Since the richest athletes in team sports couldn't be bothered with worrying about anyone but themselves all summer and fall, why does anyone have to put up with their foolish idea of beginning the NBA season on Christmas day? Me, I'd declare they could not start the seasoned they have shortened until after the college football championship game in January. In fact if I were king of USA sports, I would not allow NBA, NFL, NHL, or NCAA to stage any contests on Christmas Eve or Day. After all Santa Claus has more innate intelligence than anybody associated with the NBA anyway. Most of us don't care for the gold chains, tattoos, or arrogance that is in abundance in the NBA.
NBA should stand for No Basketball at All on Christmas.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Bill Cosby: I'm 76 and I'm Tired
I'm 76. Except for brief period in the 50's when I was doing my National Service, I've worked hard since I was 17. Except for some some serious health challenges, I put in 50-hour weeks, and didn't call in sick in nearly 40 years. I made a reasonable salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, it looks as though retirement was a bad idea, and I'm tired. Very tired.
I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth" to people who don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it.
I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family "honor"; of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't "believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and Shari'a law tells them to.
I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries use our oil money to fund mosques and madrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in Australia , New Zealand , UK, America and Canada , while no one from these countries are allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia or any other Arab country to teach love and tolerance..
I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate.
I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses or stick a needle in their arm while they tried to fight it off?
I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of all parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.
I'm really tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination or big-whatever for their problems.
I'm also tired and fed up with seeing young men and women in their teens and early 20's be-deck them selves in tattoos and face studs, thereby making themselves un-employable and claiming money from the Government.
Yes, I'm damn tired. But I'm also glad to be 76.. Because, mostly, I'm not going to have to see the world these people are making. I'm just sorry for my granddaughter and her children. Thank God I'm on the way out and not on the way in.
I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth" to people who don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it.
I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family "honor"; of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't "believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and Shari'a law tells them to.
I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries use our oil money to fund mosques and madrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in Australia , New Zealand , UK, America and Canada , while no one from these countries are allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia or any other Arab country to teach love and tolerance..
I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate.
I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses or stick a needle in their arm while they tried to fight it off?
I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of all parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.
I'm really tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination or big-whatever for their problems.
I'm also tired and fed up with seeing young men and women in their teens and early 20's be-deck them selves in tattoos and face studs, thereby making themselves un-employable and claiming money from the Government.
Yes, I'm damn tired. But I'm also glad to be 76.. Because, mostly, I'm not going to have to see the world these people are making. I'm just sorry for my granddaughter and her children. Thank God I'm on the way out and not on the way in.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
A Nation in Ruin
Is it just me? Or is a once strong and proud America becoming as the last days of the Roman or the Babylonian Empires? Historians tell us that their fall came from within. Corruption, sexual immorality, greed, lack of government and personal discipline brought both great civilizations to their knees.
Over the past few years American leaders have become more dysfunctional. The American Congress, big business, sports, schools, you name it. We are becoming a leaderless, corrupt, vile, immoral nation. A nation that once looked to its God for leadership, guidance and approval. God was happy and He blessed this country. We once prayed at home, in school, and at public events for His guidance. Now such prayer is forbidden in public places because a few very sick individuals were offended and we have allowed them to blackmail a whole nation.
Oh my, please don't offend anyone. God will just have to understand that we don't need Him anymore since we have become an all-knowing people. We have eaten the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge and now we don't need a God.
Now we are eating one another, especially our defenseless children. We have become so perverted that nothing is sacred. The angels of Satan are just about in control. Yes there is a Satan. Jerry Sanduskys and all like him are Satan's angels.
Our children are a gift from God no matter what the liberal sickos will say. We are to love them, nurture them, teach them, protect them, and pray for them. But what do we do? We expose them to all manner of filth. We use them for our own pleasure and profit. We kill them. They are our future as a nation. Will they continue to advance our downfall? Yes they will because they will know no better.
I once had an elderly friend who matter-of-factly said to me that public hangings once did a lot to deter crime. For a child molester or a wife beater, bring it on! Hang the som bitches and show it on national television. The angels of Satan are winning - because they have so much help in America.
Over the past few years American leaders have become more dysfunctional. The American Congress, big business, sports, schools, you name it. We are becoming a leaderless, corrupt, vile, immoral nation. A nation that once looked to its God for leadership, guidance and approval. God was happy and He blessed this country. We once prayed at home, in school, and at public events for His guidance. Now such prayer is forbidden in public places because a few very sick individuals were offended and we have allowed them to blackmail a whole nation.
Oh my, please don't offend anyone. God will just have to understand that we don't need Him anymore since we have become an all-knowing people. We have eaten the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge and now we don't need a God.
Now we are eating one another, especially our defenseless children. We have become so perverted that nothing is sacred. The angels of Satan are just about in control. Yes there is a Satan. Jerry Sanduskys and all like him are Satan's angels.
Our children are a gift from God no matter what the liberal sickos will say. We are to love them, nurture them, teach them, protect them, and pray for them. But what do we do? We expose them to all manner of filth. We use them for our own pleasure and profit. We kill them. They are our future as a nation. Will they continue to advance our downfall? Yes they will because they will know no better.
