Teachers

I have a long screed about teachers bubbling in me like a cauldron, but I'm weighing the wisdom of writing it. Brief synopsis: 1. While I know several very good teachers who answered their calling because of a passion for it, I know many more who went into teaching only because they'd failed in other areas in college, and as such, I believe the overall quality of our teachers is dropping precipitously. 2. There is no profession in the world that enjoys playing the martyr quite as much as teaching (my apologies to the teachers I do know who actually do make real personal sacrifices). 3. Selfishness is so rampant in teaching that I think it may actually be challenging the the selfishness of the sales profession, where selfishness is actually an asset.

Keep the Powder Dry, Righties

Just a word of wisdom to my fellow friends on the right: Intellectually, I get why some of you are grumbling about the Obama extracted $20 billion compensation fund from BP. But this is the wrong battle of liberty at the wrong time. In fact, at this point, $20 billion might be a bargain for BP. In that light, this may be less a shake down by Obama and more a sweet deal beneficial to BP, which is probably why they readily agreed to it.

Immigration and Legislation

It is becoming clear to me that people are fighting the wrong fights on immigration. Many of those who want unfettered immigration would accomplish much more if they fought for legislation to expand and streamline legal immigration (not amnesty) for unskilled workers. Many of those opposed to illegal immigration would drop their opposition in the face of a controlled, systematic way of bringing responsible new citizens, skilled or unskilled, into the nation. Think a modern "Ellis Island" of Arizona or California or Texas.

Internet Kill Switch Must Die

This is an awful, awful idea:

The legislation would grant the president emergency powers to seize control of or even shut down portions of the Internet during times of national emergency.

It's been dubbed as an Internet "kill switch" the president could flip. However, the idea behind it is not new. A draft Senate proposal that CNET obtained in August allowed the White House to "declare a cybersecurity emergency," and another from Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) would have explicitly given the government the power to "order the disconnection" of certain networks or Web sites.

This is too much power in the hands of people that cannot be trusted with it.

Genius Matt Simmons Says Deep Water Oil Exploration Is Bad

Okay. But here's my question. What 'green' energy sources is genius Matt Simmons invested in?

Never trust a so-called expert until you know what his/her retirement is banked on.

Oil Spill Question

Has the Obama administration been pressuring other oil companies to share their expertise in shutting down a deep water oil gusher? If not, why haven't they been doing so? I've seen nothing about either BP or the Obama administration reaching out for any and all expertise in this matter. This is the ultimate question whose answer will decide whether this administration is doing its job to protect the Gulf Coast and beyond.

You Be The Judge

Which is Grizzly Adams, and which is Milwaukee Brewer Corey Hart?

Dumbest Headline of the Year Nominee

Currently on the Yahoo home page:

Wall Street overhaul might not prevent next financial crisis

Good call, rocket scientists. Because all regulations like this do is prevent the last crisis from exactly repeating itself, which is unlikely, anyway, since major players learn from the previous crisis what pot holes to avoid. The next crisis will be based on something very much unlike the circumstances that led to the last one.

Helluva a Job, Barracky

It's time the media starts taking a critical look at the Obama administration's place in the BP spill. Whether things like this have any legs remains to be seen.

"Dispersant"

A "dispersant," a substance similar in nature to dish soap, is currently being used to try to break up the BP oil spill in the Gulf Coast. Environmentalists are rather silent on its usage, even though it might be harmful in and of itself.

I'm all for the use of this dispersant. Anything to try to mitigate the environmental damage is worth trying in my opinion. However, I am not naive. If the dispersant proves harmful itself, environmentalists will be crawling out of the woodwork to criticize it (or rather, BP, although they will leave the Obama administration blameless).

I have news for those environmentalists who have 20/20 hindsight: Now is the time to criticize. If you do not criticize the use of dispersants now, you do not have any standing to criticize it later. You have just as little information on the effects of these chemicals as anyone else right now. In an effort to stem damage to the environment of the Gulf Coast, this product is being used, even though the information is incomplete. If you are silent now, you are complicit in its use and nobody really wants to hear from your cowardly butts later.

In Re A Leinenkugel Senate Run

So, earlier this week I listened to Charlie Syke's interview of Dick Leinenkugel after he announced his Republican run against Russ Feingold for senate. I got the feeling that Charlie was a semi-sympathetic interviewer, because while Leinenkugel did not come off well in the first 2/3 of the interview, I think Sykes could have ended his campaign before it even started.

I'm not sure who is in charge of the Leinenkugel campaign, but they had better do a hell of a lot better job of crafting a story for their candidate or he is going to avoid getting his butt kicked in the Republican primary. And it has to start by openly repudiating his old boss, Jim Doyle.

At this juncture, I'm not sure who I'd vote for in the primary, but Leinenkugel did not acquit himself particularly well out of the gates. If I had no knowledge of the family, I'd probably be on the popular band wagon on this side of the aisle that is constantly repudiating him. But I remained bothered by the fact that if Feingold does not lose in this year of vulnerability for all Dems, I am convinced he will own his seat until he chooses to leave the Senate. Yet this crew is the best the Republican party can muster.

Obama Administration Politically Incompetent

Okay, for a moment, let's disregard any arguments over the right/wrong of tax credits, period. Instead, let's look at the political component of creating one. When you create a credit, as President, it is in your best interest to trumpet them from the mountain top. People like to keep more of their money. Plus, they need to know about it or it costs you a lot of money at the IRS. The Obama administration has failed at this basic attempt at politics:

Schedule M is the big tax credit of 2009 that's really easy to miss.

After figuring deductions, calculating taxes, and recording estimated tax payments, the exhausted taxpayer will come to line 63 of IRS Form 1040. It has an innocuous description – "Making work pay and government retiree credits" – but potentially a big payout: $400 ($800 if married filing jointly).

Most taxpayers will be able to claim it.

Last year, in an attempt to reinvigorate the economy, the White House cut the amount of withholding for workers and sent out a onetime $250 payment to retirees?

That's money already in Americans' pockets. But unless they fill out Schedule M, they'll pay it back in taxes (at least initially).

About 4 percent of tax filers so far failed to send along the new schedule.

C'mon. Really, Obama administration? Is it that embarrassing to Democrats to let people keep some more of their own money that you can't blare out to them that you let them keep more of their own money? Is it because you are too embarrassed to tell people you are taking a little less of their money while spending much, much more, or is it because you are that incompetent?

Prediction For The '10 Republicans

Republicans are going to have a huge year at the polls. And then over the next 2-8 years, we will learn that many of the Republicans who won by spoon feeding the Tea Party what it wanted to hear didn't really mean much of what they said, and an all new resentment of the Republican party will set in.

The Leinenkugel Question

Okay, if anyone in Wisconsin is still reading me, I have an honest question for you. Let's say Tommy Thompson does not challenge Russ Feingold for Senate, and reports that Dick Leinenkugel will against him as a Republican are true. I will give you all the fact that Leinenkugel's politics are questionable given the fact that he voluntarily served Governor Droopy Dog. But even if he is a left of center Republican, he still might be the only guy not named Thompson who has a chance in hell of putting up a challenge to Feingold. So my question is this: Would you rather six more years of Feingold because Leinenkugel isn't a died in the wool conservative, or would you rather accept his flaws for a less radically liberal Senator from Wisconsin?

Tommy Thompson Might Not Run For Senate?!?!

Shocking, I say! Okay, I'm being sarcastic. Maybe I'm just the naive observer of Wisconsin politics, but Tommy always struck me as the guy that did not need power, but needed to be wanted and loved. This appealed to both, especially the "being wanted". But once you win, you aren't wanted anymore. And once you have to make votes and politically move and shake in Washington, you risk the love that you spent so much time winning as Governor of Wisconsin. He may still surprise me tomorrow, but only if he announces that he's running. I'll be toiling away at my job about a mile away, but I'm surprisingly not interested in heading down to King Street to see what he has to say.

Jaded

I'm having a pot v. kettle moment. I'm jaded about blogs, which is funny because every regular reader I've ever had has every right to be jaded by my near absence from the venue for quite some time now. But still, I regularly read many of the blogs that I once considered indispensable, and I'm so very disappointed. Some have ceased to offer much in the way of the opinion and analysis that made them what they were. Instead, they Instapundit it, which annoyed me while Glenn Reynolds pioneered it. Others seem to be living on their reputation circa 2005 and offer a smugness that they have absolutely no justification for. I always half anticipated the collapse of blogging, but I never anticipated that it would start to devour itself in this way.

