Dog Sitting and some random thoughts

This past weekend I was put in charge of my uncle’s 3 year old St. Bernard. And the lesson that I learned is that I am less mature at 27 then I was at 12. Growing up I had my own chocolate lab, Cammy. She passed away around two years ago, but for 13 years she was my dog. I walked her, fed her, clipped her paws and all the other things that go along with having a dog. It never really seemed like a hassle, and I like to think that I helped that dog have a good life. Last year, I was dating this girl who used to take dog/house sitting jobs and I used to tag along and have a great time. But evidently my enjoyment was not derived from the responsibility of caring for animals.

Besides refusing to sleep on the floor and constantly jumping on my bed, this dog was pretty cool and low maintenance. But I am currently incapable of putting the needs of anyone/anything ahead of my own even for the smallest amount of time. The dog needed to get walked. If I had just loaded a new cd on my ipod (i.e. Hag: The best of Merle Haggard), and wanted to listen to it anyway I would grab the leash and take it for a walk. But if I was preoccupied with something (i.e. Mitch Williams and Dan Pleasac talking about relief pitching on MLB network) that Dog was going to have to wait as I ignored its whines.

I used to pride myself on being a selfless, considerate person. I am a little bit concerned that I am devolving as a human being, but am not concerned enough to change. Once Thursday gets here I can stop attempting to be self aware, and just concentrate on football. Self improvement is reserved for February through August.


1) I might have a multi million dollar idea, if I can get broadcasting rights from the NFL. I can put Viagra and Cialis out of business in Chicagoland with a low cost, highly effective and non invasive alternative. If I would be allowed to produce DVDs of Jay Cutler’s 98 yard drive at the end of the first half yesterday, I could guarantee wood for all Bears fans afflicted with E.D. It has been over 24hrs and all the blood in my body is still located in my pants. I am going to be impossible to deal with this year and for however long this gift from God is under center. Jay Cutler is going to get me to church on a regular basis. I may even become a Eucharistic minister to thank Jesus for giving me Cutler. Josh McDaniels must remember that vanity is one of the seven deadly sins.

2) I really liked Inglorious Basterds. Hans Landa is tremendous.

3) I might need to go to a methadone clinic for my Friday Night Lights withdrawal. Cold Turkey didn’t work, throwing on my Riggins Rigs Tshirt and watching old episodes isn’t working. I keep finding myself waking up in a puddle of puke, shaking, and muttering “god damn Joe McCoy.” The end of season 3 ruined the repeats of season 1 and 2, I have to turn off the DVD player because I get so mad screaming “Benedict Arnold” and “Traitor” whenever Buddy Garrity is on screen. I STILL CAN NOT BELIEVE ERIC IS NOT THE HBC FOR THE PANTHERS. I am resigned to sitting with my head in my hands listening to “Devil Town” by Tony Lucca (song at the end of the pilot episode) on repeat and trying to figure out how Eric is going to configure his staff at East Dillon. NBC can not make me wait until next summer for the The Riggins Brothers, Coach and Tammy, Matt’s Grandmother, Matt, Landry, and Jules. It is getting to the point that I will not be able to commit to a new friendship unless this person is an avid FNL fan. If I ever consider getting into another relationship, after the fifth date I will hand the girl over the three seasons on DVD and tell her “I am going to Orlando/Raleigh/Charlotte for a long weekend to see my brothers, get through these in a week.” If she doesn’t do it, she is Kenny Powers F’ing Out. If she does, the sixth date will be spent drinking cold beer, eating Texas BBQ and talking about how great Eric, Billy, and Matt’s grandmother are. The seventh date may result in a marriage proposal. Is it weird that my only real spousal qualifications for me are 1)look good with a ponytail 2) enjoy day drinking 3) be willing to convert to the Chicago Bears 4) love Friday Night Lights?

