The First Base Coach's Box

2009-01-29T07:16:00.001-08:00

Yeah, so I let this blog waver for a while. With the end of writer's block and the beginning of a new year I decided to start up a new blog.

For the latest from the First Base Coach you can go here:

http://firstbasecoach.wordpress.com/

Thank you loyal readers. Hope to see you in my new diggs.

Jason

Christmas Eve Greetings....

2008-12-24T16:06:00.000-08:00

I am home safe from my grandpa's, cleaned up, and about to head out to our Christmas Eve service at church.

As I finished getting ready to go I was listening to the ABC World News Tonight broadcast. They closed with numerous staff members from every department wishing everyone "happy holidays" or "season's greetings." It struck me as odd that not a single person in such a large group would be willing to do the un-PC thing of wishing everyone a merry Christmas.

That, after all, is the holiday we celebrate tomorrow. As usual, I plan to watch the Charlie Brown Christmas special when I get home this evening. Once again I will look in on Charlie Brown as he tries to discover what the real meaning of Christmas is.

As I was reading about the special earlier today I found a story where the child who voiced Linus was interviewed.

For many viewers, it is the speech by Linus from Luke near the end that packs the biggest emotional wallop.

Christopher Shea was just 7 when he did the part and credits Melendez's coaching and his mom's doctorate in 17th-century British literature for Linus' lilting eloquence with a Biblical text.

Shea, who now lives in Eureka, Calif., with two daughters, 11 and 16, answers quickly when asked why the special has proved so enduring. "It's the words," he says.

Shea says that for years, in his teens and 20s, he didn't quite understand his soliloquy's impact.

"People kept coming up to me and saying, 'Every time I watch that, I cry,' " he says. "But as I got older, I understood the words more, and I understood the power of what was going on. Now I cry, too."

So do I. Tears of joy of course.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you this day is born in the City of Bethlehem, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men'".

That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown

Movie Game!

2008-12-16T20:04:00.001-08:00

Let's play a game!
1. Pick 20 of your favorite movies.
2. Go to IMDB, find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them in a note for everyone to guess.
4. Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.
5. NO GOOGLING/using IMDB search functions. That's cheating and it ruins the fun.
(Just so you know these aren't in order as my favorite movies!!)

1. Well, Don, I was at home in Tonawanda, but then Hitler started this whole thing, so now I'm here. Band of Brother -- Mandy

2. My ma urged me to get out of this game. When I was a kid, she pleaded with me. And I meant to, you know what I mean? But she died.

3. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come. Field of Dreams--Kayme

4. He tasks me. He tasks me and I shall have him! I'll chase him 'round the moons of Nibia and 'round the Antares Maelstrom and 'round Perdition's flames before I give him up! The Wrath of Kahn (Star Trek II) -- Jim

5. Alright, boys, this is the last shot we got! We're gonna run the picket fence at 'em! Jimmy, you're solo right! Everett, Merle should be open on the other side of that fence! Now, boys, don't get caught watchin' the paint dry! Hoosiers -- Mandy

6. Then one day I hear "Reach for it, mister." I spun around, and there I was, standing face to face with a six-year-old kid. Well, I just laid down my guns and walked away... Little bastard shot me in the ass! Blazing Saddles -- Amanda

7. Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid. Star Wars: Episode IV -- Jim

8. The Ark. If it is there, at Tanis, then it is something that man was not meant to disturb. Death has always surrounded it. It is not of this earth. Raiders of the Lost Ark -- Josh

9. There’s a shortage of perfect breasts in this world. ‘t would be a pit to damage yours. The Princess Bride -- Kayme

10. What’s the matter Colonel Sandurz, chicken? Spaceballes -- Jim

11. Ready are you? What know you of ready? For eight hundred years have I trained Jedi. My own counsel will I keep on who is to be trained. A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind. This one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away... to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing. Hmph. Adventure. Heh. Excitement. Heh. A Jedi craves not these things. You are reckless. The Empire Strike Back -- Kayme

12. Okay, well, uh... candlesticks always make a nice gift, and uh, maybe you could find out where she's registered and maybe a place-setting or maybe a silverware pattern. Okay, let's get two! Go get 'em. Bull Durham -- Shannon

13. I say hurl. If you blow chunks and she comes back, she's yours. But if you spew and she bolts, then it was never meant to be. Wayne's World -- Molly

14. Hey! Look kids! There’s Big Ben, Parliament. European Vacation -- Molly

15. Gee, I'm real sorry your mom blew up, Ricky.

16. C'mon, it's Czechoslovakia. We zip in, we pick 'em up, we zip right out again. We're not going to Moscow. It's Czechoslovakia. It's like going into Wisconsin. Stripes -- Amanda

17. I know what you're thinking. "Did he fire six shots or only five?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk? Dirty Harry -- Jim

18. Out here, due process is a bullet.

19. Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it.

20. Hell of a situation we got here. Two on, two out, your team down a run and you've got the chance to be the hero on national television... if you don't blow it. Saw your wife last night. Great little dancer. That guy she was with? I'm sure he's a close personal friend, but tell me, what was he doing with her panties on his head? Major League -- Amanda

Close Call

2008-12-12T09:33:00.001-08:00

Sometimes things just go your way. It’s easy to get hung up on all the things that don’t turn out the way you want them to while not realizing exactly how often events can, unexpectedly turn out in your favor.

For example, I’m sitting in a very dark classroom as I am typing this. I’ll have to post it on the internet later because right now there is no power in the school building. Something tripped the power about 10 minutes ago.

I arrived to school at my usual time, 6:50. This morning’s fun started off with the writing of my annual vocabulary test for comparative government. It is five matching sections of twenty terms. That’s one hundred points and it took most of my free time over two hours to write. My kids are testing today so I’m using the opportunity to multi-task a little.

Undisciplined and irresponsible are not usually words people use to describe me. To those people this next statement might come as a surprise. I did not save the vocabulary test the entire time I was working on it.

I printed a copy at the conclusion of second period. I then left, document still unsaved, to attend the holiday reception at central office. Sufficiently fed (for a week), I returned to my classroom and prepared for my fourth period class. After passing out the test I sat down and finally realized that I hadn’t saved my vocabulary test. Giving it the filename “First Semester Vocab” I stored the test on the server and placed a back-up copy on my super, top-secret flash drive.

Less than sixty seconds after I closed the document the power went out.

Close call.

Life isn't Fair. Get used to it.

2008-12-08T07:23:00.000-08:00

If these people are “making history” we’re doomed.

The theme of this post is, “Life isn’t fair.”

So, I’m reading about the sit-down strike the Republic Window in Chicago. Actually, I’ve been reading about it for a couple of days. This thing is getting far more attention than it deserves and some of the comments coming out of people are quite troubling.

Of course the most entertaining and least sane comments came from the mouth of perpetual windbag Jessie Jackson.

"These workers must be congratulated for having the courage in the great tradition of Dr. King ... and in the tradition of Cesar Chavez, in the tradition of Rosa Parks.” Your sitting down, in many ways, allows America to stand up. Workers all around the nation who are now facing massive layoffs. It's your job, it's your plant. Stay there and fight for it until justice comes and justice will come."

More concerning to me are the comments of President-Elect Obama who make some scary implications with his assessment of the situation.

"Number one, I think that these workers, if they have earned these benefits and their pay, then these companies need to follow through on those commitments," Obama said during an appearance. "And number two, I think it is important for us to make sure that moving forward, any economic plan that we put in place helps businesses to meet payroll so that we're not seeing these kinds of circumstances again."

Not all of the President-Elect’s comments have been as scary.

"The workers who are asking for the benefits and payments that they have earned, I think they're absolutely right and understand that what's happening to them is reflective of what's happening across this economy,"

First of all, we should look at what we do know. Republic Window decided to close. Most stories imply that the decision to close was reached after Bank of America closed its line of credit. It told its employees that they would be out of work at the end of the week. Told they would not get proper notice, severance pay, and pay for unused vacation the employees are conducting a sit-in at the plant and demanding the compensation they were promised in their union contract.

That’s pretty much it for the facts.

Based on these facts we have Jessie Jackson showing up and claiming that a great injustice is taking place. He’s comparing these factory workers to Dr. King, Rosa Parks, and Hugo Chavez? Every article I read has a quote from people discussing how they are making history? You’ve got to be kidding me.

First of all, the company is closing. It’s laying off everyone. The implication is that the company is broke. If the company is insolvent then you can’t expect a bank to keep loaning them money. Banks are supposed to loan money to people who have a plan to pay it back. They aren’t just supposed to loan money to people who need it. As I recall, loaning money to people who didn’t have a very good plan to pay it back is one of the things that got us into this mess. Anyone remember the sub-prime loan disaster?

Bank of America shouldn’t loan any more money to a company that can’t pay it back.

Jackson implies in his statements that the bank should loan money to the company to pay its employees even though the company is closing and will not make the money to pay the loan off. This is my justification for calling him insane.

To my fellow Americans who are sitting-in: It’s not your job. Your job has been lost. It’s not your factory. You’d be making better use of your time if you were out looking for a new job.

Now, while I’ve been concerned with the president-elects constant proclamations that the economy is doomed and won’t get better soon, he is not completely off his rocker. The employees have a contract that entitles them to a certain amount of notice before being laid off, severance pay, and compensation for unused vacation days.

However, both the president-elect and Jackson seem to be implying that it’s the bank’s and/or the government’s responsibility to be sure the employees get their money. How can the bank or government be responsible for meeting obligations the company agreed to?

Now, what should really happen?

If the company’s owners want to close then that is their option. No one should make the government or banks pay the money the company owes its employees. However, there is no way that the company should be able to close with any profits on the books until its employees are paid what they are owed. Any cash the company has, any assets it has (including equipment and real estate) need to be liquidated and the funds need to go to the employees first. The money owed to the employees are debts and all debts must be satisfied if possible. If the money runs out then the employees may only get a percentage of what they are owed. The owners shouldn’t walk away with a penny unless all of their debt is paid.

Now, if Obama or Jackson would state the argument this way, I wouldn’t have a problem. Instead they seem to imply that life is fair and everyone gets what they’ve earned. What planet have they been living on?

Bank of America is smart for not loaning money to a failing company. I suspect though that the company was hoping to close its doors and skip out on its obligations to the employees. That is the real issue here. That is dishonorable and the company should not be allowed to do so.

We can hold the company accountable as much as possible but lets not make the implication that the government should step in and keep it open or supply wages to people who lose their jobs.

And please, don’t compare what these employees are doing to what Dr. King did. It’s not even close.

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-29T06:13:00.001-08:00

It seems like a good day to look back at the past year and examine the things that I am thankful for. It is so easy to forget how many there are. As I look back at all of the moments of joy I've experienced this year I cannot believe how blessed I am.

This year saw my grandmother pass away after a very long battle with cancer. I'm thankful to her for over 30 years of wisdom, advice, and genuine love. Grandparents are a blessing like no other. My grandfather is doing well after his third heart bypass surgery and found his healthy appetite just in time for Thanksgiving dinner Thursday. It looks like I may have to be defeated at golf again, several times, and by a man in his 70's.

For the third time in my life MY team is the national champion. I'm a believer in lifetime commitments to those teams you root for because it builds character (well, unless you happen to be a fan of the Colorado Buffaloes). I thought life would be easy when the Royals won the World Series in 1985 followed shortly thereafter by my beloved Jayhawks winning the NCAA Basketball Tournament in 1988. Little did I know it would be 20 years before winning the big game again. What an amazing night.

For Dave Ramsey. One year of living the Dave way has me oh so close to being debt free and living in financial peace. With the economy still trying to get a little bounce it seems like I'm surrounded by people in crisis. It's quite strange to think that living on a budget and within my means, saving for emergencies, and staying debt free can help someone sleep at night. It does though my friends. If you ever get the chance to go through Financial Peace University, take it.

For snow because it's so peaceful.

For Cali and Neal who entertain and inform a few times a week (and because I don't have time to keep up on the hip new geek gadgets anymore). And for new blog friends (Unfinished Business, Get Rich Slowly) who entertain and inform in ways that make it so easy to get by without cable news.

For the JoeBlog where Joe Posnanski gives me my fill of baseball and sports ramblings in a format a long-winded guy like me can appreciate. And on a similar topic for the newest star sportswriter at the Leavenworth Times. You can read Scooter's new column online every Wednesday.

For apple pie. And peach pie.

And you could probably guess that I've been most thankful this past year for Lindsay. I like to think that I'm pretty good with words but I could stare at this screen for hours and not come up with words to describe what it's like to meet someone so amazing. In an associated item, I'm thankful for roll-over minutes and unlimited nights and weekends (although I could also complain about the lack of coverage between St. Joseph and Council Bluffs as well as Freemont and Norfolk).

Remember that the passing of Thanksgiving doesn't herald do or die time for the world's retailers and it doesn't usher in the season of getting that is advertised all around us and permeates the thinking of the world. It is a season of giving and of remembering and sharing about our Lord who gave us His Son whose sacrifice allows us to be washed of our sins and to one day join the Lord in Heaven. It is only fitting that we kick that season off by remembering all of the things we have to be thankful for.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Just can't do it.....

2008-11-21T07:37:00.000-08:00

I have a stack of things to grade and paperwork to fill out. I could get the scorebook ready for tonight's game against Butler.

I just can't. I'm done working for the week. I need a break. I'm on my planning period so I've got the chance to relax a little. I'm on my favorite brain game site:

www.coolmath.com

Click on math games and be distracted. Join the fun!

Lunar Lander is my favorite.

Varied Thoughts on Gum and things.....

2008-11-20T07:09:00.000-08:00

There are only three school days until Thanksgiving. There are only 18 school days until Christmas break starts.

Isn't this a wonderful time of year.

After a wonderful weekend in Norfolk I took my first personal day in my nine year teaching career. It was simply wonderful to gain a few extra hours with Lindsay and I loved not having to drag into work on Monday after arriving home late on Sunday evening. It was also nice to have an evening to get ready for the workweek instead of eating up the entire time on the highway.

I still think the decision to take the personal day was worth the embarrassment of having to ask for help from our secretary to fill out the personal day form. It took me several minutes to identify the thing since I had never laid eyes on it.

Still, the prospect of an impromptu four day week has not been equaled by the week itself. Today is Thursday and I feel just as worn out by the week as I usually do. It may be the 6am basketball practices but I think it's just force of habit. Fridays come along at a regular pace and I think that most people can tell a Friday by the way it and they feel even if they don't have access to a calendar.

I wonder if it was like this before they had calendars.

This year I'll be traveling a lot over the holidays. Please pray for a nice, dry winter. That's unusual as well. I typically feel robbed if we don't have at least three snow days. If I were staying in the area the snow would be no big deal as a foot of snow falling on a Thursday is going to melt by Friday. I've heard that the snow in Nebraska can stick around for weeks though. I suppose it's even worse up north. My friend Rachel said they already have snow on the ground.

Here's a random thought. This morning I had orange flavored gum. I haven't had sugared gum since I was in junior high when I used to buy grape and orange gum regularly. They used to advertise it for flavor and softness. My other favorites were the gum that had two flavors with one in the center wrapped in the other, the gum with the liquid core (basically sugary syrup), and who can ever forget Big League Chew. I preferred the grape flavor there too.

How did I ever chew those things for all those years. This sugary orange wad was so sweet that it hurt my teeth to chew. I could almost hear my dental enamel cry out in pain! The gum I chew today is ADA approved to make my teeth stronger and whiter. It is sugar free and hard as a rock. And yet, that is what my mouth now desires.

I love it when a plan comes together.....

2008-11-11T20:38:00.000-08:00

Hey friends! I just had to brag a little. I finished dad's birthday present tonight. What do you get for the guy who has everything?

When I bought my new Macbook this summer I struggled to decide what to do with the old PowerBook. It was too old to be of any use to anyone but it still worked (as long as the duct tape didn't come off the case).

My solution? A 15" widescreen digital picture frame. They sell in this size for $600 at Walmart. I figured I could make one for free (or almost free).

It took a while to get the screen off thanks to Apple's proprietary hinge screws but a little careful drilling got around that. I mounted it in a shadow box frame, removed the battery for increased ventilation, and set the screen saver to start as soon as you booted the computer.

It looks pretty good. I figure it'll take dad a while to fill the 80 GB of hard drive space with all the photos he takes.

This may be the most fun gift I've ever given. Now I just have to go sweep up all the sawdust.

Have I seen too many movies?

2008-11-10T16:48:00.001-08:00

Not really a blog entry but three people posted this recently and I can't, in all fairness, make sarcastic comments about their movie taste unless I do it too. Everyone knows that I've seen way too many movies. In my defense though I saw most of these back in my college days when I didn't have to work very hard. I put my own commentary in bold so hopefully that will make for interesting reading......

SUPPOSEDLY if you've seen over 85 movies, you have no life. Mark the ones you've seen. There are 253 movies on this list. Copy this list mail, go to your own facebook account, paste this as a note. Then, put x's next to the movies you've seen, add them up, change the header adding your number, and click post at the bottom. Have fun!

(x) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease
() Pirates of the Caribbean
() Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
() Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End
() Boondock Saints
() Fight Club
() Starsky and Hutch
(x) Neverending Story
(x) Blazing Saddles
(x) Airplane

5 so far....not as many as I expected. Half of those movies sucked though. Seriously, I think it's a crime to put Blazing Saddles and Airplane in a group with any crap Johnny Depp or Matt Damon movie. I'd rather watch Ishtar.

(x) The Princess Bride
(x) AnchorMan....You'd have to know the guy but every time I see a clip from this movie I hear coach Graham.....Peeeeewwwww.
(x) Napoleon Dynamite....There's two hours I'll never get back
() Labyrinth
() Saw
() Saw II
() White Noise
() White Oleander
() Anger Management
() 50 First Dates
() The Princess Diaries
() The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

Up to 8. I may not hit 85 but only because whoever put this list together has horrible taste.

(x) Scream
(x) Scream 2
() Scream 3
(x) Scary Movie
() Scary Movie 2
() Scary Movie 3
() Scary Movie 4
(x) American Pie
() American Pie 2
() American Wedding
() American Pie Band Camp

12....Um, what a really creative list. NOT.

(x) Harry Potter 1
(x) Harry Potter 2
(x) Harry Potter 3
(x) Harry Potter 4
(x) Harry Potter 5....Yeah, the books are better.
() Resident Evil 1
() Resident Evil 2
(x) The Wedding Singer
() Little Black Book
() The Village
() Lilo & Stitch

18....Some good movies don't have sequels or didn't ya know!

(x) Finding Nemo
() Finding Neverland
() Signs
() The Grinch
() Texas Chainsaw Massacre
() Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
() White Chicks
() Butterfly Effect
() 13 Going on 30
(x) I, Robot....Seriously, is this the first science-fiction movie on the list?
() Robots

20

(x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
() Universal Soldier
() Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
() Along Came Polly
() Deep Impact
() KingPin
(x) Never Been Kissed
(x) Meet The Parents
() Meet the Fockers
() Eight Crazy Nights
() Joe Dirt
() KING KONG

23

() A Cinderella Story
() The Terminal
() The Lizzie McGuire Movie
() Passport to Paris
() Dumb & Dumber
() Dumber & Dumberer
() Final Destination
() Final Destination 2
() Final Destination 3
() Halloween
(x) The Ring
() The Ring 2
() Surviving X-MAS
() Flubber....I assume the original "Absent Minded Professor" doesn't count since it didn't suck. I think you need a better reason to remake a classic than "Robin Williams needs a job."

24

() Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
() Practical Magic
() Chicago
() Ghost Ship
() From Hell
() Hellboy
() Secret Window
() I Am Sam
() The Whole Nine Yards
() The Whole Ten Yards

24

() The Day After Tomorrow
() Child's Play
() Seed of Chucky
() Bride of Chucky
(x) Ten Things I Hate About You
() Just Married
() Gothika
() Nightmare on Elm Street
() Sixteen Candles
(x) The Breakfast Club....Darn you free Friday night movies in WC Morris!
(x) Remember the Titans
() Coach Carter
() The Grudge
() The Grudge 2
(x) The Mask
() Son Of The Mask

28. No one can say I watch too many movies again.

() Bad Boys
() Bad Boys 2
() Joy Ride
() Lucky Number Seven
() Ocean's Eleven
() Ocean's Twelve
(x) Bourne Identity
(x) Bourne Supremecy
(x) Bourne Ultimatum....Imagine this though, the books are still better.
() Lone Star
(x) Bedazzled
() Predator I
() Predator II
() The Fog
(x) Ice Age
() Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
() Curious George

33

(x) Independence Day
() Cujo
() A Bronx Tale
() Darkness Falls
() Christine
(x) ET
() Children of the Corn
() My Boss's Daughter
() Maid in Manhattan
() War of the Worlds....Again I assume you mean the Tom Cruise (didn't need to be a) remake.
(x) Rush Hour
(x) Rush Hour 2

37....I may have a life after all!

() Best Bet
() How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(x) She's All That
() Calendar Girls
() Sideways
() Mars Attacks
() Event Horizon
(x) Ever After
(x) Wizard of Oz....It's amazing how many people outside of the midwest think this is every native Kansan's favorite movie.
(x) Forrest Gump....and to think, without Forrest Gump there would be no Watergate.
(x) Big Trouble in Little China....Now we're talking.
(x) The Terminator
(x) The Terminator 2
() The Terminator 3

44!

(x) X-Men
(x) X2
(x) X-3
() Spider-Man....That Kursten Dunst, can't say she does anything for me.
() Spider-Man 2
(x) Sky High
() Jeepers Creepers
() Jeepers Creepers 2
(x) Catch Me If You Can....New Year's Eve in Omaha. I think I was the only one in the group other than Rachel that actually liked the movie.
() The Little Mermaid
() Freaky Friday
() Reign of Fire
() The Skulls
(x) Cruel Intentions
() Cruel Intentions 2
() The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
(x) Shrek 2

52...I don't think I'm going to make it.

() Swimfan
(x) Miracle on 34th street
(x) Old School
() The Notebook
() K-Pax
() Krippendorf's Tribe
() A Walk to Remember
() Ice Castles
() Boogeyman
() The 40-year-old-virgin

55.....Is this the third time it's been a multiple of 11? Weird.

(x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
() Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
(x) Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

61

() Basketball
() Hostel
() Waiting for Guffman
() House of 1000 Corpses
() Devils Rejects
(x) Elf
() Highlander
() Mothman Prophecies
() American History X
() Three

62

() The Jacket
() Kung Fu Hustle
() Shaolin Soccer
() Night Watch
(x) Monsters Inc.
(x) Titanic
(x) Monty Python and the Holy Grail....Don't like her? What's wrong with her?! She's beautiful, she's rich, she's got huge [Gestures to his chest] tracts of land.
() Shaun Of the Dead
() Willard

65

() High Tension
() Club Dread
() Hulk
() Dawn Of the Dead
() Hook
(x) Chronicle Of Narnia The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
() 28 days later
() Orgazmo
() Phantasm
() Waterworld

66....There's that multiple of 11 again!

(x) Kill Bill vol 1
(x) Kill Bill vol 2....Just yesterday actually. Does anyone else always watch these two movies together?
() Mortal Kombat
() Wolf Creek
() Kingdom of Heaven
() the Hills Have Eyes
() I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
() The Last House on the Left
() Re-Animator
() Army of Darkness

68

(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(x) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(x) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
() Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
() Ewoks The Battle For Endor....If you could kill off either Jar Jar Binks or all the Ewoks, which would you choose? That'd be a toughie.

74

(x) The Matrix
() The Matrix Reloaded
() The Matrix Revolutions
() Animatrix
() Evil Dead
() Evil Dead 2
(x) Team America: World Police
() Red Dragon
(x) Silence of the Lambs
() Hannibal

Total: 77.... Fitting.

A little comfort....

2008-11-05T04:23:00.000-08:00

If you haven't seen it, give this a look.

Four thoughts on election morning.....

2008-11-04T07:03:00.000-08:00

Ah, I’m sure you’ve all been waiting for the big election-day post. I will try to post some of my thoughts as I observe today. Here are some of my observations:

1. I’d like to start out with a positive. When I pulled up to my normally low volume polling place the line was out the door and halfway around the church. I had to park in the gravel lot behind the church building and walk 200 yards just to get to the end of the line.

I know that most voters today are not well informed. Most of them are actually making an informed vote (no matter whether I agree with their decision or not) on only one of the items on the ballot. Of the dozens of other races they are probably not qualified to cast a ballot. That is disturbing because, as someone who still believes in our federal system of government, I see a great deal of importance in those local races, ballot issues, and state constitutional amendments.

Still, the upside of this turnout is that voting is a bit of an adrenalin rush. It’s not the World Series but I experience a very slight rush when casting a ballot and most of the seniors that I talked to today who were casting their first ballots had a similar experience. I wonder how many first time voters have been drawn into this election who will become hooked and possibly even a lifetime and well-informed voter.

2. I must be getting soft as I cast the most diverse ballot in my political history this year. I still favor the most conservative candidates at the national level but found myself voting for three Democrats and one third-party (Libertarian) candidate this year. I have found that given time living in one community I am more familiar with the people on the ballot and know nearly half of them personally. I find that over time I have become more issue based than party based in my decision-making. For example, once I’ve established that a state-wide candidate supports the protection of unborn babies among a few other important things the importance of the label next to their name becomes pretty much insignificant to their character and their ideas on the proper role of the office they are seeking.

3. I do still get a rush from casting my ballot. I examine the ballot ahead of time and list the candidates that I will vote for on a Post-It. This is supposed to save time but it doesn’t really. I’ve always been someone who works fast but on a ballot I find myself carefully reading each line of directions and checking then double-checking my ballot before turning it in. There is a low-level adrenalin release involved that I can still feel in my legs nearly three hours later.

4. As I was standing in line this morning my pastor and his wife lined up behind me. We exchanged a couple of comments about the election. Knowing that I had emphasized voter behavior in most of my bachelor and master’s studies he finally asked me what I thought was going to happen today.

I said, “I think we’re screwed. I’m just thankful to the Lord that I have a government job.”
He said, “Well, I’m just thankful to the Lord that you tithe.”

I hope this woman isn't serious....

2008-11-04T03:38:00.000-08:00

I have an election day post planned but I found this link on Drudge this morning. I hope this woman isn't serious.

I'm such a fool. And here I've been using this thing called my J-O-B to pay for my gas and my mortgage.

An interesting video.....

2008-10-31T17:03:00.000-07:00

This guy is quite interesting. I'm not sure I agree with every phrase he emits but it was something to get me thinking. Kelly posted it on her facebook profile but I want to embed it here.

There are some other interesting videos if you click on the guy's profile.

A few notes on happenings....

2008-10-31T05:41:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy, erratic, and exciting couple of weeks but I have been up to a few things.

