Thoughts from Flyover

Brothers here and now.

2011-10-31T15:53:00.001-05:00

I'm a proud subscriber to Steve Dahl's podcast. I became a fan of Steve when he was on WLS-FM in the early 1980's; My family moved to the Chicagoland area in 1981, and I discovered Steve and Garry in 1982 when I spent my summer behind a large lawn mower. When I transferred to Western Illinois University in the Fall of 1984, one of the bonding points I shared with Artist James was our mutual admiration of the Stever.

A few years later, we went to see Steve and Garry at a live show, somehow scoring 2nd row seats. Right in front of us, Steve's younger brother, Rick Dahl, sat and drunkingly heckled Steve throughout the entire show. Steve probably didn't mind, as he was drunk, too. I could have been.

Steve later conquered the majority of his addictive demons, becoming sober in 1995, and in the past year, got a handle on his food addiction, dropping over 65 pounds and is happy to be maintaining a sub 250 weight. He had a huge CBS contract, which paid him until July of this year, even after they took him off the radio 3 years ago. Instead of finding work back in Chicago radio (which has fallen terribly since the late '80's to late '90's Golden Age), he has decided to subscribe his daily podcast - about 2 hours a day of distilled Steve Dahl...no commercials, no breaks, just enjoyable banter.

Steve's brother, Rick, passed away last week at the age of 52. Steve has flown out to LA, where Rick had been living with their father for the past several years. As Steve described it, he and Rick shared many of the same demons, but Rick was unable to conquer his. Steve's widowed father had been Rick's caretaker for many years, and now he and Steve are trying to clean up loose ends and figure out the future. While they were not exactly estranged, they lived different lives, especially since Steve cleaned up his act and became an almost normal husband, father, and now grandfather.

This news provides another sign to me, that perhaps I should reach out to my estranged brother. I spent many years reaching out to him, trying to find him a job, trying to provide some sort of example of a normal, responsible life. He has two children from a now-failed marriage, his ex-wife and kids live in Ohio (I think), and my brother lives in the suburbs in an apartment near the painting company where he works. He has lost his driver's license due to repeated DUI's, and with all his outstanding debts, I have no idea how he survives financially. He has misbehaved to the point where I can no longer get him a job, and I haven't seen him in five years, since we moved my father to Illinois from Indiana.

My brother worked hard to earn my ire. I won't detail his transgressions, but he let me (and my father) down when we really needed him to be an adult. I'd like to forgive him and move on, but I'd also like to punch him in the nose. Of course, I'm sure my heart will melt when I finally do see him...probably at my dad's funeral (whenever that will be).

Forgivness is the hallmark of my faith. I have forgiven a woman who almost killed my son while driving drunk. I'm sure I can forgive my brother, as well.

It was 20 years ago this year....

2011-04-19T21:47:00.000-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewRk9zmkQcA

In 1984-85, my friend and songwriting partner, James Plakovic (Artist James) wrote a number of songs, hoping to become working composers and lead lives of exciting dissapation whilst collecting huge royalty checks.

Although the dissaption part may be a reality, we're still waiting on the checks.

One of the songs we wrote, "In Your Arms" was one of those mid-1980's power ballads in the realm of The Scorpions, Def Lepard and Motley Crue. We toyed with it for quite a while, performing it with just bass and guitar, trying to capture just the right feeling, if not the right sound.

Prior to his wedding in 1991, James found a way to get us into a studio to record a couple of songs. Our good friend, Kurt Kvandal, could play the drums, and he was in town for the wedding anyway, so he rounded out our little power trio. We recorded "When Will We All See The Light", an homage to Peace and Love and all things Meher Baba, as well as "In Your Arms".

I'm sure that Kurt had heard us perform these songs in one form or another, but had never played them. I don't remember which song we recorded first, but I do remember (trying to act like some kind of record producer/arrangee) telling him that "In Your Arms" was "an homage to Def Lepard". He knew exactly what I wanted, and we proceeded to record this song.

Our first pass was drums, bass, and rhythm guitar, and I don't think we had to do too many takes to get this down. I added at least one lead guitar (if you could call it lead guitar) track, a lead vocal and probably one backing vocal.

James was the Executive Producer and Mix consultant for the final version.

A few weeks ago, this song popped up on my iPod mix (while I was texting James about something else), and I decided on the spot to post this song on Facebook using their video posting capability. For the visual portion, I scanned a bunch of photos from our vast and storied past, and also threw in some "after" photos, if only to prove that we turned out okay. I found some photos of The Who from the period that inspired us most, as well as an older Peter Townsend. He in no way endorses this song.

We had a buddy who wanted to be in our "band", and he is featured in some of the early photos. Don't know what happened to Ralph "Lou" Mahkovec, but we're thinking fond thoughts of him today.

Yes, that is Pat Foley, famed Chicago Blackhawks announcer, who was kind enough to stand next to an overserved young man for a 'photo opportunity' before a game in the early 1990's ("Hey Pat, a photo opportunity" was exactly what I shouted at him).

Big glasses and bad facial hair. Pretty wives who loved us back then (and now, too).

James is now "An Artist", published, displayed, and galleried. He has a daughter whom he adores and an amazing wife.

Kurt won a life and death battle with a construction site nail, and has three lovely grown-up daughters to go with his lovely wife.

I continue to live by my wits, with a wonderful daughter and son, and a wife who seems to put up with me. I look all mature and grown-up on the outside, but we all know better, don't we?

October Already?

2010-10-09T08:46:00.000-05:00

Time flies when you are having fun; but I have also found that it flies when you are no having fun, either.

The green of summer is changing to the golds and browns of Autumn. The farmers are gleefully harvesting what looks to be a bumper crop of corn and soybeans. The other day I watched as a combine was off-loading corn into a semi-truck. A second semi was in the field, awaiting it's load of gold. Last year it was so wet that a lot of corn stayed in the field until after Christmas, a nagging reminder of a poor year in agriculture.

Football season is also here, one of my favorite times. An agonizing Sunday night appearance exposed the Bears for what they really are, a not-so-good team. Our local high school team, after winning their first 5 games, have dropped 2 in a row, and they have to face a couple of really tough teams to finish the season. Can't turn the ball over so much, boys.

Also, the fall brings my father's annual dose of wonderlust. He knows that his lottery victory will be soon, and has been making plans to escape assisted living. It is difficult to even joke about how pathetic this has become. I'm glad my mother isn't here to live it. The changes in his physical and metal health in the ten years that she has been gone have been catastrophic, and there is no chance for improvement.

July. Sure am hot outside!

2010-07-22T15:38:00.000-05:00

Al Gore seems to have a problem with masseuses. Why can't he simply pleasure himself?

The focus of our culture on the pursuit of the almight male orgasm has become the downfall of a lot of celebrities these days.

Tiger Woods, Al Gore, Mel Gibson, Bill Clinton, Charlie Sheen, the list could go on and on.

There is a lot to be said for the quiet desperation of the average man, who shows tremendous character by simply living with the awful truth that they are not able to have sex as often as they would like with their wives. The Average Man (the man from Flyover), does not have the money, charm, fame or like currency to convince other women to give them pleasure. The Average Man risks emotional and financial ruin, to say nothing of community scorn, if he gets caught in even the briefest of trysts.

And rightly so.

For one who takes the vow and sacrament of marriage seriously, I chuckle at the indiscretions of my more famous and wealthy brothers. I find a lot of humor even at those Average Men who dabble and try not to get found out. They think they cannot get caught, but they do. And do you know why? Because they ain't thinkin' with their brains, y'all! They're thinkin' with their Johnsons!

Live by the Johnson, die by the Johnson.

I am amazed at the huge risks that are taken in the name of that passing pleasure, the orgasm.

World Cup Update: Germany vs Argentina

2010-06-30T23:19:00.000-05:00

Which team will Hitler be routing for?

Summer of Flood

2010-06-27T11:06:00.000-05:00

Having lived in Northern Illinois for over 25 years (the first few against my will), I have experienced the cyclical nature of our weather patterns. They did not really become very important to me until I became a homeowner, when I became responsible for mowing grass, snow removal, etc.

From 1995 to 2006, our summers were typically hot, really hot (for Northern Illinois, anyway). I could always count on a nice looking lawn until Father's Day, at which point my lawn would burn up and I'd have to run the mower maybe twice a month to keep everything level. In 2005, I had the lawn at our latest house aerated in early June, at which the ground dried up, and the holes stayed in the yard the rest of the summer.

The next year, I mowed all summer. In 2007, we began a cycle of monsoon rains during the last week in August, making the river rise and creating mild concerns about suddenly having riverfront property. Last year, we had plenty of rain (which pleased the farmers) but cooler temperatures (which annoyed the farmers). And now it looks like another summer of rain.

This morning, we enjoyed a huge thunderstorm during 8 o'clock Mass. Father Tim's homily was punctuated by claps of thunder, including one that happened at the end, sort of a divine exclamation mark on a nice sermon. Rain pounded the roof of the church, and I was not surprised to find several streets flooded on the drive home. Retention areas have filled up, creating dangerous swimming holes for any of the unsupervised. We'll see if Darwin was right.

It's March, so I must be having some madness

2010-03-05T20:04:00.000-06:00

Allegedly, Spring (the season, not the town in Texas) is about 2 weeks away. I still have to scrape the ice off my windshield in the morning (who am I'm fooling, I don't scrape, I let the car idle for 10 minutes until the windshield is clear. I gave up scraping in 1993 when the Plakovics moved to Austin, and I didn't get to go along).

IF it gets above 35 tomorrow and is sunny, I will remove the holiday lights from my house, and possibly try to straighten up the garage.

Is there anyone in the area who would like to have an antique fireplace mantle? I can't seem to sell in on Craigslist, and my wife wants to burn it. It is more that a shelf, it is about 54 inches wide and 78" tall, and will accomodate a 36" x 36" fireplace opening. Yes, that's a bevelled mirror reflecting what is hanging on the wall in my garge.

Another one of my parents' belongings that I'd like to convert to cash so my father has a slightly better safety net to catch him when he falls next time.

Adios, Parker

2010-02-07T07:36:00.000-06:00

On January 18, Robert B. Parker passed away (as I'm sure he had always hoped) while writing at his desk. A sudden heart attack, not a fist fight.

I am a huge fan. It may be the case that I've read every word that he ever published, well over fifty books. He sold millions and millions of books, and while that is not the primary proof that he was a great writer, I will tell you he was a good writer. Remember, this is MY blog.

In the last few years, Parker began writing for the "Young Reader" market, and I given my son those two novels, which he enjoyed. As soon as he is old enough, I'll suggest that he begin the "Spenser" series.

I was very sad to hear of Parker's death. He seemed to have a great life, with lots of success, a nice family, and good health. There's no need for me to provide a biography, just go to Wikipedia. His protagonists spoke to me. They were typically morally grounded, quick-witted, and very capable. They cared about what they did. Spenser remains my smart-alec role model. The conflict between his sense of autonomy and his committment Susan (the love of his life, or more succinctly, his "sweet patootie") was the central, yet subtle, theme to the Spenser series.

In fact, personal autonomy was a central theme to all the main characters in the four series (Spenser, Jesse Stone, Sunny Randall, and the newer Appaloosa westerns). Read Parker's bio, and you'll understand why.

Parker had been quoted that he never planned to write books, to be published posthumously, that would "wrap up" his characters' lives. So dying with Parker are the aforementioned Spenser (no first name ever mentioned), Jesse Stone, the police chief of Paradise, Mass; Sunny Randall, a female private detective from Boston; and all the ancillary recurring characters in Parker's books. Described in detail, yet in never too many words, whether well-dressed or in need of a shave, straight or gay, gorgeous or not.

As much as I mourn Parker's passing, I think I mourn the loss of these souls even more. Existing only on paper. Would Spenser and Susan ever marry? Would Hawk ever find his soul? Would Jesse Stone conquer his alcoholism? Would Sunny Randall ever be able to let go of her ex-husband?

Would any of these characters ever age?

So Parker takes with him the promise of more great stories. I will miss him, and I will miss them. Existing only on paper.

Stop the madness!

2010-01-14T17:13:00.000-06:00

I wish I had more time to post entries here, but the 'personal life' is a little hectic.

I do want to say, very pointedly, that the following people are Asshats of the first order:

Jay Leno -- Shut up, already. You were never 'fired', you are not funny, and I'm proud that I have never watched your nightly "industry changing" program which is being cancelled after 5 months.

Jeff Zucker -- You'll keep Conan O'Brien off the air for 3 1/2 years? For what, wanting to do the job you hired him for?

Gilbert Arenas -- I wouldn't believe you if you told me today was January 14. Everything that comes out of your mouth is a lie. Go shit in your own shoes.

