The Charleston Riverdogs swallowed their bats last night right down to the handles! They are probably still choking today. On a night when the Riverdogs hosted a "Go Back To Ohio Night -A Salute To Choke Artists" promotion, the only ones choking were the hosts! Four, count 'em, four lousy hits and only two of those came off the starter! Poetic justice, I guess. Probably had it coming and the baseball gods delivered. That happens sometimes when you ridicule other people, especially those who are better than anyone in your immediate area. It comes back to bite you in the ass! Anyone who plays any sport knows it is not a good idea to tempt the gods. Let's just hope they don't decide to stage a "Salute To Hitless Wonders Night" any time soon!! Or, if you are from Ohio, hope they do!
You had it coming, 'Dogs!! "That's what you get" as my friend Nolan would say!!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Saving The USS Laffey
If you have read my blog before, you know how strongly I feel about preserving our historical monuments. Therefore, it is with mixed feelings that I read about the South Carolina legislature authorizing a loan of $9.2 million for repairs to the Laffey, "The Ship That Would Not Die".
I am all for saving this gallant warship so that future generations can walk her decks and get a feel for what happened on them and the sacrifices that were made for their freedom. I want them to understand how men fought and died not only to protect their own lives, but the lives of future generations.
However, I still believe that spending that much money on repairs and then dunking that grand old dame right back into the salty harbor water is foolish! In another 10, 15 or 20 years, we are going to be right back in the same spot we are now, the proud owners of an historical warship that is leaking like a sieve through the hundreds of holes in her hull caused by the cumulative effects of spending decades immersed in saltwater! We just cannot keep throwing money at a problem, we have to fix, or eliminate the root cause of the problem. We should not be passing this issue on to future generations with the hope that they will be smart enough to find the solution that escaped us.
In short, WE HAVE TO GET THE LAFFEY OUT OF THE WATER FOR GOOD!!!! How, you say? Sorry, I don't have all the answers, but building a dry dock for her seems like a good idea to me. Whether that will work or not is something for the maritime engineers to figure out. But if it WON'T work, then it is imperative that they find a solution that WILL work. I've heard solutions from dredging the harbor and piling the sand around her until it is above the high water mark to filling her lower decks with concrete up TO the water line. Whatever the solution, we need to find it and use it, now!
Start with the Clamagore, the submarine. It is the smallest of the four ships at Patriot's Point and as such should be the easiest to keep out of the water. Work out some of the kinks and then move on to the next largest vessel and do the same thing. Then the next and finally the Yorktown. Let's get this problem fixed NOW and not pass it on to future generations like our government is so wont to do!!
I am all for saving this gallant warship so that future generations can walk her decks and get a feel for what happened on them and the sacrifices that were made for their freedom. I want them to understand how men fought and died not only to protect their own lives, but the lives of future generations.
However, I still believe that spending that much money on repairs and then dunking that grand old dame right back into the salty harbor water is foolish! In another 10, 15 or 20 years, we are going to be right back in the same spot we are now, the proud owners of an historical warship that is leaking like a sieve through the hundreds of holes in her hull caused by the cumulative effects of spending decades immersed in saltwater! We just cannot keep throwing money at a problem, we have to fix, or eliminate the root cause of the problem. We should not be passing this issue on to future generations with the hope that they will be smart enough to find the solution that escaped us.
In short, WE HAVE TO GET THE LAFFEY OUT OF THE WATER FOR GOOD!!!! How, you say? Sorry, I don't have all the answers, but building a dry dock for her seems like a good idea to me. Whether that will work or not is something for the maritime engineers to figure out. But if it WON'T work, then it is imperative that they find a solution that WILL work. I've heard solutions from dredging the harbor and piling the sand around her until it is above the high water mark to filling her lower decks with concrete up TO the water line. Whatever the solution, we need to find it and use it, now!
Start with the Clamagore, the submarine. It is the smallest of the four ships at Patriot's Point and as such should be the easiest to keep out of the water. Work out some of the kinks and then move on to the next largest vessel and do the same thing. Then the next and finally the Yorktown. Let's get this problem fixed NOW and not pass it on to future generations like our government is so wont to do!!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
HISTORY SINKING INTO THE MUD!
I am being lazy today, but the issue is still in the forefront. So, here is a re-post!
I LOVE American history! I love being in the places where the history happened. The battlefield at Yorktown, the freedom trail in Boston ( now THAT will make the hair stand up on the back of your neck, standing in Fanueil Hall where the founding fathers plotted the revolution!) My favorite part of our country's history is WWII, specifically the Pacific Theatre. As a teenager, I devoured every book I could find on the subject. My father had served on an aircraft carrier in that war and I guess that is what sparked my interest.We now have floating museums all around the country as monuments to that war and the men and women who served in it. There are aircraft carriers, battleships, destroyers and submarines that anyone can tour and get a feel for what these brave men endured for our freedom. On the USS Hornet in Alameda I saw where Neil Armstrong took his first steps upon returning from the moon. Heady stuff, these floating monuments, but therein lies the problem. They don't float forever!We have left these venerable ships where they served, in the ocean. The problem with that is, since they are now immobile, they don't get into drydock for their regular repair and refitting that they so desperately need. Salt water has no feelings, no loyalty, no empathy, no patriotic zeal. It destroys everything steel with equal efficiency. And salt water is sinking our naval history.In Charleston, SC, Patriots Point is home to the USS Yorktown, USS Clamagore and "The Ship That Wouldn't Die" the USS Laffey. (You should google the story of how she got her nickname. Goosebumps will follow!) The Laffey is sinking. Eight million dollars is needed to keep her afloat. For a while. Then, more millions will be needed to keep the Yorktown and the Clamagore afloat. For a while. That is the problem, folks, for no matter how much we spend and how good a job is done on the repairs, they will be temporary, for salt water never stops destroying metal.If we want to preserve these magnificent fighting ships so that future generations can see and appreciate how their freedom was saved, then we must get the ships out of the ocean! Spending millions upon millions on constant, repetitive repairs is insane. The rust will not stop. The leaks will continue to appear and the money will continue to be dumped into a bottomless pit.I, for one, do not want to see these monuments to our fathers' sacrifices disappear. And the only way to save them that makes sense to me is to get them out of the water. Building drydocks seems like the best solution to me, but I am neither a ship builder nor an engineer. I don't know what the best solution would be, but those who are experts in the field better come up with one soon because, especially in this economic climate, Americans are NOT going to keep donating money to a cause that is hopeless.Save the ships!! Get them out of the saltwater!! Allow our children and grandchildren the chance to feel the same goosebumps we feel when we go aboard!! They are history. They are important. They need to be saved just as much as the Olde North Church, for they are just as much a part of our history!!