Lindsay and I saw the movie "Fireproof" last weekend. It was exceptional. The themes and message were the most moving parts of the film and the movie itself may have been the best one I've seen in a couple of years. It's promoted as a movie for couples and I'm very glad to have gotten the chance to watch it with Lindsay (even if she had seen it before). Still, I think it could be just as moving and enjoyable for someone seeing the film by themselves or uncoupled. I cannot recommend seeing it while it's in the theaters enough. There's something about the big screen and the atmosphere that adds to the effect. It makes it more of an event.
Using an apple peeler/slicer is a blast. If I had one of my own everything I own would be peeled and sliced and rotting. It's even more fun than my Magic Bullet which led to every blend-able item in my fridge being chopped and pureed within hours of bringing it home.
Every now and then a student or group of students does something so incredible that you become convinced there is hope for the future (I don't need convincing really but occasionally it doesn't hurt to be reminded). I've done a timeline project over the early Muslim empires during most of the last 9 years I have been teaching world history. This year a student turned in the most amazing, full-color, well sited, glossy, and organized graphic timeline I have ever seen. I may have to retire the project because the bar has been raised so high.
Basketball practice in under way. No more short 9 hour workdays for this school teacher.
The election is coming up. Finally. When I went through Dave Ramsey I collected my credit card offers and was surprised to be getting ten or so a week. I'm averaging about 5 political ads per day in my mailbox. The economy is booming for at least one industry.
I have to laugh every time the Missouri National Education Association sends me a card and tells me who to vote for. Yesterday's said, "Take this to the polls with you!" Folks, that card pretty much tells me who to vote against. The thing is, they seem to think that education is the only issue I am concerned about. Just because it's my job doesn't make it the most important thing to me. It may come fourth after moral issues, preservation of the Constitution, and economics. Sorry folks.
I'm thinking of getting into a different translation of the Bible next year. I studied primarily out of the NIV for a few years while I was in college. A few years ago I bought a John MacArthur Study Bible that used the NKJV. I was contemplating NASB or Amplified. Anyone have a recommendation? Anyone know of a good study Bible they enjoy?

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Not every teacher think gambling is a good way to fund schools...

2008-10-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

Thoughts on Proposition A, better known as the Schools First Elementary and Secondary Education Funding Initiative

I’m sure that many of you have seen advertisements or received literature in the mail concerning Proposition A, a ballot initiative that will appear on the November ballot in Missouri.

The majority of the information promotes the proposition as an initiative to provide more funding for public schools by increasing the taxes casinos in Missouri pay from 20% to 21% of revenues. It also prohibits the building of any new casinos in Missouri. In order to increase the taxes paid by Casinos without harming their businesses the initiative would also repeal the $500 loss limit that was opposed when Missouri voters first approved casino gambling.

The television ads make it really clear who the benefactor of this initiative is: Missouri’s public schools. The ads feature teachers and administrators from Missouri schools who would see increased revenues from the initiative. It is also implied that seniors should support this initiative because it would provide more money for schools without having to raise those pesky property taxes that are the most substantial, local source of revenues.

When I showed the advertising to my students during our unit on voter behavior I asked them to tell me which groups were supporting the initiative and paying for all of the advertising. Their most common answers were school districts, teacher unions, the National Education Association, and (only a little less common) the AARP.

As it turns out, most of the money is coming from three sources. Ameristar Casinos is kicking in $1.7 million. Pinnacle Entertainment, which owns casinos in the St. Louis area, kicked in $4.4 million. The other major contributor is the Missouri Gaming Commission.

It’s funny that none of the major education organizations in the state are contributing or endorsing the initiative. The ads say that Missouri teachers are in favor of it but those are individuals, not organizations.

So, are the casinos really in favor of cutting into their profits in order to increase the amount of money going to our public schools? Are public schools going to see a funding increase as a result of Proposition A?

The answer to both questions is, I propose, no.

1. Schools will not get “more” money.
2. The principle beneficiary of the legislation is the casino industry.

More money will flow into the education allocations from the casinos. That does not, however, mean that more money will go to the school. First of all, only schools funded through the foundation formula will see casino dollars. Nearly 20% of the schools in Missouri are left out of the so-called windfall.

Schools will not, however receive more money overall. These types of bills are touted every time the casino industry seeks expansion. Earmarking funds from casino revenue for education allows the General Assembly to devote less of the general fund to education. The total amount of money spent doesn’t really increase. This bill seeks to increase the per student allocation but there’s no guarantee that the change in permanent.

What happens when casino revenues decline (as they did with the Woodlands a few years after it opened)? Money then needs to be diverted back into education from the general fund at the expense of other programs or education funding ends up getting cut.

Legalized gambling is not a good way to fund education or anything else that the people of Missouri value. It makes it appear as though they can use some trick to get everything they want and not have to pay for it. That kind of thinking has our country in enough of a financial mess.

That money comes from somewhere. It does not come from tourists and “high-rollers” for the most part. The bulk of casino revenue comes from local individuals. Casinos don’t base their business on the Tokyo businessman who might come in and drop a quick $50,000 before a big meeting. It’s based on thousands of people dropping by to lose a few hundred dollars.

Casinos are not destinations anymore. They’re everywhere. The casino industry has been fighting the $500 loss limit since it first talked Missouri voters into legalizing casino gambling.

I find it despicable that the casinos are being so underhanded in misrepresenting this initiative. They are attempting to appeal to seniors by proposing that gambling money could keep their property taxes low, to parents by claiming to increase the funding levels of the public schools, and even to opponents of casino gambling by claiming to put a freeze on new casino construction.

It is true that the initiative would stop all new casino construction. That’s why its biggest supporters are operators of local casinos. They know that their profits depend on drawing gamblers in from a substantial radius. New casinos are competition that would cut into profits and require more investment to keep their casinos competitive. Free of new competition they would sit back and let the profits roll in.

And all it would cost them is an additional 1% in taxes.

Special Candy Edition

2008-10-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

I was reading an article on yahoo today about Halloween treats that kids can't stand.

I thought the author was starting to get a little picky. I mean, I would be ticked off if my trick-or-treating yielded a bag full of toothbrushes and pennies (well, not ticked off today, but wold have been back when I was 10). Still there were quite a few candies that still rank at the top of my list.

The guy lampooned Necco Wafers and Smarties (Smarties being a candy I only got to eat at Halloween). He said kids were disappointed when they got fun size candy bars and other name brand candies (which were always my favorites). I'll admit that you can only eat so much candy corn. The guy seemed to be implying that every house should be passing out full sized candy bars.

As if we don't have enough problems with childhood obesity. Not to mention debt. Does he know how much fun sized candy bars cost? I'd need a loan to pass out the full size bars. In the town I grew up in the only place we got full sized candy bars was at the house of the guy who owned the grocery store. He owed us anyway because he was fleecing our parents due to his monopoly.

Of course I think I'll skip the whole thing and support the fall festival at church so I suppose it is a moot point.

Lack of sleep + Monday = Hysterical

2008-10-20T06:41:00.000-07:00

I have just wrapped up one of the best weekends that I can ever recall. I think it's important to put that out there first because much of this blog post will focus on the hangover from that weekend. Friday and Saturday were spent at the first of what will hopefully be many annual Antioch Southern Baptist Church men's retreats. After a full day of devotion, prayer, and fellowship I feel like the rational part of my brain and the emotional part are fully in sync.

I drove just shy of 500 mile yesterday so that I could spend four wonderful hours in Omaha with Lindsay. Some people find that a little on the crazy side but not a single part of me has any doubt that there was any better way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

And while some people might think I've lost my mind, at least all the Chiefs fans out there are wishing they had made as wise a choice with their time as I.

However, Monday morning did come just a few short hours after Sunday evening ended and the cascade of slapstick antics that followed would be enough to get a hearty laugh out of even the most stubborn sour puss.

Indicators that you probably are a little too deprived of sleep on a Monday morning...

1. Your first thought of the day is "Screw fresh ground coffee. I'm going out for a programmable coffee maker as soon as I get home from work."

2. While in the shower your brain falls to sleep twice. The first time it does you're in the middle of using your exfoliating cream. The upside is that after fifteen minutes there isn't a single dead skin cell on your body. The downside is that you've also removed the top three layers of living skin cells.

3. Later on you take rinse, later, repeat to the extreme as you can't remember whether or not you washed your hair. I'm not sure how many times I washed mine this morning but I also need to pick up a bottle of shampoo at Walmart when I stop to get the programmable coffee pot.

4. Fresh ground coffee makes better if you actually grind the beans. Apparently adding whole beans to a filter and running the water over them leads to really weak coffee. Honestly though, if I was so asleep that I couldn't remember to grind the beans to make coffee, I probably shouldn't be using equipment that involves sharp blades spinning at high speeds.

5. "Was that four or five tablespoons of sugar? Or was it six? Oh well, one more just to make sure."

6. Among your dreams in the wee hours of the morning is one where the Monkees play a private concert featuring only the song "Pleasant Valley Sunday" which then becomes stuck in your brain all morning. I may not have been conscious enough to make coffee but somehow I was able to remeber quite clearly that, as usual, Michael Nesmith was not performing with the band despite the fact that Peter, Micky, and Davy clearly appeared to be the 1967 versions of themselves (not to mention the fact that I clearly remember 1967 being the year that "Pleasant Valley Sunday" was released).

7. And probably the biggest indicator that you're a little too sleep deprived on a Monday morning: It totally slipped my mind that today was payday until my boss handed me a pay stub 20 minutes ago.

Seriously, who forgets that it's payday?

Of course there's nothing like getting a paycheck to brighten your day. Let's not discuss teacher salaries though.

As I look back on things there is not one thing I regret (except for forgetting my air mattress Friday night--the ground seems to get harder with every passing year though I have no idea why).

Something more positive....

2008-10-16T07:57:00.000-07:00

Politics is such a depressing thing when you are surrounded by people who would rather have the government take care of them (as long as it's a liberal government).

On a happier note, I'm happy to report that my grandpa is doing fabulous after his third coronary artery bypass surgery. The first took place in 1978 and the second in 1992. He spent a full week in the hospital this time but his recovery has gone remarkably well. In less than 24 hours he was walking on his own. Today he's back in Beloit and complaining because the doctors won't let him drive for three weeks. At least it's getting colder so he won't be tempted to play golf.

I look forward to visiting for Thanksgiving.

Round Three

2008-10-16T07:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, at this point the most I can stomach as far as the presidential debates go is a reading of the so-called highlights. I still think that the participants should be sued for false advertising as what they were broadcasting was in no way, shape, or form a debate.

I fear that in voting for dependence on government support and benefits the liberty loathing liberals of the American left have doomed us all.

Hopefully there will be enough liberty left for those of us who find joy in being individuals and providing for ourselves and families to still do so.

Live Blogging.....sort of.....

2008-10-07T18:24:00.000-07:00

Just for fun, I'll be typing comments as I listen to tonight's debate. I'll paraphrase the candidates.

Obama: If a small or large business can't get a loan, they can't make their payroll.

Woodson: Um, if a business needs a loan to make payroll this month, how are they going to pay the loan back AND make payroll next month? Senators, would you agree that the first step in getting out of debt is to STOP BORROWING MONEY?

T. Finch: How can we trust either of you with our money when both parties got us into this global economic crisis?

Woodson: Seriously, they picked you to ask that question over all the ones I sent in?

McCain: blah...blah...blah...Feingold...Campaign Finance Reform

Woodson: Surely someone has told McCain what a crappy bill McCain-Feingold was. At the very least the constitutional challenges it faces should convince him to stop bringing up that crap-bomb.

Obama: McCain is apparently giving tax credits to corporations....

Woodson: You don't give someone a tax cut. A tax cut means you don't take the money they earned away from them.

Finally a good question......What will you ask people to sacrifice?

McCain: A spending freeze except for defense, veteran's affairs, and other vital areas. We must sacrifice earmarks.

Obama: We must tackle these problems not just in government but outside of government.

Woodson: What the heck does that mean? Is he running for king?

Obama: We have to provide incentives to save energy.

Woodson: You mean saving money isn't incentive enough?

Obama: Expand the peace corp.

Woodson: Now we're talking. Let's ship the pinkos overseas.

Brokaw: How would you break the habit of using easy credit and debt?

Woodson: Two good questions. We're on a roll now.

Obama: Earmarks are only $18 billion. CEO's, who pay hundreds of times more in taxes, aren't sharing the burden.

McCain: Nailing down Obamas tax proposals is like nailing jello to the wall.

Woodson: Obama=Hoover.....good one (note sarcasm).

McCain: Tax increases of Obama will hit small businesses.

Woodson: Yup. Small businesses make hundreds of thousands of dollars and then pay that out to their employees. Of course that puts them over the working class level as Obama defines it.

Obama: We're going to have to take on entitlements.

Woodson: I thought you were in favor of entitlements.

Obama: If you make less than $200,000/year your taxes would go down.

Woodson: I did the math on that. Thanks for the $185. I think I'll use that to expand the economy by buying a new house. Oh wait. Housing prices aren't slumping that much. Well, at least it should cover the increase in my health care premiums since I going to have to pay for all the people whose choices leave them uncovered.

McCain: Let me drop Joe Lieberman's name again.

Woodson: Oh good grief.

Obama: We have to make investments in alternative energy and the environment. Senator McCain voted against alternative fuels.

Woodson: No, he voted against subsidizing alternative energy because he knew that if you subsidize one alternative you remove any incentive for innovation in other areas. Removing those subsidies is the key.

Brokaw: Manhatten Project or garage research?

Woodson: Exactly. There was no federal subsidy for the research that took place in Silicon Valley. If there had been we'd all still be using an Altair.

And Tom, let these guys talk. This is going well and who gives a crap about the rules.

Blonde gal: Should health care be treated as a commodity?

Woodson: Well, if it isn't you can bet that either quality will go down or prices will go up.

Obama: If you have health care, keep your plan. We'll work with your employer to lower premiums by reducing costs. Everyone else can buy the same insurance as federal employees.

Woodson: Okay John, this is what we've been waiting for. Explain your plan now and you've got him. We need to unravel the employer based health care system. Heck, we need to do away with insurance companies altogether. People just need to pay cash. That will make health care affordable for anyone who works.

McCain: Government will.....impose mandates on people. People with employer based benefits: 95% of the American people will have more money to spend on health insurance than they have now. And they'll have choices.

Woodson: I could have done better.

McCain: Healthcare is a responsibility.

Woodson: I'm liking that word.

Obama: Healthcare is a right.

Woodson: What an idiot. His mom got the treatment. That's the point. That's healthcare. Why doesn't he say what he means. Free healthcare is a right.

Ah, I've had enough. I'd rather talk on the phone with Lindsay.

Homecoming and other happenings.....

2008-10-02T06:52:00.000-07:00

It's homecoming week on the Hill and the kids are growing a bit more festive. We needed a break to get us moving again.

Tuesday was decades day which gave me the chance to break out the old letterman's jacket for a rare public appearance. It has aged well mostly owing to the fact that I hardly wore it when I was in high school. Let's face it, Missouri weather only allows for the wearing of moderately heavy jackets for about 4 weeks each year. It's important to take advantage of every opportunity to represent the Piper High School class of 1996 though.

Wednesday was personal floatation device day. It was the first year for this particular spirit day and participation was pretty good. I stuck with the simple class 2 life jacket which complimented my button up shirt and khaki pants quite well.

We got off easy today. It was class color day and the faculty color was purple. Not hard after teaching in this district for eight years. Tomorrow is purple and gold day and the parade. Better yet it's a half day before I get to head out of town for a wonderful and relaxing weekend.

While it seems like most of the energy for dress-up days seems to go into finding ways to violate the dress code, I have found a few of them to be quite interesting. Some of my favorites over the years included personal injury day, celebrity day, patriotic day, and all the generation and decade related days.

Other days are quite scary. Opposite gender day and come as you are day need to be banned permanently. No one wants to see me as I am when I roll out of bed (and enough kids come that way everyday anyhow). Don't get me started on the cross dressing thing. It's sick and wrong on so many levels.

Long gone.....

2008-09-30T08:12:00.000-07:00

Well now, here I am blogging for the first time in weeks. As usual during softball season I find very little time to write. There have been so many great entries in my head the past few weeks too.

The election is heating up and Obama is proving that he's as liberal or more so than I figured. McCain is still trying to prove he isn't George W. Bush. As I know I am not a fan of socialism and collective economics or the absence of real liberty that the Obama crowd favor I'm still forced to vote for McCain and pray that he will be able to protect individual liberty from both the collectivists on the left and big business on the right.

Then there's the brightest aspect of life, Lindsay. As the weeks pass and we grow closer I'm amazed that I've made it for 31 years on this earth without feeling this way. This weekend will be spent in Nebraska meeting her friends and parents for the first time. I should be nervous about it and I keep expecting those emotions to kick in. Instead I find myself growing more excited all the time to learn more about her and the things that have made her so wonderful.

All in all, life is pretty full at the moment. I'm amazed at the number of blessings the Lord has sent my way over the last few monts and most grateful. I hope to find more time to write in the coming weeks. Wish us luck at softball districts next week and pray for a great weekend!

A little ranting.....

2008-09-10T07:25:00.000-07:00

The following statement could have been based on almost any of the real issues of the current presidential campaign (you know, any of the ones not on the cover of People Magazine or US Weekly). I just happened to hear Barack Obama talking in corn country yesterday though so I chose the topic based on that.

"I've long been a strong supporter of the RFS," Obama said during a brief telephone call to members of the National Farmers Union. "I am strongly committed to advancing biofuels as a key component of reducing our dependence on foreign oil."

Obama is making these statements as part of his stump speeches in corn country this week. It’s a way of contrasting himself with McCain’s opposition to government subsidies for corn ethanol.

Both candidates support development of fuel ethanol from cellulose, found in grasses and woody plants. McCain says he would end "mandates, subsidies, tariffs and prices supports that focus exclusively on corn-based ethanol" and let the free market identify the best alternative fuels.

Missouri voters who have been paying attention know that corn-based ethanol has cost every family that drives a car or truck hundreds of dollars since the General Assembly mandated the use of ethanol blended gasoline late last year. Obama supports the spread of such mandates. McCain would do nothing to stop people from buying ethanol blends but would allow them to choose a more efficient fuel if they wanted.

Why is Obama willing to burden every tax-payer with subsidies of the corn-ethanol industry? Why is he willing to burden every American with higher fuel costs?

Obama needs votes and he’s willing to pay for them, especially if he can do it with your money. There are a lot of voters in those farm states and corn ethanol and its supporting industries are a big deal. With a supporter in the White House they can insure the inflow of tax dollars and fend off competition from other sources of ethanol and bio-fuel.

This blog and others have gone into detail about the myth that corn ethanol reduces our dependence on foreign oil or in any way cuts energy costs for consumers so I won’t go through all of that again.

Please note “both candidates support development of fuel from cellulose, found in grasses and woody plants.” What that means is that corn is not the only source of ethanol. Other sources include algae, switch grass, and even sugarcane. Currently they have a hard time competing with corn because the government subsidizes the corn industry and places tariffs on imported ethanol made from sugarcane.

John McCain believes that if we were to remove the protections that Big Corn is getting from the government (at tax-payer expense) the actual price of ethanol would drop dramatically because more efficient and affordable sources would be sought out by the marketplace. Currently there’s no reason to research other sources for ethanol as passionately because any other source would face government installed barriers to profitability.

The use of these subsidies has created an entire industry that is dependent on government for survival. Note that I am using the word survival. One can depend on a government to survive for a time. Only liberty, freedom, and independence can lead someone to thrive in the long term.

This is the problem with liberals. They mean well but they are unable to see the crushing impact that their policies in almost every area will have on the individual.

Health care is expensive. Depend on the government to provide it for you. Retirement is too hard to save up for. Depend on the government to pay for it. Can’t afford your college education? Let the government cover the tab. Too many kids to support? It’s not your fault. Let the government cover the shortfall. It’s never because of your own choices so don’t blame yourselves. We’ll just take the money from someone else and give you a little to help out. Never mind that someone else earned that money and did so to provide themselves with a little independence and security.

By encouraging a climate of dependence on government the liberals in this country will entrap the citizens in a never ending cycle that will rob them of their liberty, the blessings of liberty, their spirit, and their souls.

After one chooses to hand the reigns of healthcare, retirement, career education, family planning and providing, and so on over to elected officials they will lose their freedom to choose freely among candidates. Their dependence will force them to support whatever candidate will continue to supply them with the drug of government “assistance” that they have become addicted to.

The pushers of this addictive substance are people like Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Joe Biden.

You can add George W. Bush to that list too. Many Republicans today are fighting this same addiction. Their return to power in 1994 was a breath of fresh air but they quickly became addicted to the money provided by big business and industry. Unable to sustain themselves independently they have been forced by their addiction to sell out the American people and in an appropriate step the people chose to protect themselves by voting them out of office in 2006.

Many of the party leaders have been slow to warm up to John McCain and his candidacy because they feel like he won’t hold true to the party line. It may turn out that it is because he doesn’t share the party addiction. Is it possible that this is why Republican voters rallied around the McCain campaign despite the best efforts of the Republican establishment? Will the Republican Party break free of its own addiction in time to defend liberty from the attacks of the mostly well-meaning but horribly misguided left?

Today the left is in control of Congress and with the candidacy of Barack Obama they are pushing a new and dangerous narcotic on an American people who are in a vulnerable position, a drug that could lead to decades of dependency.

My friends, do yourselves and every liberty loving one of us a favor. JUST SAY NO! Tell Barack Obama and the Democratic Party to go push their drugs in someone else’s neighborhood.

Notes and Updates

2008-09-06T05:44:00.000-07:00

I haven't been spending my evenings writing blog entries as often and I suppose that deserves some explanation. It's not like I have stopped thinking about the world or wanting to change it.

I've been spending most of my free computer time sending little and not so little notes to a very special lady in Nebraska. It has been the most amazing few months. I never liked the prospect of a long distance relationship before but now that we've met face to face and are seeing each other regularly I feel safe in making one positive observation.

In many hours of phone conversation we have breached so many important topics concerning relationships, faith, and personal history. These are things that always seem to come along more slowly or later in my past relationships. Finding phone and email topics is a challenge though and you have to take more risks in subject matter.

Don't ever call me a relationship expert. That's just an observation. Readers who see me frequently will note the smile on my face that is becoming so much more prominent and frequent. Now you know who is responsible.

Other things going on.....

There's this election. I watched Obama's speech and for the life of me can't figure out why people think he's such a great public speaker. Has it been that long since Ronald Reagan was in office? Has George W. Bush really lowered people's expectations this much? Apparently the answer to both is in the affirmative.
Obama claimed that McCain's economic plan didn't provide any "income tax relief" for the poorest 20% of Americans. Does he realize that the poorest 26% of Americans pay ZERO dollars in income taxes? Many of the poorest Americans get money in the form of an earned income tax credit because they don't even earn enough to have to pay income taxes.
A lot of people like governor Palin. Some have said they would vote for her over Obama. Why? Because she's cute? Because she's a woman? A good public speaker? She believes in federalism. Obama doesn't. She believes babies are conceived and have a right to live. Obama doesn't (apparently you can't give welfare to a fetus). She believes parents and communities should run and fund public schools. Obama thinks the national government should. Why are you really voting for Obama if you are cool with federalism, believe men and women should decide to have a child before they become pregnant, and value liberty and personal responsibility? And if you think the opposite of those things, why are you willing to vote for governor Palin?
There are Democrats in this world that I personally like. I would not vote for them. They don't understand economics, the concept of real natural rights, or the value and real blessings of true liberty. Luke Scavusso is my state representative. He's a nice guy. He answers my letters and addresses my concerncs. He believes that more intervention by Jefferson City is the answer to our problems. He believes that the government can solve all our problems if we give them enough money and let them make responsible decisions for us. I like the man. But I'm voting for Jim Danner. He believes in liberty and in less dependence on the government.
I love governor Palin. No life can be perfect and every life must be lived. It's a mixture of blessing and heartache. Her attitude is one of hope. She's not a whiner like Obama. She isn't an elitist like Biden. I wish her the best.
After Fred Thompson's speech I was much more excited about voting for John McCain. After Governor Palin's speech I was ready to make my a contribution to the campain. I wrote a check after Senator McCain finished talking.
I'm still not joining the Republican party. The Libertarians are just way too philosophically cool. Plus big business is as immoral and unAmerican as big labor, and every other left-wing nut job philosophy. I'm with Patrick Henry. "Give me liberty or give me death!"
I'm 31 years old next week. How did that happen?

Interesting Marketing

2008-08-23T04:10:00.001-07:00

As I finished my last post I was watching one of those TV shows I recorded. A commercial for JC Penny came on. I've seen it before but I just realized something. The commercial is a back to school commercial and appears to be targeted at the kids going to school.

There's no way those kids are going to understand the appeal of this commercial. It's a pretty cool tactic though. If they manage to get the kids interested in the clothes the parents will enjoy watching the commercial.

Can I confess something though?

I never really liked "The Breakfast Club" that much. Call me a teacher but I never really enjoyed movies that glamorized delinquent behavior. I mean, I got the point about how the AP was a jack-ass and all. How does that justify implying that drug use, lying, and being disrespectful? I guess I just don't see it.

I mean sure, Molly Ringwald is cute and all. That just isn't good enough for me.

I'd still rather watch Star Trek.

Or Psych, which is just now coming on.

School Daze

2008-08-23T03:23:00.000-07:00

Last post: Aug 8? Are you serious?

Yeah, school is back in session. Four days in and I have to say it looks like a promising year.

And a busy year. Hopefully I'll get into a bit of a groove in the coming weeks.

How do I know it will be a busy year?

Well, when I got home on Friday I checked the ol' DVR and there were only eight hours of unwatched television waiting. I suppose that between trying to watch the Olympics, work, softball practice, and a few pretty regular and always pleasant phone calls with Lindsay I've forgotten to watch most of my TV shows the last couple of weeks.

I suppose that isn't a bad thing though.

I have been following the Olympics though. It's full of mixed emotions for me. I tend to love the sportsmanship at the Olympic Games (even though there are always examples not so good sportsmanship). Then there is the political aspect. I do hate the idea of supporting an oppressive regime like the People's Republic of China.

As I grow more exhausted by the constant spin of the mainstream media I get tired of people always covering up contraversy and conflict because they don't want to ruffle feathers. NBC seems to be afraid that anything that puts the Games in a bad light will harm business. Yet, we live in a time where it is growing harder and harder to keep these things from people.

Even knowing that the ruling Regime has demanded churches close and arrested or denied people the right to demonstrate (typically during the Olympic Games demonstrations are restricted to certain areas--though not oppressed) hasn't hurt interest in the games themselves on my part. If anything, the fact that the Games have continues to be so exciting is evidence of hope.

I wish the media and the spin-doctors of the world would realize that the world doesn't need to perfect.

A little rant.....

2008-08-08T06:50:00.000-07:00

Seriously, people still read Mother Jones?

Anyway, as I was looking into this piece of poorly researched and documented drivel, examining how the author attempted to connect a diverse and non-related set of activities into a global conspiracy theory I find myself wondering why Mother Jones had to fire Michael Moore. Seems to me like he fits right in. Neither one of them knows one thing about economics (real economics, not the fantasy land economics they wish were reality). It was forwarded by more than one of my liberal associates and that means that people may actually believe what David Corn is saying. The record must be set straight.

All the makings of a good Michael Moore film are here. A former prominent Republican, a not-well-known piece of legislation that can be made to mean anything to the casual reader, Enron (gotta have Enron in there because that was definitely the Republicans’ fault) which leads us to the 2000 election (which most liberals think was bought using the retirement funds of all the good liberals who were screwed by the Enron debacle). I kept waiting for them to tie in fascism or Nazis as that is usually the icing on the cake.