Jayson Williams -- Spent years lying about shooting your chauffer, at one point even claiming he committed suicide with your shotgun. Now you say you were being careless in your aim. Hello, it was a shotgun!!! Enjoy prison, dickhead. Good luck getting a drink inside.

Okay, that's enough vitriol for now.

Happy New Year, everyone!!

Dan Fogelberg The Last Nail

2009-10-07T21:10:00.001-05:00

From YouTube.

This is my favorite Dan Fogelberg song. His intro is representative of his self-deprecating humor.

Day late and dollar short

2009-09-28T21:49:00.002-05:00

Try as I might to be timely, I just don't get around here to post those wonderfully pithy comments you come here for.

Anyway...

It's is interesting that Kanye West likes to interrupt defenseless females during award shows. I wonder if he would have had the guts to do that to a 28 year old Roger Daltrey? Heck, I'd pay to see him try with the 64 year old Roger Daltrey.

Ted Kennedy

2009-08-27T21:28:00.001-05:00

You know, I had a hundred cheap shots lined up for Ted.

But at the end of the day, let he without sin cast the first stone.

Fuzzy Lines Can Get Crossed

2009-07-22T15:01:00.002-05:00

There's lots of buzz and commotion about some video taken of ESPN reporter Erin Andrews. The video was taken without her knowledge while she was alone in a hotel room. Evidently, she was not wearing any clothing while the video was shot.

I must be getting old, because although Ms. Andrews is by all accounts an attractive person with admirable features, I will not be looking for this video. The creep who somehow managed to install a peep-hole camera in the room should be taken out to the village square and whipped.

If I want to see Ms. Andrews without her clothes on, then I will go about it in the old fashioned, time-honored method: I will meet her, court her, marry her, and THEN see her naked on her own terms. Of course, seeing that I'm already married to a hottie, there is no need for me to bother with Ms. Andrews.

Gee, what to write about?

2009-07-08T22:11:00.002-05:00

Governor Sanford and his trip to Argentina?

The late, great Michael Jackson?

Football great Steve McNair?

Thanks to Facebook, I don't have time to update the blog. Not that I am so verbose on Facebook, it's just I only have so much time to type out pithy prose.

The big news in the family isn't that we're moving my dad into supportive living, or the interesting means by which I convinced him to go. The big news is that we're headed back to Disneyworld in November.

Can't get enough of that place.

Here come the 'Hawks, the mighty Blackhawks!

2009-05-15T11:45:00.003-05:00

Well, here we are.

The resurrected Chicago Blackhawks will begin their first conference final on Sunday against the hated Detroit Red Wings. I'm not going to labor under any notion that the 'Hawks can win this series. The Wings are the defending champion, their bench is deep, and they are simply an awesome team.

That being said, this is PLAYOFF HOCKEY, where anything can happen, and usually does. Take the fact that the 'Hawks are even here as an example.

Playoff hockey is magical. I find it very difficult to watch on television because I need to see the entire ice to know what is going on. So much of what happens in hockey takes place away from the puck...the matchups, the checking, the strategy. I find myself sitting on the edge of my seat or standing during a televised playoff game trying to ward off the inevitable anxiety attack of not knowing what is happening and then suddenly "HE SHOOTS HE SCORES!!!!" It takes a lot out of me.

The Blackhawks are still owned by the Wirtz family, and since Bill passed away a few years ago, his son, Rocky, has done a great job of running the team. He hired John McDonough (formerly Cub president) as team president, he has reached out to former greats such as Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita and Tony Esposito to become ambassadors for the team, and more importantly, all games, home and away, are televised. Thanks to former 'Hawk player and broadcaster Dale Tallon's drafting and trading acumen, the team is young, fast, and not aware that they are underdogs.

This will be fun.

H1N1

2009-04-29T20:17:00.002-05:00

I'm not calling it swine flu. It's H1N1.

I was watching NBC News tonight and learned that Egypt is ordering the slaughter of all hogs, even though the flu is not caused by or transmitted by the presence of hogs, or the eating of hogs.

Lebanon has banned the 'greeting kiss', a popular custom.

And France has banned extra-marital affairs.

Been a long time...

2009-04-20T19:51:00.003-05:00

Sorry, I've been working to re-elect our mayor, so I've been sort of busy doing other things. The incumbent won re-election 75% to 25%. Our main strategy was to simply ignore the other guy. I think it worked.

Anyhow, after all this time away, the only thing I can think of to write is that I don't think the 'Madonna falling off a horse' story is a big deal.

A better story would have involved the horse falling off Madonna. Shades of the Catherine the Great legend.

Liar Liar Pants on Fire!

2009-02-17T12:25:00.001-06:00

U.S. Sen. Roland Burris has acknowledged he sought to raise campaign funds for then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich at the request of the governor’s brother at the same time he was making a pitch to be appointed to the Senate seat previously held by President Barack Obama.

Latest developments at chicagotribune.com: http://link.chicagotribune.com/r/VKC7L0/X61RL/TUV6VV/KTK0/KEFPFC/28/t

What it is like.....

2009-02-09T18:35:00.001-06:00

New York, New York, it's a hellava town

2009-02-02T18:43:00.006-06:00

A month ago, I went on a little adventure.

It has taken a month to reflect on this adventure (well, let's face it, I've been busy trying to oust Governor Blowdryavich from office, and now that I've accomplished that, I can actually post something a little more self-involved).

I flew to Austin on Jan 2 to help our friends, the Plakovic's, move to New York City. Please visit http://plakyinnyc.blogspot.com/ for all the whys and wherefores (which is a redundant turn of phrase, as wherefore means why). Someone refered to this trip as a Mancation, but, then again, they've never taken a cross country trip with James and me.

I arrived in Austin on Friday afternoon, and the Plakovic's treated me to dinner at Chuy's. This is the same Chuy's that the Plakovic's first dined when they picked up stakes some 15 years ago to seek their fame and fortune. We enjoyed dinner very much. James and I then went on a last "Austin" excursion, very brief, which included a visit to a GuitarCenter and a bar.

Here's some advice when shopping for guitars or other musical instruments in Austin. First of all, you must be a professional musician to even pick up an instrument in Austin. If not, then you must at least have a few well-rehearsed licks ready so there is no doubt that you know your way around the instrument you are touching. Anyway we ended up putting a Fender Precision Bass in the car. The car was a Prius, so yes, the bass was paid for.

We then went to some popular restaurant bar, and discovered that, at the ages of 46 and 45, we are getting too damn old. Or cheap. Not sure which.

We were up and at 'em by 6am the next day, and after loading up the truck with a few last items, were lit out for Memphis, the first stop on the magical history tour. Yes, Texas is a large state, but who da thunk Arkansas would be so wide? We hit a minor traffic back-up outside of Memphis, and my handy-dandy GPS unit insisted we take an odd detour just to stay on I-40. It was dark when we reached our hotel, and we're disappointed to find that the nearest chain restaurant (sure we would have loved to eat something indiginous, but one musn't take gastro-chances on the road) was not within walking distance. So we got back in the truck and drove to Ruby Tuesdays. This absolutely guaranteed that there would be no "What happens in Memphis, stays in Memphis" stories.

After dinner, we (I) turned on an NFL playoff game, and we both fell asleep before it was over. Did I mention our mean age is 45.5?

The next day, we were up and at'em around 6am, off to our next stop, Roanoke, VA. It is a good thing that we didn't sample any local cuisine, because James was having a terrible time processing the 'quick service' food we had last night. Thankfully, the monster was defeated by the time we got back into the moving van.

Yes, Arkansas is a wide state. Tennessee, however, is a wide-ass state. I don't mean wide-asses live there, it is a long drive from Memphis to where we turned north to head into Virginia. We stopped for gas, we stopped to pee, gas, pee, gas, pee, for goodness sakes, you'd think I would have wised up and stopped drinking Diet Coke, but damnit, I live life on my own twisted terms.

We crossed into Virginia, and started thinking about the dinner and beer we were going to enjoy in Roanoke. What we did not foresee was that for every mile we drove north, Roanoke would move about 2 miles farther away. Chasing daylight, we didn't stand a chance. But the time we got to Roanoke, the interstate seemed to be 5 feet wide and my field of distance was about 35 feet. Our hotel was new, and located north of Roanoke proper, which meant that for Sunday dinner, we had to climb back into the van and drive a few miles to the TGI Fridays. James was gracious enough to allow me to pick the restaurant, and I hadn't been to a TGI Friday's in a while. There's no doubt in my mind that we were asleep before 10pm, our bellies full and dreaming for the (relatively) short drive to Jersey City the following day.

The next day was full of promise as we breakfasted on 'deluxe continental' fare. We again were on the road early, and we're excited of the prospect of a 6 state day: Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and (by train) New York. All was right with the world, the GPS, the rest areas on the way. We stopped for gas west of Allentown, looking at less than 3 hours to go. As we approached Allentown, however, we encounted a huge back-up (construction related) that lasted about 45 minutes. Undaunted, we got clear of that jam, only to be stuck in hell 10 minutes later. An unknown 'traffic event' had forced the closing for the interstate, and we were stuck for over an hour trying to exit with what seemed to be an endless line of vehicles.

Yes, this was annoying, inasmuch we were hoping for a short, leisurely last day of driving. So I didn't think much of that huge Diet Coke (with two squirts of vanilla flavoring in it) when we stopped to get gas. But that was around 11:30am, and now it was 2:45 pm. I couldn't get off the freeway fast enough, and then try to find someplace, a gas station, a mini-mart, a fast food restaurant, a ditch with a steep slope, anyplace where I could relieve myself. We finally made it to a Wendy's, where, although there wasn't really a space to accomodate the moving van, I overcame adversity and skidded to a halt, running in a limping manner to the washroom.

A quick note about physiology. I've seen Olympic weightlifters, shot-putters, and hammer throwers. They must have the strongest muscles in the world...with the exception of the muscle that holds my urethra closed. When that muscle is forced to stay closed, clamped shut, for an excessively long period of time, one must enter into negotiations in order for it to open. The pain of these negotiations is intense. It just will not open, and open it must. And when it grudgingly opens, only a small amount of urine is allowed to exit. The fire-house intensity that one expects is in reality only a trickle, a painful trickle. When the bladder finally seems empty, you really can't be sure. All sensation is gone, you just don't know if you are empty or not. Maybe I should have turned on a faucet or something to force the issue.

(The cause of the accident, I later learned, was a rolled-over semi. No one was killed in the accident. James and I will be going to hell together due to our constant plea to the lord that someone should have died as a result of our inconvenience)

Back on the road, I was ready to make up for lost time. This would be a good time to discuss the different driving styles that James and I have. James is a safe driver, a good driver, a law-abiding driver. He follows the speed limit, going perhaps a little over if traffic allows. Our safe arrival to NYC is a result, in large part, to his driving skills. My driving skill follows my love of the free market. If a lane is more open than the one I am in, I use it. Speed limits are 'really good suggestions', but lets face it, if there is open road, I'm driving on it. The moving van had a governor that allowed a maximum speed of 75 mph. I know that for a fact. The truck would NOT go any faster. Our safe arrival in NYC was made despite my driving skills. I am proud to say that James wife, Kathy, and I are alike in this regard.

We bounced into New Jersey. Literally bounced. The roads, under construction, were wavy. Thankfully we had our Frosty cups to spit our dental fillings into so they could be re-installed at a later date. We rushed across the Jersey prairie (bet you don't get too many hits Googling "Jersey prairie") and finally made it to Jersey City, our landing point for the day. We checked into a nice hotel, and then ran onto a train to the heart of Manhattan.

This was my first trip to New York City. Sure, I can get around cities like Chicago, Houston, and San Antonio. They are all nice little towns compared to midtown Manhattan. As we walked towards Time Square, early evening turned into noonday sun with the glow of the lights. I'm not sure I can explain the vitality of that area. To this Nebraska son of a son of a farmer, it was one of the most amazing things I've seen. That's not to say I didn't see the bums, the rats, the whores, etc. I saw them, too. Everyone spoke a different language. I saw the famed 'Naked Cowboy'. I walked past the Ed Sullivan Theater. I saw lot of things, including the line of tourists going into Olive Garden for dinner.

We dined at Angelos on 57th Street. Real Italian food. Really good Italian food. I bought a couple of T Shirts for the kids, and we headed back to the hotel in Jersey, knowing we had just one more day of moving ahead of us.

