnesota gain over 600 yards, and get beat by 20 points due to 7 turnovers, all inside the red zone!

But finally, behind Laurence Maroney (700 yards in only four games after his 217 against Purdue), the Gophers win a big one.

Reggie Bush who? The best back in the land is from St. Louis, and plays for the University of Minnesota.

Vikes Finally Get One

Boy, does the NFC North look weak again. I didn't think it would be that way, but right now it is. Minnesota got a win today, but they needed to bury the Saints about 45-7. It was 24-0 late in the first, and then 24-16 midway through the fourth quarter. Ouch. Much improvement needed.

What Is So Hard To Understand Here?

You go to a Chevy dealer to buy a car, not plywood.

You go to Home Depot to buy plywood, not a Chevy.

You go to Berean Bookstore to buy a bible, not a Penthouse.

You go to Swinger's World to buy a Penthouse, not a bible.

You go to Aggatucci's to buy pizza, not get your hair cut.

You go to Cost Cutters for a haircut, not to buy a pizza.

And you go to Walgreen's Pharmacy to get your prescription filled. Not to be judged.

Fire These Guys

I'm late on this, but that makes me no less pissed. So I'll bring it up again.

These pharmacists know damn well what their job will entail when they go to school for it. Insubordination. Plain and simple.

The complaint against the West Peoria Walgreens, located in Peoria at the time of the March 8 incident, alleges two counts of failure to provide pharmaceutical care and two counts of unprofessional conduct. A pharmacist refused to fill an emergency contraceptive prescription for a patient whose doctor then changed the prescription to another contraceptive. The pharmacist on duty then refused to fill that prescription because "it was being used as emergency contraception," the complaint said.

Don't push your "morals" on me, Mr. Druggist. Can't you see that simply by performing the act of refusing to fill these prescriptions, you're the one being "immoral" towards your fellow man?

A Road To Nowhere

Right now, with Katrina's carnage and the impending carnage of Rita, right now would be a good time for Congress to get into action and take back all that pork they just doled out in the transportation bill. Step up, Dennis Hastert. Step up, Ray LaHood, let's get that money back to Washington so it can be used where it's needed.

And seriously, Senator Stevens from Alaska, you have the most glaring piece of pork in the bill, it's time for you to show you're a man. That $200 million that you got for one bridge from the mainland to an uninhabited island (the purpose of which, I'm sure, is to help your rich friends snap up some land and build a ridiculously lavish mansion or two or twenty on said island to the benefit of no one)? Give it back. Now. Every damn dime of it.

If our good congressmen and women don't want to take a chance at ticking off selfish constituents, then there is another option: Tell the (p)resident that maybe it's time to repeal his ridiculously one-sided and ill-advised tax cuts. There you go. Want to keep your trail? Want to keep your bridge? California, Arnie, hey, you want to keep that $1 billion-plus worth of pork? Repeal the tax cut and you can keep your pork. Deal?

Good. Get it done. One or the other.

Helping Those Who Help Others

Diane and I just had a tour of the St. Jude's Midwest Affiliate at St. Francis tonight. As an employee of WXCL, where we host the St. Jude's Country Cares For Kids Radiothon every year, I can assure you that these people do amazing work for kids and their families. And this coming Monday, all Chili's Restaurants nationwide are donating 100% of their profits for the day to St. Jude's. So we had a tour tonight, along with local Chili's managers from Peoria and East Peoria.

Dana Pace from St. Jude's spoke to the group after a local family and their beautiful little five year old girl gave their story.

Some facts that we Peorian's may not realize:

1) There are three...three...satellite affiliates in the St. Jude's system besides the main hospital in Memphis. Two of them are in Southern Louisiana (currently shut down, as you might expect, with all patients and families being relocated to Memphis), and the other one is right here in Peoria, IL.

Think about that. If there is anything that a young child who is diagnosed with cancer can feel lucky about in Central Illinois, it is the fact that St. Jude's is right here to take care of them.

2) When a family comes to St. Jude's with their child, they sign a piece of paper that basically gives St. Jude's the right to do anything within their power to save the child, and to use anything they learn from that child on the next patient. All the parents have to agree to in return is...they will never spend a dollar of their own money on the treatment. St. Jude's covers it. How incredible, in this day and age of corporate greed and individual selfishness, is that?

3) It costs over one million dollars a day...$1,000,000.00 per day...to run the hospital. Over $41,000 per hour. That is why they ask for your help. That is why they work so hard to raise funds while they are saving and curing children.

So go to Chili's Monday. Have lunch, have dinner, and know that the profits go to those kids. You're going to eat anyway, put the money you spend to good use.

Thanks.

Yet Another Well Spoken Minnesotan (Aren't We All?)

A letter today from the Star Trib nails it:

Given the (unsurprising) news of Renee Zellweger and Kenny Chesney's marriage annulment just four months after their widely publicized romance and beach wedding (Star Tribune, Sept. 17), I wonder: Perhaps to preserve the sanctity of marriage we need a constitutional amendment banning celebrities, and not gays, from marrying?

Laura Nisi, Edina.

Sure, Now The Twins Are Going To Beat Up On The Sox

My Twins are out of it. I don't like this young Cleveland team. Arrogant, cocky, needs to be knocked down a notch. I'm rooting for the Sox, if only to further torment Cub fans.

Sox need to turn it on for two weeks. They need to do what got them to 90 wins quicker than anyone this year. C'mon, Ozzie, light 'em up in the clubhouse. Chew some butt.

Missing The Point Again

CNN.com's instant poll this morning:

If you were living in the projected path of Hurricane Rita, would you evacuate?

Change the word "would" to "could". Then you'd have a relevant question.

And The Name Is...Sky?

So the Chicago WNBA team will be called the "Sky".

Wow, that really represents the city of Chicago. When I think of The Windy City, "Sky" is the first thing that comes to mind. Not. How often can you even see the sky when you're in Chicago? Plus, they made the team colors light blue and yellow. If they wanted to accurately portray the air above chicago, shouldn't the colors have been a cold gray and possible an air-pollution light brown?

Montana, Wyoming, Idaho...they could all use "sky" as a nickname for a sports team, but Chicago?

I like my top 10 better.

Mike Helton Is An Idiot

If you're a NASCAR (or "NAZICAR", as I prefer to call the sanctioning body) fan, you know who Mike Helton is. And as such, you also know the five word headline to this post is redundant, as Mike Helton has become the definition of "idiot".

After a rather exciting show Sunday that saw some tempers flare, he issued fines, took away driver points, and then spouted this gem:

"There have been a growing number of incidents lately where drivers have taken matters into their own hands," NASCAR president Mike Helton said. "Such unsafe and inappropriate behavior has to stop."

First of all, let's address why there's a problem of drivers feeling they have to take things into their own hands: because NAZICAR...and more specifically Helton...are clueless on how to police a race, levee fair penalties, or treat the teams and drivers even-handedly. What's good for one doesn't necessarily mean it's good for another. To say that "NASCAR officials play favorites" is like saying "ice hockey is played on ice".

