I came across this a few days ago on Eric Alterman's Blog. It is good, really good.
Telegraphing the Pitch
Earlier this week, the Republican National Committee unveiled a new primary debate plan that would give the RNC substantially more power to schedule candidate forums and choose conservative moderators from outside the realm of traditional media to host those events. Conservative talker Hugh Hewitt, in a grandly pretentious Washington Examiner op-ed from this past Sunday that really has to be read to be believed, portentously hailed the plan’s “promise of serious discussion of issues of deep importance to the conservative electorate tired to death of the agenda journalism of the Obama-loving MSM.” Predicting that such a plan “could yield a renaissance in campaign coverage,” Hewitt went so far as to draw up what amounts to a right-winger’s dream team of alternative panel members and potential debate topics:
“Imagine one or two debates on foreign affairs, moderated by a senior statesman and featuring questions from public intellectuals like Charles Krauthammer, Victor Davis Hanson and Liz Cheney."
"A debate moderated by the Wall Street Journal's Paul Gigot and featuring economic historian Amity Shlaes and other writers and reporters knowledgeable about the history of markets and regulatory policy would be valuable."
"Or perhaps a forum on the Constitution, courts and judges moderated by Robert Bork and featuring former federal appellate judges Michael McConnell and Michael Luttig? The possibilities for great and informative debates are many and long overdue.”
Let’s be really honest here, what kind of serious, fact-based policy discussions can the American public expect from the Republican primary candidates if each debate is dominated by a collection of demagogues, intellectual poseurs (courtesy of our old friend LTC Bob Bateman) and duplicitous, power-hungry officials the likes of which are listed above. Indeed, for each debate, the RNC might as well go ahead and follow the lead of a certain New York baseball team and let the moderators use hand signals to telegraph to the candidates just which canned talking points to use next. In fact, I finally let my curiosity get the better of me and decided that I would try to humbly come up with a potential list of “serious” questions that might match the tenor of Hewitt’s “smart questioners” at just such a GOP presidential primary debate. Feel free to submit your own as well...
Round Robin section:
– Just how awesome was Ronald Reagan? (For brevity’s sake, please avoid using the terms “amnesty,” “Beirut” or “signed a tax increase” in your answer.)
– Gitmo: What can we do to make it less humane for those terrorists lucky enough to be coddled there indefinitely?
– (Special for Newt Gingrich) What does the Obamas’ successful marriage say about how secular progressives are flagrantly undermining the vital role that mistresses, infidelity and divorce play in shaping American exceptionalism?
– Critics say the fact that millionaires and multinational corporations often pay nothing at all in incomes taxes here in our country is a travesty. Detail how your administration would go about lowering this unfair tax burden even further.
– What is your stance regarding teaching evolution in our schools? (Trick question: If somebody really cared about their child, they would already be home schooling them!)
– After having repealed Obamacare as your first legislative act as president, what would you charge Congress with doing next to solve our nation’s daunting health care problems: Repeal Medicare or repeal Medicaid?
– Hypothetical situation: You, a Federal Reserve Governor, a unionized public school teacher, and a pregnant illegal immigrant starting to go into labor are all stranded inside an oddly unfurnished Detroit mosque during a climate-change-refuting blizzard and you only have a single bullet left in your legal, concealed-carry handgun, who do you pray will get “called” to heaven first?–How would your administration go about discerning the voting preferences of unborn fetuses every Election Day and isn’t it safe to assume that their choice would cancel out that of the mother, especially if she wasn’t married and/or wore pants?
–Please address a fellow candidate at the forum and, in discussing his or her inability to stay true to conservative principles, explain how their failings pale in comparison to the lingering questions about Obama’s true birthplace.
–Describe in one-minute the process by which all Americans will be able to shop nationwide for cheap, J.D. Power-ranked organ transplants thanks to the completely privatized health care marketplace your administration would set up. Thirty-second follow-up: Quickly summarize your campaign’s innovative pilot project whereby the chosen dollar amount of one’s annual health insurance deductible would directly correlate to one’s standard income tax deduction.
Lightning Round:
– Bomb Iran: Yes or Now?
– On a scale of one to ten with ten being the absolute highest, how much weaker and more feckless is Obama’s leadership style than Neville Chamberlain’s?
– Show of hands, which of you supports a 9-month waiting period before any abortion could be performed?
– On a scale of one to ten with ten being the absolute highest, how much more domineering and tyrannical is Obama’s leadership style than Genghis Khan’s?
– OK, who here supports a five-year waiting period before a child would be eligible for Head Start?
– If you could repeal just nine amendments from the Bill of Rights, which one would you leave intact—the 2nd or the 10th?
– Who would support eliminating Head Start and replacing it with a dollar-for-dollar tax credit off of the first $50,000 each citizen earns in capital gains each year?
– Name an influential or perspective-changing book you’ve made it a point to never read.
– More important: making Social Security less social or less secure?
– Bigger threat to our democracy: high voter turnout or collective bargaining?
Final Question:
–Some on the left (wait for boos to die down) say that the Tea Party merely represents a clever repackaging of the same-old, politically aggrieved social conservatives that have always existed at the right-most fringe of the Republican Party and that by increasingly kowtowing to this rump minority of the American public the GOP is endangering both the party’s future as well as that our of nation. So, I ask you, just how awesome was Reagan again?
Monday, May 09, 2011
Sunday, May 08, 2011
A Life Lived
Reflections on a Life
I would imagine it might be a good time to look back on my 65 years on this planet and try and explain, confront, understand what has transpired and how it all has shaped me as a person. I really don’t have a very clear view of what I was like as a toddler, unlike my younger sister (by two years) who seems to be able to recall with ease everything that happened in our large family as soon or soon after she exited the womb. For instance, I do not remember getting my right hand caught in the motorized belt that drove the ringer washer. It did quite a bit of damage to the first two fingers and thumb of my right hand. All I know is that I was crawling and not yet walking. I’m sure I screamed though; including when our family doctor, Dr. Aitkins, stitched me up on the kitchen table with blood flying everywhere; so my mother told me.