We left the hotel before 5:30 am,, hoping to beat traffic across Manhattan. Driving down Main Street Hoboken, I was magically transformed into Johnny Nyack. Downtown Hoboken is darn quaint, with lots of neat shops, including Sleepy's, where (of course) you would go to buy a mattress. I became Johnny Nyack, seasoned delivery van driver. My language became infected with F-bombs. I used that word as a noun, verb, adverb, adjective, command, suggestion, implication, you name it and I found a use for it. James and I were giddy, and we hadn't even made it to the effin' Lincoln Tunnel yet.

Coming out of the tunnel, we drove across Manhattan, miraculously getting to the Midtown Tunnel without any harm to us, others, or the contents of the truck. Yes, a few wrong turns occurred. Hey, it was dark. We drove under the East River, arriving in Queens. I hummed 'Those Were the Days' (the All in the Family theme) as we headed north, trying to find the bridge that would get us onto Roosevelt Island. Hey, it was dark! Anyway, by 6:30am, we were there. A Starbucks breakfast, a quick tour of the apartment, a stroll down the the grocery store so I could purchase a house-warming gift (a 4-pack of toilet paper - I'm so effin' thoughtful), and before you know it, it was 9 in the morning and we began the task of unloading the truck and moving the Plakovic's belongings into the apartment.

Being experts in ergonomics, James and I quickly divided up the tasks. I would take the items from the truck and cart them to an open hallway area, where James would take them to the elevator and up to the apartment. I think we worked smoothly, glad that it was not raining or snowing or excessively windy. By noon, all that was left to move were the boxes of IKEA furniture. We could see the light at the end of the nicely tiled tunnel. Kathy, Emma and the dog arrived around that time, and spirits were high.

Boxed IKEA furniture is some of the heaviest stuff known to man. That's all I'll say.

By 1:30, we were done. We enjoyed some pizza for lunch around the corner, I especially enjoyed 2 liters of water. We did not take any breaks while unloading, and both James and I were beginning to feel our age (Mean age 45.5, did I mention that?) With the truck empty, we began the 6 mile journey to return it, to the far west side of Manhattan. A little gas, a little more Johnny Nyack, a few more wrong turns (no, it wasn't dark) and ta-effin'-daa, we had the truck to the Penske return lot.

The Penske lot was not located in the most posh of areas. We walked confidently and forthrightly 8 blocks east to a more 'comfortable' neighborhood. We boarded the subway and before you could say "The Effin' King of Prussia", we were back on Roosevelt island.

Although my original flight was cancelled, Kathy (Miss Traveler) made sure I got out of LaGuardia that night. I know we had dinner, but I think I was too exhausted to to notice. Before I knew it, my car had arrived to take me to the airport, and away I went. I was home, in my own bed, by midnight Central Time. Whew!

For James and Kathy (and Emma and Murphy) this is the start of not only a year-long adventure, but also sort of a new life as well. They have no idea where they will be in a year. I find that to be very exciting. I'm even more excited that it is them, not me. Adventure is thrilling, but it is also scary (especially when your Mean age in 45.5) In any event, I was thrilled to be a part of the first stage of the adventure. In a year, I may be back on the road, helping James move the rest of their belongings to a new city.

Blowdryavich : The End of an Era

2009-01-29T21:31:00.002-06:00

I apologize for the confusion that our former governor has caused. He did get a fair trail, and now he is gone.

Yes, I imagine my taxes will go up, and they need to...we can't keep stealing from the state pension fund to balance the budget anymore, can we?

Change

2009-01-19T18:44:00.002-06:00

Be sure to watch history tomorrow.

Even if you didn't vote for him, it is still a very big day for America.

I can't resist this...

2009-01-13T21:00:00.000-06:00

Thanks to YouTube:

Perhaps a retraction, or a clarification

2008-12-31T16:00:00.003-06:00

In my last post, I alluded that Senator-select Roland Burris may not be an honest politician anymore. I probably meant that yesterday, but after hearing him run the gauntlet of news shows today, I have a more informed opinion.

Roland Burris is probably the best candidate to be selected (but not elected) as the next junior senator from Illinois.

The problem I have with him is that his goody-two-shoes explanation for wanting to be senator reminded all of us why he couldn't get elected as governor or senator in the past.

I'm all for unbridled optimism, however, at this juncture, a little bit of realism from whoever the next senator is would be appreciated. We're tired of being spoken to as if we all are idiots.

Sure, I know Blowdryavich was elected twice.

All Hail Our New Senator-select

2008-12-30T16:38:00.003-06:00

Governor Blowdryavich, still living in his own special world of denial, named elder statesman Illinois politician Roland Burris as his 'senator-select'.

Roland Burris quickly leapt to Blowdryavich's defense, claiming the charges pending against the governor were 'false, untrue, and very unfriendly'.

No word yet if in fact Burris read the arrest warrant that pretty much tells you what you need to know about Blowdryavich.

Burris may have been a honest politician up to today, but the real reason he was selected was because he is one of the few politicians who are shorter in stature than the governor.

photo stolen from the Chicago Tribune website.
(I think I can take credit for 'Blowdryavich', it's less mean-spirited than "Blowdryabitch')

Post Christmas outlook

2008-12-27T15:13:00.003-06:00

We had a nice, white Christmas here in northern Illinois, and now comes a warm front which has melted the 8 inches of snow in just 24 hours. Flash floods and fog for the next week or so. Hopefully they can keep the ice cold at Wrigley Field, where the Blackhawks will take on the much hated Redwings on New Years Day.

I drove up to see my Dad and drop off his Christmas present and go over his new budget. He finally got his Section 8 approval, which should solve the month to month finances, and help set up a nest-egg for the inevitable doctor bills and car repairs. Despite my day to day management of his finances, I've only seen him three times in 2008, last January, in October for his mother's funeral, and today.

Yes, I know I should visit more often. And yes, he should visit us more, too.

I went over the budget with him, encouraging him to try to follow it while trying to live comfortably as well. If we can build up the reserve fund in the next year, then he can then have more to spend and enjoy. I don't want him to live monastically, just responsibly. As always, we'll see how that goes.

My father doesn't seem to want a lot of interaction with me or my family, and I've sort of grown tired trying to push the relationship. I'm 46, I have a nice family. We care about my dad, but his interest doesn't extend much past the basic pleasentries. Perhaps he feels that I caused all the turmoil in his life by yanking him from squalor in Indiana 2 years ago and compelling him to face the music about his health and debts. It had to be done, and I guess I was the best suited to do so. No one else in my family, God love them, is as much of a hard-ass as me, a skill I learned from the old man himself. Go figure.

Sure makes me miss my mother.

Snow starts the day

2008-12-19T20:10:00.003-06:00

Lots of snow last night and today. I don't know how many inches, I just know that my back is killing me from all the shoveling.

Just 10 minutes ago, however, I finally got my snowthrower to run. Thanks to neighbor Steve, who talked me through several diagnoses and after a lot of mental mechanics, I was able to clear the foot of my driveway in minutes.

Long story short: my fuel problem was caused by a cracked primer bulb.

My Toro is about 15 years old, and when running, can handle just about any depth of snow.

I'll be lugging it over to Steve's driveway every chance I get this winter. I owe him that.

(When you are 46 years old, things like having an operational snowthrower is almost better than sex. Almost.)

Same old legislature

2008-12-17T16:31:00.004-06:00

The Illinois legislature is taking their sweet time to impeach Blagojevich. They listened to the governor's mob attorney today demand to listen to the tapes. At least they had the guts to remind the attorney that the impeachment hearings were not a criminal court proceeding, and they would appreciate it if his client would show up in Springfield to offer testimony.

Fat chance of that since the sonovabitch won't go to Springfield to govern.

Come and get me Rod! I'll kick your ass and shave your head!

Prick.

Blago-you-bitch

2008-12-11T20:48:00.002-06:00

Yes, I'm surprised that it's taken me 2 days to opine on our asshole governor's arrest and indictment.

I knew this guy was a crook. After reading all 78 pages of the indictment, I do have to say that he exceeded my wildest dreams as a crook, however. It is hubris on steroids. It is beyond the pale. It is simply amazing. There is no way he is going to beat these charges.

And now, it all makes sense. The commitment to the bad hair. His refusal to live in Springfield. His MO of trying to pick fights, and then when losing, pretend they didn't happen. Is there enough jail time to change his attitude?

I would always give his wife a pass because I know that as a real estate agent, you need to rely on relationships in order to do business. However, I now know she is simply Dick Mell's daughter. And that isn't a slight on Dick Mell, he is a career politician, a Chicago alderman, and he conducts business as it is done in Chicago. However, I guess I let my oogling of Patty Blagojevich cloud my judgement.

Oh well, it will be interesting to see what happens next. Blago is too deluded to resign right away. He may still try to appoint a senator.

The drama continues.

After 31 years...

2008-11-29T11:10:00.002-06:00

I've always been a big Jackson Browne fan, starting when I was 14 and Running on Empty was released. It was one of the first albums I bought when I started buying albums with my own money.

For all you youngsters out there, it was recorded live in venues from concert halls to hotel rooms to the tour bus. At a time when live albums featured re-hashed greatest hits with mistakes overdubbed in the studio, Running on Empty was unique in that all the songs were new and recorded 'as-is'. The one thing about Jackson Browne live is that the musicianship is top-rate...sometimes too perfect, inasmuch as no one seems to make a mistake onstage. Not a bad thing, really, just outside the norm.

Anyway, this tour would have been at the time The Pretender was out, and for Jackson Browne, this would have been a challenging time in his life. Go to Wikipedia to learn why, I'm not a very good biographer.

The opening track, of course, is Running on Empty, and the first 30 seconds or so consists of various shouts from the audience, which, when I was a teenager, meant nothing to me, it was just a bunch of rowdy fans making noise.

At my advanced age, listening now, I realize the shouts were requests for songs such as Ready or Not, Late for the Sky, and Redneck Friend. You can hear an eight count leading up to the song that was in fact performed.

Also at my advanced age, I think about those people at the concert, yelling for their favorite song, and then POW! Running on Empty, the version you hear on the radio, with the great David Lindley lap steel solo and the Danny Kortchmar guitar fills and the beautiful soaring harmony of Rosemary Butler (I had a serious Rosemary Butler obsession in 1980) and of course the message of the song, the ever searching, longing, to find what it is we needed to find ourselves. If the audience only knew. Were they disappointed? Don't know.

Looking around for the friends I used to turn to to pull me through, looking into their eyes, I see them running, too.

Remorse, optional

2008-11-26T19:45:00.002-06:00

When asked if there were anything George Ryan would change, Lura Lynn Ryan said neither she nor her husband has any regrets. "His conscience is as clear as his mind," she said. "If he had it to do over -- and I've heard him say this -- he would govern the same way as he did before.... Sun-Times story today

There were stories in both Chicago papers today regarding the possibility that President Bush may commute the sentence of former Illinois Governor George Ryan, who is in jail on a racketeering conviction.

A thumbnail: While Secretary of State (among other things, in charge of granting drivers licenses) Ryan either implemented or ignored the program to sell commercial driver's licenses. One such beneficiary ended up instigating that burned six children to death in a highway accident.

Ryan, obviously, to this day believes he did nothing wrong because he never 'took the money', channeling it to cronies, who in turn, would do really nice things for Ryan and his family.

He is a really old man, his wife is not in the best health, he has lost his government pension, and has ruined his name. Maybe serving one year of his six-year sentence is justice enough.

But if he can't feel any remorse, then perhaps he needs to rot a little more.

After a one week cooling off period...

2008-11-13T18:22:00.002-06:00

Well, congratulations to President-Elect Obama. History has been made, and we will be watching it unfold for the next 4-8 years.

Now that the election is over, our nation needs to keep on keeping on. The sky has not fallen, despite what my republican brethren say, and I don't think we're headed for the socialist revolution.

I don't know the last time Warren Buffett was wrong about something, and if he isn't afraid, then why should I be afraid?

The McCain campaign hacks who persuaded him to pick Palin are now trying to throw mud at her. What you see is what you get, folks. She was not the best choice, and I've spoken to a lot of conservatives that saw through her act and were very afraid of the prospect of another dolt leading our nation.

My pain is with the neo-cons (Rush Limbaugh included) who will not rest until Obama is killed. Hate is hate.

I'm against hate.

If President Obama turns out to be a stinker, we have the 2010 and 2012 elections to rectify the problem. Martyring a president is a sure why to ensure his programs (especially the offensive ones) get passed.

This is America, we should give President Obama a chance. We gave President Bush a chance, and how bad was that?

I retract the question.

Election Day 2008

2008-11-04T12:14:00.003-06:00

Wow, here we are at last.

What ever happened to my fellow well-informed Republican voters?