Secondly, let's look at the hypocrisy of Helton's words. He says this through a tough scowl, while underneath his hideous, walrus-like mustache is the huge grin of someone who has just seen the ratings from this past Sunday's rock-em, sock-em race, and can't wait to see how many more people tune in this week to see the sequel.

I heard him say this on the radio (on your Official NASCAR station, 104.9, WXCL!) and I could almost hear him winking during the words "has to stop". The only thing amazing to me is that the Bush administration hasn't found a job for this guy yet.

Letter I Wish I'd Written

In today's Minneapolis Star-tribune, there was this gem:

As a Democrat, I would like to add my support to Rep. John Kline's effort to put President Ronald Reagan on the $50 bill (Star Tribune, Sept. 17). I think we should make them collectors' items and only issue 33,442,554,240 of them.

Why 33.4 billion? Simple; that is the number of $50 bills it would have taken to pay off the $1,672,127,712,041 increase to the national debt that took place while Reagan was president.

Now that's prose. The adoration placed on Reagan has always puzzled me, particularly here in Peoria. The town almost shuts down, CAT almost goes away, economy fizzles, debt grows. In Minnesota, where I'm from, family farm after family farm shuts down in favor of mega (corporate) farms, same in Iowa. I saw it first hand, when my Grandfather, after 40 years of successful capitalism (bolded for Bill Dennis), has to not only sell his farm before he's foreclosed on, but he has to sell his country general store (classic American store: gas, groceries, hardware, tools, etc.) because all the corporate giants (read: rich a-holes) put him out of business.

I thought the Reagan presidency was pretty lame, actually. I just don't get the love. He wasn't the worst, but he sure as hell wasn't deserving of having his name put on airports and money. Now some wackos are talking Mount Rushmore. Gag me with a deficit.

I'm Giddy With Anticipation

The new WNBA (Women's NBA) franchise in Chicago is having a press conference today to announce their new name and logo. The team's president, Margaret Stender, says they are presenting a name that "truly represents the City of Chicago".

That got the gears turning in my huge noggin. Let's see, we all know White Sox, Cubs, Bulls, Bears, Blackhawks. There's also been Fire, Wind, Steamers and countless others. But there's got to be better ones. So...

Here are my Top 10 Chicago sports nicknames that would "truly represent the City of Chicago":

10. Chicago Gridlock

9. Chicago Corrupt Cops

8. Chicago Detours

7. Chicago Overrateds

6. Chicago Wait Till Next Years

5. Chicago Multivoters

4. Chicago Deadvoters

3. Chicago Tollbooths

2. Chicago Drunks

and my #1 name for a Chicago sports team trying to capture the essense of the city...

1. Chicago Better Wait A Helluva Long Time Before You Ever Win Anythings. (or, if you prefer a shorter name, go with "Losers" here)

To Steal A Word From Dennis: Arrgh.

This story ran on the front page of the PJStar Monday.

Why?

What is the PJStar's obsession with running religious-based stories on the front page? Isn't there a section on Sundays for this crap?

BTW, who else thinks these people are not only doing things "differently", but they're also a little touched in the head?

Much Ado About Silence

About three years ago, I worked for a short while in Princeton, Illinois, driving up from my place in Morton every morning. I explored different routes...I'm anal that way, I like to know many ways to get somewhere...and found tiny Tiskilwa, Illinois. I found, at that time, while I would have to pay $1.19 per gallon of gas in Peoria, and $1.15 in Chillicothe, and $1.12 in Henry, that I could by gas at the Casey's in Tiskilwa for $0.99 per gallon. It stayed this way for months. But I digress.

The point of this whole rant is this: While I was there, talk started of building a "wind farm" on high ground southwest of Tiskilwa...flat, treeless, ground. County board meetings in Bureau County became heated, sometimes physical, always loud. Much posturing, teeth gnashing, and snarling ensued as residents argued for or against the wind farm, now known as Crescent Ridge. The main beef...always...was the noise that would be generated from the giant blades and the generators below.

So, fast forward to this past Sunday...Diane, little Emily, and me are off to Rock Falls for a Sunday jaunt (actually, work for Di). After a necessary stop at Tanner's Orchard on Route 40, just north of Camp Grove (everyone should visit Tanner's!) it was off to Rock Falls. On the way back, a detour, over to Route 26, down through Ohio, Illinois - home of the Bulldogs - and into downtown Princeton, one of Diane's favorite little Illinois cities. We then went south right through Princeton to Tiskilwa, and I decided on a little reconnaissance work at Crescent Ridge. I drove right up to one of the towers, and I mean right up to it. Almost nudged it with the car. I shut the car off, got out, shushed everybody and stood outside the vehicle.

The starlings in the distance? Yep, heard 'em. Corn stalks brushing up against each other in the slight breeze? Heard that, too. My feet shuffling slowly back and forth, just grazing the crushed rock surface? I could hear that, too. All of those things were louder than the ever-so-slight "whoosh...whoosh...whoosh" of the giant blade turning rather swiftly overhead.

Noise pollution? Not.

It goes back to a fundamental problem we have in this country right now: Say it enough, and it becomes the truth. During the proceedings three years ago, one lady...ONE lady...who had relatives living near a wind farm in upper Wisconsin claimed that her daughter told her it was impossible to sleep at night due to the sound of the wind farm less than 2 miles from her house. Less than 2 miles?!?!?!?! I was underneath a tower within 2 feet and couldn't hear it over the obnoxious sounds of corn stalks rubbing together. So, the lady in question keeps harping on the noise, and pretty soon she had half of Tiskilwa up in arms, thinking they wouldn't even be able to sleep at night with this menace up on the hill. Say it enough, people believe it. Bush and Co. have been living by this credo since before the 2000 election. The masses are so stupid.

Final verdict: From Tiskilwa, you cannot hear, or even see, the giant towers to the southwest of town. Case closed. Energy being harnessed. Lady with daughter in Wisconsin? Shut up.

Police Departments Like Their New Toys

PJStar article on Taser guns today.

Wow. I'm glad everyone is having so much fun playing with these things. Damn, we're a war-loving, violence-loving country, aren't we? Thugs want to fight outside of bars to show how tough they are, police want to shoot high voltage through their bodies.

Why can't we all just get along? I don't get in fights. I don't put myself in a position to get tased. Why? Because I'm not an idiot. Nor do I have the desire to "tase" someone. Why? Because I prefer not to inflict pain.

When talking and diplomacy don't work, let's just simulate sticking your tongue in a light bulb socket. How cool?

I'm not saying that there is never a time for a police or corrections officer to use force, that's not what I'm saying. But I am wondering why, with all the joy being shown in this article about tasers, the reporter didn't once call a physician and see what the side effects of being tased might be.

After being tased, do you walk around with Yahoo Serious' hairstyle for a few days?
Do you crap yourself?
Can you turn on the lights by just waving your arm near a lamp?
Can you start a car by touching the steering column with your ear?
Are your muscles so relaxed that you can bend like Olga Korbut?

These are some of the questions I had about tasers before reading the story. I still do.