Alas, that’s about it for childhood trauma. What followed is a pretty normal, active, although not necessarily eventful youth. My older sister (by two years) had to walk six blocks to catch the streetcar that took her to the elementary school a mile and a half from our home. She was six. I had to be fitted with a harness and tied to the front steps because I tried to follow her to school. I too started school at six (there was no kindergarten then) at the brand new elementary school a mere four blocks distant.
I really enjoyed school, despite the fact my grandparents, on my mother’s side, decided to buy me a brown outfit for my first day. It included a jacket and shorts, yes shorts. I was so embarrassed that I spent my recesses sitting on the north side steps of the school rather than play with the other kids. Teachers thought I was an English kid who was used to wearing a ‘uniform.’ Thankfully my parents realized that I hated my little brown outfit and allowed me to wear regular clothes to school. I quickly and easily left the steps and joined in the play that was so much a part of my education and personal development.
I had a nun in grade one; she was young and we all liked her, but I don’t remember her name. In grade 2 and 3 I had Miss Stewart; we did not get along, but I still liked school anyway. It wasn’t until grade 6 that I had my first male teacher, Mr. Morrison. By this time I was becoming a bit of a pain in the classroom; I think I saw myself as a wise guy, I suppose. Anyway it may also may have been because I had discovered girls, sigh. It amazing what an influence these lovely young ladies have on an eleven-year old kid who was wearing braces. Yes, braces! I was the only kid to have braces in my elementary school. That would appear very strange today where so many kids are wearing the ‘railroad tracks,’ as they were called back in the day.
By high school the braces were gone, but a rather cocky, skinny kid entered PACI, a venerable old building a mile and a half from home. Surprisingly I was really shy, especially around girls, but what I found was my passion – sports! I tried out for all teams in grade nine, except for football – I weighed maybe 130 pounds. Soon enough football would be my downfall as my three shoulder operations and innumerable separations and dislocations were to prove. But that didn’t start until grade 10 when I was probably a robust 140 pounds.
Those 140 pounds spent the next two years either being hurt, in the hospital (I visited every emergency room in the three city hospitals), recovering on the bench from said injuries, or simply trying to contribute to the team effort. I found that my body was much better suited to basketball, a game that I had a lot of success at, even though my shoulder injuries did not go away. At least I didn’t spend too much time away from the game because of these injuries.
I would imagine it might be a good time to look back on my 65 years on this planet and try and explain, confront, understand what has transpired and how it all has shaped me as a person. I really don’t have a very clear view of what I was like as a toddler, unlike my younger sister (by two years) who seems to be able to recall with ease everything that happened in our large family as soon or soon after she exited the womb. For instance, I do not remember getting my right hand caught in the motorized belt that drove the ringer washer. It did quite a bit of damage to the first two fingers and thumb of my right hand. All I know is that I was crawling and not yet walking. I’m sure I screamed though; including when our family doctor, Dr. Aitkins, stitched me up on the kitchen table with blood flying everywhere; so my mother told me.
Alas, that’s about it for childhood trauma. What followed is a pretty normal, active, although not necessarily eventful youth. My older sister (by two years) had to walk six blocks to catch the streetcar that took her to the elementary school a mile and a half from our home. She was six. I had to be fitted with a harness and tied to the front steps because I tried to follow her to school. I too started school at six (there was no kindergarten then) at the brand new elementary school a mere four blocks distant.
I really enjoyed school, despite the fact my grandparents, on my mother’s side, decided to buy me a brown outfit for my first day. It included a jacket and shorts, yes shorts. I was so embarrassed that I spent my recesses sitting on the north side steps of the school rather than play with the other kids. Teachers thought I was an English kid who was used to wearing a ‘uniform.’ Thankfully my parents realized that I hated my little brown outfit and allowed me to wear regular clothes to school. I quickly and easily left the steps and joined in the play that was so much a part of my education and personal development.
I had a nun in grade one; she was young and we all liked her, but I don’t remember her name. In grade 2 and 3 I had Miss Stewart; we did not get along, but I still liked school anyway. It wasn’t until grade 6 that I had my first male teacher, Mr. Morrison. By this time I was becoming a bit of a pain in the classroom; I think I saw myself as a wise guy, I suppose. Anyway it may also may have been because I had discovered girls, sigh. It amazing what an influence these lovely young ladies have on an eleven-year old kid who was wearing braces. Yes, braces! I was the only kid to have braces in my elementary school. That would appear very strange today where so many kids are wearing the ‘railroad tracks,’ as they were called back in the day.
By high school the braces were gone, but a rather cocky, skinny kid entered PACI, a venerable old building a mile and a half from home. Surprisingly I was really shy, especially around girls, but what I found was my passion – sports! I tried out for all teams in grade nine, except for football – I weighed maybe 130 pounds. Soon enough football would be my downfall as my three shoulder operations and innumerable separations and dislocations were to prove. But that didn’t start until grade 10 when I was probably a robust 140 pounds.
Those 140 pounds spent the next two years either being hurt, in the hospital (I visited every emergency room in the three city hospitals), recovering on the bench from said injuries, or simply trying to contribute to the team effort. I found that my body was much better suited to basketball, a game that I had a lot of success at, even though my shoulder injuries did not go away. At least I didn’t spend too much time away from the game because of these injuries.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Leaflets, Big and Small
What Do the Leaflets Do in April/May/June?
Whenever I’m bored and have nothing to do, and my belly button is clean, I allow my mind to wander and wonder what on God’s green earth do the billions and billions of Leaf fans do when all the talented and dedicated hockey teams in the NHL are still playing in the second season. I’m almost certain that, given the fact that the Toronto Maple Leafs have now missed the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons, the leaflets have many other options to pursue. For example, there is gardening, bird watching, soul searching and, of course, golfing.
What does the Leaf Nation talk about during these quiet times in their lives? Do they talk about how awesome the Leaf management will do during the draft in June? No, that can’t be considering how absolutely pathetic Toronto is in picking top talent for their talent-short team. Actually it is quite difficult to gauge how bad the Leafs are at picking hockey talent. Their team is so bad; their head coach is not particularly liked by anyone, especially young players, that even if these kids had some major upside they would have to demonstrate it with another team after they prove to be a bust in Toronto.
