Go Buckeyes!

OH YEAH!

OHIO STATE 42
MICHIGAN 39

The Buckeyes are headed for Arizona
The Wolverines are headed home.

So here's what could happen:
Rutgers could end up with one or two losses
USC could end up with two losses, thanks to a loss to Cal or Notre Dame
Notre Dame could end up with two losses if they lose to USC
Notre Dame could end up with one loss if they beat USC
It will be Ohio State vs. Notre Dame for the National Championship, if Notre Dame wins out
If Rugers wins out, it will be Rutgers vs. Ohio State for the national championship
If Rutgers loses out, it will be Notre Dame vs. Ohio State for the National Championshi
If Rutgers, Notre Dame, and USC all lose a game, it WILL be Ohio State and Michigan in a rematch for the National Championship.

This is why I love College Football!

Update (12/3/06): Who ever figured Florida? And by one one-hundredth of a point?!

#1 vs #2, cont.

Those crazy Michigan fans!

They'll do anything to make sure their team beats Ohio State.

Including slipping Bo Schembechler a fatal mickey the day before the game.

O.K., O.K., that's not what happened. I mean, the guy was 77, with a history of heart disease. He was living on borrowed time. The fact he lived as long as he did was a tribute to the miracle of modern medicine.

But it will give the Wolverines an added emotional boost, one that just might boost them over the top, if Lloyd Carr knows how to work his team.

I can see it now: Black headbands on the players, black "BO"'s on the helmets, comments in the pre-game interviews saying, "we've gotta win this one for Bo", etc., etc., ad nauseaum.

To the Buckeyes, I say this: Do. Not. Let. It. Get. To. You.

You want to honor Bo, attend his funeral, in fine suits, with Michigan lapel pins on one lapel, and, more importantly, with gold pants pins on the other. Attend it AFTER you send the Wolverines home with their first loss of the season.

This is about the game, pure and simple. Do not let up on them for one minute. A great football legend has fallen. But he's not YOUR football legend.

Remember that this is a man who was an assistant coach under the great Woody Hayes for years, until he left to coach Woody's archrival. Traitor.

1 vs. 2

So. On the 18th, Ohio State will play the team from That State Up North for the Big Ten Championship.

And what a game it will be!

This will be the first non-championship game between the number 1 and number 2 team in the country.

And I have to say that this WILL BE THE national championship game.

Screw the Fiesta Bowl. This is THE game.

Go Buckeyes!

So Now What?

So. The Democrats now control both houses of Congress. For the first time in over a decade.

And they did it by promising to swoop in and sweep away a corrupt, scandal-ridden, Republican-controlled Congress.

Let us pause for a moment and reflect back on what brought this on.

12 years ago, Republicans swept into power by promising to clean up a mess of corruption in the Democrat-controlled house. Prior to that, Democrats had controlled congress for over 40 years.

And in that space of twelve years, the Republicans have gone from the party of cleaning house to a party that needs a house cleaner.

So how do we keep the Democrats from doing the same thing?

Well, for starters, we keep our eyes on them. The news cycles cannot possibly be controlled nearly as tightly as they were 12, 6, or even 4 years ago. With the vast internet media machine (of which this humble blog is a small, insignificant, yet vital part), nothing can be kept secret for long. And at the first, barest, hint that the Democrats are starting to go the same way, we must all shine the blinding spotlight of truth on them and root out that corruption.

Because that is the only way we can keep ourselves from becoming them.

Adventures with AdSense, Part 2

When I first started this my humble blog, I decided to allow Google AdSense ads on the site. I also made the decision that any profits generated by these ads would be donated to the U.S.O.

And over the past couple of years, there have been some pretty amusing ads that popped up.

But this one tops them all:



ANN FUCKING COULTER'S COLUMN FREE?!!!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!!

I've had to put up with a lot of silly stuff, but this is beyond the pale.

Too much more of this, and those ads are GONE! If it wasn't in service of a good cause, they'd be gone already.

Oh well. Maybe I shouldn't be too mad at Google. After all, they do seem to know at least one thing that's correct!

Handing Out Canes

Tonight, I watched Keith Olberman's latest Special Comment on the maximum fuss being repeated ad nauseum about Senator Kerry's gaffe.

And again, I wish that Mr. Olberman was not a minor voice, swimming on a cacophony of voices crying out for attention in this our world.

I would ask you the three readers of this blog to go to google and search for "olberman".