I LOVE American history! I love being in the places where the history happened. The battlefield at Yorktown, the freedom trail in Boston ( now THAT will make the hair stand up on the back of your neck, standing in Fanueil Hall where the founding fathers plotted the revolution!) My favorite part of our country's history is WWII, specifically the Pacific Theatre. As a teenager, I devoured every book I could find on the subject. My father had served on an aircraft carrier in that war and I guess that is what sparked my interest.We now have floating museums all around the country as monuments to that war and the men and women who served in it. There are aircraft carriers, battleships, destroyers and submarines that anyone can tour and get a feel for what these brave men endured for our freedom. On the USS Hornet in Alameda I saw where Neil Armstrong took his first steps upon returning from the moon. Heady stuff, these floating monuments, but therein lies the problem. They don't float forever!We have left these venerable ships where they served, in the ocean. The problem with that is, since they are now immobile, they don't get into drydock for their regular repair and refitting that they so desperately need. Salt water has no feelings, no loyalty, no empathy, no patriotic zeal. It destroys everything steel with equal efficiency. And salt water is sinking our naval history.In Charleston, SC, Patriots Point is home to the USS Yorktown, USS Clamagore and "The Ship That Wouldn't Die" the USS Laffey. (You should google the story of how she got her nickname. Goosebumps will follow!) The Laffey is sinking. Eight million dollars is needed to keep her afloat. For a while. Then, more millions will be needed to keep the Yorktown and the Clamagore afloat. For a while. That is the problem, folks, for no matter how much we spend and how good a job is done on the repairs, they will be temporary, for salt water never stops destroying metal.If we want to preserve these magnificent fighting ships so that future generations can see and appreciate how their freedom was saved, then we must get the ships out of the ocean! Spending millions upon millions on constant, repetitive repairs is insane. The rust will not stop. The leaks will continue to appear and the money will continue to be dumped into a bottomless pit.I, for one, do not want to see these monuments to our fathers' sacrifices disappear. And the only way to save them that makes sense to me is to get them out of the water. Building drydocks seems like the best solution to me, but I am neither a ship builder nor an engineer. I don't know what the best solution would be, but those who are experts in the field better come up with one soon because, especially in this economic climate, Americans are NOT going to keep donating money to a cause that is hopeless.Save the ships!! Get them out of the saltwater!! Allow our children and grandchildren the chance to feel the same goosebumps we feel when we go aboard!! They are history. They are important. They need to be saved just as much as the Olde North Church, for they are just as much a part of our history!!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
FLORIDA GATORS CHOKE!!!!
The Florida Gators choked away a national championship last night! The number One ranked and highly favored softball team, with a veritable Murderer's Row lineup, left their bats in Gainesville and fell with merely a whimper to a huge underdog, the Washington Huskies. The Gators had been ranked number One most of the season and were expected to cruise to their first national championship in softball. But the games are played on the field and those lofty expectations meant absolutely nothing to the Huskies. Or, apparently, to the Gators, as the Huskies took only two games to win the best-of-three finals.
To be sure, the Huskies do have the national Player of the Year in Danielle Lawrie, but the vaunted Gator offense was supposed to be unstoppable. However, Gator after Gator after Gator walked forlornly back to the dugout after futile trys at hitting Lawrie's pitches. They managed to dent the plate twice in the first inning, but Lawrie shut them down and shut them out the rest of the way.
Taking nothing away from the fine Washington Huskie team, who played hard, hustled relentlessly and never stopped believing in themselves, this Gator team just pulled off one of the biggest choke jobs in the history of the NCAA! In fact, when they get back to Gainesville, they will probably still be gagging!!
To be sure, the Huskies do have the national Player of the Year in Danielle Lawrie, but the vaunted Gator offense was supposed to be unstoppable. However, Gator after Gator after Gator walked forlornly back to the dugout after futile trys at hitting Lawrie's pitches. They managed to dent the plate twice in the first inning, but Lawrie shut them down and shut them out the rest of the way.
Taking nothing away from the fine Washington Huskie team, who played hard, hustled relentlessly and never stopped believing in themselves, this Gator team just pulled off one of the biggest choke jobs in the history of the NCAA! In fact, when they get back to Gainesville, they will probably still be gagging!!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Lebron is Wrong!!
Lebron James doesn't understand why he should congratulate and shake hands with the members of the team that just defeated his team. Lebron James doesn't understand that it is defeat that builds character. Lebron James doesn't understand the true essence of sports. Lebron James doesn't understand sportsmanship. Lebron James doesn't understand class.
As a native of the Buckeye State who was rooting for the Cavs, I am appalled at his behavior. Didn't anyone teach Lebron when he was growing up that sore losers are not good people? That sore losers are not fun to be around? That nobody likes a sore loser? That being a sore loser is extremely bad sportsmanship?
"Lebron, it is a game! It is NOT life and death! The other team is not trying to steal your car, your house or kidnap your family. They are just trying to win a GAME, same as you. How often have you seen football players shake hands, smile and embrace each other after a game? And these are people who have just spent three hours attempting to knock each other off their feet! Or, better yet, how often have you seen boxers embrace each other after the final bell? And these are men who have just spent 12 rounds trying to hit each other in the head hard enough to score a knock-out! But, in both cases, the respect for the opponent overpowers the result of the contest just ended. And what you did was show a total lack of respect for, not only the entire Magic team, but the entire NBA. Show a little class, Lebron. Step up and be man enough to admit the other team was better - this time. "
I understand intensity and the will to win. Trust me, people, nobody hates losing more than me! However, having an intense desire to win does in no way excuse Lebron's behavior. EVERYONE in sports has the same desire and most of them understand that when the final buzzer sounds, the game, the struggle and the intensity are over. It is time to be friends again. If Lebron wants his popularity to keep growing ( and, in direct correlation, his endorsements to keep growing ) then he needs to leave the petulant little boy behind and grow up into a man who can accept defeat with the same aplomb as victory. I don't care if he doesn't understand it. I don't care if he doesn't "get it". I don't even care if he doesn't LIKE it. He still needs to DO IT. If not, I am fairly certain that I will not be the only fan he loses.
As a native of the Buckeye State who was rooting for the Cavs, I am appalled at his behavior. Didn't anyone teach Lebron when he was growing up that sore losers are not good people? That sore losers are not fun to be around? That nobody likes a sore loser? That being a sore loser is extremely bad sportsmanship?
"Lebron, it is a game! It is NOT life and death! The other team is not trying to steal your car, your house or kidnap your family. They are just trying to win a GAME, same as you. How often have you seen football players shake hands, smile and embrace each other after a game? And these are people who have just spent three hours attempting to knock each other off their feet! Or, better yet, how often have you seen boxers embrace each other after the final bell? And these are men who have just spent 12 rounds trying to hit each other in the head hard enough to score a knock-out! But, in both cases, the respect for the opponent overpowers the result of the contest just ended. And what you did was show a total lack of respect for, not only the entire Magic team, but the entire NBA. Show a little class, Lebron. Step up and be man enough to admit the other team was better - this time. "
I understand intensity and the will to win. Trust me, people, nobody hates losing more than me! However, having an intense desire to win does in no way excuse Lebron's behavior. EVERYONE in sports has the same desire and most of them understand that when the final buzzer sounds, the game, the struggle and the intensity are over. It is time to be friends again. If Lebron wants his popularity to keep growing ( and, in direct correlation, his endorsements to keep growing ) then he needs to leave the petulant little boy behind and grow up into a man who can accept defeat with the same aplomb as victory. I don't care if he doesn't understand it. I don't care if he doesn't "get it". I don't even care if he doesn't LIKE it. He still needs to DO IT. If not, I am fairly certain that I will not be the only fan he loses.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Craigslist Is Not The Bad Guy
Once again, our nation's elected officials have totally missed the point. It seems every one of them is absolutely certain that, if Craigslist did not have an Erotic section, then Phillip Markoff would not have allegedly murdered Julissa Brisman. Well here's a newsflash for all of you, if these working girls do not advertise on Craigslist then they advertise on scores of other sites that serve the same purpose. And not just on the web. Check the classifieds in your local paper. You will find them there. Check the yellow pages in any good sized city, especially vacation destinations. You will find them there. There is a myriad of other web sites that are used and I would suspect that there are more popping up every day.
The issue isn't Craigslist, the issue is Phillip Markoff and others of his ilk. The issue isn't prostitution, the issue is Phillip Markoff and others of his ilk. If there was no Craigslist and no erotic advertising of any kind any where, is there someone who does not believe that Phillip Markoff would have been cruising dating sites for his victims?
Craigslist merely supplies a vehicle for people to advertise whatever it is they want to advertise. To sell, buy, look for a job, fill a job opening, find a friend, share a ride, etc, etc, etc. It is a godsend to millions of people. The only one culpable here is Phillip Markoff. He has been on a road straight to this for a long time. And it was only a matter of time until it happened. Don't blame anyone else for what he did. Just blame him and hope that he gets what is coming to him. Sooner rather than later.