4) Watch Psych on USA Friday nights (10est). It is on demand as well. I am going to keep throwing this show down everyone’s throat until I can talk to someone besides Big Steve about it.

5) Last night I saw Devin Hester catch a punt and sprint right, make a cut and take it 54 yards without thinking. I was starting to think he forgot how to do that, like how pitchers sometimes become allergic to the strike zone. I am super giddy, we are going to be a nightmare for opposing teams this year. Buy your ticket for the bandwagon early.

6) Really like reading Joe Posanski on SI.com. Preordered his book about the Big Red Machine.

7) Right now reading One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. It is alright so far, decided to give it a shot before trying to choke down The Gulag Archipelago. That might be an offseason book.

8) The Football picks posts are going to be really, really long

Bacon with Fork

Sorry for not updating more last week. I got busy with some other ideas of mine that turned out to suck on 11 different levels. But you can start counting on at least two new posts every week this fall. The first college football picks post will be up by Wednesday, I just finalized the guest prognosticator for week 1. If you are interested in picking against me, shoot me an email and I will fit you in for a college or NFL week. Every week I lose (I get the benefit of a tie) the V Foundation will get another $10 from me. I hope the challenger would throw a Hamilton at cancer research if I beat them, but it won’t be mandatory.

So last weekend one of my brothers, Forky, flew into to Chicago to take in a couple of White Sox games at the Cell. Selfishly, I love when I get to host Dcats up in Lake Forest or Chicago, I try to pack as much fun possible into the small window. Forky and I had a mini sports camp on Saturday late morning/afternoon, playing tennis, taking batting practice while watching a blue/gold sophomore Scouts scrimmage. We watched a handful of Steven Raichlen, Barbeque U http://www.bbqu.net/, shows on one of the public television stations. We talked to Big Steve about getting a smoker and Ozzie Guillen. Drank cold beer. Solved all the world’s problems from health care reform to improving the Food Network with more tailgate related programming. We also interspersed a couple of handfuls of more fun things, but what will be remembered about the weekend is the unbelievable adoration that the SouthSiders have for Gordon Beckham, their rookie manning the hot corner and hitting 2nd.

They took him number 8 in last years draft out of Georgia to play shortstop, but he shot through the system and came up this May. He started out pretty slow, but he owned the month of July hitting .380 or some bullshit like that. He is a good looking white dude that keeps his head down and plays the game the right way, so immediately all the sportwriters and sports talk idiots (who are all white sox fans to begin with) have huge man crushes on him that border on creepy. And then they started asking Ozzie about him in press conferences. His broken English makes “Beckham” sound like “Bacon”, so now this dude has the coolest one word nickname ever. And to top off the lovefest he has a phenomenal entrance song, Your Love by The Outfield (Josie’s on a Vacation far away). And the White Sox play the song about 3 times during his at bats and everybody in the stadium sings along. There was a girl that was White Sox attractive (aka South side hot or Homewood-Flossmoor pretty) holding up a sign that read “Hey Beckham, Your Dad Must have been a Baker because You’ve got a Great Set of Buns.” And everyone in the stadium loved it.

I’m sure that the level of love for Jesus Tebow in Gainesville is on par, but the only other time I have really experienced anything on that level was in Green Bay two years ago with Favre. And that was after a million years and a Super Bowl. This Beckham lovefest is going to go in a ton of different directions, all of them weird.


Finally, I am now boycotting the Cubs. We are a miserable disaster and I hate everyone on the team. I will still watch the games/listen to the on the radio and wear my gear that I currently wear. But I will not spend one more dollar at the ballpark, on any gear, or at any of the bars on clark street (not including Houndstooth Saloon b/c I want to watch Crimson Tide games there this year) until the direction of the team takes a turn for the better. I figure that this is going to take between 3-5 years because of the financial obligations we still owe to old, crappy, lazy players.

