Here's how things panned out this past weekend with my picks in caps:
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES at Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears 24, PHILADELPHIA 20
Atlanta Falcons at CAROLINA PANTHERS
CAROLINA 24, Atlanta 9
San Francisco 49ers at NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
NEW ORLEANS 31, San Francisco 17
GREEN BAY PACKERS at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay 30, GREEN BAY 21
Cleveland Browns at CINCINNATI BENGALS
Cleveland 20, CINCINNATI 12
Houston Texans at JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
JACKSONVILLE 30, Houston 27 OT
Minnesota Vikings at TENNESSEE TITANS
TENNESSEE, 30, Minnesota 17
DENVER BRONCOS at Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City 33, DENVER 19
Arizona Cardinals at NEW YORK JETS
NEW YORK JETS 56, Arizona 35
BUFFALO BILLS at St. Louis Rams
BUFFALO 31, St. Louis 14
Washington Redskins at DALLAS COWBOYS
Washington 26, DALLAS 24
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS at Oakland Raiders
SAN DIEGO 28, Oakland 18
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 29
Baltimore Ravens at PITTSBURGH STEELERS
PITTSBURGH 23, Baltimore 20 OT
This week I picked 8 out of 13 correctly...there is very little in football more exciting than a goal line stand and the Bears defense held up against a late drive by Philadelphia...this Bears 1 game winning streak will become a 2 game winning streak next week in Detroit...so Brett Favre waited until he was a Jet to throw a career high 6 touchdown passes...he may have to do that every week if the Jets defense continues to give up a lot of points, like the 35 they allowed to a mediocre Arizona team...Tampa Bay kicker Matt Bryant kicked 3 field goals in the game against the Packers, only one day after the funeral of Bryant's infant son...I'm not sure how I feel about that, but if it helped him to deal with the grief, then God bless him.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
The Right Thing, For Once
Congress did something today that is almost unprecedented in the 21st century. It did the right thing. The House of Representatives voted against the plan to bailout Wall Street. This plan, like so many others the Bush administration has hatched, is a device that would reward the incompetence of an elite few while at the same time harming innumerable Americans guilty of nothing but paying their taxes.
It's refreshing to see Congressmen, particularly Republicans, standing up to a Republican president who has turned his back on conservative ideals, in this case, the Free Market concept.
This bailout is unnecessary. Without a doubt, there will, if no bailout passes Congress, be more takeovers of failing financial companies by financial companies that are sound. That is not a bad thing. People may lose home to foreclosure; most likely these will be people who could not afford to buy these homes in the first place. These foreclosures would not be a bad thing. Housing prices may fall. Again, not a bad thing, since the prices were artificially raised to begin with by lenders selling mortgages that were simply bad business. There may be a recession (certainly, though, not another Great Depression, as some fear mongers would have you believe) and this too may not be a bad thing. If there is going to be a Free Market, there are going to be ups and downs. To have nothing but a continually rosy economic picture is to have a fake economic picture. Had this bailout passed, it would have socialized the financial sector in ways Franklin Delano Roosevelt could only have dreamed of. It would create a fake economy, something along the lines of the way the Chinese prop up their economy by simply printing more money whenever they feel like it.
Let's hope the Free Market believers in both the House and the Senate continue to stand up for what is right, not for what George Bush and Henry Paulson want. Let's hope this bailout is dead forever.
It's refreshing to see Congressmen, particularly Republicans, standing up to a Republican president who has turned his back on conservative ideals, in this case, the Free Market concept.
This bailout is unnecessary. Without a doubt, there will, if no bailout passes Congress, be more takeovers of failing financial companies by financial companies that are sound. That is not a bad thing. People may lose home to foreclosure; most likely these will be people who could not afford to buy these homes in the first place. These foreclosures would not be a bad thing. Housing prices may fall. Again, not a bad thing, since the prices were artificially raised to begin with by lenders selling mortgages that were simply bad business. There may be a recession (certainly, though, not another Great Depression, as some fear mongers would have you believe) and this too may not be a bad thing. If there is going to be a Free Market, there are going to be ups and downs. To have nothing but a continually rosy economic picture is to have a fake economic picture. Had this bailout passed, it would have socialized the financial sector in ways Franklin Delano Roosevelt could only have dreamed of. It would create a fake economy, something along the lines of the way the Chinese prop up their economy by simply printing more money whenever they feel like it.
Let's hope the Free Market believers in both the House and the Senate continue to stand up for what is right, not for what George Bush and Henry Paulson want. Let's hope this bailout is dead forever.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Paul Newman 1925-2008
It makes me sad to think that Paul Newman is dead. "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" is one of my favorite movies. I think it's a classic comedy, a movie I can watch time and again and still be entertained. But look at a (very) brief list of his other films: "The Sting," "Cool Hand Luke," "The Long Hot Summer," "The Hustler." These are all classics. Newman made great movies and, let's face it, he was one cool customer. He raced cars, and he was good at it, and he did it even at an age when others would be retired to their rocking chairs. Now really, what man doesn't want to race cars?. But Newman did more than make movies and be cool. If Newman seemed like a nice guy, it's probably because he was. His Newman's Own products have raised $200 million dollars for charity. Now that's cool. And I think that makes him a great American. He'll be missed.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Fleeing Thoughts: Presidential Debate Number One
-Watching McCain and Obama debate each other in such a dry fashion made me miss Bill Clinton. He could hand you a sack of shit, tell you it was a bouquet of roses and you would know he was lying, but you bought it anyway. Bullshit just sounded good coming from him.
-My favorite moment of the debate came when the candidates were discussing the possibility of Iran possessing nuclear weapons. McCain said that a nuclear armed Iran would be an "existential threat" to Israel. An "existential threat"? What the hell does that mean? Do nuclear threats haves existential doubts? "I'm a nuclear threat, but do I really exist? Do any of us really exist? I would think about it but I prefer to stay in bed all day and sleep."
-McCain told a story about getting the bracelet of a dead soldier from the soldier's mother. Obama countered by saying he had a bracelet as well; it was very juvenile, almost as if he was saying, "I've got a bracelet too, grampa!" Dragging dead soldiers into your little political exercise is deplorable. They should both be ashamed.
-My favorite moment of the debate came when the candidates were discussing the possibility of Iran possessing nuclear weapons. McCain said that a nuclear armed Iran would be an "existential threat" to Israel. An "existential threat"? What the hell does that mean? Do nuclear threats haves existential doubts? "I'm a nuclear threat, but do I really exist? Do any of us really exist? I would think about it but I prefer to stay in bed all day and sleep."
