Bush v Obama: The Pitching Duel

I found this video while searching around the interwebs. When it comes to having a first pitch thrown out, take the man with Baseball experience.

The Friendly Confines

Brandon Jennings is coming.....

Straight outta Compton!
With the tenth pick in the draft the NBA the Bucks picked Brandon Jennings, a guard from, you guessed it, Compton, CA. In effort to maintain a little integrity and a PG rating here is the edited version of the NWA classic.

Could this mean the end for Manny

You can close the book on Parra for the day. He faced 13 batters and threw 52 pitches (30 strikes). He is his final line:

	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Parra	1.2	6	6	6	3	0

He never even made it to the plate today. His ERA has now ballooned to 7.52. While this performance no doubt closed the book on his outing today, maybe it has closed any chance of his next start being in the major leagues. Could the post-game headline be Manny Parra optioned to the minors.

No Golden Ticket For Me

It appears that I have not received a "Golden Ticket" for the right to see Obama. I am not sure whether or not I may venture to Green Bay anyway. Maybe I can catch Air Force One at the airport. Maybe I might catch Obama near Southwest High School. I still feel I need to ask the man a question. It appears the media is not willing to ask the tough question or at least press for an answer. Here is another question I thought of today: If I and the rest of America are expected to enter a new era of responsibility; why is the government spending billions to save a failing auto industry and to come up with a national health care system? How is this a new era of responsibility? Someone please answer these questions.

Obama Coming to Green Bay

It was announced last week that Obama would be coming to Green Bay this Thursday June 11th. Th details for the event and how to register for tickets to the event can be found at the following link. Apparently the topic of conversation is supposed to be health care. Personally I fell that the government has enough to worry about with owning GM and all that they should probably just stay out of the health care business. It would probably be best for all of us. I entered for tickets myself, but I may travel to Green Bay that day no matter the outcome. While I have seen Obama twice in person already; I have never had a chance to see an acting President of the United States in person. I would like to try and figure out a way to ask him a question, but I doubt that is a relevant possibility. The last couple of times I have tried to ask questions of a politician have not gone very well. While trying to get in a question to Obama I fought my way through many adoring fans attempting to shake his hand as if he were Christ himself, only to be cut off by some not so friendly looking secret service agents. When Mike Huckabee was my target audience I was pushed aside by police because Chuck Norris was coming through. In fact the only politician I was able to get a question in with was Ron Paul, and I am not so sure I like his "revolution." It sounds a bit extreme. I asked Congressmen Paul what he intended governments role to be, if they would provide police, school, and fire station services. His response was he believed that in time those things might be best left to the markets. My question for Obama: What is my incentive to work when the government will just work to provide everything for me and if I do work my entire paycheck will be gobbled up with my growing tax liability? What makes it okay for you, Mr. Obama, to mortgage my future? My view is this my tax dollars are almost like money contributed to a mutual fund. I am trusting somebody else with my money to make decisions that will better my life. There is a certain return for me when the government provides police, fire stations, and local schools. I benefit from these things. However if my mutual fund manager decided it was a good idea to invest my money in a failing auto company; I would fire him and take my money back. Too bad I can't fire Obama and take my tax dollars back. I wonder how Mr. Obama might respond to criticisms such as these. I think that he may soon find out not every problem can be solved with strong words. I have my fingers crossed that I might win a golden ticket to see Mr. Obama and see if I can't get my answers on Thursday. If there any readers out there who have any other suggestions for a question for the president just let me know what they are I would be interested to hear them.

Baseball is Truly a Love Affair

I found this picture on the jsonline Brewer fan picture gallery. It made me stop and think for a moment, why do I care so much about Baseball? Anyone who reads this blog can tell I have a certain passion for the game and for the Brewers. It is American past time no matter what anyone says. Football and Basketball may be more popular or more marketable, but there is something to be said about Baseball and its place in the American summer lifestyle. At some point for all baseball fans we had a moment like the one pictured above. Perhaps it came when we were very young and made it to our first MLB game. Baseball is truly a love affair and that is what makes it special.

Brewers don't want Glavine, Parra staying around

Doug Melvin came out today and put down rumors before the could even start by saying the Brewers are not interested in Tom Glavine. Some speculated that Glavine could be a good fit to step in for struggling left-hander Manny Parra. Glavine, a 43 year old 300 game winner, was released by the Braves yesterday after making a couple of successful rehab starts. I am confident that we will probably see the old lefty in the majors this year I am just not sure where he would be a good fit. The Brewers announcement today makes clear their commitment to let Manny Parra work out his troubles on the major league level. Parra is slated to start against the Braves on Sunday. Personally I am beginning to lose patience with Parra. I have no doubt that he is talented; however it appears that he is a mental midget. He was just absolutely gutless and weak in his last outing where he got shelled in Florida. There is no doubt that Parra is struggling, however he is out of minor league options. It is interesting to note that after his first four starts last year Dave Bush was 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA. He was demoted to Triple A. Parra has the same ERA this year through 11 starts and is 3-7, with a no decision in a start the Brewers would eventually lose. I know that it is hard to give up on a young lefty with Parra's ability, but eventually you have to think about whats best for the club. I have a feeling the rope is getting shorter and shorter for Parra. He not only needs to start pitching better he needs and attitude adjustment. Apparently he had a difference of opinion with Manager Ken Macha about using a slide step the other day. Most Brewer fans can probably remember Prince Fielder beating him up in the dugout last year as well. Parra is talented it just seems like he doesn't get it. I don't want to say that he is not very smart, but I am unsure that I can come to any other conclusion. He just doesn't get it.

Government Motors

In a year that has been so improbable, for the American economy, the impossible has happened, General Motors has declared bankruptcy (sorry for stealing your call Mr. Scully). As such, starting next Monday GM will not be a part of the Dow Jones Industrial average for the first time since its beginning in 1925. What is to become of GM? Well we the people, or taxpayers, of the United States have become the principle owners of the company. As for me I think I will curl up this afternoon with The Wealth of Nations and wonder how am to make it in today's America. I am a staunch free market man watching Capitalism die all around me. Are we entering a danger zone for free enterprise? Only time will tell.

Cowherd to Get an Afternoon TV show on ESPN2

Colin Cowherd and Michelle Beadle will be hosting a new show on ESPN2 starting July 6th. I have always been a big fan of Cowherd's daily radio show; I can only hope this new show entitled SportsNation will be half as good as his radio show. The description is very vague but I will definitely be tuning in to see what it is all about.

Mayweather in the Funniest Interview in the History of Boxing (Maybe not)

This is bit of a long interview but one of funniest I have seen in a long time.

The Memorial Day Activites of Milwaukee

The following is a legitimate poll from jsonline, the website of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. My question, what exactly does it mean to CHILLAX? How might 28 percent of these people go about CHILLAXIN?

What's your favorite Memorial Day weekend activity?