Big 12 preview

(I have been working on the preview since the day after I posted the Big 10 preview. It is not my best work and I really am starting to get heavy on the boys from Stillwater. I think that have a real shot to win the conference and make a run at the national title. Knowing my luck they will lose to the Dawgs. But I wrote a lot and want to move on so here it is. The only thing that I want you take away from this is that I love Big 12 offensive football, I think their TV deal sucks and if I have to watch any more of their games in nonHD I am going to flip, and finally sell short on UT's DC/HDCinwaiting Will Muschamp)

South
1. Oklahoma
2. Texas
3. Oklahoma State
4. Texas Tech
5. Baylor
6. Texas A&M

North
1. Kansas
2. Colorado
3. Nebraska
4. Missouri
5. Kansas State
6. Iowa State


The big question heading into the season is who is going to play Timmy
and the Gators on January 7th in Pasadena, Texas or Oklahoma? (For
right now I am going to forgo an angry rant about how Fox should never
be allowed into Pasadena and I will be watching the game on mute
because looking at the Rose Bowl while hearing Thom Brennaman and
Charles Davis wax idiotic, will either make me cry or induce a rage
blackout). I love both the QBs, fell back in love with McCoy in the
2nd half of last years game and even in the loss to Leach last year my
feelings only grew. But I still don’t trust his HBC and the DC as much
as I trust Stoops, Venables, and Kevin Wilson.

Oklahoma’s shotgun and Bradford’s command of the offense will mitigate
any negative effect of the rebuilt offense line and I have finally
decided on the Sooners.

But we even if the Longhorns can win the Red River Shootout, another
tough road game awaits them just like last year in Lubbock. On Halloween, the Longhorns travel to see T. Boone, Gundy, and the triplets in Stillwater. They
will be favored, but right now I think that game is a toss up
factoring in the 3 for home field. Working in Oklahoma State’s favor is that they lost a coach that was stupid enough to hire Dumb on his new staff, and replaced him with a coach who is smart enough not to put Dumb in charge of his secondary.

Not a believer in anybody in the North except Todd Reesing. Kansas has
a brutal conference schedule, they get Sooners/Horns/Raiders from the
South, but I don’t see Colorado or Nebraska winning enough games to stop the fat baby from winning the division.


Coaching Rankings

1. Stoops
2. Mack Brown
3. Leach
4. Gundy
5. Pinkel
6. Mangino
7. Hawkins
8. Briles
9. Pelini
10. Snyder
11. Sherman
12. Rhoads

The HBCs with National Titles have to be on top. More Big 12 titles
gives Stoops the edge.

The most important thing to take away from this section is that the Big 12 is the greatest collection of offensive minds (Bradford, McCoy, Reesing as coaches on the field) I can remember in any conference. Wilson/Bradford, McCoy/Davis/Applewhite, Gundy, Leach, Reesing/Fat Baby and Briles, all have to be considered in the top ten of offensive braintrusts in the nation.

I think Pinkel is moron for taking Husky money and heading to Seattle.

I was a huge fan of the Hawk hiring in Boulder, its starting to look like my endorsement of Dan Hawkins is going to go down with Billy Gillispe in Lexington in my Hall of Fame of Bad Decisions as a shadow Athletic Director. (Can I put that on my resume? I have been doing that job for about 20-25 schools for a month after football season and a month after basketball season consistently for 11 years or so.)

Coaching musings

There are two important things about the Big 12 coaching situation……
1) Gary Patterson is still at TCU. If the Aggie and Buffalo boosters don’t have reservation for private jet meetings in Ft. Worth in early December, they should be sued by their fan base for malpractice.

2) Will Muschamp (photo above). He has been designated the Longhorns coach in waiting. I have been on the record (In Fork and Stockstill’s ear) that I am 100% opposed to that move by Brown, Earl Campbell and Deloss Dodd to name Muschamp coach in waiting. Everybody loves him because he has a Saban, SEC pedigree and he looks like every proper southern boy that had Heather Nichols for Math. But he is an absolute buffoon on the sidelines and has the temperament of a Strength or “Get Back Coach” not the HBC (Head Ball Coach) of a 100 million dollar program. I call Darin Horn the “Will Muschamp of SEC basketball” and it is absolutely not a complement. I still can’t believe the Cocks didn’t hire Anthony Grant.

