We are seeing a generation that looks down and not around. They are focused on winking display screens and are missing the majestic mountains.
Is this the evolution of the television generations before them?
Are we seeing a generation that will be defined by what they watch others do on their little screens?
Is this necessarily bad?
Wednesday
Thursday
Prime Number Family
All of my family members have prime number birthdays
- 1-29 - Kate & Allie
- 2-13 - Heidi
- 11-3 - Johnny
Monday
Jimmy Carter Is Why I Am A Republican
To paraphrase Jimmy Carter's idiotic rant about race last week - " I grew in the South in the 40's and 50's . I knew racists. Racists do not like black people. President Obama is black. President Obama is being criticized. The people who are criticizing him must be racists."
Jimmy, THE IDIOT, is just as naive as he always has been
When I was 18 I voted for Jimmy Carter in my first vote for a President. That was the stupidest vote I have ever and will ever cast.
Shortly after that vote, I realized that good intentions and supposed intelligence were NOT enough to run our country. Since then, Jimmy Carter has been a gift to the Republicans that just keeps on giving. He is the worst President of the past two centuries and possibly in our entire history. I can think of NOTHING worthwhile that this man has done. If it were not for him, we might have had real peace.
Some of Jimmy's other blunders:
- Boycotting The 1980 Olympics
- The Iranian Hostage Crisis & Botched Response
- Afghanistan, Afghanistan, Afghanistan
- Iran, Iran, Iran
- The Energy Crisis
- The Double Digit Inflation, Unemployment Rate and Energy Price Increases
- The Sweaters
- Muslim Appeasement at the Expense of Israel
- The ineptitude of Houses For Humanity - crappy construction, unsustainable model, but it felt good
- His worst sin and lasting contribution - symbolism over substance.
- Ironically his Anglo centric view of the world completely missed what was happening in Asia.
- HE was, still is and always will be THE RACIST.
His absolute most egregious evil, most profoundly asinine, cancerous, poisonous, loathsome, murderous, long range destructive impact on THE USA is his motto that
"Good intentions make it OK, even if bad results happen".
This alone is the worst idea that any American leader has EVER had.
The fact that this "motto" still exists in the minds of most Liberals is a testament of the damage that Jimmy Carter's incompetence has put upon this great world.
Friday
9-11 Hero, Chuck Margiotta - God Bless and Keep You Always
Chuck Margiotta gave his life on 9-11-01 trying to save others. He was off duty, a NYC Fireman, when the planes hit. He was on his way home. He turned around and went to help.
The stories, tributes, scholarships, memorials and love that are on his website are so emotional and heart felt. God bless his brother, Mike - my classmate, teammate and friend for keeping the glow from Chuck's soul alive and spreading.
Please take a look at the site and see for yourself the life of one of our heroes.
Chuck was my high school football teammate, one year my senior. When I first met Chuck, we were going through our Freshman hazing during summer training. We were happy we made the team, but we were now subject to standard rookie abuse. Chuck was hard on us, but he conveyed to me a feeling that this was tough, but fun, don't worry. I didn't.
I was trying something one day at practice, punting the ball so it would go backwards over my head. Don't ask me why, I don't know. Anyway, I kicked myself in the chin, and bit my tongue, hard, really hard. I was a mess. Poor Chuck is the first guy I saw and I said "Chuck, can you look at this?" I opened my mouth at him and he said "Let's go see coach" and walked me over. I have really no idea how I got to the hospital to get my 6 stitches, but I did. I heard somewhere once that the tongue does not scar. Whoever said that or believes it is wrong.
My memories of Chuck are:
- He was one tough cookie.
- He loved to swagger and was usually the center of the room.
- He was totally self aware.
- He used his stature to perfect effect with his wry sense of humor.
- He was the first guy I know that got an ear ring. when someone asked him why, he said "I wasn't getting in to enough fights!".
- He went to an Ivy League College - Brown University where he was loved.
- He graduated with a double major.
- He joined the New York City Fire Department.
- He lived and died a Staten Islander.
I personally knew at least 4 people who died on 9-11-01. I was in Hawaii at the time when my friend Stich called me to tell me what happened. I knew that I knew people in those buildings as soon as I turned on the TV at 4 AM local time.
Such evil.
Wednesday
The Badwill Games
In 1980, Jimmy Carter came up with the idea that boycotting the Olympics in Moscow would solve the problem of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Ted Turner did not like the USA leading a boycott of the Olympic Games. He created and then funded the Goodwill Games. He spent his own money to make sure that the athletes who had been training their entire sporting lives with the 1980 Olympics as their goal did not get totally stiffed by Carter's best intentioned, but 100% stupid boycott.
Since then we have had more drug stories about athletes than I can possibly put on a single blog.
So, here is my idea - The "BADWILL GAMES" - the ultimate series of Libertarian sporting events.
If I had all the money that Ted Turner had, I'd form a football, baseball, basketball and Olympic style leagues. Individual athletes would not be tested for anything. In the words of California's Governator they could smoke, snort, shoot, eat, insert anything they wanted to, as much as they wanted, as often as they desired.
The only rule would be, you have to be alive at the finish of your event.
Who ever wins, wins.