-McCain told a story about getting the bracelet of a dead soldier from the soldier's mother. Obama countered by saying he had a bracelet as well; it was very juvenile, almost as if he was saying, "I've got a bracelet too, grampa!" Dragging dead soldiers into your little political exercise is deplorable. They should both be ashamed.
Football: Pick 'Em NFL Week 4
Here's this weeks picks:
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES at Chicago Bears
Atlanta Falcons at CAROLINA PANTHERS
San Francisco 49ers at NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
GREEN BAY PACKERS at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cleveland Browns at CINCINNATI BENGALS
Houston Texans at JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Minnesota Vikings at TENNESSEE TITANS
DENVER BRONCOS at Kansas City Chiefs
Arizona Cardinals at NEW YORK JETS
BUFFALO BILLS at St. Louis Rams
Washington Redskins at DALLAS COWBOYS
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS at Oakland Raiders
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 29
Baltimore Ravens at PITTSBURGH STEELERS
The Eagles taking on the Bears will not be a pretty game, at least not for Bears fans...the only chance the Ravens will have against Pittsburgh is if the injury to Ben Roethlisberger's hand keeps him from performing well...the Jets beating Arizona on Sunday will keep the glimmer in Brett Favre's eyes, at least until next week...all in all, no terribly exciting match-ups this week.
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES at Chicago Bears
Atlanta Falcons at CAROLINA PANTHERS
San Francisco 49ers at NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
GREEN BAY PACKERS at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cleveland Browns at CINCINNATI BENGALS
Houston Texans at JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Minnesota Vikings at TENNESSEE TITANS
DENVER BRONCOS at Kansas City Chiefs
Arizona Cardinals at NEW YORK JETS
BUFFALO BILLS at St. Louis Rams
Washington Redskins at DALLAS COWBOYS
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS at Oakland Raiders
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 29
Baltimore Ravens at PITTSBURGH STEELERS
The Eagles taking on the Bears will not be a pretty game, at least not for Bears fans...the only chance the Ravens will have against Pittsburgh is if the injury to Ben Roethlisberger's hand keeps him from performing well...the Jets beating Arizona on Sunday will keep the glimmer in Brett Favre's eyes, at least until next week...all in all, no terribly exciting match-ups this week.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Bailing Out the Greedhogs and the New Welfare Mothers
Seven hundred billion dollars. That's almost a trillion dollars, and when all is said and done, the cost of this bailout will be at least a trillion dollars, if not more. Like John McCain and Barack Obama I'm no economic expert, but I know that a trillion dollars is one whole heck of a lot of money.
It's one whole heck of a lot of taxpayer money that the federal government wants to use to bail out what are really nothing more than businesses that made very unwise decisions by selling mortgages to unwise (sometimes willfully so) buyers. What makes these failed businesses special is that they have failed on such a grand scale and with so many accomplices.
The mortgage lenders were Greedhogs who gave no thought to the future, no thought to right and wrong. They were assisted by a government claiming to believe in a Free Market, and that meant little to no government oversight, no rules, no regulations. The Bottom Feeders in this scenario are the Other Greedhogs, the mortgage buyer who wanted a McMansion he couldn't really afford, at least not in the long run, not once the low interest balloon popped and became a high interest nightmare turned reality.
Well, now the nightmare is nationwide and it appears that the Free Market is not so free after all. It will cost $700 million. What the government and the banks and the home buyers forgot is that freedom with self-restraint is anarchy, and that's what we have now. Economic chaos brought about by greed on many levels and an ideological belief that has now proven to be a failure. Defenders of the concept that there should be no government interference in business did not take into account the base nature of man. They didn't understand, or didn't want to, the concept that you can have a Free Market, but a little oversight by diligent and responsible people is necessary, else you end up with $700 million bailout.
President Bush and his Treasury Secretary are lobbying hard for this bailout. Just when was it that the Republican Party became the Socialist Party? It was probably when they handed out rebates to every tax paying American so they could go shopping in order to artificially prop up the American economy. We know how well that worked out. This bailout is just the latest thing from these New Socialists, another nail in the coffin of true Republican conservatism, the kind of conservatism that used to say to Americans, if you don't do your job well, you will fail and you won't be given a blank check by the government as a reward for failure. Conservative Republicans in the 1980s used to complain about the "welfare mothers" who scammed the system to get bigger, better welfare checks from their generous Uncle Sam. Now the Republicans and their cronies on Wall Street are the New Welfare Mothers.
What will happen if there is no bailout? Companies will fail and close, people will lose their homes. And maybe that would not be such a bad thing. If a company chooses to use bad business practices, should it not fail? If a mortgage buyer signs a contract knowing he won't be able to afford that house at some point, should that house not be lost? Let's face it, some of these mortgage buyers are not exactly stand up people. When the end is near, and foreclosure around the corner, these homeowners tear up the house, taking kitchen and bathroom fixtures, and more, with them before they abandon the house. Are these the people we want to lend a hand to?
Like I said, I'm no economics expert. I know the situation is a little more complex than I've made out. Our failed economic practices effect not only Americans, but people throughout the world. Because of the complex financial web weaved by Wall Street, a mortgage company in California could fail and stockholders and bond buyers in Finland will get the shaft. It's truly a global economy, and our American Mess has a global impact.
So there will be a bailout at some point. Even though polls show the bailout to be unpopular with the American public, politicians fear doing nothing at all will ultimately look worse with the voters than pissing away almost a trillion of their tax dollars. But with the bailout should come demands. Corporate heads who ran their companies into the ground should not be allowed to abscond with a multi-million dollar "Golden Parachute." There has to be government oversight of how the money is spent, something Henry Paulson doesn't want for some reason. There have to be new rules and regulations and enforcement of those rules, so that this never happens again. I'm not talking about so many rules that commerce is stifled. I'm talking about enforcement of self-restraint. The US cannot be a major player in the 21st century world if we have economic chaos. Remember, freedom without self-restraint is anarchy. We can't afford that. It would be unpatriotic to allow that to happen.
It's one whole heck of a lot of taxpayer money that the federal government wants to use to bail out what are really nothing more than businesses that made very unwise decisions by selling mortgages to unwise (sometimes willfully so) buyers. What makes these failed businesses special is that they have failed on such a grand scale and with so many accomplices.