I once had an elderly friend who matter-of-factly said to me that public hangings once did a lot to deter crime. For a child molester or a wife beater, bring it on! Hang the som bitches and show it on national television. The angels of Satan are winning - because they have so much help in America.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Emergency, USA
Hopefully you have already seen this and sent it to your friends. If not, please read and react.
Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become the law of the land...all because of public pressure.
I'm asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.
In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.
Congressional Reform Act of 2011
1. No Tenure / No Pension.
A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.
2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.
3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.
4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
5.. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.
7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12.
The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.
If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S. ) to receive the message. Maybe it is time.
THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!!
Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become the law of the land...all because of public pressure.
I'm asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.
In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.
Congressional Reform Act of 2011
1. No Tenure / No Pension.
A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.
2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.
3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.
4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
5.. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.
7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12.
The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.
If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S. ) to receive the message. Maybe it is time.
THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!!
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Betting man?
We have spent the summer researching 100's of sports betting and "how-to bet" sites. We think we have found a mixture of safe sites that you can comfortably visit. The football season can become a little more interesting by playing the odds and winning. It's all about winning when my cash is at risk, right. It is certainly more exciting. Take a look at the possibilities. Charlie Sports Betting
Thursday, July 21, 2011
SEC Media Days
SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said recent headlines across the country have laid bare the darker side of major college sports so much that they have "lost the benefit of the doubt." Read more:
Slive manages a conference that most agree is the strongest in the country. Most of the nation's highest paid coaches do battle here. The SEC teams play in the largest, most glamorous stadiums in the country. The SEC champion has been the National Champion for the past five years. I guess one could say the league "knows football". It has the largest TV football contract (see below) of any conference. Money is rolling in from everywhere. But the SEC schools can't stay totally within NCAA rules. Currently LSU was just slapped with a one-year probation for recruiting violations. Tennessee and Auburn are awaiting verdicts from the NCAA for the same reasons.
It seems that the only private university in the conference, Vanderbilt, is also the only squeaky clean school as per the NCAA. Vanderbilt also has the poorest won-lost record ever. Wonder why? Well, Vandy admits real students. Those students take real courses and they all graduate, unlike the situation at other schools. Isn't this the way it should at all colleges?
Some coaches disagree with Slive's suggestion that the score on the required sixteen high school core courses be raised from 2.0 to 2.5. Come on, man. Who needs to be able to read as long as he can catch a pass or sack a quarterback. Those academically challenged kids put fans in the stadiums and a check mark on the left of the won/loss column.
The bottom line is that college was never meant to be for everyone. The opportunity to attend should be there for everyone who works and maintains a high school average that warrants college admission. Athletes should meet the same admissions standards as every other applicant.
College should be for learning and preparation for life and a career. A college's name and its facilities (Sports Palaces) should not be used to promote or perpetuate professional sports teams. The only difference between SEC football and the NFL is that SEC players aren't paid obscene salaries. The obscene salaries in the SEC are paid to the coaches.
Does anyone recall an Ivy league school being sanctioned by the NCAA? How many FCS schools have been put on NCAA probation? Big money brings big pressures and big temptations.
And, Folks, money is what it is all about.
Slive manages a conference that most agree is the strongest in the country. Most of the nation's highest paid coaches do battle here. The SEC teams play in the largest, most glamorous stadiums in the country. The SEC champion has been the National Champion for the past five years. I guess one could say the league "knows football". It has the largest TV football contract (see below) of any conference. Money is rolling in from everywhere. But the SEC schools can't stay totally within NCAA rules. Currently LSU was just slapped with a one-year probation for recruiting violations. Tennessee and Auburn are awaiting verdicts from the NCAA for the same reasons.
It seems that the only private university in the conference, Vanderbilt, is also the only squeaky clean school as per the NCAA. Vanderbilt also has the poorest won-lost record ever. Wonder why? Well, Vandy admits real students. Those students take real courses and they all graduate, unlike the situation at other schools. Isn't this the way it should at all colleges?
Some coaches disagree with Slive's suggestion that the score on the required sixteen high school core courses be raised from 2.0 to 2.5. Come on, man. Who needs to be able to read as long as he can catch a pass or sack a quarterback. Those academically challenged kids put fans in the stadiums and a check mark on the left of the won/loss column.
The bottom line is that college was never meant to be for everyone. The opportunity to attend should be there for everyone who works and maintains a high school average that warrants college admission. Athletes should meet the same admissions standards as every other applicant.
College should be for learning and preparation for life and a career. A college's name and its facilities (Sports Palaces) should not be used to promote or perpetuate professional sports teams. The only difference between SEC football and the NFL is that SEC players aren't paid obscene salaries. The obscene salaries in the SEC are paid to the coaches.
Does anyone recall an Ivy league school being sanctioned by the NCAA? How many FCS schools have been put on NCAA probation? Big money brings big pressures and big temptations.
And, Folks, money is what it is all about.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Things that piss me off
1. The NFL lockout. On one side there are multimillionaire owners who seek more millions. I guess that is a reasonable goal for a successful business person.