The issue isn't Craigslist, the issue is Phillip Markoff and others of his ilk. The issue isn't prostitution, the issue is Phillip Markoff and others of his ilk. If there was no Craigslist and no erotic advertising of any kind any where, is there someone who does not believe that Phillip Markoff would have been cruising dating sites for his victims?
Craigslist merely supplies a vehicle for people to advertise whatever it is they want to advertise. To sell, buy, look for a job, fill a job opening, find a friend, share a ride, etc, etc, etc. It is a godsend to millions of people. The only one culpable here is Phillip Markoff. He has been on a road straight to this for a long time. And it was only a matter of time until it happened. Don't blame anyone else for what he did. Just blame him and hope that he gets what is coming to him. Sooner rather than later.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Washington Politicians Are Idiots!!
Two wars to be fought! Huge economic meltdown to be turned around! Millions losing their jobs and their homes! Pirates running amok and kidnapping hundreds! A pandemic on the horizon! Our infrastructure falling down around our ears! And what is congress considering this week? How to regulate the college football national championship!
What's the matter, Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, all that other stuff too boring for you? Do you really have every other pressing problem in this country solved so that you have time for this inane nonsense?
Come on, people, wake up! College football is fun, it is exciting, it is riveting, it is compelling, but what it is NOT is important to the welfare of our country. Who wins or loses a college football game will not change you life one iota! You will still have to go to work, pay your utility bills, feed your family, buy gas for your car, change diapers, drive the kids all over town, pay your taxes and do housework and yardwork. And your favorite team winning a game will not help you do any of that! So why in the name of Thomas Jefferson is Joe Barton wasting valuable time in Congress crying about the fact that the Longhorns didn't get to play for the BCS version of the national championship? Grow up, Joe! You were not elected to spend your time on such trivial matters. You were not elected to waste the valuable time of your fellow representatives, time that, I am certain, they would much rather be using to solve some serious problems.
As President Andrew Shepherd said in the movie "The American President, "We have serious problems and we need serious people to solve them!" Well Joe, if you don't want to be serious about your job, then resign from it and let someone with a lot more common sense take over. You can then spend all the time you want fretting about your favorite college football team, but I can tell you with upmost certainty that it won't change your life one little bit!
What's the matter, Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, all that other stuff too boring for you? Do you really have every other pressing problem in this country solved so that you have time for this inane nonsense?
Come on, people, wake up! College football is fun, it is exciting, it is riveting, it is compelling, but what it is NOT is important to the welfare of our country. Who wins or loses a college football game will not change you life one iota! You will still have to go to work, pay your utility bills, feed your family, buy gas for your car, change diapers, drive the kids all over town, pay your taxes and do housework and yardwork. And your favorite team winning a game will not help you do any of that! So why in the name of Thomas Jefferson is Joe Barton wasting valuable time in Congress crying about the fact that the Longhorns didn't get to play for the BCS version of the national championship? Grow up, Joe! You were not elected to spend your time on such trivial matters. You were not elected to waste the valuable time of your fellow representatives, time that, I am certain, they would much rather be using to solve some serious problems.
As President Andrew Shepherd said in the movie "The American President, "We have serious problems and we need serious people to solve them!" Well Joe, if you don't want to be serious about your job, then resign from it and let someone with a lot more common sense take over. You can then spend all the time you want fretting about your favorite college football team, but I can tell you with upmost certainty that it won't change your life one little bit!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
HISTORY SINKING INTO THE MUD!
I am being lazy today, but the issue is still in the forefront. So, here is a re-post!
I LOVE American history! I love being in the places where the history happened. The battlefield at Yorktown, the freedom trail in Boston ( now THAT will make the hair stand up on the back of your neck, standing in Fanueil Hall where the founding fathers plotted the revolution!) My favorite part of our country's history is WWII, specifically the Pacific Theatre. As a teenager, I devoured every book I could find on the subject. My father had served on an aircraft carrier in that war and I guess that is what sparked my interest.
We now have floating museums all around the country as monuments to that war and the men and women who served in it. There are aircraft carriers, battleships, destroyers and submarines that anyone can tour and get a feel for what these brave men endured for our freedom. On the USS Hornet in Alameda I saw where Neil Armstrong took his first steps upon returning from the moon. Heady stuff, these floating monuments, but therein lies the problem. They don't float forever!
We have left these venerable ships where they served, in the ocean. The problem with that is, since they are now immobile, they don't get into drydock for their regular repair and refitting that they so desperately need. Salt water has no feelings, no loyalty, no empathy, no patriotic zeal. It destroys everything steel with equal efficiency. And salt water is sinking our naval history.
In Charleston, SC, Patriots Point is home to the USS Yorktown, USS Clamagore and "The Ship That Wouldn't Die" the USS Laffey. (You should google the story of how she got her nickname. Goosebumps will follow!) The Laffey is sinking. Eight million dollars is needed to keep her afloat. For a while. Then, more millions will be needed to keep the Yorktown and the Clamagore afloat. For a while. That is the problem, folks, for no matter how much we spend and how good a job is done on the repairs, they will be temporary, for salt water never stops destroying metal.
If we want to preserve these magnificent fighting ships so that future generations can see and appreciate how their freedom was saved, then we must get the ships out of the ocean! Spending millions upon millions on constant, repetitive repairs is insane. The rust will not stop. The leaks will continue to appear and the money will continue to be dumped into a bottomless pit.
I, for one, do not want to see these monuments to our fathers' sacrifices disappear. And the only way to save them that makes sense to me is to get them out of the water. Building drydocks seems like the best solution to me, but I am neither a ship builder nor an engineer. I don't know what the best solution would be, but those who are experts in the field better come up with one soon because, especially in this economic climate, Americans are NOT going to keep donating money to a cause that is hopeless.
Save the ships!! Get them out of the saltwater!! Allow our children and grandchildren the chance to feel the same goosebumps we feel when we go aboard!! They are history. They are important. They need to be saved just as much as the Olde North Church, for they are just as much a part of our history!!
I LOVE American history! I love being in the places where the history happened. The battlefield at Yorktown, the freedom trail in Boston ( now THAT will make the hair stand up on the back of your neck, standing in Fanueil Hall where the founding fathers plotted the revolution!) My favorite part of our country's history is WWII, specifically the Pacific Theatre. As a teenager, I devoured every book I could find on the subject. My father had served on an aircraft carrier in that war and I guess that is what sparked my interest.
We now have floating museums all around the country as monuments to that war and the men and women who served in it. There are aircraft carriers, battleships, destroyers and submarines that anyone can tour and get a feel for what these brave men endured for our freedom. On the USS Hornet in Alameda I saw where Neil Armstrong took his first steps upon returning from the moon. Heady stuff, these floating monuments, but therein lies the problem. They don't float forever!
We have left these venerable ships where they served, in the ocean. The problem with that is, since they are now immobile, they don't get into drydock for their regular repair and refitting that they so desperately need. Salt water has no feelings, no loyalty, no empathy, no patriotic zeal. It destroys everything steel with equal efficiency. And salt water is sinking our naval history.
In Charleston, SC, Patriots Point is home to the USS Yorktown, USS Clamagore and "The Ship That Wouldn't Die" the USS Laffey. (You should google the story of how she got her nickname. Goosebumps will follow!) The Laffey is sinking. Eight million dollars is needed to keep her afloat. For a while. Then, more millions will be needed to keep the Yorktown and the Clamagore afloat. For a while. That is the problem, folks, for no matter how much we spend and how good a job is done on the repairs, they will be temporary, for salt water never stops destroying metal.