For example, in the 100 meter race, if you ran, exploded just after you crossed the finish line , your heirs would get their cash reward. Swimmers could have the water around them boil before they burst in to flames, bicyclers could ride with IV hookups on their handle bars, steroid and amphetamine fueled batters would try and rip the cover off of balls tossed by HGH enhanced pitchers who's arms fly off after they throw a 135 mph fastball.
How entertaining would that be?
The Games would be filled with chemically infused competitors going for it without any rules or regulations whatsoever.
Take what you want, when you want, as much as you want, as often as you want.
Let's see how fast, how high, how far, how much the human body could go using all of the pharmacological technology that we have available to us. I wonder what the 100 meter time would be? How many home runs could be hit? How far could a javelin be thrown?
The "Badwill Games" would truly test the limits of the human body, mind, spirit, self destructiveness in order to see what we are capable of as a species.
No rules would rule.
Ted Turner did not like the USA leading a boycott of the Olympic Games. He created and then funded the Goodwill Games. He spent his own money to make sure that the athletes who had been training their entire sporting lives with the 1980 Olympics as their goal did not get totally stiffed by Carter's best intentioned, but 100% stupid boycott.
Since then we have had more drug stories about athletes than I can possibly put on a single blog.
So, here is my idea - The "BADWILL GAMES" - the ultimate series of Libertarian sporting events.
If I had all the money that Ted Turner had, I'd form a football, baseball, basketball and Olympic style leagues. Individual athletes would not be tested for anything. In the words of California's Governator they could smoke, snort, shoot, eat, insert anything they wanted to, as much as they wanted, as often as they desired.
The only rule would be, you have to be alive at the finish of your event.
Who ever wins, wins.
For example, in the 100 meter race, if you ran, exploded just after you crossed the finish line , your heirs would get their cash reward. Swimmers could have the water around them boil before they burst in to flames, bicyclers could ride with IV hookups on their handle bars, steroid and amphetamine fueled batters would try and rip the cover off of balls tossed by HGH enhanced pitchers who's arms fly off after they throw a 135 mph fastball.
How entertaining would that be?
The Games would be filled with chemically infused competitors going for it without any rules or regulations whatsoever.
Take what you want, when you want, as much as you want, as often as you want.
Let's see how fast, how high, how far, how much the human body could go using all of the pharmacological technology that we have available to us. I wonder what the 100 meter time would be? How many home runs could be hit? How far could a javelin be thrown?
The "Badwill Games" would truly test the limits of the human body, mind, spirit, self destructiveness in order to see what we are capable of as a species.
No rules would rule.
Sunday
My Farrell Football Team in 1975 and 2009
I posted about my Excellent & Emotional Farrell HS Football Reunion. Here are a couple of photos, one from 1975 and the other from the game in 2009. Dupton has some other shots of the Alumni Bowl Game here.
I never paid much attention to the original 75 photo until it started floating around when Mike G, Mike M and Peter F started trying to get us to go back to Alumni Bowl.
Back when it was taken in 1975, for some reason I was absent from the photo on Joe's car. When it went around a few weeks ago I wondered why I was not in it. Thanks to technology and Don's mastery of Photo Shop, Don put me in the picture and gave it to me when he came to San Diego. He said it bothered him that I was not in that original shot for years.
It really is one of the best presents I received in a long time. And now, it is prominently displayed in my home.
It really is one of the best presents I received in a long time. And now, it is prominently displayed in my home.
Thursday
My Son Johnny Started Playing Pop Warner Football
Johnny is 9.
I was 8 when I started playing Pee Wee Football in Staten Island.
So he is one year behind the time when I started. He is playing with 7, 8 and 9 year old boys who weigh under 90 pounds.
Some strange coincidences.
I was 8 when I started playing Pee Wee Football in Staten Island.
So he is one year behind the time when I started. He is playing with 7, 8 and 9 year old boys who weigh under 90 pounds.
Some strange coincidences.
- He is playing Right Guard on offense, the same position I played.
- He is playing front one left of center on the kick off return team. It is the position I played. I can't remember which game it was, but I was up front, the ball came to me on the opening kickoff, I caught it and ran for a touchdown. My parents and brother were just getting to the game and my Dad thought I was going to fall down while I was running. I made it. When I watch Johnny now, I laugh often because he's trying really hard, but his grasp of the details of playing football has some gaps. For example, he's been in the right place when he was running his offensive plays, pulling, trapping and driving straight ahead perfectly on every play. But, in his first scrimmage, he was in the right place, at the right time but he never blocked anybody. He missed that part of the instructions. He'll get there.
- Johnny's number is 36, this was a totally random event, no requests, no position numbers etc.
- My number in my first year was 18 - 1/2 of Johnny's number or in other words, Johnny's number is 2x mine the first year I played.
Cool. Maybe he'll be twice as good as me.
Tuesday
My Emotional Excellent Farrell High School Football Reunion.
This summer I re connected with my High School Football team.
Staten Island Advance Article
YouTube Invite to Whole Team
My YouTube Invite From Coach B.