On the other sideline are the players who want more of everything. “Hey look at me and my gold chains” attitudes. Guys, some of who do not even have a college degree, making salaries of $20+ millions. There are presently 25 players making over $12 million. The average salary of a roster player ranges from $1,177,280 if you are a SF 49er to $560,000 as a Kansas City Chief. Hey most of us could live pretty well on half-a-mil.
It is true that the average career as an NFL player is not one that extends to normal retirement age of the rest of the working society. So get it while you can is a reasonable attitude. Let’s assume you are quarterback Philip Rivers of San Diego. Rivers’ annual salary in 2009-10 was $25,556,630. If his career lasts another five years, that’s $127,783,150. How can a man spend $127,000,000?
The owners have and are taking business risks as any business owner does. They make it possible for the players to command the kind of obscene salaries they are paid. Without the owners, the players have no stage on which to perform. Yet the owners are crazy as bedbugs. St. Louis made a deal with first round draft pick Sam Bradford paying him $78 million over six years, with $50 million guaranteed. If his career ends because of an injury in year 2 of his contract, he still gets $50 million. It sounds like a dumb deal to me.
Of course both sides are bickering over some $9 BILLION in cash that is on the table. People murder for that kind of money. Divide the money equally among the 32 NFL cities for the purpose of improving education in those cities. Heaven knows American education could stand some improving.
Salary data from http://content.usatoday.com/sportsdata/football/nfl/salaries/player/top-25
2. Politicians in general. The founding fathers never intended for members of Congress to be or become professional politicians. Their idea was of citizen senators and representatives. They never envisioned “pork barreling” as a tool of negotiation. They never dreamed of a Supreme Court that attempts to take God out of everything. We know this is true, because they had the early builders put In God We Trust on all our currency, and all public buildings in Washington, including the Supreme Court Building. Yeah I know, they also never dreamed of cars, planes or rockets either. Yet they were bargained that if this country stayed faithful to God, God would truly bless us. Right now, if you were God would you remain faithful to America? A country that has made it unlawful to display His Ten Commandments in/on public buildings. A country that has sunken to the depths of such indecent language in public,in print and in movies and television. A country that constantly tells our young people that having sex is ok if it makes you feel good.
3. Political Correctness. I in no way advocate embarrassing or demeaning another person by verbal cruelty. But I do believe that a “Rose is a Rose by any other name” (William Shakespeare, I think). One cannot make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. One does not make a school better by simply calling it an Academy. One does not make homosexuality more acceptable by calling it a Gay lifestyle. America is obsessed with sex and all perverted forms of it. So were the last Romans.
"Political correctness is the natural continuum from the party line. What we are seeing once again is a self-appointed group of vigilantes imposing their views on others. It is a heritage of communism, but they don't seem to see this." - Doris Lessing, 2007 Nobel Prize for literature.
On the other sideline are the players who want more of everything. “Hey look at me and my gold chains” attitudes. Guys, some of who do not even have a college degree, making salaries of $20+ millions. There are presently 25 players making over $12 million. The average salary of a roster player ranges from $1,177,280 if you are a SF 49er to $560,000 as a Kansas City Chief. Hey most of us could live pretty well on half-a-mil.
It is true that the average career as an NFL player is not one that extends to normal retirement age of the rest of the working society. So get it while you can is a reasonable attitude. Let’s assume you are quarterback Philip Rivers of San Diego. Rivers’ annual salary in 2009-10 was $25,556,630. If his career lasts another five years, that’s $127,783,150. How can a man spend $127,000,000?
The owners have and are taking business risks as any business owner does. They make it possible for the players to command the kind of obscene salaries they are paid. Without the owners, the players have no stage on which to perform. Yet the owners are crazy as bedbugs. St. Louis made a deal with first round draft pick Sam Bradford paying him $78 million over six years, with $50 million guaranteed. If his career ends because of an injury in year 2 of his contract, he still gets $50 million. It sounds like a dumb deal to me.
Of course both sides are bickering over some $9 BILLION in cash that is on the table. People murder for that kind of money. Divide the money equally among the 32 NFL cities for the purpose of improving education in those cities. Heaven knows American education could stand some improving.
Salary data from http://content.usatoday.com/sportsdata/football/nfl/salaries/player/top-25
2. Politicians in general. The founding fathers never intended for members of Congress to be or become professional politicians. Their idea was of citizen senators and representatives. They never envisioned “pork barreling” as a tool of negotiation. They never dreamed of a Supreme Court that attempts to take God out of everything. We know this is true, because they had the early builders put In God We Trust on all our currency, and all public buildings in Washington, including the Supreme Court Building. Yeah I know, they also never dreamed of cars, planes or rockets either. Yet they were bargained that if this country stayed faithful to God, God would truly bless us. Right now, if you were God would you remain faithful to America? A country that has made it unlawful to display His Ten Commandments in/on public buildings. A country that has sunken to the depths of such indecent language in public,in print and in movies and television. A country that constantly tells our young people that having sex is ok if it makes you feel good.