Were they really so afraid of losing Muschamp to Allbarn (Auburn) that they had to make this leap? That slapdick from Syracuse was going to get his assed canned, they could have just brought him back as DC and he would have done a better job. I think there is a chance that this turns into a disfunctional situation, and ends up with Muschamp taking another job before Mack Brown retires with Texas kids flooding the plains of Norman, OK creating depth charts similar to the Pete Carroll.

Finally, I am huge believer in their Asst. HBC running back coach, old #11 Major Applewhite. Loved him as QB1 and was really impressed with his playing calling at Rice and in the first year at Bama, eventhough they were B…R…UTAL. I think he can win the Sears, while I think Stoops will end up pantsing Muschamp like Tressel did to Lloyd Carr.

Must See TV

While the SEC has the most “must see tv” teams/games, the Big 12 has the most “must see tv” individuals.

1) McCoy
2) Usain Bolt at Baylor
3) Heisman
4) Reesing
5) Zac Attack
6) Dez
7) Gundy
8) Leach
9) Kindle
10) Gerald McCoy
11) Demarco
12) Gresham
13) Darnell Scott
14) Poor Man’s Vince Young in College Station

Married Chicks and the 10% variable

So had a pretty interesting Saturday night and learned a few things……

(Important background information: This time of the year is the longest point between the Super Bowl and Labor Day weekend, so football and I have been broken up for about seven months, not counting the draft. So I have reached the end of my rope and feel especially lonely and hate being single. Last year was the only time in the past decade or so that I have been in a relationship during the dog days of summer and I went to Ft. Lauderdale, which really helped pass the time.)

First, I am getting to that age where a decent portion of the women I run into are either married or engaged, and I am either too stupid, drunk or oblivious to look at their hands for rings. I was hanging out at my new favorite bar in Chicago, Crocodile (http://www.crocodilechicago.com/), and I was talking to this girl named Kim. She came in with a bunch of girls that went to Miami of Ohio and knew some friends of mine. She sat down, introduced herself and we started talking.

She was tall and pretty and even though she was blonde, we were getting along. She was some sort of client relations chief at a real estate firm located in the Bloomingdale’s building, we talked about her job and laughed a little bit. Then I turn to my friend, the Game, and said, “that girl is cool.” He responded, “she’s married.” I immediately felt like somebody pissed in my drink.

After thinking about this for a day, it is too much to ask single, half in the bag wild animals to look for jewelry in dark bars. If a girl is engaged or married and wants to go out to bars late at night without there husband or fiancee, they should have to wear a placard or a flashing sign that says “MARRIED”, “ENGAGED”, or “DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME”. It would make things much easier. I was talking about this with the Vogs and she said it is even harder for girls because guys don’t where engagement rings. She has a good point, but you can tell if a guy is married/engaged by the broken look in his eyes. The look in their eyes is similar to a jungle cat that has spent too much time in captivity.

Second, I ran into my last girlfriend, who moved away, for the first time in 9 months. Of course, I got crushed and epically freaked out, which is unfortunately standard procedure for me regarding interactions with exes. But that is not the point of this story. Also, I realized that I miss her a lot more than I would like to admit and that I could probably going on for pages about it, but I don’t want to write about it and I am goddamn sure that no one wants to read about it. But what I did realize is that I missed “26yr old Boyfriend” Steve almost as much as I missed her. I really grew to like him. In every person there is a certain percentage of your personality that is unchangeable no matter your environment, but there is always a fraction that is chameleonlike and can adapt to your surrounding. I have pegged my spilt at about 90/10.