The mortgage lenders were Greedhogs who gave no thought to the future, no thought to right and wrong. They were assisted by a government claiming to believe in a Free Market, and that meant little to no government oversight, no rules, no regulations. The Bottom Feeders in this scenario are the Other Greedhogs, the mortgage buyer who wanted a McMansion he couldn't really afford, at least not in the long run, not once the low interest balloon popped and became a high interest nightmare turned reality.
Well, now the nightmare is nationwide and it appears that the Free Market is not so free after all. It will cost $700 million. What the government and the banks and the home buyers forgot is that freedom with self-restraint is anarchy, and that's what we have now. Economic chaos brought about by greed on many levels and an ideological belief that has now proven to be a failure. Defenders of the concept that there should be no government interference in business did not take into account the base nature of man. They didn't understand, or didn't want to, the concept that you can have a Free Market, but a little oversight by diligent and responsible people is necessary, else you end up with $700 million bailout.
President Bush and his Treasury Secretary are lobbying hard for this bailout. Just when was it that the Republican Party became the Socialist Party? It was probably when they handed out rebates to every tax paying American so they could go shopping in order to artificially prop up the American economy. We know how well that worked out. This bailout is just the latest thing from these New Socialists, another nail in the coffin of true Republican conservatism, the kind of conservatism that used to say to Americans, if you don't do your job well, you will fail and you won't be given a blank check by the government as a reward for failure. Conservative Republicans in the 1980s used to complain about the "welfare mothers" who scammed the system to get bigger, better welfare checks from their generous Uncle Sam. Now the Republicans and their cronies on Wall Street are the New Welfare Mothers.
What will happen if there is no bailout? Companies will fail and close, people will lose their homes. And maybe that would not be such a bad thing. If a company chooses to use bad business practices, should it not fail? If a mortgage buyer signs a contract knowing he won't be able to afford that house at some point, should that house not be lost? Let's face it, some of these mortgage buyers are not exactly stand up people. When the end is near, and foreclosure around the corner, these homeowners tear up the house, taking kitchen and bathroom fixtures, and more, with them before they abandon the house. Are these the people we want to lend a hand to?
Like I said, I'm no economics expert. I know the situation is a little more complex than I've made out. Our failed economic practices effect not only Americans, but people throughout the world. Because of the complex financial web weaved by Wall Street, a mortgage company in California could fail and stockholders and bond buyers in Finland will get the shaft. It's truly a global economy, and our American Mess has a global impact.
So there will be a bailout at some point. Even though polls show the bailout to be unpopular with the American public, politicians fear doing nothing at all will ultimately look worse with the voters than pissing away almost a trillion of their tax dollars. But with the bailout should come demands. Corporate heads who ran their companies into the ground should not be allowed to abscond with a multi-million dollar "Golden Parachute." There has to be government oversight of how the money is spent, something Henry Paulson doesn't want for some reason. There have to be new rules and regulations and enforcement of those rules, so that this never happens again. I'm not talking about so many rules that commerce is stifled. I'm talking about enforcement of self-restraint. The US cannot be a major player in the 21st century world if we have economic chaos. Remember, freedom without self-restraint is anarchy. We can't afford that. It would be unpatriotic to allow that to happen.
Fleeing Thoughts: Politics
-John McCain is suspending his presidential campaign in order to go back to Washington to deal with the economic crisis, and suggests Barack Obama do the same. Essentially he's suggesting that both senators go back to their workplace and do their job, at least for a little while.
It's an interesting move on McCain's part. He's doing this in an effort to show leadership during a time of "crisis." It remains to be seen how Obama counters this move.
-Shouldn't Obama and McCain both give up their Senate salaries for 2008, seeing as how they've missed the majority of votes this year? These two are like City of Chicago ghost payrollers. I guess Obama did learn well from the Chicago machine, but where did McCain get his ideas on being paid for not working?
-Does anyone really believe that come November 4, when Bill and Hillary each step into a voting booth, that either one of them will cast a vote for Barack Obama? The hatred and resentments run deep, because with the Clintons, it's always personal. Hillary's defeat in the primaries wasn't just political, it was personal, personal for her to lose the chance to be president, personal for him to have the spotlight turned to a new Democratic up and comer, as he once was.
They may not vote for McCain, but neither Bill nor Hillary will vote for Obama.
It's an interesting move on McCain's part. He's doing this in an effort to show leadership during a time of "crisis." It remains to be seen how Obama counters this move.
-Shouldn't Obama and McCain both give up their Senate salaries for 2008, seeing as how they've missed the majority of votes this year? These two are like City of Chicago ghost payrollers. I guess Obama did learn well from the Chicago machine, but where did McCain get his ideas on being paid for not working?
-Does anyone really believe that come November 4, when Bill and Hillary each step into a voting booth, that either one of them will cast a vote for Barack Obama? The hatred and resentments run deep, because with the Clintons, it's always personal. Hillary's defeat in the primaries wasn't just political, it was personal, personal for her to lose the chance to be president, personal for him to have the spotlight turned to a new Democratic up and comer, as he once was.
They may not vote for McCain, but neither Bill nor Hillary will vote for Obama.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Psychic or Psychotic?
I feel odd.
Like something significant is going to happen. Perhaps this is a feeling of premonition.
Maybe I'm just happy and all is well.
Like something significant is going to happen. Perhaps this is a feeling of premonition.
Maybe I'm just happy and all is well.
Football: Pick 'Em, Week 3 Results
Let's see how we did, and by "we," I mean me. Remember, my picks are in caps.
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at CHICAGO BEARS
Tampa Bay 27, CHICAGO BEARS 24 OT
Carolina Panthers at MINNESOTA VIKINGS
MINNESOTA 20, Carolina 10
Houston Texans at TENNESSEE TITANS
TENNESSEE 31, Houston 12
Miami Dolphins at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Miami 38, NEW ENGLAND 13
Arizona Cardinals at WASHINGTON REDSKINS
WASHINGTON 24, Arizona 17
Oakland Raiders at BUFFALO BILLS
BUFFALO 24, Oakland 23
Cincinnati Bengals at NEW YORK GIANTS
NEW YORK GIANTS 26, Cincinnati 23 OT
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS at Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta 38, KANSAS CITY 14
Detroit Lions at SAN FRANCISCO 49ers
SAN FRANCISCO 31, Detroit 13
St. Louis Rams at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
SEATTLE 37, St. Louis 13
New Orleans Saints at DENVER BRONCOS
DENVER 34, New Orleans 32
Cleveland Browns at BALTIMORE RAVENS
BALTIMORE 28, Cleveland 10
Jacksonville Jaguars at INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Jacksonville 23, INDIANAPOLIS 21
Pittsburgh Steelers at PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
PHILADELPHIA 15, Pittsburgh 6
Dallas Cowboys at GREEN BAY PACKERS
Dallas 27, GREEN BAY 8
MONDAY NIGHT SEPTEMBER 22
New York Jets at SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
SAN DIEGO 48, New York Jets 29
Comments: Not bad, out of 16 games I picked the winners in 11, an improvement over last week when I just barely broke even...I'm going to stop picking the Bears if they insist on having melt downs late in the game...what happened up there in New England?...no undefeated season for them this year...granted, they have no Tom Brady, but still, losing to the Dolphins and their Jets cast off QB?...speaking of the Jets, Brett Favre and his boys were pummeled last night...can we now begin the countdown to his next "retirement"....Chargers QB Philip Rivers reminds me of Jim McMahon, man with an attitude, but perhaps bigger and stronger...how about this: Ben Roethlisberger was sacked 9 times by the Philadelphia Eagles.