I wonder, if perhaps, the Leaf Nation actually watches the Stanley Cup playoffs and fantasizes about what ifs and if onlies about their decidedly inept club? The many leaflets I’m acquainted with are split as to who does and doesn’t watch the second season. Those who do invariably whine about how the Leafs are a much better team than the ones they are presently watching. I know, it is sad, indeed. To be honest, however, there are a few, but only a few of my close friends who actually are acutely aware of how bad their team is. They alone make no bones about how far, far away the Leafs from being contenders of any stripe for Lord Stanley’s Cup.
It’s funny that I can pinpoint when all the leaflets began to see their beloved buds as perennial Stanley Cup contenders: it was the years that Doug Gilmour played for Toronto. Up until then, you couldn’t find a Leaf fan that was suitably droll about the Leaf chances. You know, they were actually enjoyable to be around because you could kid them and rag them and they were cool with that. Alas since that time in the early to mid nineties of Gilmour’s reign, Leaf Nation now believes somehow, someway that their Leafs are just that close to being viable contenders. Alas, again, no non-Leaf fan believes a word of it. Why?
Look at the record; look at their incredible incompetence in drafting quality young prospects; look at their horrendous trades, whereby they bring in aging stars who immediately succumb to Leaf disease and forget totally how to play defensive hockey; look at their anemic record of hiring the right coach and general manager to guide their sorry collection of hockey players. Need I go on? The Toronto Maple Leafs have been and continue to today to be a franchise that is long on fan support and exceedingly short on talent. General Manager Brian Burke has done nothing to change that despite his many and vociferous comments to the contrary. Seriously do you really think the Leafs will have what it takes next year to make the playoffs?
Once they begin to improve, if it actually happens, other teams will begin to take them more seriously, thus they will play much harder than they do now against the Leafs. For many years now the Leafs have had to rely on the overconfidence of their opponents to sneak in a few extra wins.
Speaking of wins, Leaf Nation is alone among all sports fans in their misguided belief that a three- or four-game winning streak in November is somehow indicative of the Leafs wonderful chances to win the Cup. It has happened yet; it hasn’t even come close to happening, but, alas, the leaflets fall for this dodge every single season without fail. It’s amazing really that a team this mediocre with virtually very limited future prospects continues to delude itself in an annual fashion to the extent of their wonderfulness. Amazing, indeed.
Whenever I’m bored and have nothing to do, and my belly button is clean, I allow my mind to wander and wonder what on God’s green earth do the billions and billions of Leaf fans do when all the talented and dedicated hockey teams in the NHL are still playing in the second season. I’m almost certain that, given the fact that the Toronto Maple Leafs have now missed the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons, the leaflets have many other options to pursue. For example, there is gardening, bird watching, soul searching and, of course, golfing.
What does the Leaf Nation talk about during these quiet times in their lives? Do they talk about how awesome the Leaf management will do during the draft in June? No, that can’t be considering how absolutely pathetic Toronto is in picking top talent for their talent-short team. Actually it is quite difficult to gauge how bad the Leafs are at picking hockey talent. Their team is so bad; their head coach is not particularly liked by anyone, especially young players, that even if these kids had some major upside they would have to demonstrate it with another team after they prove to be a bust in Toronto.
I wonder, if perhaps, the Leaf Nation actually watches the Stanley Cup playoffs and fantasizes about what ifs and if onlies about their decidedly inept club? The many leaflets I’m acquainted with are split as to who does and doesn’t watch the second season. Those who do invariably whine about how the Leafs are a much better team than the ones they are presently watching. I know, it is sad, indeed. To be honest, however, there are a few, but only a few of my close friends who actually are acutely aware of how bad their team is. They alone make no bones about how far, far away the Leafs from being contenders of any stripe for Lord Stanley’s Cup.
It’s funny that I can pinpoint when all the leaflets began to see their beloved buds as perennial Stanley Cup contenders: it was the years that Doug Gilmour played for Toronto. Up until then, you couldn’t find a Leaf fan that was suitably droll about the Leaf chances. You know, they were actually enjoyable to be around because you could kid them and rag them and they were cool with that. Alas since that time in the early to mid nineties of Gilmour’s reign, Leaf Nation now believes somehow, someway that their Leafs are just that close to being viable contenders. Alas, again, no non-Leaf fan believes a word of it. Why?
Look at the record; look at their incredible incompetence in drafting quality young prospects; look at their horrendous trades, whereby they bring in aging stars who immediately succumb to Leaf disease and forget totally how to play defensive hockey; look at their anemic record of hiring the right coach and general manager to guide their sorry collection of hockey players. Need I go on? The Toronto Maple Leafs have been and continue to today to be a franchise that is long on fan support and exceedingly short on talent. General Manager Brian Burke has done nothing to change that despite his many and vociferous comments to the contrary. Seriously do you really think the Leafs will have what it takes next year to make the playoffs?
Once they begin to improve, if it actually happens, other teams will begin to take them more seriously, thus they will play much harder than they do now against the Leafs. For many years now the Leafs have had to rely on the overconfidence of their opponents to sneak in a few extra wins.
Speaking of wins, Leaf Nation is alone among all sports fans in their misguided belief that a three- or four-game winning streak in November is somehow indicative of the Leafs wonderful chances to win the Cup. It has happened yet; it hasn’t even come close to happening, but, alas, the leaflets fall for this dodge every single season without fail. It’s amazing really that a team this mediocre with virtually very limited future prospects continues to delude itself in an annual fashion to the extent of their wonderfulness. Amazing, indeed.
April 23, 2011
Blog for April 23, 2011
This past weekend I helped a friend do some demolition work on his old sauna at camp. We left Thunder Bay at 5:30 Friday night with his company truck, his new 12-foot trailer, and his son-in-law in tow. We arrived at his Open Bay camp on beautiful Lac des Mille Lacs about two hours later. It was surprisingly cold, very cold for the middle of April. The wind was strong and out of the north. We quickly unloaded the truck and Shane, the son-in-law, began deep-frying chicken wings in the old sauna (it was too cold to cook outside), and Bob and I unloaded the trailer.