3. Political Correctness. I in no way advocate embarrassing or demeaning another person by verbal cruelty. But I do believe that a “Rose is a Rose by any other name” (William Shakespeare, I think). One cannot make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. One does not make a school better by simply calling it an Academy. One does not make homosexuality more acceptable by calling it a Gay lifestyle. America is obsessed with sex and all perverted forms of it. So were the last Romans.
"Political correctness is the natural continuum from the party line. What we are seeing once again is a self-appointed group of vigilantes imposing their views on others. It is a heritage of communism, but they don't seem to see this." - Doris Lessing, 2007 Nobel Prize for literature.
Monday, July 4, 2011
July 4: Why Blondie Loves America
This article was published by my friend Bob Lee of bobleesays.com fame.
"Blondie wrote this piece back in 2007 for our pal Toronto talk show host Jerry Agar. It has held up well in the ensuing years. I’d like to say I helped her craft these powerful words but I didn’t. I was probably writing some dumb sports column while she was actually “saving Western Civilization”. Bless her heart!" - BobLee
Click for full article. It will make your day.
Thanks, BobLee
"Blondie wrote this piece back in 2007 for our pal Toronto talk show host Jerry Agar. It has held up well in the ensuing years. I’d like to say I helped her craft these powerful words but I didn’t. I was probably writing some dumb sports column while she was actually “saving Western Civilization”. Bless her heart!" - BobLee
Click for full article. It will make your day.
Thanks, BobLee
Monday, June 20, 2011
Back when I was a boy, part 3
Public school back when I was a boy was totally different than today’s embarrassment. In the early grades, we learned the basics of the Three R’s – reading, riting and rethmatic. We also were subject to paddling if we acted up. My third grade teacher was good at palm paddling. Proper palm padding technique was as follows: 1. Palm up, 2. Grab the fingers and arch the palm upward, 3. Smack that palm several times with a wood ruler. Such always got my attention. It altered my unacceptable behavior and certainly did not warp my id. My parents were ok with Mrs. Cooper’s behavior towards my sometimes bad attitude. Instead of threatening to sue the school board and have dear Mrs. Cooper fired, they asked her to do whatever she deemed necessary to keep my attention. Whatever I got at school, I got more at home that night.
Schools back then were neighborhood schools. They served a certain area of the city. One could easily walk to and from school. In the metropolitan cities, there were no school buses because there was no forced desegregation. One attended his or her neighborhood school. From first grade through high school, I never had a Black schoolmate. The South was segregated which meant “separate but equal”. Separate they were, equal they were not.
I was never a star student. I would say I was average. I loved lunch, recess and math. I learned some things out of fear. I feared my teacher. I feared my Dad and my Mom taught me that I had better fear God and that God definitely did not like slackers. That was fine. Learning by fear is better than not at all, right?
In junior high school, I became aware of girls. I was shy and the prettier they were, the more intimidated I was. I always thought girls, especially the pretty ones, were perfect. They would never use four-letter words and certainly never give anyone the ‘bird”. Well I learned I was wrong on both counts.
One started to attend parties in junior high school. The one's where for the first hour the girls were on one side of the room and us guys on the other side. There was always one particular one who got my eye. I wanted to dance with her. I desperately wanted to hold her hand. But the coward I was came through and I acted as though I was not at all interested in girls.
I had a friend, Thomas, who was just the opposite. He was aggressive with the ladies. He even kissed at least one of them before the night was over. He was not at all shy or intimidated by girls and they seemed to be more interested in him than certainly me. The seventh grade was definitely frustrating when it came to girls.
I loved sports and the seventh grade was my introduction to real football. In the earlier years, we played sandlot football in a field behind our house. No protective gear but tackle football. Lots of cuts and bruises in those days. Thes were scares that made is proud though.
My mother almost messed me up though. When I was in the fifth grade, she decided I needed some culture. Music lessons were in my future. She let me choose what instrument I would play. I chose the trumpet because it looked far more macho to me than the piano or violin. I took lessons all one summer. It was not as bad as I thought it would be. After six weeks my instructor informed me that he had several other students and he had planned a recital for all of us in two weeks. I was to pick a tune I thought I could easily play in front of all the parents. How could I get sick in two weeks. The week before the recital I asked one of my friends to sock me in the mouth hard enough to put my lips out of commition for at least a week. He refused because my mom had invited him to attend the recital. He was my only friend who even knew I was taking lessons and he would be there to giggle at my attempt to get through my part.
Schools back then were neighborhood schools. They served a certain area of the city. One could easily walk to and from school. In the metropolitan cities, there were no school buses because there was no forced desegregation. One attended his or her neighborhood school. From first grade through high school, I never had a Black schoolmate. The South was segregated which meant “separate but equal”. Separate they were, equal they were not.
I was never a star student. I would say I was average. I loved lunch, recess and math. I learned some things out of fear. I feared my teacher. I feared my Dad and my Mom taught me that I had better fear God and that God definitely did not like slackers. That was fine. Learning by fear is better than not at all, right?