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at CHICAGO BEARS
Tampa Bay 27, CHICAGO BEARS 24 OT
Carolina Panthers at MINNESOTA VIKINGS
MINNESOTA 20, Carolina 10
Houston Texans at TENNESSEE TITANS
TENNESSEE 31, Houston 12
Miami Dolphins at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Miami 38, NEW ENGLAND 13
Arizona Cardinals at WASHINGTON REDSKINS
WASHINGTON 24, Arizona 17
Oakland Raiders at BUFFALO BILLS
BUFFALO 24, Oakland 23
Cincinnati Bengals at NEW YORK GIANTS
NEW YORK GIANTS 26, Cincinnati 23 OT
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS at Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta 38, KANSAS CITY 14
Detroit Lions at SAN FRANCISCO 49ers
SAN FRANCISCO 31, Detroit 13
St. Louis Rams at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
SEATTLE 37, St. Louis 13
New Orleans Saints at DENVER BRONCOS
DENVER 34, New Orleans 32
Cleveland Browns at BALTIMORE RAVENS
BALTIMORE 28, Cleveland 10
Jacksonville Jaguars at INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Jacksonville 23, INDIANAPOLIS 21
Pittsburgh Steelers at PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
PHILADELPHIA 15, Pittsburgh 6
Dallas Cowboys at GREEN BAY PACKERS
Dallas 27, GREEN BAY 8
MONDAY NIGHT SEPTEMBER 22
New York Jets at SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
SAN DIEGO 48, New York Jets 29
Comments: Not bad, out of 16 games I picked the winners in 11, an improvement over last week when I just barely broke even...I'm going to stop picking the Bears if they insist on having melt downs late in the game...what happened up there in New England?...no undefeated season for them this year...granted, they have no Tom Brady, but still, losing to the Dolphins and their Jets cast off QB?...speaking of the Jets, Brett Favre and his boys were pummeled last night...can we now begin the countdown to his next "retirement"....Chargers QB Philip Rivers reminds me of Jim McMahon, man with an attitude, but perhaps bigger and stronger...how about this: Ben Roethlisberger was sacked 9 times by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Video: AC/DC "Rock 'n Roll Train"
The sound is a bit murky at the beginning of the video, but really, great rock 'n roll should sound a bit murky, shouldn't it?
Football: Pick 'Em, Week 3
Here's my picks for week 3 of the NFL season (my picks to win are in capital letters):
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at CHICAGO BEARS
Carolina Panthers at MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Houston Texans at TENNESSEE TITANS
Miami Dolphins at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Arizona Cardinals at WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Oakland Raiders at BUFFALO BILLS
Cincinnati Bengals at NEW YORK GIANTS
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS at Atlanta Falcons
Detroit Lions at SAN FRANCISCO 49ers
St. Louis Rams at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
New Orleans Saints at DENVER BRONCOS
Cleveland Browns at BALTIMORE RAVENS
Jacksonville Jaguars at INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Pittsburgh Steelers at PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Dallas Cowboys at GREEN BAY PACKERS
MONDAY NIGHT SEPTEMBER 22
New York Jets at SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
Random impressions: Best game of the week has to be the unbeaten Packers versus the unbeaten Cowboys Sunday night...will John Madden weep openly over the fact that Brett Favre isn't there?...the Packers will win a close, hard fought game and Aaron Rodgers will be hailed as the Second Coming (of Brett Favre)...worst game of the week has to be the winless Seahawks versus the winless Rams...one of these teams has to win, right?...I know Favre is 5-0 against the Chargers, with 3 wins in San Diego, but this is different, the Jets are not the Packers and Favre, well, Favre really isn't Favre anymore, is he?...the battle for bragging rights in Pennsylvania between the Eagles and the Steelers should be a good one...I'm picking Philly but you really can't count out Pittsburgh, not ever.
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at CHICAGO BEARS
Carolina Panthers at MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Houston Texans at TENNESSEE TITANS
Miami Dolphins at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Arizona Cardinals at WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Oakland Raiders at BUFFALO BILLS
Cincinnati Bengals at NEW YORK GIANTS
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS at Atlanta Falcons
Detroit Lions at SAN FRANCISCO 49ers
St. Louis Rams at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
New Orleans Saints at DENVER BRONCOS
Cleveland Browns at BALTIMORE RAVENS
Jacksonville Jaguars at INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Pittsburgh Steelers at PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Dallas Cowboys at GREEN BAY PACKERS
MONDAY NIGHT SEPTEMBER 22
New York Jets at SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
Random impressions: Best game of the week has to be the unbeaten Packers versus the unbeaten Cowboys Sunday night...will John Madden weep openly over the fact that Brett Favre isn't there?...the Packers will win a close, hard fought game and Aaron Rodgers will be hailed as the Second Coming (of Brett Favre)...worst game of the week has to be the winless Seahawks versus the winless Rams...one of these teams has to win, right?...I know Favre is 5-0 against the Chargers, with 3 wins in San Diego, but this is different, the Jets are not the Packers and Favre, well, Favre really isn't Favre anymore, is he?...the battle for bragging rights in Pennsylvania between the Eagles and the Steelers should be a good one...I'm picking Philly but you really can't count out Pittsburgh, not ever.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Video: I really need to get a white suit
From back in the day when Roxy Music was still fun. Taken from a German TV show, this edition of "Editions of You" features a really fabulous Brian Eno, looking like an outcast from a gay version of "Mad Max" and wearing way too much make-up, yet still looking divine nonetheless.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
And now, a shameless plug for which I will receive nothing
New album out October 20, world tour (the first since 2001) begins October 28 (comes to Chicago October 30), a full video for the song "Rock 'n Roll Train" will be out September 19. AC/DC is back, and quite possibly in black.