Going to parades or other events (5%)

Watching/listening to the Brewers (13%)

Traveling (5%)

Grilling out (42%)

Camping (7%)

Chillaxin' (28%)

Total Responses: 5701

Bernie's New Landing Area

There is nothing I love more than a trip to beautiful Miller Park. However there are times that I feel that there is an awful lot of distracting junk around the ball park. That is the only way I can describe it. I have always personally hoped that one of the Brewers would hit a blast deep enough to destroy the Citco home run gas pump. I guess the odds of that occurring have diminished ever since Russell Branyan left town. Needless to say I am not to thrilled about this latest addition to Miller Park (Pictured Above). In addition I have always been a big proponent of the move back to the keg, chalet, and mug Bernie Brewer home setting.

Mat Gamel's First Career Start

What a great day, the Crew untucked tonight against the Cards at Busch for the sweep. Oh yeah and by the way, super-prospect Mat Gamel made his first start for the Brewers. With my shirt tucked in during the game I took vigorous notes on my legal pad about everything Gamel did during the game. Now that the game is over and I have untucked my shirt I know need to type out what I thought about Gamels debut, so here it goes.

Mat Gamel looks to be a quite kid. He is out there with big floppy hair and a big lip of dip. I have been waiting for this moment since March, here it goes, Brewers and Cardinals, Gamel's first start as a Brewer. Gamel is starting a third base and batting seventh in the Brewer lineup.

Here is probably more detailed summary than you were looking for of Mat Gamel's first career start as a Brewer:

Top of the Second: First at-bat is to lead off the inning. Tie ball game 0-0 Pitch sequence:

1. Strike Swinging, count goes to 0-1
2. Takes a strike on a changeup on the outer part of the plate, count goes to 0-2
3. Takes a ball outside a changeup, count goes to 1-2
   
4. Takes a called strike 3 fastball on the inside corner

Strike Out, 0-1
Synopsis: Gamel strikes out, he looked fooled by the inside fastball. The pitcher Kyle Lohse set up Gamel with the two outside changeups and then got him with the fastball.

Top of the Third: Second at-bat 2 out 2 on base, Fielder at first, Braun on second. Brewers lead 1-0 Pitch Sequence:

1. Takes a called strike outside, count goes to 0-1
   
2. Takes a ball inside, count goes to 1-1
3. Changeup down, poked foul just past first, count goes to 1-2
   
4. Fouls off another pitch, count remains 1-2
5. Takes a pitch up an in out to right field

HR, 3 RBI 1-2
Synopsis: Gamel fought Lohse in this at-bat and then took him deep. He obviously has power because he was able to take a pitch in on him and pull out to right.

Brewers now lead 4-0

Bottom of the Third: First batter of the inning Brewers leading 4-0

Fields a high chop ground ball off the bat of the pitcher Kyle Lohse. Makes this easy play and throws a strike over to Prince at first for the first out of the inning. The throw was a bit wide toward the outfield. This play showed off his very strong arm. I could easily see one of these throws sailing high or wide on him with the way he throws the ball (Note: I wrote this on my legal pad live after the play before his error). The reason I am writing so much about this is because this is the first chance I have had to see Gamel play in the field.

Bottom of the Fourth: Second batter of the inning, 1 out Brewers leading 4-0

Gamel fields a lazy pop fly in foul territory off the bat of Albert Pujols for the second out of the inning.

Top of the Fifth: Third at-bat 2out 2 on base, Braun on Second Prince on First, Brewers leading 4-0, Pitch Sequence:

1. Fouls the first pitch away, count goes to 0-1
2. Took a ball low, count goes to 1-1
3. Took a ball high and outside, count goes to 2-1
4. Took a ball low and inside, count goes to 3-1
5. Takes a ball low

Walk 1-2
Synopsis: After the home run Gamel seemed to calm down and dial in. He didn't chase any of the pitches, most of which where obvious balls.

Bottom of the Fifth: One out nobody on, second batter of the inning, Brewers lead 5-0

Gamel flashed some leather here. Brian Barden hit a ball down the line just inside the bag at third. Gamel made a diving stop in foul territory, got up quickly, and threw a quick accurate strike to Prince at first. This was web-gem type play for Gamel for the second out of the inning.

Top of the Sixth: Two out two on, Fielder at second Hart at first, Brewers lead 7-0, Pitch Sequence:

1. Called Strike, count goes to 0-1
2. Fouled back, count goes to 0-2
3. Grounds out to second

Ground Out 1-3
Synopsis: Not much to say about this at-bat. I do like to note that he hustled hard down the line and ran this ground ball out hard. The kid works hard there is no doubt about that.

Bottom of the Sixth: 1 out runners at the corners, Brewers lead 7-0

Pujols lines right to Gamel for the second out of the inning. This was a hard line shot right at Gamel, seemed like a routine purely reactionary play.

Bottom of the Seventh: 0 outs nobody on, Brewer lead 7-2

Brian Barden grounds to Gamel at third. Gamel despite having time tries to throw the ball on the run. His throw goes way wide of Prince at first, Barden advanced to second on the throw. It was a two base error on Gamel. Later in the inning with two outs and Barden now at third Skip Shumaker hits a two run home run to make the score 7-4, bringing Gamel's error around for a run. I would have to watch the play again but at the time I felt as though Gamel could have set himself and then thrown. This play looked very similar to many of the errors that Braun made at third base back in 2007.

Top of the Eighth: Two on Two out, Cameron on Second Hart on First, Brewer leading 8-4

Gamel is lifted for a pinch hitter Bill Hall. There is a lefty Denis Reyes on the mound and Hall is much better fielder so Macha probably wants him for the last few innings.

Final line: 1-3, HR, 3 RBI, 1 Error

Final Thoughts on Gamel's Day: Gamel showed his positives and his negatives in his first start tonight. He hit a three run home run, but also made a costly error in the field. Even stranger he flashed some leather. His post game interview was some to watch in itself. He seemed nervous and not comfortable on camera. Despite this he was really candid. When given credit for his great play in the field he pointed out his error. He seemed like a genuinely nice quite guy who is going to go out and work hard for Crew. I hate to be the one to mention it but watching Braun make web gem type plays in left today made me wonder if that might be Gamel's future position. Braun is athletic enough and has a strong enough arm for center or right field. Could Gamel be in Left field during spring training next March?

Rickie Weeks Out for the Year

Rickie Weeks is out for the year. This is a definite loss of production. The question is now who plays second in Rickie's absence. Here are a few options I came up with in the last hour:

Craig Counsell and Casey McGehee- These are the current bench infielders on the Brewer roster. Counsell is a left handed bat and has been playing well. He is batting .339. Casey McGehee is a right handed bat, but he has only 3 hits in 16 at-bats. Counsell could aptly be described as a grizzled veteran at the age of 38, having made his major league debut in 1995. McGehee was a rule 5 draft pick taken from the Cubs organization this off-season. He was a September call-up last year in Chicago and this was the first time he made an opening day roster. He is 26 years old.