By 8 o’clock the wings were ready, the rum was chilling in the large, ice-laden glasses and the hockey game was on the big screen TV. So much for the socializing; we had a big day ahead of us, especially considering the next day was supposed to bring a heavy snowfall.
When I got up shortly after seven, it was snowing steadily with very little wind. By the time Bob and Shane got up and we had finished breakfast, the snow had to be at least two to three inches thick. We immediately cleaned out the sauna, turned off the power and began to gut the interior of the 12x20 structure. I cut all the electrical wires, and Bob and Shane began tearing down the interior walls. The previous owner certainly liked to use a lot of nails. The entire interior comprised 1x6 cedar tongue and groove. The boards were nailed not with one but two small nails in each stud. I’ve never seen two nails before, ever.
Once we had pulled all the nails and ripped out the insulation and vapour barrier, we had to knock down the brick wall that surrounded the woodstove, the huge woodstove. This demolition actually went very quickly and we loaded all the brick and the stones from the sauna stove into Bob’s trailer. Having cleaned all this up, we then tried to figure out a way to move the large woodstove. Its sheer size was compounded by the fact it was buried in the cement floor. However, we were able to dislodge the stove and move it slowly but surely out the door.
Once we had the stove out the door we had to maneuver it onto the trailer; this was more problematic than we had anticipated, but we were able to finally, with the help of Shane’s winch on his side-by-side quad, slide it onto the trailer. That was one heavy stove. We then filled the trailer to a height of about 7 feet with insulation, vapour barrier and the odd piece of wood. Thus began our second trip to the dump to unload all the detritus of a 20x12 building. It is now completely clear of all materials, as the old sauna will be converted to a shiny new bunkhouse for the family. Next week Bob will be replacing the existing windows as well as adding a few more.
Alas, I will not be on that job; I have home duties to perform this weekend. I have always enjoyed putting on my tool belt and hammering and sawing and all sorts of other productive and manual projects. It gives me immense satisfaction to build something, even as we did this past week to tear things down. I’ve been like this my entire life; the only caveat to all of this is that I much prefer to work with someone or others who know what they are doing. I don’t have enough confidence in myself to tackle big jobs by myself.
Sometimes I think my daughter and son-in-law think I can do all sorts of things by myself. Alas, I cannot. I just don’t give myself enough credit I suppose, but back to my main theme. There is a satisfaction I get at the end of day when we’ve actually accomplished a lot. You can see it physically and concretely. I built those walls or I tore those walls down, etc. There is also very much a camaraderie that I enjoy too. Most projects require some help usually 3-5 other people; there is also, of course, the cold beers that follow a long day on the jobsite.
This past weekend I helped a friend do some demolition work on his old sauna at camp. We left Thunder Bay at 5:30 Friday night with his company truck, his new 12-foot trailer, and his son-in-law in tow. We arrived at his Open Bay camp on beautiful Lac des Mille Lacs about two hours later. It was surprisingly cold, very cold for the middle of April. The wind was strong and out of the north. We quickly unloaded the truck and Shane, the son-in-law, began deep-frying chicken wings in the old sauna (it was too cold to cook outside), and Bob and I unloaded the trailer.
By 8 o’clock the wings were ready, the rum was chilling in the large, ice-laden glasses and the hockey game was on the big screen TV. So much for the socializing; we had a big day ahead of us, especially considering the next day was supposed to bring a heavy snowfall.
When I got up shortly after seven, it was snowing steadily with very little wind. By the time Bob and Shane got up and we had finished breakfast, the snow had to be at least two to three inches thick. We immediately cleaned out the sauna, turned off the power and began to gut the interior of the 12x20 structure. I cut all the electrical wires, and Bob and Shane began tearing down the interior walls. The previous owner certainly liked to use a lot of nails. The entire interior comprised 1x6 cedar tongue and groove. The boards were nailed not with one but two small nails in each stud. I’ve never seen two nails before, ever.
Once we had pulled all the nails and ripped out the insulation and vapour barrier, we had to knock down the brick wall that surrounded the woodstove, the huge woodstove. This demolition actually went very quickly and we loaded all the brick and the stones from the sauna stove into Bob’s trailer. Having cleaned all this up, we then tried to figure out a way to move the large woodstove. Its sheer size was compounded by the fact it was buried in the cement floor. However, we were able to dislodge the stove and move it slowly but surely out the door.
Once we had the stove out the door we had to maneuver it onto the trailer; this was more problematic than we had anticipated, but we were able to finally, with the help of Shane’s winch on his side-by-side quad, slide it onto the trailer. That was one heavy stove. We then filled the trailer to a height of about 7 feet with insulation, vapour barrier and the odd piece of wood. Thus began our second trip to the dump to unload all the detritus of a 20x12 building. It is now completely clear of all materials, as the old sauna will be converted to a shiny new bunkhouse for the family. Next week Bob will be replacing the existing windows as well as adding a few more.
Alas, I will not be on that job; I have home duties to perform this weekend. I have always enjoyed putting on my tool belt and hammering and sawing and all sorts of other productive and manual projects. It gives me immense satisfaction to build something, even as we did this past week to tear things down. I’ve been like this my entire life; the only caveat to all of this is that I much prefer to work with someone or others who know what they are doing. I don’t have enough confidence in myself to tackle big jobs by myself.
Sometimes I think my daughter and son-in-law think I can do all sorts of things by myself. Alas, I cannot. I just don’t give myself enough credit I suppose, but back to my main theme. There is a satisfaction I get at the end of day when we’ve actually accomplished a lot. You can see it physically and concretely. I built those walls or I tore those walls down, etc. There is also very much a camaraderie that I enjoy too. Most projects require some help usually 3-5 other people; there is also, of course, the cold beers that follow a long day on the jobsite.
Friday, April 22, 2011
April 16, 2011
Blog for April 16, 2011
Well, the long 82-game schedule has mercifully come to a close and my not-so-beloved Red Wings are in the playoffs for the 20th straight year. Alas, I really don’t see them advancing too far this year. I can count on one hand the games where they actually dominated a team, like they used to regularly. The Wings will not be winning any games on their reputation these Stanley Cup playoffs. Surprisingly they play the Phoenix Coyotes again this year in the first round. It will probably be our only real chance at a first round triumph. I hate to be so negative, but I’ve watched them all year, and I’ve done more swearing rather than cheering.