Ah, The Sounds, Smells, And Sights Of Football

I make no bones about the fact I despise most of what the NFL stands for. From the ridiculous number of commercial breaks to the choreographed TV presentations to the legalized assault and battery that's committed every game to greedy players and equally greedy owners and obnoxious fans, the NFL is NOT where it's at for me.

On the other hand, high school football. Ah, pure joy.

I haven't attended many high school games since I moved to Peoria in 1996, and I regret that. I was the play-by-play voice of Carson High School in Carson City, Nevada, for six years from 1990 to 1995. Never missed a football game, never missed a boys basketball game, called dozens of girls basketball games, built a network of statewide radio stations and called the five state football championship games from Las Vegas four years in a row, served as P.A. voice for the combined boys and girls state basketball tournament, served as a part time volunteer pitching coach for the Carson High baseball program, coached Little League and Babe Ruth teams...I was involved.

I haven't been since I moved here. The level of importance given to covering high school sports by TV and radio here in Central Illinois is something less than what I'm used to. Be that as it may, I still shouldv'e attended more games.

Friday was fun. Diane's little girl, the precocious one, Emily, is in fourth grade. She was involved in a cheerleading clinic prior to the IVC-Metamora game in Chillicothe, and got to cheer on the sidelines for the Grey Ghosts during the game. So we went. Sat in the IVC bleachers. I knew what would happen on the field, having at least a passing knowledge for which programs are winners here in Central Illinois. But I also knew that the Ghosts have been improving. So the first quarter was a pretty good football game. Six-zip Redbirds until a long touchdown pass on the last play of the quarter made it 14-0.

I love the way the Redbirds play defense. Fly to the ball like a college team, punishing hits on every play. Gang tackling is a sign of great scouting and great coaching, and the Redbirds have it all. Meanwhile, the Ghosts have a QB who can flat throw. Kid looks good back in the pocket, and can throw the ball hard.

So it was fun. Much fun. And Emily was great. So were the other kids, and the varsity cheerleaders who took the time to teach them and show them how to do it. It was cool to see about 60 kids on the track in front of the bleachers, all cheering in unison, great school spirit.

I'm going to go to more games. Gonna make myself do it. And I don't even care who's playing, that's the wonderful part. I'm just going to pull in where I see Friday Night Lights, grab a popcorn, and enjoy.

Like Paul Vitti, I'm Feeling Conflicted

I always want the Minnesota Twins to win. If they can't, I allow myself to root for the White Sox on occasion. I know, I know, same division, how can you do that? Simple. Same reason I want the Vikings, then the Packers, to win. As long as it isn't the Bears or Cubs getting the headlines and the glory, I'm happy.

So, I'm conflicted a bit. Johan Santana shut down the Sox again yesterday, trimming Chicago's once huge lead over Cleveland by yet another game. I don't want to see the Sox collapse. I don't want to see Cleveland win the division. But yet I don't want to see the Twins just roll over and let Chicago whup 'em. So I was happy with Santana's dominating performance yesterday (he IS the best pitcher in baseball), but worried that the Sox are blowing it.

I'm enjoying the Sox season, and particularly enjoy what Ozzie Guillen has said and done. He said (about the Twins): "If we can't beat 'em with that old power-based game, we're going to play the way they play and try to beat 'em." That is what's known as respect, and a compliment.

In the previous years, Sox players and staff have not respected the Minnesota Twins, and it's gotten them their asses handed to them. The team has finally bought into what Ozzie is preaching, and look where they are this year. They've changed their game to mirror the Twins. Defense is better (still not as good as Minnesota) and they run more (Poscednik leads the AL in stolen bases...Nellie Fox and Luis Aparicio are smiling). But the main reason the Sox have stayed out front this season is a new pitching philosophy: Throw strikes, pitch to contact.

Minnesota has been doing that for years. They pitch to contact, in other words put the ball in a place where the hitter will make contact, just not solidly. Let the defense make the play. Don't try to strike anyone out. And for pete's sake, do NOT walk anybody. That's how Minnesota has been winning. That's what the Sox have tried to do this year, and so far it's worked.

Twinsball. The way it should be played.

I Love It When People Don't Get It

A letter to the editor in last week's Sporting News wonders why "with gas prices skyrocketing in this country, shouldn't the 'sport' of auto racing be banned?"

First of all, let me address his inference that racing is not a sport (as evidenced by the little quotations aroudnd that word). Auto racing is a sport. Period. I normally let people speak their piece on anything, but if you're going to say auto racing is not a sport, just shut the hell up. Really. Quick quiz: Where do you find the results of auto races in the newspaper? On what cable channels will you find race results? So let's just drop that lame argument, okay? You could make a better argument that figure skating is not a sport, because it's judged, there are no clear winners, just opinions of judges. But racing is a sport.

Do I like all forms of racing? Hell, no. I prefer stock car racing. BTW, that doesn't automatically mean I like NASCAR, the sanctioning body, because I don't. But I do prefer stock cars to open wheel.

Now, back to the letter. First off, the writer shows his ignorance in suggesting that stock cars and Indy cars must just pull up to an unleaded pump at Road Ranger and dump in 20 gallons of 87 octane crude. Whatever. To put pump fuel into a Nextel Cup car would be like putting Lipton Ice Tea in your street cruiser: Start it up, put it in gear, floor it, and BANG!

If this jackhole really wants to do something about gas usage, I have a better idea. How about major league baseball ending it's season tomorrow, thus saving the gas of 10-20,000 street cars driving to 10-15 ballparks across the country every night for the next month.

Or, if that's too drastic, how 'bout we say that no one can go to an NFL game in person this season, thus saving the drives of 60,000 people in 30 cities eight times each this fall. Or, (and this is my favorite, BTW) how 'bout every person in America who drives cannot start the car and move it until all seats are occupied, meaning every vehicle on the road is full, cutting down gas usage by 3/4 based on four occupants in one car replacing one occupant each in four cars, as you can see every freakin' morning.

Ban racing to save on pump gas? Just shut up.

Facts About Nagin...Just Because

Another letter in the USA Today this morning blasts Ray Nagin (justified), but makes sure to identify him as a Democrat (political partisanship). This is not the first, nor will it be the last, letter that can't wait to include the word "Democrat" and "blame" to take the heat off of the Bushies.

Again, for the 12 millionth time, they are ALL to blame, Democrats and Republicans alike, for the mess in the wake of Katrina.

But let's get the facts out before we start accusing people. Do a little research. The internet makes it easy. For instance, here's what Wikipedia's bio of Nagin starts with:

Before his election, Nagin was a member of the Republican Party and had little political experience; he was a vice president and general manager at Cox Communications, a cable communications company and subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. Nagin did give contributions periodically to candidates, including President George W. Bush and former Republican U.S. Representative Billy Tauzin in 1999 and 2000, as well as to Democratic U.S. Senators John Breaux and J. Bennett Johnston earlier in the decade.

Days before filing for the New Orleans Mayoral race in February 2002, Nagin switched his party registration to the Democratic Party. Shortly before the primary election, an endorsement praising Nagin as a reformer by Gambit Magazine gave him crucial momentum that would carry through for the primary election and runoff. In the first round of the crowded mayoral election in February 2002, Nagin received first place with 29% of the vote, against such opponents as Police Chief Richard Pennington, State Senator Paulette Irons, City Councilman Troy Carter and others. In the runoff with Pennington in May 2002, Nagin won with 59% of the vote. His campaign was largely self-financed.