The 10% of my personality usually reverts to behavior that has been honed after lengthy interaction with others. For example, when I talk or hang out with my friend Dumb, I behave like I did when I was 20/21 and his then girlfriend, now wife was abroad. I dip back into a overexaggerated, comical drawl and the conversations center around special teams, skoal, cold beer, the beer cave at Cashion’s on Exit 28, our trips to go see Forky in lawyer school at the thrill, how hot Carrie Underwood is, old episodes of E! Wild On and the latest Kenny Chesney song. But if I am talking to Vogler the conversations mainly center around romantic comedies (esp. Chasing Liberty), how much I love Ricky Proctor, and wistfully remembering ex girlfriends.

I use this 10% to define version of Steve that was active at a particular time. I am very often extremely pleased with myself, so I am really fond of many of the versions. Here is a quick rundown of what I feel are the best versions and the one that I hate the most…….

Best of the Best
“Beach” Steve
The most relaxed version of Steve. I get tan, read, write a little bit and sleep. At night I wear white or pastel shirts to show off my tan and rock a self-satisfied smile 24/7.

“Tailgate” Steve
Outside, day drinking, football, grilling, brothers, and making friends with strangers…..this is the happiest version of me that most people will ever see. Actually this might be the happiest version of anybody that anybody will lay eyes on.

“Making dinner with a date” Steve
I think that only three or four girls have ever seen this version. With classic rock/country on the radio, dancing around the kitchen while draining cold bottle beers, spouting off about a bunch of topics and listening to the girl respond and talk about her own interests, making out on the kitchen counter, and kidding her about “fucking up” the side dishes, it allows me to be impressive, fun and capable.

Worst of the Worst
“Jilted, drunk ex boyfriend” Steve
Fortunately, this version is limited to a handful of times a year and to the Chicago area. For some reason, I can’t believe that someone who dated me would ever want to stop dating me even though I have a mountain of circumstantial evidence to the contrary. After about 8 drinks in the company of exes, I get belligerent and obnoxious and feel it necessary to make a spectacle of the situation. I just really don’t have the emotional discipline to play it cool and I get some perverse enjoyment from dumping gasoline on bridges and lighting a match. I have enough problems with girls, I don’t need to handicap myself.

Greatest Movie Ever?

All movie critics agree that the greatest movie ever is either Jaws or Top Gun, but on October 1st they may have a challenger. The Roommate, starring Lyla Garrity and Blair Waldorf, will be released in theatres across the country.

I am absolutely infuriated that I was not brought in as a creative consultantant on this project, especially because different versions of this movie have been playing in my head since I was brought into the FNL universe last January.

Supposedly it is a little bit like Single White Female with Blair in the JLL role. I am absolutely over the moon and would be sitting outside the theatre right now waiting, if I already wasn't doing the same thing for Cutler's preseason debut tomorrow in Buffalo.

Other news related to the fictional tv characters that I am in love with and shows that are awesome........

Second episode of the new season of Pysch is on tonight on USA. Great, underrated show and the female cop, Jules, is probably solidified her position in the top 5.

Third season of Mad Men premires on Sunday night. Tremendous show, Don Draper completely kills it. The girl from the end of last season in California joins the chick from the Mercury commercials on the preseason "up and comers" team.

Quick Hits

1) It’s the beginning of the end for me. I found Firefly at Jewel this weekend. http://www.fireflyvodka.com/ I had started hearing rumblings about this sweet tea infused vodka that was available in the Carolinas a few years ago. I had my first experience with it at Ace and Super’s wedding back in May but switched over to Makers’ pretty early.

This weekend I crushed 4 Firefly John Dalys before I jumped on the train and headed downtown. I had a huge smile on face, which was 50% from the booze and 50% from the 20 or so 19 year old girls in the car with me.

So now there is a handle in my freezer taunting me and promising fun in the future.