But the swearing will have to turn to cheering if I’m to have a pleasant post season run. This mean my team has to change their sloppy, inconsistent play that was so evident all year long. The Wings have to be especially good at home; something that haven’t done since early in the season. The Wing fans are used to excellence; the team will have to provide it on a nightly basis for the full 60 minutes. If they do that, there should be no need for overtime.
Ah, overtime… It really is something special. The intense pressure on the players, especially the goalies, must be seen to be believed. I would love to see an overtime game live. The electricity in the building would be incredible I’m sure. Perhaps I might one day get the opportunity to see my Wings at home in an overtime game in the playoffs. I would really like to be in the stand for one of those, especially if we win, naturally.
Enough of this piffle; let’s get to the playoffs and what the Wings have to do to have me cheering and not cursing. First Johann Franzen will have to play up to his potential on every shift; second, Todd Bertuzzi will have to play much smarter than he has all year: that means no more stupid passes which gives the other team the puck and now his line has to play in our zone. That happened way to often this year.
Well, I’m glad to report that the Wings won the first game against Phoenix 4-2 last night. I saw only the third period, at least most of it anyway. I will miss all of the Saturday game, as I’ll be helping a friend demolish an old sauna and turn it into a bunkhouse. I expect my team to play even better on Saturday. Apparently they were lucky to escape the first period down 1-0. Some things don’t appear to change: the Wings do not start on time and then spend the rest of the game playing catch up.
It was good to see Johann Franzen finally do something. He had a goal and an assist. He will have to play well in all games for us to be successful. Phoenix had four power plays in the first period alone; this was after scoring the first goal less than three minutes in. One of the power plays was a two-man advantage for 90 seconds. Amazingly the Coyotes did not score. Detroit scored three times in the second and that was about it.
I don’t know how good or bad Bertuzzi was, but he did get into a fight, of sorts. Datsyuk, as usual, was his amazing self, at least from the little bit of the game I saw. Cleary was his always hard-working, intelligent and dangerous self. He too is amazing in his own workman-like way. Apparently Filppula had an excellent game – it’s about time! He, too, has to get going and play up to his potential if we are to be successful. I was surprised though at Darren Helm’s play; I thought he would be much more visible and dangerous. He wasn’t very noticeable out there, which is very unusual for him. He raises him game considerably in the playoffs, but we shall see.
I really don’t see how Babcock can put Mike Modano, a healthy scratch in game one, in for game two. Kris Draper is just too important for face offs, and Modano, let’s face it, really hasn’t fit in with the Wings. He is a defensive liability, and he never really got it going offensively this year.
Well, the long 82-game schedule has mercifully come to a close and my not-so-beloved Red Wings are in the playoffs for the 20th straight year. Alas, I really don’t see them advancing too far this year. I can count on one hand the games where they actually dominated a team, like they used to regularly. The Wings will not be winning any games on their reputation these Stanley Cup playoffs. Surprisingly they play the Phoenix Coyotes again this year in the first round. It will probably be our only real chance at a first round triumph. I hate to be so negative, but I’ve watched them all year, and I’ve done more swearing rather than cheering.
But the swearing will have to turn to cheering if I’m to have a pleasant post season run. This mean my team has to change their sloppy, inconsistent play that was so evident all year long. The Wings have to be especially good at home; something that haven’t done since early in the season. The Wing fans are used to excellence; the team will have to provide it on a nightly basis for the full 60 minutes. If they do that, there should be no need for overtime.
Ah, overtime… It really is something special. The intense pressure on the players, especially the goalies, must be seen to be believed. I would love to see an overtime game live. The electricity in the building would be incredible I’m sure. Perhaps I might one day get the opportunity to see my Wings at home in an overtime game in the playoffs. I would really like to be in the stand for one of those, especially if we win, naturally.
Enough of this piffle; let’s get to the playoffs and what the Wings have to do to have me cheering and not cursing. First Johann Franzen will have to play up to his potential on every shift; second, Todd Bertuzzi will have to play much smarter than he has all year: that means no more stupid passes which gives the other team the puck and now his line has to play in our zone. That happened way to often this year.
Well, I’m glad to report that the Wings won the first game against Phoenix 4-2 last night. I saw only the third period, at least most of it anyway. I will miss all of the Saturday game, as I’ll be helping a friend demolish an old sauna and turn it into a bunkhouse. I expect my team to play even better on Saturday. Apparently they were lucky to escape the first period down 1-0. Some things don’t appear to change: the Wings do not start on time and then spend the rest of the game playing catch up.
It was good to see Johann Franzen finally do something. He had a goal and an assist. He will have to play well in all games for us to be successful. Phoenix had four power plays in the first period alone; this was after scoring the first goal less than three minutes in. One of the power plays was a two-man advantage for 90 seconds. Amazingly the Coyotes did not score. Detroit scored three times in the second and that was about it.
I don’t know how good or bad Bertuzzi was, but he did get into a fight, of sorts. Datsyuk, as usual, was his amazing self, at least from the little bit of the game I saw. Cleary was his always hard-working, intelligent and dangerous self. He too is amazing in his own workman-like way. Apparently Filppula had an excellent game – it’s about time! He, too, has to get going and play up to his potential if we are to be successful. I was surprised though at Darren Helm’s play; I thought he would be much more visible and dangerous. He wasn’t very noticeable out there, which is very unusual for him. He raises him game considerably in the playoffs, but we shall see.
I really don’t see how Babcock can put Mike Modano, a healthy scratch in game one, in for game two. Kris Draper is just too important for face offs, and Modano, let’s face it, really hasn’t fit in with the Wings. He is a defensive liability, and he never really got it going offensively this year.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Republican Children
Blog for April 9, 2011
I’ve been thinking of talking about what happens in the homes of Republican politicians with their spouses, children and, perhaps, grandchildren. How do these ultra phony people explain to their spouses and their offspring what it is they do and why they make the ridiculous comments they make on a daily, if not hourly basis? I would also like to interview the parents of Republican politicians to try to ascertain the incredible depths their offspring will go to support the richest people on earth while they completely ignore the rest of their constituents.