Football: Pick 'Em and Weep, the Results
The time has come to see how I've done. I made my predictions last week for this past weekend's NFL games; let us now judge my powers of prognostication. Remember, my picks are the teams in capital letters.
MY PICKS and
THE REALITY
BEARS at Carolina Panthers
Carolina 20, BEARS 17
GREEN BAY PACKERS at Detroit Lions
GREEN BAY 48, Detroit 25
NEW YORK GIANTS at St. Louis Rams
NEW YORK 41, St. Louis 13
Indianapolis Colts at MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Indianapolis 18, MINNESOTA 15
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS at Washington Redskins
Washington 29, NEW ORLEANS 24
TENNESSEE TITANS at Cincinnati Bengals
TENNESSEE 24, Cincinnati 7
Buffalo Bills at JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Buffalo 20, JACKSONVILLE 16
San Francisco 49er's at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
San Francisco 33, SEATTLE 30 OT
Atlanta Falcons at TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
TAMPA BAY 24, Atlanta 9
Baltimore Ravens at HOUSTON TEXANS
Baltimore, Houston postponed
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS at New York Jets
NEW ENGLAND 19, New York Jets 10
Miami Dolphins at ARIZONA CARDINALS
ARIZONA 31, Miami 10
San Diego Chargers at DENVER BRONCOS
DENVER 39, San Diego 38
PITTSBURGH STEELERS at Cleveland Browns
PITTSBURGH 10, Cleveland 6
Monday, September 15
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES at Dallas Cowboys
Dallas 41, PHILADELPHIA 37
Here's the lowdown: 15 games means 15 predictions and I predicted...drum roll please...8 correct winners and 6 losers. (The Texans games against the Ravens in Houston was hurricaned out.) So my record after one week is 8-6. Not bad for someone with little or no knowledge of injuries and how well individuals are playing. My goal is that as the season progresses I can make picks based on trends that I see among teams. We'll see about that, we'll see.
Impressions of what I saw of the games: the Minnesota offense appeared to be on fire at times, yet couldn't make any big scoring plays...at the end of the Jets-Patriots game, Brett Favre had a look on his face that seemed to indicate he was thinking he may have made a bad decision coming to New York...29 seconds left at the end of the Broncos-Chargers game and the Broncos go for a 2-point attempt and succeed to take the lead; that's exciting football...when I saw that the Bears had blocked a punt and scored a touchdown early in the game, I thought "these guys are on fire" and that they might win the game...in a case of premature celebration last night an Eagles rookie running for a touchdown arrogantly flipped the football down on the ground; unfortunately for him, he hadn't crossed the plane with ball when he did this, and the touchdown was reversed upon review; coach Andy Reid may want to have a talk with this guy.
MY PICKS and
THE REALITY
BEARS at Carolina Panthers
Carolina 20, BEARS 17
GREEN BAY PACKERS at Detroit Lions
GREEN BAY 48, Detroit 25
NEW YORK GIANTS at St. Louis Rams
NEW YORK 41, St. Louis 13
Indianapolis Colts at MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Indianapolis 18, MINNESOTA 15
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS at Washington Redskins
Washington 29, NEW ORLEANS 24
TENNESSEE TITANS at Cincinnati Bengals
TENNESSEE 24, Cincinnati 7
Buffalo Bills at JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Buffalo 20, JACKSONVILLE 16
San Francisco 49er's at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
San Francisco 33, SEATTLE 30 OT
Atlanta Falcons at TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
TAMPA BAY 24, Atlanta 9
Baltimore Ravens at HOUSTON TEXANS
Baltimore, Houston postponed
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS at New York Jets
NEW ENGLAND 19, New York Jets 10
Miami Dolphins at ARIZONA CARDINALS
ARIZONA 31, Miami 10
San Diego Chargers at DENVER BRONCOS
DENVER 39, San Diego 38
PITTSBURGH STEELERS at Cleveland Browns
PITTSBURGH 10, Cleveland 6
Monday, September 15
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES at Dallas Cowboys
Dallas 41, PHILADELPHIA 37
Here's the lowdown: 15 games means 15 predictions and I predicted...drum roll please...8 correct winners and 6 losers. (The Texans games against the Ravens in Houston was hurricaned out.) So my record after one week is 8-6. Not bad for someone with little or no knowledge of injuries and how well individuals are playing. My goal is that as the season progresses I can make picks based on trends that I see among teams. We'll see about that, we'll see.
Impressions of what I saw of the games: the Minnesota offense appeared to be on fire at times, yet couldn't make any big scoring plays...at the end of the Jets-Patriots game, Brett Favre had a look on his face that seemed to indicate he was thinking he may have made a bad decision coming to New York...29 seconds left at the end of the Broncos-Chargers game and the Broncos go for a 2-point attempt and succeed to take the lead; that's exciting football...when I saw that the Bears had blocked a punt and scored a touchdown early in the game, I thought "these guys are on fire" and that they might win the game...in a case of premature celebration last night an Eagles rookie running for a touchdown arrogantly flipped the football down on the ground; unfortunately for him, he hadn't crossed the plane with ball when he did this, and the touchdown was reversed upon review; coach Andy Reid may want to have a talk with this guy.
Piper at the Gates of Heaven (Hopefully)
If you're one of those people still hoping for a Pink Floyd reunion tour, despite the fact that David Gilmour has said time and again that he would never tour with the band again for any amount of money, your hopes must now be completely be dashed.
Rick Wright, founding member and keyboard player of Pink Floyd, died yesterday at age 65 from cancer. This is just another instance of making people like me, who were kids back in the 1970s when we first heard Pink Floyd on the radio, most likely something from "Dark Side of the Moon" which seemed to be playing every time I turned on the radio, feel old. It also points out that 65 seems like a younger age than we once would have thought. Back in the day, 65 seemed old. Now it seems not all that far off and, for some, perhaps frightfully close.