Billy Hall- He has over 100 career games at 2nd base including 89 starts from 2003 to 2008. However he hasn't played the position frequently since 2005, when he had 21 starts there. If he moves to second base this would pave the way for super-prospect Mat Gamel to get more playing time at third base.

Hernan Iribarren- He is the everyday starter at second base in Triple A Nashville. He is a lefty and is batting .311. He is a significant drop in power in relation to Rickie Weeks. He does have some speed, he has six stolen bases on the year.

Alcides Escobar- He is the everyday shortstop in Triple A Nashville and one of the Brewers top prospects. While to my knowledge he has never played second base, he is a gem in the field at shortstop so I am confident that he could play second base. He is the type of guy that could be a lead-off hitter. He is a right handed hitter who is batting .268 with 2 home runs and 12 RBI. He has tremendous speed with 18 stolen bases already on the year.

One of the main problems that comes about with Weeks being out is the lack of a lead-off hitter for the Brewers. Many were convinced that Weeks was not a good option to lead-off, but the fact was he was really the only option. Some think that Corey Hart could be a lead-off hitter because of his tremendous speed. The fact is that he doesn't walk much and has a tendency to strike out. Counsell could also lead-off because he is patient takes walks and right now he has a great batting average. In fact coming into play today in 62 at-bats he is batting .339 with a .432, having take 10 walks. There is also the possibility that GM Doug Melvin could make a move to bring in a second basemen or someone who is a lead-off type hitter.

Obama's Speech at Notre Dame

This week at Notre Dame people forgot one simple thing, there is a proper time and place for everything. In my opinion what happened is that pro-lifers and Obama himself ruined a commencement ceremony. Although I consider myself a pro-life catholic, I had no problem with Notre Dame inviting President Obama to speak at their graduation. I felt that all the pro-life debaters overreacted to Notre Dame's invitation to Obama. This created the scene with protesters and lots of controversy. It is at this point that Obama messed up. He determined that he need to be the straw that stirred the drink of controversy. During his speech at the commencement Obama chose to address abortion issue. I think that he needed to remember where he was and what he was doing. He was at a Catholic university giving a commencement speech. This was not the time or place to be asking for understanding of the pro-choice cause or even addressing the abortion debate. I feel that he needed to respect the views of the people at this particular location. This is definitely not what Notre Dame had in mind when the invited him to speak. The event was supposed to be about celebrating Obama's historic electoral achievement, as well as celebrating the achievements of the graduates. I am starting to believe that as a Catholic, Obama does not respect my views. He decided to take abortion head on at Notre Dame. This event follows his inability to get an ambassador to the Holy See approved. Why can't he get an ambassador to the Vatican; he continually tried to appoint pro-lifers like Caroline Kennedy. I am not asking Obama to convert to the views of Catholicism, rather just respect them when he is trying to deal with Catholic institutions. Right now Obama is giving me, a Catholic, the impression that he has no respect Catholic ideas. I feel that as a Catholic, I can not support Obama because he doesn't bother to respect my view and opinions.

Cal's on the Case

I didn't really buy A-Rod's explanation of his steroid use and apparently I am not the only one. Cal Ripken Jr. had some interesting comments on the topic of steroids the other day. When asked about A-Rod, Cal had this to Say:

"I really want to know why," Ripken said Thursday night at a banquet in Florida, according to The Palm Beach Post. "I'm going to make it my business to find out."

Ripken has apparently known A-Rod for a long time, since A-Rod was 16. I think that it is interesting that he took such a forward approach in answering this question. I don't think that much will come of this, but I feel that it is interesting that a former player that is held in high regard is finally taking steroid use personally. It is nice not only to think that good pure guys like Ripken feel as betrayed as the fans do, but to actually hear it from them as well. Hopeful baseball can continue to move forward as I believe it has been.

Farve to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell

"He (Packers GM Ted Thompson) doesn't want me going to Minnesota, because he knows I'll kick his ass twice a year!" This story is beginning to get out of hand. I really am not even sure what think anymore. Apparently Favre is really a competitor, that much is for certain. If he goes to the Vikings I hope we kick his ass twice a year.

Favre going Rambo Style

Apparently Favre's desire to play again is so high that he is not considering surgery. No Favre is considering whether or not it would be a better option to work out enough that his partial torn biceps tendon in his shoulder would tear completely. This would apparently allow him to play pain free. I really didn't believe that tearing your arm completely apart was actually a better option but apparently I was way off. In fact Favre is consulting a world renowned orthopedic surgeon to see if this is a good idea. The fact this doctor, who is high educated on the topic, might think its a good idea shows just how wrong I am. My question is how badly does Favre want to spite Ted Thompson and the Packer's front office that he is willing to go to these extreme lengths to play for the Vikings. I love Brett Favre and have always been critical of football genius Ted Thompson, but this situation seems way to extreme. In the end no matter what Brett does, I will always be grateful for the years he was in Green Bay. The fact of the matter is though that I am a Packer fan. Anything that helps the Vikings and could hurt the Packers is a negative thing. There is no gray area, even for Favre. If he plays for the Vikings, I will have to cheer against him. As always the Packers are above all else in the NFL.

Mat Gamel is Coming

Reports are stating that the Brewers have made the move to bring up Mat Gamel and send down Brad Nelson. To make it to triple A Nelson would have to accept the assignment and clear waivers. Right now I don't foresee either of these being an issue. Nelson is 0-21, I really don't see anyone plucking him up right now. Gamel has reportedly been better in the field lately, however he is more or less atrocious at third base. He made 53 errors in high class A ball in 2007 and a combined 32 between double A and triple A last year. Basically he may be worse at third than Braun was, which is really hard to do. Since I will be at tomorrow's game I am hoping that this move may be complete and a pinch hit appearance may be in order. It will be better than watching Nelson try and do something at the plate. The Crew is looking for the sweep of the Marlins with Dave Bush on the mound tomorrow. This would be great momentum going into the Saint Louis series this weekend. With the win tonight combined with the Cardinals loss the Crew moved into a tie for first in the Central. In addition, Gallardo will be on the mound Friday to start the series off on the right foot. As always go Crew!

Brewer Fans Look for some excitment this weekend

This weekend marks the first time in the season the Brewers will face the St. Louis Cardinals. The match up, as it stands right now, will be between the top two teams in the NL Central. This is not why I think that it will be an interesting series in St. Louis this weekend. The Cardinals have made it no secret that they hate the Brewers. They think that Milwaukee is one of the cockiest teams in the league. This will all be following a weekend in which Ryan Braun was criticized for watching his 8th inning homerun on friday. Brewers fans might remeber last season when the Cardinals went out in the press and stated that they want to crush the Brewers because they hate the way they untuck their shirts after wins and celebrate on the field. The Brewers then went on to crush the Cardinals that weekend and start a winning streak. I would look for old time Baseball man Tony LaRussa to probably throw at some of the Brewers this weekend. It going to be a competitive series with a potential for some fireworks. Lets just hope the the Crew can crush the Cards again this year.