2) Alex Rodriguez is filthy. Since Barry Bonds retired there are only two must-see events in baseball, every ARod and Pujols at bat. And while I hate the 2009 version of the Cubs because they are anti-fun and field a lineup of carcinogens, will never be able to enjoy the success of a St. Louis Cardinal.

But watching ARod from the right side is the only real joy that baseball still gives me. Even though he is playing hurt, he has a good OBP and great power numbers after missing the first 1/3 of the season. It’s his hands and balance that make him such a special hitter. The guy always seems to have his weight shift correct and his handed stay back like a coiled rattler. He can hit great pitching and always is one pitch away from going deep because he can wait so long and can avoid guessing.

I couldn’t care less about steroid usage. If I was smart enough to find out where to get them and rich enough to pay for them, I would have absolutely taken them in high school. My eyes would have been as yellow as Ben Johnson’s in Seoul and I would have worn t-shirts advertising how much I could power clean while listening to Pantera and Metallica on my discman. Furthermore, I agree with Bill James that within the next ten years you are going to see more “civilians” taking HGH to fight the effects of aging and maximize the potential of the human body.

3) My new Cutler and Fencik jersey showed up this week. I had to upgrade from the cheap replica crap to quality jerseys with stitched letters/numbers and to have home and away threads.

Bearsdom is head over heels in love with our new triggerman and even if our D sucks balls like last year, we will make the playoffs. If Tommie Harris is alive this year, we can challenge the Giants.

4) So proud of The Vogs. Wrote a touching and funny remembrance and delivered it with poise, emotion, and maturity.

5) I want charges brought against Kevin Gregg, not really sure for what but maybe being forced to watch him pitch might be able to be classified as being “held against my will.”
6) Finally reading Leigh Montville’s book about Ted Williams. So far it is great. I like that the Splinter hated Boston almost I much as I do.

7) Really pissed off that Kix and Ronnie broke up

8) Been watching old episodes of the OC on the CW’s On Demand channel. Peter Gallagher and Rachel Bilson belong on TV 24/7.

9) Fired up to hear that Matt Saracen is getting two more episodes in season 4 of FNL. Still super pissed off at Buddy for not standing up for Eric and I have completely abandoned the Panthers for Eric’s new team. The only way I switch is if Timmy Riggins is granted another year.

10) I wish that I was surprised the Pelosi and Hoyer were allowed to openly lie in their USA Today op-ed. Loved the Specter got yelled at.

Reader Question and Response

So for the first time, a reader emailed me with a question. More importantly, the question was from someone I have never met. I was super jacked up to get some feedback and so I wrote a lengthy response.

I made some negative comments about the democratic party, he asked what motivated me to regret that they are "active and strong"(his words not mine). Below is my response. I wasn't planning on posting it, but because I can't decide between Oklahoma, Texas (and now the more I think about the more I like Gundy and his guys) in the Big 12 South I haven't posted anything in a few days, which I am trying to avoid.

Finally, I am on a huge kick right now about reading about the health care plan, so it is the first and longest point. These reasons are not in order and certainly not the only reasons. The central point is that I almost always believe that less gov't is the best gov't and that competition is the key to basically everything.

Here we go.........



I wouldn't go so far to say the democratic party is "active and
strong", any party headed by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid can't be
classified as such. They have done an excellent job feeding off Bush
fatigue and turning it into big wins in 06 and 08 , as a fan of
politics I tip my hat to them. But much of their success was based on
running centrist democrats in the South and Southwest, who they can't
count on to help pass the left wing agenda that they ran on ("hitting
the reset button on foreign policy", Health Care, Global Warming,
saving/creating middle class jobs, etc..).

You took the time to ask me why I regret that the Dems are in power, I
figure I owe it to you to give you a few reasons.......