I went to Monsignor Farrell HS in Staten Island NY. I graduated in 1976 and still have the bicentennial themed tie that I wore at graduation. While at Farrell, I played football all four years. Farrell Football when I was growing up and learning the sport was the Gold standard of Staten Island football. I started playing Pee Wee football when I was 8 years old and gradually got in to the Pro teams, I was a Raiders and Chargers fan mainly because their games were on at 4 PM after we had come inside from playing outside all day. College was Ohio State, cool helmets and Penn State when Joe Paterno did not have a nick name.
But the best team I got to see was Farrell HS. I went to their games in grammar school and diligently tore up or hole punched giant bags of confetti, hoarded it, brought it to the games to toss at bee hive hairdos whenever the Lions did anything good.
After graduating from Grammar School, I took a test that all kids have to take in order to get in to NYC Catholic High Schools and scored high enough to have the opportunity to go to Farrell High School. It was a big deal. Staten Island was 90%+++ Catholic. Getting in to Farrell was probably scoring somewhere in the 80% plus in the standard tests that were the 8th grade version of the SATs. A lot of boys (it was an all boys school) were disappointed when they got their letters saying their test scores were not high enough to be admitted. Parents were proud of their boys acceptance. The boys were proud to be admitted. The school let them know that they were a privileged group that had the golden opportunity to even go to the school.
We thought we were hot stuff even before we walked in the door.
Entering Farrell, I was a football Pee Wee All Star, a very good swimmer and probably not nearly as good as I thought I was in baseball and basketball but I at least played them a lot.
Farrell HS football’s goal at that time was to win every game - period.
When I tried out and made the team I had a sense of accomplishment that was probably about as profound and satisfying as any 13 year old can have.
During my 4 years, we lost one game as freshmen (the sophomores mainly were the starters on the team) we won all our games as sophomores, lost one game as juniors (the seniors mainly were the starters on the team) and went undefeated with one tie our senior year. Our record for the four years was something like 30-2-1 and our senior year our team was ranked #1 in New York City by The Daily News and probably would have been ranked #1 by USA Today if it existed. The class of 77 never lost a single game in the four years they played. I confess I do not know where they ranked in the NYC polls but that is really an amazing statistic.
Physically we were an unimposing bunch. We were shorter, lighter, slower and weaker than most of the teams we played. Our big guys were about 6’2” and 220 and we had 2 of them. The rest of us were much smaller. Our offensive line probably averaged 5’10” and 180.
But we were well coached, disciplined, smart and believed with every fiber of our testosterone filled hearts that we should win every game, and we did.
Late in the spring of 2009, I was about 6 months in to a move that had taken our family from the North Shore of Oahu where we had lived for about 7 years to San Diego, California where I had lived since 1984. I got a phone call from Mike G. who was one of my Farrell Football team mates and he asked my permission for him to stay in touch with me and let me know of upcoming events. I really enjoyed hearing from him, the last time I had seen him was a random meeting on the Staten Island Ferry about 26 years ago.
Farrell HS started an alumni football game in 2005 as a fund raiser and to bring alumni back together to reconnect with the school. Living in Hawaii, I really did not pay much attention to what was going on more than 6,000 miles and an 11 hour non stop flight away.
Mike G and Mike M soon after that conversation that confirmed my email, phone, address et al, started sending out emails to everyone on the class of 76 Football team asking them to dig in to their address books and find everyone on the team and try and get them to come back to Farrell HS for the Alumni Game. They spent months tracking people down, phoning, emailing, guilt tripping, cajoling, to get the whole team back for the game.
They succeeded.
Every guy I graduated with came back, showed up at the game, reconnected and hopefully had as much of an emotional, uplifting, positive experience as I did.
My Itinerary was Friday June 12 (flight delayed of course) arrive Newark 2 AM drive through rain down pour (it does not rain in Southern California) to Don M’s house for a 2:30 arrival. Wake up at 6 AM for golf game with Dupton, borrowed clubs, played in sneakers, walk 18 in 110 % humidity @ 80 degrees, won ½ of an Aloha Press, couple of beers, pizza, drive to Joe Y’s house (an hour) JY had recently gone through leukemia treatment and looked like Uncle Fester, dinner, longest walk he’d take since chemo – 5 blocks or so, dinner, sleep, back to Don M’s to meet him to drive to Staten Island on Saturday morning, have mind blowing reunion game (I got an interception), get in town car back to Don’s house for 1 AM arrival on Sunday AM, wake up early, drive to CT to see my brother George, wife Julia and nephew I’ve never met James who just turned 1, play 18 at Noon, dinner, wake up early on Monday, go for walk, get in car from central CT, drive to JFK, meet Lenny and Julie for lunch, get to airport 6 hour delay, get to San Diego at Midnight and go to work at a new job in the AM on June 15.
My single biggest regret is not getting to Joe M’s house. He has been so gracious in offering me and family to stay there on multiple occasions, but it has not worked out and I feel terribly guilty about it. Joe, I’m sorry, I really am and the next time I’m back East, I’d really like to have me and the family stay with you, G and V. Donnie M thanks to you for saving me a bunch of money on this trip at a time when I really needed to be frugal.
As far as the game, dinner/party went. I had a transcendentally good time. Most of the guys on the team, I had met when I was competing against or had played on the same team with from 3rd grade and beyond. Some of us who played for Farrell did not like each other when we got to school because we had spent years trying to crush each other in sports.