And watch every one of the "special comments" he has made.

Because I believe they might truly educate you on what this country is about.

That is all.

No, Tigers!

What the hell is going on?!

The series is not following the script!

The Tigers' blazing ace pitchers were supposed to quiet the Cardinal bats.

The Tigers' power hitters were supposed to light up the scoreboard.

The Tigers' excellent defense was supposed to work them out of any jam.

So.

The Tigers' aces have been trumped by hot Cardinal bats. The only one who has been effective was the crafty old veteran, Kenny Rogers.

The Tigers' bats have been largely silent.

The Tigers have committed error after error, and have at least 6 unearned runs to show for it.

Now they are one game away from elimination.

And I can't stand it!

Go Red Wings!

Flags of Our Fathers

Four words: Go. See. This. Movie.

Just came back from seeing it and I've gotta say, Wow.

I don't think I've ever seen a more honest look at the human face of the heroes we idolize.

You see, there are few heroes these days. Few genuine, honest-to-God, All-American heroes.

Today, we idolize the likes of Paris Hilton, Tom Cruise, and other cream puff celebrities.

Today, people who plunge an entire conquered country into chaos, or lie to mislead us into an unnecessary war, are awarded Presidential Medals of Freedom.

Today, people who dare to have the moral courage to stand up and speak the truth to a corrupt power are shouted down by an outraged chorus of wingnuts and blowhards.

And, today, people who perform genuine acts of physical and moral courage go unnoticed in the din of today's 24-hour media circus.

So when we are given a chance to take an inside look at the real people behind the hero facade, we should take advantage of that opportunity.

Lost in the Fog

The spirit of the late Edward R. Murrow is alive again, and his name is Keith Olberman.

Over the past several weeks, on his MSNBC program "Countdown", Mr. Olberman has delivered a series of special commentaries that have struck to the very heart of everything that is wrong with the decisions made by the current Bush administration.

His latest commentary, "Beginning of the End of America", graphically demonstrates how decisions made by a sitting President can be proven by history to not only be wrong but also to have dire consequences to the future survival of our coutry's democratic ideals.

But are they doing any good?

You see, when the late Edward R. Murrow made the brave and costly decision to challenge a popular demagogue, at the time his voice was not only respected throughout the world due to his past work, but it was also one of the few voices the public had available. As a consequence, people listened to him and gave his voice the weight it rightfully deserved.

That is not true today.

Because, today, the voice of Keith Olberman is but one of a thousand or more voices fighting for the attention of the public. And today, the public is much more interested in seeing who is the latest to be kicked off of "Dancing with the Stars", or who will win the most money on "Deal or No Deal", or what Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' baby looks like, or any of a thousand other meaningless items that fight for the public interest.

Even the mid-term elections, which are less than a month away, capture less interest than who will be the winner of the next "Survivor" series.

Perhaps the best way of looking at this is the use of Murrow's own words:

To those who say people wouldn't look; they wouldn't be interested; they're too complacent, indifferent and insulated, I can only reply: There is, in one reporter's opinion, considerable evidence against that contention. But even if they are right, what have they got to lose? Because if they are right, and this instrument is good for nothing but to entertain, amuse and insulate, then the tube is flickering now and we will soon see that the whole struggle is lost. This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires and lights in a box.(emphasis mine)

What has the media become lately, but merely wires in a box and lights to entertain?

I'll keep waiting while you consider your answer. I expect to be here for a while...

Magg-li-OH!

OH YEAH!

THE TIGERS WIN!

Me loves me the Magglio Ordonez!

Oakland goes home cryin'. And Detroit sits back and rests while the Cardinals and Mets bloody each other.

Play on you Tigers! No early playoffs exit for you, like so many people predicted.

Man, what I would give to have a ticket to one of those games...

More later!

Tigers WIN!

Tigers win! THREE GAMES TO NONE!

BRING IT ON FOR TOMORROW!!!

Me likes the Tigers!

See you tomorrow!

Blogging the Tigers, cont.

Ugh! Still 3-0 Tigers, but they are now three outs away from being up in the series 3-0!

Top of the ninth

Blogging the Tigers!

Well, they just sat Kenny Rogers down after pitching 7 1/3 shutout innings. If the Tigers go on to win it all, you know who has my vote for MVP!

7:14 p.m. Tigers up 3-0. Bottom of the 8th. More later!

The Roller Coaster

I'm beginning to dislike the weather in Northwest Ohio.