If we want to preserve these magnificent fighting ships so that future generations can see and appreciate how their freedom was saved, then we must get the ships out of the ocean! Spending millions upon millions on constant, repetitive repairs is insane. The rust will not stop. The leaks will continue to appear and the money will continue to be dumped into a bottomless pit.
I, for one, do not want to see these monuments to our fathers' sacrifices disappear. And the only way to save them that makes sense to me is to get them out of the water. Building drydocks seems like the best solution to me, but I am neither a ship builder nor an engineer. I don't know what the best solution would be, but those who are experts in the field better come up with one soon because, especially in this economic climate, Americans are NOT going to keep donating money to a cause that is hopeless.
Save the ships!! Get them out of the saltwater!! Allow our children and grandchildren the chance to feel the same goosebumps we feel when we go aboard!! They are history. They are important. They need to be saved just as much as the Olde North Church, for they are just as much a part of our history!!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Pirates Are The Gunslingers Of The Old West
The Somali pirates are just the 21st century version of the gunslinging outlaws of the Old American West. They are the Dalton Brothers, the James Gang or the Clantons of Tombstone. There may even be a Billy the Kid among them. The difference is, they aren't robbing trains, stagecoaches or banks, they are stealing ships and kidnapping crews and holding both for ransom. And, just like the outlaws of the old west, they need to be cleaned out.
What is needed for this is relatively simple. First, you put someone on the ships riding shotgun, just like the old stagecoaches did or the trains finally did when they hired The Pinkerton Detective Agency to protect them. Do you really think Wells Fargo was worried that firing back at the outlaws would put them in greater danger than they already were, as todays shipping lines have stated in their explanation of why they don't want to arm their crews? This passive action will not work with pirates any more than it would have worked with outlaws. Remember The Ballad of Liberty Valence - "The point of a gun was the only law that Liberty understood...when the final showdown came to pass, a lawbook was no good!" Like Liberty, all outlaws and all pirates know only one language, the language of violence, and, as distasteful as that language is to some people, it is the ONLY way to get their attention and to stop their attacks on innocent people.
Secondly, if the powers that be are still too terrified to arm their crews, then a few well placed military men could to the same job. I understand that there are not enough warships to escort every merchant ship through the pirate infested waters. But how about putting a few soldiers or sailors on each ship as it enters the danger zone and then take them off when the ship is safely through the peril. People, it is not going to take a company of men to keep these ill trained pirates from boarding a ship, a squad or a platoon would more than suffice to do the job. Kill enough of them, and the attacks will stop.
Lastly, what we really need are a few Pat Garretts, Wyatt Earps, Bill Hickocks and maybe some Texas Rangers to root out the pirates where they hide. These would not be individuals as in the old west, but instead would be governments sending groups of military or hired mercenaries (which, if you break it down to the bare bones, is really what the old west sheriffs and marshalls were!) into the pirate's waters and lairs to "convince" them to stop pirating. If convincing doesn't work, and it won't, then you take them out of the pirate business forever. Know why pirating died out the first time? Because enough of the pirates were hung to convince the rest of them that pirating wasn't such a good way to make a living after all. ("Diein' ain't much of a living!" - Josey Wales) Imagine how many of these pirates would want to change "jobs" when they see a fast boat armed to the teeth (think PT Boat) baring down on them with guns blazing! Or something akin to a Coast Guard Cutter firing relentlessly on one of the pirate mother ships. Take out their mother ships and they have no way to reach the shipping lanes in those small speedboats.
And lastly, we have to ignore all of those bleeding heart liberals who will decry the bloodshed and who think they can turn all of these pirates into fine, upstanding citizens. Does anyone really think that even one of these men is going to start flipping burgers for a living unless he thinks his current job is threatening his life?
They have to be stopped. They have to be cleaned out. The seas have to be made safe again. It won't be pretty, it won't be easy, but it has to be done.
What is needed for this is relatively simple. First, you put someone on the ships riding shotgun, just like the old stagecoaches did or the trains finally did when they hired The Pinkerton Detective Agency to protect them. Do you really think Wells Fargo was worried that firing back at the outlaws would put them in greater danger than they already were, as todays shipping lines have stated in their explanation of why they don't want to arm their crews? This passive action will not work with pirates any more than it would have worked with outlaws. Remember The Ballad of Liberty Valence - "The point of a gun was the only law that Liberty understood...when the final showdown came to pass, a lawbook was no good!" Like Liberty, all outlaws and all pirates know only one language, the language of violence, and, as distasteful as that language is to some people, it is the ONLY way to get their attention and to stop their attacks on innocent people.
Secondly, if the powers that be are still too terrified to arm their crews, then a few well placed military men could to the same job. I understand that there are not enough warships to escort every merchant ship through the pirate infested waters. But how about putting a few soldiers or sailors on each ship as it enters the danger zone and then take them off when the ship is safely through the peril. People, it is not going to take a company of men to keep these ill trained pirates from boarding a ship, a squad or a platoon would more than suffice to do the job. Kill enough of them, and the attacks will stop.
Lastly, what we really need are a few Pat Garretts, Wyatt Earps, Bill Hickocks and maybe some Texas Rangers to root out the pirates where they hide. These would not be individuals as in the old west, but instead would be governments sending groups of military or hired mercenaries (which, if you break it down to the bare bones, is really what the old west sheriffs and marshalls were!) into the pirate's waters and lairs to "convince" them to stop pirating. If convincing doesn't work, and it won't, then you take them out of the pirate business forever. Know why pirating died out the first time? Because enough of the pirates were hung to convince the rest of them that pirating wasn't such a good way to make a living after all. ("Diein' ain't much of a living!" - Josey Wales) Imagine how many of these pirates would want to change "jobs" when they see a fast boat armed to the teeth (think PT Boat) baring down on them with guns blazing! Or something akin to a Coast Guard Cutter firing relentlessly on one of the pirate mother ships. Take out their mother ships and they have no way to reach the shipping lanes in those small speedboats.
And lastly, we have to ignore all of those bleeding heart liberals who will decry the bloodshed and who think they can turn all of these pirates into fine, upstanding citizens. Does anyone really think that even one of these men is going to start flipping burgers for a living unless he thinks his current job is threatening his life?
They have to be stopped. They have to be cleaned out. The seas have to be made safe again. It won't be pretty, it won't be easy, but it has to be done.
Monday, April 13, 2009
A Little Luck at The Masters
We All Know Golf Is A Game Of Skill, But A Little Luck Sure Comes In Handy! Just Ask Angel Cabrera!
The man wearing the Green Jacket today almost gave it away with his ill-conceived second shot on the first playoff hole. Stymied behind a Georgia pine, Angel Cabrera's best chance to stay in the hunt for the Masters title was a chip back into the fairway leaving a chance for an up-and-down par. The shot he tried, a low hook through several trees, had a really low-level chance of being successful and a better than average chance of being disastrous. Angel swung hard, jumped around the tree to watch his ball sail through the trees and roll up onto the green, and promptly lost sight of it when it hit another Georgia pine and caromed who knew where! Certainly Angel didn't know where the ball ended up, he was looking left into the fairway and right into the 10th fairway and behind every tree within his vision trying to see exactly what kind of trouble he had gotten himself into now. But the golf gods were smiling on Angel today! The ball went left off the tree and directly back into the 18th fairway, the same result he would have gotten if he had played the safe "chip-back-to-the-fairway" shot. Angel made his up-and-down par and won the Masters on the second playoff hole.
Please don't get me wrong, Angel Cabrera played very good golf all four days and deserved the win just as much as anyone there. Just as much a Fred Couples did when he won the Green Jacket after his shot on number 12 somehow, inexplicably, stopped on the slope instead of rolling into Rae's Creek as every other shot that was in the same place had done all day. I'm just saying that, good golf aside, a little luck sure comes in handy once in a while!!