Shortly after taking office, Nagin launched an anti-corruption campaign within city government, which included crackdowns on the city's Taxicab Bureau and Utilities Department. Nagin also made a controversial endorsement of current Republican U.S. Representative Bobby Jindal in the 2003 Louisiana Gubernatorial Runoff over current Democratic Governor Kathleen Blanco, and only reluctantly endorsed U.S. Senator John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential race.

Tom Coburn - Whoops

Jon Stewart and his astute staff at The Daily Show nailed Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn tonight.

Stewart started his story about the John Roberts Supreme Court hearings with some quotes from Democrats (Joe Biden and Ted Kennedy), and jokes about them. Then he moved onto Coburn, showing the freshman from Oklahoma apparently choking back tears as he pleaded for politicians to stop bickering. Coburn said "...my heart aches for less divisiveness, less polarization, less finger-pointing, less bitterness, less mindless partisanship."

Stewart then said "you mean like this?", and then showed Coburn's face on the left hand side of the screen, with this Coburn quote on the right side:

"The gay community has infiltrated the very centers of power in every area across this country, and they wield extreme power ... That agenda is the greatest threat to our freedom that we face today. Why do you think we see the rationalization for abortion and multiple sexual partners? That's a gay agenda."

Wild cheering and laughter ensued, but Stewart wasn't through. "Maybe he was referring to this." Again, shot of Coburn with another quote:

"I favor the death penalty for abortionists and other people who take life."

Stewart's show, while described as "comedy", continues to offer the most relevant commentary on the hypocrisy in politics, and although it's presented in a humorous way, it's still stinging and effective (can you say George Carlin?), and simply the best "news" show out there. No other network picked up on, only showing Coburn's seemingly heartfelt emotion in their reports.

Stewart ended the bit by saying (and I'm paraphrasing here), "maybe we can forgive Coburn, as he probably intently listened to the hearings and became so worked up...oh wait [video clip looking at the Senate from behind Coburn's shoulder, clearly showing him working on a crossword puzzle under the desk while another Senator spoke]...is that a crossword puzzle?" Only Stewart can pull off the incredulous "are you f'ing kidding me?" emotion with such timing and precision.

Knockout: Stewart. Still champions: The Daily Show.

Time For A Change

Why don't we get the ball rolling RIGHT NOW? It's probably too late to change the congressional district boundaries for 2006, but for 2008, changes need to be made. I've long been aware of the partisan maps that are drawn up. But I broke out the map of just District 17 the other night, and it is simply the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. Moline, Rock Island, and Decatur...all in one district? Jeezus, did Ronnie Milsap and Stevie Wonder have input on this thing?

Here's the best and most simple solution, and one that the voters of this state, the people who HIRE these people, need to fix.

The 2000 Census says there are 12,419,293 Illinoisans. There are 20 congressmen and women from Illinois, right? Then each one should represent roughly 621,000 persons. Now, you take the map, and starting at the Northwest Corner of the state, you start drawing boxes...BOXES, not 752-sided, um, er, THINGSthat make no sense...but BOXES. Each box gets between 600,000 and 650,000 people. The districts around Lake, Dupage, Cook, etc, will all obviously be smaller, but they'll be BOXES. You campaign in your BOX.

The downstate and WESTstate (why do you people call Rockford "downstate"?) districts will be larger. Go with county lines whenever possible, (yes, that will distort the "box", but it's a damn site better than what we have now) and make sure that the man/woman who represents the interests of Sterling doesn't also pretend to represent the interests of Macoupin County 200 miles to the south (both currently in Lane Evans' District 17, BTW). Lane lives in Rock Island. How do you think the good folks of Cahokia feel knowing they're just a few miles from St. Louis, but their Congressman's office is in Rock Island? Can't just drop in and see him, can ya?

Evans won his most recent race 61-39. Ray LaHood and his self-designed district leave him with 70-30 victories. These victory margins assure them of getting elected again and again and again, and keep otherwise qualified candidates from even running, if indeed they're from the "wrong" party for their district. Is this what people really want?

Why is this so hard to change? Who were the dopes that gave the legislative members the power to do this themselves? This is a job for people that do not run for office, and have no idea who is a Democrat or who is a Republican. It would be a perfect job for some geography and population experts teaching at some of our state universities.

Who do I talk to to get change started? I know what I'm up against, but you can't change it if you don't try at all.

And They Just Keep Dropping Like Flies

As I said in an earlier post, the older hockey players are finding they can't get back into NHL game-shape. 44-Year old Mark Messier called it quits today, meaning that five of the six most experienced players in terms of games played through 2004 will not be back.

Net savings to the owners? 20+ million. Maybe baseball can take a hint and shut down for a year, so some of these 43-year old relievers can finally go away. But then, of course, Tony LaRussa wouldn't know what to do with himself.

Monday, 14-year vet Trent Klatt, never a star but a veteran of nearly 800 NHL games, also called it quits.

Expect more retirements once camps open and 35+ year old players find out how much they lost sitting out almost 18 months. Add to that the list of European players who will decided not to return to North America, and many roster spots will be wide open this year. Good for AHL'ers from last year, and good for ECHL'ers from last year to move up to the AHL.

What The Hell Has Become Of This Country?

From the USA Today this morning, OpEd. It speaks for itself:

The editorial.

An excerpt:

"Jose Padilla, who was born in New York and grew up in Chicago, landed at O'Hare airport more than three years ago and hasn't been seen since. He disappeared into a succession of jails and military prisons without being charged with a crime, without trial and without even a hearing on the allegations against him.

In a ruling that puts the liberties of every citizen at risk, a federal appeals court said Friday there's nothing wrong with that.

Worse, the ruling — expected to be appealed — isn't limited to O'Hare airport or to Padilla. The court said Congress has given the president authority to order the jailing of anyone anywhere for as long as he wishes, as long as he claims it's connected to the war on terrorism.

That sounds more like the power accorded a dictator than the president of the United States. Repeal of the Constitution's Fourth, Fifth and Sixth amendments wasn't part of the package when Congress passed that anti-terrorism resolution after the 9/11 attacks."

This, my friends, is the definition of an "activist judge", a term that the far-right fringe of the GOP has hijacked and applies only to so-called "liberal" judges. It goes both ways, people, it goes both ways. And this judge's ruling sickens me.

The direction of the country MUST be reversed, before it's too late.

I Agree With Vonster

We should never forget who "started this".

We should also send a memo to Washington, because it's not us who've forgotten who started it.