When doing a little digging I also found it interesting that, when answering their critics, most right-wing bloggers and writers linked to the articles they were responding to as well as their sources while David Corn’s articles and blog entries fail to contain one single hyper-link or links to any sources. Apparently sources aren’t really that important to the left. Kind of like reality, logic, personal responsibility, and common sense. I mean seriously, blaming Phil Gramm for our current economic climate is like blaming the Imperial Chinese for the French Revolution (and if you’re thinking it would be hard to tie the Imperial Chinese to the French Revolution then you obviously haven’t read enough Mother Jones).

A few points I’d like to make:

Who's to blame for the biggest financial catastrophe of our time?
In terms of unemployment, bank failures, homelessness, and most of other economic indicators we aren’t even close to the biggest financial catastrophe of our time or any time or anything else. The only economic indicator that is currently at or near a record setting level is the foreclosure rate. Things may get worse. They may not. But what every good liberal writer knows is that fear and alarm must be raised before you can sell your message.

But Gramm “slipped” the Commodities Futures Modernization Act in!
Last time I checked a bill only became a law after it was voted on by a few hundred legislators and signed by the president so the list of who’s to blame a little longer even if you buy Corn’s argument that this one pice of legislation is central to our economic woes. How lucky for him the government and a Republican government at that did such a thing. Liberals never have been much on personal responsibility though unless they can point their finger at someone else. Of course the CFMA isn’t the bill that had this great effect. The real bill was passed before the 2000 election though and didn’t contain the Enron loophole so we had to find a way to tie the CFMA in.

The author seems to feel that predatory lending didn’t mix with idiotic borrowing to create a foreclosure mess. People living beyond their means on credit and gambling on a permanent economic boom wouldn’t have made a difference if the government had regulated the trading of stock futures.

“Dependence on foreign oil and the impact of inflation wouldn’t be an issue if the government would regulate prices of gas and other commodities as well. The government can fix everything if it will just get off it’s but and actually regulate things.” If people were a little less free in the economic realm we’d all be rich.

To hell with liberty and independence, eh? And innovation while your at it by the way. Though Laura Ingels did look cute riding around in that horse drawn wagon.

Yet has Gramm been banished from the corridors of power? Reviled as the villain who bankrupted Middle America?
Bankrupt is a bit of an exaggeration. Apparently Mother Jones describes bankrupt as a state of not being rich or having to work for a living. Debt and poor decision-making/judgement have led to the poverty of and bankruptcy of many individuals. I suppose it’s just better for their self-esteem if we can find someone else for them to blame.

A guy who helped screw up the global financial system could end up in charge of US economic policy.
Blaming one senator for screwing up the global financial system seems like another big exaggeration to me. I mean that’s like blaming Mrs. O’Leary’s mother for the Great Chicago fire. Actually, it’s like blaming Mrs. O’Leary’s grand-daughter for the fire. That analogy will require explanation.

I suppose it is time to look at this act that was apparently slipped in my then Senator Gramm. Basically it allowed the trading of stock futures. Much like the trading of cattle futures an investor could promise you in January that he would sell 500 shares of a stock at a set price (say $100). What he was hoping would happen is that by trading every day he could buy those stocks whenever they were less than $100 and then sell them to you at $100/share. The difference would be his profit.

And just where did he come up with this idea? As it turns out, they’ve been selling stock futures in Europe for years. The only reason it was banned here is that two government agencies couldn’t decide who should have oversight on the practice.

I’ve said for years that just because they do it in Europe doesn’t make it a good idea but everyone seems to thing the Europeans are so much smarter than we are. Still, I’m for freedom and if you want to engage in futures speculating I say have at it. You might get lucky the way Hillary Clinton did. Myself, I prefer to stay away from gambling (though the odds in the futures market are about 50/50 so they are better than you will get an any casino).

Enron schemed to take advantage of this act by filling its pension plan with their own stock and selling it to themselves on the futures market. The company took a loss while the pension plans made a windfall (but the company really didn’t take a loss because it hadn’t needed to purchase the stock in the first place). This activity was already illegal but the only penalty was a corporate fine. When the company went bankrupt the shares of Enron stock became worthless (eliminating the gains in its pension portfolio). The majority of the people who lost money could have diversified their portfolios (There were no rules against doing so, even in the Enron pension plan. The media just leaves tat little bit out because implying that retirees had to keep the Enron stock makes Enron look so much meaner) but no one’s portfolio was growing at rates as high as 40-60% like theirs were. Heck, the last year has me struggling along at 7%. So they let it ride and lost everything.

And the corporate fine? Well, Enron couldn’t afford to pay that either after the dust settled.

And in 1999, Gramm pushed through a historic banking deregulation bill that decimated Depression-era firewalls between commercial banks, investment banks, insurance companies, and securities firms setting off a wave of merger mania.
Over the past 20 years the restrictions imposed by Glass-Steagall have been gradually relaxed under pressure from the banks, which sought more profitable outlets for their capital, especially in the booming stock market, and which complained that foreign competitors suffered no such limitations to their financial operations. In 1990 the Federal Reserve Board first permitted a bank to sell stock through a subsidiary, although stock market operations were limited to 10 percent of the company's total revenue. In 1996 this ceiling was lifted to 25 percent. With the Financial Modernization Act of 1999 the ceiling was abolished. I can only assume this is what Corn was referring to because he didn’t give more specific details in his article.

Of course the risk here is that wild speculation will lead to large short term gains as everyone tries to be the last one to sell before the bottom falls out. Also, history suggests that when the bottom does fall out the government, full of men and women who really want to get re-elected, will bail everyone out. Apparently the chapter where governments are established to ensure people’s financial stability and prosperity fell out of my copy of Locke’s Second Treatise.

Only two days earlier, the Supreme Court had issued its decision on Bush v. Gore. President Bill Clinton and the Republican controlled Congress were locked in a budget showdown. It was the perfect moment for a wily senator to game the system.
He really just slipped it in? There wasn’t a vote by a majority of his committee or 51 members of the Senate? And why exactly is the Bush vs. Gore decision relevant? If anything having Bush assured the next stay in the White House would have encouraged Gramm to wait to introduce this plank of the vast right-wing conspiracy until a president less likely to veto the measure was in office.

Of course the centerpiece of every liberal theory is that Bush stole the 2000 election. If you let them ramble on long enough you’ll get into how the aliens in Area 51 helped the Republicans.

Let us look at the example that David Corn gives us and I’ll tell you who is really responsible for this mess (answer: almost everyone). Remember that the banking industry gives just as much money to Democrats as Republicans. Personally, I’d like to ban all campaign contributions and income sources for our legislators outside of private citizens and their Congressional salaries. It was an idea central to the Republican Party platform of 1964 when the first and maybe last great Conservative Barry Goldwater was running. Maybe then we could go back to having a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people” instead of the one we have to day where the government is “of people, by special interest groups, and for special interest groups.”

Now, as you read it will seem obvious how the 1999 law played a role in this mess. And of course that bill was pushed by Senator Gramm (of course that bill was a bipartisan bill and co-sponsored by a large number of liberals). It won’t be obvious how the 2000 law played a role because it didn’t. It just had to be used because it was also sponsored by Gramm and included the Enron loophole. The conspiracy theory had to include Enron and it had to include legislation that was passed right after the 2000 election so we could point the finger at Republicans and tie George Bush to everything.

And why is Corn singling out Gramm? Well, he is a buddy of candidate John McCain and was an employed advisor (though he has since been fired). We could focus on motive all day but the really fun part is next.

Casey Miner, Subprime borrower: Has a few overdue credit card bills; goes to a storefront lender owned by major bank; takes out a $100,000 home-equity loan at 11 percent interest.

Casey is an idiot. Why would you borrow against your home when you already can’t pay your bills? He must also be from California because around here no one takes out a $100,000 HELOC because a lot of our homes aren’t even worth that much.

The storefront lender is a predator who fully intends to sell the loan to a larger lender (possibly the lender that owns their store) and turn a small profit on the transaction. Casey is still an idiot. Whatever bank buys the loan is an idiot too but they aren’t planning on keeping the loan long enough for Casey to default anyway.

Lending bank: Assuming housing prices will only go up, and that investors will want to buy mortgage loan packages, makes as many subprime loans as it can.
The lending bank is an idiot. Housing prices go up with the rate of inflation. Sometimes they go up a little faster and a little slower but a home is a good inflation hedge because when you take care of one it is always cheaper to live in an existing home than to build a new one. Anyone who thought their house really increased in value by 40-90% in just a couple of years needs to learn that when something is too good to be true, it probably is. A home is a place to live, not an investment.

Any banker that thought home prices would continue to rise at historic rates probably lacks the ability to read a line graph.

But, if Casey makes his first few payments on time and the the bank can bundle the sub-prime loans with a couple of safer loans they can quickly sell the loan to an investment bank (which they couldn’t do before 1999).

Investment Bank: Packages subprime mortgages into bundles called collateralized debt obligations, or CDOS, then sells those CDOS to eager investors. Goes to insurer and to get protection for those investors, thus passing the default risk to the insurer through a "credit default swap.
Unlike unsecured debt (credit cards?) this collateralized debt is a “sure thing” because even if the loan defaults we get the house that is “guaranteed” to increase in value at a rate that not only exceeds inflation but exceed the interest rate of the loan! If Casey defaults we’ll make even more money than if he take 30 years to pay off the loan!

Since it sounds too good to be true we have to buy insurance (which we can now sell ourselves through another part of our huge bank) to calm investors down. Properly insured, we can sell our bundle and pocket the profits today!

Insurer: Thinking that default risk is low, agrees to cover more money than it can pay out, in exchange for a premium.
Of course the premium is the insurer’s profit in this equation. Like Casey, the insurer is an idiot because while they are making money on premiums they honestly think nothing can go wrong. As a result, they overextend themselves.

When too many Casey’s default on their loans (which happened before the economy turned down and was usually the result of stretching their budgets too thin) the housing market was flooded with sellers who thought their houses were worth more than they actually were. Ten years of speculation was correcting itself.

When the banks took over the houses the Casey’s of the world couldn’t get loans to buy them. In order to cut their losses, the banks had to sell the property at a huge discount. The Casey’s of the world don’t want to buy a house that’s declining in value forcing ever increasing discounts.

As soon as the investors start losing money their insurance policies are triggered. The insurance companies can’t afford to pay out to everyone so they ask their parent company (a bank already losing money) to give them cash. When the banks run out of cash they ask the government to bail them out by making cheap loans to consumers who will then buy or at least stop defaulting on their current mortgage.

Of course we’re now looking at the fallout of this chain of events and it includes inflation and unemployment that weren’t initially part of the equation. As such it’s beginning to impact the non-idiots of the world.

I suppose we could blame the marketers of the world who convinced Casey he needed a better lifestyle than he could afford.

And then when the banks couldn’t meet Casey’s needs they lobbied Congress for de-regulation and told Casey that they wouldn’t be able to help him until Congress helped them.

And said he would vote for the candidate that would do the most to help him to the lifestyle that the TV said he should have, the candidates all promised to find a way to get him the money.

So the lobbyists for the banking industry showed them how to get Casey his money in a way that would make them rich. And they made the Congressmen rich in the process. Casey got his loan so the Congressment got re-elected too.

Casey thought he had found a way to leverage democracy for prosperity.

Casey is an idiot. You can’t vote, tax, or redistribute your way to prosperity. You just have to earn it by working hard and living within your means. I may drive a compact car and live in a modest home on about $32,000 of take-home pay each year but I feel quite prosperous because my prosperity is fully owned by me and not dependent on the influence of special interest groups (which come and go) or politicians (who also come and go). Of course my prosperity is threatened by the government, special interest groups, and the politicians who see more votes and influence from greedy idiots like Casey and the get rich quick bankers than from people who seek independence and liberty like myself.

A stolen blog entry, after a paragraph of commentary...

2008-08-05T07:41:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to vote today. Despite the heat and my contempt for 99% of the people running for or in office right now I went to the polls. I took the Republican ballot since it had the names of exactly two people I actually wanted to vote for in November. I left the rest of the races blank. Abstention is a vote against every candidate after all. If the parties don't wise up and start being a government of the people, by the people and for the people instead of a government of the people selected by the special interest groups for the special interest groups we may have to get together and go all third continental congress on these modern day aristocrats.

But enough of that.

So I stole this thing from a few different blogs that I read. Apparently it's the hot new thing. One blogger out of Nashville is new amongst my almost daily distractions.

It's too hot to be original around here today though the heat index may only reach 110 this afternoon and we're getting a break for the rest of the week. Hopefully creativity will return. Until then, I shall be a follower. I'm not sure of the origin of this list and haven't ever had much respect for the National Endowment for the Arts due to political differences (free speech shouldn't have to be tax payer supported as it is then, obviously not free) but it's a good list and even books filled with bad ideas can be useful. I added some commentary to the list but the post is long. Feel free to skim your way through it.

I did this because I'm bored. I'd love to hear your opinions. Based on thefour people whose lists I have read in the last three days I've added six books to my reading list. That is never a bad thing and so, I'd love to hear more.

I am not exactly sure what this list is, but it has something to do with the National Endowment for the Arts’ Big Read program, though I couldn’t find this list on their website to verify that claim..... Apparently the NEA estimates that the average adult has only read six of these books. At least, that is the statistic that is bandied about the internet. So, basically, this is a random unverified list with a random unverified statistic attached to it. But let’s see how I do anyway, shall we? (Hint: more than six.)

Here’s how it works:

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Mark in red the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list in your blog

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen: Yes, I read it to impress a girl. No, it didn't work.
The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte.
Harry Potter series - JK Rowling: Seriously, I loved every page of every book.
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
The Bible: I hope that you don't have to know me long to figure out this is the most important book you can ever read.
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
Great Expectations - Charles Dickens: I saw the movie. Gweneth Paltrow is hot.
Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
Complete Works of Shakespeare: I think I've read most of them and I'll try to read the rest. I loved some of them. Thus bold, italic, and red.
Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien: I confess, I hated this book. It turned me off to the whole genre of fantasy. Had it not been for Harry Potter and the LOTR films I wouldn't have ever read Tolkien again.
Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger: Just like a book I would write. Boring without much point.
The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
Middlemarch - George Eliot
Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell: I don't even think I've seen the whole movie all the way through and frankly, I don't give a damn.
The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald: I didn't love it but I was surprised that I liked it as much as I did. FSF is a pretty damn fine story-teller while creating (or well, using) some fascinating characters.
Bleak House - Charles Dickens
War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy: I'm afraid I skimmed 40% of the pages trying not to doze off.
The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams: Can you say overrated? I think a lot of people say they like this book because they think cool people have to like it. I know I'll never be cool which is so very liberating. I get to think for myself.
Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame: Some of these stories were my all-time favorites growing up.
Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy: Why do we read so many Russian novels. None of them are really that interesting (maybe I should drink more vodka while I read them).
David Copperfield - Charles Dickens: Favorites, no, but I do seem to enjoy the way Dickens writes.
Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
Emma - Jane Austen
Persuasion - Jane Austen
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis: Isn't this already on here technically?
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
Animal Farm - George Orwell: I think Orwell gets to be one of my favorite authors.
The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown: I liked the story but lost much interest when I found out the author and a number of other kooks actually think the book is based on non-fiction.
One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery: I liked the mini-series because the title character was so cute with all that red hair.
Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
Lord of the Flies - William Golding: No movie has done justice to the vision of this book in my imagination.
Atonement - Ian McEwan
Life of Pi - Yann Martel
Dune - Frank Herbert
Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen: Seriously, people like Jane Austin this much? No wonder soap operas have their own TV channel now.
A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez: Like three blogs listed this as "loved it" so I'll have to see why.
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov: I have one friend who lists this as her favorite book. I've not been brave enough to read it yet though. The topic seems a little to racy for me.
The Secret History - Donna Tartt
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
On The Road - Jack Kerouac
Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding: I didn't even find the movies that funny.
Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie: If the Ayetollah can't stand the guy, I'll give it a read.
Moby Dick - Herman Melville: Twice. The first time it was so boring but after I had lived long enough to get the metaphor I loved it. It also made a certain Far Side cartoon ten times funnier.
Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
Dracula - Bram Stoker
The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
Ulysses - James Joyce
The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
Germinal - Emile Zola
Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
Possession - AS Byatt
A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens: Heck, I even was in a stage production of this one. My favorite iterpretation is either the one done by the Missouri Rep. or the one with Micky Mouse.
Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
The Color Purple - Alice Walker
The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
Charlotte’s Web - EB White
The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom: Hey, finally a guy book.
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Faraway Tree Collection
Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
Watership Down - Richard Adams
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
The Three Musketeers - Alexander Dumas
Hamlet - William Shakespeare: Something's rotton in the state of Denmark. Isn't this included above?
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl: But no, I didn't see the remake of the first movie. I don't see what was wrong with the first one and Johnny Depp can't hold a candle to Gene Wilder. He hasn't done anythig worth commenting on since 21 Jumpstreet.
Les Miserables - Victor Hugo: This is one of the grandest stories of all time for a liberty loving believer in redemption. Too bad the French never got the point. History would have been so different. The book and movie are exceptional and the musical (while taking some liberties of its own) is one of my all-time favorite shows that I have ever seen.

Ha. Remember Mr. T?

2008-08-02T08:02:00.000-07:00

I was just reading a little news this morning before heading out to the kickball tournament. I read an article about a Mr. T ad that had been banned in Britain. Luckily I found it on You Tube along with this video where Mr. T is hawking Snickers. The ads were humorous if you ask me. His rhyming rant was hilarious. Watch the last part where he takes questions too. Embedding of the ad was disabled so you'll have to go to youtube to watch it.

Mr. T's rant:

A not banned ad:

Holy cow is it hot.

2008-08-01T17:47:00.000-07:00

The weatherman said that we were saved by a weak front that drew a breeze in from the northwest today. I think he was looking at the wrong weather map. That's right folks, the worst six weeks of the year are upon us.

Glad to be inside and getting ready for school to start this time of year. I took advantage of the sales tax holiday and picked up some essentials this morning and spent the afternoon devising new reading activities for the world history kids. Fun.

I played around with my iSight camera this afternoon as well. It's the first webcam I've ever had. I know Apple has been putting them on their PCs for years but that was an innovation that came out right after I bought my last laptop. It's all new to me.

I don't know very many people with Macs though so I don't have many people to gab with on iChat. I want to try out the video functions gosh darn it.

Thank goodness for new episodes of Monk and Psych tonight though. Tomorrow is the big kickball tournament here in town. If I don't hurt myself I'll let you all know how that goes.

This is just brilliant!

2008-07-28T11:31:00.001-07:00

Okay, I love to read. Problem is, my body struggles to remain in a comfortable reading position for an extended period of time. If I'm sitting up my butt gets sore. If I hold the book up my arms get tired. If it sits in my lap the back of my neck gets sore. Sometimes I try laying on the bed. Same issues. Nothing seems to work for more than about 20 minutes.

Trouble is, when you're reading a great book, who can put the thing down after just 20 minutes?

I was talking with a friend last night though and I think we figured out the perfect solution. Space.

Imagine reading while you're weightless! No pressure points and it takes no energy to hold the book in the perfect reading position! You couldn't get any lazier unless you had some other device to turn the pages for you! How cool would that be!

The hard part is getting into orbit. Kinda pricey. The view is probably great too and you only get so long up there. It may be the one time curling up with a good book wouldn't be the best idea.

I've finally had it.

2008-07-27T14:38:00.000-07:00

You asked for it America.

Stickers and what to do with them.....

2008-07-26T07:19:00.001-07:00

"Attention!"

As anyone using the superior operating system knows, included with the purchase of a new Apple computer or iPod is a sheet of two Apple logo stickers. This tradition dates back to the very beginning of the company and thankfully the logo has changed since then. The old rainbow Apple logo would look a little dated today.

With my new MacBook and iPod touch came two sheets of said stickers leaving me a total of five sheets in my file cabinet. Something needed to be done. Ah, but what? Unable to bring myself to support a single man, woman, or beast running for national office my rear car window has remained unadorned since the purchase of my Corolla last summer. This got me to thinking. There needs to be some system for Mac users to not only identify themselves but also their chosen hardware at a glance.

I'm not sure why we would need to do this. I'll let someone else figure that out. It would be nice to know that a woman has as good of taste in hardware as she does in men when she first begins to hit on me. Actually, it would be nice if women would begin to hit on me. Seriously, what more do I need? I have an education, job, house, 401k, and vegetable garden.

But I digress.

Stickers. That's right. So here's the code all you kiddos. Apple needs to start shipping silver stickers with its Pro products and a larger sticker with its desktops. That would leave three sizes and two colors (small white logos for iPods and iPhones). Thus a MacBook Pro and iPod user would be identifiable by the medium silver and small white logo on his or her rear window. An iMac and iPod user would have a large white and small white logo.

My car would be adorned with the medium white and small white logo.

There you have it friends. Now get those stickers applied and all you PC types rush out to your nearest Apple Store.

In the words or Radar,

"That is all."

Education Autobiography

2008-07-26T03:57:00.000-07:00

I did this survey on MySpace this morning at 4AM. I woke up with a migraine headache and I couldn't sleep. I suppose I should thank the person who first posted it but she lives out of state and I'd rather have eggs for breakfast than leave them on her house. Besides, I like her husband and he doesn't need to spend his Saturday cleaning up my mess. It took me so long I thought I deserved better mileage out of it so I'm posting it on my blog too. Because I can't sleep, I'll even add a few pictures.

Education Survey:
Answer these cool and insightful questions about your years in school.

Grade School: Stony Point North (K-1), Piper (1-3), Eudora (3-6)

Who was your favorite teacher?
Mrs. Coon, 4th grade

Who were your best friends?
Bryan and Eric mainly but I had a few others.

Any crushes/significant others?
I’m pretty sure I was too young to date but I had a crush on Kelly Grawbowski in first grade and liked Kristen Dymacek in 4th grade. Kari Neis was my girlfriend for a whole day though before she started “going” with Wes Brown in the 5th grade.

List the first five memories that come to mind between Kindergarten and 6th Grade:

My dad teaching me to ride a bike. I crashed into something no matter how wide open an area he found for me to practice in.

Bryan and Eric teaching me to play chess at recess. Guys, can you believe I get paid to teach kids to play chess these days!

Wiffle Ball. If curling and bocce are Olympic sports, Wiffle Ball should be.

Being saved and then baptized at Families of Faith.

Little League. Does anyone else’s elbow hurt wen they think of that?

Junior High/Middle School:
Did you go to a Junior High or Middle School?
I was in the very first 7th grade class at Piper Middle School.

Who was your favorite teacher?
Mr. Park, Pre-Algebra

Who were your best friends?
Travis, Marc, Mike

Any crushes/significant others?
Anyone know what happened to Brenna Saunders? I think that was my only real junior high age crush. As I recall, girls in general were what I was in to at that age!

List the first five middle school/junior high memories that come to mind:

Yes, I was a dork in middle school too. The first thing I thought of was summer camp at Camp Naish when troop 301 was just Marc, Mike, and me. That first year with David Moon as scoutmaster and we barely filled our table in the mess hall was my favorite. Seriously, who gains weight at summer camp?

Middle School basketball. Our teams were horrible (the boys anyway, I don’t think the girls ever lost at anything). The worst was wearing those crappy short basketball shorts in 7th grade. Funny, the only team we beat that year was Eudora--the school I moved to Piper from the year before.

Anybody remember that Kansas History thing we did? It was like a festival or something one night at the school. I remember Krista Meckling portrayed Carrie Nation and Mike Hart and I did the math so that the map of Kansas in the gym was completely to scale. I think I have a video of that that I’ll sell as soon as someone from our class becomes famous.

Volunteering at the hospital. I can’t quit things very easily after I start them. I volunteered four to eight hours a week until I got out of high school. We started because we needed service hours for National Junior Honor Society.

Sex ed in 8th grade. Traumatizing. People are going to hate my photographic memory. One girl asked if you could get pregnant from swallowing sperm. Yes, I remember her name but I’m not sharing.

High School:

Were your sports teams any good? Did you play?
The girls teams were good. I recall them winning state in softball and going in basketball. The football team made it to the playoffs once or twice too. I played baseball.

What activities did you participate in?
Mostly speech and debate (or as we called it in Kansas forensics and debate), then lots of theatre.

Did you have a job?
I sold electronics that always broke for K-mart and I umpired baseball and softball at WyCo.

Who was your favorite teacher?
Mr. Yost (Physics and Chemistry), Mr. Warne (Geography, Psychology, Sociology)

Who were your best friends?
It changed through the years because people kept graduating on me. In my class probably Bobby, Marc; numerous other people depending on what activity I was in. Trey and Tracy come to mind. I wasn’t exactly popular or really that good of a friend in high school for a variety of reasons (some of them even my fault).

Any crushes/significant others?
I think there was a different one every week. That Brenna girl (still), Erin, Jamie, Amy, and the list goes on. In an odd twist of fate I went out once with Kelly Grawbowski who I had a crush on in the 1st grade! Ha.

List the first five high school memories that come to mind:

Charlie Brown. Yup, that’s me. Seriously, who gets a major role the first time they audition? I think I was type cast. Little did I know that would be the peak of my theatre career. Anybody remember that horrible third night when the audience was dead and EJ improvised a dance number at the end of the first act. It just got worse from there. Good grief.

I still think “The Miracle Worker” was the best high school production I’ve ever seen. I may have only had 5 lines as a last minute understudy but I’ll remind you all that until I started, the show couldn’t start. I remember sitting silently backstage for what seemed like 7 hours waiting for everyone else to finish because my face time consisted of Act1, Scene 1 and the curtain call.

Two time Kaw Valley Conference Extemporaneous Speaking Champion. That’s right. I wore the same tie both times. It’s my lucky tie. Wore it on my first date with Peggy in college.....which ended in my first kiss. Wore it in my first district championship girl’s basketball game.....and we beat Warrensburg (yeah, I was an assistant coach but it still counts). If it wasn’t so dang hot I think I’d wear that tie today.

It’s not the greatest but if I’m honestly listing the first five that come to mind I suppose I have to put my mom going into rehab. I think I blame a lot of the withdrawing I did my last couple years of high school on that. Pretty much sucked and there’s no other way to put that.

My Jeep. I bought my first Jeep the summer before my senior year. There were few things more fun than racing all over KC in that thing without the top on. I remember complaining when gas hit $1.20 a gallon though because it got crappy mileage. Seems a little selfish now.

College:

Where did you go? Where did you live?
The greatest university in any state, CMSU of course. I lived in Nat/Brad as a Freshman for one semester, then one semester in South Todd when I tried the fraternity thing (Tau Kappa Epsilon). I lived in Houts after that.

What was your first and last major?
Started with Political Science and ended up at Social Studies Education.

Did you have a job?
I was a library assistant in the West Campus Residence Library (which is still my favorite job of all time) and I umpired in the summer.

Who was your favorite professor?
Dr. Bax of course.

Who were your best friends?
Guy, Jacqueline, Rachel, Jan, Kayme, Janelle, Anne, Kim, Debra, Kari. It’s easy to see why I loved college so much. A more impressive group of people have not been assembled since, well, July of 1776.