A Warning To The Tea Party

I personally become less and less a fan of populism every year I walk this earth. But I recently talked with someone who has traditionally been very unpolitical and who responds to things that just make logical sense. This person admires the early tea partiers, but looks suspiciously upon some of the less savory individuals that have attached themselves to the tea party over time. If the Tea Party wants to be more than a flash in the pan, you will have to address the less savory elements and counter Democrat attempts to tar and feather you with them or you will flame out as quickly as your star began to blaze.

President Obama Is A Naive Fool

I don't believe I am actually witnessing a President remove nuclear weapons as a deterrent.

Discussing his approach to nuclear security the day before formally releasing his new strategy, Mr. Obama described his policy as part of a broader effort to edge the world toward making nuclear weapons obsolete, and to create incentives for countries to give up any nuclear ambitions. To set an example, the new strategy renounces the development of any new nuclear weapons, overruling the initial position of his own defense secretary.

Mr. Obama’s strategy is a sharp shift from those of his predecessors and seeks to revamp the nation’s nuclear posture for a new age in which rogue states and terrorist organizations are greater threats than traditional powers like Russia and China.

It eliminates much of the ambiguity that has deliberately existed in American nuclear policy since the opening days of the cold war. For the first time, the United States is explicitly committing not to use nuclear weapons against nonnuclear states that are in compliance with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, even if they attacked the United States with biological or chemical weapons or launched a crippling cyberattack.

This is a President who does not understand the times in which we live. There are many nations who will gladly turn a blind eye to their nationals planning a massively deadly attack against the United States if they know the nuclear option is off the table. Additionally, Pandora is out of her box. There is no making nuclear weapons obsolete. Small nations are not pursuing nuclear weapons out of fear of the United States...they are pursuing them for regional dominance and as a hedge against outside, particularly American, interference in their plans. This is not a time to sing Kumbaya and expect states to willingly give up their nuclear ambitions. Instead, it is a time to send the message that the nuclear ambitions of non-nuclear states is clearly unacceptable.

May God help us all.

Maybe We Should Have Read Between The Lines

Remember this picture?



I'm no huge fan of Senator McCain, but I think he was subtly trying to let us know about then Senator Obama's prospects for America:

Health Care Reform Passes

I'm not happy and I don't have much to say except for this:

Dear President Bush,

If you are destined for low approval ratings, this is how you spend political capital. Wish you would have spent yours more wisely.

Toodles,
Jib

Challenge: Turn Back the Clock

Re-write this story about how Rahm Emanuel is really Obama's foot soldier, circa 2006. Difficulty level? You can't say "Cheney" "Pull" "Strings" or "Puppet". Go.

Obama to Push 'Nuclear Option'

Well, if you ever had any doubts that a heard of sheep can be lead off a cliff to their own demise, look no farther that congressional Democrats:

White House officials tell ABC News that in his remarks tomorrow President Obama will indicate a willingness to work with Republicans on some issue to get a health care reform bill passed but will suggest that if it is necessary, Democrats will use the controversial "reconciliation" rules requiring only 51 Senate votes to pass the "fix" to the Senate bill, as opposed to the 60 votes to stop a filibuster and proceed to a vote on a bill.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been awaiting the president’s remarks direction on how health care reform will proceed.

If the Democrats pursue this in the face of strong public opposition, and then it turns out to be the mess that some of us anticipate, this could cost them electorally for several election cycles, if not a generation. I've never seen a political party so flippant in the face of a self imposed disaster.

The "Health care Summit" Nothing But A Ruse

Ruse: (noun) A trick, stratagem, or artifice.

Congrats, voters. The Obama administration just tried to pull a ruse on you with its "Health Care Summit":

Giving no ground, President Barack Obama and Republican leaders fought forcefully for their competing visions of historic health care reform Thursday in an exhausting, often-testy live-on-TV debate. Far from any accord, Obama signaled the Democrats were prepared to push ahead for an all-or-nothing congressional vote.

Look, this was all a big trick to convince you that bipartisanship isn't possible and that the Democrats have no choice but to force health care through because of those evil, combative, partisan Republicans. Now is the time to let this administration know that you are on to their tricks.

Vancouver Thought

They've reportedly distributed 100,000 condoms to Olympic athletes in Vancouver, but nobody can find Boner. Sad.

Silly Ernie

Ernie Els on Tiger Woods' statement today:

"I feel sorry for the sponsor," said Els. "Mondays are a good day to make statements, not Friday. This takes a lot away from the golf tournament."

HAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh Ernie, you so don't have a career in politics in your future. While I'm not defending Tiger, his problems ARE bigger than just you silly tournament. His PR folks know that you dump this sort of a thing on a Friday because the weekend mutes it. Like you say, Ernie, Tiger is selfish, but so are you to think that he should have made this statement after your tournament, which few people care about since he isn't in it.

Another Congressman Declines To Seek Re-Election

This time, Evan Bayh.

Sen. Evan Bayh, a centrist Democrat from Indiana, is ready to announce he won't seek a third term in Congress, giving Republicans a chance to pick up a Senate seat.

Am I the only one getting nervous about seeing all the rats scurrying for the emergency exit? At first, I thought it was just Democrats who saw the writing on the wall. Now I'm wondering, what do they know that we don't?

Rethinking Our Response to Recessions

This current recession, particularly the depth of it, has got me thinking...about forest fires. Bear with me.

One method of forest management is to clear the forest floor of dead vegetation, to clear out old growth, and thin out the forest in general. Another approach is to allow the forest to be natural, to accumulate an abundance of vegetation old, young, and dead. In either, forest fires are inevitable. But in the cleaned up forests, the fires tend to be less severe and more manageable, whereas in the forests with a lot of dead vegetation and old growth, the fires are more severe and less manageable.

So, what does this have to with the economy. Well, start by forgetting the use of the word "managed." Because we actually manage this economy too much by trying to preserve its old growth and nearly dead vegetation. Every time we have even a minor economic downturn, we are doing everything in our power to pull ourselves out of it. As someone who needs my job, I get why that is our first instinct. But in doing so, we prop up a lot of bad businesses and business practices and we allow a lot of debts that should be cleared of the books to build up. And it results in a severe economic contraction at some point down the road. Perhaps we should start looking at protecting the tinder in our economy less during downturns and instead start looking encouraging areas of new growth that will be less vulnerable.

Thank A Democrat For the Health Care Debacle

This evening I was reading back through my archives from early last year, and it began to dawn on me how ugly things were getting. We were still just beginning to grasp what was wrong with the economy so people were still scared of the unknown. Because of that, and because we were still congratulating ourselves on being post-racial, the Obama administration had carte blanche to reach government into any and all aspects of our lives.

Then came health care reform.

Democrats wanted it shoved through quickly because they knew that once the people began to look at it closely, they wouldn't like what they saw. Unfortunately, the people figured it out quicker than the Democrats anticipated they would. The quagmire that has been health care reform has devoured much of the Obama Administration's socializing momentum and finally allowed the electorate to take a step back and really look at what they elected.

If Obama is as politically astute as Bill Clinton, he may still bounce back from this. But he will never accomplish the things he had hoped to prior to tilting at this windmill.

Olympics: Luger's Death Not Our Fault

Bogus.

But the International Luge Federation and Vancouver Olympic officials said their investigation showed that the crash was the result of human error and that “there was no indication that the accident was caused by deficiencies in the track.”

Well worded, because the accident was a result of human error. But the death was the result of an awful track deficiency-exposed metal beams along the straightaway coming out of that last turn. Any track, not just one as hellaciously fast as that one, should not have any exposed areas that could bring an out of control, 90 mph body to a sudden and deadly stop.

And as long as I'm at it, all of the media outlets that were showing that video yesterday should be ashamed of themselves. Who needs Faces of Death when you have the major media?

I've Said It Before, I'll Say It Again...

...Pat Robertson is an embarrassment to Christianity.

Go CoCo...To FOX

Comments Are Back

Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure the history of comments here are gone. I downloaded the old ones but I have not seen any good way for importing them into Blogger, especially considering I had the BBA and Jiblog intertwined.

Random Packer Wrap Up Thoughts

Some of my season ending Packers thoughts, shotgun style:

+ This may seem counter intuitive, but it is time to start rebuilding the secondary. Depth is a concern, Charles Woodson is at his peak, and Al Harris is a question mark at his age.

+ Donald Driver must be relegated to a number three receiver. The drop off in his performance this year has been significant. He is no longer Mr. YAC, he drops a lot of balls, and he is prone to fumble.