In junior high school, I became aware of girls. I was shy and the prettier they were, the more intimidated I was. I always thought girls, especially the pretty ones, were perfect. They would never use four-letter words and certainly never give anyone the ‘bird”. Well I learned I was wrong on both counts.
One started to attend parties in junior high school. The one's where for the first hour the girls were on one side of the room and us guys on the other side. There was always one particular one who got my eye. I wanted to dance with her. I desperately wanted to hold her hand. But the coward I was came through and I acted as though I was not at all interested in girls.
I had a friend, Thomas, who was just the opposite. He was aggressive with the ladies. He even kissed at least one of them before the night was over. He was not at all shy or intimidated by girls and they seemed to be more interested in him than certainly me. The seventh grade was definitely frustrating when it came to girls.
I loved sports and the seventh grade was my introduction to real football. In the earlier years, we played sandlot football in a field behind our house. No protective gear but tackle football. Lots of cuts and bruises in those days. Thes were scares that made is proud though.
My mother almost messed me up though. When I was in the fifth grade, she decided I needed some culture. Music lessons were in my future. She let me choose what instrument I would play. I chose the trumpet because it looked far more macho to me than the piano or violin. I took lessons all one summer. It was not as bad as I thought it would be. After six weeks my instructor informed me that he had several other students and he had planned a recital for all of us in two weeks. I was to pick a tune I thought I could easily play in front of all the parents. How could I get sick in two weeks. The week before the recital I asked one of my friends to sock me in the mouth hard enough to put my lips out of commition for at least a week. He refused because my mom had invited him to attend the recital. He was my only friend who even knew I was taking lessons and he would be there to giggle at my attempt to get through my part.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Back when I was a boy, part 2
According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's or even the early 80's, probably shouldn't have survived.
Our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paint. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets. (Not to mention the risks we
took hitchhiking.)
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pickup truck on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose. Horrors! We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle, and no one actually died.
We would spend hours building go-carts out of wood scraps fruit crates and then rode down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the street lights came on. No one was able to reach us by cell phone. Unthinkable! We did not have Playstations, Nintendo 64, X-Boxes, no video games at all,no 99 channels on cable, video tape movies, surround sound, personal cell phones,personal computers, or Internet chat rooms. We had neighborhood friends! We played dodge ball, and sometimes, the ball would really hurt. We played other games such as Kick the Can and Capture the Flag. We fell out of trees, got cut, and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. They were accidents. No one was to blame but us.
We had fights and punched each other and got black and blue and learned to get over it. We were still friends. We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate worms, and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes, nor did the worms live inside us forever.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's home and knocked on the door, or rang the bell or just walked in. Few worried about locking the doors.
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with it. And there were no trophies for everybody at the end of the season. We played because we wanted to be with our friends and it was fun. There were no 8-,12-,or 15 year old all-star teams. If parents attended games, they behaved.
Some of us weren't as smart as others, so we failed a grade and were held back. Horrors! Tests were not adjusted for any reason. There was no such thing as a retest. Our actions were our own. Failure was a possibility, no one to hide behind. If I got paddled at school - yep, paddling was used and the experience did not warp anyone's ID. And I got another one when I got home. You see, like parents, teachers were always right!
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem solvers and innovators, ever. We even put men on the moon.
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all. If you're one of us, Congratulations!
Our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paint. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets. (Not to mention the risks we
took hitchhiking.)
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pickup truck on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose. Horrors! We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle, and no one actually died.
We would spend hours building go-carts out of wood scraps fruit crates and then rode down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the street lights came on. No one was able to reach us by cell phone. Unthinkable! We did not have Playstations, Nintendo 64, X-Boxes, no video games at all,no 99 channels on cable, video tape movies, surround sound, personal cell phones,personal computers, or Internet chat rooms. We had neighborhood friends! We played dodge ball, and sometimes, the ball would really hurt. We played other games such as Kick the Can and Capture the Flag. We fell out of trees, got cut, and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. They were accidents. No one was to blame but us.
We had fights and punched each other and got black and blue and learned to get over it. We were still friends. We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate worms, and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes, nor did the worms live inside us forever.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's home and knocked on the door, or rang the bell or just walked in. Few worried about locking the doors.
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with it. And there were no trophies for everybody at the end of the season. We played because we wanted to be with our friends and it was fun. There were no 8-,12-,or 15 year old all-star teams. If parents attended games, they behaved.
Some of us weren't as smart as others, so we failed a grade and were held back. Horrors! Tests were not adjusted for any reason. There was no such thing as a retest. Our actions were our own. Failure was a possibility, no one to hide behind. If I got paddled at school - yep, paddling was used and the experience did not warp anyone's ID. And I got another one when I got home. You see, like parents, teachers were always right!
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem solvers and innovators, ever. We even put men on the moon.
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all. If you're one of us, Congratulations!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Back when I was a boy
I was born in February of 1942. The Second World War was raging in Europe, Asia, Africa, Japan and practically every nation on the planet. Except for the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, mainland America was untouched by this horrific conflict. But American sons and daughters served, fought and died in lands they never expected to see in their lifetimes. It is estimated that over 60 million people died in the conflict of 1939-1945. All of these lost lives due to the madness of Adolf Hitler.