Rick Wright, founding member and keyboard player of Pink Floyd, died yesterday at age 65 from cancer. This is just another instance of making people like me, who were kids back in the 1970s when we first heard Pink Floyd on the radio, most likely something from "Dark Side of the Moon" which seemed to be playing every time I turned on the radio, feel old. It also points out that 65 seems like a younger age than we once would have thought. Back in the day, 65 seemed old. Now it seems not all that far off and, for some, perhaps frightfully close.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Pick 'Em and Weep
I'm going to try and start something new. Every week, I will attempt to pick the winners of the upcoming NFL games. My picks will be based on unfounded conjecture, personal whim, and a brief look at the sports page of the Daily Herald. My pick to win will be the team listed in caps. So here goes, but remember, please no wagering. I don't think the NFL would condone any betting activities regarding it's games, legal or otherwise.
Sunday, September 14
BEARS at Carolina Panthers
GREEN BAY PACKERS at Detroit Lions
NEW YORK GIANTS at St. Louis Rams
Indianapolis Colts at MINNESOTA VIKINGS
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS at Washington Redskins
TENNESSEE TITANS at Cincinnati Bengals
Buffalo Bills at JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
San Francisco 49er's at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Atlanta Falcons at TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Baltimore Ravens at HOUSTON TEXANS
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS at New York Jets
Miami Dolphins at ARIZONA CARDINALS
San Diego Chargers at DENVER BRONCOS
PITTSBURGH STEELERS at Cleveland Browns
Monday, September 15
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES at Dallas Cowboys
We'll see on Monday how I did.
Sunday, September 14
BEARS at Carolina Panthers
GREEN BAY PACKERS at Detroit Lions
NEW YORK GIANTS at St. Louis Rams
Indianapolis Colts at MINNESOTA VIKINGS
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS at Washington Redskins
TENNESSEE TITANS at Cincinnati Bengals
Buffalo Bills at JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
San Francisco 49er's at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Atlanta Falcons at TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Baltimore Ravens at HOUSTON TEXANS
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS at New York Jets
Miami Dolphins at ARIZONA CARDINALS
San Diego Chargers at DENVER BRONCOS
PITTSBURGH STEELERS at Cleveland Browns
Monday, September 15
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES at Dallas Cowboys
We'll see on Monday how I did.
Fleeing Thought: Finally, Into Pakistan
We now know that President Bush gave orders in July that would allow American military forces to enter Pakistan without the prior approval of the Pakistani government. The obvious question is, what the heck took so long? It took almost seven full years since the US entered Afghanistan for the Bush administration to realize that Pakistan is not the ally in the alleged War on Terror that they claim to be. I think that's just sad.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Fleeing Thought on the Cubs: Is it time?
Is it time yet to start worrying about the Cubs? Eight losses in their last 9 games might lead you to worry or drive you to drink, but let's not forget what division their in. The Cardinals are not good enough to overtake them and gain a playoff spot (although they were good enough to beat the Cubs last night) and the Milwaukee Brewers seem to slip into a panic mode anytime they get too close to first place and/or the Cubs. So the Cubs are assured of a playoff spot. The real question then is, what will the Cubs do once they get to the playoffs?
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Keith Moon: Thirty Years On
It's been thirty years since Keith Moon died. It can't possibly be that long ago, I can't possibly have put all those years behind me so quickly, it can't possibly be a different century, but it is. I was thirteen, almost fourteen years old, just starting high school on September 7, 1978. Keith Moon was thirty-two when he died, although he looked older. Enormous alcohol consumption and heavy doses of drugs will do that to you. Living the Keith Moon lifestyle will do that to you, make you look old before your time, kill you at age that seems too young to die.
Keith Moon has been dead almost as long as he was alive and he has been dead far longer than he was the drummer for the Who. But Moon's time with the band, from 1965's My Generation to 1978's Who Are You, were the classic Who years. The Who still exist as a band, albeit with half their original members, still creating new music and still a joy to behold on a concert stage. Yet the Who that means the most to people is the Who of Keith Moon.
Pete Townshend may have been the brains behind the Who, but Keith Moon was the soul. Moon exemplified what the Who was all about. Keith Moon was about anger and violence, wit and humor, cruelty and comfort, defiance and independence, self-expression and self-immolation. He was what the Who were about and the Who were all about what rock 'n roll is supposed to be about. Keith Moon was also about occasionally driving a car into the Holiday Inn swimming pool. But that's not why you called.
Moon was a unique drummer in that he rarely kept a beat. He was quite capable of it, as you can hear on "The Kids Are Alright" or "Bellboy," but he was more given to a free-form style, somewhat in the tradition of Gene Krupa, a drummer from the age before rock, that Moon admired.
If Keith had merely kept a beat, he would have been Charlie Watts with an attention deficit disorder. Instead he provided an individualistic style that was more about flourishes and embellishments. He was unique amongst rock drummers then and now, and perhaps amongst drummers in any musical style. Keith Moon was, as he put it, "the best Keith Moon-style drummer around." Oh, and he liked playing with explosives.
His style was explosive. Keith Moon attacked the drum kit, he slashed at it and he thrashed at it and he trashed it. He also did quite literally put explosives inside his drum kit and blow it up. Pete Townshend blames his hearing loss on Moon exploding his kit at the end of their performance of "My Generation" on "The Smothers Brothers Show."
Moon attacked himself as well, and sometimes those around him. He drank like a fish and drugged like a...well, whatever animal takes a lot of drugs. Speaking of animals and drugs, he once took an excessive amount of animal tranquilizers, enough to make him pass out on stage. He was carted off and the band replaced him for the rest of the show with an audience member. But in the long run, there was no replacing Keith Moon and there never will be.
Moon was smart and funny and self-deprecating, full of hyper-activity and insanity and sadness. He acted the clown, but it was a mask. Pete said the only time he saw the real Keith was when Moon was crying. He was a shallow fool with the depth of an ocean.
Drugs and booze and an early death. He was the epitome of rock 'n roll I guess. When he died I didn't feel any great sadness, nor was I surprised. Perhaps every rock fan expected it to happen. Give him his props though. Keith Moon lived as he wanted, telling truths as he saw them, and went out the way someone like him should have. The Moon shone brightly, and then exploded.
Friday, September 5, 2008
A Man After My Own Heart
"Stand Up 2 Cancer" tonight on the CBS, NBC and ABC television networks at 7 pm central time. Just the fact that it's a commercial free hour of TV should make you want to check this out. That, and the fact that if you donate to help find a cure for cancer, you'll be helping a bald brother out.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Why is it called "football" if you can touch it with your hands?