+ Unless Ted Thompson re-evaluates and modifies his approach to building an offensive line, the Packers' future, Aaron Rodgers, will continually be at risk of having his career shortened by either devastating injury or death by a thousand sacks. They were lucky this year Tauscher needed a job and Clifton got healthy.

+ They cannot go into next season with Kapinos as their punter. Mason is more of a question mark at kicker as I'm positive they were tinkering with his mechanics during training camp and the pre-season.

+ The pundits will laud Rodgers (deservingly so) and name the Packers a Super Bowl contender in the pre-season publications next year. But they will remain as unpredictable as they have been ever since the Thompson/McCarthy era began.

+ Donald Lee is no longer deserving of a spot on this roster, but it is doubtful they will bring in someone better at TE 2.

+ They cannot afford to have Jordy Nelson returning kicks any longer. Jordy is a very good receiver, but he is not a good returner.

+ Until they make Lambeau a terrifying place to play again, it is hard to consider them a Super Bowl favorite. They are closer, but still not quite there.

+ Get used to pulling your hair out about Dom Capers. On the whole, his defenses will make you happy. But when it counts, they'll let you down. Or, I should say, his game plans will let you down.

+ This was a nice bounce back year, but every fan should have a lot of questions about next year because this was not a convincing show that "The Pack is Back."

La Leche League Promotes Co-Sleeping

Milwaukee is having an endemic of co-sleeping deaths. The numbers of babies that are dying is tragic. Alcohol is one factor. I'd like to point out what I think is another. La Leche League, a leading promoter of breast feeding, is a supporter of co-sleeping:

Many mothers have found that cosleeping has many benefits for their families.

According to Dr James McKenna,

"Studies have shown that co-sleeping with a breastfeeding infant promotes bonding, regulates the mother and baby's sleep patterns, plays a role in helping the mother to become more responsive to her baby's cues, and gives both the mother and baby needed rest. The co-sleeping environment also assists mothers in the continuation of breastfeeding on demand, an important step in maintaining the mother's milk supply. " http://www.nd.edu/~jmckenn1/lab/faq.html

Contrary to popular opinion, cosleeping actually helps babies become independent. Meredith Small, anthropologist and author of Our Babies Ourselves, says,

"For millions of years, the normal sleeping position of human infants has been on their backs nestled next to mother. Only in western cultures do we force babies to sleep alone, thinking they are more safe and independent placed in a crib with no contact. But history, and how most babies sleep in other cultures, suggests that the West is out of step with what is best physically and emotionally for our children."

I was more than a bit independent minded about the topic of breast feeding as we had our first, but I know that our small town hospital had plenty of La Leche League literature lying around, so I imagine they are influential in urban Milwaukee as well. They offer safety tips, but those are clearly being ignored. Perhaps Milwaukee should be cause enough for La Leche to rethink their position on co-sleeping.

Ford to Usher in the Era of the Lowest Common Denominator?

The New York Times exalts a global Ford. I'm not so sure.

In that regard, the Focus is Ford’s first big bet that it can effectively sell a single, largely uniform car — with variations to come later — in several global markets.

It is very idealistic of Mr. Mulally to think that, at their core, all humans want the same things. And to a certain extent, that is true. But his Boeing experience of one world airplane ignores something. The world of automotive travel is not standardized in the same ways that air travel is. Different regions of the world have evolved different automotive needs. While Ford (and all of the "Big Three") needed to capitalize on their global economies of scale, Ford is at risk of producing vehicles that are mearly considered okay in all markets, hardly a formula for success.

Random Packers Thoughts

With the playoffs here, I'd like to just kind of dump some Packer thoughts I've been rolling over in my mind.

+ I've heard a lot of "It will be interesting to see how Aaron Rodgers does in his first playoff start." Well, let's remember a few things. He isn't a rookie or a second year player. He's a veteran who just happens to be a second year starter. He's been in the playoffs before and should understand the intangibles that go with it. Additionally, he's had a few small flaws, but one thing he's not been is a quarterback who self destructs. This is a non-story.

+ One sub-story of this week has been that the Cardinals were upset that the Packers kept the throttle down into the third quarter. To that, I say this to the Cardinals: Nobody forced you to roll over in a REGULAR SEASON GAME. On top of that, the Packers should have learned from the pre-season that they're subs are not appreciably better than those of the Cardinals, so getting the lead over 30 before pulling starter was not unreasonable for a team that wanted to win.

+ This team reminds me of the 2007 team in that I still can't believe they are this good. I can see this team tanking in the first round or going all the way to the Super Bowl. I guess that's just the way of the NFL for all but a couple of teams these days.

+ The defense will continue to be vulnerable to teams with explosive passing attacks, which is nearly everyone in the playoffs. But they are also one of the very few teams that overcome having their secondary lit up.

+ We will see just how unimportant a good running game is this week. The Cardinals are the perfect lab test. Their running game is so-so, and will not likely gain traction against the Packer run defense.

+ I think the Packers need to vanquish the Vikings to be seriously considered a Super Bowl contender. Unfortunately, as it looks as of this writing, that match up will not even be possible until the NFC Championship game.

+ The Packers really need to take advantage of this opportunity. Health and luck make the difference between an average team and a Super Bowl team in today's NFL. They've had both for the second time in three years.

Uff Da

Man there is a lot of work to be done here, starting with the disaster that is Haloscan.

Remember When Presidential Vacations Were Criticized?

I do. The media doesn't:

President Barack Obama returned Monday to the White House he never really escaped.

Obama and his family took an overnight flight from Hawaii, capping an 11-day holiday vacation sure to be remembered more for the botched attempt to blow up a Christmas Day flight than the hours spent on golf courses or at luaus. The failed terror attack refocused the president's trip from R&R on the island of Oahu to a river of memos from homeland security aides.

Guess what? No president escapes the White House. Ever. There is no vacation when you are president. There is just time spent away from the White House and foreign dignataries. But when the Democrat media needed something to bash Bush with, they overlooked it. And now that their chosen one Obama is in the Oval Office, that fact is a cause for pity stories.

2010 Predictions

10. Sometime in the first half of the year, the stock market will outrun the current irrational exuberance and sharply tumble back below 10,000.

9. At the end of the year, unemployment will remain above 9%.

8. At least one nation will default or nearly default on its debt.

7. A promising Green Bay Packer season will be derailed by injuries.

6. Democrats will avoid provoking controversy via legislation just enough to lose fewer seats than anticipated in the off-year election.

5. The newspaper industry will continue to disintegrate as at least two more papers halt their print editions.

4. Al Gore will pontificate about global warming during an unseasonable cold snap/blizzard (this should be a gimme).

3. Tiger Woods will return from hiatus before the majors begin.

2. There will be a significant terrorist attack on American interests.

1. President Obama's approval rating will end the year marginally higher than they begin the year. Marginally.

Go Bears

It is quite possible you will never see me write that anywhere ever again.

Blogging...

...I think I may just jump into this new fangled communications device in 2010.

Murder in Jefferson, Wisconsin

This weekend, an off duty police officer from Oconomowoc, and what appears to be her boyfriend, lost their lives to a gunman in the little town of Jefferson, Wisconsin. To their families, I cannot convey the depths of my sympathy. Their loss is tragic, and all the more so given the Christmas season.

At the same time, I hope that Jefferson Mayor Gary Myers retracts his statement on local TV broadcasts that Jefferson has not seen something on this scale since Dillinger. I don't enjoy the fact that I have to remind him that his is the city of Diane Borchardt. While Borchardt was only responsible for the death of one person, hers was such a sordid tale that it has been the inspiration of movies both factional and fictional. For him to erase that history with his statement is a disgrace to the family and friends of Ruben Borchardt.

Nagging Discomfort About the Afghanistan Plan

This is really eating at me. In Iraq, we attempted a "surge" and it worked quite well. As Afghanistan has deteriorated, President Obama has seemingly come to the conclusion that another similar "surge" (albeit with many fewer troops) is just what the doctor ordered. Unfortunately, Afghanistan isn't very similar to Iraq. Iraq was downright civilized in comparison to Afghanistan. While I think history has shown that massive (and 80,000 troops doesn't count as massive) buildups in Afghanistan do not work, I'm also quite skeptical that aping the Iraq strategy in smaller scale is going to accomplish anything but unecessary American deaths. I find this president quite lacking in military curiosity when it comes to this decision.

An NFL Thought

Wouldn't it greatly diminish the Patriots' perfect season of two years ago if the Saints and the Colts went 16-0 this year with the Vikings right behind at 15-1? (Don't worry, Packer fans...Viking 15-1 records have a good track record for ignominity.)