Any crushes/significant others?
Well, there was Peggy Ridgway (Kayme--what ever happened to her?) and then Karen Boley right before we graduated. I actually went out with them. And there was one other girl intermixed throughout my years in the ‘burg. But Jacqueline and I are still best of friends so I won’t hold all the suffering she inspired against her.

List the first five college memories that come to mind:

Seriously, the first thing I thought of was my first SWAT (Student Wellness Awareness Team for the non-Mules) meeting where I met Jacq. Her hair was almost down to her rear end and she was wearing a green Alpha Phi sweatshirt.

That ill-fated trip to Marceline. For those who went, we were never the same again. It started with Jan’s van breaking down on 50 Hwy in Sedalia (during rush hour), then we had to push it across traffic (I still have the photo we took of the cop who helped up), then Guy and Sean went back to the ‘Burg to get their cars and drive us on up to Guy’s house. All so we could see a Disney parade. It was right after I met Kim though and the first time we got to really hang out (and also get to know guy's Nepew Brent!). I wonder if Guy's parents ever found the cash we left in the backseat after they tried to buy everyone's lunch. Then there was the ET hostage thing. That wasn't as funny as some people thought.

Swing dancing. We sure went nuts over that. What ever happened to that little trend? I was just starting to get good at it.

My 22 birthday when I had to work until midnight in the WCRL but everyone came downstairs with a cake (I think Jacq picked it up) and we celebrated anyway. Probably my favorite picture from college by the way.

Moving the books from Ward Edwards to the Kirkpatrick library. Yeah, it was a silly little activity but it was fun to pass those first books clear across campus.

And who can forget student teaching in Pleasant Hill. It was a lot more fun than all those observations in Warrensburg (though that last round of education classes were fun thanks to some fun classmates)! And of course it led me to the job I have today. In the classroom where I teach today. Not to mention the same subjects that I teach today.

First MacBook Entry!

2008-07-25T05:52:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm around to posting my first entry on the new MacBook.

Thanks to Dave Ramsey and my new personal finance attitude I'm typing this on the first new computer that I ever pad cash for. That sounds even worse when you realize that this is the fifth computer I've purchased! I financed the PC I took to college, the one I bought after graduating, my first Mac laptop, and then the PC that I bought four years ago. So dumb. Hopefully I'm about done paying all this stupid tax. The government taxes me enough. I don't need to help them!

So far things are going pretty good. My biggest issue has been transferring my iTunes library to the new MacBook. I tried burning a backup of my library to DVDs but that failed due to either bad DVDs or a bad DVD burner on my PowerBook. I'm going to have to invest in an external hard drive in order to move everything. My library is about 6GB so most other methods just aren't doable. The upside is that I'll actually be able to back-up a lot more of my data. I haven't been very good about that in the past.

I chose iBank for my personal finance software. It came with a free trial which was the deciding factor. I haven't purchased it yet but at this point I feel like it functions even though I don't like it nearly as much as Microsoft Money. I may still try Quicken. We'll just have to see.

Battery life is nearly five hours under normal use. That's impressive compared to the two hours my PowerBook had. I'm loving the magnetic power cable as well. I can't believe every laptop doesn't have it. It just seems so logical to me.

Darn the weather, it's raining again. I guess I'll have to keep playing with my laptop instead of adding a second coat of deck stain.

Crunching the numbers....

2008-07-22T06:14:00.000-07:00

This is the conclusion of my recent fuel economy experiment. My plans for my PowerBook G4's final resting place are at the end as well.

Okay, it took more than a day or two to run the numbers from my latest experiment. It's been a busy week between getting through an amazingly successful vacation Bible school (my compliments to all the ladies at church who handled the organizing) and staining my deck (which has taken several days between the stripping and the staining).

I'll start with the conclusion. Limiting your daily driving to 60mph does save gasoline. Sadly, the savings aren't that substantial when factored into my average consumption. If you drive on the interstate more than I do, you will experience much greater savings.

My driving tends to break down as follows:

380 Miles per week
5% Interstate/Freeway (over 60mph)
65% Highway (no stopping, 5th gear, 55-60 mph)
30% In Town (stop and go, windows down when possible)

In freeway only driving I was able to get 39.1 miles per gallon using E10. This was a substantial increase over the 37.3 miles per gallon I was getting at 70 mph. However, since I only drive in excess of 60 mph for a small fraction of my mileage I was only able to increase my average fuel economy from 36.1 miles per gallon to 36.3 miles per gallon.

In the end, total annual fuel savings would be around $39 (not quite one full tank of gas).

To be honest, I was hoping for more. I know that every little bit counts but I'm not sure this savings is big enough to get people excited. A plan to drive 60 mph would make a good deal of sense if you do most of your driving at interstate speeds and it could substantially cut the cost of longer, cross country trips. Of course on those longer, cross country trips the time consequence would be much more substantial. For example, traveling to my dad's house required and additional 11 minutes (68 miles). Traveling to my grandfather's house in Beloit, KS would probably require an additional 57 minutes.

Hey, it was worth a shot. This one just didn't pan out. We'll keep trying though folks!

The heat wave is breaking today. Only 89 for the high. Sadly there's a chance for rain at any time. Gosh darn it, no staining today. It may be safe to do some work this evening. I still think I can finish before my new Macbook gets here. Any suggestions for moving my iTunes library to the new Macbook? It's about 7GB! I also am looking for recommendations on a protective case for the Macbook if you have them.

Thanks to a friend I was able to sell my old iPod Touch for enough to cover the cost of an n-standard wireless router. Cool. I'm also looking for recommendations on personal finance software. I still use Microsoft Money for my finance software (it is currently the only Windows program I ever use). Anyone have experience with iBank or Quicken Mac?

Finally, I've selected a use for my old PowerBook.

I'm going to make it into a digital picture frame for my dad. I'm conspiring with my step mom to acquire 100% of his thousands of digital pics onto my hard drive. I found a plan here! I went to a local crafts store and found a shadow box frame and appropriate sized matting on the shelf so I won't need to pay for custom pieces. I should be able to pull the whole thing off for about $50. What a cool gift idea!

I Can't Drive.....55!

2008-07-17T22:11:00.000-07:00

During the oil crisis of the 70’s one of the big rallying cries what to fight back by driving 55 (as in miles per hour). It was estimated that reducing the maximum speed on interstates to 55 would lead to a drop in demand for gasoline. By changing our habits we would be cutting into the profits of the OPEC cartel. They really don’t care about conservation, only cash. If they see our habits changing then they will change their methods in an effort to lull us back into maximum consumption.

The law itself was incredibly unpopular. People hated the idea of being forced to conserve. The thing is, conservation works. Now I’m still a libertarian so I don’t suggest dropping the speed limits. However, consumer responsibility is probably the only way to place a permanent dent in this energy crisis.

When I’m on the highway with the cruise control set at 70 I am regularly passed by half the drivers nearby traveling at 70-80 miles per hour or more. About half of the cars blowing my doors off aren’t cars but massive trucks and SUVs.

Are these drivers being irresponsible? Are they making things worse? I think it’s time for another little science experiment!

Initial Observations:
The premise that slowing down will save fuel is based on the concept of wind resistance. Its effect multiplies by geometric proportions as speed increases. At least, that’s the premise. Is this a valid premise?

To test it out I decided to conduct an experiment on US71. I was traveling south for the entire test. At 50 miles per hour and using cruise control my Toyota Corolla’s engine was running at 1800 RPMs. Any increase in revolutions would lead to an increase in fuel consumption (as each cylinder will be firing once per revolution). I increased my speed to 60 miles per hour. The tachometer registered 2200 RPMs. At 70 miles per hour it registered 2800 RPMs. At 80 miles per hour it was 3600 RPMs.

This initial test makes it appear as though it takes an increase of 400 RPMs to go from 50-60 miles per hour, 600 to go from 60-70 miles per hour, and 800 to go from 70-80 miles per hour.

From this initial test I am able to hypothesize that anyone driving faster than 70 miles per hour has forfeited his or her right to complain about gas prices. Like those who un-necessarily drive big SUVs and trucks, make rabbit starts, and leave their vehicles idling while they are parked, people who speed are contributing to the increased demand for gasoline.

It also appears that driving slower on the highway could save gas in addition to money for the responsible consumer.

But how much? This leads to my next tests. I began a real world driving conditions test nine weeks ago. I planned to track my fuel use on three tanks of gas. The first would be E10 (crappy Missouri gas) with a top highway speed of 70 miles per hour. This would be the control group. The second set of three tanks would use real gasoline from Kansas under the same conditions. The third set of three tanks would be E10 with a maximum highway speed of 60 miles per hour.

I predict that I will see a fuel savings at the lower speed (along with a lot of dirty looks from other drivers). I am still doing the same city driving at much lower speeds. I will figure out the number of miles per tank, per gallon, and the number of gallons and tanks per year. With this data I will be able to discover the annual saving (if there is any) from driving at the lower speed. I will also be able to see how much (if any) of the money I am losing due to Missouri’s ridiculous E10 law I can recover.

I also conducted a pure highway mileage test using E10. I drove the same stretch of highway four times. The first two were at 60 miles per hour and the second two were at 70 miles per hour. This will be an interesting number. It isn’t applicable because 100% of my driving isn’t on the highway. It will reveal how much fuel saving slowing dow could lead to.

I conducted these tests over the last 9 weeks of normal driving. I will publish my results tomorrow. For now, you have my observations, question, and hypotheses. Anyone want to predict what will happen?

Oil Changes

2008-07-16T07:55:00.001-07:00

I am finally embracing the laptop community. It has only taken six years. Up to now I have taken advantage of my laptop’s portability to have a computer when I traveled and when I went to work every day. It was nice to have access to all my files and to the same email and address book wherever I went.

Today I am sitting in the local Quick Lane while my car is getting its oil changed and tires rotated. It’s a once every 5,000 mile activity and while I wait I am using the time to get some writing done: one very long email, and now even a blog entry.

I think the delay was caused by a number of factors. I am writing this on my first ever laptop computer, my beloved PowerBook G4. It just celebrated its 6th birthday. The case is cracked and held together with super glue and duct tape. Yes, it is a hillbilly Mac. It works though. Always has. It’s faster than the brand new PC in my classroom and boots before my dad’s top of the line PC (Vista….bleh!). I’m running OSX Tiger and can’t upgrade any farther due to processor and RAM limitations.

When I bought this little fella’ I wasn’t exactly sure how durable a laptop would be. I mean they are fragile. Would constant bumping and shaking shorten its lifespan? I suppose six years of being carried to a classroom five days a week answers that question.

It is a little heavy. I bought it to replace a desktop so I figured the 15” would be required. At the time Apple was selling the iBook that was brightly colored and a little too goofy looking for me. As a result of its girth and my natural tendency to pack light (I am a nut for backpacking after all) I never really liked carrying it around. Today’s college students seem to have laptops attached at the hip or at least nearby in much the same fashion that I carry my wallet. I don’t think I’ll ever view mine as being that important.

Which brings me to a new issue that I could use a little help with. Upon receiving my paycheck for summer school I plan to order a new MacBook. I’ve very excited to upgrade to Leopard and to get a free iPod Touch in the package. I’m looking forward to shedding nearly 3 pounds worth of computer and possibly getting a newer and smaller backpack to carry the new laptop in. I’ll have USB 2.0! Until the last year I hadn’t had issues but lately I’ve found a number of devices don’t work as well. I’ll also be able to upgrade my wireless network at home. The PowerBook is stuck on, um, the “a” standard and I am limping along on the fastest router that will work with it.

But, what do I do with the old PowerBook? It’s too old to sell. I wouldn’t in good conscience accept money for it as it could die at any moment. The case requires me to replace the duct tape every couple of weeks. It has been a loyal and faithful companion for six years though and it deserves a better fate than being destroyed and then recycled. I suppose I could do my best to wipe it of personal information and loan it to people I’m trying to encourage to switch to a better operating system. I worry about getting it all though. Re-installing the operating system and returning it to the factory settings would also be risky. It might not recover from such dramatic surgery.

If anyone has suggestions, I’m all ears.

I’ve turned older PC’s into media servers for a few of my friends and I’m wondering if I can’t make use of the still brilliant display in some way as a picture server. They charge $200 for a way to small to be useful digital picture frame. If I could remove the display reverse it, then install the laptop in a frame I could have the most awesome digital picture frame ever for free. Anyone got ideas on how to do that?

More from Nashville...

2008-07-13T12:24:00.001-07:00

Not much to post from day two in Music City USA because we spend most of it attending workshops. By the time we were done I was too tired for anything but dinner. I can also recommend John A's for dinner next time you're in Nashville.

I'll wrap up with a some photos from The Hermitage. Our other big stop was the Country Music Hall of Fame. I wasn't sure I'd be able to talk my co-workers into that trip. Luckily it happened to fit right into our Saturday schedule.

The museum portion traces the history of the genre chronologically and has separate display cases for each major movement. Entry cost $20 with the audio tour. I recommend the audio tour. It discussed a lot of the major trends much in more depth and explained the logic behind the layout of the displays. It also gives you a lot of tips to ad to your experience. You start on the 3rd floor and the first audio clip is a welcome from Vince Gill. He even points out the restroom and adds that the next available restroom is located on a similar section of the second floor. As Vince put it, "That's about equal to 7 city blocks so don't say I didn't warn you."

Me, I've liked most of the periods in the history of country music up until the popular, cross-over period from the late 90's to the present.

There was a lot of Elvis. He's a member of the Hall of Fame and the focus of most of the Rock-a-billy exhibit. They also had his gold piano and solid gold accented Caddy.

They also had one of the trademark guitars that Buck Owens played. Also a Fall of Fame member there were tons of examples of his music.

The Bluegrass section featured tons of Bill Monroe items including the Bible he carried on the road (with playing card bookmark) as well as the mandolin he played for nearly his entire career.

For a little added fun I went out Thursday night and saw a show at the Ryman (former home of the Grand Old Opry. A bluegrass band, Rhonda Vincent and the Rage were performing. I didn't get many useful pictures but here's a little video for your listening pleasure:

I'd have to say that if you're looking for a good place to spend a few days, Nashville isn't a bad stop. The weather gave us a bumpy ride home but thanks to a good humored Southwest Airlines crew it was still a fun flight.

I brought back three books from the conference but I promise not to start reading them until at least Wednesday. Gotta rest up a little first.

Nashville, Day 1

2008-07-10T05:06:00.000-07:00

It's odd. I know of four people who have journeyed to Nashville in the last month. I guess I'll try to be original. I'm here until Saturday for a High Schools That Work conference. This is my second national conference and these are usually quite good. I'm looking forward to a few productive days and fun nights.

And maybe a record contract. I hear they just give them away.

Day one was spent landing in a thunderstorm, getting to the hotel, registering, and then heading out to Andrew Jackson's place, The Hermitage. Here are a few observations:

1. Southern hospitality is real. They are more friendly at the discount hotel than anyplace in Kansas City.

2. The Opryland Resort is too big to imagine. I feel like I walked four miles just to get through the convention area.

3. Deoderant is a must. Anti-perspirent is a waste of time. You are going to sweat. It's like midwestern August heat meets Florida humidity. It's hot even when it raining.

4. Eat at the Sante Fe. Don't fill up on the free peanuts. You want to have room for the steak. Trust me. It's delicious.

5. I need a hermitage of my own. It probably ranks third of the 19 presidential homes I've visited (right behind Mount Vernon and Montecello). The tour is the best one I've been on. The guides are in costume and character without being silly or overdoing it. They are better informed than any others as well. It's not as unique as Jefferson's Montecello or as awe inspiring as Washington's Mount Vernon. It's the sort of place I would build if I had the funds though. A great retreat where you could relax or entertain and full of distraction when you need to get your mind on something else. I'll probably post more about it along with pictures later.

Of to day two and the first group of education workshops.

Bad customer service....

2008-07-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

And I thought credit card companies were bad.

Dave Ramsey made me cancel all of my open credit accounts. On average I would say that I was on hold for around 30 minutes each time before talking to an operator. Then there was the additional 10 minutes of the operator trying to get me to keep the account open. Eventually I got it handled though.

For a really fun time, try the phone company.

I switched to cable internet because I could get just internet service. I had to pay an additional $10 but after the introduction rate ends I will still be paying less than I did for DSL. The phone company requires phone service and the bill is nearly $90/month. I'll be saving $30 in the end and I don't need a local phone due to having a good mobile phone plan.

Besides, the only phone calls on my local number are from telemarketers who can't read the no-call list. They say that they are exempt but the only thing they are exempt from is common sense. I mean, if I'm actually on that list do they really think I want to take their silly survey?

Back to my point.

I called at 9:50. I was on hold until 10:48. I guess they didn't want me on hold for over an hour. They disconnected me. I called back. I'm on hold right now. Only six minutes so far. I have a feeling I'll be complaining through every outlet I can find. I just don't accept poor service anymore.

I really must be getting old

Where have I been?

2008-07-08T06:42:00.000-07:00

I haven't been writing as much as I was out of town most of the last 12 days. I'm only in town for a few before leaving again for Nashville (this time a teaching conference). Seem like I find less to write about these days anyhow.

I have been working on a few things though. Today I'll cheat and just post a myspace survey about my high school years. I have so much to do before tomorrow!

I used to be able to lie on these but in the last year I added people I actually went to high school with. That was dumb. Guess I can't pretend to be cool anymore.

--Jason

Fill this out about your SENIOR year of high school! The longer ago it was, the more fun the answers will be!! REPOST with name of high school and graduating year!

Did you date someone from your school?

If you mean go out once or once, yes. If you mean regularly for any period then no.

Did you win anything in Senior's Superlatives?

Nope. I guess looking back they should have voted me most likely to become a high school teacher though. Hindsight is 20/20.

What kind of car did you drive?

I had a blue '89 Jeep Wrangler when it started and my dad gave me a '96 Chevy Cavalier in May because he was tired of picking me up when the Wrangler broke down twice a week.

It's Friday night... where were you at?

At home getting ready for a debate tournament. In my defense, I did qualify for state and nationals that year.

Were you a party animal?

I don't think I went to a party that year.

Were you considered a flirt?

I doubt it. I was too darn shy. I had lots of crushes though. The girls in my class were hot. You can all be jealous.

Were you in band, orchestra, or choir?

I played the trumpet.

Can you sing the fight song?

The only person I know who knew the words to Boosting the Old High School was Lori Hersh. And only people in band really knew we had a school song. There's that Pirate spirit for you. It was all good as long as we beat Ward though.

Who were your favorite teachers?

Mr. Warne, Mr. Yost, and Dr.

Knetter

Where did you sit during lunch?

I usually sat with Bobby, Russ, Jason, and Jessica

Who was your partner in crime?

Can't say I really had one. I guess you could say that I work alone.

Who was your best guy/girl friend?

Bryan or Tracy

What was your school's full name?

Piper High School

High School mascot?

Pirate

If you could go back and do it again, would you?

Knowing what I know now, I'd give it another shot.

If I had to be as unwise as I was then, no way!

What do you remember most about graduation?

The mayor was our speaker. I think it was the first time in a decade a class didn't have Mr. Wood. It started a trend though.

Were you in any clubs?
NFL, Theatre, Mole Club, Artvarks, Biology Club

Who was your senior prom date?
I didn't go.

Who was the one person you confided in the most?
I wasn't much of a confider. Seriously, I never thought it was wise to tell people your deepest secrets. I had a sister who was good at letting those things out.

Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion?

I was but it was on an anniversary.

If I'd known we'd break up 8 months later I might have decided differently!

Who has changed the most since High School?

Somebody who went will have to let me know.

Who was your home room teacher?

We didn't really have those. I was in Mr. Taylor's class when they read announcements.

Where did you go on Spring Break?

I worked and played baseball.

Who will re-post this?

Hopefully some other Piper peoples since I'm nosy.

Did you play any sports?
Just baseball.

Do you still talk to people from school?

A couple via email and such.

On Gun Control and Handgun Bans....

2008-06-26T19:07:00.000-07:00

Today the US Supreme Court struck down a law that had prohibited the private possession of hand guns in the District of Columbia. I've enjoyed reading our many political leaders' responses to this ruling along with the tidbits of Justice Scalia's majority opinion.

I'm amazed at how the words political and logical or rational are often polar opposites.

"This school year alone, over 20 Chicago public school students have been killed by guns. And in April there was a 10-day stretch in Chicago where there were 48 shootings. ... Acknowledging that gun ownership is a basic right does not absolve us from the constitutional and moral responsibility to protect innocent children" — Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

I wasn't aware that it was legal for children to own hand guns and bring them to school Senator Durbin. In Missouri it is illegal to bring a handgun to school even if you possess a concealed weapons permit. Indeed, doesn't Chicago have a handgun ban similar to the DC ban? Are you telling me that you still have gun violence? We don't have such stringent laws here in Missouri and yet we don't have such problems. Maybe the cause of your problems isn't a lack of gun control legislation senator. Logic would seem to point towards your law as being ineffective.

It is funny how criminals (people who break the law) don't seem to respect laws. Myself, despite having a concealed weapons permit and a hand gun, choose to obey the regulations on carrying fire arms.

"This decision's going to say to these guys that it's OK to have guns — that's the message the street gets from this ... If you take this ruling the wrong way, everybody and their mother's going to go out and get a gun." — Tio Hardiman, of the Chicago violence prevention group Cease Fire.

Seriously, you should read the actual opinion. The justices don't just write them because they hate trees. Justice Scalia specifically stated that the decision did NOT prohibit states and even the national government from regulating gun possession. We can still have laws that outlaw the possession of guns by five year-olds or felons. We can still limit the right to have them in certain places. Some mothers who live in some parts of DC should probably go out and get a gun if you ask me.

Oddly enough, despite representing Chicago, Senator Obama had a far clearer understanding of this decision.

"While it ruled that the D.C. gun ban went too far, Justice Scalia himself acknowledged that this right is not absolute and subject to reasonable regulations enacted by local communities to keep their streets safe. Today's ruling ... will provide much-needed guidance to local jurisdictions across the country." — Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

Apparently this guy who struggles so much with understanding the concept of federalism at least understands the role of the Supreme Court. I like the phrase "will provide much-needed guidance to local jurisdictions" because that is what SCOTUS is supposed to do. If the will of the people is to regulate gun possession they are welcome to keep trying. When they go beyond the limits placed on them by the Bill of Rights the laws SHOULD be struck down. Even if the individual justice likes the law! If you find the constitution too constraining then you have to amend it. There should be no other option.

I loved this one:

"I am profoundly disappointed in Justice Roberts and Justice Alito, both of whom assured us of their respect for precedent. With this decision, 70 years of precedent has gone out the window. And I believe the people of this great country will be less safe because of it." — Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

First of all, the second amendment is one for which there is considerably less precedent when compared to the other parts of the Bill of Rights. The Senator from California is probably referring to the very old DC law as a precedent (it has been in place for over 70 years!). Um, Senator, there have been no precedents set concerning this type of gun ban because there haven't been any cases involving it before the court yet. An old law is not a precedent.

And people wonder why I don't want Congressmen and Senators from other states making decisions for me. On the flip side, there is a precedent now. Outright, blanket bans on private ownership of guns are not constitutional. There have already been lawsuits filed to challenge Chicago's handgun ban. Hooray for precedent.

Some Senators at least have a clue.

"I think this is a long overdue decision; I don't think the precedent has been seriously reaffirmed in decades." — Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis.

Here's a good one to end on:

"While the Supreme Court has ruled, not unexpectedly, that individuals have a right to bear arms, the court clearly allows for reasonable regulations like the Brady law and the assault weapons ban. It is my hope and belief that the ruling will not change much in terms of how the states and the federal government are allowed to regulate guns." — Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

You see, there's a difference between regulating and banning. There should be regulations on the possession of deadly weapons. However, for reasons of self-defense and protection against tyranny, the second amendment exists to protect our rights to defend ourselves independent of the government.

Here's an odd tidbit, all of the more hysterical reactions to this law come from people who are up for re-election this fall. Most of them come from areas where people are dealing with a lot of crime. The more rational responses are frequently from people who don't need to play politics. Senator Schumer for example is in office until 2010. Others come from areas where gun ownership is higher and crime rates are lower.

Of course it's important to scare those poor voters so they'll send you back to Washington. If you scare them and then promise to send more federal dollars their way to reduce crime you'll get re-elected for sure.

Just so my Senators and Congressman know, I'm good. I wouldn't want to be the person breaking into my house.

Seriously disturbing....

2008-06-25T06:56:00.000-07:00

Everyone's upset about gas prices. I found this article out of Salt Lake City today though and it has done more to convince me that we're doomed as a society than just about anything else I've come across this week."

SALT LAKE CITY — Sadie and Pyper Vance have had just about enough of high gas prices. The sisters are still years away from being old enough to drive, but that doesn't mean the $4 per gallon price tag isn't hitting them as hard as anyone else.

Cable TV was one of the family's budget-cutting casualties, leaving Sadie, 9, and her 7-year-old sister without their favorite cartoons and shows.

"Gas prices are too high," Sadie said. "I just decided to come and protest so they'd go down."

The girls marched through downtown Monday chanting and carrying signs made from old campaign signs.

"All of my mom's monny goes to the gas tank!" Pyper's sign read. Sadie carried a sign asking drivers to honk to lower gas prices — adding that her mom had to cut "cabel."

The girls got some waves and a few thumbs-up to show support.

"I think it's great," said Hamid Tayeb, who was walking past on his lunch break. "It's unfortunate that kids are doing it before we do."

First of all, I quoted this article instead of just linking to it because I hope that someone will take the time to correct the spelling and grammar of the these two. I'm not sure what "monny" and "cabel" are but these girls seem to really think it's important that they have some of it. A seven year old is in the second grade and a nine year old is in the fourth grade. I think money and cable are within their ability range. If they aren't then I can think of a number of better things for these girls to do than watch cartoons.

Second, it's obvious that these girls have seen enough television in that they seem to think walking up and down the street with a sign and whining about gas prices will lead to their being reduced. There are any number of better ways to spend your day than watching cable and it's time someone suggested a few things like opening a lemonade stand, climbing trees, and reading books to these girls. I made it to age 13 with over the air television and I think these two girls will be just fine.

Just because you whine about something isn't going to lead to changes. That may work on "Saved by the Bell" or your "ABC After School Specials" but in the real world it requires a little more sacrifice. I wonder what mom is driving and if she can car pool.

Of course these two are just 7 and 9 years old so it doesn't disturb me that THEY don't understand how the prices of our things are determined (though they should have learned a few things about what money is, how we EARN it, and what it means to sacrifice).

What disturbs me is the guy quoted in the last line, the guy who wonders why these kids are doing this before the adults do it. What disturbs me is that there are adults out there who are always thinking they can just fix the price of whatever THING they happen to want. It's not fair they say. I want this and I don't want to pay the price that the person who has it is asking. Some people seem to think that if the government would just set prices for certain things their value would automatically match the governments price.

Well I hate to break it to you but it just doesn't work that way. If the government sets the price too low then we will quite quickly run out of that item as is often the case with undervalued things. If it sets the price too high demand will instantly dry up (or a black market will meet our needs). Value is more than just price. Value is what drives decisions and leads to trade-offs.

Just because you WANT something doesn't mean you'll get it.

Besides, cartoons today simply suck and aren't worth your time girls.

What happens when you stay up too late running your brain...