Roger Clemens is Still a Jerk

This morning I was shocked when I heard that Roger Clemens was going to be on Mike and Mike on ESPN Radio. It was his first interview in over a year. It is important to note that this interview was juxtaposed next to the release of a new book about his Steroid use "American Icon." Part of me thoroughly thought that he may come out in this interview and spill the beans just like ARod. Instead the interview started with Clemens denying ANY steroid use. The story had not changed it was the same junk I had heard before. The evidence against him is quite overwhelming. He is the new Pete Rose. In the face of a giant mountain of evidence he still chooses to claim his innocence. His wife took HGH and we are to believe that he didn't. Colin Cowherd pointed this little gem out on his radio show, his reason for not using steroids. His family had a history of heart issues, his step-father had heart disease. Yes this totally makes sense. The great legal heart issue connection. I have had enough of Roger Clemens and his ways. He has always been a jerk, picture the broken bat going toward Piaza. Invariably because he is interesting, he will be news just like Pete Rose. The hits just keep on coming for baseball.

Baseball is Joke once again

Now that the semester is over and I am back home I believe it is time to start writing again. This story just jumped off the page at me, Manny suspended 50 games for failing a drug test. Really can baseball ever recover from this stuff, I just don't know what to say anymore. ARod now Manny this is going to be a long summer at this pace.

NHL playoffs start today

Lets go hawks!

Castro Meets with US Lawmakers

Apparently Fidel Castro met with three members of the Congressional Black Caucus. The group was led by Rep. Barbara Lee, a California Democrat. While it is unclear what the discussion were about and why they took place, this is a very interesting news story. This is the first time Castro has talked to US officials since 2006. Many has been speculating that under President Obama US policy toward Cuba might change. It is evidently clear that the trade embargo has failed significantly in its stated purpose to bring democracy to the Cuban people. While many in the United States have felt that there has been need for change in our Cuban policy, there has been little to signal that Cuba may want to interact with United States. Today's meeting maybe Castro signaling a new found wiliness to talk to America under Barak Obama. I for one am interested to see what will come out of today's meeting. Maybe someday I will be eating candy made with cheaper Cuban sugar and smoking a nice Cuban cigar. Maybe someday.

Big Brother Rears His Ugly Head Once Again

For some strange reason I feel like the world is falling apart and I seem to be the only one noticing. Admittedly I have been far more paranoid since reading the Watchmen. I have personally decided to be Rorschach and to be the one who is "Watching the Watchmen." Despite this new found paranoia I don't think that I am complete off base with my latest gripe to be described in this post. AS you have all well heard the Chairman of GM (used to be called General Motors now I believe it is more appropriate to call it Government Motors) stepped down at the suggestion of Presidents committee on the auto industry. The president more or less fired the CEO of GM. This news was reported with almost nobody on any of the major news networks seemed to see the major implications of this move. To follow that up the next day I watch President Obama stand up in front of the press and tell Americans not to fear that the government would keep good on your GM cars warranty. This much government intervention into our daily live scares me to no end. Maybe it is because of my circumstances but I feel like one of the few to take notice. I think we as an American people need to take notice and stand up and say that we don't want or need government to save us. We need to "watch the watchmen."

WISN TV's 1977 Promo

The Recession Deepens

If there was any doubt about how bad the economy was these days the news has provided a sobering reminder of the dire situation. First Unemployment has reached eight percent the highest since 1983. In addition the stock Market has been plummeting at an astounding rate. The hits just keep on coming.

Philosophically Why the Markets Suck

As this crisis goes deeper and deeper some may ask themselves; how did this happen? If you watch the news there has been a lot of talk about the sub-prime mortgages, bad assets in the banks, and a lack of credit. This is the nature of the American financial sector right now and that is not debatable. All of this things are the cause of the crisis or a reason that we are failing to get out of this crisis. However I think that beyond that the reason for the market tanking is fear. Nobody has any hope for the future (sorry Barack). Investors are jumping off the sinking ship that is the markets and nobody is going on a cruise any time soon. To put it in to a practical example I will tell a little story. The story goes like this:

Yesterday while I was surfing the interwebs I decided to look at some stocks. I took a lot at one in particular, that stock was GE. GE has been a staple in the American business climate for years now. However what I saw was quite disturbing. The stock was trading at about 6.6 a share. About a year ago this stock was trading in the high 30s. This got me to thinking it wouldn't take much money to buy 50 or 100 shares. The thought process being the stock is so low it has to go up. It is at this point I thoughts creep in my mind, what if the stock doesn't go up? Could they go bankrupt and the stock plummet to zero? This is GE we are talking about. Could it become zero? This is what I am talking about when I say fear is driving the markets down. While all the financial stuff is the cause and still is the problem, it is not solely the reason the Dow Jones has fallen all the way to the point where it is now. While we are doing everything we can to fix the economy it may be a while until investors regain confidence again. The fact is that the future sadly does not look bright, I am not the only fear filled investor and the financial situation is still quite poor. It is going to take real action and time to fix this problem. Sadly all the rhetoric about hope and change in the world will not restore confidence. The next plan is to throw money at the problem and build some roads isn't that much better. The light at the end of the tunnel is quite dim these days.

The Rush Limbaugh Situation

Lately Rush Limbaugh has been in the news sparking controversy in the political spectrum. This may not seem unusual however this time he was butting heads with the Republican party. For some reason he and Michael Steele are arguing over who is really in charge of the Republican party. First, right now it appears that nobody is in charge of the Republican party right now, it is an entity floating around in lost ideals looking for someone to step up. Rush Limbaugh decided that he needed to be that man to defend the free market and become the leader of the Conservative revolution. The fact of the matter is that Rush is a very polarizing figure and not the man who needs to be the figure head of the party during this time of crisis. If he really wants free market, lazies fare principles not to die he needs to go back to rally up the base and slamming liberals and stop challenging party leadership. He will turn more people off than he will gain to the cause if he challenges the party. Despite all of this he is right about one thing, there is nobody running this party it is laying down and dying to the will of Obama and the masses. On a side note I would talk about how this whole Steele-Rush controversy got started. It happened when Michael Steele appeared on CNN over the weekend. The things is he was responding to a question from great political mind DL Hughley. Wait DL Hughley, I thought he was a comedian. Oh yeah that's right he is a comedian, when did he get a show on CNN? Why is DL Hughley declaring that he thinks that Rush Limbaugh is the Republican Party starting controversy? Seriously is the Republican party getting so weak that DL Hughley is ruffling some feathers? On a related note I think that DL Hughley doesn't deserve to have a show about politics.