Other Alternatives For Georgia To Consider

There are already too many obstacles that are thrown at people when it comes time to vote. I mean, if they really want to control how the vote totals come out, they can do several things:

1) roadblocks to check "insurance" on Election Days (credit to Florida for the idea)

2) remove anyone from the voting rolls who has the same last name as a felon (credit to Florida)

3) direct mail people and tell them if they show up to vote, they could be arrested, because their might be a warrant for their arrest pending. (Florida again)

4) direct mail people urging them to get out and vote, and then purposely having the wrong day to vote (a later date, of course) listed on the form. (Wow, Florida wins again)

5) have two voting machines for thousands of people in one poor urban precinct, but have dozens of machines for only hundreds of voters in rich, suburban and rural predominantly white collar districts (credit to Ohio)

6) get machines from Diebold, the ones who say they can't make an electronic voting machine with a paper trail receipt (credit to Ohio, mostly)

BTW, wouldn't you be pissed if you went to a Diebold ATM, got money, and no receipt? Of course you would. So to alleviate that potential problem, Diebold gives you a receipt. Amazing how they have the technology to do that.

Georgia: Proving Freedom Really Isn't Free

From today's New York Times Op-ed page. Since it's one of those Free Subscription things that annoy some folks, I'll reprint the whole thing for you. I'm a nice guy like that:

Georgia's New Poll Tax

Published: September 12, 2005
In 1966, the Supreme Court held that the poll tax was unconstitutional. Nearly 40 years later, Georgia is still charging people to vote, this time with a new voter ID law that requires many people without driver's licenses - a group that is disproportionately poor, black and elderly - to pay $20 or more for a state ID card. Georgia went ahead with this even though there is not a single place in the entire city of Atlanta where the cards are sold. The law is a national disgrace.

Until recently, Georgia, like most states, accepted many forms of identification at the polls. But starting this month, it is accepting only government-issued photo ID's. People with driver's licenses are fine. But many people without them have to buy a state ID card to vote, at a cost of $20 for a five-year card or $35 for 10 years. The cards are sold in 58 locations, in a state with 159 counties. It is outrageous that Atlanta does not have a single location. (The state says it plans to open one soon.) But the burden is also great on people in rural parts of the state.

The Republicans who pushed the law through, and Gov. Sonny Perdue, also a Republican, who signed it, say that it is intended to prevent fraud. But it seems clear that it is about keeping certain people away from the polls, for political advantage. The vast majority of fraud complaints in Georgia, according to its secretary of state, Cathy Cox, involve absentee ballots, which are unaffected by the new law. Ms. Cox says she is unaware of a single documented case in recent years of fraud through impersonation of a voter at the polls.

Citizens who swear they are indigent are exempt from the fee. But since the law does not define who is indigent, many people may be reluctant to swear and risk a criminal penalty. More important, the 24th Amendment, which outlawed poll taxes in federal elections, and the Supreme Court's decision striking down state poll taxes applied to all Americans, not just to the indigent. A Georgian who votes only in presidential elections, and buys a five-year card to do so, would be paying $10 per election. That is no doubt more than many people on fixed incomes, who struggle to get by but are not legally indigent, are willing to pay to vote.

If Georgia's law remains in place, other states are likely to follow. There is also growing concern among voting-rights advocates that a self-appointed election reform commission, led by James Baker, the former secretary of state who played a troubling role in the disputed 2000 election, and former President Jimmy Carter, may be about to propose national voter ID standards that would similarly make it harder for poor people and blacks to vote.

The American Civil Liberties Union is planning to challenge Georgia's law. It will have several strong legal claims, starting with the 24th Amendment. The Supreme Court said in 1966, in striking down the poll tax, that "the right to vote is too precious, too fundamental to be so burdened." It still is.

I Don't Care Who Ya Are, That's Funny Right There...

From Drink At Work:


Why the House Canceled Hearings on Katrina Response

* Too busy building army of 7000 terra cotta warriors to protect Chief Justice William Rehnquist in the afterlife.

* Believes U.S. House hearing is the responsibility of local officials, not the federal government.

* Congress currently short-staffed because many members are still on tour of duty in Iraq War rallies.

* Only two more months until Election Day and frankly, floaters ain't voters.

* Still upset that the media referred to the displaced as "refugees" rather than "rumors."

* Many congressmen presently protecting their homes, believing that if "looters" will steal bread and milk then surely Titleist golf balls and oil paintings of fox hunts are next.

* According to the House, there's a time to assign blame--and a Republican presidency isn't it.

* Trent Lott's antebellum room isn't going to fix itself.

* Hearing would unfortunately detract from tremendous progress already made in rebuilding case against energy conservation.

* When it comes right down to it, thousands may be dead and millions may be homeless, but it's not like someone got blown.

I've Got To Get Ahold Of Rob

Over on Bill Dennis' site, we had a discussion about the hopes of the Bears and the hopes of the Vikings this coming season.

Rob, you still want to make that bet? I haven't been able to get an email to you, but I will. Or you can call me at WXCL during the day Monday.

Good luck to the Bears and their fans this season.

But I think the Vikes are gonna go a little farther. Okay, a lot farther.

Big & Rich

After Brookfield, we hopped down to Tinley Park to see the "Dueces Wild" tour, featuring three of country music's best duos: The Warren Brothers, Big & Rich, and Brooks & Dunn.

Awesome show. Simply awesome. If you consider yourself to be "too cool for country" or if you have a hard time accepting that country music is the hottest on the planet these days, do yourself a favor and go to one of the current hot shows.

Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Montgomery Gentry, Toby Keith, all of these shows feature true country music, and mix in a high amount of rock & roll, not only to the visual presentation, but to the musical mix as well. For example, Chesney features AC/DC blaring through the PA before he comes on stage. Montgomery Gentry favor Skynyrd.

Back to last night's show: The Warren Brothers kicked it off. They have their own reality series on CMT called "Barely Famous". The guys are well known around Nashville as songwriters but have yet to score big as artists - through no fault of their own. Their music is funny, rockin', irreverant, and hooky. Country has a problem right now in that consultants tell us to only focus on the big names...making it damn hard for new acts like this to catch a break. Fortunately, at WXCL we make an effort to give them a chance. Jeffrey Steele, The Warren Brothers, and Shooter Jennings are just a few of the acts that we have given airplay too, but have yet to have been "accepted" by the radio consultants who run our format.

Big & Rich came on next. If you haven't heard of these guys, you've been in a cave. Big is Big Kenny Alphin, who has the words "Love Everybody" flashing in green neon on the back side of his guitar. Rich is John Rich, an original member of Lonestar who left the group when they decided to go all sappy, the lite rock version of country. I call Lonestar "Lone Supply"

Anyway, back to Big & Rich. Their smash "Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy" is a new cult classic. Imagine 30,000 people all yelling it in unison at a show that they weren't even the headline act. If there were old school Brooks & Dunn fans there last night who didn't know Big & Rich, they were in a minority. I'd say a 99-to-1 minority from the sound of it. These guys are the ambassadors of love. Unlike country stereotypes, they ARE inclusive, featuring Bill Dennis' favorite act, cowboy rapper Cowboy Troy, a self described "6-foot-4 black Texas hick."

Two-foot Fred is a big part of the show, a cool dude who has been featured in several Big & Rich videos. I put in a link to his website. You'll just have to go there to find out about him.