1) ObamaCare is an absolute disaster. If you look at the examples in
Canada, UK, the Netherlands, Massachusetts currently and TennCare back
in the 90s you see that this type of universal health care doesn't
work and always ends up costing more while providing less coverage.
Rationing comes into play and in Britain currently, government
officials are making decisions to treat people based on if they think
the treatment will give the patient "quality years." If they decide
that the patient will live longer but those extra
days/weeks/months/years won't be quality they are refusing treatment.
Government run options set prices outside of market forces and provide
consumers with few choices. They drive out competition by passing
along higher prices to private insurers b/c the gov't receives massive
subsidies and those subsides are made up on the backs of the private
insurers.

B/c these policies are developed by politicians, they often have
unbelievably ridiculous mandatory benefits that people don't
need/want. The pols are influenced by the lobbyists of interests
groups causing plans to be hamstrung by members attaching provisions
that drive up the cost without providing the corresponding benefit (in
vitro fertilization,abortion, acupucture, massage,personal trainers,
etc.).

Government options discourage competition and new ideas to improve
health care through price fixing and the previously mentioned
subsidies. Without competition, consumers can not demand higher
quality of care and lower prices. Health care belongs in the hands of
doctors and the patients(consumers), government involvement only
provides a boondoggle for the few insider providers with political
connections.

I can go on for a few more pages, but I think you get the point. But I
am not in the business of throwing stones, without having an idea or
two of my own.

First, We need to allow people to shop for insurance across state
lines. They should be able to pick a plan that may provide less
benefits, but covers their needs for a lower price. They key is
competition and giving the power back to the consumer to shop for the
best deal possible. Why isn't there a online marketplace like Orbitz,
where you could select what you want/need and have providers fight for
your money?

Low priced, high deductible plans is the key to it. It allows the
consumer to shop for their care, forcing hospitals/doctors/drug
companies to constantly innovate while keeping their prices low, while
providing insured care in case of a catastrophic incident or illness.
Feel free to pick me a part and I will try and respond.

2) I don't agree with their policies regarding trade. Bill Clinton is
a lot of things, but at least he was a reliable free trade advocate,
the current democratic leadership is not. They are beholden to their
union base and have killed one promising agreement, Columbia, and are
jepordizing the great strides we have made in our relationship with
India since the the end of the cold war by broaching the subject of
tariffs in the name of global warming. Free trade doesn't cost jobs,
it creates them. It is either dishonesty or plain stupidity, that
allows them to tell these manufacturers that they can save their jobs
and even more ridiculous that they think it is a good thing to impose
tariffs on foreign goods. We should be encouraging the company that
can provide the best product at the lowest price to do so, regardless
of where they are based. Competition is the key.

More importantly, free trade stops war. You would think a party that
values diplomacy and demands that every option is exhausted before
going to war would reserve a gilded pedestal in their party platform
for free trade. But they are unbelievably hostile towards it in the
name of protecting manufacturing jobs and a misguided environmental
policy (more on this later).

3) I completely disagree with their entire education policy. Throwing
more money into a bankrupt public school system is the absolute wrong
way to go. Money should be given to school administrators acting like
CEOs, they would have to create an institution that would be
attractive to parents, who would have the choice of sending their kids
to any school they want in a specified area. Money would be given out
on a per student basis.

4) Their environmental policy is a study in hypocrisy. They go on and
on about global warming but refuse to allow nuclear power to be
discussed as an legitimate option. They are more than willing to flush
money down the toilet in the form of subsidies for inefficient means
of alternative energy, solar and wind, that are way too expensive per
watt produced and AT BEST will provide 20% of the energy we need. And
that is decades away.

Nuclear offers a zero emission electricity that within about ten years
could be substituted for a 40% of our per year fossil fuel usage.

But it is really not about global warming, its about controlling the
way we live.

5) Judges. They believe that the federal courts are their own domain
and pack them with activist judges that legislate from the bench. The
recent Kelo vs. City of New London and Boumediene v. Bush decisions
are textbook examples of liberal judicial buffoonery.

