According to ESPN's "Outside the Lines," Pop Warner, the nation's largest youth football program saw participation drop by 9.5 percent between 2010-12. From ESPN:
Pop Warner lost 23,612 players, thought to be the largest two-year decline since the organization began keeping statistics decades ago. Consistent annual growth led to a record 248,899 players participating in Pop Warner in 2010; that figure fell to 225,287 by the 2012 season.
Pop Warner officials said they believe several factors played a role in the decline, including the trend of youngsters focusing on one sport. But the organization's chief medical officer, Dr. Julian Bailes, cited concerns about head injuries as "the No. 1 cause."
These kids are too young to be playing tackle football anyway. As a former high school coach and athletic administrator, this whole youth football thing is totally parent-driven and crazy. Any pediatric medical professional will tell you the same thing. It's all about parental ego.
Flag football before 7th grade is fine. They can still learn fundamentals and how to participate in a team culture, without endangering the child's brain, growth plates and in many cases their self esteem. Parents need to back off and let kids be kids. Tackle football before the seventh grade is akin to child abuse.
Thursday, December 27, 2018
Monday, June 10, 2013
Good-Bye Big Cash Scheme, Hello College Football Playoff
As long as the BCS v. non-BCS (or haves v. have-not's) issue in college football is dominated by money, and by the conferences, networks and sponsors that are part of the Bowl Championship Series, nothing will change to improve the system, to get rid of the favoritism and corruption, or to make college football more about football and fair competition. Instead, it will only get worse.
Welcome CFP. Eager to turn the page from the complex and convoluted BCS era, college football's power brokers gave the most basic name imaginable to the four-team playoff that will crown the national champion starting with the 2014 season.
They announced Tuesday that the new event will be branded simply "College Football Playoff" --- a name that, for all it lacks in creativity, underscores the reality that fans are getting what they long demanded and were long denied.
But what really changes? Sure, four teams will be selected for a semifinal and final rounds in order to name a national champion. But will any team not belonging to the six power conferences ever be in the Final Four of football, even if they are undefeated?
In our dogged pursuit of "who is the best" , what really changes? The same BCS power brokers will determine the final four teams. More money for ....who?? Television networks will take the biggest cut. Will the four participants get millions? Football is an NCAA sponsored and regulated sport, yet does not sponsor or oversee a football championship at the FBS level. Strange. It does conduct plays offs at the FCS, Division II and Division III levels. Hum, not nearly as much money involved at these levels.
For some reason the NCAA is duped into approving 32 bowl games, most of which are loser bowls with teams that have 6 loses during the regular season. Why not just have a 64 team playoff like the NCAA conducts for the FCS level? That would be too logical and not fair to the Power conferences who would risk losing to a team in Conference USA, for instance. After all it is partly about status, perception, and ego at the top level anyway. Sort of the country club set versus the community center crowd, don't you think?
Oh well, reality is that television and the" haves" are always in control.
Dear Charlie,
Hi-while perusing the web this p.m. in search of people who
may know of this issue so that I could find some stress relief I came across
your article. As a middle school track coach I do believe all these elite
travel squads in the team sports have all but destroyed school sports. There is
no longer any school loyalty. Kids competing on several sports at the same time
will sacrifice their school sport obligations for the travel team.
Alas what
comes from it is injuries & extreme burnout at the wrong time when we are
poised to win a state title. I tried like hell to convince them of team
responsibility, loyalty to fellow relay members, but they told me flat to my
face that at their age they are entitled to choices & if it means they care
more about soccer then so be it. When I spoke of the concussions & injuries
that I woke up to yesterday, they made it clear that soccer was worth any
concussion. They didn't care if it meant they would burn out, lose the track
title, see their academics go downhill from brain dementia, or end up in a
group home. They didn't care. I asked their opinion about the NFL players
saying that they were not made aware of repercussions in the concussion dept.
They said it was worth the concussion. I spoke to the school nurses--they agreed
with me & said it's broken & I can't fix it--13 years of bad parenting.
It's not so much that they are playing a second sport that bothers me is that
they would not sacrifice that sport for the final 2 weeks of my season so that
they could peak properly.
And then I learn that some of these kids have travel
games 4 schooldays a week plus the town league on weekends. When do they do
homework & sleep? As a coach I'm lost for a solution & believe me I'm
reasonable-I allow kids to attend say jazz band after school & then come to
practice, etc. but these club sports must be feeding these kids some kind of
fuzzy baloney & they are making much more than I do. They have taken over
the schools' tradition. Now the devil's advocate may say well what about clubs
in your sport. Well, they dominate the middle school track title meet-the kids
are far better but these clubs are located mostly around cities where the
schools are too poor to offer any kind of sports at the middle school level.