The National Football League begins it's regular season this evening with a match up of the Super Bowl champion New York Giants and the Washington Redskins. That must mean only one thing: the New York sports media will demand that QB Eli Manning must be replaced the millisecond he throws his first interception. No, wait, that's not the only thing it means. It also means that it's time for the 1st Annual Voices in my Head I'm Totally Pulling These Picks Out of my Butt Because I Don't Really Know That Much About Football Predictions.
Truth be told, I'll only pay a little bit of attention to football at this early stage of the season, mostly just to see if Kyle Orton can throw an accurate pass down field or if Brett Favre retires in the middle of a game. Really now, just after Labor Day is way too early for football. Get back to me when it's cold and there's a chance of snow. I won't even watch more than a minute of a game until Thanksgiving Day. Right now, it's still baseball season, baby.
And now, the predictions:
NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
NFC North
1. Minnesota Vikings
2. Green Bay Packers
3. CHICAGO BEARS
4. Detroit Lions
NFC East
1. New York Giants
2. Dallas Cowboys (can someone please tell me how Dallas ended up in the East?)
3. Philadelphia Eagles
4. Washington Redskins
NFC South
1. New Orleans Saints
2. Carolina Panthers
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4. Atlanta Falcons
NFC West
1. Seattle Seahawks
2. St. Louis Rams
3. Arizona Cardinals
4. San Francisco 49er's
AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
AFC North
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
2. Cleveland Browns
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. Cincinnati Bengals
AFC East
1. New England Patriots
2. New York Jets
3. Miami Dolphins
4. Buffalo Bills
AFC South
1. Indianapolis Colts
2. Jacksonville Jaguars
3. Tennessee Titans
4. Houston Texans
AFC West
1. San Diego Chargers
2. Denver Broncos
3. Kansas City Chargers
4. Oakland Raiders
Don't ask me about playoffs or wild cards or any of that. Don't know, don't care, but I do have a feeling how it will ultimately shake out:
SUPER BOWL
Indianapolis Colts over the New York Giants
The Bears will go 8-8 and be lucky they did that well. It's going to be a long season for them.
Truth be told, I'll only pay a little bit of attention to football at this early stage of the season, mostly just to see if Kyle Orton can throw an accurate pass down field or if Brett Favre retires in the middle of a game. Really now, just after Labor Day is way too early for football. Get back to me when it's cold and there's a chance of snow. I won't even watch more than a minute of a game until Thanksgiving Day. Right now, it's still baseball season, baby.
And now, the predictions:
NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
NFC North
1. Minnesota Vikings
2. Green Bay Packers
3. CHICAGO BEARS
4. Detroit Lions
NFC East
1. New York Giants
2. Dallas Cowboys (can someone please tell me how Dallas ended up in the East?)
3. Philadelphia Eagles
4. Washington Redskins
NFC South
1. New Orleans Saints
2. Carolina Panthers
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4. Atlanta Falcons
NFC West
1. Seattle Seahawks
2. St. Louis Rams
3. Arizona Cardinals
4. San Francisco 49er's
AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
AFC North
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
2. Cleveland Browns
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. Cincinnati Bengals
AFC East
1. New England Patriots
2. New York Jets
3. Miami Dolphins
4. Buffalo Bills
AFC South
1. Indianapolis Colts
2. Jacksonville Jaguars
3. Tennessee Titans
4. Houston Texans
AFC West
1. San Diego Chargers
2. Denver Broncos
3. Kansas City Chargers
4. Oakland Raiders
Don't ask me about playoffs or wild cards or any of that. Don't know, don't care, but I do have a feeling how it will ultimately shake out:
SUPER BOWL
Indianapolis Colts over the New York Giants
The Bears will go 8-8 and be lucky they did that well. It's going to be a long season for them.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Fleeing Thoughts: Palin, Cubs, White Sox, or How Everybody Just Needs to Take a Deep Breath and Calm Down a Little
-Hey, this Sarah Palin chick sure is exciting! A knocked-up teen-age daughter, a husband with a DUI (twenty years ago- maybe the media can check to see if he wet his pants once in kindergarten), a sister with a messy divorce. This is the first Republican candidate for national office in a long time who actually resembles a normal American with a normal American family. Normal families can get a little messy at times, a little chaotic with not everyone behaving like English ladies at a tea party.
All this is why middle-class America will can relate to her and like her and possibly even sway a few more people to vote for John McCain than they would without Palin on the ticket. Certainly parents with teen-agers will have a least a little bit of sympathy for the Palins. So the 17-year-old who's having a baby will marry the baby daddy. No political damage. Where else is there no fire where a media grown tired of the beautiful slickness of the Obamas sees smoke?
There's the head of the Alaska state police that Palin allegedly fired because he wouldn't fire Palin's ex-brother-in-law. The media doesn't point out as readily that the fired gentleman himself says he had never had any direct contact with Palin about the brother-in-law. This is a non-issue which will fade away, especially in light of juicier National Enquirer-type "issues" like pregnant teen-agers. The husband with a DUI? That one faded fast as well, since it happened twenty years ago. And I seem to recall a certain president who had a DUI in his past (as well as alcohol abuse and possibly cocaine use), yet managed to get elected twice. There are indeed a lot of issues as far as Palin is concerned but these issues are, in the reality of the voting world, non-issues.
There was an article in the New York Times that raised questions as to how Palin, a mother with five children, the youngest of whom has Down syndrome, will be able to handle raising a family coupled with the responsibility of being in the second highest office in the land. Well, no one has asked Barack Obama how he would be able to handle raising children while in office. In fact, no man ever running for office has ever been asked that. I wasn't fully sold on the concept before, but now I realize sexism is indeed alive and well. Maybe the lady in the pantsuits was right: aspects of the media coverage of her campaign may indeed have been sexist. If there are parents running for office, be it a man or a woman, they should be asked the same questions regarding child rearing, or neither of them should be asked. That's fair.
As for all the talking heads and their concern over the vetting of Sarah Palin, which many in the news core thinks was only perfunctory (that's a twenty dollar word) at best, one can only shrug. The average voter doesn't even know what "vetting" means. They think it has something to do with their dog. Unless there's something really, really wacky in Palin's background, like her doing something really weird to one of those moose she hunts, all this chatter about vetting is a waste of space. Of course, with 24-hour TV news channels, talk radio and those things that fewer and fewer people read called newspapers, there's a lot of space to waste. (A quick word on newspaper editorials: Very few people, other than political addicts such as myself, read them. They are not read, I don't think, by the vast electorate, and have very little, if any effect on anything.)