Half Assed...

...is no way to fight a war, Mr. President.

Fish or cut bait, sir.

On The Topic of Love, Lust, and Betrayal

I'm disappointed to see this story back in the news. I'll give the benefit of the doubt that it belonged splashed across the Milwaukee media this summer because there was something to the journalistic ethics angle. Now, however, it really doesn't. Now it is just salacious society gossip. Everyone involved should be ashamed of themselves, including Daniel Bice. None of the parties central to this 'story' are acquitting themselves well.

Palin, From A Distance

By my own choice, I've kept a healthy distance from politics for the second half of this year. At times that gnaws at me because I get an idea for a post, but I'm uncomfortable writing it because I haven't followed the topic as closely as I should have. At other times, though, it is nice to have the long view of things. Sarah Palin is one of those topics that it is nice to have the long view on. I know she has some ardent supporters on the right. To those of you, feel free to continue your ardent support. On the other hand, I think a much larger portion of her followers are caught up in the politics of this all. To you, I say reconsider before you make a mistake. She is not Presidential, not now. And she won't be by 2012. If things continue to trend the way they are in this country, she might be the only person Obama will be capable of defeating in 2012. So step back in the privacy of your own home and ask yourself, "Am I really comfortable possibly catapaulting this person to the 2012 Republican nomination, or am I looking for something else in that person?"

Speaking of Bouncers...

...are there any other parents out there whose kids would bounce themselves past the point of exhaustion, and then bounce some more because they just couldn't stop?! My boy will actually lean his head down on the toys around the ring because he's so tired, but keep on bouncing.

Wherein My Contradictory Nature Kicks in on Parenting Advice

Through the mangled weave of links that is the web, tonight I ended up at a site called Let's Panic! Basically, it's a web page about surviving and thriving in pregnancy and parenthood. I'll admit, I didn't read a single article there, just the quick teasers on the main page. Just the same, some of the things the authors wrote on the main page were provocative enough for me to write about, but not enough to actually give a rat's ass what their opinion was. So here are my gut responses to incomplete information.

Your husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, sugar daddy, one-night stand, and/or gynecologist all have one thing in common: they want to be more involved in your pregnancy than you can possibly imagine.

I don't even know what that means. I wanted to see my baby in the ultrasound. I wanted to feel him kick. I wanted to take some of the daily burden off of my wife. Typical daddy to be things, I believe. I wanted to be involved in the pregnancy because I love my wife and my child. However, I have no idea how I could have wanted to be more involved in the pregnancy than my wife could have possibly imagined.

It's very important to never raise one's voice above 50 decibels, or, in case you don't have a decibel meter, the level of a half-heard murmur brushing past your ear as you cross a darkened threshold, or the sound of dozens of hooded acolytes whispering the lord's prayer backwards in a room lit only by candles stuck into the skulls of goats.

Seriously, you've got to be kidding me. Even when I'm sweet talking my boy, he doesn't pay attention to me until I hit 75 decibels, and even then it has to be in my deep voice. And that loud, deep voice doesn't scare him; he thinks it is funny. The context of loud can disturb him, but not loud in and of itself. I sing Rammstein in my deepest, darkest, loudest, scariest voice and the kid loves it. It is only when that loud, deep voice occurs in certain contexts that it bothers him. So what I'm saying is, occasionally be loud around your kid unless you want him or her to fear everyone that ever raises a voice in his or her direction.

Here at Let's Panic About Babies!, we believe that passive-aggressive acting out toward your child is the new spanking.

My boy is still waaaayyyy to young for it, but there is a place for spanking. There isn't a place for passive aggression, even though when you are tired and worn out, it might happen. You are the adult, act like it. So passive aggression is not the new spanking. It is probably worse.

That's my only critique of the site (and soon to be book) that I have for now. I could do more, but my boy has exhausted himself in his bouncer, and I have to amuse him with loud sounds before I feed him and put him to bed.

Predicting Failure for News Corp.

If you own stock, I advise that you sell. Why? Because apparently nobody has bothered to explain the internet to Rupert Murdoch:

News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch has suggested the company's online newspaper pages will be invisible to Google users when it launches its new paid content strategy.

Umm, Mr. Murdoch, if I were an agency for one of your advertisers, I wouldn't give you a red cent for placement on any of your paid sites. And good luck getting subscribers if something, oh, say, GOOGLE, isn't driving people to those sites to get the information they want.

Another Thought

I feel fortunate in that I realize how important I am as a father in my child's development. Too many males out there do not and never end up as much more than a baby daddy, much to their child (children's) disadvantage.

A Thought

I once felt very influential as a blogger.

Now, I feel more influential as a father.

Over Heard...

...outside the UW locker room after UW's 20-10 loss to Iowa:

"Umm, Mr. Tolzien, it seems your carriage in the parking lot has turned into a pumpkin."

Dear Nobel Peace Prize Comittee,

If that is all it takes to win the Peace Prize, I'll get to work on accomplishing nothing and I'll have my nomination to you for next year. I look forward to accepting your 2010 Nobel Peace Prize. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Jib

Post Favre Loss Packer Thoughts

*Dom Capers' strategy for this game was obviously to make Brett Favre beat them. He did. They need to find a happy median for the game at Lambeau.

*Many will see this game as a repudiation of Ted Thompson's strategy to not tie up money on the offensive line. I disagree. I think the Mike Sherman Packers proved that you don't need to spend your money on the line. This is a repudiation of Thompson's ability to evaluate offensive line talent.

*Favre fans will see this as justification of their belief that Packers should have kept Favre. It isn't. With his current lack of mobility, that game would have been very ugly with #4 under center for the Packers.

*At the same time, if the Packers don't want to squander what they have in Aaron Rodgers, they sure as hell better find a way to keep him upright.

*I said it then and I'll say it again: Ryan Grant owes Brett Favre for his big contract. He just doesn't earn yards on his own.

*The Vikings could be tough down the stretch, but I think the true test for the them will be after the game at Lambeau. Anyone who tells you that Favre didn't come back to stick it to the Packers is lying to you and themselves. He may very well fold down the stretch, screwing yet another team.

*This team has some problems that cannot be fixed in season. The o-line is atrocious and too many blown coverages are occurring in the secondary. 9-7 may be a victory for this squad.

Shut Up

You've got to be kidding me.

Some Chicago officials say anti-American resentment likely played a role in Chicago's Olympic bid dying in the first round Friday.

President Obama could not undo in one year the resentment against America that President Bush and others built up for years, they said.

This whole blame Bush thing was cute once upon a time, but really, it is just an excuse now. Go ahead and blame Bush, Chicago. You are only insulating yourselves from some uncomfortable truths.

I Apparently Could Have Been a Genius

I doubt this:

Spanking can get kids to behave in a hurry, but new research suggests it can do more harm than good to their noggins. The study, involving hundreds of U.S. children, showed the more a child was spanked the lower his or her IQ compared with others.

Apparently, kids have their brains in their asses.

I, for one, will tell you that the spankings I got helped me form the discipline to actually use the smarts my mom and dad passed on to me. Even if this study is valid, give me a kid with a lower IQ and discipline and I'll show you a success. A high IQ with no discipline is no gift and no guarantee of success.

Winter Light Bulbs

While I applaud the good intentions of this, I still have a problem with it that really sticks in my craw:

The L Prize has garnered significant attention in the lighting industry because 60-watt incandescent lamps represent 50 percent of all the lighting in the United States, with 425 million sold each year. The Energy Department says that if all those lamps were LED equivalents, enough power would be saved to light 17.4 million American households and cut carbon emissions by 5.6 million metric tons annually.

The Energy Department fails to consider one very big thing, and that is winter. I will grant them the fact that in summer, current incandescents waste energy. But living here in Wisconsin, any time nighttime temps drop below sixty degrees, seasons known as spring, fall, and winter, that energy is not lost. Heat from incandescents is viewed as a waste of energy, but I will tell you unequivocally that the "wasted" heat from those bulbs keeps my furnace from kicking in as often during the colder two thirds of the year. The radiant heat that they give off also keeps me from turning my thermostat up to a higher temperature. If someone smarter than me can prove to me that the energy used to create the electricity for those bulbs is greater than the increased natural gas I'd use in a CFL world, I'll change my position. Until then, I will continue to warn that the "energy savings" that the government proclaims for new bulbs is a fallacy.