2008-06-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

A Retirement Plan

I’m not running for president until 2012 (thanks to that whole constitutional requirement about age) but I think I’ve found my first platform plank. I’m getting ready to ramble here so you’ll have to forgive me for playing loose with the numbers. I think I’ve found a great way to finance a national retirement program that doesn’t do away with personal responsibility or liberty while also not breaking the backs of Americans with the burden of high taxes. As an added incentive to read the whole thing, I’ve included a response to all the "rich get richer while the poor get poorer" liberals out there who hate capitalism (you know, the ones we used to call commies).

Unless otherwise noted I am using the CIA World Factbook (Online) and a yahoo 401k calculator for my numbers. They may not be perfect but they’ll be as accurate as anything you hear from a politician (not that I usually set my standards so low). I’m also using 2008 dollars for everything and expect that in application all contribution amounts would be regularly adjusted for inflation (while inflation will be absorbed by investment income for all earnings).

There are 304 million Americans. Most are not saving enough for their retirement. Many seem to thing that Social Security benefits will take care of them and most of the people who grow older and seek to retire using Social Security immediately start to complain that those benefits aren’t enough to live off of. They weren’t meant to be but that’s a point no one running for office is ever brave enough to make. Senior citizens vote as a greater percentage of their age group than any other after all. It is the wise and prudent politician who advocates expanding Social Security benefits.

The problem with that is that Social Security isn’t a savings or investment plan (some, we'll call them fools, think it is but that's another issue entirely). It is a tax paid by today’s workers to today’s retirees. Everyone pays into parts of the plan. An increase in social security tax hits the poorest Americans the hardest because no matter how slight that increase is it will be a larger percentage of their take home pay that is being seized. This denies them the income needed to make ends meet and prevents them from saving independently.

Of course no one is brave enough to suggest replacing the system because anyone who ever has immediately lost his or her election by record setting margins (see Barry Goldwater in 1964).

Since I’m not going to get elected anyway, I might as well go out on a limb.

The Plan:

Phase out all Social Security taxes. Current benefits will be guaranteed and be paid out of the general budget to anyone over the age of 50 or on disability as of the implementation date. Any seniors over age 50 can choose the new plan or choose to continue their current benefits.

Upon completion of high school (diploma or equivalency) every American citizen will be given $250,000 (at first I used $250,000.... that amount had to be amended to $100,000 and I'll explain why below) to invest. It must be invested. This is a one-time payment. Not completing high school is bad. Don't expect much prosperity.

Individuals will be able to invest in mutual funds, bond funds, and other traditional vehicles via private investment firms (licensed by the government of course). Risky and get rich quick investments will be prohibited with the government retirement funds. You can do the really dumb things with your own money.

Investment income is not taxed.

Individuals will not be able to begin withdrawing from their funds until they are 60 years old.

After age 60, income (including withdrawals) will be tax-free up to $60,000. Mortgage interest and all health care expenses will be direct dollar tax credits.

Special Considerations:

Failure to receive a high school diploma will delay your funds until you finish. Completion of your equivalency at any point would be sufficient but you wouldn't get your funds until after you are 18.

Should you require government assistance it will be deducted from your funds. For example, should you find yourself incarcerated for part of your adult life you will forfeit a percentage of your fund. We will assume that the average adult lives to be 80 giving you 62 years as an adult for our calculations--bonus to you if you live longer than that. Two years in prison would be 3.2% of your adult life. We’ll take 3.2% of your fund’s value as an incarceration tax. After deducting expenses, the remainder will be given as a cash settlement to your victims. Life in prison would lead to a forfeit of your entire fund to cover supporting you and compensating your victims.

The Medicare program would continue. I'll think of something later to fix that.

Special considerations would also have to be made for the disabled and for legal immigrants who gain US citizenship. I’m also thinking this could discourage illegal immigration by making the benefits of legal immigration well worth working towards. I think anyone caught as an illegal immigrant would forfeit the right to legally immigrate later and thus the retirement funds!

I think it would also be possible to allow a one-time withdrawal to cover student loans upon graduation from college/post-secondary school. For now, I’m going to say you’re on your own for grad school. I've thought of a number of things like this but I want to keep the program simple.

I wonder how much this would cost? I am after all supposed to be a fiscal conservative.

There are 242 million Americans over the age of 15 in our country today. So sue me, I couldn’t find the number of Americans over age 18. Assuming that we would have to make initial payments to these 242 million Americans the initial investment would be $60.5 trillion plus administration costs. Ouch. Time to make a change. How about $100,000 per American? Only $24.2 trillion now. The costs of managing these investments would be absorbed by the firms handling them and be deducted from people’s investment profits. I’m going to assume that administration costs would be substantial because our schools would have to add staff to educate and assist people in considering how to invest their income upon receipt.

Roughly 3.5 million Americans turn 18 each year meaning that we would be on the hook for an additional $350 billion plus administration costs each year if every 18 year old earns a diploma.

Like anything, the start-up costs seem high but the later returns might be worth it. Remember that eventually our entire social security budget will be gone. I also expect other entitlement spending to drop significantly.

Don’t forget that we have to take care of today’s retired Americans out of taxes. They could be offered the option of continuing social security or receiving payment and their best option would depend on their current situation and their age. I have yet to devise a way of figuring out how many of them would choose to collect the $100,000.

Returns: Some people assume 12% growth in their investments. I always assume 8% for my investments because I'd rather miss low. I’ve been investing for 8 years and I have averaged just over 10%. I like to be conservative. We’ll assume 8% as a good rate of growth (giving us 4% beyond average inflation).

For any American aged 50 accepting the government funds:
If he or she earned 8% and retired at 60 they would have their private savings and/or pension plus $222,000 with the ability to live tax-free on the first $60,000 of income. The remainder of the fund would also continue to grow as the retiree withdrew from it each year (you would literally pay yourself out of your savings, not withdraw it all at once).

If the worker postponed retirement to age 65 the fund would be over $331,000.

I wonder how many Americans over the age of 50 are expecting to receive a benefit of that size from Social Security.

The numbers just get better as you get younger.

Let me emphasize a need to take care of those workers who are currently retired or near retirement. It is our moral obligation. We’re just seeking a better way to help workers entering the workforce shoulder that obligation.

I would also expect that employer pensions would continue to disappear. I would hope the employer contributions to retirement savings would continue and that Americans would find it easier to save on their own as their Social Security taxes diminished. Roth IRA and 401k type programs would continue.

How about a worker aged 30 (an appropriate age for the worker developing this plan)?
At age 60 his or her fund would be worth $1.1 million assuming growth of 8%. I’m thinking there would be no reason to wait until 65 to retire at that point if you've also been saving on your own. For those of you with watering mouths though the number you’re looking for is $1.6 million.

Oh the joys of compounding interest. Don’t forget to add private savings to that amount as well.

Talk about an incentive to get that high school diploma.

And what of our young, 18 year-old, wet behind the ears investor? What will his or her life look like?

With $100,000 invested he or she could head off to college. There is still an incentive to graduate on time and there are several costs involved in not completing your degree. Making poor or irresponsible choices will only add to the bill. All that said, even if you took 8 years and $80,000 to get your bachelor’s degree you could leave school debt free.

Your portfolio would take a good-sized hit of course. After 8 years it may have grown to $140000. I’ve assumed you had 4% growth (the worst 8 year period in the history of the country had nearly 7% growth so I think I’m being conservative enough). That would leave a mere $60,000 and 34 years until retirement age. And you’ll only have just under $1 million.

I don’t like programs that pay out absolute benefits because they don’t encourage responsible behaviors and I'm still a huge fan of self government. Has anyone ever watched Circus with the Stars? They always try to teach someone to be a trapeze artist. There’s a safety net to keep them from dying as they learn but when I watch them fall into the net it becomes really obvious that doing so still leaves the individual bruised and hurting. Life should come with a safety net but don’t expect a fall brought on by poor decision-making to be pain free.

So, what of the blessed individual who makes good choices throughout?

I was blessed to have a great deal of help paying for my own education between scholarships and my dad's contributions and graduated from college with no student loans. Assume that a parent utilized an ESA to save for their child’s degree and the student avoided pitfalls like drugs and alcohol, unexpected pregnancy, academic probation, and such. After four years for traditional college, less for technical or trade school, and possibly more for graduate school they wouldn’t need to touch their initial fund. With a lower tax rate they would be able to pay off their graduate schooling (if that is the path they took), invest in private retirement accounts, save cash for major purchases like cars and houses, and save for their own children’s education.

And they could retire on around $2.8 million. Plus their private savings!

Corporations and companies distribute their massive profits (earned on the backs of the working man) via dividends to the stock-holders. Since every American would now own up to $100,000 worth of stock at the beginning of their working lives and much more as they aged every American would be receiving those dividends!

My fellow Americans, we’re going to need a butt-load of good, well-educated investment gurus and portfolio managers!

I’m sure there are things I haven’t considered. I only worked this out over a few hours. It needs tweaking and I’d be happy to consider modification for anything I haven’t considered. I’m also looking at how such a program would impact the American economy as a whole in terms of investment, income gaps between the rich and poor, inflation, and so on. Let me know what you think.

And remember to vote for Jason in 2012!

Obama gets an F in government.

2008-06-21T14:59:00.000-07:00

From a summary of an address given to urban leaders yesterday:

He promised money for police, higher-paid teachers, transit, housing and broadband Internet. He said he would create jobs by rebuilding roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects. "That will be the cause of my presidency," he said.

Salaries for the police are provided by the cities that hire them. If the cities want to pay for more police officers or to pay them more money then the city councils and mayors can choose to do so. As an added bonus, by controlling the funding of the police the city government and the voters that elect them can control the department's priorities, policies, and performance.

It's called federalism Senator Obama. And it works.

Likewise, teacher salaries are set by the local school board and funded by a combination of state and local funds. Federal dollars make up less than 10% of the budget in most districts.

Transit is a good example of how the federal government wrestles control away from communities. Sometimes it's for the better, sometimes the opposite. The government dangles highway dollars in front of state and local governments. They're free as long as you follow the national government's guidelines. With roads that has yet to be a huge deal in general.

If you make your cities dependent on federal dollars for schools and police you place yourself at the will of the majority of congressmen, senators, and the opinion of the president. No matter who you are, I promise you that you will not always want whichever party controls the government making decisions for you.

Personally, I don't want citizens from New York, California, Texas, Florida, or anyplace else for that matter making decision for me.

If you want to get an idea of how bad things can get when local communities surrender their independence to the national government then just do a little reading on the history of public housing.

There are two things that people are forgetting about federalism. First, there are assigned powers for the national government. It isn't supposed to do anything else. When it offers to "help" it usually has an agenda.

Second, there is a responsibility for local government and for citizens to take care of things like local law enforcement, schools, disaster and poverty relief, and even transit to a certain degree. If we'll do it ourselves then we can do what works best for us and ignore the opinions of people who don't live where and how we do.

I'm still looking for the part of the constitution that broadband internet an unalienable right. I know this, everyone in my town has access to it. It's called a library. I pay local property taxes to support it.

Typical liberal, Obama wants to buy our votes by doing all of these things for us. It's tempting to take the easy way out, to let the government provide me with health care, plan for my retirement, and choose the curriculum I teach at work.

But I love liberty too much. I like the freedom to choose for myself and to benefit and suffer from my wise and sometimes not so wise choices.

I wonder how anyone can get out of high school and still think that the government was established to take care of people so they could be happy. Our Declaration of Independence makes it clear that a government is supposed to protect our unalienable rights to pursue happiness.

Barack Obama is applying for a job that shouldn't exist. When he wants my vote for president he needs to start telling me how he's going to actually carry out the role of president as its job description reads in the Constitution. The guy has a few good ideas if you read through his website (if you actually want to be impressed read about his plans to help senior citizens--ignore the part about propping up the silly social security program though, seriously people, don't let the government plan your retirement for you!) but I'd be wary of a guy who wants to remove from me too much of the burden of governing myself. If independence isn't your style, please go to Canada or France. Don't ruin this rare bastion of liberty for the rest of us.

There's a reason why the didn't call it the Declaration of Dependence people!

The new blog, the old blog

2008-06-18T08:16:00.001-07:00

I have decided to start my new right-wing conservation blog. Hopefully I can promote the conservation side of being green while still effectively criticizing the likes of Al Gore and other dolts of the tree-hugger variety. With the parts for my solar powered lawn mower bought and the dreams of a veggie oil powered commuter vehicle I'll need a good place to document everything. I also hope to discuss my switch to organic fertilizers and herbicides for my yard and vegetable garden.

This blog will continue to be updated with personal posts though. I haven't had much to write about now that it is summer and I'm mostly busy with chores and other long term projects. I also have few kid stories and sports stories. Still, I have a trip to Nashville planned for next month and a week in Colorado is in the works. Maybe even a date or three will come along. Softball practice starts the second week of August and things will pick up as usual then.

You can check out the new blog here if you like:

http://greenelephantguy.wordpress.com/

I'm taking Kelly's advice and giving wordpress a try.

Thoughts from the couch....

2008-06-17T04:00:00.001-07:00

So, I'm watching the new series "When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions" on the Discovery channel. I've always loved the space race and the effort to walk on the moon. If I could take part in anything throughout history, that would be where I wanted to go.

Think of all the technology, the engineering, the innovation.

Then remember that most Americans watched Neil Armstrong make his moonwalk on a black and white TV.

Holy emails, Batman!

2008-06-12T06:50:00.000-07:00

I just deleted my sent items folder.

2,772 messages since November of 2006.

Can you say carpal tunnel syndrome?

Parents Just Don't Understand

2008-06-09T05:09:00.000-07:00

I'll steal the title for this post from a vintage Will Smith rap (you know, from when rap wasn't all about being vulgar and violent). I may do it again someday. I could always write a post about how "Girls Ain't Nothing but Trouble" at the drop of a hat.

I spent the afternoon on Saturday working one of my part time gigs as a baseball umpire. Sometimes I feel so bad for kids. I'm no expert parent myself (in that I'm not a parent) but some things seems really obvious to me. For example, does anyone think it's a good idea to put a kid in a position where he faces unbearable pressure to lie?

I didn't think so. Here's the sitch.....(some names have been changed to protect the innocent--and in this case the guilty)

I'm have the dish for a 12 & under baseball game and I'm working with a 15 year-old partner (a rookie yes, but a pretty solid one in my humble opinion). The game was pretty stellar up to that point. The Big Dogs were trailing the Kitty Cats by a score of 3-2 in the bottom of the 6th. Every team had a runner or two on during every inning but clutch pitching and defense had kept the score down (and made the game exciting to watch). The Cats were threatening to bust the game open and get a little insurance before the Dogs came up in the 7th for their final at-bat.

As a side note, I have to say that I was impressed with the Cats. They were physically smaller than their opponents but played fundamentally sound baseball and showed a lot of poise. Their opponents were quite strong, physically intimidating and, sadly, skilled at trash talking--all traits acquired from their parents and coaches.

The Cats had runners on first and third with one out. The Dogs had intentionally walked the previous hitter (to set up a double play--they had turned two already and the next hitter had hit nothing but ground balls so far). The Dogs had the corner infielders in (to keep the runner at third) and the middle infielders were at double-play depth in case they got the chance to end the inning and the rally.

With a 1-2 count, the pitcher jammed the batter who hit a ground ball right at the 2nd baseman. He fielded it cleanly, tagged the runner, and threw it to first base to complete the double play.

At least that's what all the Dogs saw. I honestly believe that in their minds they saw a double-play. The human brain has a way of making things appear as you want them to be. Sometimes reality doesn't agree with what you, in your mind, saw (I mean any guy who sees a girl checking him out knows about this....I've learned it's usually the guy behind you she's winking at).

An umpire, who isn't partial to how events take place (at least, they're not supposed to be), is looking at other things. Does he have control of the ball. DID HE TAG THE RUNNER WITH THE BALL. And other things.

The runner from third broke home on contact. The first thing I did was insure that he touched home plate. I was still tracking the ball out of the corner of my eye (if the batter runner was safe at first there would be two out and the run would have counted, if he was out the inning was over). Just as I glanced up I saw the 2nd baseman's mistake. Immediately upon fielding the ball he transferred it to his throwing hand (so he could quickly complete the double-play). He then tagged the runner with his--now empty--glove before throwing the batter runner out at first base. From my position I could see at least two feet of daylight between the glove and the hand holding the ball. I made a mental note of that in case the Cats appealed the call at second base.

I didn't have to worry. My partner was on top of it. He quickly signaled safe and turned to make the out call at 1st base.

Because of the cheering and other noise, no one except myself, the runner at second, and the 1st base coach saw the safe call. The Dogs ran off the field thinking they had turned a double-play. My partner began shouting that there were only two outs. This is important because the runner on second, seeing that the ball was laying on the infield and that his opponents were sprinting for the dugout took off for third base (where he would be put as soon as everything settled down).

When the coach of the Dogs realized what was happening he rushed his kids back out on the field before going out to have a word with my partner. After asking what the call was, the verbal assault began. After the first volley, the coach asked me what I saw. Well trained (and obviously more knowledgeable than the coach), the kid asked me if I saw an out. If you want an umpire to ask for help, you request that he do so. You do not turn to the other umpire and ask him to overrule his partner. Who am I, the umpire king? At my partner's request I said--to my partner, "The 2nd baseman tagged him with an empty glove while the ball was in his hand. I didn't see an out." My partner again signaled safe.

The reply went something along the lines of, "That's f---ing ridiculous! You a--wipes just cost these boys a game and ruined their chance to win this tournament (and their entire lives--he didn't add but probably wanted to)! Just ask him. This isn't f---ing t-ball! (looking at the 2nd baseman, who I later found out was his own son) You know better than to tag a guy with an empty glove like a dumb---. You tagged him, right?"

Man, I felt for this kid. If he tells the truth, his own dad just told him that his mistake cost his team the game and tournament, that it was a mistake a t-baller would make, and that he was a dumb---. I could see him running the play through in his mind and it was obvious in his face when he realized what had happened. It took place so quickly that I honestly don't think he caught the mistake until he replayed it in his mind. Still, what could he say. He's freaking 12 years old and he had to ride home with this guy. "I tagged him," he replied (faintly). A very diplomatic reply if you ask me. That he's obviously got some smarts made me feel even worse for him.

And to make matters even worse, now he had to watch his dad get kicked out of the game. I tell the coaches during the ground rules that, "If I wouldn't talk that way to my grandmother, don't talk to me like that." I used to say, "If you wouldn't say it to your grandmother, don't say it to me." You'd be surprised how some men talk to their grandmothers!

I missed a few lines of verbal assault as I pondered these things. When he stopped to take a breath I replied with, "Sir, you're finished for today. Please take it outside the stadium." There were a few more moments of commentary (apparently he was going to have us f------ fired or something like that) before a friendly Lee's Summit police officer offered to escort him to the director's office and formally lodge his complaint.

It's been three years since I had to eject a coach from a game. It's funny. I've blown a few calls during those three years (I always call what I see but I'm not naive enough to think I've been perfect). I've faced a little squawking for things like that. It's just funny that in every instance where I've had to eject a coach, it's been a situation where I was completely certain that myself or my crew got the call right. They've always been as a result of completely irrational behavior on the part of the coach.

Of course, I'm an adult and getting paid $20 an hour to be there. My partner is only getting $12 but he's a teenager and they would only get in trouble with too much cash so that's fair. We're paid to deal with people like that from time to time and, if we don't like it, Walmart is hiring (Or dozens of other places. I've noticed there always is work to be had if you're humble enough to do it.).

But what about the 2nd baseman? I wonder if his dad understands what his son witnessed and felt Saturday. I can recall my dad losing his temper a few times (often justifiably so where my sister and I were concerned) but he always seemed embarrassed at losing his cool after the fact. I hope our 2nd baseman's dad is willing to show his son that. I worry that he isn't embarrassed at all.

Sometimes "parents just don't understand" what they're teaching their kids.

Maybe a new blog?

2008-06-05T07:32:00.000-07:00

After this entry, I'm considering adding a new blog. I would still keep The First Base Coach's Box around for personal entries and such. I've been developing a new what you could call hobby or interest over the past year or so and I'm wondering if I should devote a separate blog to it.

I've posted a number of entries on my thoughts about the environment, renewable energy sources, gas prices, and green living. I have an interesting view in that I'm not terribly concerned about global warming and think Al Gore is an idiot while still believing in conservation and responsible treatment of our planet. I love being outside and I'm a little anal where cleanliness and organization come into play. In my perfect world, the outside would be kept as pretty and ordered as I keep the insides that I control (such as my house and classroom). This possibly stems from my years as a Boy Scout and my practices where no trace camping are concerned or just from my own interests in problem solving. Politics and power-lust seem to be the biggest motives in the whole "save the Earth" movement considering that the loudest people tend to be Hollywood kooks and nut-jobs like the former vice-president.

People who try to live a lifestyle of conservation and efficiency though are quite different.

I was thinking the new blog could be title "The Green Conservative" or something like that.

Or maybe I'll just keep those rants here for now until I improve my own blogging habits.

Anyway, I'm still searching for the perfect used truck or 4x4 to convert for bio-diesel or waste vegetable oil use. It has been hard to find one that is in good enough shape. I need it to be solid and to have the rust limited to small parts of the body panels so that I can do the body work myself and cheaply. I want something mechanically sound before I start fiddling with it. I started a sinking fun though and when it nears $4,000 I think I can safely pull the trigger on the project.

Ideally I would like something that I can fill with WVO and 100% bio-diesel and then head out to Colorado or some other camping location with all the gear and supplies I need. Imagine going from Kansas City to Durango, CO for a few days of biking. You could drive west on an auxiliary tank of WVO (at almost no cost!) and fill the diesel tank with bio-diesel (more popular as you go west and in wilderness areas) for the trip home.

In the most ideal scenario you could make the whole trip without burning a drop of petroleum fuel (and obviously no foreign oil) while also reducing your fuel costs by 30-40%. Even without the availability of 100% bio-diesel you could reduce your dependence on foreign oil by well over half (100% of the WVO would be domestic and whatever percent of your diesel was from plant stock would be as well).

A New Hope.....almost

My dad was pretty upset that I chose my Corolla over a Chevrolet Cobalt. My car cost the same but the resale value and improved fuel economy led me to believe that I would be saving money. So far that has proven to be true. I wish his company would have built the car I wanted. They chose to give their car an extra 30 horsepower in exchange for a 10% drop in fuel economy. Maybe their market research is right on the money and Americans prefer their car.

Sales figures don't seem to support that though. Maybe they should fire their researchers. To be honest, I've never struggled to get anywhere due to a lack of horsepower.

Around the corner though, GM has an interesting idea. The Chevrolet Volt is coming. It appears as though it's a done deal.

A number of people have criticized GM for killing the EV-1. I've found most of that criticism to be short-sighted and to fail to fully grasp a number of economic and legal issues. Still, GM hasn't done much with the knowledge they acquired in building the EV-1. That criticism is pretty sound. Even a former GM president acknowledged that. Finally, it looks like GM is getting somewhere.

Things I love about the Volt:

It's an all electric car, a plug-in. People have asking Toyota to do this with the Prius for years. If your daily commute is less than 40 miles you would never burn any gas. You would just have to plug it in overnight. My daily commute would fall into this category. Cool.

If you go over 40 miles (ever) you can still take the Volt. A very small (3-cyl.) gas engine will power a generator to recharge the batteries. The engine is super efficient because it can run at one speed (no transmission or anything like that). Currently the engine is able to run on E-85 and regular gas. Apparently they haven't read my posts on the idiocy of ethanol. The engine could run on anything though. Diesel, bio-diesel, or whatever else. It'd just depend on what was available or functional.

The big hang-up.....the price. According to GM they could sell the car for $40,000 and break even. They'd have to find a way to get that down to around $20,000 in order to be a commercial success. Still, as technology becomes cheaper I think that's within reach. I just hope they aren't banking on a $20,000 tax credit or something like that.

Tomorrow......my first big summer project. I'm building a solar powered lawn mower! I bought a used mower for $30 and picked up an acceptable electric mower. I ordered two solar panels. For $195 I should have all the parts I need (minus a few adapters and such) to make an electric mower that can be recharged from solar panels on my shed's roof. I plan to install my rechargeable weed eater in the shed as well. I hope to be running by the end of the summer. I'll keep you all posted!

Miles and miles and miles.....

2008-05-31T20:11:00.000-07:00

Thank you to John, Blanche, Jan, Kelsey, Bryan, Guy, Kelly, and Janelle for sending their kind words and thoughts over the last couple of weeks.

Thank you to Jacqueline and Rachel for way too long phone conversations that always make me feel so much better.

Thank you to my sister's friend Terry for helping her come to the memorial service on Friday.

Thank you to my cousins Abigail, Riley, Hanna, and Gracie for keeping anybody from being too sad for too long. Six year olds have a way of doing that whether it's by eating their nachos in a weird way (seriously, ketchup?) or by cheating at Duck, Duck, Goose (you wouldn't think you could but you'd have to meet these four).

Thank you Dave Ramsey for making me save an emergency fund.

Normally I worry about too many trips out of town. With gas costing $3.90/gallon that's understandable. I normally budget $160/month for gas but after going out to Beloit twice in the last week along with other grandma related driving I've covered nearly 1,200 miles in the last seven days. I don't have to hesitate when I need an extra tank of gas. Or road tolls. Or to buy a dinner or cover the cost of this or that.

All I have to worry about is doing the things that are more important at a time like this.

Thank you to everyone for praying for my family and for my grandpa. I think he'll be alright. The quiet will be hard to get used to (but thanks to those four girls, it will be frequently interrupted!).

And, on a much more positive note, congratulations to Jay and Andrea Cecil on the birth of their son. I can't wait to meet him.

Joanne L. Thomas 1934-2008

2008-05-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

My grandma passed away Wednesday evening.

She was diagnosed with lung cancer nearly three years ago. After surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy failed to stop it from growing and spreading she decided to stop treatment a couple of months ago. We all expected her to have a six months or a year but her health left her much sooner.

I was planning to drive out and visit today as soon as school got out. I've made several trips out west over the last year, whenever I had a long weekend and such. For some reason I felt like calling out there Saturday afternoon just to chat. I usually talk to my grandpa because grandma is often asleep or doesn't feel up to talking. Saturday she answered the phone because he was out in the yard. We talked for a few minutes, said we'd see each other this weekend, and exchanged "I love yous."

The next day she began to struggle to breath and was taken to the hospital. When I talked to grandpa he told me that she was coma like though he said that he expected her to recover in a few days. I'm not sure if he knew differently or just didn't want to talk about it.

I was sitting in my small group study when my phone rang. I'm not that popular so it's pretty uncommon for me to get that many calls. It was from my dad who knows where I am on Wednesday nights. I knew what he was calling about so I didn't bother to answer the phone. All I could think about was that conversation on Saturday, why I didn't call on Sunday evening (like I usually do), and that the last thing my grandma said to me was, "I love you."

Even in the hardest of times it is clear to me that God is in control.

My mom's parents lived in the same city that we did for most of my life. Until the quads came along 5 years ago my sister and I were their only grandchildren and we were pretty well spoiled. My grandma's sister lived in Florida and I remember grandma and grandpa making a few trips down there and going to Disney World. My grandma was an artist who had worked for Walt Disney, Hallmark, and Happiness Greeting Cards (which brought her and grandpa to Kingman, KS where my parents met).