Last Monday, it was sunny, clear, and near 80 degrees. Today, 3 days later, it's cold, cloudy, and snow showers with temps in the 30's and a freeze warning.

Living here is like living on a weather roller coaster.

There's a joke going around: You know you live in Northwest Ohio if you've ever switched from heat to air conditioning in the same day. Been there, done that, bought the T-Shirt.

Or this: You know you live in Northwest Ohio if you've ever designed your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.

But even after all this, I have to say that I wouldn't trade it for anything. After all, where else am I gonna live? Florida (Hurricanes)? Arizona (Desert)? California (Arnold)?

Go Tigers!

Guess Who's Back?!

Wow. I've been gone a long time. You never fully realize how much you miss your internet access until you don't have it anymore.

So what has happened in the interim? A LOT, apparently. Let me start off with this:

The Toledo Mud Hens are the Governor's Cup Champions for the second year in a row. I was at the final game. Here's a picture of the celebration:



Sorry about the poor quality, but my camera phone doesn't take the best pictures.

So what else? Ah, yes!

I understand former congressman Mark Foley was reading a book the other day, but couldn't find a bookmark. So he decided to just bend over a page...

(Ba-bump Ching!)

What else?

What do you call 35 guys sitting around a TV watching the World series?

The New York Yankees.

What else?

Where's the safest place to go in a tornado?

Ford Field. They never get a touchdown there...

More? Okay!

What do the Cleveland Browns and Billy Graham have in common?

They can both make 50,000 people stand up and say, "Jesus Christ"!

I've got a million of 'em...

What do you call the number one college football team in the country?

The Ohio State Buckeyes!

What? You thought that was some kind of joke?

Anyhoo, that's all for now. Hopefully I can go back to regular posting now.

Texas = Pwned!

Ah. Revenge is sweet.

Pretty good weekend. My beloved Buckeyes open up a Texas-sized can of Whoop-ass on the Longhorns, and, as the icing on the cake, the Mud Hens eliminate Charlotte in the semifinals of the IL playoffs to advance to the finals.

The only weak spot I can see for the buckeyes is their run defense, traditionally one of the strong points for the buckeyes. I get the feeling that will improve, as the new corps of linebackers learns the ropes. Next up, hopefully, a nice little tune-up against Cinci before they dive into the maelstrom known as Big Ten conference. Go Bucks!

As for the Mud Hens, they won it in the tenth. In four games, Charlotte twice tried the strategy of Intentionally walking one batter to face the next one. Both times, that particular strategy jumped up and bit them on the ass. Let's go Hens!

Olberman--The Next Murrow?

Excerpts from Keith Olberman's commentary on Donald Rumsfeld's recent speech to Veterans:

"Dissent and disagreement with government is the life's blood of human freedom; and not merely because it is the first roadblock against the kind of tyranny the men Mr. Rumsfeld likes to think of as "his" troops still fight, this very evening, in Iraq.

It is also essential. Because just every once in awhile it is right and the power to which it speaks, is wrong."

"That, about which Mr. Rumsfeld is confused is simply this: This is a Democracy. Still. Sometimes just barely.

And, as such, all voices count -- not just his.

Had he or his president perhaps proven any of their prior claims of omniscience -- about Osama Bin Laden's plans five years ago, about Saddam Hussein's weapons four years ago, about Hurricane Katrina's impact one year ago -- we all might be able to swallow hard, and accept their "omniscience" as a bearable, even useful recipe, of fact, plus ego.

But, to date, this government has proved little besides its own arrogance, and its own hubris."

"The confusion is about whether this Secretary of Defense, and this administration, are in fact now accomplishing what they claim the terrorists seek: The destruction of our freedoms, the very ones for which the same veterans Mr. Rumsfeld addressed yesterday in Salt Lake City, so valiantly fought.

And about Mr. Rumsfeld's other main assertion, that this country faces a "new type of fascism."

As he was correct to remind us how a government that knew everything could get everything wrong, so too was he right when he said that -- though probably not in the way he thought he meant it.

This country faces a new type of fascism - indeed."

Olberman ends his commentary with a quote from his journalist predecessor, Edward R. Murrow, a man who dared to speak truth to a corrupt power:

"We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof, and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law.

"We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men, not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate, and to defend causes that were for the moment unpopular."