The man wearing the Green Jacket today almost gave it away with his ill-conceived second shot on the first playoff hole. Stymied behind a Georgia pine, Angel Cabrera's best chance to stay in the hunt for the Masters title was a chip back into the fairway leaving a chance for an up-and-down par. The shot he tried, a low hook through several trees, had a really low-level chance of being successful and a better than average chance of being disastrous. Angel swung hard, jumped around the tree to watch his ball sail through the trees and roll up onto the green, and promptly lost sight of it when it hit another Georgia pine and caromed who knew where! Certainly Angel didn't know where the ball ended up, he was looking left into the fairway and right into the 10th fairway and behind every tree within his vision trying to see exactly what kind of trouble he had gotten himself into now. But the golf gods were smiling on Angel today! The ball went left off the tree and directly back into the 18th fairway, the same result he would have gotten if he had played the safe "chip-back-to-the-fairway" shot. Angel made his up-and-down par and won the Masters on the second playoff hole.
Please don't get me wrong, Angel Cabrera played very good golf all four days and deserved the win just as much as anyone there. Just as much a Fred Couples did when he won the Green Jacket after his shot on number 12 somehow, inexplicably, stopped on the slope instead of rolling into Rae's Creek as every other shot that was in the same place had done all day. I'm just saying that, good golf aside, a little luck sure comes in handy once in a while!!
Friday, April 10, 2009
IOP Beachgoers Endangered by Plane
SOUTH CAROLINA DNR EMPLOYEE ENDANGERS HUNDREDS ON I.O.P. BEACH
A SouthCarolina Department of Natural Resources employee endangered hundreds of beach goers today at the Isle Of Palms beach. He was piloting a small, single engine aircraft that had fuel problems ( they had to refuel the plane on the beach! What, he forgot to fill up when he took off just 30 minutes earlier?) and he quite cowardly landed the plane in the middle of hundreds of innocent bystanders.
Well, here is the world according to Tommy - when anyone makes the decision to go up in an airplane they assume all of the risks involved. They know they may run into bad weather, have engine malfunctions or a myriad of other things that can go wrong with an airplane. Those are the risks they have decided to take. So, when something does goes wrong, they should NEVER pass any of those risks on to anyone who did not willingly sign on for such risks. That would be a cowardly and disdainful act and that is exactly what happened at the IOP beach today!
The ocean was only scant yards away and THAT IS EXACTLY where the pilot should have put his plane, thereby endangering no one but the people on the plane who willingly boarded his plane and strapped on their seat belts. That is what Sully Sullenberger did when he put Flight 1549 into the Hudson River. But, then again, Captain Sullenberger has courage, lots of it. Too bad this DNR fellow has none.
A SouthCarolina Department of Natural Resources employee endangered hundreds of beach goers today at the Isle Of Palms beach. He was piloting a small, single engine aircraft that had fuel problems ( they had to refuel the plane on the beach! What, he forgot to fill up when he took off just 30 minutes earlier?) and he quite cowardly landed the plane in the middle of hundreds of innocent bystanders.
Well, here is the world according to Tommy - when anyone makes the decision to go up in an airplane they assume all of the risks involved. They know they may run into bad weather, have engine malfunctions or a myriad of other things that can go wrong with an airplane. Those are the risks they have decided to take. So, when something does goes wrong, they should NEVER pass any of those risks on to anyone who did not willingly sign on for such risks. That would be a cowardly and disdainful act and that is exactly what happened at the IOP beach today!
The ocean was only scant yards away and THAT IS EXACTLY where the pilot should have put his plane, thereby endangering no one but the people on the plane who willingly boarded his plane and strapped on their seat belts. That is what Sully Sullenberger did when he put Flight 1549 into the Hudson River. But, then again, Captain Sullenberger has courage, lots of it. Too bad this DNR fellow has none.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Take Responsibility For Your Own Actions!!
The society we live in has become WAY too litigious! Everyone wants to sue at the drop of a hat, or, more correctly, a slip of their own common sense. That's right, we are a society inflicted with "It's someone else's fault"- itis. No one wants to take responsibility for their own actions. Instead, they want to blame someone else every time they do something stupid that causes them injury or embarrassment. As a result, the rest of us have our freedoms accosted every day! Ever try to order a pork chop cooked medium in North Carolina? You can't get it cooked any way other than medium-well or well done. That is an affront to my "pursuit of happiness"! Overcooked pork is not on my list of good, tasty food. I like my pork chops to still have some juices in them, to still be tender and tasty. I know the risks involved and I know them to be minimal and I should have the freedom to take those risks if I so desire! But the state of North Carolina (or maybe Moore County, the waitress didn't make it clear which government agency passed the law) will not allow me to do that BECAUSE they are afraid I will sue if I become ill. And, unf0rtunately, they are on solid ground. Years ago, juries in this country stopped holding people accountable for their own actions. The juries stopped holding people to the simple standard of having common sense. Thus, a jury awarded millions of dollars in damages to a woman who did not have enough sense to know that coffee is hot!! I'm surprised she didn't sue the manufacturer of her car for not having enough cup holders which forced her to hold the coffee between her legs where it spilled and burned her! She probably would have gotten a few more million from THAT lawsuit.
I am not making light of her injuries, which I am sure were quite painful. All I am saying is, SHE BROUGHT IT ON HERSELF!! She made the decision to buy hot coffee. She made the decision to put it between her legs while driving. And she was the one who clumsily made it spill all over her crotch! No one else did anything except what she asked them to do, ie, give her a cup of hot coffee in return for money. And yet, she was still awarded millions of dollars in damages because the jury saw her as a sympathetic victim.
And there are lots more! The farmer who sued the ladder company when the legs of the ladder sunk into the manure pile he had set it on and he fell off and broke something. GIVE ME A BREAK! Did this jury really expect that the ladder company should print instructions that "one should not use this ladder on top of a pile of bovine manure as the manure may be unstable"? What kind of a farmer doesn't know that already? Good grief, even a city guy would know that!!
And how about the lady who broke an ankle tripping over an out-of-control toddler in a furniture store and was awarded $780,0000 despite the fact that the toddler WAS HER OWN SON!! Or the lady who slipped on spilled soft drink and broke her coccyx who received a nice award despite the fact that the soft drink was on the floor because SHE HAD JUST THROWN IT AT HER BOYFRIEND!! Or the young lady who received a nice sum of money from a nightclub because she had fallen and knocked out two teeth while SNEAKING IN THROUGH A BATHROOM WINDOW TO AVOID THE COVER CHARGE!! Who are we seating on these juries, first graders? These people are all victims, all right, victims of their own stupidity!
And I am not the only one losing freedoms. Recently, a woman was refused a license to box (yes, in a ring with boxing gloves on, lots of women are doing that now!) because she had breast implants and the governing body thought it too dangerous for her. WRONG! It is her decision and if she wants to box and her breasts are injured because of boxing, she knew that going in and all responsibility lies with her. No lawsuits should be filed and nobody is blamed but her. That is the "World According to Tommy". And if losing your freedom to order pork chops cooked medium or eggs sunny side up doesn't bother you, these lawsuits are also hitting you in your bank account.
All of these frivolous lawsuits cost the businesses and manufacturers money. Everyone thinks "Oh, they have deep pockets so it is no big deal". But you best remember that they have to recover that money to stay in business. If they have insurance that pays out these ridiculous jury awards, the insurance company has to recover the money, usually by raising premiums from ALL of their customers, who then have to recover the increased cost of insurance by raising their prices. Guess who pays for all of this?? WE DO!! Every time some senseless jury awards some ridiculous amount to another idiot, our costs go up! It is not free money, people. It has to come from somewhere and that somewhere is out of our wallets and pocketbooks. Remember THAT the next time you read about another jury awarding another idiot some ridiculous amount of money for not having a lick of common sense. Remember who is really paying that money and then see if your sympathy is toward the idiot OR the company.