Since I was an infant during these years, I have no remembrance of the conflict, V-E Day or V-J Day. My father served in the US Navy on a supply ship in the Pacific during the last two years of the war. I vaguely remember my mom and I living in a three room apartment in what is now East Nashville, Tennessee.
My youth was spent growing up in a segregated South. I never attended school with black children. In the 40's, 50's and early 1960"s, black folks were referred to as Colored or Negroes. Many ignorant Whites did use the term nigger. This was the way it was and I knew no better. Regretfully I didn't think much about it, I just accepted it.
During the summer of 2011, I plan to share with any interested readers, my experiences back when I was a boy. The downside of a blog is that chronology the "first" is always the "last". Please join me in recalling those days. Before then you could read Tom Brokaw's THE GREATEST GENERATION.
Since I was an infant during these years, I have no remembrance of the conflict, V-E Day or V-J Day. My father served in the US Navy on a supply ship in the Pacific during the last two years of the war. I vaguely remember my mom and I living in a three room apartment in what is now East Nashville, Tennessee.
My youth was spent growing up in a segregated South. I never attended school with black children. In the 40's, 50's and early 1960"s, black folks were referred to as Colored or Negroes. Many ignorant Whites did use the term nigger. This was the way it was and I knew no better. Regretfully I didn't think much about it, I just accepted it.
During the summer of 2011, I plan to share with any interested readers, my experiences back when I was a boy. The downside of a blog is that chronology the "first" is always the "last". Please join me in recalling those days. Before then you could read Tom Brokaw's THE GREATEST GENERATION.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
It's all about ME 2!
After losing his starting position, former University of North Carolina guard Larry Drew II asked to transfer from the school. What can we learn as athletic administrators from his great show of teamwork and fortitude?
Drew left school after his parents allegedly pressed for the coaching staff to move their son back to a starting position after spending four games coming off the bench. They then approved their son's departure from the team when he wasn't reinstated as the team's starting point guard.
While this is a college-level incident, this type of thing has occurred for years at the high school level. Over-zealous, unrealistic parents place demands upon a coach or athletic administrator and create a ruckus when they don't get their way.
It is purported that athletics is a great vehicle to develop life-long values. One has to wonder what can we take away from this example?
Here are some critical points for athletic administrators to consider in times like these:
1. Parents may not be the most realistic judge of their child's athletic ability. Love usually overrides logic and reason.
2. All rules, policies and procedures are great until they directly affect a parent's child.
3. While athletics does not develop character, it is revealed in participation and competition.
Athletics is, after all, a privilege and not a right. Being part of a team and how much one plays should be based upon what is done in practice and what is best in terms of the team--not individuals. Demands from unrealistic parents cannot be allowed to influence this critical part of education.
Dr. David Hoch, CMAA
Drew left school after his parents allegedly pressed for the coaching staff to move their son back to a starting position after spending four games coming off the bench. They then approved their son's departure from the team when he wasn't reinstated as the team's starting point guard.
While this is a college-level incident, this type of thing has occurred for years at the high school level. Over-zealous, unrealistic parents place demands upon a coach or athletic administrator and create a ruckus when they don't get their way.
It is purported that athletics is a great vehicle to develop life-long values. One has to wonder what can we take away from this example?
Here are some critical points for athletic administrators to consider in times like these:
1. Parents may not be the most realistic judge of their child's athletic ability. Love usually overrides logic and reason.
2. All rules, policies and procedures are great until they directly affect a parent's child.
3. While athletics does not develop character, it is revealed in participation and competition.
Athletics is, after all, a privilege and not a right. Being part of a team and how much one plays should be based upon what is done in practice and what is best in terms of the team--not individuals. Demands from unrealistic parents cannot be allowed to influence this critical part of education.
Dr. David Hoch, CMAA
Thursday, March 24, 2011
It's all about ME!
 |
| Please watch this video |
Such attitudes are not just found in middle- or high schools. The colleges have their share of prima donas. Bobby was a high school stud. He was offered scholarships by several schools. Yet if he doesn't get significant playing time as a freshman, he complains and wants to transfer.
Or worse, look at the pros, particularly the NFL. A defensive lineman sacks the opposing quarterback, then jumps up and pounds his chest. Look at me, look at me. Well he practices sacking quarterbacks every day in practice. He gets paid to sack quarterbacks. Sacking quarterbacks is his job. Why celebrate or call attention to oneself for doing what is expected of you? Oh well. Nobody asked me.
Please see Look at me
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Money, Money, Money. But not for education
It's the basketball time of year referred to as March Madness. Millions, maybe even billions of dollars will change hands for game tickets, colas, popcorn and hotdogs, and parking by fans. Television will rake in millions in advertising.
Two years ago CBS promised the NCAA $6 billion for the rights to televise tournament games for 10 years. Pretty good wad of money there. Where does it all go? Obviously the participating basketball teams will get some of it, depending how far in the brackets they advance. This will allow those schools to pay expenses for participating in the tournament. I suppose that most of the coaches have an incentive clause in their contracts, so they will get a portion. But one thing is for sure: The Biology professors at the university won't get a dime of this money.