When we got to Farrell and had the kind of success we did, the ecstatic feelings we had from winning were the same as winning the Super Bowl, World Series, World Cup or Olympics. We were winning at a level that was the pinnacle of what we were capable of trying to achieve. Emotionally, when you win your championship, it is the best that you can do at the time under those circumstances. Emotionally, a bunch of 16,17 and 18 year olds winning their games feels the same to them as the Super Bowl champs. Historically, of course, it does not measure up, but the feeling the players have is the same at any level of sports. You don't save your celebrations for Game 7 of the World Series. Athletes as they progress and keep winning might get to experience more significant accomplishments at higher levels, but the feeling is a common bond back to when they were kids.
So, the team is getting back together this coming weekend August 28 on Staten Island to celebrate our achievements.
God Bless each and every one of them.
I can’t make it. My kids, my budget, my time, my distance, my commitments, yada, yada, yada will keep me in San Diego.
But gosh darn it, I wish I could be there.
I have a saying that nobody knows you like the people who you grew up with. They know your insecurities (most justified). They know what a jerk you have been and are capable of being. They know how you hurt and they know how much you were emotionally committed to anything you did in your teens. At the same time, we were amazingly clueless about what was happening in our lives back then. In 2009, I found out that one of my team mates Peter T’s Dad had had a heart attack, just before we were to go to football camp to earn our spots on the team. Pete went, when he did not know if his Dad was going to make it. His Dad wound up OK. I did not realize all this until 60 days ago at the Reunion.
Most of my team mates probably don’t know what happened to me at that same camp. I thought I was pretty good. I wanted to play defensive back, return kicks, return punts, punt the ball and if anything happened, jump in a play QB. While running 4th team offense, they needed someone to step in a run some routes as a receiver. I jumped in and started goofing off with Sean H, miss stepped and severely hyper extended my knee. At the time, there were no MRI’s or other technology. It was not until 2006 when I had surgery to repair my ACL that I found out I had completely ruptured my ACL during the summer of my evolution to senior year.
I was athletically toast.
I remember lying on the cot in 90 degree heat and throwing a knife that I had brought with me over and over in to the wall because I knew I had blown my chance to be a star on the team and maybe get a scholarship to some school, some where, for football. During those agonizing mental and physically painful days, I came to the conclusion that I would never again put 100% of my heart and soul in to sports (I was also a varsity swimmer and club baseball and basketball player). I decided that I’d play sports, not bleed sports. I’ve played lots since then, enjoyed a bunch, still enjoy a good golf bet but made the right decisions as far as College, job and life went based on education, not sports.
If my team mates are anywhere as clueless as I was about what was going on in their lives, I have to believe they thought Johnny D hurt himself and just did not get better.
Farrell Football was a life shaping experience for me. Coming up short on what I felt were was my potential playing football was a life shaping experience for me.
Pete F I’m sure you have the same “what ifs” regarding your knee and how if affected your life. All I know is that I really liked what I saw at the Alumni Bowl – great guys, great families, great fun and a great opportunity for someone to sell us all diet programs.
PS, Joe, I am really sorry. Please offer again.
To the rest of the gang, be healthy.
Staten Island Advance Article
YouTube Invite to Whole Team
My YouTube Invite From Coach B.
I went to Monsignor Farrell HS in Staten Island NY. I graduated in 1976 and still have the bicentennial themed tie that I wore at graduation. While at Farrell, I played football all four years. Farrell Football when I was growing up and learning the sport was the Gold standard of Staten Island football. I started playing Pee Wee football when I was 8 years old and gradually got in to the Pro teams, I was a Raiders and Chargers fan mainly because their games were on at 4 PM after we had come inside from playing outside all day. College was Ohio State, cool helmets and Penn State when Joe Paterno did not have a nick name.
But the best team I got to see was Farrell HS. I went to their games in grammar school and diligently tore up or hole punched giant bags of confetti, hoarded it, brought it to the games to toss at bee hive hairdos whenever the Lions did anything good.
After graduating from Grammar School, I took a test that all kids have to take in order to get in to NYC Catholic High Schools and scored high enough to have the opportunity to go to Farrell High School. It was a big deal. Staten Island was 90%+++ Catholic. Getting in to Farrell was probably scoring somewhere in the 80% plus in the standard tests that were the 8th grade version of the SATs. A lot of boys (it was an all boys school) were disappointed when they got their letters saying their test scores were not high enough to be admitted. Parents were proud of their boys acceptance. The boys were proud to be admitted. The school let them know that they were a privileged group that had the golden opportunity to even go to the school.
We thought we were hot stuff even before we walked in the door.
Entering Farrell, I was a football Pee Wee All Star, a very good swimmer and probably not nearly as good as I thought I was in baseball and basketball but I at least played them a lot.
Farrell HS football’s goal at that time was to win every game - period.
When I tried out and made the team I had a sense of accomplishment that was probably about as profound and satisfying as any 13 year old can have.