Big & Rich bring that rock presentation to the hilt, with a light and fireworks show, thumping drum and bass beats, a Joe Walsh-like lead guitarist who strolls back and forth across the stage, long hair bouncing, playing with the crowd, tossing picks into the throng, putting on a show. Rich likes rhinestones so much, you just know he had a parent who grew up working in the "sequin mines of Kentucky", as Dennis Miller once said.

Kenny is a nut. Cowboy Troy is talented, and when the band did his "I Play Chicken With the Train", the crowd went nuts. Everyone in front, to the sides, and behind us knew the song, the words, everything. Troy has sold 225,000 albums with no radio airplay this year. Doesn't speak too well for my industry, does it.

All in all, a marvelous show. Next time Big & Rich or Brooks & Dunn come within driving distance, get a ticket. You'll thank me later.

Good Times At The Brookfield

Diane and I spent a majority of yesterday afternoon at Brookfield Zoo.

We're animal lovers. And we're zoo fans. And we're meat eaters. Oh, and I like leather, Diane likes fur. By the way, we've adopted every animal in our house from shelters, keeping them from death and giving them a life. Basically, we're PETA's worst nightmare.

So I'm at the zoo, and kept seeing this recurring theme:

The polar bear, casually floating in it's pool, lives, like all the animals, in a shelter designed to look and feel much like what they'd live in in the wild. While floating in that pool, he was gleefully putting on a show, playing with all of the huge rubber balls, the pony keg, the huge plastic containers of all shapes and sizes, all toys to him.

Down at the fox exhibit, we walked by a sign and a window that said "Interior of fox den. If you don't see the animals here, check the rock formation high up on the right side, they like to hide there." I walked forward to the outside view of the exhibit. Where were the foxes? Not high up on the right side, but instead all huddled together, sleeping, in...a plastic tray.

The dolphins shot beach balls into the crowd with their tails to simulate the "slapping" maneuver they use to stun their ocean prey, and one gigantic male dolphin lept 17 feet out of the water to touch a rubber ball hanging from the ceiling to exhibit his leaping power.

Everywhere we went, this was happening. Animals living in habitats designed to be "as much like their home as possible", probably to appease PETA in some cases, were all taking advantage of plastic products...man made...to assist their day. From sleeping to playing to eating to grooming to showing off.

It just struck me as ironic.

And support whatever zoo you can that is trying to help educate our children with up close and sometimes hands-on displays of the earth's wildlife.

Brian Williams On Jon Stewart Right Now...

...says that a NOAA forecast from Thursday, August 25th warned that Hurricane Katrina "will cause massive destruction and tremendous human suffering". Williams said the NBC staff "didn't know if it was even real, it was such a shocking forecast."

On Saturday, August 27th, The Army Corps of Engineers, which built most of the flood-protection levees in the region, pulled its personnel to a safe distance, expecting rising water from the storm would top the levees.

That same day, an unidentified woman in a yellow windbreaker said on TV that a Level 4 or 5 hurricane, or (in her words), "even a slow moving Level 3" would be too much for the levees in New Orleans.

On Sunday, August 28th, New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin, who has made more than his share of mistakes and is certainly not blameless in this episode, ordered an evacuation of the city and said "The storm surge will most likely topple our levee system".

The storm then hit.

On Thursday, September 1st, our (p)resident, in an interview on ABC News, said "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees."


Ignorance is not leadership.

It's Normal To Have A 62-cent Per Gallon Swing, Right?

Bloomington boasts the cheapest gas in the state right now, according to my new favorite site, at $2.79 per gallon at a Freedom station, while in Vienna, IL, the good folks are paying either $3.41 (at a Casey's) or $3.39 (everywhere else).

Basically, four gallons of Vienna's gas costs the same as five gallons of Bloomington. Amazing.

Make It Four...

...of the longest tenured players in the NHL to hang 'em up in the last few days. See the long entry below for details, but apparently Al MacInnis, longtime St. Louis defenseman, is joining the list of big (and old) names of players to retire this week.

This Was A Good One

From Jeff Stahler of the Columbus Dispatch

USA Today History of FEMA...Good Read

Particularly the sidebar which shows the chronology of FEMA, created by the Carter Administration.

The editorial

NHL Owners' Secret Plan Working

When the hockey strike was in progress last year (or, more accurately, "lockout"), I told my hockey buddies that it was smart of the owners to do this at exactly this time, because there were so many older players who were making too much money to hang up the skates.

I predicted that if they cancelled the entire season last year (which they did) that many older players would try to get back into shape just before the 2005-2006 season and would find out a) they'd lost too much in the downtime and b) the new salary cap would mean less dollars available for them. I called it the owner's "secret plan", and whether they unwittingly did it or not, it's working.

In the last couple of days, Scott Stevens (41 years young, 22 years as a pro), Vinny Damphousse (18 NHL seasons), and James Patrick (21 years in the league), have all announced their retirements. They were all among the top eight active players in games played.

Still undecided about their plans are Mark Messier, Ron Francis and defenseman Al MacInnis -- who are first, second and sixth, respectively, in games played by active players. Without looking it up, I'd venture a guess that these six guys collectively made 18-22 million dollars last season...maybe more...and will be replaced by guys making the league minimum. My buddy Bill Dennis would call this capitalism at it's finest, and this time I'm not disagreeing with him. I don't blame the owners, and I don't blame veteran players for sticking around as long as they can when the money is good. With the new salary cap, however, veteran money isn't going to be what it was. Price of doin' business, I say.

Another aspect of the lockout was that I thought many of the European players, particularly those who weren't big stars, would find out they could make almost as much money staying home to play in premier Russian, Swedish, English, and German leagues, and that is coming to fruition as well, as Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings has just announced he's staying in Russia to play this year.

The end result is a younger league, cheaper on the owner's pocketbooks, too, and more opportunities for AHL players to move up, (Peoria is back at the AAA level this year, in the AHL) and more opportunities for guys who played in the ECHL last year (AA level, what the Rivermen were from 1996-2005) to move up to the better-paying AHL.

I'm looking forward to hockey's return this year, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the franchises that best prepared for the post-lockout scenario (Minnesota Wild, Tampa Bay Lightning) perform this year. We'll see if their strategy of going with young players before the lockout pays off this year. My guess is it will.

Which One Is News, Which One Isn't?

CNN.com's "breaking news" as of 2pm Thursday was:

Fourteen bodies found Thursday inside the flooded Memorial Hospital in New Orleans.


FoxNews.com's "breaking news" was:

President Bush Declares September 16th National Prayer Day.

Besides the offensive-to-many nature of a president declaring a "prayer day", which one do you think is news, and which one is just so much fluff?

BTW, the story also on Fox says Bush has made next Friday "National Prayer And Rememberance Day" for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. I have NO problem with the rememberance part of the equation, as a matter of fact I commend Mr. Bush on the thought and the idea. But the prayer part bugs me. Not because I'm anti-prayer, I'm just so strongly FOR the separation of church and state...in ANY form.

And come to think of it, since we knew Katrina was coming ashore last Monday, the 29th of August, for those who believe in that power of prayer thing, I ask you this: Wouldn't it have made more sense to call for a "national prayer day" on August 28th?