Identifying My Malaise

I'm not real big on cults of personality. That would seem to make me a natural fit for the growing tea party movement. Unfortunately, I'm not real big on anti-cults of personality, either. I'm uncomfortable with the level of emotion in each.

Tragedy At Grandad's Bluff

This is a tragic story, and I don't want to diminish how horrible this young woman's death is. But sometimes, you are prohibited from being in certain areas for a reason. We spent only a short time at Grandad's Bluff last fall, but we saw plenty of people flaunting Ordinance 3477. It is a little amazing that more people don't have tragic falls from this very scenic overlook.

President Bush had...

...some of the chattiest speech writers in American history, didn't he?

Best #1 Search Result Ever

I doubt it'll last, but for the moment, I'm the number one Yahoo search for Jimmy Carter, sorry son of a bitch.

Jimmuh the Peanut Man

Is it just me, or has Jimmy Carter become the "crazy uncle" of the presidential family?

This is Your Brain on a Child

I keep coming up for great post ideas during the day. By the time I complete the 40 minute drive home, they are fuzzy but still there. After 10 minutes with my boy, I can't remember the damn things at all, let alone why I thought they were so brilliant. Right now, the most brilliant thing in my life is the little guy's huge toothless smile.

I Hate the Strikeout

The strikeout in baseball is a useless out. For that reason, it used to be stigmatized. Obviously, those days are long gone. Stat heads now say things like, "hey, at least he didn't create two outs that at bat" or "they come with a player taking swings that lead to more productive contact." Both are bunk, but that runs counter to current popular opinion, so be prepared to be shouted down if you say so.

Sometimes it is the players themselves that drive me the most nuts, though. Take Adam Dunn, for instance:

But it depends on when you’re striking out. If you strike out with two outs and nobody on, who gives a [expletive]?

You should, you dumb [expletive]. At least with runners on and less than two outs, it can at least be justified that you didn't hit into a double play. With two on and two out, you should be doing everything in your power not to strike out. By striking out, you give your opponent a free out. What a good hitter should be doing in that scenario is attempting to force the issue by doing anything they can to continue the inning. It is pressure on the defense that leads to rallies. Yes, sometimes even with two outs.

Debunking Buchanan

Pat Buchanan is not a man conservatives should hold in much esteem. Yet still to this day, when he writes revisionist crap like Did Hitler Want War?, some read and, rather than think critically about Buchanan's points, instead say, "hmm, could be," or "that makes sense." While I'd prefer not to address anything the man writes, in the case of the article previously mentioned, I feel compelled to fill in the many blanks that he creates in his piece.

Let's start with Buchanan's first point that the entire war started merely because of a small Polish town with German speaking citizens:

Why did Warsaw not negotiate with Berlin, which was hinting at an offer of compensatory territory in Slovakia? Because the Poles had a war guarantee from Britain that, should Germany attack, Britain and her empire would come to Poland’s rescue.

But why would Britain hand an unsolicited war guarantee to a junta of Polish colonels, giving them the power to drag Britain into a second war with the most powerful nation in Europe?

Buchanan sets this up be glossing over what lead up to this point. France and Britain watched on, at first disinterested but then increasingly uneasy, as Germany very rapidly rebuilt a military that was outlawed under Versailles and swallowed, sometimes at the allowance of both nations, to gobble up a vast tract of central Europe. As the the dominoes of Alsace-Lorraine, Austria, and Czechoslovakia tumbled and Germany became much more militarily bellicose, France and Britain had every right to be concerned about Germany's intentions. Taking a stand at Poland was not a Franco-Anglo hair trigger for war. Germany had already re-acquired many German speaking areas. If Germany did not have expansionist plans, Poland would have been a good place to stop, or even limit their Polish excursion to Danzig, which would have put Britain and France in an awkward position.

Next, Buchanon asks a series of questions that the answers to which he pretend don't exist in order to create the doubt he wants in his readers minds. Let's take them one at a time.

why did he spend three years building that hugely expensive Siegfried Line to protect Germany from France?

Germany was very well aware that it was vulnerable to a two front war. German doctrine was to stabilize one front while fighting a more vigorous battle on the other front. The Siegfried Line was part of that strategy. It was meant to stabilize the Western Front, freeing more supplies and men to fight on the Eastern Front. The fact that it never played out that role is due to Hitler's impatience and poor strategic thinking.

Why did he start the war with no surface fleet, no troop transports and only 29 oceangoing submarines?

One does not conquer the world in a day, even an impatient dictator such as Adolf Hitler. And even Hitler realized the limitations involved in one nation conquering the entire world, hence the alliance with Japan. The fact is, mainland Europe and the British Isles were the first targets in his sights. By quickly decapitating France, Britain, and Russia, Germany would leave their empires vulnerable in other lands. The fact is, in order to accomplish this, Germany did not need a huge surface fleet, at least not right away. If Germany had been able to quickly take out Britain through air warfare, they would have had the security on their western front to allow them to swing resources toward the USSR. They also would have been in unmolested possession of many advanced shipyards in Britain, Western Europe, and Northern Europe with which to build a fleet for future engagements far ashore.

Had Hitler waited until he had built a fleet to compete with the British, he'd have forfeited the advantage that he had built by quickly re-arming and shoving his way into new lands across the European Continent. He'd have also given France and Britain extra time to build up their own militaries in anticipation of a conflict with Germany. All Germany really need at this stage was u-boats to harass shipping and enemy fleets. And remember, the German U-boats and their fleets still did outclass anything the allies had. Additionally, Germany had a total of 65 U-boats at the outset of war. 29 were oceangoing, but they had a lot more about to go on line.

How do you conquer the world with a navy that can’t get out of the Baltic Sea?

You don't, but again, stage one wasn't about conquering the world. It was about conquering Europe. Germany, laying in the west-central region of the continent, did not need a massive surface navy. Not yet, anyway. In light of that goal, a massive Navy seems a waste of resources, no?

If Hitler wanted the world, why did he not build strategic bombers, instead of two-engine Dorniers and Heinkels that could not even reach Britain from Germany?

Again, he did not need strategic bombers, not yet. Germany clearly intended to quickly destroy Britain through bombings from France. There was no need for strategic bombers. If Germany does not hold France, then going after Britain is pointless. And Germany very well may have taken Britain out of the war had they not made a very significant strategic error-initiating war in the east.

Why did he let the British army go at Dunkirk?

Why did he offer the British peace, twice, after Poland fell, and again after France fell?

Nobody is really sure to this day, but the smart money is something that Buchanan himself brings up later in the article:

...and that meant war with Britain, whose empire he admired and whom he had always sought as an ally.

The Germans and the Brits are ethnic cousins. In Hitler's twisted ethnic world view, that made them acceptable, if subordinate, allies. He very likely was giving Britain a chance to seek peace by becoming a subordinate partner to Germany, saving the German military from having to expend money, men, and material on Britain.

Why, when Paris fell, did Hitler not demand the French fleet, as the Allies demanded and got the Kaiser’s fleet? Why did he not demand bases in French-controlled Syria to attack Suez?

They were not critical and they were not going to be handed over as simply as Buchanan implies. The British sunk ships that they suspected were not Free French, and at times, French sailors scuttled their own ships.

Why did he beg Benito Mussolini not to attack Greece?

Germany was preparing for Operation Barbarossa, and any Italian failure in Greece could be problematic for the planned invasion of the USSR. It is tough to be preparing for war while at the same time wishing an ally not to attack because you want war to be over.

I do not for a minute believe that Buchanan is so dim as to not understand the facts on as they were in this period. I do believe that, because of his isolationism and his hostility towards Jews, Buchanan does want to diminish World War II in the eyes of the public. Unfortunately, for many with a thin understanding of the war, he does have some success.

Update

In light of Buchanan's Polish question, I did want to also share a snippet from the memoirs of Albert Speer, Nazi Germany's Minister of Armaments and War Production:

On May 2, 1938, Hitler drew up his personal will. He had already outlined his political testament on November 5, 1937, in the presence of the Foreign Minister and the military heads of the Reich. In that speech, he referred to his extensive plans for conquest as a "testamentary bequest in case of my decease." With his intimate entourage, who night after night had to watchtrivial operetta movies and listen to endless tirades on the Catholic Church, diet recipes, Greek Temples, and police dogs, he did not reveal how literally he took his dream of world dominion. Many of Hitler's former associates have since attempted to establish the theory that Hitler changed in 1938. They attribute the change to his deteriorated health resulting from Morell's treatment. It seems to me, on the contrary, that Hitler's plans and aims never changed. Sickness and fear of death merely made him advance his deadlines. His aims could only have been thwarted by superior counterforces, and in 1938 no such forces werte visible. Quite the opposite: The successes of that year encouraged him to go on forcing the already accelerated pace. [Albert Speer, Inside the Third Reich (The Macmillan Company, 1970), 106-107]

Doesn't sound like a man who was ready to settle for just the reconquest of German speaking lands to me.