One of the earliest Christmas presents I remember getting was when I was three--hard to believe I have memories from that age! We lived in Kingman and celebrated Christmas at my grandparents (paternal) in Penalosa, KS. My mom's parents came down to visit that year. It was a watercolor made by my grandma back in Kansas City (we would move up to Kansas City in the following year). It has hung in my bedroom ever since (no matter where my bedroom happened to be). How did grandma know baseball would be a perfect theme when I was just three years old?

For those of you reading this through facebook, you may have to click on the "view original post" link to see the pictures.

We didn't know I was left-handed at the time but the painting is still pretty accurate though. I would go on to have a long love affair with hot dogs. I only top them with mustard. The flash covers the most appropriate portion as I also frequently drip that mustard onto my pants.

For years my grandparents would bring us gifts from their trips to Florida. We had a couple of Christmas ornaments from there. I had a face carved into a coconut. There were also many sets of TWA junior pilot wings from back when air travel was something exotic and luxurious (and when there was still a TWA for that matter). They always said that they would take us to Disney World someday. They must have planned and saved to do that for years. When I was in the first grade they took us on a practice trip (just to make sure we were mature and behaved enough to take halfway across the country). My Missouri friends will laugh but that was the only time I have ever been to Branson and Silver Dollar City (it's like Mecca for people around here for those of you who don't know). We had a good time though and the next fall they took us to Florida for ten days.

I have so many memories from that trip. It was the perfect age to take children to the "magic kingdom" if you ask me. I'll save them for a later blog post (because I want to scan some photos first--so yes, you'll get to see a few shots of me back when I was uber cute).

I have one other painting of my grandma's. She made it for my mom who had found an antique picture frame that she loved but had nothing to put into it. It was also a watercolor and makes it obvious how talented my grandma was. After my mom passed away and my dad remarried they did some redecorating. Not wanting to hang the picture and frame anymore, they let me have it. It seems a little silly, but I don't recall living in a home where it wasn't hanging on the wall.

This turned into a pretty long post. I actually had to go back and delete several stories (actually, I copied and pasted them so you may see them down the road). Thanks for reading.

May I please recommend.....

2008-05-20T15:53:00.000-07:00

Like any man, I feel obligated to recommend any movie that threatens to bring a tear to my eye or brings a lump to my throat.

With that, I recommend that you screen "The Final Season" as soon as possible.

Here's the trailer:

I love several themes in this film.

First, the value placed in small town life. Norway is a school where kids get to do things. Not just baseball but in every activity. When consolidating their school with a bigger school was discussed someone was smart enough to point out that few if any Norway kids would get the chance to play baseball and that the average kids wouldn't even make the team. The same is true in every aspect of school and town life. I'm not anti-city but they aren't for me. Cities are full of people who live in and near them. Towns are full of people who seem to be more a part of them.

I also loved the line to the reporter about why his kids were napping on the bus rather than enthusiastic about the game. The coach pointed out that all his kids had already put in a day's work on the farm (plus went to school).

Finally, they showed ground balls and double plays, bunts and base hits. There are home runs too, but the game is won by pitching that gets ground balls and fielders who play sound and smart. Most movies don't find that flashy enough.

Flashy sells shoes. Fundamentals wins. Flashy doesn't do anything for you when you leave the game (or your game leaves you--more likely). Fundamentals install discipline that builds character. A man without character (or woman for that matter) cannot function as an adult.

Beware, the acting is average. The script is sometimes cliche. The message though.....

Best of all, it's a true story.

Totally unfair....

2008-05-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

So I've been AWOL. As baseball winds down and school gets out I've reclaimed my evenings. I was home before dark tonight and even had the chance to watch a couple of TV shows as they were broadcast.

The season finale of House was interesting enough. SPOILER ALERT! I'm going to miss Amber.

Still, I hate the cliffhangers where you don't know who's dead or alive. How dare they shoot Horatio on CSI: Miami. Except for getting rid of Calleigh that's the worst possible thing they could do! And to leave him in limbo all summer is just cruel.

If that Ryan is behind it I may shoot him myself.

I sense a creative twist. Better be one.

Newly inspired, new dreams....

2008-05-09T09:53:00.000-07:00

So, a friend of mine shared her car adventures with me yesterday (still praying something will break in you favor Kelly) which got me thinking of a few things while enjoying my millionth or so peanut butter sandwich.

Now that I'm on this big pay cash for everything kick and thinking about paying off my Corolla, what will I do when it is paid for and starts wearing out (in at least 7 more years of course).

It seems to me that having one very used vehicle is risky when you live alone and work full-time. I've always used the need for ultra-reliable transportation as an excuse for keeping a new-ish car around along with its car payment. However, seeking to save thousands, I am also seeking to keep reliable transportation available.

What about purchasing a very cheap second vehicle? The insurance on two older vehicles would be negligible and the property taxes would be likewise reduced. If one vehicle were to need a visit to the car doctor, I could always drive the other.

Then, the real daydreaming kicked in.

What if I were to pick up a used, compact pickup powered by a small diesel engine? I could convert it to run on vegetable oil pretty easily (I found several kits for under $3,000). With a tank of filtered waste vegetable oil from the Chinese restaurant down the street I would only require a couple of gallons of regular diesel fuel each week.

I did some searching of various classified ads and ebay last night just to see how hard this would be. I think I can put something together for about $5,000. Of course I'd have to find and restore the truck first and then I could work on the conversion. This sounds like an excellent project. I'll add it to my list.

Why I quit watching SportCenter (In case ESPN cares...)

2008-05-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

Actually, you could call it why I quit watching ESPN's news/highlight shows.

Home early last night, I was able to catch some baseball highlights. I usually have to read in order to keep up on diamond action until the high school season ends and I get the school year wrapped up so this seemed like it would be a little treat. All the better that I recently added HDTV to my living room. Baseball should look great this summer.

The first six clips were of home runs. The next two were of strike three calls.

First, a home run is exciting when it's unexpected. It isn't very exciting when you know what's going to happen. You could sum up every baseball highlight ESPN shows by saying, "If the batter hits the ball, home run. If he doesn't, strike out." There wasn't one double play shown. Not a single bunt. No sacrifice flies.

It's as though everyone at ESPN has forgotten why baseball is a great game.

Let me re-educate them. Baseball is a great game because highlights don't happen in single moments. The highlight is a climax of tension and pressure that builds for minutes, hours, and sometimes days.

A highlight is never a home run that makes the score 11-2 or even 7-3.

A highlight is a home run that creates a tie game or lead change. It's a home run by a hitter who was struck out by that pitcher in his previous at bat. It comes in the ninth inning. Or the twelfth. And you can't just show one swing. To only show one swing by a hitter is to gut the event of it emotional value.

For example, if game 6 of the 1975 World Series were played to day you would see Fred Lynn's homer in the first (just the one pitch) and they wouldn't bother to tell you that there were two outs or that both runners were on base with nobody out and the pitcher nearly got out of the jam. Boston 3, Cincy 0.

They would skip the most of the Reds scoring because it was just due to a boring triple, single, and double (although they may have shown a clip if Lynn had caught Ken Griffey's deep fly ball on the triple). Nobody gets an endorsement deal or commercial for an RBI double anyway. They might have shown César Gerónimo's solo homer just to let you know that the Reds eventually led 6-3.

Of course the network knows that the only place you really find baseball fans is Boston and New York so they don't want to put too many midwesterners on TV anyway.

From the summary on Wikipedia:

In the bottom of the eighth, Pedro Borbon was on the mound, with Rawly Eastwick warming up in the Reds` bullpen.
Borbon gave up a single to Fred Lynn, and then walked Rico Petrocelli. Eastwick was brought in, and proceeded to strike out Dwight Evans and retire Rick Burleson on a line-out to left, Eastwick looked on his way out of the inning.

Bernie Carbo, a former first-round pick of the Reds, who had pinch-hit a home run in Game 3, was called on to bat for Roger Moret. Sparky Anderson was on the top step of the dugout, ready to call in left-hander Will McEnaney to pitch to the left-hand hitting Carbo. Anderson said later that he was concerned that the Sox would call on Juan Beniquez to pinch hit for Carbo if he made the move.

Carbo looked hopelessly overmatched by Eastwick, and on a 2-2 pitch, fouled off a pitch on a swing that was described as having "all the athletic grace of a suburbanite raking leaves." On the next pitch, however, Carbo tied the game with a three-run home run just to the left of dead center field.

Supposedly, as Carbo approached third base on his home run trot, (it was more of a sprint) Carbo yelled out to former teammate Pete Rose, "Hey, Pete....don't you wish you were that strong?" To which Rose replied, "This is fun."

On ESPN in 2008 you would see the home run swing and then they'd play footage of fans scrambling for the ball.

No matter that there were two outs. No matter that Anderson's decision might have made a huge difference in the game. No matter that Carbo looked like an idiot up to the very pitch he hit out.

Of course we'd see Fisk's 12th inning homer. Probably 10 times. The anchors would tell us how dramatic it was because Fisk was so passionate. Because the Red Sox were supposed to be cursed. Because Fisk willed the ball fair and because it was as close to being foul as possible (striking the foul pole atop the Big Green Monster).

It was a dramatic home run. Maybe the most dramatic in baseball history. It came in one of the best games in baseball history. And you would have known it too. Because the anchor on ESPN told you so. And you can trust them.

The thing is, if they were to bother with the details that came before those three swings of the bat, you could have figured it out for yourself.

And you'd know why baseball is the greatest sport on Earth.

AUTO-biography Part II....the end.

2008-05-05T07:11:00.000-07:00

Yeah, it was supposed to be up days ago. I was busy grading case law tests all weekend. Those things are a real booger. It's too bad such an effective evaluation tool requires so much effort to put into practice.

But here is the rest. In honor of finishing up Financial Peace University I'm calling this a summary of my biggest Stupid Tax. I won't put a detailed list up because some of you still seem to think I'm a pretty smart guy. All I'll say is that I can only be sure of one thing: at least I seem to be getting smarter.

But it's been a long journey!

Make/Model/Year: Jeep Wrangler 1999
Cost: $18,900
2008 Value: $8,400
Owned for: 1 year, 1 month
Reason replaced: It averaged 15 mpg and the insurance was expensive. My dad covered both in addition to the $348/month payment while I was a senior in college. I would be taking over as soon as I collected my first paycheck in September of 2000. It’s funny how your priorities change when you start paying your own bills.
Car related memory: Everyday driving a Jeep is fun, twice the fun with the top down. For the first 6 months I had the car there was a malfunction with the odometer and gauge cluster. As you drove down the road, all of the gages would go out. At first this concerned me because I didn’t know how fast I was going. Then I realized that the odometer wasn't recording miles. In that I was driving nearly 90 miles a day while student teaching I didn’t see s problem with this. When I did trade the vehicle off I took it to the dealer first and had it fixed. A broken plastic clip kept nearly 8,000 miles off the odometer.

I probably could have kept the Jeep but having never worked full time or had to pay for 100% of my expenses before I was quite intimidated. I wanted something new but cheap.

Make/Model/Year: Saturn SL1
Cost: $12,300 (11,200 with GM employee discount)
2008 Value: $2,350
Owned for: 1 year
Reason replaced: Stupid tax. I wanted more. Fancy seats, nice stereo, sunroof, alloy wheels, and (most importantly) a manual transmission. You know, important stuff like that. Like an idiot, I traded a $180/month payment for $235. Not to mention that the little silver SL1 would have been paid for in 3 more years.
Car related memory: Not many memories in this car other than that I couldn’t believe they were willing to loan me the money without a co-signer. I hadn’t worked a steady job other than on campus in 4 years and could have easily typed the teaching contract I had in hand using Microsoft Word. No wonder banks in this country are in so much trouble with lending policies like that.

So, on my own I picked up a fully loaded, Saturn SL2. One year newer, identical in appearance, and with the right options. Stupid.

37 days later it was totaled when a kid on a beer run made a left hand turn across traffic directly in front of me. He couldn’t see me because he dropped his lighter on the floor and had bent down to pick it up. I’m thinking that wasn’t a good time to be making a left hand turn. The smokers and drinkers of the world just don’t do much to endear themselves to me.

I really did like that car and the 10 months I was on crutches and two surgeries as a result of the compound tib/fib fracture didn’t help my mood much.

After losing my down payment I was forced to pick up a more affordable vehicle after I could walk again. The used Saturn SC1 worked for about a year but I was ready for something new again. With interest rates at all time lows I picked up a little Chevy truck. Not many options but cheap. Brand new. 5 speed. And I picked up a cool set of mag wheels at a swap meet to trick it out!

I’ve become an expert on Missouri’s Lemon Law. Not for fun though. After four unsuccessful transmission repairs and a couple of engine problems I filed with the courts and forced GM to take my little red truck back.

And I swore that this time I would pay this car off before I traded it in. By this point my stupid tax had added up to thousands in lost value due to depreciation and the trading in of vehicles while I was upside down on a loan.

I bought vehicle 11, a 2003 Saturn Ion.

Make/Model/Year: Saturn Ion 2003
Cost: $18,600 ($17,130 with GM discount)
2008 Value: $3,900 (I sold it for $7,000 though!)
Owned for: 5 years, 8 months
Reason replaced: It was old (relative to my other cars—obviously not to the cars of people who are way smarter than me)
Car related memory: You make a lot of memories over 5 years. I drove this car for 131,000 miles. I had to clean white shoe polish off the windows after it was decorated by cheerleaders following out 2003 MRVC baseball championship. I drove it to my best friend’s bachelor party. 576 (approx.) people commented on how much they liked the shade of blue in the paint. I actually saw the title for this vehicle after paying the thing off.

Which leads to car 12, my little Toyota. My friends better hold me to this. Short of being totaled I need to keep this car for 8 years. I want to get my average up. I want to drive a paid for car for longer than it took to pay for it. And, thanks to some motivation from Dave Ramsey, I want to pay cash for my next new car.

I want to put the 2016 equivalent of $17,000 in $20 bills inside a briefcase, set it on the hood and pop the latches while offering it in exchange for new version of my old Corolla. Wouldn’t that be a hoot?

AUTO-biography

2008-05-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

How many vehicles have you owned?

I am thirty years old and have been driving for 16 of them (though I was pretending to drive way before that). In sixteen years of driving I have owned 12 different automobiles. Sadly 6 of them were financed by me and we only paid cash for three of them. Don't tell Dave Ramsey.

I offer the following for comparison:

Since my 14th birthday.....

I have lived in four different towns (Kansas City, Warrensburg, Grandview, and Harrisonville).
I have had three different jobs (baseball umpire, library assistant, teacher at P Hill).
I have been a party to two district championships ('07 baseball and '06 girl's basketball)--also 6 district championship games.
I have owned two televisions.
I have purchased one lawn mower.
I have earned degrees from high school, college, and two graduate degrees.
I have eaten peas ZERO times.

That's 2.75 vehicles per city, 3.6 per job, 5.5 per championship and TV, 11 per lawn mower, 2.75 per degree, and an infinite amount of vehicles per pea consumed.

My first car was a 1982 Buick Skylark. My dad bought it for me so that I could run errands and make the many trips up to the school and back for myself and sister without requiring a ride from my mother or him. It was blue. Well, it wasn't when I got it but at some point it was blue. My car was rust colored.

Make/Model/Year: Buick Skylark 1982
Cost: $400
2008 Value: $501 (and they say car values don't appreciate)
Owned for: 1 year, 3 months
Reason replaced: While driving home from school a large bump in the road dislodged the exhaust system from the manifold to the tailpipe. Upon hitting the street it immediately turned to dust. The $300 repair seemed like a poor deal.
Car related memory: Upon purchasing the car my dad and I had to repair the many rust induced holes found in the floor. We used the street signs my uncle stole as a teenager, cut them to fit, and then riveted them into place with roofing tar sandwiched between.

Lacking functional transportation and just two days away from taking my debate partner and friend Tracy to the prom, urgency was upon us. Luckily an older lady down the street was selling a Pontiac T1000, the sporty version of the fabled Chevette.

Make/Model/Year: Pontiac T1000 1981
Cost: $750
2008 Value: $1,000
Owned for: 2 years
Reason replaced: After years working a job I decided I had too much money so I traded my cheap car that never needed anything but gas for a Jeep that broke down weekly.
Car related memory: I remember driving up to see our former debate coach in a play at Winnatonka HS. Me, Trey, Vanessa, and Kristin. Combined we all weighed more than the car did (and this was at a time when every last one of us weighed less than our ideal body weight!). The car's top speed was reduced by 10mph. We got lost trying to drive home and ended up near the airport before finding a highway we recognized.

Then I bought my first the first of what will probably be many Jeeps. Oh what fun.

Make/Model/Year: Jeep Wrangler Laredo 1989
Cost: $9,000
2008 Value: $2,950
Owned for: 9 months
Reason replaced: Upon graduating from high school and making plans to have the engine rebuilt (so I could have a reliable vehicle at college) my dad offered to buy me a new car. I'm not stupid.
Car related memory: The hardtop required two people to remove or install. You had to check the weather and be sure it wasn't going to rain for a few days before taking it off. I only got caught out in the rain a few times but one spring day temperatures dropped so fast that I found myself driving home in the snow, sans top, with the heat cranked. Only in Kansas City.

Dad buys GM products because that's where he works. One day he decided to take maximum advantage of his discount by trading in his fancy truck, mom's fancy car and the used vehicles that my sister and I drove. He bought three base Cavaliers and an S-10 pickup. That salesman had a wonderful day.

Make/Model/Year: Chevrolet Cavalier 1996
Cost: $13,000
2008 Value: $2,550
Owned for: 8 months
Reason replaced: My dad needed a specific car but didn't want to not have a truck in the household. Technically he did own my car. So, it was traded in and I was assigned his former truck.
Car related memory: I was given first choice of the three Cavaliers on the lot. I chose the teal one over the blue and red cars. My choice was based entirely on one incredibly high tech item that was found only on the teal car: an in dash compact disk player. No one in my family had ever owned a car with a CD player before. Remember when these weren't standard equipment? As I was driving home I realized how careless I had been. All of the other cars had the convenience package. I realized this as I fumbled around trying to set the cruise control. My car didn't even have it installed. I'm much more careful about such details these days.

Make/Model/Year: Chevrolet S-10 1996
Cost: $18,000
2008 Value: $4,600
Owned for: 2 years, 2 months
Reason replaced: Using my awesome skills of persuasion I convinced my dad that Jeeps were a lot of fun and that he should have one to play around in. Why buy an extra vehicle when he could buy me one and just borrow it? And of course being new, it would run better than the old one we had just gotten rid of.
Car related memory: I must have driven this truck back and forth from Warrensburg 1,000 times. I drove it to Carrollton from Warrensburg one time. I was going to pick up my very good friend and all time favorite crush Jacqueline at her house. Not having a clue how to get there I brought her older sister along. After picking Elizabeth up at the Alpha Phi house we headed north. Halfway there a buck decided to commit suicide by plowing into the side of my truck! The antlers smashed my mirror and his rear end swung around and put a massive indention into the bed and knocking the rear wheels alignment out. No one was hurt but I was certainly startled. Glad I had the window rolled up. Fortunately I stopped shaking and the color returned to my face before we picked Jacqueline up.

That'll do it for now. Cars six through eleven (including all four Saturns) will come tomorrow.

New Wii game....woo hoo!

2008-04-30T19:31:00.000-07:00

So, I had a few minutes and a few dollars left in my eating out envelope for the month. I decided Wendy's sounded good last night. I also stopped by Game Stop. I've been siphoning money into a mad money account for a few months in anticipation of Mario Kart Wii coming out. I thought I'd take a chance and see if a store in Harrisonville actually had it.

What luck.

I only got to play a little last night and I won't have time tonight but so far it's a blast. It's the best Wii game I've played since Zelda. I'm more of a sports and racing game type anyhow. I recommend picking a copy up. I'll need to find some extra cash to pick up a second Wii wheel for guests and then you're all welcome to stop by and race.

I'm a winner!

2008-04-23T20:28:00.001-07:00

Hooray for Ebay!

With a mere $9 I was able to add to my autograph collection this evening.

I first saw The Bangles perform in 2000 (a few weeks after graduating from college). I was a little too young to be a huge fan the first time they were together. However, I was the hugest fan of Susanna Hoffs (back, middle of the picture scanned above--the hottest one obviously) during those formative early teen years. It was a rare departure from my country music roots but 94.1 KFKF was playing a lot of Billy Ray Cyrus at the time and not many girls with guitars were making the charts.

I saw Susanna twice when I was in high school but never was able to get that elusive autograph.

Got one now though!

I always liked "Eternal Flame" since it featured my favorite Bangle. I found this for your listening pleasure:

Of course there were a few other Bangles songs. If you are too young to remember them, you've probably still heard this one:

You have to be careful with that last song though. It will be stuck in your head until you go insane.

For my next post: An analysis of the nuttiest TV show ever, "Wife Swap"! Stay tuned!

Boom dee odda, boom dee odda, Boom dee odda, boom dee odda

2008-04-15T19:18:00.000-07:00

I love the Discovery Channel.

Mythbusters with my buddy Jamie and one of my favorite red heads, Kari;

Deadliest Catch;

Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe;

Man vs. Wild with Bear Grylls;

And so many others. No other network get such great high definition shots of such incredibly cool and interesting things. Sometimes I get incredibly frustrated when my kids don't show any interest at all in how nature, the world, and people work. How can you see all of the things around us and not thirst to know and understand more about this Earth?

Maybe it's just me or maybe it's my faith and belief in a divine creation but I am just fascinated by the things I see around me.

The Discovery Channel has been running the following promotion video for itself. I've never known a commercial to capture my thoughts better. It's sad but I actually have an emotional response to it!

Nostalgic?

2008-04-09T19:21:00.000-07:00

After a rain out freed me up to go to my small group tonight my small group was called off due to illness and a large number of people not being able to attend our study! Forced home for an evening and unable to mow the lawn (April showers if you must know) I relaxed on the couch with a movie. I think I could have made a better choice. "Music & Lyrics" was on. I loved that movie the first time I saw it as it was a respectful parody of the 80's (a.k.a. the greatest decade to grow up in).

While the film is mostly happy it did leave me filling a little blue. Not too bad really, but certainly on the melancholy side. It was the first romantic film I went to with Christie. If things had worked out, it would have been our movie. There's a kind of added bonus in that because most of the guys I know who have "a" song or movie with their significant other don't really like said item of couplehood all that much. I loved this movie.

To be honest, I'm not sure sad really is the right word. I just think I've been missing being with someone I care deeply about. Loving someone, it seems, is good for your soul. The movie's theme song proves somewhat ironic in my case.

I still think it is wonderful. And no, sad isn't the right word. It's the memories of happy moments that make us miss someone.

So then I find a link to the following video. Do you remember "Kids Incorporated" from Saturday mornings? My sister and I never missed an episode! Of course everyone's favorite was Stacy (better known today as Fergie). I always had a thing for Renee though. She was always the smart one. Go figure, I pick a video that features her.

That youtube. Awesome.

'Cause I'm a Jayhawk!

2008-04-08T17:35:00.000-07:00

Last night's game might have been the best game I have ever seen!

To come back from nine points down in under 2 minutes is amazing. As usual I spent most of the game on the edge of my seat. By the time Memphis pulled even in the second half I was pacing the floor. Down nine I was frustrated and feeling defeated.

I believe. Don't get me wrong. I've been around sport enough to know that "it's not over, 'till its over." Still, I also know the odds.

Then it happened.

Brick! Brick! Brick!

By the time Mario's final regulation shot was in the air that adrenalin based feeling you get when you know you're going to win was in full force.

I would like to apologize to my neighbors. That scream of joy that they heard just after 10pm was me.

What a blast.

I never got to post my "Why I don't hate Roy" blog entry. I understood why head went home. The sad effect his leaving has had on me is that I'm incredibly apprehensive about losing coach Self to Oklahoma State. But, I'm dealing with those.

Many of my friends are MU fans. Some couldn't enjoy the game last night. I feel kind of bad for them.

You see, aside from my favorite teams, the teams I know best are their rivals. And it's always fun to root for people you know. Thus, I am able to root for the, ahem, Tigers when they aren't playing the Jayhawks. I even tend to. I particularly favor the Big 12 and more than that, the old members of the Big 8. Sadly there's no way to convince the Memphis fans that last night's game was one for the ages, an instant classic. That's the downside of fandom.

All I can tell them is to hang in there. If you have a really good program, it'll happen. We only had to wait 20 years here!

Beak Em Hawks!

2008-04-05T21:05:00.000-07:00

Oh the emotions. Up then down. Stress. Strain. Finally, calm.

Until Monday.

ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK everyone!

Go KU!

CSI:Miami

2008-04-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a couple of late baseball games I didn't get to watch CSI:Miami Monday or part 2 of the special episode last night.

Thank you DVR.

After our small group study (Tony Evans is awesome if you didn't know) I came home and watched both episodes. These were the most awesome episodes ever. Horatio Cain is the best TV cop ever. He's like a combination of Columbo, Spencer for Hire, Sledge Hammer, Mannix, and Andy Taylor all in one.

Add in Calleigh Duquesne and I think we're talking greatest cop show ever. Is it bad that I get jealous every time she gets a new romantic interest?

A little March madness?

2008-04-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

fa·nat·ic: a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal, as in religion or politics

That’s the definition from dictionary.com. It seems pretty accurate except that they left out sports.

It is March Madness time. I’ve postponed the long summer of entries about baseball for just a little while longer so that I could write about one other thing that is dear to my heart, Kansas Jayhawks basketball.

“a person”

That would be me. I am a person.

“extreme”

You can see at least one Jayhawk from any point inside my home. Usually two. At one point in my hallway you can locate nine.

“uncritical”

I suppose if you tallied all the comments I made about Missouri players getting arrested or suspended and compared them to the number of like comments about Kansas players you could call me uncritical.

I don’t think that’s what the definition is going for though. I became a Kansas basketball fan shortly after discovering basketball itself. We lived six miles from Lawrence and the big story was Danny Manning choosing to come back and play basketball for his senior year.

That was right before the Danny and the Miracles season where #6 seed Kansas knocked of #1 seed Oklahoma to win the national title. Anyone could be a Kansas fan then.

Uncritical: Larry Brown left. I was a Kansas fan. Roy Williams won 19 games his first year. I was a Kansas fan. A second round loss to UTEP? Still a fan. Roy leaves? Defeats by Bucknell and Bradley? No matter.

That is uncritical. The program is bigger than any part of it.

“enthusiasm or zeal”

Would that be like shouting at my TV in order to help my team win? What about playing “I’m a Jayhawk” as my phone ringtone?

In honor of their latest appearance in the Final Four I give you my fanatical credentials. For my fellow fanatics I have my top FOUR KU basketball memories and for those of you who don’t share my affliction (and to the joy of Mizzou fans everywhere) I will also give my bottom FOUR KU moments. At least then everyone will get something out of this blog entry!