I guess there were no issues that interested mainstream Republican voters this year. Instead of arguing the merits of McCain's position on the economy, security, energy, etc, all I seem to hear from my fellow Republicans is how Barack Husein Obama is going to have abortions performed on every pregnant woman in the country, take money away from (white) poverty-stricken pensioners and give it to (black) welfare mothers, and mandate the teaching of Arabic in our schools.

Keep in mind, I'm a Reagan Republican, and this rhetoric offends me.

I've always thought that fear-mongering was for the losers, and I guess I'm right about that this year.

McCain-Palin will go down in flames, and our country will have new challenges to face and overcome.

It is time to re-think how we elect our leaders. Money outstrips the message. Fear outweighs fact. The loudest voices are heard over the smartest voices.

I'll miss Tina Fey. We'll I can always watch her on 30 Rock, I guess, but she has never been more brilliantly funny than as Sarah Palin.

And four years from now, if Sarah Palin is more than trivia, I'll vomit.

After 8 Years

2008-10-28T13:48:00.002-05:00

Remember this?

You ever wonder what happened to those guys?

....until someone loses an eye

2008-10-27T19:36:00.001-05:00

Boy, 8, fatally shoots self in head while trying out Uzi submachine gun at Mass. gun club show
By Associated Press
1:55 PM CDT, October 27, 2008
WESTFIELD, Mass. (AP) _ An 8-year-old boy died after accidentally shooting himself in the head while firing an Uzi submachine gun under adult supervision at a gun fair.

The boy lost control of the weapon while firing it Sunday at the Machine Gun Shoot and Firearms Expo at the Westfield Sportsman's Club, police Lt. Lawrence Vallierpratte said.

Police said the boy, Christopher Bizilj (Bah-SEAL) of Ashford, Conn., was with a certified instructor and called the death a "self-inflicted accidental shooting."

As the boy fired the Uzi, "the front end of the weapon went up with the backfire and he ended up receiving a round in his head," police Lt. Hipolito Nunez said. The boy died at a hospital.

The boy's father and older brother were also there at the time, a gun club member and school official said. Francis Mitchell, a longtime member and trustee of the club, said he was told the boy's father was supporting his son from behind when the shooting happened.

Although the death appeared to be an accident, officials were investigating.

It is legal in Massachusetts for children to fire a weapon if they have permission from a parent or legal guardian and are supervised by a properly certified and licensed instructor, Lt. Hipolito Nunez said. The name of the instructor helping the boy was not released.

The event ran in conjunction with C.O.P Firearms and Training

"It's all legal & fun — No permits or licenses required!!!!" reads the ad, posted on the club's Web site.

Messages left on answering machines for the club and the C.O.P. group were not returned Monday.

T minus 12 days

2008-10-23T21:35:00.002-05:00

With a dozen days until the election, as a card carrying red stater and election student, I'm here to tell you that John McCain is not going to win the election.

Why?

He failed to lock in and focus on the most pressing issue of the moment.

He allowed others to define him.

He ignored the one inarguable negative about himself (his age), and chose a political lightweight as his running mate.

When confronted with the MOST IMPORTANT CURRENT ISSUE IN THIS ELECTION, he 'suspended' his campaign and pulled his oars out of the water.

He failed to appear presidential over and over again.

I guess I could type all sorts of negatives about Obama, but there is no point. This was McCain's election to lose, and lose it he will.

If I have to eat crow on November 5, so be it.

Last one out of Nebraska

2008-10-16T19:56:00.002-05:00

My last grandparent, my father's mother, passed away on Sunday.

One more, and possibly last trip to Nebraska.

I left late Tuesday morning, arriving in Johnny Carson's hometown of Norfolk (pronounced 'Norfork' by the locals) around 6:40 that evening. I checked into my hotel (I would have stayed closer in Wayne had there been a non-smoking room available at the Super 8) and drove up to Carroll, the Hansen Family hometown (population 225) in the rainy darkness.

It doesn't take long to drive all the streets in a 225 person town, but I did, remembering my summer vacations over 30 years ago. My grandmother operated a 2 1/2 aisle grocery store, and was quite the business woman. When the regular beauty salon owner retired, she remodeled a back storage area into a beauty shop, where my aunt Karen and later other women practiced the fine arts of hair coloring and cutting.

My grandfather passed away in 1980, and grandma retired from business shortly after. The store stayed mostly empty, and gram busied herself with the church ladies, running the various socials and funeral luncheons. When she had the store, she would load groceries into the back of her Chevy Blazer and delivered food to less fortunate farmers during the winter. She was always busy busy busy.

Her memory and her health started to go bad about 10 years ago, and about 5 years ago she went to a nursing home. Her house and most of her possessions were sold, all the money going to pay the nursing home bills. She was practically penniless when she died.

As I drove down mainstreet, I found that her store had been demolished, now a parking lot for a small trucking company. The old tavern was still there, but I didn't feel like going in for fear that all my childhood memories would be shattered. I drove back to Norfolk, stopping at Applebees for a decadent rack of ribs, two large bills, and after the waitress twisted my arm, dessert.

The weather had improved overnight, and I got dressed and drove back to Carroll for the funeral service. I did a quick jog over to Pierce, my mother's hometown, so I could drive past her childhood home. The large cottonwoods were gone, but the 'new' owners (they've lived there at least 20 years now) had made lots of improvements and I found myself happy that the old place looked so good. I made it to Carroll at 9 am and made my way into the church.

My older sister and dad were there, along with his brother, Uncle Den, and over the next hour, various relatives trickled in. My grandmother outlived many of her friends, except for Phyllis, who worked for grandma at Hansen's Grocery. She gave me a hug and told me how much she loved and respected my grandmother. I told her that gram really loved her, too, and we all appreciated their friendship. How my grandmother made enough money to have a full-time employee I'll never know.

All my Nebraskan cousins came to the funeral. I hadn't seen many of them in almost 20 years. I realized that we had all grown up now, and was proud that they all had stable family lives, and were successful in their own ways.

The service was nice, and as usual, the younger minister did not know grandma (her nursing home was about 40 miles from Carroll), he did make an effort to learn about her in the days prior to the funeral and was able to talk about her community service, but her love of gardening and flowers.

I busted the chops of my fellow pallbearers, making sure that no one slipped down the two flights of stairs from the chapel to the hearse. Two cousins, one cousin in-law, and two friends of the family carried my grandmother's silver casket to her final resting place next to grandad, and one row and four plots from my Uncle Doug.

We went back to church for the luncheon, and I thanked the ladies who prepared it. Knowing I had and eight hour drive back home, I left at 12:30, slipping out. I'm not one for goodbyes. I arrived home exactly eight hours later, glad to be home.

The drivers in Iowa need some serious lessons about how to drive on the interstate.

Adios to Austin

2008-09-22T16:09:00.003-05:00

I flew down to Austin for business last Friday, staying for the weekend.

Austin is one of my favorite places. Not necessarily for the food, the live music, the attractive UT coeds, or the scenic landscape.

Austin Texas is where I spent too much of my first 3 years of college. Because I went to school in College Station, going to Austin was a convenient diversion from what I was supposed to be doing, namely, getting an education.

I learned a lot about myself from this experience. I learned that I was too immature to fall in love, I learned that no matter what shithole I put myself into, only I have the capablility to extract myself from said shithole, and that I really enjoyed new experiences, and should not be afraid to jump into the deep end of the pool.

When I first left Austin for the last time, it was 1983, and as I drove north on IH-35 toward Illinois, I thought it would take some doing to get me back there.

In the early 1990's, however, I was back, at the time scouting for a place to live, as my friend Artist James and his wife, Kathy, were going to move to Austin, and my wife was going to transfer to Austin with Motorola. My hopes were dashed when we could not make the move. The Austin of the early 90's was similar to the Austin of the mid '80's. I found that I still loved the city, the Capital, the food, the nightlife, etc. It could do no wrong.

After James and Kathy settled in Austin, my wife and would make annual trips to see them, just a 2 1/2 hour plane ride and I could be back in Utopia. We'd always go in the Spring during Bluebonnet time. We still made regular trips after our daughter was born. I felt it was important to return as often as possible so I could retain my Texas 'citizenship'.

Sadly, after our son was born, we only made one more trip down. I guess our family decided to make future vacations more destination driven, and Austin sort of fell off our screen. I'd make the suggestion to go, but it was shot down. My wife seemed to think that my love of Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrushes was a bit provincial, saying that they really weren't any different from the yellow dandelions and other 'weeds' that grew along Illinois roadsides. I continue to love my wife even though she doesn't understand.

By some great collision of fortune and ability, James and Kathy (and Emma and Murray) are leaving Austin soon to spend a year in New York City. After that year, they have no idea where they will go. Probably not back to Austin. And now, suddenly, any excuse I have to visit Austin is gone.

That thought occured to me Sunday morning as I left my hotel and drove down Guadalope one last time, remembering the dragworms, the BK Lounge, all the sights, sounds and smells of a magical time long ago. A wave of great emotion overtook me, and I found myself wanting to call the old girlfriend who lured me to Austin over 25 years ago. I didn't call her, of course, I really wasn't sure what to say or how to say it. I just thought that in some ways, my greatest joy was experienced in those blocks between 15th street and 30th street. Despite the turmoil my hopelessly romantic heart experienced back then, I know that in some ways I was never happier.

Austin in 2008 has changed a lot since 1983. More high-rise buildings compete with the view of the Capital, Sixth Street parties a little too hearty, although the UT Coeds going to the football game in their short denim skirts and cowgirl boots remind me of my youth, poorly spent.

An older, perhaps wiser, 45 year-old man left Austin yesterday, eagerly returning to the family that he loves in Illinois. I really don't know if I'll ever find myself in Austin again, but until then, adios, dear friend.

Plakovic's "The Live Music Capital of the World" adorns this post. Visit www.plakovic.com to purchase.

September 12

2008-09-12T12:01:00.002-05:00

Now that my son is 8, he is very interested in history and science.

I had the History Channel on last night, with it's various September 11 programs. My son was very interested in them, as he was just 1 and a half back in 2001. So we watched a show about the evacuation of the World Trade Centers, and the heroic sacrifice of one of the security chiefs who had been anticipated a terrorist attack since the bombing in 1993.

At some point, watching the planes crash and the buildings fall became too much for me. As I watch the famous footage of the second jet collide with the tower, the fact that 300 lives ended at that moment hits me very hard. To know that as the buildings fall (in the span it takes to write this sentence), thousands of regular, innocent people will die overcomes me.

While I was fortunate enough not to have known anyone personally who died that day, I do have a friend who was across the river watching it happen, fearful of what was coming next. The husband of a good friend of mine was working in the pentagon that day. Just regular people, doing regular jobs.

Along with the sense of loss, it was the fear of not knowing when the planes would stop crashing that I still carry with me. I live 30 miles due east of a nuclear power plant, and yes, our family has an 'escape plan' if it is ever attacked.

September 11, 2008.

Intellectual Property

2008-09-07T08:44:00.003-05:00

Those darn Republicans!

First the use Jackson Browne's Running on Empty "without permission", then they use a Bon Jovi or Mellencamp song "without permission", and, by golly, they've used Heart's Barracuda for VP candidate Sarah Palin, again, without asking the recording artists permission to do so.

If it were only so easy.

Do you think that a radio station has to ask permission to play a record?

As long as the music publisher and composer's rights organization are paid, anyone can usually use a recorded work for whatever reason. That's why music publishers and organizations such as ASCAP and BMI exist.

The most an artist can do is complain, and if they still own the rights to the song, collect the royalty check. If the offending organization, in this instance the Republicans, are using the song without paying (pirating), then the artist can be outraged.

Certainly, Browne does not want one of his greatest hits (and one of my favorite songs) associated with the McCain Campaign. But a lawsuit? Sort of a waste of money, if you ask me.

A recent AP story states "Despite the Wilson sisters' objections, one of the song's co-writers said he was "thrilled" that the song was used.

In an e-mail to Reuters, the band's former guitarist, Roger Fisher, said it was a win-win situation. Heart gets publicity and royalties, while the Republicans benefit from "the ingenious placement of a kick-ass song," Fisher said.

But in a subsequent email, Fisher said he strongly endorsed the Democratic ticket, and would donate a portion of royalties he receives from the Republicans' airing of "Barracuda" to the campaign of Sen. Barack Obama.

I think this is the best way to handle the situation.

By the way, any song in the Hansen/Plakovic catalog is available to either presidential nominee. For a fee, of course.

We're all about airplay.

Sarah big and tall

2008-09-04T13:02:00.003-05:00

Yes, I had heard of Sarah Palin before last Friday. As anyone who knows me understands: I'm all about attractive women over 40.