March Madness is all about education, isn't it? Maybe every school in the tournament has a major in basketball or entertainment or tattooing or proper use of the F-word on the court or bench area.
Why do we need a national champion in any sport? Bragging rights? Is a national champion school a better school academically? Didn't I read in my newspaper that 23 of the 64 teams in this year's tournament failed the APR (academic performance rating) criteria. This caused the Knight Commission, which is an academic watchdog of big time college sports, to publicly call for having the acceptable APR numbers as a qualification for participating in the tournament. Where are the college presidents in supporting this proposal?
Folks, people in this country don't care about anything but winning. They don't care if their gladiators go to class, or commit a felony as long as MY University beats the crap out of yours. An APR? Who gives a s**t about that stuff. Besides these aren't really college teams, but NBA minor league franchises that are allowed to use college names and venues. This tournament has nothing, absolutely nothing to do with education.
Please visit College Sports by Charlie for the most irreverent news and commentary.
Two years ago CBS promised the NCAA $6 billion for the rights to televise tournament games for 10 years. Pretty good wad of money there. Where does it all go? Obviously the participating basketball teams will get some of it, depending how far in the brackets they advance. This will allow those schools to pay expenses for participating in the tournament. I suppose that most of the coaches have an incentive clause in their contracts, so they will get a portion. But one thing is for sure: The Biology professors at the university won't get a dime of this money.
March Madness is all about education, isn't it? Maybe every school in the tournament has a major in basketball or entertainment or tattooing or proper use of the F-word on the court or bench area.
Why do we need a national champion in any sport? Bragging rights? Is a national champion school a better school academically? Didn't I read in my newspaper that 23 of the 64 teams in this year's tournament failed the APR (academic performance rating) criteria. This caused the Knight Commission, which is an academic watchdog of big time college sports, to publicly call for having the acceptable APR numbers as a qualification for participating in the tournament. Where are the college presidents in supporting this proposal?
Folks, people in this country don't care about anything but winning. They don't care if their gladiators go to class, or commit a felony as long as MY University beats the crap out of yours. An APR? Who gives a s**t about that stuff. Besides these aren't really college teams, but NBA minor league franchises that are allowed to use college names and venues. This tournament has nothing, absolutely nothing to do with education.
Please visit College Sports by Charlie for the most irreverent news and commentary.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Going to extreme measures for child athletes
Like many other American teens, 14-year-old Nick Heras wants to be a professional quarterback someday.
Unlike most teens, he has left home and moved across the country to attend an elite athletic training program. His family foots a hefty bill for Nick's dreams: More than $50,000 a year.
The Haves and Have-Nots ... the rich get richer and poor stay that way
The University of Texas' groundbreaking $300 million, 20-year television deal with ESPN has generated considerable praise for the financial windfall it could create for the university. However, it's also fueled plenty of discussion about competitive balance, and the even bigger gap between the haves and have nots in big-time college athletics.
National Signing Day 2011: Which Top Recruiting Classes Will Suffer the Most?
Andy Rooney and Prayer
Andy Rooney said it on 60 MINUTES
I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I don't agree with Darwin, but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his Theory of Evolution.
Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game.
Back when I was a boy a Coke was 5 cents, gasoline was 30 cents and No meant No!
Read these and more at our website. http://www.collegecharlie.com/
Like many other American teens, 14-year-old Nick Heras wants to be a professional quarterback someday.
Unlike most teens, he has left home and moved across the country to attend an elite athletic training program. His family foots a hefty bill for Nick's dreams: More than $50,000 a year.
The Haves and Have-Nots ... the rich get richer and poor stay that way
The University of Texas' groundbreaking $300 million, 20-year television deal with ESPN has generated considerable praise for the financial windfall it could create for the university. However, it's also fueled plenty of discussion about competitive balance, and the even bigger gap between the haves and have nots in big-time college athletics.
National Signing Day 2011: Which Top Recruiting Classes Will Suffer the Most?
Andy Rooney and Prayer
Andy Rooney said it on 60 MINUTES
I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I don't agree with Darwin, but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his Theory of Evolution.
Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game.
Back when I was a boy a Coke was 5 cents, gasoline was 30 cents and No meant No!
Read these and more at our website. http://www.collegecharlie.com/
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
The Haves and Have-Nots ... the rich get richer and the poor stay that way
The University of Texas' groundbreaking $300 million, 20-year television deal with ESPN has generated considerable praise for the financial windfall it could create for the university. However, it's also fueled plenty of discussion about competitive balance, and the even bigger gap between the haves and have nots in big-time college athletics.
Recruiting advantage? What you say, NCAA? Fox Sports will now cut a deal with say, Alabama? This will cause another arms race among the college elite. And college is about education? Yeah, what fool believes that? Where does the NCAA fit into all this? Do they get a share of the $300 million? No, because the NCAA no longer controls college football. Television and conference commissioners do the talkin' for football at the FBS level.
It's all about the money and has nothing to do with education. And most people don't care. We now have colleges so that we can have football teams.