And if you ever get selected to sit on a jury, PLEASE hold someone responsible for their own actions. I don't much care what people do, but when it turns out bad, it is THEIR responsibility and theirs alone. It is time this country realized this and started holding people to a higher standard.
The society we live in has become WAY too litigious! Everyone wants to sue at the drop of a hat, or, more correctly, a slip of their own common sense. That's right, we are a society inflicted with "It's someone else's fault"- itis. No one wants to take responsibility for their own actions. Instead, they want to blame someone else every time they do something stupid that causes them injury or embarrassment. As a result, the rest of us have our freedoms accosted every day! Ever try to order a pork chop cooked medium in North Carolina? You can't get it cooked any way other than medium-well or well done. That is an affront to my "pursuit of happiness"! Overcooked pork is not on my list of good, tasty food. I like my pork chops to still have some juices in them, to still be tender and tasty. I know the risks involved and I know them to be minimal and I should have the freedom to take those risks if I so desire! But the state of North Carolina (or maybe Moore County, the waitress didn't make it clear which government agency passed the law) will not allow me to do that BECAUSE they are afraid I will sue if I become ill. And, unf0rtunately, they are on solid ground. Years ago, juries in this country stopped holding people accountable for their own actions. The juries stopped holding people to the simple standard of having common sense. Thus, a jury awarded millions of dollars in damages to a woman who did not have enough sense to know that coffee is hot!! I'm surprised she didn't sue the manufacturer of her car for not having enough cup holders which forced her to hold the coffee between her legs where it spilled and burned her! She probably would have gotten a few more million from THAT lawsuit.
I am not making light of her injuries, which I am sure were quite painful. All I am saying is, SHE BROUGHT IT ON HERSELF!! She made the decision to buy hot coffee. She made the decision to put it between her legs while driving. And she was the one who clumsily made it spill all over her crotch! No one else did anything except what she asked them to do, ie, give her a cup of hot coffee in return for money. And yet, she was still awarded millions of dollars in damages because the jury saw her as a sympathetic victim.
And there are lots more! The farmer who sued the ladder company when the legs of the ladder sunk into the manure pile he had set it on and he fell off and broke something. GIVE ME A BREAK! Did this jury really expect that the ladder company should print instructions that "one should not use this ladder on top of a pile of bovine manure as the manure may be unstable"? What kind of a farmer doesn't know that already? Good grief, even a city guy would know that!!
And how about the lady who broke an ankle tripping over an out-of-control toddler in a furniture store and was awarded $780,0000 despite the fact that the toddler WAS HER OWN SON!! Or the lady who slipped on spilled soft drink and broke her coccyx who received a nice award despite the fact that the soft drink was on the floor because SHE HAD JUST THROWN IT AT HER BOYFRIEND!! Or the young lady who received a nice sum of money from a nightclub because she had fallen and knocked out two teeth while SNEAKING IN THROUGH A BATHROOM WINDOW TO AVOID THE COVER CHARGE!! Who are we seating on these juries, first graders? These people are all victims, all right, victims of their own stupidity!
And I am not the only one losing freedoms. Recently, a woman was refused a license to box (yes, in a ring with boxing gloves on, lots of women are doing that now!) because she had breast implants and the governing body thought it too dangerous for her. WRONG! It is her decision and if she wants to box and her breasts are injured because of boxing, she knew that going in and all responsibility lies with her. No lawsuits should be filed and nobody is blamed but her. That is the "World According to Tommy". And if losing your freedom to order pork chops cooked medium or eggs sunny side up doesn't bother you, these lawsuits are also hitting you in your bank account.
All of these frivolous lawsuits cost the businesses and manufacturers money. Everyone thinks "Oh, they have deep pockets so it is no big deal". But you best remember that they have to recover that money to stay in business. If they have insurance that pays out these ridiculous jury awards, the insurance company has to recover the money, usually by raising premiums from ALL of their customers, who then have to recover the increased cost of insurance by raising their prices. Guess who pays for all of this?? WE DO!! Every time some senseless jury awards some ridiculous amount to another idiot, our costs go up! It is not free money, people. It has to come from somewhere and that somewhere is out of our wallets and pocketbooks. Remember THAT the next time you read about another jury awarding another idiot some ridiculous amount of money for not having a lick of common sense. Remember who is really paying that money and then see if your sympathy is toward the idiot OR the company.
And if you ever get selected to sit on a jury, PLEASE hold someone responsible for their own actions. I don't much care what people do, but when it turns out bad, it is THEIR responsibility and theirs alone. It is time this country realized this and started holding people to a higher standard.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
I Didn't Vote For Him Either, But Give The Guy A Chance!
I am really getting tired of all the gloom and doom I am hearing every day about the economy and the Economic Stimulus Bill! Republican after republican after republican is stepping up to the microphone and telling anyone who will listen that the president's bill is a big mistake and will not be successful in turning our economy around. News story after news story after news story is relating to anyone who will listen that our recession will get worse, much worse, before it gets better. Don't these people understand that they are creating a self-fulfilling prophecy?
Every time America hears more dire predictions, people vow to spend less money. When people spend less money, businesses suffer. When businesses suffer, they lose money. When businesses lose money, they have to take cost-saving measures. When cost-saving measures are taken, employees take pay cuts or lose their jobs. When employees have less money or no job, they will spend less, businesses will suffer, and, lo and behold, the economy will get worse!!
News agencies are supposed to report the news. The problem is, nothing seems to be considered news worthy unless it is bad. I understand that a lot of bad is happening in our economy right now, but I also know that a lot of good is happening and no one is reporting it. Or, if they do report it, it is buried so deep that it would take Vasco de Gama to find it! There is a company that is planning a new facility close to where I live that will employ 200 people. Does this good news make the front page or the first two minutes of the nightly news? Absolutely not! Both newspaper and broadcast news are much to busy reporting the company that is laying off 57 workers.
And let us not just pick on the news media. Our politicians are just as bad if not worse. It is time for the GOP to back off of all the criticism of the Obama team because they are just making everything worse. Every time they rant and rave about how the stimulus will not work and is bad for the country, they are perpetuating the self-fulfilling prophecy. I didn't vote for the man, but enough others did to elect him president. So let's just let him be the president, do what he thinks is right and find out if he is as smart as we all hope him to be. The GOP has nothing to lose! If it works and we get this country going again, everybody is better off! And isn't that really what all politicians should put first, the health of the country? (I know, a little Pollyanna-ish, but come on, we have to start putting the country and its people first sometime!) And if the stimulus fails, THEN the GOP can stand up and beat their chests and say "We told you so!" and start working toward 2012.
I call on every news outlet in the country to start leading with a success story, a good news story, a "business is still pretty good" story every single day! Start telling people about the good things that are happening, including the stimulus package, and watch the pessimism vanish and the economy turn around. People want leadership, and always concentrating on the negative is NOT leadership, it is undermining!
I am really getting tired of all the gloom and doom I am hearing every day about the economy and the Economic Stimulus Bill! Republican after republican after republican is stepping up to the microphone and telling anyone who will listen that the president's bill is a big mistake and will not be successful in turning our economy around. News story after news story after news story is relating to anyone who will listen that our recession will get worse, much worse, before it gets better. Don't these people understand that they are creating a self-fulfilling prophecy?
Every time America hears more dire predictions, people vow to spend less money. When people spend less money, businesses suffer. When businesses suffer, they lose money. When businesses lose money, they have to take cost-saving measures. When cost-saving measures are taken, employees take pay cuts or lose their jobs. When employees have less money or no job, they will spend less, businesses will suffer, and, lo and behold, the economy will get worse!!