However, as a "Dennis Miller Republican", I have to confess that I am not on board with her selection as running mate. Sure, I can see VP hopeful Joe Biden get terrorist brains on his Ivy League suit (Godfather reference), but I can't get past Sarah needing to hand the baby over to the au pair just to reach in her purse to pull out her Glock.

I have reached the age where important leaders are older than me. But I just don't know about Sarah yet.

She gave a swell speech last night, but I don't think the disenfranchised Hillary supporters are buying it.

I'm not sure I can watch McCain give his speech (speechifying is not his strong suit) tonight, but I sure hope it is full of IDEAS and SOLUTIONS and not the same old crap.

We'll see.

Michelle, my bell(e)

2008-08-26T14:33:00.002-05:00

I enjoyed Michelle Obama's speech last night. I think she accomplished what she set out to do, which was to show that she is not a 'bitch with attitude', and that intelligent African-American women are not a threat to whitebread America.

We were watching on CBS (I root for the underdog), and they spent a lot of time showing reaction shots from the audience.

While I was moved by the speech, I was not moved to tears, like several of the audience members were. I think perhaps they were a little over-invested in the moment.

Anyway, tonight Hillary will outline her diabolical plan to subvert the convention and wrest the nomination away from Obama. Well, if I were writing the screenplay, that is what she would do.

I was reading a story off the Huffington Post about Bill Clinton not being happy with his role in the convention. An interesting read, to be sure, but what was more informing were the comments posted by the Hillary supporters taking Obama to task for stealing the nomination.

Stealing the nomination? When did that happen?

Obama picks Biden

2008-08-23T09:21:00.001-05:00

So much for change.

"Meet the new boss, just the same as the old boss."

McCain and the Cone of Silence

2008-08-18T14:44:00.002-05:00

I see that much is being made today of John McCain's ability to give short, concise answers during the 'Saddleback' debate.

For goodness sakes, McCain's been active in politics since before Obama could vote.

Do you really think that any of the questions poses to either candidate was new, unique, thought-provoking, or otherwise ground-breaking.

Obama like to go for the deep, long-winded answer. I don't think he should get points off for that, but when McCain can spit out his well-practiced campaign-approved policy sound bite off the top of his head, I don't think that means there is a conspiracy to cheat.

For gosh sakes, focus on something IMPORTANT!!

The next Bobby Knight

2008-08-16T11:04:00.003-05:00

I began my soccer coaching career this morning.

Despite my behavior with my own kids, I do have a lot a patience, and my coaching philosophy is modeled on Bill Murray's character, Tripper Harrison, in the movie Meatballs.

My wife would say my romantic technique is from the same movie. "Is that a bra you're wearing, or are you expecting an assassination?"

Elvis fans ignore rain for graveside vigil

2008-08-16T11:01:00.001-05:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080816/ap_en_mu/elvis_vigil

Yet, after 31 years, the King remains dead.

Worst MLB Manager

2008-07-30T12:18:00.002-05:00

Ned Yost of the Milwaukee Brewers is the worst manager in the Major Leagues.

I was watching the Brewer/Cub game last night, and Ben Sheets was getting rocked in the 6th inning (maybe the 5th). Anyway, if one of your aces is getting shelled (7 hits before the first out), you need to get off your ass and go settle him down.

Ben Sheets is a gamer, a tough kid, but really, a mound visit is almost mandatory after the 3rd hit over the left fielder's head (and you may want your left fielder to play a little deeper). If anything, it would disrupt the Cubs' hitting parade a little bit.

Yost finally pulled Sheets after I was called at home to grab a bat and drive to Milwaukee for an at-bat.

I like the Brewers. I'm glad that they are becoming a good team. Now that they've pulled the trigger to sign or trade for some great players, it's time now to get a Major League manager. A real one, not a retread.

Compassion, Forgiveness, Vengeance, and Justice

2008-07-16T21:49:00.004-05:00

Susan Atkins is a sixty year-old woman who has 3 months to live. She is dying form brain cancer. She suffers from paralysis, and has had a leg amputated. Her husband and other relatives wish she could spend her remaining days near them.

In 1971, Susan Atkins was convicted for her participation in the murders of Abigail Folger, Voytek Frykowski, Jay Sebring, Steven Parent, Leno La Bianca, and Rosemary La Bianca. Yes, and actress Sharon Tate and her unborn son.

Susan Atkins was sentenced to death for these crimes, specifically the murder of Sharon Tate, who she admittedly stabbed over and over and over again. She admitted to tasting Sharon Tate’s blood, and using it to write graffiti on the walls of Sharon Tate’s home.

In 1972, the California Supreme Court determined that the death penalty was not constitutional, so Susan Atkins sentence was commuted to life imprisonment with parole. Susan Atkins had been denied parole on 12 separate occasions.

For many years, Susan Atkins did not show remorse for these crimes. She did express remorse at some point, as had the other female participants, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten. Susan Atkins did have a religeous conversion and awakening, and even has been married while enduring her sentence.

Susan Atkins is no longer a threat to anyone. In fact Vincent Bugliosi, the prosecutor in the murder case, has stated that Susan should be released under California’s “Compassionate Release” policy. His quote "just because Susan Atkins showed no mercy to her victims, we therefore are duty-bound to follow her inhumanity and show no mercy to her" shows a great deal of compassion

At first blush, I agreed with Bugliosi. Wouldn’t the release of Susan Atkins show real compassion? Isn’t compassion and forgiveness a hallmark of our pervasive Christian faith? Her release would not inspire other would-be killers, and after 37 years in prison, can’t she be let out so she can pass away with loving family around her?

What is compassion if Susan Atkins can’t be released?

However, perhaps Susan Atkins has been shown enough compassion.

The California Supreme Court showed compassion when it stopped capitol punishment.

The State of California showed compassion when it commuted Susan Atkins’ sentence to life with the chance of parole.

The Prison System showed compassion by allowing Susan Atkins twelve opportunities to be paroled.

The State of California has showed compassion by spending over $1.4 million dollars to care for Susan Atkins over the last few months.

Life in prison is life in prison.

Justice tells us that Susan Atkins must die in prison. It is sad. No more sad, however, than a pregnant woman being stabbed to death as she pleads for the life of her unborn child, as Sharon Tate did the night Susan Atkins murdered her. “Woman, I have no mercy for you" is what Susan Atkins admits she told Sharon Tate. Perhaps those words could be played back now for Susan Atkins.

Justice is for the survivors. Justice is for the families of the victim.

Perhaps Sharon Tate’s mother and father, now long dead, wanted Susan Atkins to die in the gas chamber. I don’t know if that is justice or vengeance. I do know that because they attended every parole hearing of each of the convicted killers, they saw justice being served by parole not being granted.

Justice is for the survivors. Justice is for the families of the victim.

Part of me wishes that Susan Atkins family could have their wish. But part of me also wants Sharon Tate’s family to have theirs.

Weird Dreams

2008-07-13T10:50:00.002-05:00

We just got our investment account(s) statement the other day, and after seeing that we lost over $8,000, I told my wife to stop whining, this black hole our retirement money is going down is all imaginary.

Phil Graham says so.

Let the Aggie jokes begin, I guess.

McCain needs to get some NEW BLOOD in his campaign, or he will become the next Bob Dole.

Yes, the fundamental base of our economy is good. But the impending recession is not in our minds. Old Republicans like to tell us to just buck up, put your head down, and things will get better on the other side.

The problem is that I don't think the 'getting better' part is going to happen until our government starts to lead. We need a comprehensive energy policy, a comprehensive medical care policy, and a comprenhisive defense/foreign policy. Putting my head down and waiting for a sunny day isn't going to get it done.

Now if only Obama would reveal just how he's going to save the country (other than just change things)....

In Memoriam : George Carlin

2008-06-23T14:06:00.004-05:00

This one hurts a bit.

When I was 14, our family moved from Ft Wayne Indiana to Houston Texas. To say I was a social outcast during my first year in Houston would be understating the point. I had no friends. I had no prospect for friends. It was a tough time to be 14.

I did have a paper route, however, so I had (what I considered to be) a lot of disposal nickles, dimes and quarters. I would ride my bicycle up to the nearest record store (antiquated reference #1) and buy albums (antiquated refernce #2). I have no idea why, but I purchased Carlin's Class Clown, which contained the classic bit "Seven Words You Can't Say on Television*" (antiquated reference #3).

Carlin's humor appealed to me for several reasons: 1) He himself was an outcast due to his "imaginitive use of language"; 2) His "imaginative use of language" showed me that rules really didn't exist. Understanding the rules and the manipulation of rules to one's amusement is one of the greatest joys one could have; 3) His outside the box perspective on rules and life made me a smarter person.

To make a short story even longer, I ended up buying lots of George Carlin albums. I probably owned everything he did up to 1980. Like Rock n Roll albums, his records would have liner notes, including the 'lyrics' to each bit. I confess to peppering a lot of my day to day comedy act with Carlinisms.

In those days, I used humor as my shield and armor from the shithole of my early adolesence. Since I couldn't out-fight the bullies, I made sure that I humiliated them as I received my beatings. By the end of my high school career, I had lots of friends, great friends to this day, probably because of my sense of humor.

No, I don't owe it all to George Carlin. But as I mourn his passing today, I need to tip my hat to him, for showing me the power of words, the power of faith, and the power of intellect.

Well, played, George.

* Shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, and tits.

In Memoriam : Tim Russert

2008-06-23T13:58:00.002-05:00

I'm a week late on this.

More than just a talking head, Tim Russert had the intellectual muscle to get the facts and the intellectual accessibility to relate the facts.

His everyday appearance and demeanor helped guys like us get down to the nuts and bolts of any story, empowering not only denizens of Flyover, but all parts of the country.

He was staunch in his faith, yet was not afraid to bring an atheistic and Episcipal bishop on his show to duke it out (respectibly, of course).

We won't see another like him for a long time.

Fifty-eight is too young to die. His wife, Maureen, and son Luke; know this all too well.

Well played, Mr. Russert.

City of Big Shoulders

2008-06-10T19:55:00.003-05:00

I had to make a jobsite visit today in downtown Chicago. 200 W Jackson, to be exact. Instead of fighting traffic and wasting gas, I took the L from Cumberland, and after 16 stops, emerged from the underground (because the Blue Line L becomes a subway inside the loop) to a perfect Chicago Summer day:

I love downtowns, especially big city downtowns. I haven't been to NYC or Boston yet, mind you, but I have it on good authority that Chicago's downtown is the best. Yes, I'm biased, and I'll probably like Boston and Philly as much anyway. But there is something wonderful about walking down the sidewalks in a big city, thinking you've got the world by the ass.

I don't have the world by the ass, but I thought I did for about 15 minutes today.

Despite what others may think...

2008-06-08T16:42:00.000-05:00

151

As a 1930s husband, I am
Very Superior

Take the test!

Hot Political Commentary...and Religion, too!

2008-06-01T16:18:00.002-05:00

It is a shame that Obama has felt the need to 'resign' from his church. With the media hounding the neighborhood and church-goers, I guess he had no other choice.

The latest 'scandal', when Obama was a million miles away from the church, involved activist priest Michael "I'm much better than the other priests" Pfleger, who does a terrible Hillary Clinton impersonation.

Pfleger, a white priest, is much beloved at his mostly African-American St Sabina parish, where he has championed causes like anti-racism, anti-violence, and pro-getting his mug on television.

While he seems to be a Catholic Priest, Father Pfleger enjoys having the spotlight shining brightly upon him. He has been at St Sabina for years, mainly because he has had the last two Cardinals buffaloed into not re-assigning him elsewhere.

It's time that Cardinal Francis George stood up to this blowhard and send him on an extended assignment where he may re-learn priestly humility. Activist Priests do not resonate with me. I think that a priest can be most effective when activating church members to action. Sermonizing at a Methodist Church and engaging in a racist bashing of Hillary Clinton is not a good way to lead.

And Obama doesn't need this kind of 'help' right now. He is busy trying to figure out how the Clintons are going to steal the nomination out from under him.

DONE !

2008-05-24T20:09:00.002-05:00

Senator Clinton is done.

Now that she says that she is staying in the race just in case someone murders Obama before the convention, I'm no longer interested in anything she has to say.

John Edwards who?

2008-05-17T14:23:00.002-05:00

John Edwards emerged from hiding this week to endorse Obama for president. The endorsement would have meant something, say, 2 months ago, but with 18 committed delegates, it means less than nothing now.

Curiously absent was Elizabeth Edwards. Pundits speculated that she doesn't support Obama. I suspect that she has more important things on her mind these days.

She has more character and brains that the candidates themselves.