Bottom #4: March 1992

UTEP defeats #1 seed Kansas 66-60. I’ve watched the game since then and with my current knowledge of the game I can say that the Miners executed a brilliant game plan perfectly (the same one almost knocked off Cincinnati a week later). This loss hurt. The ’92 team featured some of my favorite players of all time (Rex Walters, Adonis Jordan, Richard Scott, Steve Woodberry) and was the most dominating Kansas team I have ever seen. I confess, I watched the game with a sense of formality. The real challenges wouldn’t come until the later rounds. The Final Four was inevitable. Without this loss I might not have been able to survive first round losses to Bucknell and Bradley.

Top #4: February 8, 1998

Kansas defeats Missouri 80-70 and gets its record 58th straight win at home. This moment was memorable because it marked the only time in my undergraduate years that the housing staff had to write me up for a noise infraction. Jeff Calloway and I watched the game together in my dorm room and I’m pretty sure they could hear us in Lawrence. I don’t think it helped that our CA that year was a Mizzou fan.

Bottom #3: January 30, 2008

#22 Kansas State defeats #2 Kansas 84-75. Not really depressing because Kansas State had a lot of talent this year and that Michael Beasley is pretty dang good. Still, like a 200 game home winning streak, there was a certain amount of pride in the fact that since opening Bramlage 25 years ago, K-State hadn’t beaten the Jayhawks in Manhattan. I suppose all streaks end eventually. Wouldn’t it be cool if KU could win 24 straight at Mizzou?

Top #3: January 4, 2006

Kansas defeats Yale 87-46. Most people wouldn’t consider it a memorable game but this was the first time I got to see the Jayhawks play while personally being IN Allen Fieldhouse. A few times in Kemper were cool but there was something inherently wrong with the fact that I’d seen them more times at the Hearnes Center than on their own campus.

Bottom #2: March 1, 2006

I’m cheating here because, like most fans, I don’t remember that many low-lights. I could mention the NCAA tournament losses to Bucknell or Bradley, Virginia Tech or Villanova, Rhode Island or Syracuse, Arizona or UCLA. I fear I wouldn’t be able to write about Duke without cursing (and we can’t have that). But I’ve covered defeat.

Let’s talk about real loss.

This was the final regular season, home broadcast by the great Max Falkenstein. Over 60 years and 1,750 basketball games including every game in Allen Fieldhouse (not to mention 650 football games) Max was the voice of the Jayhawks. Listening to a game on the radio over the last couple of years has just sounded incredibly odd (Much like Royals baseball doesn’t sound right on the radio without Denny Matthews).

As a side note, I’m related to Max (distantly). He’s one of my maternal grandmother’s cousins. My family also used to bank at the Douglas County Bank where he worked for 23 years.

Max is the only non-athlete to have a jersey retired in his honor at Allen Fieldhouse. Even sadder, that dreaded loss to Bradley would be his final broadcast of a Kansas basketball game.

Top #2: April 13, 1988

It was a Wednesday. I had won a drawing with a few of my fellow classmates in Mrs. Coon’s 4th grade classroom. We had put a few of our reward tickets into a box hoping to win that month’s raffle. The winning students went bowling and had ice crème with Mrs. Coon the following week. It just so happened that the parade down Massachusetts Street in honor of the national champion Jayhawks would be the same day we were planning to go bowling. Another fan in my class, Kristen Dymacek (surely I misspelled her name, sorry!) had won too and Mrs. Coon decided to change our plans. That afternoon we got to go to the parade instead and I got to see the whole team up close.

Bottom #1: Monday, April 14, 2003

This was the day that Roy Williams announced he was leaving Kansas to coach at North Carolina. I don’t hold grudges but I distinctly remember being sick all day. I suppose it’s a form of selfishness or maybe pride (I’d like to think it’s really just that I have a better grasp on history) but I get ticked off when I feel like the place where I came from gets slighted or disrespected.

The man who invented basketball was the worst coach in Kansas history. The man who invented basketball coaching has his name on the fieldhouse where the Jayhawks play. Phog Allen taught Dean Smith how to coach (Adolph Rupp as well you Kentucky fans!). He was also the head basketball coach at the greatest university in the country (that’s right, from 1912-1919 Phog Allen was the head coach at Central Missouri State Teacher’s College, predecessor of Central Missouri State University, now the University of Central Missouri. In case you were wondering, his record was 84-31). So yeah, it makes you feel a little disrespected even if you understand the reasons why someone might leave. You get over it after a day or two.

Usually I get over it.

I still refuse to order a New York Strip steak. I’m sorry. That’s a Kansas City Strip steak, thank you.

I am glad coach Williams won a national title, wish him no personal ill will, and I hope we beat the ever-living crap out of his boys on Saturday.

Top #1: April 4, 1988

Obviously this was the night that Kansas defeated Oklahoma 83-79 and won the NCAA Tournament. I watched the game at my family’s house in Eudora, KS. It was the first year I filled out a bracket (having gotten one in the Sports Illustrated subscription I received for Christmas—yes, I got a sneaker phone). Today, the following week’s magazine featured the cover story (Oh, Danny-Boy!) on the game and it proudly hangs, framed, on my study wall. It’s doubly cool that the subscription label has my name on it along with my address at the time (1214 Maple Street). Plans were immediately made to harass my gifted education teacher, Ms. Wintermantle, because she was a K-State fan (KU had defeated a #4 seeded K-State team in the regional final just after we had gone on spring break). When we went to class that day she had written “No KU comments” on the chalkboard. We gave her some Jayhawk head gear (think Green Bay cheese head only shaped like a Jayhawk).

Alright now that I’ve got everyone up to date, BEAK ‘EM HAWKS!

Thoughts on the housing crunch....

2008-03-31T15:30:00.000-07:00

So I’m watching TLC, one of probably four television channels I can’t live without (the others being The History Channel, The Discovery Channel, and Food Network). “My First Home” was on. This show introduces you to a first time home buyer and the agent who is helping them find the perfect property. Last night’s episode was a perfect example of why our housing and finance markets are in such a dire position.

First, meet our buyer. She is a 25 year-old dental assistant. She has no money for a down payment, three student loans, and a new car (a Lexus, financed of course). She insists on a three bedroom home, a garage, and one in a “nice” neighborhood.

When the bank approves our buyer for $150,000 she immediately calls an agent who begins showing her properties.

Next, meet our agent who gets paid on commission. Obviously, the more expensive the property being sold/bought—the bigger her cut. Does she care if the buyer can’t afford her payments? Of course not! She gets her commission and moves on. She begins by showing the buyer a few more disgusting properties in her price range. The buyer becomes discouraged at the prospect of living in any of them and vows to give up and return to living with her parents.

After convincing the buyer that she needs to be looking at more expensive properties, the agent gets her in touch with a different lender. This lender uses multiple and adjustable rate mortgages to find a way to finance up to $190,000. The mortgage agent doesn’t care if the borrower can pay the loan back either. He gets paid on commission as well!

New price in-tow, our buyer finds herself looking at beautiful $190,000 properties, falls in love with one, and signs on the dotted line. With two mortgages (plus her student loans and car loan) our buyer, with a smile on her face, points out that she only has about $300 in expendable income after paying her debts. But, she’s happy because she has this wonderful house.

Our real estate agent is happy with her commission. Our mortgage agent is happy with his.

And then…..

The bubble bursts. What happens when our home-owner’s adjustable mortgage jumps up after two years (the credits say the footage was shot in 2006 so this probably just happened)? Assuming her income didn’t jump at 8 or 9% over the last couple of years it’s easy to see that her $300 in expendable income is going to shrink dramatically. Considering that the first thing she did after she bought her house was whip out the credit card to purchase some furniture, I’m thinking she’s going to be in a bit of trouble.

It isn’t just the buyer who is going to feel this though. When the banks start taking losses they are sure to cut off the steady flow of credit. Unable to make a deal for new buyers the mortgage agent and buying agent aren’t going to find as many customers.

I do try to be compassionate when fate deals a bad hand to people. There are victims in this crisis. I just find it hard to feel sorry for people who purchased more home than they could afford simply because someone was willing to loan them the money. I went through this buying my own house. Both the banker and my agent tried to convince me that a more expensive house was a better investment, that a couple hundred dollars each month wasn’t much more of a payment.

I’m sorry, but someone earning $40,000 a year just shouldn’t be purchasing a $190,000 house. And, to be honest, that the bank was willing to loan me that amount is insane!

I don’t feel sorry for the banks and other lending agents either. I usually suffer for my failures and learn a valuable lesson in the process. I expect them to do the same.

I don’t see why I, the taxpayer, should bail them out (remember, if the government bails the banks out and saves the borrower, it does so with our money). I’m already suffering due to slow wage growth and decreased value in my own home. I don’t see how a tax-increase on top of that is fair. The ripple from this crisis will be widespread and substantially disruptive. Using tax dollars to block it today will only postpone the crisis and make it worse in the long run. Better to take it on the chin now so we can start the process of getting back on our feet.

Go Team

2008-03-28T19:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Oklahoma!

This season our baseball program decided to skip out on the Missouri Wooden Bat Classic in Farmington. A much more affordable option was a little round-robin against a couple of teams in Oklahoma. We were also hoping to get to play under slightly warmer conditions. Yeah, that didn't happen.

Still, no negatives here. The guys played the best they've looked this spring. We defeated a pretty solid team from Jay, OK 3-2 behind some pretty stellar pitching and timely hitting. It feels good to get a solid win. Hopefully we'll keep it going tomorrow.

Next week baseball season starts for the Royals and the rest of the major leagues. This is always the best time of year. So many great things happen. The grass turns green. We're only eight weeks from the end of the school year. Summer's around the corner!

I'm going to keep this one short because Kansas if playing tonight and I want to be sure and catch the game. Go Roosters and Jayhawks!

I'll do my best to come up with a good, inspired entry later this weekend.

You call this spring?

2008-03-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

Just judging from the weather I have to ask, "What are you all planning for Thanksgiving?"

Our baseball season is underway and we've yet to play a game where long-johns and a couple layers of sweatshirts weren't mandatory. That's cut down on the blogging but there's still plenty going on.

I'm halfway through Financial Peace University. The last lesson was on insurance and made it really obvious how little I know about that topic. I've never needed much since I'm the only one I'm responsible for but, with any luck, I'll know what to do if anyone is ever depending on me.

I've been listening to Dave Ramsey's radio show in the evenings. Today a guy called in who brought home about $4000 each month and had a $2800 house payment. I'm thinking, "What idiot gave him a loan that big?" Holy cow!

This weekend we're off to Oklahoma for a tournament. The idea: It's usually warmer and drier in Oklahoma so we'll go there early in the season and get some games in. It was 72 degrees there today.

Tomorrow's forecast: 53 degrees and a 60% chance of rain.

Perfect. Typical. Remind me not to play the lottery this week!

Routine.....

2008-03-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

So, after I get home this evening I decide "what the heck, let's exercise a little." I know, hard to believe. Gotta get my sexy shape back though so I can impress the ladies. Or something like that. Besides, it's over 50 degrees and I felt like going for a walk/jog.

Anyway, after I get all sweaty and such I decided a shower was in order before heading to bed. I took my contacts out before jumping in.

Typically my morning routine goes....

Wake up,
pray,
shave/check email,
shower,
put in contacts,
dress,
eat Cheerios,
drive to work......

How habitual is that routine?

Admittedly sleepy, I took a wonderful hot shower, jumped out, and immediately put my contacts in. I went to the kitchen and grabbed a bowl before I remembered it was really bed time. Luckily I didn't get around to driving to work!

Sometimes, it not as much work as you would think...

2008-03-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the basketball awards banquet. Each year we get together after the season and pass out letters and awards to our players and cheerleaders. This was my first season as the junior varsity coach after three years at the middle school and two as the freshman coach.

This years seniors entered the program with me as 7th graders, two of the young ladies playing for me this year were also on my team when they were in the 7th grade, and each of them played for one of the freshman teams that I coached. As I think back over the years, we've had a lot of success. It's easy to forget that when you have a 3-19 season.

The core of this year's JV team was the 9th grade team I coached last year. Many of them were also on my coaching trial-by-fire JV softball team in the fall. Having exactly zero hours as a softball coach it was comforting to know I had such a hard-working group around for my rookie season. Add in a few other fun basketball types and we had an equally hard working group of 10 ladies (plus a few freshman once in a while) for basketball.

Sometimes you get tired of teaching, grading, scouting, watching film, and even coaching in general. You don't get tired of spending time with these girls though.

I hope they aren't mocking my steady diet of granola bars and carrot sticks but after cutting way back on the junk food I must thank them for the year's supply of candy bars. I'm not sure how many white board erasers I lost this year. Or how many shirts I ruined after I lost each one. Sometime it took hours to get the ink off my fingers. Sometimes I couldn't find anything to erase the board with at all. thanks for pretending like whatever crazy play I was drawing up might actually work. Gratefully, it appears that the first eraser next year is on you ladies. I'll do my best not to leave it in strange locker room somewhere.

Spring until tomorrow.....

2008-03-14T14:39:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful week. Snow is obviously in the forecast for tomorrow!

Today we had a half day and that meant practice was over by about 1:30. Home while the sun was still up I decided to take care of a few spring-time chores. These are things I always look forward to.

1. Remove the plastic that has been stretched over my interior windows since October. The house just needs to breath a little (now that it won't be breathing sub-zero air anyway). With the dust vacuumed from the window sills it's nice to feel a warm breeze wafting through the house!

2. Fertilizer and crab grass treatment. With the rain (or snow) to help soak it in over the weekend the lawn should green up and need a trim in about three weeks. I can't wait to see the fruits of my extensive weeding and reseeding from last fall!

3. Better give the mower a tune-up too then! New air filter, oil change, and sharpen the blade. I'm not quite as thorough as my dad so I'm not applying expensive car wax (but then again my Wal-mart push mower isn't as fancy as his John Deere).

4. My favorite, clean the grill. A little oven cleaner and the chrome rack is shining like new and ready for the first steak or burger of the year. If I didn't have leftover spaghetti I'd christen the thing tonight. The spaghetti is a Rachel Ray recipe though and I've been anticipating for the second sampling of it since I finished eating the first two nights ago!

Not bad for an afternoon!

Scalia Commentary, Part 1

2008-03-07T07:52:00.000-08:00

NOTE: Wow, as I am pouring through my notes from the Scalia lecture I have found that there is an enormous mass of material I want to comment on. I’m inserting this note at nearly the halfway point. I may have to break this into parts like another blogger I found. Be prepared for a “to be continued.”

The topic of Justice Scalia’s lecture on Tuesday night was constitutional interpretation. Specifically, he discussed what it means to be an originalist and why that is the only viewpoint he considers viable. I must say that his lecture was very influential and persuasive. I have always viewed myself as falling close to the originalist camp but I am certain that in the future I will be more aware of the consequences that come with any opinion that falls outside the realm of originalism.

I will place my recollection of Justice Scalia’s words in italics below. They are not quotes exactly because my note taking skills (especially in the area of dictation) are not as sharp since I stopped being a professional student and started being a teacher. I did the best I could. I found a transcript of an older Scalia speech on the same topic that helped. If you were there and feel there are contextual errors, feel free to help me fix them.

I am one of a small number of judges, small number of anybody — judges, professors, lawyers — who are known as originalists. Our manner of interpreting the Constitution is to begin with the text, and to give that text the meaning that it bore when it was adopted by the people. I’m not a “strict constructionist,” despite the introduction. I don’t like the term “strict construction.” I do not think the Constitution, or any text should be interpreted either strictly or sloppily; it should be interpreted reasonably.

Thus we have our definition of an originalist. The first portion of the lecture dealt with identifying what it meant to be an originalist and how that effected Justice Scalia’s interpretation of the constitution.

Oh, one other example about how not just the judges and scholars believed in originalism, but even the American people. Consider the 19th Amendment, which is the amendment that gave women the vote. It was adopted by the American people in 1920. Why did we adopt a constitutional amendment for that purpose? The Equal Protection Clause existed in 1920; it was adopted right after the Civil War.

And you know that if the issue of the franchise for women came up today, we would not have to have a constitutional amendment. Someone would come to the Supreme Court and say, “Your Honors, in a democracy, what could be a greater denial of equal protection than denial of the franchise?”

And the Court would say, “Yes! Even though it never meant it before, the Equal Protection Clause means that women have to have the vote.”

But that’s not how the American people thought in 1920. In 1920, they looked at the Equal Protection Clause and said, “What does it mean?” Well, it clearly doesn’t mean that you can’t discriminate in the franchise — not only on the basis of sex, but on the basis of property ownership, on the basis of literacy. None of that is unconstitutional. And therefore, since it wasn’t unconstitutional, and we wanted it to be, we did things the good old fashioned way and adopted an amendment.

This is probably one of the biggest gripe I have with the left today. It’s not that all of their ideas are so terrible (most maybe, not all). It’s just that they are being lazy about making their agenda policy. Simply concentrating the power of government into the hands of the legislative branch is the most efficient way to handle things. No argument here. However, the instability of it would be devastating. What is legal one year may not be the next. The legislature would change course as frequently as the public who elected them.

Try planning for your retirement in that climate!

Following his description of originalism he shared a few thoughts on the opposing view, that of the living constitution.

Now, in asserting that originalism used to be orthodoxy, I do not mean to imply that judges did not distort the Constitution now and then, of course they did. We had willful judges then, and we will have willful judges until the end of time. But the difference is that prior to the last 50 years or so, prior to the advent of the “Living Constitution,” judges did their distortions the good old fashioned way, the honest way — they lied about it. They said the Constitution means such and such, when it never meant such and such.

It’s a big difference that you now no longer have to lie about it, because we are in the era of the evolving Constitution. And the judge can simply say, “Oh yes, the Constitution didn’t used to mean that, but it does now.” We are in the age in which not only judges, not only lawyers, but even school children have come to learn the Constitution changes. I have grammar school students come into the Court now and then, and they recite very proudly what they have been taught: “The Constitution is a living document.” You know, it morphs.

A couple of times a reference was made to the British system of government. As their legal traditions are closest to our own, this is a good comparison. Their constitution though is not recorded. It is not written down. When the want to change something, give the people some new right, or take an old one away they must simply vote to do so with a simple majority. If the Founding Fathers had felt this was a good idea, they might have just copied the British system as they were certainly familiar with it. But no, they felt that some rights were “unalienable” and they preferred a constitution that had more stability. Thus the need for a Supreme Court in the first place. And the need for an amendment process.

And look here, we have both.

What are the arguments usually made in favor of the Living Constitution? As the name of it suggests, it is a very attractive philosophy, and it’s hard to talk people out of it — the notion that the Constitution grows. The major argument is the Constitution is a living organism, it has to grow with the society that it governs or it will become brittle and snap.

This is the equivalent of, an anthropomorphism equivalent to what you hear from your stockbroker, when he tells you that the stock market is resting for an assault on the 11,000 level. The stock market panting at some base camp. The stock market is not a mountain climber and the Constitution is not a living organism for Pete’s sake; it’s a legal document, and like all legal documents, it says some things, and it doesn’t say other things.

After a few more wonderful analogies the Justice made his point. The appeal of the “living constitution” is that it means whatever you want it to mean at the time. The nice thing about that is that when you change your mind, the meaning of the constitution changes with it.

That is, as long as the Supreme Court’s mind changed too.

What expression is protected by the first amendment? Well, according to the living constitution argument it would be whatever speech the majority of the nine justices felt like protecting. Think on that for a minute.

If we got five people who really couldn’t stand rap music on the Supreme Court we could have rap music banned for good.

I think I’m talking myself out of this originalism thing.

Then again, I know at least five people who cannot stand country music. Thankfully only one of them is going to law school!

Another major point that Justice Scalia made concerned social beliefs. He pointed out that the originalism/living constitution issue was not a conservative vs. liberal battle (though he did later say that it is quite a chore to find a liberal originalist). This next paraphrase is a little long but it was the one that sparked the longest discussion among my high school students on the ride home.

Conservatives are willing to grow the Constitution to cover their favorite causes just as liberals are, and the best example of that is two cases we announced some years ago on the same day, the same morning.

One case was Romer v. Evans, in which the people of Colorado had enacted an amendment to the state constitution by plebiscite, which said that neither the state nor any subdivision of the state would add to the protected statuses against which private individuals cannot discriminate. The usual ones are race, religion, age, sex, disability and so forth. Would not add sexual preference — somebody thought that was a terrible idea, and, since it was a terrible idea, it must be unconstitutional. Brought a lawsuit, it came to the Supreme Court. And the Supreme Court said, “Yes, it is unconstitutional.” On the basis of — I don’t know. The Sexual Preference Clause of the Bill of Rights, presumably. And the liberals loved it, and the conservatives gnashed their teeth.

The very next case we announced is a case called BMW v. Gore. Not the Gore you think; this is another Gore. Mr. Gore had bought a BMW, which is a car supposedly advertised at least as having a superb finish, baked seven times in ovens deep in the Alps, by dwarfs. And his BMW apparently had gotten scratched on the way over. They did not send it back to the Alps, they took a can of spray-paint and fixed it. And he found out about this and was furious, and he brought a lawsuit. He got his compensatory damages, a couple of hundred dollars — the difference between a car with a better paint job and a worse paint job — plus $2 million against BMW for punitive damages for being a bad actor, which is absurd of course, so it must be unconstitutional.

BMW appealed to my Court, and my Court said, “Yes, it’s unconstitutional.” In violation of, I assume, the Excessive Damages Clause of the Bill of Rights. And if excessive punitive damages are unconstitutional, why aren’t excessive compensatory damages unconstitutional? So you have a federal question whenever you get a judgment in a civil case. Well, that one the conservatives liked, because conservatives don’t like punitive damages, and the liberals gnashed their teeth.

I dissented in both cases because I say, “A pox on both their houses.” It has nothing to do with what your policy preferences are; it has to do with what you think the Constitution is.

I’ve decided to end part one here. Justice Scalia next went into how the “living constitution” line of thinking could be used to limit people’s rights as effectively as it expands them using a discussion of the confrontation clause. After that he would plow into the great risks and drawbacks of a living constitution.
I regret that my legal pad was full just as we got into the lecture so I don’t have many notes from the extensive period when the Justice took questions. There were a few dandies there.

Hopefully part II will be up this weekend!

If you can't wait, I stumbled across another blogger who attended the lecture. Her commentary was interesting and she is working her way through her notes also.

Baby Step #2....it's official!

2008-03-06T19:02:00.000-08:00

I've been attending my Financial Peace University courses for a month now. I honestly can't believe how motivated I am by a little motivational speech and a lot of common sense. I am pretty much convinced that everyone needs to give Dave Ramsey 13 weeks to change your life. I'm totally not the kind of guy who buys into this sort of thing.

I recently finished baby step #1 which is to place $1,000 into an emergency fund. Eventually I hope to save a full year of expenses but for now I'm ready to focus on eliminating my debt.

Thanks to my tax return I was able to retire everything except for my house, car, and the TV I bought when things started to get bad with my last relationship. Is it bad that the biggest threat to my new debt-free lifestyle is another failed relationship?

I'm on to baby step #2 which is to retire all debt except my house. If I stay on target I will reach that point in 27 months. I'm beginning to regret buying my car this summer. I still love it and I do need better than reliable transportation but 21 of those 27 months will be dedicated to making 2-3 car payments.

I still worry a little bit about inflation. If the school district does as they intend my annual teaching salary will increase by $700 before taxes while my coaching salary should increase by around $75. Assuming the school's career ladder program is added I would be able to replace $875 of pay for coaching the academic team with $1,500 for career ladder. In the end, that amounts to almost a 2.7% increase in dollars. Thanks to inflation, that's about a 1.4% decrease in actual value though. I think I can maintain my current debt reduction program if I can find a few areas to cut my spending or possibly work a job in addition to summer school this year.

I suppose I have plenty of time to think on it.

I am very encouraged by the new requirement in Missouri for high school students to take a course in personal finance so that they can understand some of these money issues. I continue to express interest in teaching that course but they seem set on using a business teacher. I just hope it is someone who has enough life experience to help the kids avoid the many mistakes so many of us make in our 20's. It would be such a waste if the course ended up being something the kids just blow off or waltz through.

Scalia!

2008-03-04T20:54:00.000-08:00

Sometime tomorrow I hope to write a long entry detailing my wonderful lecture tonight. The kids had a great time and I'm very glad I decided to take them along. I had a great time both hearing one of the men I most respect and admire speak not to mention spending the evening in my favorite town ever (Warrensburg, MO for those of you who didn't already know). Justice Scalia was incredible.

Details to follow!

Let's be a little more light-hearted today!

2008-03-04T04:15:00.000-08:00

How about a lighter note today? I found the article I mentioned yesterday on Sunday but was too happy about the weather to comment on it. I found this one at the same time and thought it might produce a little balance.

Apparently 29 middle schoolers decided to protest the short lunch period at their school (as someone who gets 22 minutes--less in reality I can understand). They did so by paying for their lunch in all pennies. At $2 each, they paid 5,800 pennies which weighed 32 pounds. The delay caused by counting forced the lunch line to a stand still. The students were given detentions for their actions though when I checked back on the story this morning the district had withdrawn the punishment.

I can assure you that most students have a few very real complaints where their school lunch is concerned. Some kids like to whine so much that no one listens to them anymore but there's a reason why I brown bag my lunch on a daily basis. I also admit that these kids may have missed a few steps in their non-violent, non-cooperation efforts but you can't expect 8th graders to reason like Gandhi. I have yet to find a single adult taking responsibility for planting this idea in the kid's heads and that is what impresses me.

I would have started with a boycott myself even though it takes longer and they should have given warning to the administration that at least included their demands. I get that part. Still, you have to give them credit for the idea. Doing such a thing most definitely exaggerated their point. If the lunch staff couldn't even count the lunch money in the time allowed to eat, maybe they don't have enough time for lunch!

So this is what really happened.....

2008-03-03T17:45:00.000-08:00

Thank goodness we have French actresses to keep us informed. I was shocked when I found this article. I quoted the main points brought up by Oscar winning actress, Marion Cotillard, for you here.

"I think we're lied to about a number of things," Cotillard said, singling out the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center as an example of the US making up horror stories for political ends.

Referring to the two passenger jets being flown into the Twin Towers, Cotillard said:

"We see other towers of the same kind being hit by planes. Are they burned? They [sic] was a tower, I believe it was in Spain, which burnt for 24 hours. It never collapsed. None of these towers collapsed. And there [in New York], in a few minutes, the whole thing collapsed."

She added that the towers, planned in the early Sixties, were an outdated "money-sucker" that would have cost more to modernise than to rebuild altogether, which is why they were destroyed.

She said: "It was a money-sucker because they were finished, it seems to me, by 1973, and to re-cable all that, to bring up-to-date all the technology and everything, it was a lot more expensive, that work, than destroying them."

Later on she pointed out that she doesn't believe everything she hears but I'm wondering just what she rejects considering that she's implying the US brought down the World Trade Center because it would cost to much to rewire it for the 21st century.

She also implied later on in the article that man never landed on the moon.

And people wonder why I have no respect for the majority of people in Hollywood. I suppose she's entitled to her own opinion but the mountain of evidence showing the World Trade Center was brought down by Islamic terrorists is pretty substantial. I think she's going to need to bring a little more than her opinion to the table on this one.

I'm certainly glad I didn't pay a dime to see whatever movie it was that she was in.