A Note the the Staff of Madison.com

Your new site is a disaster. Sure, it is pretty and it has bells and whistles. As a consumer of your website, however, there are two things I don't want. I don't want to wait for stories to scroll through on your home page, and I don't want to have to dig through multiple pages to find the news and sports. I come to your home page to quickly scan news and sports headlines and to quickly decide what I do and do not want to read. Since I will not be browsing through to find these things, expect many fewer page views from me.

Story Gutted by Reality

I believe the headline on Yahoo this morning for this story was, "Obama Not Getting Credit for Shortening Recession." Only a couple of minutes later, we learned that unemployment hit an unexpectedly high 9.7%. Unemployment is a lagging economic indicator, but until it bottoms out, you cannot say that Obama has shortened anything. It is going to be interesting to watch the media do an about face from 2004 and spin this miserable economy as one that's on the rise.

They can ban texting while driving...

but they sure as hell better outlaw signing while driving first. I was out and about during lunch on Thursday and saw a driver and passenger signing furiously. I'm not sure how the car was being steered.

Pardon Me While I Roll My Eyes

Obama photo evokes Kennedy moment

Please. The Kennedy might...might...have been spontaneous. Presidential photography today is all about creating the image.

But beyond that...should any good dad want to evoke any Kennedy moment?

Another Place Where Silence Is The Best Policy

Look, in politics, it is sometimes better to let your opponent tie their noose before warning them of the hazard. Currently, the right is giving their warnings all too early:

Key conservative voices have begun to charge in the day after Sen. Ted Kennedy’s death that Democrats are inappropriately politicizing the senator’s death, his memorial and his legacy.

To my friends on the right: The left seems somewhat compelled to do stupid things like this. It is best to just let them do it. Bringing up the "Wellstone Effect" may help you feel smart, but it only serves to prevent them from indulging their lesser instincts. Next time, keep it to yourself until they shoot themselves in the foot.

And Bush and the Republicans Were the Tyrants?

The first step to tyranny today is to have the power to shut down dissent on the net:

Internet companies and civil liberties groups were alarmed this spring when a U.S. Senate bill proposed handing the White House the power to disconnect private-sector computers from the Internet.

They're not much happier about a revised version that aides to Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, have spent months drafting behind closed doors. CNET News has obtained a copy of the 55-page draft of S.773 (excerpt), which still appears to permit the president to seize temporary control of private-sector networks during a so-called cybersecurity emergency.

The new version would allow the president to "declare a cybersecurity emergency" relating to "non-governmental" computer networks and do what's necessary to respond to the threat.

What is most befuddling about this bill is that there is absolutely no clear and present danger that would justify the executive branch having these powers.

Ted Kennedy Dies

Sometimes it is best to say nothing at all.

So She Wore Shorts...

...No big deal, right? I can see a lot of Americans actually identifying with wanting to throw on some comfy clothes. So what is the big deal? Well, when it is the office of the Presidency, the trappings are actually important. For the most part, Americans have thrown off formality. The formality around the Presidency is still a good insight on how the occupants view the office, though. I'll give Michelle Obama a sliver of doubt for now, but if the family views their public appearance so informally going forward, then it will tell me a great deal about how they view the office.

Cool but Weird

Is it just me, or is it kind of weird to watch someone outside your generation blog their love for someone else?

An Ass Would Have Been More Appropriate

But come January, I'll take a goat:

She planned to butcher the animal later but was passing through Winona on her way to St. Paul when the car broke down, Prusci remembered her saying.

The woman, and a man and child who were waiting for her outside, left while Prusci and other workers began the repairs.

After about 10 minutes, they could hear the goat crying.

"We cracked open the trunk, you know, so it could breathe," Prusci said. "And sure enough, there it was. It kind of poked its head up."

The goat had been painted Vikings purple and gold. Shaved into its side was the No. 4 - the number of Brett Favre, who was making his Vikings debut later that night in a preseason game in the Twin Cities.

What's the saying? What's good good for the goat is good for the Farvruh?

The Reason Why People Loathe and Fear Unions

Any organization that can get its members to vote against their own self interests, as the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Lodge 1947 just did at Mercury Marine in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, horrifies the average bystander. Your industry is in a beyond depressed financial state, and you effectively vote your job out of existence. Principle is meaningless when you are out of a job. Good luck to all the yes voters finding jobs as good as you just had.

It's the Intent, Stupid

Since Brett Favre signed with the Minnesota Vikings, I've many a sports report and blogger chide Packer fans who are upset by this. There logic is that he is free to play as long as he wants, and to be as indecisive as he wants.

They miss a big point.

Brett Favre's intent since sometimes last summer has been to exact his revenge upon Ted Thompson. He has as much as said that he wanted to play for the Vikings for exactly that reason. He has since backed off of that tact, but if you buy his latest drivel about not wanting revenge, then I have some nice beach front property to sell you in Augusta, Wisconsin.

The fact is that Brett Favre wants to stick it to Ted Thompson. The only way he can do that is by sticking it to the Packers. The fact that he thinks he is bigger than the Packers organization is obvious in the fact that he thinks "true Packers fans" will have no problem with this and will continue to have his back. Unfortunately, he's wrong. "Brett Favre Packer fans" may, but true, Packers-first fans do. They do because Favre's intent is to stick his thumb in the eye of the organization that he rode into the Hall of Fame. And when someone wants to stick their thumb in the eye of a sports organization, fans naturally feel like they are having that thumb poked into theirs as well. This is especially true when their dollars have enriched that person for years.

Make no mistake. This is not about Favre wanting to play for the love of the game. This is about Brett wanting to play for the hate of a man. Brett intends to exact his revenge, otherwise he wouldn't have retired, he wouldn't have asked for his release, and he'd still be playing for the New York Jets. The fans recognize this and they are rightfully repulsed by it.

Lazy Parents Who Want to Ban the Ice Cream Man

The New York Times brings us the newest rage in pop parenting: a movement to ban the ice cream man:

Ever since Katherine had an inconsolable meltdown about not being able to have a treat, Ms. Sell has been trying to have unlicensed vendors ousted from the park. She has repeatedly called the city’s 311 complaint hot line, joining parents nationwide who can’t stand the icy man or his motorized big brother, the ice cream man.

“I fall into the camp of parents who are irate,” Ms. Sell said. She has equal disdain for Mister Softee and the ice cream pop vendor outside the park, but since they are licensed, there is not much she can do about them.

Guess what? Parenting is not an easy job. When confronted with a temptation like an ice cream man, it is a parent's job to teach some lessons. The first is that you cannot always have what you want. Are the side effects of 'no' unpleasant? You bet your ass they are. But the sooner your child learns it, the better off you and the child will ultimately be. By banning the ice cream truck, all you accomplish is saving yourself a little trouble.

Second, the temptation of ice cream is also a perfect time to introduce your child to economic trade offs. I'll give you an example. When I was young, we had a regular visit from the ice cream truck. Once in a while, my mom and dad would spring for a treat. Most of the time, however, I was presented with a decision that I had to make: I could buy myself ice cream anytime I wanted, out of my allowance money or my piggy bank. But by doing so, it meant that I had less or no money for things I wanted more, like a toy or a pack of baseball cards. Again, the banners are abdicating their job to teach this lesson because it isn't always a pleasant lesson to teach, and that's plain lazy.

They also look at other issues of lazy parenting such as parents that leave their kids in strollers near the exhaust pipe or parents who don't want their kids eating ice cream. Well, I hate to say it, but neither of those items are the problem of the ice cream truck. They are problems of parents. It is a continuation of the trend for parents to not actually do a damn bit of parenting.

The article goes on to conflate several other issues that aren't pertinent to the core of this story. For instance, they talk about a Chicago ban that came about because of unsanitary situations and drug sales. Those are reasonable protections of the public and completely unrelated to their main issue of pop parenting. I'm willing to overlook that as poor writing as a result of a need to fill column inches. The focus of this article should not have been on the ice cream man but the weak willed parents, though.