Just a thought.

Sobering Thought Of The Day

"By the time night falls on Sept. 11, Osama bin Laden will have been at large for 1,461 days.

"America vanquished world fascism in less time. We obtained Germany's surrender in 1,243 days and Japan's in 1,365. Even the third Punic War, in which Carthage was burned to the ground and emptied of citizens, lasted only around 1,100 days."

Michael Tomasky, in the American Prospect magazine.

Letter Writer Is Spending Too Much Time With Rush

Jim Bright's letter today in the PJStar echoes what Limbaugh and the Talking Point gang have been saying: Ray Nagin did nothing.

Sorry, people, it's already widely known that Nagin ordered a mandatory evac of N.O. before Katrina hit. Here we go with the old, "say it enough and people will believe it to be the truth" garbage.

The sole purpose of Bright's letter was to exonerate the Bushies. Stop it. Please. Blame goes all around...from local to state to federal, they all screwed up. Now let's fix it, and quit trying to take the blame off of King George.

Likewise, Jack Giberson's letter today makes misstatements, all in the name of covering for King George.

Here's a sample:

The mayor of New Orleans and the governor of Louisiana should have requested state and federal resources be ready for prompt response after the hurricane. I have not seen any reports that these officials involved themselves with such preparations.

Well, Jack, if you're watching FoxNews, you won't see those reports. If you had read this blog, for instance, which is a mere four days old, you'd have seen where New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and Louisiana Governor Blanco had requested to Washington on Sunday, one day before the storm, that N.M.'s National Guard be sent to Louisiana. They didn't get their answer from Washington until Friday.

Again, many are to blame, including the administration. But some of the claims made just in this morning's Peoria newspaper are off base. I would imagine it's the same almost everywhere, as rabid Bush fans rush to his defense.

Let's Get Those Investigations Started!

IllinoisGasPrices.com is showing a Shell station in Wheaton at $2.93 per gallon this morning, while right up the road a Citgo station is at $3.29. Wheaton is the only city listed on the "cheapest" and "most expensive" list this morning, and the $3.29 was spotted after the $2.93 was reported, so that excuse won't work.

Only one local station is listed, a Clark on Main St. in Creve Couer is "down" to $2.90. Still a buck too high, but getting there.

BTW, congrats to the lovely folks in Sesser and Christopher, IL, both just east of Duquoin and south of Mt. Vernon, for their concern for their customers. A station in Sesser leads the whole state at $3.59 per gallon, and the price at all four Christopher stations listed on the site is $3.29 per gallon. Way to go, guys!

Seriously, the best way to handle this is simple: Give them six hours to change the price, or be shut down for a week, BUT make them still pay the help their normal hours. Just like a ballplayer who cheats, you suspend 'em. Tell owners they have a choice...keep your fuel prices in line, or lose a week's work of receipts without losing the payroll.

Barbara Is Indeed A Bit Of A Bitch, Isn't She?

From the Star Tribune (America's best paper):

"And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this [chuckle] -- this is working very well for them."

Former First Lady Barbara Bush, touring hurricane relief centers in Houston.

That's impressive. Not. "Oh, but there's no class warfare in this country, none at all." Bullshit.

You've Got To Watch This Show

Just got done watching the penultimate episode of Rescue Me, season 2.

The finale is next Tuesday at nine PM.

It is the funniest yet saddest, most real yet surreal, most gripping, most perfectly written show EVER.

Denis Leary is a genius. Second to none. The cast is amazing. Tatum O'Neal showed up tonight, joining Charles Durning as the bigger names on the cast. Every character is flawed, yet every character has strengths. Every character makes you mad, yet every character makes you laugh. They're all villians, and they're all heroes.

It's what television should be. Mike Chiklis' "The Shield" is right up there with it.

Amazingly (and ironically) they're both on Fox-owned FX. So while O'Reilly and that sickening Sean Hannity are interviewing and fawning all over Family Television Council members on a regular basis on Fox-owned Fox News, Fox-owned FX is talkin' dirty and showin' stuff with Rescue Me, The Shield, and Nip/Tuck.

Nobody plays both sides of the fence like ol' Rupert.

An Underlying Reason?

I read with interest a PJStar Letter To The Editor from Mr. Robert O'Donnell yesterday, lamenting the fact that several city eateries and businesses had gone under recently. He cited John Bee, Hunt's, VOP's, and Ben Franklin (I presume he was referring to the wonderful store in the Heights) as long-time Peoria businesses suddenly no longer with us.

I'm proud to say that although I've only been here nine years, I had visited all of them, save for John Bee, since I fell in love with a certain blonde, green-eyed native Peorian named Diane. She showed me all of these places. I even had lunch with NASCAR driver Ward Burton at VOP's, and he liked it, too.

Well, sad to say, they all have one thing in common...not one of them has advertised on a local radio station, to the best of my knowledge, in my nine years in town. Top of the Mind Awareness is important, and in a competitive world, more important than the excuse many businesses use when asked why they don't spend advertising dollars: "our best advertising is word of mouth." Umm, sorry, tain't so anymore.

You've got to keep the name out there. Plain and simple. Think about McDonald's. I'll bet everyone reading this can name the location of 10 McDonald's. Minimum. Yet there they are, the biggest in the world, still spending money every month with our AAA radio stations, and no doubt other local outlets as well.

"National chains are different", you say. Hmmm. Let's see. Bremer Jewelry. One store in Peoria, now opening a new one in Bloomington, constantly on our radio stations. Successful.

McDonald's Shell. Sterling Flower Shoppe. Bard Optical. Avanti's. All on the radio. All pretty local. All still open.

There's a bunch of great eateries Diane has introduced me too: Aggatucci's; Childer's; Polanza's. We're regulars now at all of 'em. And for the time being they're all doing well on the surface. But I'm begging the three of them right here: Keep your name out there. Before you become Hunt's.

Bye Bye Superdome?

CNN has a "Breaking News" banner on it's website, it's been there for awhile, with news that some Louisiana state officials are saying the Superdome may need to be destroyed.

Question to fellow sports fans and trivia nuts: Will this then be the first stadium that has hosted a Super Bowl (or two or how many ever have been there) to be leveled?

It's always a bit sad when a venue that has hosted so many events is forced to come down. But this one might be a little bit harder to take, since it was still a viable venue and an engineering marvel, as I feel all domes that size are.

If it must come down, it will be missed.

On a lighter note, although many dumps have finally been replaced by gorgeous venues in recent years, there are still some ballparks/football stadiums that are ready for the rockpile. So, my list of Top Five Stadiums We Could Do Without:

1. Shea Stadium. One of the oldest NL stadiums left, would anyone really miss it if it was gone? No personality, no cityscape in the distance. Blah.

2. Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. A great man saddled with an awful stadium named after him. I will say this in the park's defense: Without it, the Twins and Vikings would have long left Minnesota. But the roof saved 'em. Now, with the Twins back on solid ground and the Vikings with new, better ownership, the stadium needs replacing. Unfortunately, several wonderful replacement plans have been scuttled by the "new" Minnesota...the one that is dominated by a vicious group of anti-government people called the "Taxpayers' League". These guys are the Minnesota Mafia. Thugs who don't want to pay their fair share...for anything.