Irregardless of your feelings on the war in Iraq I just don't see how any thinking person can conclude that the WTC was destroyed by anyone other than Islamic terrorists. She points out that lots of buildings burn but don't collapse while ignoring the fact that the planes did structural damage to the building and that the fires were many times hotter due to all the jet fuel that was spilled.

It's as bad as Rosie's claim that fire doesn't melt steel making me wonder just how they get it into liquid form so that they can form it.

Maybe she had better stick to acting.

See last entry....

2008-03-02T20:12:00.000-08:00

Lightening. Thunder. I look out the window. Snow.

This kind of weather is familiar. I read about it in a book. Exodus.

Tomorrow: Frogs.

For why this is so ironic, look at the entry I posted 8 hours ago.

Can you say heaven sent?

2008-03-02T10:47:00.000-08:00

I just can't think of a better way to describe today.

I had to run back into the house before I could head to church this morning because I needed my sunglasses. By the time our worship service was completed the temperature had climbed to 74 degrees!

Today was the first day made perfect for opening the sunroof, rolling down the windows and going for a drive. On my way out of the parking lot Freebird cues up on the iPod and I didn't have a choice but to head out of town with the wind in my hair (well, what hair I have) and enjoy the afternoon.

The high tomorrow will be about 30! Welcome to Missouri!

Still,let me offer a prayer of thanks for the preview!

Hope it was just as lovely in your part of the world!

WFB; November 24, 1925-February 27, 2008

2008-02-27T18:55:00.000-08:00

It is strange how losing a famous individual can have an impact on your mood. It's not a frequent thing as the value of any given man or woman can be as diverse as the millions of people who make that individual famous.

Today the conservative movement lost its most intellectual voice in William F. Buckley, Jr. He stormed onto the scene with the publication of "God and Men at Yale" and then founded the news magazine where conservative thought was recorded exclusively for the next twenty years, National Review. I remember reading his books when I first became politically aware during my high school years. I often wondered if I would ever be as intelligent as he was. How does one develop such wit and wisdom. I may have to live beyond his 82 years.

Buckley is probably most famous outside of conservative circles for this exchange with Gore Vidal in 1968:

I remember watching his Firing Line debates with numerous far more capable opponents and being amazed at his ability to calmly reason with so many of them. The above book cover is from one of my favorite Buckley non-fiction titles which is full of the many letters and discussions he had with National Review readers over the years.

If you're interested in a more advanced piece of rhetoric, I recommend the following Firing Line discussion from 1969:

Caution! Don't try this!

2008-02-26T16:41:00.000-08:00

Last Easter the all-time best Easter candy, the marshmallow peep, was given limited release as a sugar free candy. This year they have gone national. I found a package at the store recently and decided to give them a try. Despite my diet, I have to allow myself at least one package of Peeps each week during the run up to Easter. They're fat free at least!

Anyhow, this particular sugar free candy is something of a miracle when you consider that peeps are about 99% sugar and corn syrup with the remainder being gelatin. Anxious to see if the Splenda miracle could be extended into the world of Peeps I took my first bite.

Yuck. Eating a sugar free marshmallow is the equivalent of drinking flat soda. The texture is simply awful. And the taste? Not much better. Worst of all is the warning that in large quantities the sugar substitutes can have a "laxative effect." Those are two words you never want to see on a food label. I put the remainder in the medicine cabinet for the next time I'm constipated.

Half the calories of regular Peeps? I think this year I'll just try to eat half as many regular Peeps!

Woo-hoo!

2008-02-21T04:46:00.000-08:00

Not to complain because nothing can really be bad on a snow day (well, sleet day), but I really wish they'd call school off before I shower, shave, and-more importantly-drink 16 ounces of coffee (with milk and sugar). Still, nothing beats being halfway through your bowl of cholesterol lowering Cheerios when you find out you have a day to rest!

Some of the coaches I work with are prone to taking personal days either just before or just after their season starts. I used to wonder if that was the right thing to do. I hate being out of the classroom because it tends to mess up any rhythm and momentum I've built up. Enough things mess that stuff up already so I always figured it wasn't worth it to make the problem worse. Of course, only being an assistant coach I also have to admit that the work of a head coach is a bit more stressful. The hours are similar but the mental requirements last long after practice is over.

This year I filled in as an assistant softball coach and, as of last night, have just completed my second season. Basketball season seemed longer than normal due to our team being quite young and inexperienced. There was a lot more teaching involved and any season where you lose ten times as many games as you win is going to drag. Still, last night we played four quarters with one of the better programs in our district and a team that beat us pretty soundly earlier this season. We made our share of mistakes but to see how well the girls frustrated a normally high scoring offense all night is very encouraging. Our opponent typically pounds teams away inside and gets around 35-40 points from their post players while last night they had a hard time getting the ball into the paint let alone scoring from there. We still made those turnovers that inexperienced teams make too often and gave them a lot of points in transition but all of our coaches left the game content that we made a lot of real progress this year. You almost wish you had a few more games to put the pieces together.

And now baseball practice starts Monday. I can see why having an extra day to run errands and rest before the season starts makes sense. Mother nature may have provided me a chance to rest but I think I'll wait until after lunch for the errands. It looks like we just got a dusting overnight and my grass isn't even covered. Closer examination (of the sort I did by walking out to the mailbox) reveals that a nice, solid layer of sleet is sitting on top of that dusting. Walking faster than 2 mph is risky so I'm glad that driving isn't necessary this morning. I only fell down twice, sadly once on each butt cheek.

Oops....

2008-02-19T19:16:00.000-08:00

So, to quote myself:

Humor these days is so vulgar and it seems like the only way you can get on TV is to try to be more offensive than the last guy.

I was doing some mixing of my YouTube addiction and my Wikipedia addiction and discovered the following tidbit:

"Mah Nà Mah Nà" debuted as part of Umiliani's soundtrack for the Italian softcore pornography movie Svezia, inferno e paradiso (Sweden, Heaven and Hell) (1968), a pseudo-documentary film about wild sexual activity and other behavior in Sweden ("Mah Nà Mah Nà" accompanied a scene set in a sauna). A soundtrack album, "Svezia, Inferno e Paradiso" was released in 1968. The movie was also released under the English title Sweden Heaven and Hell.

Maybe TV was more vulgar back in the day and I just don't remember it.

Why is this show so funny and why can't we have shows like this anymore?

2008-02-18T05:49:00.001-08:00

I confess that I sometimes spend way too much time on YouTube. What happens is, I see, recall, or am told about a video clip that I must see again immediately. Inevitably it is found on YouTube. That inspires the need to find a few more clips and, before you know it, an hour has passed. I recently snagged a Kermit the Frog clip for a blog entry and then spend the rest of the evening watching clips from the Muppet Show. Highlights from that show are regularly in my Netflix queue while I broke down and bought the first season of the show on DVD. According to my own research Jim Henson created the Muppet Show because he didn't want to be pigeonholed as a children's entertainer. The result was a classic. Humor these days is so vulgar and it seems like the only way you can get on TV is to try to be more offensive than the last guy.

To be honest, I haven't had that much trouble surviving the writer's strike.

It's better on DVD if you can get it, but for a laugh these are fabulous:

When you hear that wordless tune in your head tomorrow, think of me!

So that's how they do that.

I think that's the only version of "Feelings" I ever really liked to be honest.

I don't think Animal speaks Spanish (or English really).

Of course every show has its critics:

Funny line.....and a little goal setting

2008-02-15T19:31:00.000-08:00

At the quiz team tournament:

Coach W: What room are you in first round?

Molly: 206.

Coach W: Are you sure? I thought the schedule said something else.

Molly: Oh yeah, 203. I was reading right to left.

Michael: You thought it was in Hebrew?

I just love working with the smart kids.

Financial Peace

I've been going through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University course through my church. It's really got me thinking about how much easier life would be if I were to think ahead, budget, and spend my money more responsibly. I've been pretty careful over the years but I can't believe how much time I spend worrying about my finances and budget. I'm convinced that by dedicating myself to developing better money habits I can find myself in a much better financial situation in just four years.

As a side note, the state of Missouri is requiring a personal finance course for graduation beginning in a couple of years. My school will begin offering the course next fall. I expressed some interest in teaching the course though we are currently looking for a business teacher for that role. I mostly hope that it is an elective that is taken seriously. I feel like I've been very responsible with my finances up to this point and I've still identified several choices over the last decade that are costing me a fortune in dollars and peace of mind. An engaging course could do a great deal for high school students. This may be one of the most beneficial actions DESE (Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) has taken in all of the time I've been teaching!

At any rate, after carefully examining my own income, expenses, and debts I have set several goals for myself. Hopefully with the help of an accountability partner I can enforce my budget over the next four years and, witha very reasonable sacrifice, I can accomplish the following items through the use of responsible spending, no more credit based purchases, and the debt snowball model. I have a small annuity from the settlement in my 2001 car accident that will be used in addition to my salary to reach these goals.

1. Each month I will dedicate $300 beyond my required payments to paying off all current debts, deposit $100 into my savings account, and roll each retired debt payment (beginning with the smallest) into the next largest.

2. I will retire all of my debts except for my car and house by September of 2008.

3. Beginning in October of 2008 I will deposit $200 into my savings account each month and add $200 to my monthly car payment.

4. I will pay off my car by September 2010 (almost 2 years early!) and have saved just over $12,000.

5. I will begin saving $400 each month and making two additional house payments annually in January of 2011.

6. I will have reached my emergency fund goal (6 months of expenses) around April of 2013.

If I can do all of this, there will be no reason for me not to find financial peace. I'll hopefully be able to keep you posted. As a side note, if you ever get the chance to take a Dave Ramsey course I highly recommend it.

Gone all week.....

2008-02-14T19:22:00.001-08:00

How long ago was my last post? It has been a while. I hope to have the energy to write this weekend as I have plenty of inspiration. There's the great election year project I did with my classes this week. There's the conclusion of my first season as JV girl's basketball coach (though unless we snap this 19 game losing streak tomorrow I will probably not write much about that!). I've started a great small group study at church and last week was my first Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class. And don't forget our last quiz team competition in Boonville Wednesday night (they're leaving the conference next year). No wonder I haven't had time to write. I'm on it this weekend though. I promise.

It's not easy being green.....

2008-02-10T14:16:00.000-08:00

I don't think that mankind is destroying the earth. We are making a pretty big mess in a lot of places though. I'm not upset by the creation of waste unless it's in excess and not handled responsibly. I suppose I'm an odd type of "green" in that I care a great deal about conservation and responsible use of resources but I don't ever want to be associated with the modern environmentalist movement.

The thing about conservation in my household is that it's mostly about responsibility. It seems like individual responsibility is a common theme around here. I never have been a big fan of finger pointing. I'm not worried about mankind destroying the earth or the earth running out of resources. I'm just worried that living a selfish life full of excess and waste can be spiritually hazardous.

I'm a big believer in efficiency. Conservation goes hand in hand with it. It just so happens that the compact florescent bulbs that fill my house use less energy and require fewer resources to produce than the numerous incandescent bulbs they replace. Around here we have to keep the ice off our sidewalks but the fertilizer I use on my lawn has the same exothermic properties as chemical ice melt (hence my greenest grass is along the sidewalk and driveway). I love it when things work out so perfectly.

I love it when I read about people who take waste that can't be avoided and do incredibly cool things with it. A lot of people don't know that recycling produces a great deal of toxic waste. Early recycling centers have become some of the most polluted sites in our country. This is primarily because volatile chemicals are needed to reprocess the waste so that it can be reused. Paper must be bleached heavily so that it is near white. Plastics and metals must be chemically cleaned before they are melted and reformed into new containers.

However, a new generation of recycling is finding ways to turn our waste into something new. Plastics and metal are transformed without the waste into a new product that saves resources not to mention money.

I found two as I was reading my Popular Mechanics magazine this month that I'm considering for this summer or at least some point in the future.. I plan to remodel my kitchen and double the size of my deck. I've been searching for a counter-top to go with the custom cabinets I plan to install (or at least the ones I plan to pay my friend Carl to install). I want something unique and more interesting than laminate. Stone is way too expensive and, to be honest, even solid surface is out of my price range. As it looks like my raise this year will not even cover the previous year's inflation, I better be budget conscious and not overspend.

The product that has me excited is called Squak Mountain Stone. It's described by its inventor as "a fibrous-cement material comprised of recycled paper, recycled glass, coal fly-ash and cement. Material is hand-cast into “slabs” as an alternative to natural or quarried stone. Resembles soapstone or limestones." I ordered a sample so that I could see it up close and I'll still need to do some math to make sure there's a substantial savings, but this might be just the unique thing I'm looking for. The company doesn't bleach the paper waste what is used for construction making the recycling process environmentally friendly as well. I would probably go with the Thunder color.

The second item is a comfy adirondack chair. It seems like every cool outdoor sitting area has a couple of these. I've watched Norm Abrams (every guy's favorite carpenter) build them on New Yankee Workshop and I've got plans for simple ones anybody can make (also from a Popular Mechanics magazine).

Still, this chair looks like it's more up my ally. I'll build the deck and then buy the furniture. It's made from 100 recycled plastic milk containers. It is, thus, 100% plastic and completely weather proof. The main environmental advantage is that while all plastic is made from petroleum, this chair requires no new oil. Also, because it's not being remade into something that contains food or other consumables it doesn't create pollution in the sterilization process.

One more thing.....

2008-02-07T19:34:00.000-08:00

I'd like to add an endorsement to my list and this one I'd do for free. Hear that? We're talking unpaid spokesman here.

I have the worst sinus infection I've ever had. If I didn't know better I'd swear I had a tooth abscess. Breathing is an issue. Sleeping isn't an option. I'm on medication and in a day or so I should be feeling better.

My nose, being raw from the constant irritation of facial tissue, requires some tender care. I picked up a box of Puffs plus with VICKS. Holy cow. The scent alone is enough to clear the nostrils for a few moments. These things are a must have for cold and flu season

Something is wrong with me.....

2008-02-06T18:28:00.001-08:00

I have bee fighting a cold but I have an odd new symptom. Thirst. I've consumed over five liters of water today and I'm drinking another pint filled bottle now. I skipped the morning coffee and the tea at lunch. I sat on my butt at a professional development seminar all day. Why am I so freaking thirsty?

Oh, and if you're looking for a good book to read allow me to recommend "Just a Walk Across the Room" by Bill Hybels. It is excellent. We're using it for a small group study this quarter so I look forward to several weeks of great discussion.

Kelly posed the question, "If you could be the spokesperson for any product, what would you lend your name to?" It was such a brilliant idea that I will respond right here.

1. Apple Computers: Simply put, they are the best designed and most functional computers I have ever used. I can't understand why someone who depends on a computer to carry out their daily work would use anything else (ahem, Windows Vista).

2. Nestle Pure Life bottled water: I drank 4 bottles of it today (not counting refills from the tap). This stuff is delicious.

3. Armstrong Laminate flooring: Um, I'm an academic and not a handy-man yet I was still able to install flooring in 80% of my home all by myself in three days with the use of a rubber mallet and a table saw.

4. Mizuno baseball gloves: I've had several different gloves over the years and the ones that were the easiest to break in and most comfortable were by Mizuno. Last year I selfishly spent my tax return on a custom fit glove (selfish in that my baseball career now consists of playing catch 10 times a year). This thing feels so good I'm tempted to wear it around all day.

5. pickled okra: There aren't many things that don't taste good pickled (steak comes to mind). One jar lasts roughly 30 minutes in my house. They say it's a snack but I call it a meal.

6. Nintendo Wii: I've yet to meet a single person who doesn't enjoy playing Wii. Other than sex (which I have to assume is universally enjoyable), I don't know anything else that makes that claim.

7. Splenda: I use the generic stuff since it's so expensive but considering that I put sugar in my coffee, on my cereal, and in my Kool-Aid, this stuff may save me 1000 calories eavery day.

8. The Toyota Corolla: More comfortable than any other entry level car, you can get 39 MPG (unless you live in Missouri), insurance is cheap. Heck, I've had it for 8 months and haven't been back to the dealer for a repair or recall. My Saturn had two recalls by this point.

9. Amazon.com: Every year I do all my Christmas shopping there. I have everything shipped to my dad's so I don't even have to transport gifts. Whether I need one item or several, it's always more convenient in my hectic schedule to order online and Amazon has almost everything. Thanks to Amazon Prime I don't have to pay for two day shipping either. I even run my grocery list through it for anything that won't spoil thereby cutting in half the amount of weekend time I have to devote to shopping.

10. Spartus Alarm Clock/Radios: I've never bought an alarm clock. I was given the one I use for Christmas when I was in the first grade. It was identical to the one my dad got. He hasn't gotten a new one since either. That means the things are over 22 years old! They've been moved to four different houses. Mine went to college and back four times. And they still work! Beat that!

The day has come.....

2008-02-05T17:18:00.000-08:00

Public servants say, always with the best of intentions, "What greater service we could render if only we had a little more money and a little more power." But the truth is that outside of its legitimate function, government does nothing as well or as economically as the private sector.

Ronald Reagan-October 27, 1964

Well, I've been agonizing over this day for some time. I remember getting excited about elections in the past, but not this year. Last night I spent a number of hours in contemplation about my vote today. Ultimately I decided that casting a vote for the candidate who most closely shared my own views on government would be the right thing to do.

The leading Republican candidates have abandoned the idea that government has a legitimate (and limited) function. Instead they seek to buy votes by promising to seize power from individuals and exercising it on the behalf of their supporters.

There is no difference between what McCain and Romney are promoting and what Obama and Clinton are hocking. These new Republicans want to expand the national government's power into health care, social policy, and education every bit as much as their liberal opponents.

Today, on the right, we're told that the government can provide you with health insurance, fix your schools, make sure that evolution isn't taught in the classroom, and exclusively allow abstinence only sex education. Meanwhile the liberal left would make health care a civil right, pay for your college education, and teach people that fornication is a natural thing because our ancestors the monkeys do it.

Either way, you're dealing with an expansion of the nanny state and a curtailing of liberty. There's no need for people to be responsible for themselves. There's no need for them to take the time and expend the effort to manage their communities and families. Just hire the nanny government to take care of making your decisions for you. It would appear that voting for any of the leading candidates will do nothing to protect individual liberty or promote personal responsibility.

No, all you're doing by electing presidents, senators, and congressmen who would seize power from individuals and expand the power of government (even in an attempt to do good).....all you are doing is hiring a nanny and thus choosing the teat upon which you will suck for the next four years.

I voted for the only conservative candidate who still speaks for a limited government that serves only its legitimate functions. I was one of the roughly 8 people in Missouri who voted for Alan Keyes.

In 1964, Ronald Reagan referenced the fact that he was, at one time, a Democrat. As he put it, he "didn't leave the Democratic party. The Democratic left" him. Those words should strike fear in the Republican party today. Just not being a Democrat doesn't guarantee that you will get my vote.

That speech in 1964 is full of ominous warnings.

Are you willing to spend time studying the issues, making yourself aware, and then conveying that information to family and friends? Will you resist the temptation to get a government handout for your community? Realize that the doctor's fight against socialized medicine is your fight. We can't socialize the doctors without socializing the patients. Recognize that government invasion of public power is eventually an assault upon your own business. If some among you fear taking a stand because you are afraid of reprisals from customers, clients, or even government, recognize that you are just feeding the crocodile hoping he'll eat you last.

Ronald Reagan -October 27, 1964

Vote Woodson '12

2008-02-02T20:21:00.000-08:00

"I'm here today to talk about the future. About hope. Hope for those of you out there like myself who are frustrated by a vacuum in leadership, virtue, and discipline currently present in Washington especially among those currently seeking to become the next president of our great republic."

I actually can't run for president this fall. I'm only 30 years old. That whole constitution thing gets in the way. While our current congressmen, senators, president, and courts seem to have trouble interpreting very large portions of the constitution accurately (I mean could the 10th amendment be any clearer?), I have a feeling they'd get the whole 35 years of age thing on the first (or at least the second) guess.

However, I have had a brilliant idea. It's not my first one so I recognized it as brilliant right away. You're going to love this!

I WILL turn 35 a few months prior to the 2012 election. The previous fall I intend to encourage my employer to offer a year-long elective course titled "The American Political Process". I will be the instructor (obviously). The course will require its participants to work through all of the objectives necessary to plan, finance, and conduct a political campaign. This will be a hands on course requiring the students to work towards several objectives. Grading would be based on a series of reflective essays written throughout the semester.

By hands on I mean they will be running my campaign for president. Their principle task will to be publicity and organizing the effort necessary to have my name appear on the primary ballot. I haven't decided on whether or not I should require one or two states for a passing grade in the course. The effort will require a good deal of planning, a lot of leg work, some promotion, and a little bit of fund raising.

I have no illusions about how difficult the task will be. I think it's a safe bet that even a savvy candidate like myself is unlikely to secure the nomination. Still, what an educational experience. We could even go so far as having them help write speeches and inviting the media to cover our events.

I wonder three things.

First, what are the odds a high school student would be nearly as excited about this course as I am right now.

Second, if it really could be done. Could we actually get my name on a ballot as a candidate for president? I would have to take a picture of the ballot to keep in my scrapbook.

Third, if we pulled it off, how many votes would I actually get other than my own?

When I discussed this project with one of my friends we were just joking around. Later I got to thinking about it and I am wondering if it might not actually be a good idea.

Music Firsts

2008-02-01T19:52:00.000-08:00

So, on the way home from work, my iPod keys up a very old Alabama song, "Love in the First Degree" and I get to thinking about how long it's been since I heard it.

You see, for my 9th birthday I got my very own stereo cassette player. It was no boom box or ghetto blaster but at last I could listen to my own music on something other than my single speaker clock radio!

I got two cassette tapes as well. My first two cassette tapes were "Alabama: Greatest Hits" and "The Best of Glen Miller". Alabama was my favorite band at the time and I was always in to big band music (I was learning to play the trumpet at the time).

I got to thinking about the music we had in the house back then. We had one of those old stereo cabinets that looked more like furniture than a stereo. It had a turn-table, cassette deck, radio tuner, and eight track player inside. I remember the day my dad brought it home (someone was throwing it away, imagine that). It was around Christmas time so we went out and bought two records at K-Mart. Remember when stores actually sold new records?

We got "A Chipmunk Christmas" and "The Statler Brothers: Christmas Card".

The funniest thing is that I own every one of those four albums on a CD!

I didn't get my first CD player until I was in the 8th grade. I had to mow my grandpa's lawn all summer to save up for a bigger boom box with a CD player. Then I had to wait for the grass to grow again so I could get paid enough to buy a CD to listen to! I bought Reba McIntire's album "Rumor Has It". At the time she was my favorite artist after seeing her the previous summer in concert. She was incredible and of course that experience probably advanced the future obsessive attraction I would have to red-heads.

In keeping with the trend of this blog, I opened up iTunes and sorted my purchases by the date I bought them. The first day I picked up "Tennessee Flat Top Box" by Johnny Cash, "Barbie Girl" by Aqua, and "Stay (I missed you)" by Lisa Loeb.

That certainly is an odd mix.

Something you don't see every day...

2008-01-31T20:00:00.000-08:00

Well, the snow storm was a big bust and it looks like it will be a full five day work-week after all. Knob Noster decided not to come to the basketball game though so I got home at a decent hour for the first night this week.

On the way home I was carefully navigating Mechanic Street (it was just a little slick) when a doe came running out of the parking lot for the Goodwill store and across the road. I guess she was heading to the high school? Not a block farther, three more does crossed directly in front of my car as well! Now, I'm used to watching for deer along 7 highway between Harrisonville and Pleasant Hill but that's when I'm outside of town not right in the middle of it! I wonder what has the wildlife acting so brave.

They say that animals often exhibit strange behavior prior to major natural events. I wonder if there will be an earthquake or something tomorrow. Meteor strike? Volcanic eruption?

Now for a few loose ends. I've been getting some great email and comments out of my last couple of entries. I try to respond to them all but I think I'll share some of my thoughts here for everyone.

On Super Tuesday: A few of my students (especially those young conservative types that I so enjoyed watching mature into nice conservative adults) have commented on the need to maintain political purity and do the right thing even if it's not practical. Heck some of the students who turned all liberal even said that. The more I think about it, the more I agree that they are correct. There would be something morally wrong in voting for Obama just to cast a vote against Hillary. To be honest, the idea was never one I had given much serious thought. I was just brainstorming options.

Apparently I once made the statement that "I would never vote for a man or woman who failed to understand the essentialness of federalism to the nature and success of our republic." That pretty much rules out every liberal as well as George W. Bush and Mitt Romney. There's a reason the framer's divided some powers between the states and the national government and not one person has yet to give a good reason for altering that formula. I still believe that the real reason why individual would want the national government to play a bigger role in things like education and health care is so that they are relieved of the responsibility for participating in the governing of those things at the local level.

As a side note, it's kind of flattering when one of your kids quotes you. I usually give extra points on tests when my own words show up in essays!

I'm still left undecided. As Kelly put it, Romney seems "so fake." I could use the same words for Hillary. I don't like what Obama says most of the time (he is a BIG supporter of a centralized rather than federalized government) but at least I feel like his intentions are honest.

Here's the new concern: Huckabee is polling well in Missouri and Rasmussen poll puts him up a point on McCain. Romney is down 9 points. Research 2000 has McCain by 6 and Romney 3rd, down 10 points. A vote for my philosophical match, Alan Keys, would encourage the Goldwater/Reagan conservatives to hang in there and not concede the party to the current crop of neo-theo-cons. It might also help Huckabee take Missouri, a winner take all state, and keep John McCain from pulling away before the later primaries where Romney is stronger (and his larger financial resources can come into play).

Four days to make up my mind.

How to save the environment without destroying the economy:

A few people have sent the "oh yeah well let's see you do better" email in response to my ethanol rant. Well, here you go. If consumers would wise up and do the following we could have less pollution, use less oil, and save money.

1. Drive what you need. Smaller, lighter cars are more efficient. It's a fact. If you drive long distances, pay for comfort. If not, but a comfortable couch at home and chair for your office with the money you saved by purchasing a smaller car for your short commute between couch and office chair. If you need a truck or SUV, by all means pick one up. Otherwise, think efficient and save yourself some dough in the process.

2. Alternative Fuels: If you are a city, stop and go type driver then look into a hybrid. My doctor drives a Prius around town and averages almost 60 miles per gallon! If you do over half of your miles on a highway, a hybrid isn't for you (most of its savings come from shutting the engine off when you stop all the time). Pick up a car with a diesel engine. They're fuel efficient (some in Europe average over 60 miles per gallon) while in the US they are often in bigger cars and only get about 40 miles per gallon (darn!). As an added bonus, your diesel could be blended with recycled vegetable oil or other bio-fuels without the drawbacks of ethanol. It would be cleaner, cheaper, and make good use of a product that usually goes to waste.

3. Smart Cars: Let's face it, for most of us outside the big city mass transit is too expensive to consider. A smart car cuts down on cargo and seating capacity to save weight and increase efficiency. They could be electric in warmer climates, diesel in colder ones. Savings for materials and luxury items could get their costs under $7,000. I could pick one up for the daily commute and then park a nice gas guzzling Jeep Wrangler next to it for playing on the weekends. I'd probably still come out ahead on fuel usage.

Wow did this ever get long. I think I'll stop and go to bed. I promise a nice, funny, non-political, list type post tomorrow. I owe it to ya after so many serious rants! Happy Friday!