Nothing of substance

2008-05-13T13:23:00.002-05:00

Stopping home for a quick bite to eat and a podcast update. Today is a very windy Spring-like day here in the Midwest. And since it is 'garbage day', there are lots of empty soda cans and newspapers blowing around the neighborhood. We're tyring to get lids for the recycling bins, but nothing is free.

Whatever allergy I suffer from in the Spring makes me feel like I've been crying all day. My eyes feel puffy, and I'm very tired.

Well, I feel tired all the time, but more so this week.

Back in Obama War Room

2008-05-08T17:08:00.003-05:00

Obama has been friendly enough, but it's time that he pulls Hilary aside and tells her to drop out now, or he's going to unleash the hounds.

This pussy-footing around does not make him look like a decisive leader. Sometimes, a President and to drop the gloves and kick some ass.

It worked for Al Secord.

Good ol' Number 20

Your NPR fix for the day

2008-04-19T08:27:00.002-05:00

Be sure to catch Weekend America (schedule varies) on your local NPR affiliate this weekend.

Artist James Plakovic discusses his work "World Beat Music", and map of the world rendered as a symphonic score.

As I've mentioned here before, I've known James since 1984, back when we all called him Jim. Well, not all of us called him Jim. His mom called him Jamie.

Note to James: for $100, I will delete that last sentence.

Heres a link to the online story by Weekend America: http://weekendamerica.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/04/17/sound_earth/

And in case you haven't already visited, go to www.plakovic.com RIGHT NOW!

Lyle Lovett speaks to me

2008-04-17T18:48:00.001-05:00

This may or may not explain my frame of mind on odd-numbered days.

LMAO

2008-04-15T12:30:00.001-05:00

In the Bunker

2008-04-15T11:44:00.002-05:00

There are days when I wish I was the Comm Director for Obama's campaign.

Today I would be telling him to acknowledge that he said those things about working class voters, admit that he did not think the statement through very well, and try to briefly explain what he really meant.

Then he should say the following: "I know that I gave a bad answer. I was trying to be too cute by half when I said it. I know that this will not be the last mistake I make. One thing is for certain, I have not lied to you, unlike Mrs Sniperfire and her husband, Mr I-never-had-sex-with-that-woman."

The one thing that is appealing about Obama's inexperience is that he hasn't learned to be a complete and utter liar yet.

And I'm not even an Obama guy.

By the way, Mrs Clinton, I know it's easy for you to say that someone is an elitist. You know so much about being an elitist yourself.

Kathie Lee back in the saddle

2008-04-08T20:32:00.004-05:00

Here in flyover, we prefer Kelly to Kathie Lee. That doesn't mean we dislike Kathie Lee.

She's Back! All I can say is that 1) she's had some work done (don't know that she needed it, she's always been attractive), and 2) she's had SOME WORK done (if you look a little lower on your TV Screen).

I realize that it is not right to objectify her like that, but this is flyover, and we've been trained by both coasts to check out the rack.

Still great legs, too.

Otherwise, her new gig hosting the needless 4th hour of Today met with mixed reviews. I didn't watch, I have a 8-5 job, and my gender is not the target audience. This is strange, because with the exception of Tom Shales of the Washington Post, all men dig Kathie Lee. Women find her polarizing, but men think she's cool. We all secretly wish our wives will look that good at age 55.

The Beat(les) goes on

2008-03-28T17:01:00.003-05:00

I took my kids to the University Library at Northwestern today, where they had a small exhibit of Lennon/McCartney manuscripts on display. Among the items were the original jottings of "Eleanor Rigby", "Yellow Submarine", and "Good Day, Sunshine".

I imagine that I got a bigger thrill than my kids. But I told them that someday they could tell their friends that they saw these wonderful artifacts of creativity. As we looked at each one, I tried my best to sing them snippets of each song. I even sang the cello parts in "Rigby" My god, George Martin could arrange some strings!

Just as Freud believed that everyone goes through phases (oral, phallic, anal, etc), I believe everyone goes through a Beatles phase. Some pass through without any mark, others get stuck in it. I recall a kid in high school who always wore a John Lennon "Mao" hat all the time. A Lennon/Mao hat? You gotta love it.

Anyway, I went through the Beatles phase while in college in the early 80's. I was always a John Lennon guy (as opposed to a Paul person, or a George person, or that other one person). Although at age 45, I've grown more fond of George. Shy yet brilliant.

It's not that I dislike Paul. He's just too schlocky for my tastes. Always the wink and the nod, having one over on you and all that.

(Interruption: Raise your hand if you knew 5 years ago that Heather Mills was a gold-digger? I see lots of armpits out there, Sir Paul)

Paul is sort of having the last laugh being the last Beatle. No, I'm not picking on Ringo. Ringo tours because he likes to get paid. Paul has nothing to prove, and doesn't need to prove it.

This is my daughter, standing over "Eleanor Rigby". Someday, her heart will ache when she realizes what that song really means.

Miss Spoke

2008-03-27T20:34:00.003-05:00

When I call my daughter by our dog's name (they both start with 'L') that is mis-speaking.

Hillary's recollection of sniper fire in Bosnia is something else entirely.

To say she misspoke is to not understand the difference.

Please notice that unlike Matt Drudge, I post a flattering photo of Hillary, just because despite my dislike of her politics, I still admire something about her.

March Madness

2008-03-21T15:40:00.002-05:00

Sure, I have lots to say about Obama's inconsistancy about his pastor's anti-white, anti-semitic hate speech versus his desire to have Don Imus fired over a really terrible attempt at humor that was racially insensitive and very stupid; but I just have to complain about the 4 inches of snow that was just shat upon us on March 21. That would be the second day of Spring to most of you. For me, it's just a cruel exclamation point on a terrible Winter.

And it made me miss our Good Friday service at church.

Blogs of Note

2008-03-14T21:58:00.003-05:00

Congrats to Heather Armstrong of dooce.com for winning four major blogging awards at SXSW.

James and Kathy, if you don't already visit dooce.com several days a week, start doing it NOW!!

That goes to the rest of you, too!

(Note to Heather's husband: at least I fixed her red-eye before posting her photo!)

Antoher Guilty Pleasure

2008-03-08T15:57:00.002-06:00

I never wanted to watch Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel because I'm not what you call dirty fingernail kind of guy.

Host Mike Rowe, however, is a much better looking, deeper-voiced version of me. His constant stream of smart-ass remarks and skepticism is very much me. As I watch, the wisecracks that I think of seem to eminate from his mouth.

Very cool, very funny.

Rare book review

2008-02-22T19:52:00.002-06:00

Although I'm a voracious reader, I am not much of a book reviewer.

I just finished Playing for Pizza by John Grisham. This is his third or fourth non-legal suspence thriller, and I really enjoyed it.

Long story short without giving away anything: A journeyman NFL QB finds himself in an Italian semi-pro football league. Great descriptions of the sites, and even better descriptions of the food.

I want to learn Italian and buy 10 pounds of parmasean reggiano.

Read the book!

NIU Heartbreak

2008-02-15T16:17:00.002-06:00

We live about 14 miles from NIU, and my wife got her degree there in 1989. I attended graduate school there for a year. There are a lot of competing emotions about what happened there yesterday...frustration, sadness, confusion, anger.

The frustration is with the media, who, in their usual attempt to explain exactly what is happening within moments of it happening, get much of the story wrong. This is a sad and bewildering time for everyone, especially those directly affected. It is not the time to finger point and infer institutional blame.

I think we'll find out that the university did everything it could, and that the hospital did everything it could, etc.

How can we live in our country if every door is locked, every doorway has a metal detector, every person in need of medication is locked up? It wouldn't be American then, would it?

I don't have any answers. Let's think good thoughts for the survivors, and think even greater thoughts for the victims.

This just in....

2008-02-12T21:26:00.001-06:00

It's 9:27 CST and I'm projecting that Hillary Clinton is toast.

We'll miss her.

E Lection coverage

2008-02-08T19:22:00.000-06:00

We were hit with a lot of snow Tuesday/Wednesday, so I couldn't be johnny on the spot with my Super Tuesday Erection coverage. Sorry, I meant 'election'.

Fox News had lots of problems with their graphics. The vote totals for a candidate would carry over from state to state. John McCain's 12 votes in the West Virginia convention would carry over to Alabama, where in reality the race came down to the wire. Other issues too numerous to mention. Don't producers pay attention to these little details? Brit Hume seemed to be unable to complete a sentence without mumbling at the end. I know there's a lot of voices in his head (I'm referring to line producers), but you still need to reach the finish your thought before moving on.

MSNBC's Chris Matthews continues to annoy. Does the man have no brain? Early in the coverage, he was grilling a Republican 'expert' about why any Republican candidate would bother to campaign in a dark blue state such as New Jersey. Chris, they campaign there because there's lots of delegates, and the goal is to WIN THE NOMINATION. They won't waste a lot of time and money there for the general erection. I mean election. How about more Keith Olbermann? I may be the only person on earth to write that. I can't help it, I enjoy witting and urbane, even from a liberal. Hell, only liberals can be witty and urbane.

CNN has a huge bright set. That was more than enough to keep me away.

With Romney only winning a few states that night, I was the only pundit to say that he was toast. And I was right. You can't finish 2nd or 3rd 80% of the time and expect me to support your candidacy. Just ask John "I'm good for the bronze" Edwards.

While I'm typing about it, John Edwards was using matching funds (none of his own sizable wad of cash), so half of every dollar he spent after New Hampshire was a wasted taxpayer dollar. This is why I stopped checking the $3 box on my tax return.

I will say this, I think nothing but good thoughts about Elizabeth Edwards, and you all should do the same. She has four times the moxie her husband has. I hope she gets to spend some quality time with her family before the going gets tough for her.

Groundhog Day Eve

2008-02-01T15:46:00.000-06:00

Our area was hit with about 7 inches of snow last night. There was no school today, and so my workday was truncated. Yet, I think I'm more productive NOT being in the office.

The first big snowfall of the winter is always a magical time. The third big snowfall of the winter is an inconvenient annoyance. Thankfully, it was warm enough for the roads to get plowed decently, although the usual blowing and drifting created some problems out in the country.

As of 3:45pm, the kids are playing in the snow, and I'm cathcing up on emails and voice mails. Not terribly busy at work today.

Pitchers and catchers report in about 2 weeks, and the Super Bowl is this weekend. January flew by.

Suzanne Pleshette

2008-01-21T15:28:00.000-06:00

We here in flyover are saddened by the passing of Suzanne Pleshette, who pioneered the role of "hot wife of homely stand-up comic" in the Bob Newhart Show during the 1970's.

For young boys of my age (I as 10 years old when the show began and 16 when it ended), Suzanne fulfilled some sort of Mrs. Robinson role as she was the same age as our moms, but much hotter and cooler. Watching her on the Tonight Show (with Johnny Carson, of course), we discovered that she was really cool and capable of keeping up with Johnny wise-crack for wise-crack.

She was also popular in those James Garner-type comedies, playing the wise brunette pal of the ditsy blond. Another reason to prefer MaryAnn, I guess...but you just knew that Suzanne's characters did it, and enjoyed it.

Experience?

2008-01-07T18:39:00.000-06:00

I was listening to NPR tonight and heard a report from New Hampshire, where the last-minute undecideds are now deciding. One woman, who claimed to have made a spreadsheet comparing all the candidates, said that while she was leaning toward Obama, she has decided to support Clinton because we need a candidate with more experience.....

I heard Mrs. Clinton say yesterday that she has 35 years of experience in changing government. Let's recall her elective office experience: 2000, elected Senator from New York. 2006 Re-elected Senator of New York.

Where's the beef?

Where is all this experience she's talking about? I've been wanting change in government for 35 years, also.

Not to be a Hillary-basher here, but being married to the guy who occupies the offices DOES NOT COUNT toward political experience.

It's one thing to stand in the wings and soak up the applause, ma'am, and it's another to jump into the bathtub and pull the hair from the drain.

And, by the way, I voted for YOUR HUSBAND in 1992.

Hillary, I really want to like you, but you must stop with this 'experience' thing. Joe Biden has it. You don't. I'm not saying Obama has it, but what he has is comparable to yours.

By the way, liked the tears today. You don't want the guys bashing because you are a woman, and then you get all emotional on us.

Here's the message you need to send: I'M SMARTER THAN THE OTHER GUYS!!!

And you are. You are so intelligent that may heart pounds when I think of you.

Another day off

2007-12-28T08:28:00.000-06:00

I'm crossing my fingers that the murder of Bhutto does not lead to WWIII.

Just finished Michael Palin's Diaries 1969-1979, a great book. As a teen, I would spend my late Saturday nights watching Saturday Night Live from 10pm to midnight and then catch Monty Python on PBS from midnight to whenever the showings ended. I loved Python, although I never became one of those annoying kids trying to mimic the accents or re-enact the bits over and over again. Of all the Pythons, I enjoyed the smarminess of Eric Idle and the everyman frustration of Palin the most.