Finally I would like to talk a little bit about what Rush said that sparked all the controversy. In his speech at CPAC Rush stated that he wanted Barack Obama's policies to fail. The few people who actually read this blog will notice I am a fairly conservative. If those readers are really looking for something to ponder and are out of all other things to think about might wonder do I agree with Rush in this sentiment. Well these sad folks are in luck I am going to write about that here in this post. The fact of the matter is that I find myself at a crossroads in the analysis of this issue. First and foremost I would like to point out that I fundamentally disagree with Obama's policies to stimulate the economy. As I see it there is no way that the stimulus bill will ever work. It is misguided spending that will not create jobs and will only break down our dollar and the rating of US treasury bonds. He is irresponsibly growing the deficit with a plan that won't grow the economy. This is just what I think. However I have also lived my life hoping for American prosperity and to hope that actions that our government takes will fail seems rather foreign. If this fails our economy will continue to suffer. As a moral beginning and a citizen, I don't think that I can wish a failed economy on the citizens of American. If I was truly to describe my emotions on the situation I would say that I am filled with fear and a lack of hope for the future. I am fearful of two things in general. First and foremost I am afraid that the economy will not recover. Since I am eventually preparing to enter the job market, I would like there to be a market for my employment eventually. The second and less obvious fear that creeps in the back of mind is that this Obama plan will work. At first review this seems contradictory to my first fear; I should want this plan to stimulate the economy to work. The problem is that if this plan works it may begin a very slippery slope of government intervention. Since I like to think about myself as a libertarian; I have a fundamental problem with government intervention in to my life working. If it works once with the balance of power the way it is in government today, lacking a conservative voice to stop the spending spree, the redistribution policies will take a stronghold. For anyone who thinks that I am just some conservative nut case, I would ask those people to take a listen to some of the rhetoric coming out of the Obama camp these days. One instance comes to my mind, his very first address to the nation as president. I can remember Obama saying that government was the only institution that could solve the current economic crisis. The only institution. As this post goes on and on one may notice that I am beginning to sound more and more like Rush himself. The truth is that success or credited success of the stimulus package may cause more long term harm ideologically to our nation than benefit from the short-term success it may or most likely may not have. Generally I am going to have to reluctantly agree with Rush. I would some it up like this; when I was younger I want America to get better above all else. Now that I am older I realize that my love of America has less to do with flags, colors, and Uncle Sam; and more to do with our countries adherence to my belief in freedom above all else. Buzz words, rhetoric, and symbols don't mean all that much when they are representing the wrong ideals; even if those ideals may in the short-term bring prosperity. If you think I am wrong just look at world history. Even in times of crisis it is important that we still understand the importance of economic and social freedom.

Snow Day in Clemson

Today we had a snow day after about maybe 3 inches of snow yesterday. The snow was a wet heavy and disgusting snow which came after it had rained for the better part of three days. This caused the ground to very slushy, there is nothing worse than walking around in ankle deep slush. By the time I got up today the roads were all melted already. The cancellation seems like a bit of an over reaction for someone like me, but I will take it. Although in my estimation the roads where not that dangerous I did see several car accidents including one guy nailing a car that had spun out. However dangerous the roads may or may not have been one of the most dangerous threats came from tree branches. As I walked around I noticed several downed branches and had one limb fall a few feet in front of me in President's Park. I guess these old tree have probably never had heavy wet snow to contend with before. One of the more ridiculous things I saw on numerous occasions was girls walking around with umbrellas in the snow (notice second to last picture). I have no idea who told people that this was at any point a good idea, it just seem ridiculous and something I have never seen in the many previous snow storms I have witnessed. All said I am thankful for the day off and the chance to participate in the social experiment that is southern people in snow. Have fun at work and school today Wisconsin.

A Post for the Day

I have been rather busy studying and such. I felt like I need to post something and this photo caught my eye. I would say "No Soup for you", but the way things have been going lately the Federal government is provided the "soup" for everyone these days.

The Difference Between 840 and 820 Billion

Apparently its a lot more than 20 Billion (as if that wasn't enough). The Wall Street Journal breaks down the difference between the House and Senate stimulus bills. Warning this chart maybe disturbing to anyone who actually pays taxes.

Favre Retires again

Last year around this time when Brett Favre retired for the first time I wrote a few posts about how much Brett Favre has meant to football and the Green Bay Packers. Little did I know that the man wasn't quite done yet. Favre made the state of Wisconsin a laughing stock for a few week period before he finally landed in New York with the Jets. After a 9-7 year in which Favre and the Jets missed the playoffs, Favre decided to hang it up once again. All the cynical people out there have been asking, how long is it until Brett selfishly decided to come back again? Although I am a cynical person in general and what Favre did last year really upset me, today I am going to play the role of a Brett Favre apologist. The way I see it is like this, Brett Favre like all people is human. He walked away from something that defined his life from the time he was a young child. That can be hard on anyone, we don't like to lose what's most important to us, it is part of the human condition and yes it applies to something some consider just a game. This is what I think happened to Favre he was afraid he may have made a mistake, so he sought a way to strap on the pads one more time. So he went to play for the Jets. He had a mediocre year in which he threw 22 TDs, 22 INTs, and for 3472 yards. It is at this point I figure he realized he did the right thing the year prior when he decided to hang it up. This coupled with the injuries he experienced this year have spelled out the end for Brett Favre. I know I will miss seeing him play and I think most people will too.