I would love to meet the parents of these buffoons and ask them point blank: was Bubba always this obtuse, this idiotic, and this hateful when he was younger? When did he begin to show the telltale signs of being a complete and utter asshole? Did you encourage this in your child? Are you proud of what he/she has accomplished? What goes through your mind as you watch your beloved country going hell bound for the dumpster with your child leading the way?
What do the children and grandchildren of Republicans read? What books do they read, what children’s programs do they watch? How do the elder Republicans keep their offspring away from science? What schools can they enroll their children in and still make sure the teachers are drinking the Republican Kool-Aid? You really have to hand it to them: since Reagan was president, the right wing has spent an entire generation plus in denying virtually every scientifically-generated report on everything from the climate to pollution to the actual age of the earth, and the wing nuts deny it all. My question remains: how do they convince their children that all of this scientific evidence is bogus? What, indeed, do mater and pater do to make their kids toe the party line?
What goes on at the supper table in a Repub’s home when the kids come home from school? Are the kids allowed to defend their teachers’ views about science, history, religion, anything really, and not make their parents look like fools? How, indeed, do the ‘adults’ in a Republican home explain in a rational way that their kids’ teachers are wrong?
I guess what I’m really talking about here is what will become of these poor, thoroughly misinformed children, as they move through life? I think I know though: they will replace their parents and grandparents and see that being utterly obtuse about what is happening in the world around them and just wait to earn their money the Republican way – they’ll inherit it! But I digress.
What happens in Republican households when the children question the budget proposed by Paul Ryan? What happens when the kids quote Paul Krugman and many others about the sheer insanity of the proposal: the ridiculous miscalculations, the ludicrous slant it gives to serious problems that confront America? What do mom and dad say? If their children have a modicum of intelligence and honesty, how do the parents counteract the many questions the kids will have? What if grandma will most definitely be affected by this outrageous excuse to give more tax breaks to the rich?
Interesting questions, indeed. Do Republicans force their children to follow slavishly the party line? How in God’s green earth do they make their children in any way follow their increasingly bogus values?
I was watching “The Dinosaur Train” with my 15-month-old grandson this morning; actually I watch it every day with him. I think it’s a wonderful show. It’s lively, interesting, and educational. I wonder if the children and grandchildren of Republicans are allowed to watch it? I would think not. There would be far too much explaining to do to their offspring, especially when Dr. Scott explains how old these remarkable creatures are. That’s one thing Republicans have a lot of trouble with – facts! Alas, they are forced to bring their children up as incredibly ignorant and fact-denying young people in order to maintain the Republican aura of the stupid.
Because stupid is the only thing that can possibly make these people continue to carry on as they do and keep raising the ante on the stupid.
I’ve been thinking of talking about what happens in the homes of Republican politicians with their spouses, children and, perhaps, grandchildren. How do these ultra phony people explain to their spouses and their offspring what it is they do and why they make the ridiculous comments they make on a daily, if not hourly basis? I would also like to interview the parents of Republican politicians to try to ascertain the incredible depths their offspring will go to support the richest people on earth while they completely ignore the rest of their constituents.
I would love to meet the parents of these buffoons and ask them point blank: was Bubba always this obtuse, this idiotic, and this hateful when he was younger? When did he begin to show the telltale signs of being a complete and utter asshole? Did you encourage this in your child? Are you proud of what he/she has accomplished? What goes through your mind as you watch your beloved country going hell bound for the dumpster with your child leading the way?
What do the children and grandchildren of Republicans read? What books do they read, what children’s programs do they watch? How do the elder Republicans keep their offspring away from science? What schools can they enroll their children in and still make sure the teachers are drinking the Republican Kool-Aid? You really have to hand it to them: since Reagan was president, the right wing has spent an entire generation plus in denying virtually every scientifically-generated report on everything from the climate to pollution to the actual age of the earth, and the wing nuts deny it all. My question remains: how do they convince their children that all of this scientific evidence is bogus? What, indeed, do mater and pater do to make their kids toe the party line?
What goes on at the supper table in a Repub’s home when the kids come home from school? Are the kids allowed to defend their teachers’ views about science, history, religion, anything really, and not make their parents look like fools? How, indeed, do the ‘adults’ in a Republican home explain in a rational way that their kids’ teachers are wrong?
I guess what I’m really talking about here is what will become of these poor, thoroughly misinformed children, as they move through life? I think I know though: they will replace their parents and grandparents and see that being utterly obtuse about what is happening in the world around them and just wait to earn their money the Republican way – they’ll inherit it! But I digress.
What happens in Republican households when the children question the budget proposed by Paul Ryan? What happens when the kids quote Paul Krugman and many others about the sheer insanity of the proposal: the ridiculous miscalculations, the ludicrous slant it gives to serious problems that confront America? What do mom and dad say? If their children have a modicum of intelligence and honesty, how do the parents counteract the many questions the kids will have? What if grandma will most definitely be affected by this outrageous excuse to give more tax breaks to the rich?
Interesting questions, indeed. Do Republicans force their children to follow slavishly the party line? How in God’s green earth do they make their children in any way follow their increasingly bogus values?
I was watching “The Dinosaur Train” with my 15-month-old grandson this morning; actually I watch it every day with him. I think it’s a wonderful show. It’s lively, interesting, and educational. I wonder if the children and grandchildren of Republicans are allowed to watch it? I would think not. There would be far too much explaining to do to their offspring, especially when Dr. Scott explains how old these remarkable creatures are. That’s one thing Republicans have a lot of trouble with – facts! Alas, they are forced to bring their children up as incredibly ignorant and fact-denying young people in order to maintain the Republican aura of the stupid.
Because stupid is the only thing that can possibly make these people continue to carry on as they do and keep raising the ante on the stupid.