I think Diaries 1969-1979 capture Palin's work ethic, his love of family, and his own amazement at times that he was actually earning a living by putting pen to paper. An entry late in the book, as Life of Brian was printing cash for the group, George Harrison pulls Palin aside to say that now Palin could own a mansion like George's. Palin's inner voice says, "but I like where I am now", a home in a somewhat conventional London suburb. You have to admire someone who is that famous staying so very rooted in the 'real' world.

Now, on to the Warren Zevon biography, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead.

William James, In the Maelstrom of American Modernism, will be attended to shortly. Damn heaving reading, that book.

Peoria's Own

2007-12-20T18:44:00.000-06:00

A feeling of sadness and loss accompany the news that Flyover favorite Dan Fogelberg passed away on Sunday.

My multi-part tribute and critique of his albums (starting 2 years ago) never got off the ground. I will say that I was not pleased with a Chicago radio show's description of Dan's career as a "punch line".

Now that I've reached 45, I've come to the conclusion that, as Warhol said, everyone gets 15 minutes. Dan Fogelberg's window was open from 1972 to 1985, and I daresay he made the most of it. While his artistic focus changed from the commercially viable after 1985, it would be wrong to say that he became a joke. Sure, the records didn't sell. But I think he was satisfied with his career and saw no reason to extend it. His money was made and he (I hope) was enjoying his life.

How many artists really have the emotional strength to continue to break new ground all the time? Springsteen, perhaps. Bono, we'll see. As much as the Stones continue to be commercially viable, don't kid yourself -- The Stones stopped breaking new ground in 1980.

Sure, Fogelberg's wistfully romantic songs were fluffy. But we liked them. How many times has "Longer" been played at weddings? A couple of million? Heck, one of my first paying gigs was playing "Longer" at a wedding with two flutists. Twenty bucks was twenty bucks back in 1981. He crossed over from Country-Rock to Rock to Pop to Jazz to Bluegrass to Rhythm & Blues. He could do it all. I guess he could have been HUGE at Branson, but he preferred Colorado and Maine.

Living in the shadows
Of the things that might have been
Torn between the blessing and the curse
You may stop the hunger but you'll never slake the thirst
For the nectar you remember
But you'll never taste again.
The Lion's Share 1981

"Snow" Day

2007-12-11T08:43:00.000-06:00

No school today. Although we were not hit with the massive ice storm overnight as predicted, the roads are slick and there's no sense in having anyone injured in a school bus accident.

I brought a lot of work home, so I'm with the kids.

"Everyone, CLEAN YOUR ROOMS!"

Punks in any age

2007-12-03T16:29:00.000-06:00

I read today that Lori Drew, the Dardenne Prairie, MO woman who drove teenager Megan Meier to suicide by posting terrible lies and rumors on a MySpace page, will not be facing any criminal charges because (simply put) there doesn't seem to be a law that was broken in the case.

I was going to go ahead and post her photo, address, phone number, etc here today as a kind of vigilante justice, but in researching the story, I have learned that it has already been done.

When Lori, her husband, or daughter beg for mercy, please remember the mercy they showed to a 13 year old girl.

Everyone ought to pay for their mistakes, and I think the Drew's have quite a large balance outstanding. They are lucky I don't live in their town. There isn't enough dog shit in the world to throw at them.

Back in my day...

2007-11-25T20:54:00.000-06:00

I was working with my son, a new Cub Scout, on his Bobcat badge tonight. He has learned the proper salute, handshake, creed, motto, etc, just like I had to when I was in Cub Scouts over 35 years ago.

One thing we need to do now to earn the badge, that I didn't back then, is go over the rules and policies concerning child abuse. Specifically, about adult and peer sexual abuse. While I'm certainly mature enough to have this conversation, and I believe my son is almost as mature as I am, I felt bad that we had to talk about some of the things that bad people are capable of.

He understands that if he is ever threatened or abused, he needs to tell me about it. I assured him that although I may get upset, I would never blame him or be mad at him if he were taken advantage of. I told him that it is a parent's job to get upset whenever something bad happens to their child, and no matter what happens, I need to be told about it.

I explained that I might want to hurt whoever harms him, but I'm sure that Mom would calm me down, and I would let the police handle it. What he doesn't know is that I've already been told by the local Chief of Police that my chance of arrest would be small if I were to crush the knees of a sexual predator with a baseball bat.

One of the charms of living in a small town, I guess.

Heady times, these

2007-11-16T16:11:00.000-06:00

So much to comment on, so little time.

Barry Bonds: can't wait for the trial. Remember, Jason Giambi admitted ingesting a whole host of things during the same grand jury. He didn't lie. This isn't a witch hunt for steroid users, and it's not about race. It's about lying to a grand jury.

Catholic Bishops Conference: Let me get this straight...if I vote for a candidate who doesn't have a strong anti-abortion position, I'm going to hell? You know, this isn't my fight. I've never knocked up a girlfriend and had to consider an abortion. I don't abuse my daughter, and I don't rape. I don't advocate abortion, and I'm hoping that my daughter never has to consider having one. I really think I've got a personal handle on abortion. But, guys, I've got a hundred other concerns right now that I need the next President to work on, and abortion is really low on that list.

To me, the abortion issue is a local one: I can't stop other people from having abortions, I'm 1) not personally putting anyone in a position to have one, and 2) trying to educate my kids so they are not a party to one. There may be an acceptable reason for getting an abortion, and as long as it isn't a frivolous convenience, I'm not sticking my nose in it. If everyone, man and woman, respected themselves and each other, this isn't a big issue.

OJ Simpson: Do I really care?

Drew Peterson: Come on, man, 'fess up already! Why are scumbags like him such chick-magnets?

Green Day

2007-11-05T16:07:00.000-06:00

My good friends over at Univeral/NBC are jumping on the Green Bandwagon, which means that for awhile (until folks stop tuning in) they will provide programming on their three-hundred and fifty networks that tell us about how environmentally friendly they are, and how we are complete scum because we watch other channels.

Last night's kick off (no pun intended) was during Sunday Night Football, and the big gimmick was shutting off the studio lighting for the half-time show. Yawn.

Their half-time shown generally consists of scores, highlights, and Keith Olberman's clever essay. I'm not being snarky; I like Keith. He's down the hall politically from me, but I know entertainment when I see it, and he's smart and funny. He's not Owen Wilson, but his hair is better. I'm also a kindred spirit in that no matter how great the job I have, I want it to be better and on my terms.

Anyway, I'm sure turning off the studio lights and asking the nation to join them in conserving electricity will make the suits at NBC happy. Until folks stop tuning in because they are just tired of the message. Yes, we know we need to conserve, but as long as the power flows when I flip the switch, I'm going to suck electricity from the grid.

Anarchy begins 30 seconds after the switch doesn't work anymore.

In Praise of Owen Wilson

2007-11-04T09:32:00.000-06:00

I watched The Wedding Crashers last night. This pretty much explains the timing of my life. I'm 2 1/2 years behind the times. And that's optimistic.

My first memorable exposure to Owen was in Shanghai Noon with Jackie Chan. Since then he's been in tons of movies, and I really liked him as the voice of Lightning McQueen in Cars. Of course Bonnie Hunt was better, but she's the world's most perfect women (sorry, Jill). He's funny, smart and easy on my wife's eyes.

I don't read the tabloids much, it's really not any of my business what celebrities do in their spare time. I guess he's hit a rocky patch, but I'm sure he'll recover and get it together.

As much as I like Owen, I hated his hair in The Wedding Crashers. The mess, the bangs, the poochie thing on the top of his head...it just bugged me. It seemed to have so much product in it, I thought it was a hairpiece. Thankfully, the sloop scene proved it was all his own hair.

I'm not trying to be a hater, I'd would just like to issue a challenge to the great hair and make-up folks in Hollywood: Make his hair look better next time.

Now, don't let me get started on Vince Vaughn. I still annoyed that Jennifer Aniston let him get within five feet of her.

Yes, it's the 21st Century

2007-11-04T09:18:00.000-06:00

My family gave me an iPod Shuffle for my birthday, and I spent several hours trying to open the box.

No, really, my daughter opened the box for me...I spent several hours realizing that I don't own many CD's made after the year 2000.

I know that the Shuffle is at the low end of the Apple speed spectrum, but I love this thing. It weighs a couple of ounces, is smaller than a matchbook, and holds more music than I could listen to in a year.

I know, I know, I'm an old fart, and all the kids have been using iPods for years. I've always enjoyed portable music, and with no moving parts or heaving equipment, the Shuffle is simply perfect. I wish I could glue the earbuds on. Now I can walk the treadmill and ride the exercize bikes and lift the weights with my own little soundtrack running through my skull.

Wait, let me go get it and put it on.

You know, when Trisha Yearwood wails at the end of Garth Brooks cover of Billy Joel's Shameless (how's that for confusing references?) it's like an angel screaming at me. I love it.

And when you shuffle, you never know what's going to play next, but you know you are going to like it. Yes, you already know this.

Hard Hog Hockey

2007-11-02T09:59:00.000-05:00

Tonight is the home opener for the Rockford IceHogs. It is also Boy Scout night, so my son and I are going with his pack. His pack has been chosen to present the colors before the game, so he will get to walk out onto the ice. He's very excited about it.

The IceHogs won the UHL Colonial Cup last year, and this year they have jumped up to the AHL and are affiliated with the Chicago Blackhawks.

In the 'old days', I was a big fan of the Fort Wayne Komets, back when the IHL was primarily a Midwestern league (I think it has returned as a Midwestern league since it was crushed by over-expansion several years ago). Some of my best memories as a child were of somehow convincing a parent to drop us off at Memorial Coliseum for a Saturday afternoon game (I think the tickets were $2.50-$4.50) and watching the great Terry Pembroke (good ol' number 5) play defense. The Flint Generals, Muskegan Mohawks (now called the Fury), Port Huron Wings, Saginaw Gears, Toledo Hornets, Dayton Gems; all great team names.

Speaking of great names, the Icehogs used to have Robin Bigsnake, who is now with the Texas Brahmas of the CHL. I think Robin spends too much time fighting to make to the NHL, but he's a old school kind of player.

The Icehogs will host the San Antonio Rampage tonight, and we're hoping for a fun-filled, if not peaceful, evening of hockey.

If Ever I Would Leave You....

2007-10-31T11:25:00.000-05:00

Robert Goulet was a familiar presence in my childhood. Whether on Laugh-In, or The Carol Burnett Show, or any of the many variety shows that were televised during the 60's and 70's, you could count on seeing Bobby G with or without his lovely then-wife, Carol Lawerence.

Handsome, talented, suave. He could do comedy or drama.

He was one of my mom's favorite entertainers, which makes it almost fitting that he left us yesterday, on what would have been her 69th birthday. Perhaps he didn't age as graciously as we'd hoped, the hair-coloring revealing a sense of vanity that he surely did not need, but based on his appearance in a Super Bowl commercial recently, I'd say he didn't take himself too seriously.

Look at the size of Carol Lawrence's feet, for gosh sakes.

Soccer Moms

2007-10-20T16:05:00.000-05:00

My son play U8 Soccer in our local AYSO League. This year he has made the leap from semi-interested bystander to Pele-like soccer stud. Well, okay, not quite Pele-like. But he has made a great improvement in his interest and activity level, and I'm glad to see he enjoys it more than in the past.

The league provides referees, usually kids 12 or 14 years old. These kids drive me nuts. They don't seem to know or enforce the rules of the game, they don't track the time very well, they'd rather twirl the whistle than blow it.

We bring our portable bag chairs to the games, and sit on the sidelines to cheer the kids on. Inevitably, there are a group of (lard-assed) moms who stand in front of us yakking away instead of watching the game. This morning was the last straw. One of the moms volunteered to be a sideline judge, and instead of following the play up and down the sideline, decided that she could just stand and midfield (in front of me) and wave the little flag from there.

I volunteered to do this in the past, but I find that I get so caught up in making sure I don't screw up the responsibility that I don't watch the game.

I'm thinking about coaching my son's team next year when he moves into U10. I admittedly don't have the patience for U8 and younger, but I think I'd enjoy coaching up a bunch of older kids.

Ides of October

2007-10-15T13:48:00.000-05:00

No news is good news, in a way.

Fortunately for my family, work has been going gangbusters. This leaves less time for blogging and generally being annoying.

Normally not a death penalty advocate...

2007-09-29T07:59:00.000-05:00

WANTED: DEAD

Chester "The Molester" Arthur Stiles

If you see this 'man' walking down a sidewalk, please hit him with your car.