During my 4 years, we lost one game as freshmen (the sophomores mainly were the starters on the team) we won all our games as sophomores, lost one game as juniors (the seniors mainly were the starters on the team) and went undefeated with one tie our senior year. Our record for the four years was something like 30-2-1 and our senior year our team was ranked #1 in New York City by The Daily News and probably would have been ranked #1 by USA Today if it existed. The class of 77 never lost a single game in the four years they played. I confess I do not know where they ranked in the NYC polls but that is really an amazing statistic.
Physically we were an unimposing bunch. We were shorter, lighter, slower and weaker than most of the teams we played. Our big guys were about 6’2” and 220 and we had 2 of them. The rest of us were much smaller. Our offensive line probably averaged 5’10” and 180.
But we were well coached, disciplined, smart and believed with every fiber of our testosterone filled hearts that we should win every game, and we did.
Late in the spring of 2009, I was about 6 months in to a move that had taken our family from the North Shore of Oahu where we had lived for about 7 years to San Diego, California where I had lived since 1984. I got a phone call from Mike G. who was one of my Farrell Football team mates and he asked my permission for him to stay in touch with me and let me know of upcoming events. I really enjoyed hearing from him, the last time I had seen him was a random meeting on the Staten Island Ferry about 26 years ago.
Farrell HS started an alumni football game in 2005 as a fund raiser and to bring alumni back together to reconnect with the school. Living in Hawaii, I really did not pay much attention to what was going on more than 6,000 miles and an 11 hour non stop flight away.
Mike G and Mike M soon after that conversation that confirmed my email, phone, address et al, started sending out emails to everyone on the class of 76 Football team asking them to dig in to their address books and find everyone on the team and try and get them to come back to Farrell HS for the Alumni Game. They spent months tracking people down, phoning, emailing, guilt tripping, cajoling, to get the whole team back for the game.
They succeeded.
Every guy I graduated with came back, showed up at the game, reconnected and hopefully had as much of an emotional, uplifting, positive experience as I did.
My Itinerary was Friday June 12 (flight delayed of course) arrive Newark 2 AM drive through rain down pour (it does not rain in Southern California) to Don M’s house for a 2:30 arrival. Wake up at 6 AM for golf game with Dupton, borrowed clubs, played in sneakers, walk 18 in 110 % humidity @ 80 degrees, won ½ of an Aloha Press, couple of beers, pizza, drive to Joe Y’s house (an hour) JY had recently gone through leukemia treatment and looked like Uncle Fester, dinner, longest walk he’d take since chemo – 5 blocks or so, dinner, sleep, back to Don M’s to meet him to drive to Staten Island on Saturday morning, have mind blowing reunion game (I got an interception), get in town car back to Don’s house for 1 AM arrival on Sunday AM, wake up early, drive to CT to see my brother George, wife Julia and nephew I’ve never met James who just turned 1, play 18 at Noon, dinner, wake up early on Monday, go for walk, get in car from central CT, drive to JFK, meet Lenny and Julie for lunch, get to airport 6 hour delay, get to San Diego at Midnight and go to work at a new job in the AM on June 15.
My single biggest regret is not getting to Joe M’s house. He has been so gracious in offering me and family to stay there on multiple occasions, but it has not worked out and I feel terribly guilty about it. Joe, I’m sorry, I really am and the next time I’m back East, I’d really like to have me and the family stay with you, G and V. Donnie M thanks to you for saving me a bunch of money on this trip at a time when I really needed to be frugal.
As far as the game, dinner/party went. I had a transcendentally good time. Most of the guys on the team, I had met when I was competing against or had played on the same team with from 3rd grade and beyond. Some of us who played for Farrell did not like each other when we got to school because we had spent years trying to crush each other in sports.
When we got to Farrell and had the kind of success we did, the ecstatic feelings we had from winning were the same as winning the Super Bowl, World Series, World Cup or Olympics. We were winning at a level that was the pinnacle of what we were capable of trying to achieve. Emotionally, when you win your championship, it is the best that you can do at the time under those circumstances. Emotionally, a bunch of 16,17 and 18 year olds winning their games feels the same to them as the Super Bowl champs. Historically, of course, it does not measure up, but the feeling the players have is the same at any level of sports. You don't save your celebrations for Game 7 of the World Series. Athletes as they progress and keep winning might get to experience more significant accomplishments at higher levels, but the feeling is a common bond back to when they were kids.
So, the team is getting back together this coming weekend August 28 on Staten Island to celebrate our achievements.
God Bless each and every one of them.
I can’t make it. My kids, my budget, my time, my distance, my commitments, yada, yada, yada will keep me in San Diego.
But gosh darn it, I wish I could be there.
I have a saying that nobody knows you like the people who you grew up with. They know your insecurities (most justified). They know what a jerk you have been and are capable of being. They know how you hurt and they know how much you were emotionally committed to anything you did in your teens. At the same time, we were amazingly clueless about what was happening in our lives back then. In 2009, I found out that one of my team mates Peter T’s Dad had had a heart attack, just before we were to go to football camp to earn our spots on the team. Pete went, when he did not know if his Dad was going to make it. His Dad wound up OK. I did not realize all this until 60 days ago at the Reunion.