Sunday, April 03, 2011
April 3, 2011
Blog for April 2, 2011
Wisconsin – is it the beginning of the end for America? Is it representative of what America has become? Is it the final slide toward naked banana republicanism? Will anyone in the mainstream media make any effort to confront the right and their naked assault on the American worker? Why has such a thing come to pass in America?
What will the children and grandchildren of today’s adults ruining running America have to say about their parents and grandparents who allowed this to happen on their watch? How will it be at all possible for the offspring of Republicans to in any sensible, sane manner accost their elders and demand to know why they led the fight to destroy their own country in every way imaginable? What will the future leaders of this once great nation be able to do to stem the tide of such benighted ignorance and rancour?
I have no earthly idea. The Republican Party and all right wing zealots have decided that no matter what happens they will do everything legal and otherwise to defeat the Democrats and ensure that the great divide between the rich and the poor widen as quickly and painfully as possible. What this will eventually do to America as a civilization and super power one can only speculate, but what is certain is that America is profoundly changing before our eyes; it truly is becoming a gigantic, powerful banana republic. All the Hollywood movies ever made about the end of earth kind of features is being played out dramatically and in reality as these words are being typed.
America is going to hell in a hand basket and no one, with the small exception of bloggers, is bothering to notice or care. I find it absolutely amazing that a country that has done so much for the world as well as, alas, to the world is rapidly, inexorably heading for certain disaster and doom. I think of John Steinbeck’s magnificent The Grapes of Wrath as the forerunner of what may happen to all of America, not just California, in my limited lifetime. Given its penchant for violence, and its love of guns, the Republic will no doubt implode within the next 20 years, if not sooner. The banksters will all be taken out and shot in some public square, their estates and that of all their rich cronies will be razed and burnt to the ground. Chaos and violence will reign for decades. It will not be pretty.
I can see the very rich already contracting Blackwater (or whatever they are called now) to protect their billions. I can see your regular cop on the beat having to contend with the massive firepower Blackwater will bring to the confrontation. It will be vicious and ugly. America’s naked greed and grasping for power will be on display for the whole world to see. However, I’m sure the media will remain securely in the pocket of the rich. After all, the people who sign the cheques for the ‘journalists’ and newscasters are a part of the super rich. They will not allow their minions to ever cast aspersions upon them. It will be a nasty, drawn out war that will leave many bloodied and damaged beyond repair. I have no idea how it will turn out, but I know what side I’ll be cheering for.
I read an interesting blog post this week discussing what would America look like if the Republicans get their way on everything. It was not pretty. But I would like to return to what Republicans tell their children and grandchildren about what America will be like for them. The reason I say this is that since we were blessed, truly blessed with our first grandchild on January 4, 2010, I’ve completely altered the way I think about everything. I now wonder daily what my grandson’s world will look like. What will his aspirations be? What will his economic prospects be? What direction should his parents try to guide him educationally? Will he have as much a chance as my daughter and I had as we grew up? Will he be able to enjoy the relatively safe and pristine wilderness environment I have come to relish and cherish?
Wisconsin – is it the beginning of the end for America? Is it representative of what America has become? Is it the final slide toward naked banana republicanism? Will anyone in the mainstream media make any effort to confront the right and their naked assault on the American worker? Why has such a thing come to pass in America?
What will the children and grandchildren of today’s adults ruining running America have to say about their parents and grandparents who allowed this to happen on their watch? How will it be at all possible for the offspring of Republicans to in any sensible, sane manner accost their elders and demand to know why they led the fight to destroy their own country in every way imaginable? What will the future leaders of this once great nation be able to do to stem the tide of such benighted ignorance and rancour?
I have no earthly idea. The Republican Party and all right wing zealots have decided that no matter what happens they will do everything legal and otherwise to defeat the Democrats and ensure that the great divide between the rich and the poor widen as quickly and painfully as possible. What this will eventually do to America as a civilization and super power one can only speculate, but what is certain is that America is profoundly changing before our eyes; it truly is becoming a gigantic, powerful banana republic. All the Hollywood movies ever made about the end of earth kind of features is being played out dramatically and in reality as these words are being typed.
America is going to hell in a hand basket and no one, with the small exception of bloggers, is bothering to notice or care. I find it absolutely amazing that a country that has done so much for the world as well as, alas, to the world is rapidly, inexorably heading for certain disaster and doom. I think of John Steinbeck’s magnificent The Grapes of Wrath as the forerunner of what may happen to all of America, not just California, in my limited lifetime. Given its penchant for violence, and its love of guns, the Republic will no doubt implode within the next 20 years, if not sooner. The banksters will all be taken out and shot in some public square, their estates and that of all their rich cronies will be razed and burnt to the ground. Chaos and violence will reign for decades. It will not be pretty.
I can see the very rich already contracting Blackwater (or whatever they are called now) to protect their billions. I can see your regular cop on the beat having to contend with the massive firepower Blackwater will bring to the confrontation. It will be vicious and ugly. America’s naked greed and grasping for power will be on display for the whole world to see. However, I’m sure the media will remain securely in the pocket of the rich. After all, the people who sign the cheques for the ‘journalists’ and newscasters are a part of the super rich. They will not allow their minions to ever cast aspersions upon them. It will be a nasty, drawn out war that will leave many bloodied and damaged beyond repair. I have no idea how it will turn out, but I know what side I’ll be cheering for.
I read an interesting blog post this week discussing what would America look like if the Republicans get their way on everything. It was not pretty. But I would like to return to what Republicans tell their children and grandchildren about what America will be like for them. The reason I say this is that since we were blessed, truly blessed with our first grandchild on January 4, 2010, I’ve completely altered the way I think about everything. I now wonder daily what my grandson’s world will look like. What will his aspirations be? What will his economic prospects be? What direction should his parents try to guide him educationally? Will he have as much a chance as my daughter and I had as we grew up? Will he be able to enjoy the relatively safe and pristine wilderness environment I have come to relish and cherish?
Thursday, March 03, 2011
Blog for March 3, 2011
Blogging for February 27, 2011
This is my second week of writing on a daily basis, almost. I don’t expect this segment to be much better than the first one, but it is a start after all. Sundays are my days for coming up with a topic for this week’s blog comment. I may come back to this after I’ve read a few of my blogs to jog my writer’s block.