One More Favre Thought

Brett Favre, who at his Viking introduction presser displayed a poor understanding of what legacy means, stands to become a sort of reverse John Elway. Over his career, Elway's reputation was that he couldn't win the big one. It wasn't all Elway's fault that his teams lost four Super Bowls, but as the leader of the team, it fell on his shoulders. Late in his career, when Elway's teams began carrying him to a certain extent, he won two Super Bowls and completely rehabilitated his image.

Favre, on the other hand, stands to completely destroy his reputation in just over two short years. Favre, of course, won a Super Bowl in his first attempt. Since that time, Favre's teams were notorious for coming up short in big games. Not all of that was Brett's fault, but some was. Yet he avoided the fate of have a reputation similar to Elway's because he did win that one championship early on and it over shadowed everything else. Had he retired after losing in the NFC Championship game at age 37, his reputation would have remained intact and his one last hurrah would have been celebrated.

He came back, though. He carried the Jets early in that come back year, but it was fully on his shoulders that they slumped and missed the play offs. People began to question his role in the NFC Championship loss the year before. Still, had he stayed retired after the Jets, it all would have faded out of the colelctive memory. He's put himself back in the limelight with another potential contender, though, and perhaps nothing short of a Super Bowl victory will prevent him from being known as the guy who didn't win the games that really mattered.

If the Vikings do not win the Super Bowl and he is viewed as at all culpable, his career will be thoroughly reviewed by football fans. Doubt will be cast upon the 1996 season and whether that team won primarily because of him or because of the extraordinary defense and special teams and the sheer number of offensive weapons on that team. And if his role on that team is revised, it will shed an all new light on the rest of his career. At that moment, Favre will learn that his legacy isn't about what he thinks of his playing days, but what others in the future look back and think of his playing days.

The Lefties Not In The Infield

The New York Times recently published a piece which pondered the extreme rarity of left handed catchers in Major League Baseball. In the course of the piece, they also take a look at the dearth of left handed third basemen, shortstops, and second basemen. Being an issue I've actually given a lot of thought to, I wanted to share a few thoughts on the matter.

As sought after as left handed pitchers, first basemen, and hitters are, baseball is not a terribly left hand friendly game, especially in the infield. It has been said that the measurements of a baseball diamond are as close to perfection as possible, with the number of bang-bang plays, particularly at first, being held up as proof. It is those bang-bang plays that make the infield an unfriendly place for lefties. Infielders, particularly on the left side of the infield, must get their throws off as quickly as possible. Good throwing mechanics dictate that the best throws will be made when you lead in some fashion with the shoulder of your glove hand. For right handed infielders, that is the left shoulder, which is naturally positioned in the general direction of first base. Left handers, meanwhile, must turn their body more to make good, strong throws. It doesn't seem like much, but over the course of 162 games, that turn might make the difference between a dozen, maybe two dozen runners being safe or out. That may not seem like much, but if it changes the outcomes of three games, it can make all the difference in the world.

Catchers are more difficult to explain. The entire game transpires before a catcher and as such, the angles of the game are not as detrimental. It seems clear that there could be successful left handed catchers, but why aren't there any? The scarcity of the left handed arm probably has a lot to with it. A good catcher is probably going to have one of the top two arms outside of the pitcher in your lineup. As valuable as left handed pitching is, if given the choice between using a power left handed arm on the mound or behind the plate, you are almost always going to choose the mound.

Now, what about that incredible left handed offensive talent with an average arm but solid defense? That player is probably going to end up at first base for a couple of reasons. Catcher is a brutal position. Most moms figure that out in Little League. Coaches at all levels will usually want to preserve the offensive production of a big time hitter by moving him out from behind the plate. Second, that hypothetical offensive talent with an average arm is probably going to be bested by a stronger armed right hander who can throw out base runners by high school. The safe place to put that player to accentuate his positives is first base, a position where it is advantageous to have a lefty and where the lessor arm strength can be hidden.

There are a lot of myths about left handed catchers and the Times looks at a number of them but never really gets to the nut of the problem. The fact is that the opportunity cost of playing a scarce, talented left handed thrower behind the plate is just too high. Whatever their mix of skills, there are better positions for them on the field. That is why you don't see left handed catchers in professional baseball.

I, For One, Welcome the New Vikings' Overlord

I feel a little like the proverbial kid in a candy store right now. If they stay healthy, I think the Packers will be good on both sides of the ball. But the return of Brett Favre to the Vikings is what really has me excited. Does anyone out there remember how Favre gets when he is personally jacked about a game? How poorly, even later in his career, he could play early in those games? How desperate his play became when teams would take advantage of his over-anxious unforced errors? He is going to give the Packers opportunities to beat him. All they are going to have to do is capitalize on them.

More "Obama as Nixon"

This time from Althouse.

No They Aren't

What the hell?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Leaders of the United States, Mexico and Canada -- also known as "the three amigos" -- begin a summit on Sunday in Mexico to talk about simmering trade issues and the threat of drug gangs.

Whomever "knows" them as that is an idiot, as is Mr. Holland for writing it.

President Obama Channels His Inner Nixon

I must admit that I was wrong. I saw President Obama as a Jimmy Carter type. Who knew that he was more of a Nixon?

Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.

How does this make you feel, America? At least Nixon's enemies list was born of his own paranoia. This administration, perhaps appropriately, wants to develop a wider ranging enemies list by have you all spy on each other and tattle, much like they used to do in the Soviet Union.

Don't Call It A Value Add Tax!

I implore bloggers, blog readers, and everyone interested to not indulge the Obama administration in their 1984-esque double speak. Do not refer to their newest pet money-suck as a value add tax. Please, please refer to it for what it is: A sales tax. Every time you discuss this idea, do not let the administration win the rhetorical battle. Call it the sales tax that it is, and explain it to those that may not understand that. It is unacceptable that, on top of all of the other ways that the federal government taxes us from the bassonet to the coffin, that they now start grabbing from the everyday action of the economy.

Now Where Near Ready foe Prime Time Leadership

Today's Democrats are starting to make Carter era Dems look sage and wise:

With thousands of "cash for clunkers" deals pending, auto dealers in Wisconsin and across the nation were working through a worry-filled night Thursday amid the startling news that the program is being suspended because it has likely run out of money.

Members of Congress confirmed late Thursday that the program is being suspended. It remained unclear whether the program had indeed run out of money or whether it was only close to running out.

Who couldn't see this cluster coming?

Quick Q to the P-folk

Parents, I need to know something. If your child starts shooting flames from his/her bum, is there the chance he or she is really a dragon?

A Post Racial Era?

One of the goals of this society, at least as it proclaims, is to move into a post-racial era. The road to that era is a two way street, though. While the majority is not yet perfect in relation to the minority(ies), it has made large strides. Unfortunately, until such time that the minority can allow their blisters to callous, we will continue to experience open racial sores that are much the problem of the aggrieved picking as the "oppressor" causing.

Where is MADD?

Where are the modern day temperancists? Where are our nannies?

President Obama sat down for a beer at the White House Thursday night with a top African-American professor and the police officer who arrested him earlier this month.

They were joined by a previously unannounced guest, Vice President Joe Biden.

I'm not the first to say this, but where are the expected shrieks that this sends the irresponsible message that we can solve our problems with booze? I for one think that a moderate amount of social lubrication can help people find common ground, but I'm listening for our criers of "booze is the root of all evil" and all I hear is crickets.

A 100% True Parable

Back in my college years, I'd spend most of the year off at school, 3 1/2 hours away from home. But in the summer, I'd move back in with my parents. It was always good to come back and reconnect with my family and my friends. I worked hard in the summers, once finagling a way to work 27 straight days at my summer employer. When you combined those long hours with the fact that I spent all of my free time with friends and family, I'm a little surprised my parents' neighbors even recognized me.

The last summer I lived at home I was finally of legal drinking age. One Sunday, my long time best friend and I decided to partake in two of our favorite pastimes-drinking and a home run derby (think the 1960's TV show, only on a rustic softball diamond). I don't recall who won the nine inning affair, but I do remember that we finished our six pack on that humid, 85 degree day and decided that we wanted to head to a bar to get some grub and another ice cold beverage.

We headed back to my parents' place. The 'cool' athletic shorts of the day didn't have pockets, so I'd left my wallet and keys there. Much to my surprise, they had a life. I tried the doors, only to find that they were all locked. Here I was, hungry and thirsty with no money or ID, and I had no keys with which to enter the house. But much like today, I was a problem solver. So I found the only way into the house without a key.