Most of my team mates probably don’t know what happened to me at that same camp. I thought I was pretty good. I wanted to play defensive back, return kicks, return punts, punt the ball and if anything happened, jump in a play QB. While running 4th team offense, they needed someone to step in a run some routes as a receiver. I jumped in and started goofing off with Sean H, miss stepped and severely hyper extended my knee. At the time, there were no MRI’s or other technology. It was not until 2006 when I had surgery to repair my ACL that I found out I had completely ruptured my ACL during the summer of my evolution to senior year.
I was athletically toast.
I remember lying on the cot in 90 degree heat and throwing a knife that I had brought with me over and over in to the wall because I knew I had blown my chance to be a star on the team and maybe get a scholarship to some school, some where, for football. During those agonizing mental and physically painful days, I came to the conclusion that I would never again put 100% of my heart and soul in to sports (I was also a varsity swimmer and club baseball and basketball player). I decided that I’d play sports, not bleed sports. I’ve played lots since then, enjoyed a bunch, still enjoy a good golf bet but made the right decisions as far as College, job and life went based on education, not sports.
If my team mates are anywhere as clueless as I was about what was going on in their lives, I have to believe they thought Johnny D hurt himself and just did not get better.
Farrell Football was a life shaping experience for me. Coming up short on what I felt were was my potential playing football was a life shaping experience for me.
Pete F I’m sure you have the same “what ifs” regarding your knee and how if affected your life. All I know is that I really liked what I saw at the Alumni Bowl – great guys, great families, great fun and a great opportunity for someone to sell us all diet programs.
PS, Joe, I am really sorry. Please offer again.
To the rest of the gang, be healthy.
Thursday
Tiger Woods, The First "Black" And "Oriental" Winner Of A Major Golf Tournament.
It is widely stated and accepted that Tiger Woods is the breaker of golf's "Black" color barrier.
If you asked, "Who is the first "Black" winner of a "Major" golf tournament, I'd say close to 100% of the media would say "Tiger Woods".
If you asked "Who is first "Oriental/Asian" winner of a "Major" golf tournament, I'd say close to 100% of the media would say "Y. E. Yang" - the recent Korean winner of the PGA Championship at Hazeltine.
I say that Tiger Woods is the first Oriental/Asian and Black winner of a "Major" golf tournament.
Tiger Woods and myself absolutely understand and agree that he and I have Oriental/Asians blood. My Mom is Japanese (born in Japan) , my Dad is Irish/German (born in the USA). Tiger's Mom is Thai (born in Thailand) , his Dad is Black, Caucasian and American Indian (born in the USA).
Tiger Woods is more Oriental than he is Black - do the math.
Tiger Woods is 12 times the first Oriental Major Golf Tournament winner if he is also the first Black Major Golf Tournament winner.
I am 1/2 Oriental. Once upon a time, during a conversation I identified someone as "Oriental". A white P.C. person pointed out to me that "Oriental" was derogatory and "Asian" was more appropriate. I disagreed and said that Oriental was more accurate in that Asian was broad and did not do justice to the diversity of Asians. Eastern Europeans, Russians, Ukrainians, Indians, Siberians, Tibetans are all Asian, but not of the Orient. I am 1/2 Japanese, my Mom was from, proud of, die hard Japanese of Oriental persuasion. My mom did not think that being from the Orient was derogatory. In that PC Haole's world view, Europeans that are Italians, Greeks, Danes are the same as Scots, Poles, French, Irish etc. I doubt that you'd get much agreement among the Euros about that characterization.
I loved it when early in his career Tiger disputed the Media's slotting of him as "Black". He quite vehemently stated those who say he is Black while not acknowledging his Asian/Oriental roots were disrespecting his Mother's and his heritage. He, despite Jim Rome's derision, proudly describes himself as "Cablinasian" - part Caucasian, part Black, part Indian (American) and part Asian.
I love it.
I do not fault Tiger at all for NOT pointing out how inaccurate, narrow minded, racist, ignorant and lazy it is for just about every person in the Media to say he is "Black". The Media has their racist agenda, black is black, white is white, there is nothing else. To educate these narrow minded Racists (not Bigots) would take more energy than he really needs to expend. Let them remain ignorant, it really does not matter to him or me.
If Tiger actually has to fill out forms that ask what race he is, I am sure he is faced with the same category choices that I am - White, Black, Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, American Indian, Inuit, etc.
I wonder if he does what I do and fills in "Other".
If you asked, "Who is the first "Black" winner of a "Major" golf tournament, I'd say close to 100% of the media would say "Tiger Woods".
If you asked "Who is first "Oriental/Asian" winner of a "Major" golf tournament, I'd say close to 100% of the media would say "Y. E. Yang" - the recent Korean winner of the PGA Championship at Hazeltine.
I say that Tiger Woods is the first Oriental/Asian and Black winner of a "Major" golf tournament.
Tiger Woods and myself absolutely understand and agree that he and I have Oriental/Asians blood. My Mom is Japanese (born in Japan) , my Dad is Irish/German (born in the USA). Tiger's Mom is Thai (born in Thailand) , his Dad is Black, Caucasian and American Indian (born in the USA).
Tiger Woods is more Oriental than he is Black - do the math.