News agencies are supposed to report the news. The problem is, nothing seems to be considered news worthy unless it is bad. I understand that a lot of bad is happening in our economy right now, but I also know that a lot of good is happening and no one is reporting it. Or, if they do report it, it is buried so deep that it would take Vasco de Gama to find it! There is a company that is planning a new facility close to where I live that will employ 200 people. Does this good news make the front page or the first two minutes of the nightly news? Absolutely not! Both newspaper and broadcast news are much to busy reporting the company that is laying off 57 workers.
And let us not just pick on the news media. Our politicians are just as bad if not worse. It is time for the GOP to back off of all the criticism of the Obama team because they are just making everything worse. Every time they rant and rave about how the stimulus will not work and is bad for the country, they are perpetuating the self-fulfilling prophecy. I didn't vote for the man, but enough others did to elect him president. So let's just let him be the president, do what he thinks is right and find out if he is as smart as we all hope him to be. The GOP has nothing to lose! If it works and we get this country going again, everybody is better off! And isn't that really what all politicians should put first, the health of the country? (I know, a little Pollyanna-ish, but come on, we have to start putting the country and its people first sometime!) And if the stimulus fails, THEN the GOP can stand up and beat their chests and say "We told you so!" and start working toward 2012.
I call on every news outlet in the country to start leading with a success story, a good news story, a "business is still pretty good" story every single day! Start telling people about the good things that are happening, including the stimulus package, and watch the pessimism vanish and the economy turn around. People want leadership, and always concentrating on the negative is NOT leadership, it is undermining!
Monday, February 9, 2009
The Only Real Baseball Superstar Left
Now that A-fraud has admitted using steroids, we now know that just about all of the so-called superstars of this era of baseball were juiced. Were CHEATING!! Were breaking the law!! Only one man stands out from the crowd. Only one man whose exploits made us gasp, made us cheer, gave us hope for the sorry crew we called "Our Team". Only one man who could display every talent needed to play the game at its highest level, hit for average, hit for power, steal bases, play defense and throw with power and accuracy is left for us to cheer. And that man is Ken Griffey Jr.
Forget the McGuires, the Sosas, the Bonds', the Clemens', the Palmiero's and all the rest because none of them could carry Ken Griffey Jr.'s jock!! Griff did it all and he did it all by himself. No help from steroids or human growth hormone. When he was injured he sat out and healed all by himself. Ken missed all or parts of five seasons with the Reds. His total time away from the game while injured during those five years was somewhere in the neighborhood of three and a half seasons!! Three and a half seasons!!!!! If he had been juicing like Bonds et al, there is a good chance those injuries would not have occurred. And if they had, well a few injections of good old HGH would get him back on the field in no time. But he was NOT juicing and STILL managed to reach the 600 home run level for his career.
Ken Griffey Jr. did it the right way. He didn't cheat his fans, he didn't cheat baseball and he didn't cheat himself. He played the game with a joy and a passion that is usually reserved for boys before they learn what it is like to have life kick you in the gut once or twice. He never forgot how lucky he was and he never forgot that a game is supposed to be fun. He was a joy to watch whether he was running down a fly ball and turning a double into an out or using the absolutely sweetest swing in the game to put another fastball effortlessly out of the ballpark. And while totally mesmerizing us with his "make it look easy" talent, he put up first ballot Hall of Fame numbers. The juicers? Their stats mean absolutely nothing. None of them should get anywhere near the Hall of Fame for as long as there is a Hall of Fame. And if that means years when no one gets enough votes to be inducted, then so be it. Because Ken Griffey Jr. WILL be in the Hall of Fame and to have any one on those cheaters in there with him would belittle his talent and his effort to play the game right, to play the game fairly, to play the game with integrity and honesty.
Ken Griffey Jr. is THE greatest baseball player of the era and should be recognized as such. The rest of those guys, the cheaters, can just go home and play with their syringes.
Now that A-fraud has admitted using steroids, we now know that just about all of the so-called superstars of this era of baseball were juiced. Were CHEATING!! Were breaking the law!! Only one man stands out from the crowd. Only one man whose exploits made us gasp, made us cheer, gave us hope for the sorry crew we called "Our Team". Only one man who could display every talent needed to play the game at its highest level, hit for average, hit for power, steal bases, play defense and throw with power and accuracy is left for us to cheer. And that man is Ken Griffey Jr.
Forget the McGuires, the Sosas, the Bonds', the Clemens', the Palmiero's and all the rest because none of them could carry Ken Griffey Jr.'s jock!! Griff did it all and he did it all by himself. No help from steroids or human growth hormone. When he was injured he sat out and healed all by himself. Ken missed all or parts of five seasons with the Reds. His total time away from the game while injured during those five years was somewhere in the neighborhood of three and a half seasons!! Three and a half seasons!!!!! If he had been juicing like Bonds et al, there is a good chance those injuries would not have occurred. And if they had, well a few injections of good old HGH would get him back on the field in no time. But he was NOT juicing and STILL managed to reach the 600 home run level for his career.
Ken Griffey Jr. did it the right way. He didn't cheat his fans, he didn't cheat baseball and he didn't cheat himself. He played the game with a joy and a passion that is usually reserved for boys before they learn what it is like to have life kick you in the gut once or twice. He never forgot how lucky he was and he never forgot that a game is supposed to be fun. He was a joy to watch whether he was running down a fly ball and turning a double into an out or using the absolutely sweetest swing in the game to put another fastball effortlessly out of the ballpark. And while totally mesmerizing us with his "make it look easy" talent, he put up first ballot Hall of Fame numbers. The juicers? Their stats mean absolutely nothing. None of them should get anywhere near the Hall of Fame for as long as there is a Hall of Fame. And if that means years when no one gets enough votes to be inducted, then so be it. Because Ken Griffey Jr. WILL be in the Hall of Fame and to have any one on those cheaters in there with him would belittle his talent and his effort to play the game right, to play the game fairly, to play the game with integrity and honesty.
Ken Griffey Jr. is THE greatest baseball player of the era and should be recognized as such. The rest of those guys, the cheaters, can just go home and play with their syringes.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Sing It Right Or Don't Sing It!
I am absolutely sick to death of these people who try to use their chance to sing the national anthem at a sporting event to get their entire 15 minutes of fame at one time! They drag it out like they are going to be executed the second they are finished. They are supposed to be musicians, yet they read every quarter-note as a full note, every half-note as a full note and every full-note as multiple notes! And no one in the stands can possibly sing along because no one has heard this particular rendition before! They make me long for Rosanne Barr!
The national anthem is supposed to be uplifting and inspiring. It is supposed to inspire chills of patriotism and a sense of pride. In short, IT IS AN ANTHEM, NOT A DIRGE!! So start singing it like an anthem, peppy and with obvious pride in your voice. And stop sounding like you are going to weep uncontrollably at any second.
I, for one, enjoy singing along to the national anthem and find it quite annoying when the singer makes that almost impossible by bastardising it to fit "their interpretation" of the song. Well, here's a newsflash for you all, you don't get to "interpret" this song. This song does not belong to you. This song belongs to all Americans and all Americans should be able to sing along whenever and wherever the national anthem is played. Forget about trying to best Whitney Houston's performance at Super Bowl XXV. Yes, Whitney did elongate the song somewhat, but she sang it with vigor and an obvious sense of pride in her voice with a smashing crescendo. It is by far the best national anthem presentation at a major sporting event that I can remember. You want to be remembered for your national anthem? Then listen to how Whitney sang it and emulate her. Make the hair on the backs of necks stand up! Make blood race into everyones face. Make people swell with pride and joy at being a citizen of this great country. Then, you won't just have fifteen minutes of fame, then you will be remembered for a long, long time.