The Day A-Rod and Steroids Stole my Innocence

To the few people who read this blog will notice that I frequently write about the Milwaukee Brewers. Despite the fact that out of all the sports I played when I was younger I was the worst at Baseball it has grown to become my favorite sport. There is something about the little details that really makes me love the game. But like all young kids I truly developed my love for the game the first time I went to the ballpark and saw greenest, most perfect lawn I had every seen (that is with the exception of my house where my dad spent many hours putting hard work to have a perfect lawn). I would sit in the stands and watch the big leaguers play the game in its purest form. Or that is what I was led to believe. As it turned out during the years that I was growing up and learning to love Americas past-time would come to be known as the steroids era of baseball. I can remember in September of 1998, when I was 9 years old, I went with my dad and my uncles to Milwaukee County Stadium and saw Mark McGwire hit home run number 65. As it turns out that whole thing was just a fabrication, an illusion, just a complete joke. It is a sobering feeling to think that a memorable moment for a child came by way of cheating. Until very recently I have been able to think that maybe it was just the most arrogant players like Barry Bonds (who alienated an entire fan base, Pittsburgh and the media), Mark McGwire (who wasn't there to talk about the past), Sammy Sosa (who forgot how to speak English when asked about steroids), and Roger Clemens (who once threw a broken bat at Mike Piazza). However yesterday afternoon after allegations came out over the weekend Alex Rodriguez admitted he used steroids from 2001 to 2003 while a Texas Ranger. Many people saw A-Rod as the "Great Clean Hope" who was going to pass Barry Bonds on the all-time list home run list. However that is no longer a relevant possibility anymore. His actions have stained the game. His actions and the reports about the other positive test have taken away any innocence I tired to hang on to. After all these latest few reports I can no longer try and convince myself that steroids was just an arrogant few (no matter how naive that sounds that is really what I chose to believe). A-Rod represents that even the greatest in the sport fell victim during this period of time. In fact the Sports Illustrated report claims that in that 2003 test 104 of nearly 1200 players tested, tested positive for some form of performance enhancing drug. For those that aren't so good at math this is about eight and half percent of all players tested. Beyond the 104, I am sure that there many others who were using HGH or other non-detectable designer drugs. To think that steroids were that prevalent in baseball in 2003 only makes me begin to wonder how it was in the mid to late 90s. Really its blow to the heart of me as a baseball fan to see an entire decade go to shame, no less it all occurred in the years when I was falling in love with the game. These last couple of days have really made me think about all the experiences I had going to the ballpark as a child, are they now tainted? The only thing I can really acquaint this to is when you find out the real truth about Christmas and the jolly old Santa Claus. I still love Christmas, possible now more than ever that I fully understand the true meaning of the holiday, but that time in that moment you feel a little sad. I have a grand appreciation of the game of baseball and its history and I love the game now more than I did when I was younger. Despite all that it is painful to think that the historic baseball moments of my youth were all a lie. Naturally all these angry and upset feelings I have now will fade in the next few months when the season starts up again, but in part they will still be there. I am glad that all of this came out and baseball is getting clean. I truly believe that a moment like this, someone big in the game admitting their fault, has marked the beginning of the end steroids era in baseball. Honestly thought the only thought on my mind right now is how ignorance truly is bliss. A small part of me truly wants to be ignorant and naive again so that those childhood baseball memories will mean something again. I think when baseball fans look back this incident will be a small chapter in baseball history. It is because of the fact of baseball's rich tradition and its bright future with young stars that we can go back to believing that baseball will get past this. As for what to think about the steroids era as a whole, that's question that is hard to answer. Despite its difficulties I will try my best. There first thing I think we need to recognize is that baseball can only blame itself for this era. They failed to act and educate to make sure that this wouldn't happen. I think we all know that. However I think that more than that the one thing baseball needs to realize it is specifically because of its numbers and its stress on individual achievements, that those numbers are now tainted. Because 755 and 61 were numbers that everyone knew and attributed to greatness that is why arrogant people like Barry Bonds took steroids. A-Rod himself talked in his interview about the pressure to be the greatest ever. I think we as baseball fans have gotten lost in all of these numbers. Sure the numbers are great things and I love them, but it was more about the play and the passion. If you asked Hank Aaron what he thought about 755 sure he would say he was proud about it, but it wouldn't take long for him to begin talking about how he was a complete player who went out and competed everyday. Its about the game and the people not the numbers, sometimes we get lost in all that. As for how these players should be remembered, I think it is only fair to follow the Pete Rose precedent. We all remember Pete Rose for his great play on the field nobody played with more passion than he did. We remember the fact that he has the most hits ever. Despite all that he embarrassed and tainted the game forever by betting on the game while managing the Reds. As such he is not allowed to enter the Hall of Fame. We will still remember his play, but because of his other actions he cannot be granted the highest honor the game has to give someone after they leave it. He still is one of the greatest hitters of all time and nothing can change that. The same is true of players who used steroids, they may be some of the best ever and nothing can change that. However the stain that they have left on the game means that they most bear some costs and for that they will not get the greatest honor the game can give and that's the way it should be. They can't be erased, they played the game, but we don't have to honor their actions. For any who managed to make your way through this rant, thanks for reading, I know it is quite dense. Pitchers and catchers report Friday, the miracle of summer is almost back. Its time for me and all baseball fans to let the happenings of this past decade play themselves out and rather think about the new season which is at its dawning. Its time to play ball again.

The Snuggie Stimulus!

I don't usually post this much in one day, but I saw this on a friend's blog and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share this with my limited reader base.

A Look Back at 2008 Crew that Got it Done

Since pitchers and catchers report in a week, a felt a need to post a tribute to last years Brew Crew. The were the best Brewer team in my lifetime and they had an amazing season, here's to hoping this year is just as good.

Friday Fun Post: The Law Behind the Final Episodes of Seinfeld

With all the real issues going on in sports and in the real world it is nice every once in a while to have a fun post during the week. This is such a post. It is a post about nothing, or more precisely a show about nothing. As you may well remember in the end of the series Seinfeld, one of my personal favorites, all the main characters are convicted under a "Good Samaritan law" for failing to help and actually making fun of a fat man being car-jacked. "Good Samaritan" laws do actually exist in most states. The laws are based out of a case of the state of Massachusetts in 1825 Mills v. Wyman. This law did two things, first in response to the case it provided that those who cared for others when they were sick or injured were entitled to just compensation for any expenses they incurred in treating a member of society that was in need. This provides the incentive for people to help other no matter what the costs. This however is no longer relevant or used in today's society. The next part of the so called "Good Samaritan" is still used today in court. This is provided protection for those normal citizens who try to help those in danger. An example of this would be if a person tried to save someone from a car wreck and in so doing tragically paralyzed the victim, this "Good Samaritan" could not be sued for the damages they inflict upon the victim. As it would be put in my Law and Economics class this law is economically efficient because it seeks to provide the proper incentives for people in society. So the truth is that the "Good Samaritan" law as portrayed in Seinfeld does not exist. In fact, the concept of such a thing seems really absurd and in reality you would never be found guilty of such a thing in today's society. You may have an ethical and moral obligation however do not have a legal obligation to do so. This being said the concept of responding to a persons cry for help does have a long legal tradition and in fact remnants of it still remain today. It is an ancient common law tradition known as the "Hue and Cry." It can be seen most notably in and case from old England Jordan v. Simon from 1219 in Yorkshire. The "Hue and Cry" is the concept that all citizens must be ready to hunt down and detain criminals for the good of society. This has been replaced in society today by the police presence. This brings us to the next interesting thing on this issue. The requirement for citizens to assist the police. This can be seen in can be seen in a famous case from 1929 in New York called Babington v. Yellow Taxi. This case was famously decided
based on the "Hue and Cry" by Justice Cardozo. He stated that Yellow Taxi would be liable for the death benefits of Babington and not the police because of Babington's duty to assist the police. Here is how Cardozo explains the "Hue and Cry" in his decision:

Babington, employed as a chauffeur by the Yellow Taxi Corporation, met his death through accident while driving one of its cabs. All that we know of the circumstances comes from the employer's report of the injury, which has been embodied in the findings. A police officer jumped on the running board and ordered [*16] the driver to chase another car in order to arrest its occupant. Suddenly another vehicle cut across the path. The result was a collision from which death ensued. A person who after having been lawfully commanded to aid an officer in arresting any person, or in retaking any person who has escaped from legal custody, or in executing any legal process, wilfully neglects or refuses to aid such officer is guilty of a misdeameanor" (Penal Law, § 1848). The duty goes back to the days of the hue and cry. "The main rule we think to be this," say the historians of our early law (Pollock & Maitland, History of English Law,vol. 2, p. 580) "that felons ought to be summarily arrested and put in gaol. All true men ought to take part in this work and are punishable if they neglect it" (cf. Holdsworth, History of English Law, vol. 1, p. 294; vol. 3, p. 599; vol. 4, p. 521; Coyles v. Hurtin, 10 Johns. 85). The law did not limit itself to imposing upon the manhood of the country a duty to pursue. To make pursuit effective there were statutes in those early days whereby a man was subject to a duty to provide himself with instruments sufficient for the task. Negligence would certainly be relative to the need and the occasion; a speed too great at other times is proper in emergencies. Conceivably the employee would be deemed to have passed out of the service of his general employer and into the service of a special one. We leave that question open, not meaning to express, even by intimation, an opinion as to the answer. The general employer is still liable under the provisions of the statute ( Matter of De Noyer v. Cavanaugh, 221 N. Y. 273). The order should be affirmed with costs.

Many legal scholars believe that this was the wrong way to go about deciding the case and the "Hue and Cry" was not the correct legal concept to use in this case. As far as assisting police in apprehension of criminals goes it is all but dead. There are still some statutes on the books in certain areas but for the most part you have no legal obligation to assist the police for the propose of apprehension. That being said you cannot deliberately disrupt a police investigation and it is most likely in your best interest to cooperate with police. The last thing I am trying to do here is to try and convince people not to help others. The point is that there is no legal obligation (that is I could not find any case in the common law refer to this) anymore rather just a moral one. So in case you cared the Seinfeld law does have some interesting legal traditions. And that is a Friday Fun Post.

Clemson Big Night for the Program/ Big Disgrace for the Fans

Tonight was a big win for Clemson basketball. This is a moment you can point to down the line where Clemson became a legitimate constant contender in the ACC. This is the moment Oliver Purnell has been building this program to get to. There is not much a can really say to describe what a 74-47 win over Duke means to Clemson. It was amazing. However at the end of the game there was an appalling display by the student section of Clemson University. In their ecstasy after one of the biggest wins in Clemson history, the students rushed the court. While this may seem like a logical response in the heat of the moment, upon further review it shows a complete lack of class. It was as if despite being ranked number ten in the country we did not expect to win this game. It is not like we pulled off an upset in a close game, we won by 27. It was a game between to highly ranked teams and we, Clemson Tigers, dominated the game proving we are a forced to be reckoned with. This is a time when you clap it up stay sign the Alma Mater and go out a celebrate after the game. Rushing the court in this situation was a disgrace, we needed to take this win with class because we should have expected to win. Instead we were surprised to win and it showed. Disgrace.

Step Back and Think People

Yesterday while I was watching CNN they began to talk about Tim Geithner's plan to use the rest of the TARP funds. There was talk about how it is going to hard to value the bad assets and that it is going to hard to figure out what bad assets to buy. This discussion all seemed reasonable to me. Trust me, I will be the first to tell you that we need to do something about these bad assets to free up the credit market. Capital is one of the major keys to economic growth. I became appalled when they began to talk about sanctions that the Obama administration might try to place on companies trying to receive TARP funds. The discussion talked about how they were going to try and force these companies to do something about CEO compensation, asking them to reduce it. Some extremist on capital hill have even been asking for it to be capped at the president's salary of around 400 thousand. While most agreed that the latter suggestion was ridiculous everyone on the program wanted these CEOs salaries of around 10 million a year needed to stop and that the government should use TARP to control this. Lets face these people are greedy and overpaid, I think most Americans are sickened by the gaudy numbers these people are raking in yearly. I personally think for the knock up job they are doing they really deserve high pay (hint of sarcasm). Despite all this anger we may have toward these people we associate with our money loss we must step back and think about whats really going on here. The government is try to control wages. Despite the fact that we are upset with the high wages, we should under no circumstances allow this to happen. The Obama administration is thinking of putting CEO compensation stipulations on TARP funds. The government is taking advantage of a national crisis to try and push a socialist agenda. It seems that people were not nearly as concerned about high CEO compensation when the economy was good. The attitude was yeah they get paid a lot, but look how the company is doing. Wages are sticky just like prices, it is a lot harder to make them go down then it is for them to go up. As Americans we need to step back from all our fear and anger look at what is happening. The government is trying to control private industries and how much they pay their employees. This in my opinion is just wrong. I would rather be dead than red. Incentive effects drive people to success. Once again my plea to the American people is step back from the emotion of the situation and think rationally.

Super Bowl Sunday, A Review

Super Bowl Sunday taught me a few lessons along the way. We will start with the football lessons. First the Arizona Cardinals are for real. Despite the fact that they only one nine games while playing in one of the worst divisions in football during the regular season, they came to play in the playoffs. They beat three teams, that when the playoffs began most people would have argued were much better than the Cardinals. This is due in large part due to the fact that they have Larry Fitzgerald and Kurt Warner. Larry Fitzgerald stepped up in the clutch with more than 100 hundred yards receiving and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Kurt Warner threw for the second most yards ever in a Super Bowl. By the way his two previous Super Bowl appearances rank first and third all time on that list. I don't care what anyone else says he is a Hall of Famer. The man has two regular season MVPs and a Super Bowl MVP. In addition he has lead the Rams and the Cardinals to the Super Bowl, the Rams and the Cardinals.

Now the Steelers. First things first, they were without a doubt the best team this year. One thing deserves mention, the Cardinals did not lose that game, the Pittsburgh Steelers won that game. The Steelers had the toughest schedule in the NFL this year and all they did was go 12-4, secure a first round bye and then cruise through to a Super Bowl title. Earlier today on ESPN's the Herd, I heard Colin Cowherd talk about how the teams with next six toughest schedules failed to make the playoffs, and I believe he said all of them finished below .500. This, if it is in fact true and I am not imaging things this is only a testament to the Steelers greatness. While I still have a hard time envisioning Ben Roethlisberger as a great quarterback, his performance the last night in the fourth quarter went in his favor to changing that opinion. It was a great performance. Next point the Steelers are one of the greatest franchises of all time. They way the have picked their coaches, Mike Tomlin is an amazing coach (much better than Mike McCarthy and he looks like Omar Epps there's no way around it), and the fact that they have pretty much always been good, their down years have been few and far between as of late. As for the greatest franchise of all time I have to give that nod to my Green Bay Packers and I am not the only one others agree with me too.