My solution had two significant problems, though. One, it was neither particularly quiet nor quick. Two, it was quite visible to the entire neighborhood and the very busy road in front of the house. Of course I was 21, so I was going to do what I wanted to do (eat and drink), consequences be damned. I'll tell you the truth, though, I was scared out of my mind that someone new to the neighborhood might call the cops on me. After all, here I was breaking into my own house. How was I going to explain that to the police? And they'd be right to be skeptical of my story. Who breaks into their own house for God's sake? Most people have a spare stored someplace or they call the locksmith, right?

I knew that if someone in the neighborhood didn't recognize me and called 911, I was going to have to be on my absolute best behavior because no good cop was going to believe my story without proof. With exceptional behavior, I might get enough patience from an officer to find a person or persons to vouch for me. But with obstinate behavior, I knew that the day was ultimately going to end with my parents vouching for me down at the local jail. The fact that I am 1/4 Chippewa never even entered into the equation for me. What I was doing was highly suspicious behavior for anyone, and I knew the police had the duty, if called, to get to the bottom of the story. Thankfully for me, my neighbors still did recognize me and did not call the police.

I think that my approach to breaking into my own house was enveloped with a lot of common sense (if disregard) as to the potential consequences. In fact, if the police found anyone, even my dad, trying to break into the house, I hope they'd treat the situation with extreme caution. But for some people, victimhood is their self identity, and common sense can't prevail. Their entire worldview is wrapped up in the belief that others are out to get them and they lose the ability to decipher between "protective" and "abusive".

What Socialized Medicine Gets You

This post could also be titled, "And They'll Wonder Why Swine Flu Became Tamiflu Resistant." What follows is a message board post by a wedding photographer in a Flickr Group (I've highlighted a few things):

We were due to shoot a wedding this Saturday for a lovely couple who's cousin's wedding we shot last year. Unfortunately the last few days I have been starting (and continuing!) to feel ill with cold symptoms.

Because swine flu is so all over the place now in the UK, doctors are no longer actually seeing/testing patients, you go online or phone a helpine, answer some questions on symptoms and if you r symptoms match up to those for swine flu, you phone a dr and they arrange for you to get some tamiflu.

In short, I could have a cold, or bad hayfever (although I know it's not hayfever as antihistamines haven't worked), but I have cancelled the wedding as I don't want to risk infecting a whole wedding group with swine flu especially as there will be children there. Luckily for me, I have a friend who is a local photographer who is very good, and he is miraculously free and will be shooting for me.

The thing is though, with the rubbish non diagnosis we're having over here, what if this is only a summer cold and in two weeks time I actually DO get swine flu and have no option but to take it to a wedding?

There you have it. In order to "remove unnecessary costs" from the system, you may not even get to see a doctor or receive tests many would deem "necessary." And the worst part is even if Obamacare ultimately dies the death it deserves to die, this will likely still negatively affect us as this willy-nilly approach to Swine Flu diagnosis in countries with socialized medicine will greatly increase the likelihood of a Swine Flu that is resistant to medications that normally could reduce the virus's severity.

40 Years Since the First Moon Walk

I wish I could say that I was in as celebratory mood as the media is over the 40th anniversary of an American being the first human to step foot on the moon. The unfortunate fact is that it will be all too soon when the the 40th anniversary of the last human to walk on the moon will quietly come and go unnoticed (for the record, December 17, 2012 will be that sad date). The unimaginative ponder the waste of money that is exploring worlds beyond Earth. The visionaries wonder how this species will survive the day when nature (not man) makes this rock uninhabitable. Yes, that time is probably a long time away; there is no guarantee that man will continue this trajectory of technological growth that has occurred over the past 100 years, however. As it stands, we've not even scratched the surface of the knowledge we'll one day need for our descendants to survive beyond this lonely rock.

A Thought For The 2009 Green Bay Packers

Viking (?) QB Brett Favre will only beat you if you're afraid of Viking QB Brett Favre beating you. In reality, even with a 39 year old Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson is that team's difference maker. If they stop Peterson, they beat the Vikings twice.

An Always Popular Not-News News Story

Some variation on this story pops up every few weeks to months. It is 'news' to people. I'm not sure why.

First World War veteran Henry Allingham, who became the world's oldest man last month, has died at the age of 113.

As tributes poured in, Lord's cricket ground fell silent at the start of play in the Ashes match between England and Australia as a mark of respect for Mr Allingham, who died in his sleep early yesterday morning.

Emphasis mine. This is not a record most people get to hold onto for very long. Each year typically see several oldest living men/women. Yet everytime one passes on, two stories rocket it up the popularity charts: 'World's Oldest Man/Woman Dies' and 'New World's Oldest Man/Woman (Fill in Background Story). That these stories are always popular even though they are typically neither newsworthy nor particularly interesting is kind of a quirk of humanity.

Walter Cronkite, 1916-2009

Walter Cronkite, the iconic American TV news anchor, passed away yesterday. There have been and will be a number of fine tributes to Cronkite. I would rather look at his legacy from a, while not critical, certainly less adoring way.

When people talk Cronkite, they talk trust. Part of the reason Cronkite came to engender trust in the American public is because he was the leading edge of the modern news anchor-he was emotive and had opinions. By today's standard, we'd consider him buttoned down in both regards, by the standards of his era, that made him different and a lot of Americans felt like they knew Cronkite, and that helped engender that trust.

This has left a mixed legacy in news reporting and journalism, however. Cronkite was the man who opened the door for journalists (so-called hard journalists, not opinion journalists) to let more of their political colors show through in their work. It is human nature to have opinions and beliefs, so it is impossible for any "objective" news report to be completely free of the subjective without the news becoming so dry as to be unconsumable. But there was a time where newsmen and journalists tried to keep that human influence on the reporting of the news deeply buried.

In one sense, this is good because it has made the reporting of the news much more transparent. Bloggers have shown over the years that you can now easily identify the spin that you are getting from any particular anchor or journalist. Unfortunately, it has also made it acceptable for some journalists to further their personal agendas through the way they present the news. In fact, Cronkite coming out against the Vietnam war may have done more to create the agenda driven reporter/journalist than any other single act.

When we remember Cronkite, we remember him as what he was during his era. For that, he deserves all of the accolades that he is receiving in his passing. Cronkite leaves a legacy that has been and will continue to be built upon by others, and we do need to strip away the misty feelings to examine that legacy because all of the consequences have not been positive.

Reuters Panic Mongering on H1N1 Swine Flu

I was originally going to blame WHO for panic mongering, but I actually think Reuters is to blame.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that the H1N1 flu pandemic was the fastest-moving pandemic ever and that it was now pointless to count every case.

The United Nations agency, which declared an influenza pandemic on June 11, revised its requirements so that national health authorities need only report clusters of severe cases or deaths caused by the new virus or unusual clinical patterns.

Normal flus can move too fast to count, too. The difference is a lot of people never report or go to the doctor. This ancestor of the Spanish flu is worth keeping an eye on, don't get me wrong, but we've seen nothing from it to this point that makes it panic worthy.

Congratulations, Minnesota

You've elected a clown to the United States Senate.

Sonia Sotomayor, under questioning by the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee at her confirmation hearing on Wednesday, had to admit she could not recall a key point of law: what was the one case that TV defense lawyer Perry Mason actually lost?

"I wish I could remember the name of the episode but I don't," Sotomayor said after Democratic Senator Al Franken -- himself a former TV star -- pressed her on Perry Mason trivia.

Wow, Minnesota. Maybe next time you could just upgrade your cable subscription if you want a comedian. Having grown up in the Twin Cities media market, I can say that gravitas is a tough word for Minnesotans, what with the three syllables and all.

Top Ten Things I've Learned From 3 Days of Fatherhood

I'm not sure anyone can appreciate this except perhaps someone who is going through it.

10. Newborns can be stronger and inherently smarter than you give them credit for.
9. There is personality there right from the start.
8. Your brain conspires with the baby against your body from the start. Falling asleep? You hear his cry, even if he isn't crying.
7. It is possible to fart and burp multiple times simultaneously.
6. A good poop can be as exciting as an 99 yard touchdown pass.
5. Oddly, your own baby's gas smells sweet after the first few.
4. Just when you think you've got the little bugger figured out, he changes things up on you.
3. Early parenthood is like boot camp, and baby is your drill sergeant.
2. Poo on your fingers becomes less repulsive than it normally would be.
1. You can never prepare for how much that first one is going to change you and your life, no matter how much you know before hand.

Welcome My Little Co-Blogger

We shall call him Jiblette. His was a peaceful gestation, but his journey into this world was a long and painful one for his mom. He officially joined Jiblog at 6:54 on July 5th.