These days, it seems that anyone who dares to criticize the current administration or its policies comes under an immediate and merciless bombardment of smear and hate from a relentless wright-wing media machine that steamrolls over everything in its path in a relentless quest to squelch all dissent. This is not the America that our forefathers fought for and died for.This is not the America of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, or even Ronald Reagan.

To categorize any and all dissent against the current administration as treasonous and unpatriotic and even as fascist is an assault on the very ideas that made this country great.

Or to put it another way, in the words of the aforementioned Teddy Roosevelt:

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but morally treasonable to the American Public."

The current administration has made blunder after blunder since they took office six years ago. And the people who have called them on those mistakes, be they the likes of Keith Olberman, Ned Lamont, or even The Dixie Chicks, deserve to be praised, not vilified. These people represent the truest form of patriotism.

I have to believe that somehow, somewhere, the spirit of Edward R. Murrow, cigarette in hand, is smiling down upon those of us who dare to dissent.

For years, I have been telling people that I would never pay for cable TV, since I could see no point in paying $40+ a month for 80 channels worth of nothing. I may have to knuckle under, though, just for the privilege of watching Mr. Olberman speak the truth to power five nights a week.

He gives me hope that there may be light at the end of this long dark tunnel.

Rebuttal to the "Bill of Non-Rights"

Today, the so-called "Bill of Non-Rights landed in my e-mail inbox for the umpteenth time. So I have prepared this response. Enjoy!


I, a sensible person, and a thinking American, possessed of an above-average intelligence and being able to read above a third grade level, having received for the umpteenth time this piece of garbage called “the bill of non-rights”, have prepared a point by point rebuttal to it. Being completely sick and tired of such narrow-minded, jingoistic, uneducated crap, I want to set the record straight. Therefore, I have included all of the original 11 “non-rights”, with each one followed immediately by my rebuttal.

ARTICLE I: You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV, or any other form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.

ARTICLE I REBUTTAL: Of course no one has the RIGHT to a new car, big screen TV, or any other form of wealth. But when the world's wealthiest industrialized nation still has one-fifth of its population living in soul-killing poverty, and one percent of its population controls 90 percent of its wealth, maybe it's time to re-examine the way we distribute that wealth.

ARTICLE II: You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone -- not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc.; but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.

ARTICLE II REBUTTAL: Of course you do not have the right to never be offended. You also have the right to address the person who offended you and tell them that they offend you. You have the right to do it LOUDLY. And if you think otherwise, then you are one of those idiots. Perhaps if more people exercised this right, offensive people might learn to keep their opinions to themselves.

ARTICLE III: You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful; do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.

ARTICLE III REBUTTAL: You have the right to expect that the products you spend good money on are safe to use. And if manufacturers, in the interest of cost cutting, make defective products that can maim, cripple, or kill people, then they should be forced to pay through the nose when those products do exactly that. It's the surest way to teach them not to do it again.

ARTICLE IV: You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes!

ARTICLE IV REBUTTAL: Of course you don't have the right to FREE food and housing, but you do have the right to AFFORDABLE food and housing. And it should be safe to live in that housing and consume that food. And instead of complaining about people who live on welfare, maybe we ought to examine some of the reasons WHY people are living like that*


ARTICLE V: You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we're just not interested in public health care.

ARTICLE V REBUTTAL: The only ones who don't want free health care are the insurance and drug companies. Ask any sane person if they would like to be able to afford lifesaving drugs or treatments without taking out a second mortgage on their house and they will ALWAYS answer YES!

ARTICLE VI: You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim, or kill someone, don't be surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair.

ARTICLE VI REBUTTAL: Capital punishment is useless as a deterrent. It is also ridiculously difficult to make happen. If you ask me, sticking someone in a 8 x 10 room for the rest of their life with a 6'6" cellmate named Bubba who thinks they've got a pretty mouth is a far worse form of punishment. Let them experience hell on earth for a few decades before they get to the real hell. That’s a far worse punishment than death.

ARTICLE VII: You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat, or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don't be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won't have the right to a big screen color TV or a life of leisure.

ARTICLE VII REBUTTAL: If you're going punish people for stealing, then make sure you punish everybody who steals, regardless of their wealth, political connections, or other influence that makes them feel above the law. If you're going to imprison the junkie that steals a woman's purse with $85 in it, then you had better also imprison the CEO who steals $85 million from his company's pension fund and then expects to retire with it to a life of ease on some tropical island.

ARTICLE VIII: You do not have the right to a job. All of us sure want you to have a job, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful. (AMEN!)