Tiger Woods is 12 times the first Oriental Major Golf Tournament winner if he is also the first Black Major Golf Tournament winner.
I am 1/2 Oriental. Once upon a time, during a conversation I identified someone as "Oriental". A white P.C. person pointed out to me that "Oriental" was derogatory and "Asian" was more appropriate. I disagreed and said that Oriental was more accurate in that Asian was broad and did not do justice to the diversity of Asians. Eastern Europeans, Russians, Ukrainians, Indians, Siberians, Tibetans are all Asian, but not of the Orient. I am 1/2 Japanese, my Mom was from, proud of, die hard Japanese of Oriental persuasion. My mom did not think that being from the Orient was derogatory. In that PC Haole's world view, Europeans that are Italians, Greeks, Danes are the same as Scots, Poles, French, Irish etc. I doubt that you'd get much agreement among the Euros about that characterization.
I loved it when early in his career Tiger disputed the Media's slotting of him as "Black". He quite vehemently stated those who say he is Black while not acknowledging his Asian/Oriental roots were disrespecting his Mother's and his heritage. He, despite Jim Rome's derision, proudly describes himself as "Cablinasian" - part Caucasian, part Black, part Indian (American) and part Asian.
I love it.
I do not fault Tiger at all for NOT pointing out how inaccurate, narrow minded, racist, ignorant and lazy it is for just about every person in the Media to say he is "Black". The Media has their racist agenda, black is black, white is white, there is nothing else. To educate these narrow minded Racists (not Bigots) would take more energy than he really needs to expend. Let them remain ignorant, it really does not matter to him or me.
If Tiger actually has to fill out forms that ask what race he is, I am sure he is faced with the same category choices that I am - White, Black, Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, American Indian, Inuit, etc.
I wonder if he does what I do and fills in "Other".
Tuesday
They Are NOT Astroturfing, Serial Protesters
I saw a survey in a recent Time Magazine (8-10-09 page 26) that asked about how people feel about their current health care plans.
The most shocking statistic that I saw was that 86% of the people in this survey "Are Satisfied With Their Current Health Care Plan".
86% in polling is a whopper of a statistic. I'll bet that less than 86% of people agree that Tiger Woods is a good golfer, Michael Jackson was a good dancer, Megan Fox is hot or know who the past three Presidents of the USA were.
How could the Obama/Democrat controlled Federal Government think that changing a plan that 86% of people are satisfied with was going to be easy?
While I was living on the North Shore of Oahu, I first heard about "Serial Protesters" from a blogger that I followed. Serial Protesters referred to a group of people who seemed to be at every left wing demonstration. It was as if the events were part of their social calendar or how they added to their weekend income. Global warming, Hawaiian rights, any pro Union event, no development/pro development, gay marriage, no Bush, Yes We Can, you name it. The protesters showed up in air conditioned buses with professionally made signs, trailed by previously alerted media, state of the art audio systems, choreographed marches & chants and catered meals after the scheduled protest ended. There was no doubt that these people knew the drill.
The protesters I am seeing at Town Hall meetings across the county are very angry, white, middle/old aged, moderate income, never protested in their life, amateur agitators. The Democrat leadership is calling these citizens "astro turfing, tea bagging, brown shirted, Nazi, stooges of the insurance companies, blind followers of radio programs".
The Democrats are ignoring the obvious at their own peril. 86% of the people are satisfied with a program that the Democrats want to blow up. It really is almost impossible to change that many people's opinions.
I think older, white, rural, middle income people who are 86% (possibly higher for this group) satisfied with their health coverage are not being loaded on to buses, going to Town Hall meetings, foisting ill prepared signs, screaming until they get dragged off by the local police all because their INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE MAKING THEM DO IT.
These protesters are real grass roots people with fear that the same people who run the Post Office/DMV/CashForClunkers might decide about their health care.
To listen to the Democrats, the peeved people are being bussed in, paid, fed, given signs, taught songs & marching skills by the AFLAC duck.
Saturday
My LTTE To Time Magazine Re Being In The Tank For The Democrats.
I just sent my first Letter to the Editor (LTTE) to Time Magazine after reading their cover story about what ails Las Vegas. Text is below:
Subject: My first LTTE to Time from a 35 year plus subscriber/reader.
When Barney Frank and President Obama both lectured corporate America not to waste money on travel to Las Vegas the effects were immediate, long lasting and devastating. Hundreds of thousands of room nights were cancelled, millions more were probably not booked and thousands of people lost their jobs as a direct result of their ill advised remarks. The Democrat controlled federal government has done great damage to the Las Vegas economy. Ask anyone who sells hotel rooms for a living and they will let you know how much the talking down of the hospitality industry has hurt their business. In fear of embarrassment or incurring the disapproval of the Obama administration, corporations that had booked travel cancelled their trips even though their forfeited deposits on rooms, banquets, airfares etc just about equaled the amount of money they would have spent if they went to Vegas. Who lost out? The workers who would have cleaned the rooms, served the food, gotten the tips and kept their jobs.
Yet, Time does a cover story, 8 full pages and 4,000 plus words and Joel Stein does not write a single sentence about what devastation Frank and Obama caused. I enjoy Stein, I even stomached his entire placenta eating article. Someone this aware simply must have chosen to ignore this administration's negative impact on this city.