The one thing I will say about family, is that if you bring them on stage of in front of camera and an interviewer, as have Palin and Obama, then you provoke media scrutiny of your family. If you don't want that, leave the kids at home, with adult supervision of course.
Sarah Palin looks like the type of person who can take a punch, metaphorically speaking. She won't be scared off by overly excited reporters by the hundreds, and would, I'll bet, look at dealing with the media invasion as a challenge. Sarah Palin isn't going anywhere, nor is John McCain going to ask her to do so.
Here's my advice to the sweaty, wild-eyed media hordes: take a deep breath.
-The Cubs have lost four games in a row at Wrigley for the first time since I don't know when. The White Sox have lost five out of their last six games. The end is near! Well, I have news for you, both these teams are too good to fade away and not make at least the playoffs. This is a good time for starters, both pitchers and position players, to take a few days off and get their stuff together for when things are really serious. It's better to lose a few games now than in October.
Here's my advice to Cubs and White Sox fans: take a deep breath. (For all you White Sox fans, don't forget to exhale after that deep breath. You wouldn't want to hold your breath until you turn Cubbie blue, would you?)
All this is why middle-class America will can relate to her and like her and possibly even sway a few more people to vote for John McCain than they would without Palin on the ticket. Certainly parents with teen-agers will have a least a little bit of sympathy for the Palins. So the 17-year-old who's having a baby will marry the baby daddy. No political damage. Where else is there no fire where a media grown tired of the beautiful slickness of the Obamas sees smoke?
There's the head of the Alaska state police that Palin allegedly fired because he wouldn't fire Palin's ex-brother-in-law. The media doesn't point out as readily that the fired gentleman himself says he had never had any direct contact with Palin about the brother-in-law. This is a non-issue which will fade away, especially in light of juicier National Enquirer-type "issues" like pregnant teen-agers. The husband with a DUI? That one faded fast as well, since it happened twenty years ago. And I seem to recall a certain president who had a DUI in his past (as well as alcohol abuse and possibly cocaine use), yet managed to get elected twice. There are indeed a lot of issues as far as Palin is concerned but these issues are, in the reality of the voting world, non-issues.
There was an article in the New York Times that raised questions as to how Palin, a mother with five children, the youngest of whom has Down syndrome, will be able to handle raising a family coupled with the responsibility of being in the second highest office in the land. Well, no one has asked Barack Obama how he would be able to handle raising children while in office. In fact, no man ever running for office has ever been asked that. I wasn't fully sold on the concept before, but now I realize sexism is indeed alive and well. Maybe the lady in the pantsuits was right: aspects of the media coverage of her campaign may indeed have been sexist. If there are parents running for office, be it a man or a woman, they should be asked the same questions regarding child rearing, or neither of them should be asked. That's fair.
As for all the talking heads and their concern over the vetting of Sarah Palin, which many in the news core thinks was only perfunctory (that's a twenty dollar word) at best, one can only shrug. The average voter doesn't even know what "vetting" means. They think it has something to do with their dog. Unless there's something really, really wacky in Palin's background, like her doing something really weird to one of those moose she hunts, all this chatter about vetting is a waste of space. Of course, with 24-hour TV news channels, talk radio and those things that fewer and fewer people read called newspapers, there's a lot of space to waste. (A quick word on newspaper editorials: Very few people, other than political addicts such as myself, read them. They are not read, I don't think, by the vast electorate, and have very little, if any effect on anything.)
The one thing I will say about family, is that if you bring them on stage of in front of camera and an interviewer, as have Palin and Obama, then you provoke media scrutiny of your family. If you don't want that, leave the kids at home, with adult supervision of course.
Sarah Palin looks like the type of person who can take a punch, metaphorically speaking. She won't be scared off by overly excited reporters by the hundreds, and would, I'll bet, look at dealing with the media invasion as a challenge. Sarah Palin isn't going anywhere, nor is John McCain going to ask her to do so.
Here's my advice to the sweaty, wild-eyed media hordes: take a deep breath.
-The Cubs have lost four games in a row at Wrigley for the first time since I don't know when. The White Sox have lost five out of their last six games. The end is near! Well, I have news for you, both these teams are too good to fade away and not make at least the playoffs. This is a good time for starters, both pitchers and position players, to take a few days off and get their stuff together for when things are really serious. It's better to lose a few games now than in October.
Here's my advice to Cubs and White Sox fans: take a deep breath. (For all you White Sox fans, don't forget to exhale after that deep breath. You wouldn't want to hold your breath until you turn Cubbie blue, would you?)
Monday, September 1, 2008
Happy Labor Day
This is Labor Day, the day when people who normally labor, don't. Except for those people that have to, such as police officers, fire fighters, Starbucks baristas and others who have to work on holidays. But I guess we're all supposed to think about labor, or laborers, or something like that.
Labor Day is not as cool as Memorial Day. Memorial Day gets the engines started for summer, which is why the Indy 500 is such an appropriate sporting event for the Memorial Day weekend. And of course, Labor Day is nowhere near as cool as Independence Day, what with it's colorful explosions of fireworks, and that's just from lighting your grill.
No, Labor Day is bittersweet. It marks the end of summer, and back to school for the kids. At least it did in my day. Now, because of all the days off during the school year, kids start school again the week before holiday. When I was young, we went back to school the day after Labor Day, and we liked it!
Labor Day begins the transition from summer to autumn, baseball to football, shorts to long pants, long hot days to short cool days. But that's fine. The world needs to keep turning. There's joy in the clear crisp of the autumn sunlight, the hunt for a really good cider donut, and the burst of color in the trees as the leaves go from green to orange and yellow and red. Labor Day is really just a transition from one set of joys to another.
Labor Day is not as cool as Memorial Day. Memorial Day gets the engines started for summer, which is why the Indy 500 is such an appropriate sporting event for the Memorial Day weekend. And of course, Labor Day is nowhere near as cool as Independence Day, what with it's colorful explosions of fireworks, and that's just from lighting your grill.
No, Labor Day is bittersweet. It marks the end of summer, and back to school for the kids. At least it did in my day. Now, because of all the days off during the school year, kids start school again the week before holiday. When I was young, we went back to school the day after Labor Day, and we liked it!
Labor Day begins the transition from summer to autumn, baseball to football, shorts to long pants, long hot days to short cool days. But that's fine. The world needs to keep turning. There's joy in the clear crisp of the autumn sunlight, the hunt for a really good cider donut, and the burst of color in the trees as the leaves go from green to orange and yellow and red. Labor Day is really just a transition from one set of joys to another.
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