Laws should be made by the people or their elected representatives.
But when these avenues prove fruitless (abortion/busing/gay marriage)
they cry foul and demand that the courts levy unpopular mandates on a
population that has already rejected them.

6) National Security. I trust them less than I trust Republicans. They
don't have backbone to do the difficult things that are sometimes
necessary in the world that we live in. Their objections to the
Patriot Act and other Bush/Cheney initiatives that have kept us safe
for 8 years, bother me.

Also John Kerry campaigned promising to use a "Global Test" for future
military actions. America must never subject itself to the whims of an
international body or another nation. If you haven't read anything
about the UN, I suggest you do. It is the most corrupt, self interest
collection of kleptocrats outside of the Latin American and African
summits back in the 80s. Read the second half of Bolton's Surrender is
Not an Option, and you will never trust American security to the
judgment of other nations.

7) I completely disagree with the bailout (I blame Bush for this as
much as the dems in congress). You can't tax, borrow, and spend your
way out of trouble. But more alarming is the government intervention
into the private sector. Firing the GM CEO, putting emissions mandates
on the new cars, handing over controlling interest to the UAW....I
mean is this Venezuela?? The government is not set up to run a car
company, let alone 2.
Screaming bloody murder about executive pay, vowing to go after oil
company profits, making comments about how its "unfortunate that
Goldman is making a profit." is hostile to business. Dropping the tax
rate from the 35% that is among the highest (i believe 2nd) in the
civilized world, is the right move.

They think that our tax dollars are tools for them to experement with
social engineering and redistribute wealth. You hear about personal
freedom when it comes to things like abortion, but keeping the
property that you have earned or inherited doesn't qualify.

....okay, I have spent way too much time on this and I am now bored,
as you can tell by my reasons getting shorter and more disjointed. I
would love to hear any response you have, I will try to respond
faster. Thanks again for reaching out.

Have a tremendous day,

An unfortunate eulogy and the lessons that we learn……

I hope this is one of the few times we have to get serious…..

This weekend one of my best friends lost her father after a long, courageous and valiant fight against aggressive cancer. My friend fought like MJ beating the Jazz by himself with a 102 fever. There is heartbreak across both Scout and DCat nations. The friend that all of us have loss was an inspiration and an example without trying to be. Besides Big Steve and Julie’s father, Larry Vogler taught me more about being a father and a husband than anybody I have ever met. He showed all of us that through loving your wife and kids you can bring yourself unbelievable amounts of pride, joy, and happiness. I will be thankful until the day I die for the lessons that he helped me learn and for my friend, Whitney, who he raised into an incredible woman and one of the best people you will ever meet.

Mike Greenberg says the greatest piece of advice he has ever received was from Lou Holtz. Holtz asked Greenberg if he had any kids, when Mike answered affirmative, Holtz laid this piece of gold on him, “The greatest thing that a father can do for his kids is to show them everyday how much he loves their mother.” Larry was a textbook example and is irreplaceable. He will be missed greatly and remembered in the fondest of terms.

When tragedies like this strike, it is a reminder to all of us that life is fleeting and too often cut short. This life is not a practice run, we are playing with live ammunition. So use this unfortunate reminder to jump start the dormant aggressor inside of you. Update that resume and send it to your dream job, ask out that girl or guy, take that trip, say YES to the things that you want.

The two biggest regrets in my life are that 1) That the democratic party is still viable and allowed to operate in the open without having to apologize for their ridiculous beliefs and asinine behavior and 2) that I haven’t done enough to eradicate cancer. Well, this stops now…..

I updated my resume and am getting back involved with conservative politics. Also I threw some money at the V foundation. http://www.jimmyv.org/ I recommend that you do the same and give in the name of Larry Vogler or another loved one. As an incentive for every comment I receive under this entry (up to 40) I will donate another $5. I know that is a pain in the ass to figure it out, but try and take the time.

Please keep the Voglers and all of us in your prayers.