Television has also made national signing day a redneck circus.... and more profits for networks. But hey, it's about math, science and history, right? Or maybe producing doctors, educators, and missionaries instead of defensive tackles? Naw. Roll Tide, go 'Horns, gettem Ducks.
Recruiting advantage? What you say, NCAA? Fox Sports will now cut a deal with say, Alabama? This will cause another arms race among the college elite. And college is about education? Yeah, what fool believes that? Where does the NCAA fit into all this? Do they get a share of the $300 million? No, because the NCAA no longer controls college football. Television and conference commissioners do the talkin' for football at the FBS level.
It's all about the money and has nothing to do with education. And most people don't care. We now have colleges so that we can have football teams.
Television has also made national signing day a redneck circus.... and more profits for networks. But hey, it's about math, science and history, right? Or maybe producing doctors, educators, and missionaries instead of defensive tackles? Naw. Roll Tide, go 'Horns, gettem Ducks.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
BetEd Sportsbook Review
Hey, if you get a thrill - and make some bucks - with online sports betting, I hear this is one of the best. I make a few cents if you click the link. Go ahead, do it. I dare you to click the link.
As one of the top 10 reputable online sportsbooks, betEd offers NCAAF college football odds and is dedicated to providing a top notch gaming experience in a secure betting environment. It is ideally suited to recreational bettors. With the industry's most user friendly gaming software and top notch customer service, the user experience is rated 4.5/5 and the functionality of the website is fast, easy to use and hassle free.
Click Here
As one of the top 10 reputable online sportsbooks, betEd offers NCAAF college football odds and is dedicated to providing a top notch gaming experience in a secure betting environment. It is ideally suited to recreational bettors. With the industry's most user friendly gaming software and top notch customer service, the user experience is rated 4.5/5 and the functionality of the website is fast, easy to use and hassle free.
Click Here
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Please watch this video.
In over 40 years of coaching and being an athletics administrator, this video says it all about today's young athletes and their parents. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iymXdRQDISg&feature=player_embedded
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Only in America ....
..do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front.
...do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway,and put our useless junk in the garage.
...do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway,and put our useless junk in the garage.
Friday, January 14, 2011
The Christmas School Break
Traditionally schools and colleges take a two + week break during the Christmas holiday season. This gives us all the opportunity to be with family even when that means travel.
In recent years, the "bowl season" has mushroomed to over 30 games, most of them dull and mediocre. Thank you television, mostly ESPN. By the time the BCS national championship game finally began, many of us could care less. Rah, two days before we had the opportunity to see Middle Tennessee State play Miami of Ohio. I'm sure that was a must-see for millions of fans. I was not one of them.
Playing in a bowl game with 6 losses during the regular season is mediocre and shameful. But a way to add four weeks to a school's spring practice routine. Who cares?
Charlie, aka Bill Cherry, spent 8 of those days in a local hospital finally having an ICD (pacemaker) implant. The old heart went crazy from all those exciting bowl games. Got up to 160/minute at rest. Medication did not correct this, so the ICD seemed to be the solution. So I now have this battery and instrument implanted just under the skin on the left side of my chest with tiny wires running all through my heart. If my heart gets crazy again, the ICD will shock it back to normal - I hope.
Just too much excitement from all those wanna be's. I sincerely hope ESPN lost money. If over half of the BCS membership plays in a bowl game, then what honor is in that? There once was a time when only the elite of each season were rewarded with a bowl bid. Now a team has to be really, really bad if they aren't in a bowl game.
It would be hard to take the present bowl system and turn it into a playoff system. Too much money and too much television investment in the present bowl season. Though the time (weeks) between the end of the regular season and the championship game could accommodate a 32-team playoff.
In recent years, the "bowl season" has mushroomed to over 30 games, most of them dull and mediocre. Thank you television, mostly ESPN. By the time the BCS national championship game finally began, many of us could care less. Rah, two days before we had the opportunity to see Middle Tennessee State play Miami of Ohio. I'm sure that was a must-see for millions of fans. I was not one of them.
Playing in a bowl game with 6 losses during the regular season is mediocre and shameful. But a way to add four weeks to a school's spring practice routine. Who cares?
Charlie, aka Bill Cherry, spent 8 of those days in a local hospital finally having an ICD (pacemaker) implant. The old heart went crazy from all those exciting bowl games. Got up to 160/minute at rest. Medication did not correct this, so the ICD seemed to be the solution. So I now have this battery and instrument implanted just under the skin on the left side of my chest with tiny wires running all through my heart. If my heart gets crazy again, the ICD will shock it back to normal - I hope.
Just too much excitement from all those wanna be's. I sincerely hope ESPN lost money. If over half of the BCS membership plays in a bowl game, then what honor is in that? There once was a time when only the elite of each season were rewarded with a bowl bid. Now a team has to be really, really bad if they aren't in a bowl game.
It would be hard to take the present bowl system and turn it into a playoff system. Too much money and too much television investment in the present bowl season. Though the time (weeks) between the end of the regular season and the championship game could accommodate a 32-team playoff.
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