3. Network Associates Coliseum. That's what they call it now in Oakland. But it still sucks. Round (like all of the 60's and 70's concrete slabs), terrible for baseball (there's about 200 feet of foul ground behind the plate) and in a god-awful neighborhood (park in Vallejo, take a train...trust me). Buh-bye.

4. Texas Stadium. "It's got a hole in it so god can see his team play on Sunday's". Make me puke. This arrogant stadium built by arrogant people in an arrogant state is over-hyped and over-loved, but butt-ugly. It's so far in the ground, that when you drive by it, it appears to be nothing more than a large Budweiser warehouse. I hear it's now rat infested, and sadly out of date in it's infrastructure and facilities that are out of sight of the average patron. Get rid of it.

5. (This will make me popular) Wrigley Field. Speaking of over-hyped and over-loved, let's add over-rated to the mix. First, the ivy is stupid. Secondly, Grandview cemetery is in better shape. Thirdly, the facilities are atrocious for broadcasters, writers, officials, teams, and just about everybody else. Finally, since everyone knows the team will suck and never win, it just becomes the city's largest bar most of the time, and there are no more obnoxious fans in all of sports than Cub fans with a buzz on. Raze the thing and start fresh, it's o-vah.

Mayor Did What He Could, Still Doing What He Can

Ray Nagin has taken a lot of heat this past week. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. Before Hurricane Katrina, he ordered a mandatory evacuation of the city. Tens...hundreds...of thousands heeded his order. Tens of thousands didn't. Many of them couldn't get out, that is true, but many who could have gotten out refused to leave.

And many survivors still sequestered in their homes still refuse to leave. Now Nagin says he may have to order force to remove them. The water floating around the city is full of disease. The mosquitos are biting dead bodies and spreading further disease. The oily, gassy, scummy water could meet up with a raging fire and cause a huge explosion at any time.

Yet I see the faces of idiots - yes, idiots - on CNN and MSNBC and FoxNews - people who have the necessary vehicles and ability to leave - yelling and swearing at photographers and rescuers and soldiers to leave them alone because they're staying put.

You cannot blame Ray Nagin for these morons. You can't blame the parishes, the state, FEMA, the administration, anybody. These people apparently aren't smart enough to leave. So I support force in getting them out. Sadly, soldiers, police officers, and innocent civilians will probably die if it comes to this, because one redneck was quoted today as saying, "we've all got guns, and we know how to use 'em."

Brilliant.

Sometimes You Have To Look Elsewhere For The Story

When I was a kid growing up in Southern Minnesota, my iron ore-mining Uncle Dick would sometimes call us and have us read any newspaper stories we had about his company, Reserve Mining, because the stories were different in Southern Minny, just six hours south of where he lived. The Duluth paper would print one side of the company's story...probably what the company wanted employees to read, but our Rochester paper would print uncensored and unedited stories out of the company, which was struggling for survival.

It's much the same today, despite the fact the world has indeed grown smaller through technology. I find myself checking BBC and Rueters and Guardian UK for a lot of news items that just don't get covered by the SCLM (So Called Liberal Media) in this country.

I found this one tonight.

An excerpt:

Exxon's huge 500,000 barrel a day installation at Baton Rouge, Louisiana is "fully operational", according to the department, along with Total's facility at Port Arthur, Texas.

Both had suffered reduced production because of the storm, as had a number of others in places as far afield as Illinois and Ohio.

Five more - all in Louisiana and previously shut down - have lit their flares, indicating they are either in the process of restarting operations or preparing to do so.

Read it, and then drive around and see if our gas prices are coming down accordingly. The excuse given last week was "supplies will be short" when the prices shot up with no justification (i.e. dealers gouged us). Now, with all these refineries back up to speed or nearly there, you'd think we'd see prices shoot back down to the pre-storm $2.59 or $2.69 - which were still ungodly high and still a gouge in the eye, but certainly better than $2.99 to $3.19. Gas should still be what it was at the start of summer: below $2.00 per gallon. Anything more is a freakin' gouge. Period.

How Do You Defend...Or Not Defend...

From an AP article at CNN.com regarding survival in New Orleans. (Full story)

Stolen boats were used to rescue people from their homes. Stolen cars moved them across the city to dry land. Stolen food, water and clothes supplied the basic essentials.



What do you say? I know I don't have the words.

Gas Gouging? Many Say Yes

WHOI-TV's website has a quick poll right now that asks a simple yes or no question: Do you think there is gas gouging going on right now in Central Illinois?

It's yes 95%, no 4% right now. You see, THAT would be a mandate.

Jerry Rice hangs 'em up

Rather than take a limited role off the bench for the Denver Broncos, 20-year veteran NFL wide receiver Jerry Rice has decided to retire. Some call him the greatest player the game has ever known. He's certainly one of the best, but I don't know if I'd call him the best ever. Football (besides being increasingly boring every year) is too specialized to just say "best player ever".

I prefer to break it down by position, or group of positions with similar skills required.

My all-time greats:

QB - Joe Montana. Dude didn't like to lose. Period.
RB/FB - Jim Brown. I know, this is Walter Payton country. But it's not Jim Brown's fault he was born when he was. He'd have still been a dominant player today...over 40 years after his prime.
WR/TE - Jerry Rice. Yep, he is the best at his position.
OL - Larry Little. Tough call, you get different answers from every football expert you talk to. But as much as I hated the Shula-led Dolphins, Larry Little was a machine. Never made a mistake, rarely got beat. Anthony Munoz is a close second here.
DL - Alan Page. First defensive player to ever win the MVP, and he deserved it. Once got an offsides call on first down against Detroit that he didn't agree with, then proceeded to make three straight sacks on three straight plays despite being double teamed on every play, leaving Greg Landry fearing for his life. The result was a Lion punt on 4th-and-a-three-wood.
LB - Bobby Bell. The popular choice is Lawrence Taylor. Around here, old timers talk about Dick Butkus or Ray Nitchske. Today's fans like Ray Lewis (a thug who probably shouldn't be allowed on the field, IMO) and Brian Urlacher. But I go with Bell because he was the first one who combined size AND speed, and he was the prototype which Taylor and Lewis came from. Bell never came off the field. He sometimes lined up at end for Hank Stram's late-60's Chiefs, and sometimes as a fifth defensive back. He was a monster.
DB - Ronnie Lott. The ultimate winner. Not the fastest (Deion Sanders), not the biggest (Paul Krause), not the strongest (Joey Browner), not the meanest (Jack Tatum), not the dirtiest cheap shot artist (Fencik and Plank, '85 Bears), but he was the best all-around. And a winner.
K/P - Ray Guy. Man, I hated that dude. Effortlessly sending punts 65-75 yards in the air, perfect spiral, big hang time. Kicked off for the Raiders for years, and routinely shot it through the end zone.

That's the list. Not my favorites, mind you, but the guys I think have been the best. Feel free to Fencik and Plank (I mean, pile on and take a cheap shot)!