If you can't do that, then just stay home and let some local high school student sing it. They usually do a better job, anyway.
The national anthem is supposed to be uplifting and inspiring. It is supposed to inspire chills of patriotism and a sense of pride. In short, IT IS AN ANTHEM, NOT A DIRGE!! So start singing it like an anthem, peppy and with obvious pride in your voice. And stop sounding like you are going to weep uncontrollably at any second.
I, for one, enjoy singing along to the national anthem and find it quite annoying when the singer makes that almost impossible by bastardising it to fit "their interpretation" of the song. Well, here's a newsflash for you all, you don't get to "interpret" this song. This song does not belong to you. This song belongs to all Americans and all Americans should be able to sing along whenever and wherever the national anthem is played. Forget about trying to best Whitney Houston's performance at Super Bowl XXV. Yes, Whitney did elongate the song somewhat, but she sang it with vigor and an obvious sense of pride in her voice with a smashing crescendo. It is by far the best national anthem presentation at a major sporting event that I can remember. You want to be remembered for your national anthem? Then listen to how Whitney sang it and emulate her. Make the hair on the backs of necks stand up! Make blood race into everyones face. Make people swell with pride and joy at being a citizen of this great country. Then, you won't just have fifteen minutes of fame, then you will be remembered for a long, long time.
If you can't do that, then just stay home and let some local high school student sing it. They usually do a better job, anyway.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Hamas Is The Problem
How can people be so two-faced? The whole world is aghast and appalled because Israel is defending their people against terrorists rocket attacks. They are being condemned at every turn for doing their job - protecting the populace. People are demonstrating in Europe, the U.S and even Canada, for crying out loud! What I want to know is, where the hell were these people and where the hell was all their anger when Hamas was lobbing rockets into Israel and killing civilians by DESIGN? Where the hell are they and where the hell is the anger everytime a suicide bomber explodes in a crowded market place, killing and maiming countless men, women and children? Hamas is putting the Palestinian people in harm's way and crying foul when some of them are killed. Where is the anger for that? Why is no one angry with Hamas? Well, I for one am very angry with Hamas, and I support the Israeli response 100%. I am also angry with the Palestinian people for allowing Hamas to operate in such a heinous way, and then complaining about it when someone else tries to put a stop to it.
I don't think that diplomacy will ever stop the war in the Middle East. Diplomacy requires people with reasoning powers. Hamas and the rest of their ilk are completely irrational when the subject is Israel, and one cannot reason with someone who is irrational. That leaves only one inevitable end to this conflict, and I shudder to think about it.
I don't think that diplomacy will ever stop the war in the Middle East. Diplomacy requires people with reasoning powers. Hamas and the rest of their ilk are completely irrational when the subject is Israel, and one cannot reason with someone who is irrational. That leaves only one inevitable end to this conflict, and I shudder to think about it.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
First Of Many
Welcome to Tommy Tuesday's first blog. The first of many, I fervently hope. These blogs will be mostly about things that just fry my ass! You know, the stories you read in the papers or see on the news that just defy all common sense. Or the ridiculous strategy by my favorite football team that cost us a game, or a season. (Nice going, Tressel!) Or just things that make no sense to me no matter how many different ways I look at it. Ah, what the hell, let's just start out on Tressel.
What in the name of Woody Hayes was he thinking? How do you bench a quarterback who took you to the national title game in a year when no one expected you to be there, including you? Not that I think Todd Boeckmann is a superstar, but the guy got the job done, for the most part, and he had a year of seasoning under his belt, so one would expect him to be much better this year.
Okay, I have heard all of the arguments about how immobile he is. So what? Want to hear some names of a few other quarterbacks who also weren't so nimble? Joe Namath, Dan Marino, Dan Fouts, Johnny Unitas, Roman Gabriel, Don Meredith, Peyton Manning and Sonny Jurgenson, to name a few. Being able to scramble for first downs is a wonderful attribute to have, but it is not necessary to be a good, or even great, quarterback.
Here's my theory. When Beanie went down, Tressel had no running game to speak of. He needed Pryor in the lineup because Terrell could supply the running threat. I can understand that. With no running game, Boeckmann would have been blitzed into oblivion. But why did Tress install Pryor as the starter and leave Boeckmann molding on the bench, when Beanie came back? Here's my theory:
Tressel sacrificed the entire season just to get his freshman phenom experience! He used this season to build for next season and the season after that. I can come up with no other plausible explanation. All you have to do is remember how awful Pryor was passing the ball in the Fiesta Bowl, and think about how much better Boeckmann would have been, and you can see my point. If Boeckmann is the qb in the Fiesta Bowl, the Buckeyes win, because Texas would not have been able to crowd the line-of-scrimmage to stop the run they way they did in the second half. They would have been forced to respect the passing game, especially the DEEP ball, that Pryor just cannot throw with any consistency at all! And let us not forget the middle of the season when we went TWO straight games without scoring an offensive touchdown, both with Pryor at the controls. And one was against Purdue, for crying out loud!! Not exactly your bastion of great defense, now, are they?
And what about Hartline and Robiskie? They were almost unheard of with Pryor at quarterback. Two of the better deep threats in the Big Ten, maybe in all of college football, and they were reduced to blocking for Pryor on keepers.
So there you have it. Three of the best playmakers in the Big Ten taken out of the game in one fashion or another just to get a freshman some playing time. A sacrificed season (after the USC debacle) that didn't have to be. Good job, Tressel. If you keep this up, Michigan will be back on top in no time!!
What in the name of Woody Hayes was he thinking? How do you bench a quarterback who took you to the national title game in a year when no one expected you to be there, including you? Not that I think Todd Boeckmann is a superstar, but the guy got the job done, for the most part, and he had a year of seasoning under his belt, so one would expect him to be much better this year.
Okay, I have heard all of the arguments about how immobile he is. So what? Want to hear some names of a few other quarterbacks who also weren't so nimble? Joe Namath, Dan Marino, Dan Fouts, Johnny Unitas, Roman Gabriel, Don Meredith, Peyton Manning and Sonny Jurgenson, to name a few. Being able to scramble for first downs is a wonderful attribute to have, but it is not necessary to be a good, or even great, quarterback.
Here's my theory. When Beanie went down, Tressel had no running game to speak of. He needed Pryor in the lineup because Terrell could supply the running threat. I can understand that. With no running game, Boeckmann would have been blitzed into oblivion. But why did Tress install Pryor as the starter and leave Boeckmann molding on the bench, when Beanie came back? Here's my theory:
Tressel sacrificed the entire season just to get his freshman phenom experience! He used this season to build for next season and the season after that. I can come up with no other plausible explanation. All you have to do is remember how awful Pryor was passing the ball in the Fiesta Bowl, and think about how much better Boeckmann would have been, and you can see my point. If Boeckmann is the qb in the Fiesta Bowl, the Buckeyes win, because Texas would not have been able to crowd the line-of-scrimmage to stop the run they way they did in the second half. They would have been forced to respect the passing game, especially the DEEP ball, that Pryor just cannot throw with any consistency at all! And let us not forget the middle of the season when we went TWO straight games without scoring an offensive touchdown, both with Pryor at the controls. And one was against Purdue, for crying out loud!! Not exactly your bastion of great defense, now, are they?
And what about Hartline and Robiskie? They were almost unheard of with Pryor at quarterback. Two of the better deep threats in the Big Ten, maybe in all of college football, and they were reduced to blocking for Pryor on keepers.
So there you have it. Three of the best playmakers in the Big Ten taken out of the game in one fashion or another just to get a freshman some playing time. A sacrificed season (after the USC debacle) that didn't have to be. Good job, Tressel. If you keep this up, Michigan will be back on top in no time!!
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