ARTICLE VIII REBUTTAL: No one has the right to a job, but we do have the right to expect the jobs we DO have to remain in place, not be shipped overseas to some poverty-stricken country where people are so desperate for money that they will work for $2 a day and no bathroom breaks. And if that DOES happen, then we have the right to expect to have all the help we can get to help us train ourselves to get another job just as good, and not to have to spend what should be our retirement years cleaning toilets at Wal-Mart because our pension fund has disappeared (see Article VII rebuttal above) (TESTIFY!)

ARTICLE IX: You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to PURSUE happiness, which by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.

ARTICLE IX REBUTTAL: The Pursuit of happiness is often made easier by laws that protect people from abuse. A goodly number of those laws were passed by well-meaning people who wanted—and still want—to protect us all from being exploited by big business. And yes, some of those laws are idiotic. If you don't like it, get yourself elected to political office and do something to change them. Until you do, quit bitching about it!

ARTICLE X: This is an English speaking country. We don't care where you are from, English is our language. Learn it or go back to wherever you came ! from! (lastly....)

ARTICLE X REBUTTAL: Not everyone in the world speaks English. Heck, a lot of our ancestors couldn't speak English when they first came here. Most of them did pretty well. Give people a break. They're trying. Besides, if we hold people to the rule that they can't live in a country unless they speak its native language, then we'd better give this country back to the Indians until we learn THEIR languages (ALL of them!)

ARTICLE XI: You do not have the right to change our country's history or heritage This country was founded on the belief in one true God. And yet, you are given the freedom to believe in any religion, any faith, or no faith at all; with no fear of persecution. The phrase IN GOD WE TRUST is part of our heritage and history, and if you are uncomfortable with it, TOUGH!

ARTICLE XI REBUTTAL: What part of "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion" do you NOT understand? The writers of the Bill of Rights were all deeply religious men, but they also knew firsthand the oppression that could arise when the government established a state religion. That's why it's the VERY FIRST PROHIBITION in the First amendment, ahead of prohibiting government interference with free speech, freedom of the press, the right to peaceably assemble, and the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances (I bet you didn't know them all, did you?!)

I am so tired of this retarded claptrap repeatedly landing in my inbox. I believe an idiot with an e-mail account and a cause is more dangerous than a terrorist at the controls of a jumbo jet. Quit whining about our government. Believe me, things could be MUCH worse. If you don't like the government we have, you're more than welcome to move to China or North Korea and experience the alternative.

The Hens Win!

The three readers of this blog may or may not be aware that I am a BIG fan of the Toledo Mud Hens, our local triple A minor league baseball team.

This is the top-tier farm team for the Detroit Tigers, who happen to be in playoff contention for the first time in 13 years. And they were the League champions last year.

And they are again in a tight playoff race. They have only a few games left (their regular season ends on Labor Day) and they are in a race with the other teams in their division to win it all. And last night, they played the Indianapolis Indians in the last regular season matchup they will have with them.

And they won!

In a VERY dramatic, come-from-behind victory.

This was a crucial game for them. Win it, and they would be in a tie for first place in their division. Lose, and they would drop back to two games behind.

I was there. And I screamed. A lot. And today I have lost my voice. Turns out that getting enthusiastic about a game can cost you physically.

But it was a lot of fun.

I might point out that the Hens are in the unique position of having their Major League team being playoff contenders for the first time in more than a decade. So they can lose key players at any time (which has really hurt the pitching staff).

Which makes their drive for a championship all the more impressive.

Which is why I love the Mud Hens.


Links:

Mud Hens
Tigers

UPDATE (11:00 p.m.) Hens beat Louisville 10-4, move into sole posession of first place in their division. Woo-hoo!

It Happened Again!

And at the exact same store!

You may recall this post back in January about a woman who took my cart in a grocery store. Well, the same thing happened today. I was in the exact same grocery store. I had a 12-pack in my cart. I got in line at the in-store bank. While waiting, a man removed the 12-pack and walked away with my cart.

This time, I caught up with him. I took the cart back. I was damned if it was going to happen again.

It makes me wonder if politeness has completely disappeared from today's society. I mean, don't you think it's just a bit rude to assume an unattended shopping cart with item(s) in it has been abandoned? And to furthermore remove said item(s) and take the cart for yourself?

I am now issuing an open warning to any would-be cart-stealers who cast your gaze towards my unattended shopping carts: IF you try it again, violence will ensue. I've reached my limit!