They don't attend meets every week but they will occasionally travel out of
state. The clubs are also run by volunteers & I don't believe they have
practice every day. I just don't get it anymore.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Pennsylvania to Sue NCAA
The following are quotes from an article written by Paul Steinbach, who is the senior editor of Athletic Business Magazine. Please read his entire article at http://www.athleticbusiness.com/editors/blog/default.aspx?id=1050
Reaction to Pennsylvania governor Tom Corbett’s announcement Wednesday that he intends to sue the NCAA over its response to the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State came with swiftness reminiscent of NCAA’s original actions.
The University Statement: "Penn State, which counts Corbett and five gubernatorial appointees among its board of trustees, issued a statement Wednesday that read “Penn State is not a party to the lawsuit and has not been involved in its preparation or filing.” It goes on to quote university officials as saying, “The University is committed to full compliance with the Consent Decree, the Athletics Integrity Agreement and, as appropriate, the implementation of the Freeh report recommendations."
The NCAA issued its own statement Wednesday, quoting the association’s executive vice president and general counsel, Donald Remy: “We are disappointed by the Governor’s action [Wednesday]. Not only does this forthcoming lawsuit appear to be without merit, it is an affront to all of the victims in this tragedy — lives that were destroyed by the criminal actions of Jerry Sandusky. While the innocence that was stolen can never be restored, Penn State has accepted the consequences for its role and the role of its employees and is moving forward. The announcement by the Governor is a setback to the University’s efforts.”
Associated Press columnist Jim Litke, meanwhile, quoted an unnamed legal expert who says Corbett’s antitrust claims against the NCAA have merit. No one is in favor of abusing children, Litke wrote. “But determining the punishment for covering up an actual crime — for what a few men in high places at Penn State did, instead of what they should have done — is still a matter for the courts, not the NCAA. That's where the damages will be decided going forward, and where they had been until the NCAA took a whack.”
Associated Press columnist Jim Litke, meanwhile, quoted an unnamed legal expert who says Corbett’s antitrust claims against the NCAA have merit. No one is in favor of abusing children, Litke wrote. “But determining the punishment for covering up an actual crime — for what a few men in high places at Penn State did, instead of what they should have done — is still a matter for the courts, not the NCAA. That's where the damages will be decided going forward, and where they had been until the NCAA took a whack.”
Litke then concluded, “It should be comforting to anyone who wants to see justice done that the matter is in the hands of a real court, instead of the kangaroo court that Emmert( NCAA President) and his crew convened at their headquarters in Indianapolis.”
Is the NCAA too powerful? Wealthy it is, but in this instance is it's nose somewhere it doesn't belong?
Reaction to Pennsylvania governor Tom Corbett’s announcement Wednesday that he intends to sue the NCAA over its response to the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State came with swiftness reminiscent of NCAA’s original actions.
The University Statement: "Penn State, which counts Corbett and five gubernatorial appointees among its board of trustees, issued a statement Wednesday that read “Penn State is not a party to the lawsuit and has not been involved in its preparation or filing.” It goes on to quote university officials as saying, “The University is committed to full compliance with the Consent Decree, the Athletics Integrity Agreement and, as appropriate, the implementation of the Freeh report recommendations."
The NCAA issued its own statement Wednesday, quoting the association’s executive vice president and general counsel, Donald Remy: “We are disappointed by the Governor’s action [Wednesday]. Not only does this forthcoming lawsuit appear to be without merit, it is an affront to all of the victims in this tragedy — lives that were destroyed by the criminal actions of Jerry Sandusky. While the innocence that was stolen can never be restored, Penn State has accepted the consequences for its role and the role of its employees and is moving forward. The announcement by the Governor is a setback to the University’s efforts.”
Associated Press columnist Jim Litke, meanwhile, quoted an unnamed legal expert who says Corbett’s antitrust claims against the NCAA have merit. No one is in favor of abusing children, Litke wrote. “But determining the punishment for covering up an actual crime — for what a few men in high places at Penn State did, instead of what they should have done — is still a matter for the courts, not the NCAA. That's where the damages will be decided going forward, and where they had been until the NCAA took a whack.”
Associated Press columnist Jim Litke, meanwhile, quoted an unnamed legal expert who says Corbett’s antitrust claims against the NCAA have merit. No one is in favor of abusing children, Litke wrote. “But determining the punishment for covering up an actual crime — for what a few men in high places at Penn State did, instead of what they should have done — is still a matter for the courts, not the NCAA. That's where the damages will be decided going forward, and where they had been until the NCAA took a whack.”
Litke then concluded, “It should be comforting to anyone who wants to see justice done that the matter is in the hands of a real court, instead of the kangaroo court that Emmert( NCAA President) and his crew convened at their headquarters in Indianapolis.”
Is the NCAA too powerful? Wealthy it is, but in this instance is it's nose somewhere it doesn't belong?
Monday, December 24, 2012
Proposed Athletic Handbook Irks Parents
Proposed high school athletic handbook ires parents.