Come on guys, at least give us the impression you are not totally in the tank for the Democrat agenda.
I'm 51, I've been a subscriber and reader since I was 14. I've long accepted Time's take on either side of an issue. Time's opinion is part of the reason I will continue to subscribe, probably till death do us part. But this omission of fact is so blatant and egregious, that it has caused me to write my first LTTE to Time.
Subject: My first LTTE to Time from a 35 year plus subscriber/reader.
When Barney Frank and President Obama both lectured corporate America not to waste money on travel to Las Vegas the effects were immediate, long lasting and devastating. Hundreds of thousands of room nights were cancelled, millions more were probably not booked and thousands of people lost their jobs as a direct result of their ill advised remarks. The Democrat controlled federal government has done great damage to the Las Vegas economy. Ask anyone who sells hotel rooms for a living and they will let you know how much the talking down of the hospitality industry has hurt their business. In fear of embarrassment or incurring the disapproval of the Obama administration, corporations that had booked travel cancelled their trips even though their forfeited deposits on rooms, banquets, airfares etc just about equaled the amount of money they would have spent if they went to Vegas. Who lost out? The workers who would have cleaned the rooms, served the food, gotten the tips and kept their jobs.
Yet, Time does a cover story, 8 full pages and 4,000 plus words and Joel Stein does not write a single sentence about what devastation Frank and Obama caused. I enjoy Stein, I even stomached his entire placenta eating article. Someone this aware simply must have chosen to ignore this administration's negative impact on this city.
Come on guys, at least give us the impression you are not totally in the tank for the Democrat agenda.
I'm 51, I've been a subscriber and reader since I was 14. I've long accepted Time's take on either side of an issue. Time's opinion is part of the reason I will continue to subscribe, probably till death do us part. But this omission of fact is so blatant and egregious, that it has caused me to write my first LTTE to Time.
Friday
What's Wrong With California's Gas?
Last summer we moved from the North Shore of Oahu to San Diego. We shipped two vehicles a van and a Lexus RX 330.
Last year, two families who are good friends of ours also moved to California and they also shipped two vehicles each.
I used to get around 380 miles per tank. 16 or so gallons, 23-24 miles per gallon. As soon as I started filling up my tank here my mileage dropped about 25%. I now get about 300 miles per tank 18-19 miles per gallon.
I don't drive too much, maybe an average of a tank a week. Very conservatively, I'm paying about $12 a week more - about $600 more a year, could be a $1,000. My wife has experienced the same drop off in mileage so for our family, we are spending probably about $1,500 - $2.000 more a year on gas here based on the same price per gallon, just more because the gas here in California is less efficient than the blend they sell in Hawaii. The same thing has happened to our friends who moved their vehicles here as well.
If I were not lazy, I'd figure out the next question - why am I getting 25% less mileage in California than Hawaii? I am definitely driving on the freeway more here so all things equal, I should get better mileage.
I know that the formulation of gas here is meant to lessen pollution. But, if the gas is anything less than 25% less polluting, I am actually creating more pollution driving with the gas that is meant to cause less pollution.
Are you following me?
The INTENTION of California trying to create less pollution by using a different formulated gas, MIGHT BE CREATING MORE POLLUTION AND COSTING ALL OF US A HECK OF A LOT MORE MONEY. I guess I should skip the ALL CAPS until I know the answer to the efficiency question but right now, I am going to guess the math does not work - (my conservative instincts.)
This gas thing seems wasteful, best intentioned, poorly executed and something that should be an easy measurement and an easy fix.
Anyone out there know what the scoop is?
Last year, two families who are good friends of ours also moved to California and they also shipped two vehicles each.
I used to get around 380 miles per tank. 16 or so gallons, 23-24 miles per gallon. As soon as I started filling up my tank here my mileage dropped about 25%. I now get about 300 miles per tank 18-19 miles per gallon.
I don't drive too much, maybe an average of a tank a week. Very conservatively, I'm paying about $12 a week more - about $600 more a year, could be a $1,000. My wife has experienced the same drop off in mileage so for our family, we are spending probably about $1,500 - $2.000 more a year on gas here based on the same price per gallon, just more because the gas here in California is less efficient than the blend they sell in Hawaii. The same thing has happened to our friends who moved their vehicles here as well.
If I were not lazy, I'd figure out the next question - why am I getting 25% less mileage in California than Hawaii? I am definitely driving on the freeway more here so all things equal, I should get better mileage.
I know that the formulation of gas here is meant to lessen pollution. But, if the gas is anything less than 25% less polluting, I am actually creating more pollution driving with the gas that is meant to cause less pollution.
Are you following me?
The INTENTION of California trying to create less pollution by using a different formulated gas, MIGHT BE CREATING MORE POLLUTION AND COSTING ALL OF US A HECK OF A LOT MORE MONEY. I guess I should skip the ALL CAPS until I know the answer to the efficiency question but right now, I am going to guess the math does not work - (my conservative instincts.)
This gas thing seems wasteful, best intentioned, poorly executed and something that should be an easy measurement and an easy fix.
Anyone out there know what the scoop is?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