If you see him in a dark alley, hit him in the head with a pipe.

If you see him near a golf course, I'd suggest a 9 iron.

If you see him near a shooting gallery, you know where to aim.

Was he named after former US President Chester Arthur?

My Gal Sal

2007-09-18T11:10:00.000-05:00

It was probably her roles in those Burt Reynolds movies in the late '70's and early '80's that made me fall in love with Sally Field.

On Sunday, Sally won the Emmy for Lead Actress in a Drama for her role in "Brothers and Sisters". My wife TIVO's the show, and I'll occassionaly watch it with her. It's a good show, and I like Sally's role in it.

She is a marvelous actress.

The first part of her acceptance speech was very good, and I think everyone would agree with her sentiment. Then she sort of went off the rails, and after fumbling very uncomfortably, made a statement that if mothers ruled the world, there would be no wars. She used some language to emphasize her point, which was bleeped out by the network broadcasting the show.

I don't think she was 'censored'. Her point was made. FOX did not cut or excise the statement, they just bleeped out some words that may have (or have not) offended some people.

The person doing the bleeping had less than 7 sevens to make a decision. In light of FCC rulings in the aftermath of the Janet Jackson Superbowl debacle, it seems that networks tend to error on the side of caution in these things.

I think Sally Field is a marvelous actress. She is darn pretty, and I like to be entertained by her. I have never looked to her as a source of my faith, news, or opinion; but she is certainly entitled to have her own point of view.

I think that her initial statement was enough. Subtle, poignant, and without need of embellishment or further explication. Her follow-up comments were hurried and not terribly thought-out, although they expressed the same point as her earlier statement.

And now, something topical...

2007-08-24T12:53:00.000-05:00

My A-Hat of the week (or month, it seems) is Elvira Arellano. You know, I don't have a large dog in the immigration issue. However, Ms Arellano finally received her due last weekend when she was arrested and deported back to Mexico.

Here's a brief Flyover view of her story:

Arrived illegally. Deported. Returned. Got pregnant and bore a citizen. Used false Social Security information to get job at O'Hare. Get arrested in a postt 9/11 sweep of illegals. Convicted and sentenced to probation.

Side note #1: If you are an illegal alien and get convicted of a crime, why is probation even handed out? Probation just about implies that you need to stick around to meet with your probation officer regularly to show you aren't misbehaving.

Back to the overview:

Told to face immigration hearing. Hides out in storefront church, daring arrest by Immigration Authorities. Cites citizen child as reason for staying. Stays in church for one year. Boldly announces leaving safe haven to speak in Washington. Instead goes to LA and is arrested and deported. It rained a lot last night, and here we are today.

If she had not commited a crime (other than entering illegally) and could somehow show that she would be a productive resident, I don't think I would have had a problem with her sticking around to raise her citizen child. However, her repeated run-ins with authority (prior deportation, arrest, failure to comply, challenging authority, hiding out, etc) leads me to believe that she thought she was above the law. I don't even mind so much that she refused to learn English after 10 years here.

Side note #2: Are you kidding me? She was here 10 years and spoke through an interpreter? Maybe that's urban myth, but we in Flyover like to see an effort made.

The issue of anchor babies and breaking up families is serious. I'm not about to revise the Constitution over this. Parents are responsible to and for their children, and children belong with their parent(s). Citizenship is farther down the hierarchy of needs, if you ask me.

When this citizen child reaches 18, I'll welcome him back. In the meantime, go with mama.

Dog Days

2007-08-24T12:44:00.000-05:00

Although work has been absolute hell, I've managed to take 4 1/2 vacation days this month to attempt a battery recharge.

"The Man' at work has cracked down on personal internet use. That's okay by me...it's not like I'm addicted or something. Well, maybe just a little bit. I didn't surf 'not safe for work' sites, but I did find myself reading all sorts of news items. I knew our company was tightening the noose when the Ohio Turnpike website was blocked. Hey, I was just trying to find out what the tolls were going to cost.

I'm writing this from my computer at city hall, where no one cares if I blog or not. And it is 'technically' my lunch hour, although I'm not much of a lunch eater.

Whenever I have a good post, it is usually the result of some sort of research that I conduct on the fly as I'm writing. My 'personal' posts are crap, which I'm sorry that I put you through.

You might be able to go home again

2007-08-15T15:21:00.000-05:00

I last visited Houston in 2001 for my 20th class reunion just a week before 9/11. Prior to that, I last visited in 1984.

I learned to drive in boomtown Houston, lots of traffic, aggressive drivers, shotguns and open beer cans. Today, thanks to the construction of two large toll roads, it seems to be easier to get around. 610 loop is still there, but Beltway 8 has replaced it as the main suburban loop. FM 1960 can be up to 7 lanes wide, and the Velvet Ghetto I came from is more like a real ghetto now.

Suburban flight now goes up to The Woodlands, a mammoth planned development which was still just getting off the ground in 1977, when we first moved to the area. While mocked by the hipsters that live 'in town', I could see myself living in just this type of area. Lots of shopping, lots of things to do, a riverwalk, office buildings, hotels, and even an outdoor venue for concerts.

My friend, David, and I were invited to an informal get together on Saturday. Hosted by Linda (see First Kiss blog 2 1/2 years ago) and her husband, Joe, in attendance was Lori, the one that broke (crushed, removed, stomped, etc) my heart so very long ago. We're all still friends. I think being friends with Lori was pre-destined...escalating the relationship as we did in the early '80's was not meant to be.

Meeting up with Lori, even 25 years after the fact, can be somewhat anxiety producing. Perhaps she symbolizes what can happen when I make dumb mistakes. Perhaps she is the symbol of some ideal that I thought I was entitled to in my romantic youth. I'm not sure.

This time, however, the years have cleared my vision quite a bit. Lori is Lori. Petite, blond, perky. At 44 however, she's becoming her mom: prim, proper, and almost matricarchal. I think for the first time in the 30 years I've known her, I question what my attraction was. Well, I know what my attraction was, I guess now I feel a whole lot better about myself for the way things turned out. She's still petite, blond and perky. But I realize that she isn't some type of 'standard' that I should be measuring myself against.

I'm hopelessly in love with my wife. She is a better match for me than Lori ever could be. I think I spent a lot of time thinking that it was some deficiency on my part that never met Lori's expectations. I will never meet her expectations, but it's not because there is something deficient in me. It was just never meant to be.

Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie, etc

2007-08-06T17:51:00.001-05:00

I'm flying to Houston later this week to see some baseball, visit College Station, and put my toes into the Gulf of Mexico.

Over the last 8 months, my brain has turned into complete mush - to the point where I can't write down a phone number unless it is repeated several times, I can't remember facts and figures that I depend on to do my job, and frankly, it is difficult for me to recall what month and day it is.

Either it's stress, or a tumor.

I'm hoping that a few days out of the rat race will somehow invigorate my desire to wake up in the morning.

While not a doctor, I am prescribing myself plenty of Tex-Mex, BBQ, and Shiner Bock.

If I can't get out of this funk after I get back, I'll go to a real doctor.

Cubs vs Astros, Wed night
Thursday, off day
Brewers vs Astros Fri night
Brewers vs Astros Sat night

With the Astrodome all but gone, I won't get the chance to have the "Coldest Foam in the Dome" as the beer vendors used to shout.

Lady Bird

2007-07-13T13:03:00.000-05:00

Claudia Johnson passed away this week. Godspeed, nice lady.

Since the mid 80's, I've read many biographies about her husband. I'm not sure that you can say I'm an admirer of LBJ, but I am quite fascinated by him. He was sort of like Bill Clinton without the great looks. With all I've learned about him, I have grown to admire and respect his wife. I know at some point I always promised myself that when she finally shook the mortal coil, I would make a serious attempt to attend her memorial service, just because I respect her so much.

Of course, real life dictates that I do not attend her services. But I'll be there in spirit.

I heard a radio 'essayist' mention that back in 1966, when LBJ realized the war in Viet Nam was not winable, only 5% off all VN related casualties had been suffered (that is about 3,000). It is chilling to think that 50,000 US Troops died after 1966. (I have not confirmed the reliablility of the quoted casualty stats yet.)

As a war-mongering republican, I had always bristled at the comparisons betwen Viet Nam and Iraq. But now, when I have also come to believe that there is no good success strategy in place, I have to wonder if those comparisons have some merit.

Short of a mammoth surge (and a dedication to killing insurgents), how are we going to get out of this mess? The casualty counts aren't that high yet. But what is the additional investment of lives going to be?

I believe pulling out of Iraq in the near future will result in a apolcalytic slaughter similar to what we saw in Southeast Asia following 1975. But staying in Iraq without a more focused plan will lead to a slaughter of American soldiers.

If we are going to stay, we need to escalate the (killing-related) activity. A troop surge without aggressiveness is like a kiss without a squeeze. Changing hearts and minds, while an admirable idea, is not going to work on these people who hate for the sake of hating.

A quick note to Representative Keith Ellison of Minnesota: You are an idiot. It doesn't matter if you are a Christian, Jew or Muslim, or whether you are black, brown or white. You are still an idiot.

No Thanks, Madge

2007-07-09T13:06:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but I'm no longer interested.

Sure am hot outside

2007-07-06T09:43:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure why, but we are going camping this weekend. My parents in-law and my sister in-law own campers, we have a tent. Temps will be in the 90's.

I do my best not to complain about hot weather. I do my best to complain about winter. The main reason I don't complain about hot weather is I don't want to ruin my street cred 20 years from now when I want to retire and move to a hot weather state. The last think I need is for my wife to say "gee, you always hated the hot weather, why would you want to move to Texas to retire?"

Here's a photo that explains why the old adage "Knee high by the fourth of July" is a bit outdated:

photo 'courtesy' (meaning I'm stealing it) of the DeKalb Chronicle.

Thanks to the ethanol boom, every farmer is planting corn this year. Soybean prices will be up this year as a result.

My father escaped to Nebraska for his bi-annual high school class reunion. Two years ago, he missed his 50th due to his gall bladder emergency. I reluctantly gave him the money (it was his money) to go this year, telling him that his traveling days are over. His goal seems to be to spend every last dollar he has. My goal is to have enough to pay the deductible on his insurance when he wrecks the car.

Summer of the Pregnant Murder Victim

2007-06-28T13:35:00.000-05:00

I am by no means minimizing the deaths of at least 3 women in the United States who have been murdered and in fact, were pregnant at the time.

Fox News recently did a story on pregnant women murder victims, complete with a graphic stating '20% of Pregnant Women are Murdered" (thanks to Chris over at Dangerous Logic for this info).

That fact makes me worried for all the Catholic Mothers out there with four kids. There going to be killed during the fifth pregnancy.

I'm guessing that Fox wants us to know that 20% of all female murder victims are pregnant at the time of their deaths. What percentage of women are pregnant at any given time? Probably a lot less than 20%...so those geniuses over at Fox News are on to something.

I don't think we need to convene a congressional hearing to agree that killing anyone, let alone pregnant women, is a heinous thing. Killing a woman who is pregnant with your child is awful. The problem lies with the men, of course.

The Scott Petersens and Billy Cutts of the world are subhuman. How is it that they get laid to start with?

And don't get me started on the AssHats who are able to kill their own children. Maybe it's the summer of Family Killing.

Summer Solstice

2007-06-21T12:10:00.000-05:00

The fact that it is the longest day of the year doesn't mean that I have more time in my day to write blogstuff.

The mosquitoes waited until after Genoa Days to make their appearance. Oddly, I forgot all about mosquitoes....senility is creeping up on me.

Our nephew's graduation went well. The Dean of the college gave a nice speech exalting the benefits of a liberal arts education, which made me want to jab my wife in the ribs and say "see, I wasn't wasting my time, after all". The three reasons for the graduation ceremony, according to Dean Linzer, were to 1) recognize the acheivement of the students, 2) recognize the support of the families and 3) continue in the time honored tradition of wearing heavy gowns in un-airconditioned buildings. It was very, very warm in Welsh-Ryan Arena. You'd think for $40,000+ a year they could put some AC in the building!

2007 is flying by. It seems everytime I turn around, I'm changing pages on the calendar. The kids are growing up too fast. And I fear that I'm getting too old for workplace shit. I don't know if a winning lottery ticket is the answer or not. I should sit down with my wife and determine just how little I need to earn to be happy.

Why the world hates us

2007-06-07T10:27:00.000-05:00

I was driving to a sales call this morning and saw a big SUV being driven by a women on a cell phone, tossing a cigarette out the window, and her 12 year old son leaning out a back seat window, obviously not buckled.