The introductory paragraph, above, was all I came up with yesterday (Sunday). I’ll have to do much better tonight. My Red Wings game starts in about 35 minutes. We are on the west coast playing Los Angeles. Today was the last day to make a trade in the NHL. There appeared to be no particular blockbuster moves made, but I may be wrong. Poor Toronto had been courting Brad Richards, but he informed everyone this morning that he would agree to a trade only to the New York Rangers; yet another slap in the face for the Leaf Nation. Is there no indignity that they don’t or won’t suffer? You can talk until you are blue in the face and the leaflets just don’t get that quality hockey players in their prime have absolutely no desire to play for such a disastrous organization. With the possible exception of Ken Holland in Detroit, I don’t think there is a human being on this earth who can turn this ridiculous franchise around. They seem to be absolutely snake bit. It doesn’t matter what they do, but they find a way to look god-awful at the most inopportune times. See last night’s game against the struggling Atlanta Thrashers.
This is really the best part of the regular hockey season now. There will be no more trades; each team will have to make it on its own. No excuses. The Red Wings game last night was really strange. We were outplayed by a large margin in the first period and yet were ahead 3-1. Poor goaltending and finally some luck around the net paid off. We usually get this many chances in a game, but the shots rarely go in; I’m not sure why, but we often have trouble converting regularly on our many golden opportunities. Perhaps we have turned a corner; we’ll see: we have the Ducks tomorrow night, the Sharks on Thursday night, and the surging Coyotes on Saturday night.
The political scene in America continues to deteriorate. I’m beginning to sense that in my lifetime there will be cataclysmic shift in America’s ability to govern itself. I’m beginning to think seriously that President Barack Obama is not up to the job of reining in the Republicans and sending them and their tea party and all the nutjobs that follow them to political oblivion. The president could start by indicting all the Wall Street crooks, all the lawyers and politicians and the Bush regime cronies, including Bush and Cheney, and have them all brought before courts of law and have them tried and put away for good. Then and just maybe then will America begin to recover its soul and its direction. If this does not happen, then America is doomed. Rush Limbaugh and Glen Beck and Bill O’Reilly, and all the hundreds and thousands of right wing radio and TV dipshits be also brought up on charges of sedition and God knows what else. Also the print journalists who have allowed all this to happen while they nodded approvingly from the sidelines.
So what is to come of all of this? I think, unfortunately, this is going to end very badly for all, except the rich, of course. The American middle class will all but disappear; there will be virtually no manufacturing at all, and there will be a vast lower class with catastrophic unemployment. Crime will be rampant and, given America’s love of the gun, there will be much violence; however, the rich will be protected by their own police force behind secure walls in gated communities. And it will happen sooner than later. Obama has been a major disappointment; the democrats, as usual, have been spineless do-nothings who wring their hands and wait to see what their rich benefactors tell them to do next.
Money has absolutely and thoroughly corrupted a once beautiful country. Every where you look, America is in decline.
This is my second week of writing on a daily basis, almost. I don’t expect this segment to be much better than the first one, but it is a start after all. Sundays are my days for coming up with a topic for this week’s blog comment. I may come back to this after I’ve read a few of my blogs to jog my writer’s block.
The introductory paragraph, above, was all I came up with yesterday (Sunday). I’ll have to do much better tonight. My Red Wings game starts in about 35 minutes. We are on the west coast playing Los Angeles. Today was the last day to make a trade in the NHL. There appeared to be no particular blockbuster moves made, but I may be wrong. Poor Toronto had been courting Brad Richards, but he informed everyone this morning that he would agree to a trade only to the New York Rangers; yet another slap in the face for the Leaf Nation. Is there no indignity that they don’t or won’t suffer? You can talk until you are blue in the face and the leaflets just don’t get that quality hockey players in their prime have absolutely no desire to play for such a disastrous organization. With the possible exception of Ken Holland in Detroit, I don’t think there is a human being on this earth who can turn this ridiculous franchise around. They seem to be absolutely snake bit. It doesn’t matter what they do, but they find a way to look god-awful at the most inopportune times. See last night’s game against the struggling Atlanta Thrashers.
This is really the best part of the regular hockey season now. There will be no more trades; each team will have to make it on its own. No excuses. The Red Wings game last night was really strange. We were outplayed by a large margin in the first period and yet were ahead 3-1. Poor goaltending and finally some luck around the net paid off. We usually get this many chances in a game, but the shots rarely go in; I’m not sure why, but we often have trouble converting regularly on our many golden opportunities. Perhaps we have turned a corner; we’ll see: we have the Ducks tomorrow night, the Sharks on Thursday night, and the surging Coyotes on Saturday night.
The political scene in America continues to deteriorate. I’m beginning to sense that in my lifetime there will be cataclysmic shift in America’s ability to govern itself. I’m beginning to think seriously that President Barack Obama is not up to the job of reining in the Republicans and sending them and their tea party and all the nutjobs that follow them to political oblivion. The president could start by indicting all the Wall Street crooks, all the lawyers and politicians and the Bush regime cronies, including Bush and Cheney, and have them all brought before courts of law and have them tried and put away for good. Then and just maybe then will America begin to recover its soul and its direction. If this does not happen, then America is doomed. Rush Limbaugh and Glen Beck and Bill O’Reilly, and all the hundreds and thousands of right wing radio and TV dipshits be also brought up on charges of sedition and God knows what else. Also the print journalists who have allowed all this to happen while they nodded approvingly from the sidelines.
So what is to come of all of this? I think, unfortunately, this is going to end very badly for all, except the rich, of course. The American middle class will all but disappear; there will be virtually no manufacturing at all, and there will be a vast lower class with catastrophic unemployment. Crime will be rampant and, given America’s love of the gun, there will be much violence; however, the rich will be protected by their own police force behind secure walls in gated communities. And it will happen sooner than later. Obama has been a major disappointment; the democrats, as usual, have been spineless do-nothings who wring their hands and wait to see what their rich benefactors tell them to do next.
Money has absolutely and thoroughly corrupted a once beautiful country. Every where you look, America is in decline.
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