Next lesson, the NFL should be counting their lucky stars. The last too years have been two of the most exciting Super Bowls ever. They may not have been the greatest but they were exciting there is no way around that. The NFL really needed this after the preceding two of the most boring Super Bowls I can ever remember. The next lesson that looms large from this is America is a what have you done for me lately society. People have called each of these last two Super Bowls the greatest ever. The fact is they were good exciting games, not the most exciting ever. We have had Super Bowls end in Made field goals, missed field goals and even a touchdown saving tackle, my personal favorite. The fact of the matter is that while these games were great and certainly top ten, there have been 41 other Super Bowls some of which were better than these last two. Stop overrating the now and have a more perceptive view America. This doesn't cut it:

Poll

The greatest Super Bowl?

32%	XLIII: Steelers beat Cardinals
34%	XLII: Giants upset Patriots
6%	III: Jets stun Colts
7%	XXXVI: Pats surprise Rams
3%	XXIII: Niners top Bengals
4%	XXV: Giants hold off Bills
15%	XXXIV: Rams edge Titans

poll result taken from CBS sports

Next point, the commercials were in general not good this year. There were a few winners, including the ultra repetitive Career-builder commercial. However there were far too many losers. Budweiser did not hit home with any of their commercials they were just not funny. Next the Coke Zero ad with Troy Polamalu, while it made me laugh it was terrible because it made fun of a classic touching commercial with one of the NFL's all time tough guys MEAN Joe Green. The Pepsi McGruber ad was awful and almost painful to watch. An interest ad that caught my attention was a the Miller High Life one second ad. The ad symbolized what the "High Life" is all about common sense, just living simple, and not buying overpriced stuff, as the current ad campaign tells us. This one second made a much better impression, in my opinion, than all Budweiser and Bud light's 3 million dollar 30 second spots. While "High Life" made the cut, there were a bunch of other ideas for the one second spot that didn't get as lucky. The one second idea held the message of the product and was genius.

Next point, the Boss was for the most part the Boss. He was pure entertainment. Despite the fact that he only had 12 minutes he was able to rock the house. I was particularly surprised with his stage antics, all the running, jumping, and sliding around. I mean the man is 59 years old. My only complaints were I thought his voice sounded a bit week and I was big on the order of the songs he play. For me it didn't top Tom Petty's performance from last year. Other than that it was a great halftime show.

Final lesson, nothing make the day more than great food, especially the greatest of all a nice double Johnsonville Brat.

1.20.09, What it all Means

January 20th was certainly one of the most historic days in relatively brief history of the United States. This nation inaugurated its first African American president, Barack Obama. However historic this was, is in my eyes it was an irrelevant factor to the importance of the day. In a time of turmoil and national crisis we handed over the keys to the country to a man, who only a few year ago was an unknown, in hopes that he might become the transcendent leader that we as Americans wants him to be. January 20th was the day that all the rhetoric about HOPE and CHANGE needed to end and real action needed start. Now its time to deliver. Whether or not this is the case only time will tell. While the day marked a new beginning it also marked the end to the Bush presidency. To many this was a joyous moment, to others a tragedy. To this I can only say one thing; I personally believe that Bush did all he things he did with a vision of country first. In 2000 Bush ran on a campaign of domestic issues and then within a year of being office he was forced to handle the rest of the world after foreigners made an attack on our soil. He grew the size of government by revamping Homeland security. Whether his actions were right, once again only time can tell. The point is Bush is not a monster, not a criminal. He was an American serving his country to the best of his abilities. To former President Bush I say enjoy your much deserved retirement and to President Barack Obama I say congrats and good luck.

The NHL Winter Classic is Coming....

Kohler Cuts Back Work Force

The faltering economy has hit the Sheboygan area and hits it hard. Kohler made another series of job cuts today this time cutting 73 administrative positions. This is only the latest in Kohler's cuts which has been suffering for a while now from the slow housing market. Kohler is the largest employer in Sheboygan County. Having worked for the company, I can personally attest to the sense of pride that the company brings to the employees. This pride can be seen throughout the community, people take pride that Kohler, a large international company, is based in their community. It really hurts me to see the company fall on hard times. Its one thing to read about the markets spiraling downward and people losing jobs, it is whole different thing to see it effect home. Let us all hope the Kohler and the economy as whole can make the turn around and return to the good times.

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

In honor of the two day wait my friends and I are enduring for Clemson-USC tickets I decided to post this song. The whole experience is something I enjoy now, the sleeping on the sidewalk and sitting through the rain today, it is worth it when you have that ticket in hand. That being said after these few years of college are over I never want to wait in line like this ever again. This particular time the wait was made a little more interesting last when Dabo and the boys on the team decided to pass out pizza to the faithful. Yep this week is one of those where a large percentage of campus goes homeless and gets into tents for the week, it really is a ragged lifestyle. The waiting is the hardest part.

My Skydiving Adventure

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Above is similar to the view I had today as I fell towards the earth from 14000 feet up in the air at a speed of around 120 miles per hour. Eventually my parachute would open and I would do some spins and corkscrews while enjoying view. The view well from high above Chester, South Carolina (Point B Below) I could see the Blue Ridge Mountains near Hendersonville, NC (Point C) and the skyline of Charlotte, NC (Point A Below) like a little Gem light in the sunset background. Eventually I would come safely to rest on the ground again in grassy area between the triangular air strip (near point A above). The whole experience was at a cost of about 200 dollars for a tandem jump from Skydive Carolina. I would throughly recommend that people try skydiving it was a blast.


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Willie Randolph Will Come to the Brewers After All?

I saw this on the ESPN bottom line today and then went searching for it on the inter webs. Willie Randolph will be the bench coach on Ken Macha's staff provided he doesn't get any offers to be a manager. Melvin has allowed the option for Randolph to interview for any managerial positions that become available, he is rumored to be a candidate for the Seattle job. I hope that Randolph stays with Milwaukee I believe he would be a big benefit, to some of our young talent, including Weeks and Escobar. I really like what Randolph brings to the staff. In other news bullpen coach Bill Castro was upgraded to pitching coach after the departure of Mike Maddux.

Sheboygan Has Problem with Deer??

The area around the sixth street park has been having trouble with deer in there neighborhood. While deer in Wisconsin doesn't seem all that absurd this is in a fairly urban area. That being said do we really need a sharp shooter to come into town and kill off all these deer at 90 bucks a head? I am just not sure about this whole thing.


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Here is the area of Sheboygan where the story takes place.

Is Sarah Palin Smarter than a 5th Grader?

According to this segment on the O'Reilly Factor last night apparently not. According to reports Palin couldn't name the countries in NAFTA or even the countries in North America. However it get worse she reportedly didn't realize that Africa was a continent and not a country. In fact she was apparently convinced that South Africa was a part of the country of Africa and not a country on the continent. While I have not seen anything else on this reports, I haven't seen anything refuting them either. I really hope I have seen the last of Sarah Palin on the national political scene.

The Markets weren't feeling the "Hope"....this caused "Change" for the bad

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped nearly 500 points. This was the largest post-election drop in history. Interestingly enough it surpassed the previous largest drop which took place in 1932 when FDR was voted into office. What does this mean for President-elect Obama?