The Estancia (NM) High School’s athletic staff and administration have been working on an athletic handbook to present to the district school board for approval. Most schools at all levels have such a document. The handbook usually covers obvious items like care of school uniforms and equipment, attendance at contests, and other school policies. Handbooks are intended as a source of information for coaches, athletes, and parents. They also serve to insure that all coaches and staff are on the same page as far as policy matters. They also should contain the school’s and district’s philosophy of athletics along with the goals of the program.
Most handbooks will include a section on student-athlete expectations, such as abstaining from alcohol and substance abuse and the consequences for violations. This area of Estancia’s proposed handbook has drawn the ire of a group of parents who feel this section invades their parenting responsibility.
"It's kind of a slap in the face saying that we don't know how to parent our kids," scolded Cheri Lujan. She - and several other parents - referred specifically to a provision under "Prohibited Conduct": "The use or possession of alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs, or tobacco in any form, or attendance at a party or other gathering at which any of the foregoing substances are present and/or being used ..."
Discipline "is our role as a parent," said Angela Coburn. "I do have a problem with 24-hour monitoring or surveillance of our kids."
So here I go: Your high school coach is paid pitifully to coach your child. Yet he/she has had years of formal education and training as a teacher and a coach. He/she has chosen a noble profession that regretfully is dependent on the actions and attitudes of teenagers and their parents. You would think that Mrs. Coburn would be grateful that her child is under the guidance of adults who expect them to abide by certain standards of conduct while a member of an athletic team. Coaches who remind them to make good choices should be supported. We tend to forget that team membership is a privilege not a right. Nobody has forced Johnny to be a part of the school’s basketball team and if he wants to be a team member, he should expect to abide by a code of conduct set forth by the school and the coach...for everyone’s protection.
Ideally coaches and parents work as partners. It truly does take a village to raise a child. There is some poor coaching out there and there is some poor parenting as well. Too often coaches and teachers provide the only parenting some children receive. Remember these young people need guidance. They are not yet adults and they should not be treated as adults.
The Estancia (NM) High School’s athletic staff and administration have been working on an athletic handbook to present to the district school board for approval. Most schools at all levels have such a document. The handbook usually covers obvious items like care of school uniforms and equipment, attendance at contests, and other school policies. Handbooks are intended as a source of information for coaches, athletes, and parents. They also serve to insure that all coaches and staff are on the same page as far as policy matters. They also should contain the school’s and district’s philosophy of athletics along with the goals of the program.
Most handbooks will include a section on student-athlete expectations, such as abstaining from alcohol and substance abuse and the consequences for violations. This area of Estancia’s proposed handbook has drawn the ire of a group of parents who feel this section invades their parenting responsibility.
"It's kind of a slap in the face saying that we don't know how to parent our kids," scolded Cheri Lujan. She - and several other parents - referred specifically to a provision under "Prohibited Conduct": "The use or possession of alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs, or tobacco in any form, or attendance at a party or other gathering at which any of the foregoing substances are present and/or being used ..."
Discipline "is our role as a parent," said Angela Coburn. "I do have a problem with 24-hour monitoring or surveillance of our kids."
So here I go: Your high school coach is paid pitifully to coach your child. Yet he/she has had years of formal education and training as a teacher and a coach. He/she has chosen a noble profession that regretfully is dependent on the actions and attitudes of teenagers and their parents. You would think that Mrs. Coburn would be grateful that her child is under the guidance of adults who expect them to abide by certain standards of conduct while a member of an athletic team. Coaches who remind them to make good choices should be supported. We tend to forget that team membership is a privilege not a right. Nobody has forced Johnny to be a part of the school’s basketball team and if he wants to be a team member, he should expect to abide by a code of conduct set forth by the school and the coach...for everyone’s protection.
Ideally coaches and parents work as partners. It truly does take a village to raise a child. There is some poor coaching out there and there is some poor parenting as well. Too often coaches and teachers provide the only parenting some children receive. Remember these young people need guidance. They are not yet adults and they should not be treated as adults.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
DIVORCE AGREEMENT
Dear American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists and Obama supporters, et al: We have stuck together since the late 1950's for the sake of the kids, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce. I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has clearly run its course.
Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right for us all, so let's just end it on friendly terms. We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go our own way.
Here is a model separation agreement:
Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a similar portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that, it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.
We don't like redistributive taxes so you can keep them.
You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU.
Since you hate guns and war, we'll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA and the military.
We'll take the nasty, smelly oil industry and you can go with wind, solar and biodiesel.
You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore and Rosie O'Donnell. You are, however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move all three of them.
We'll keep capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Wal-Mart and Wall Street.
You can have your beloved lifelong welfare dwellers, food stamps, homeless, homeboys, hippies, druggies and illegal aliens.
We'll keep the hot Alaskan hockey moms, greedy CEO's and rednecks.
We'll keep the Bibles and give you NBC and Hollywood.
You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we'll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us.
You can have the peaceniks and war protesters. When our allies or our way of life are under !@# ault, we'll help provide them security.
We'll keep our Judeo-Christian values.
You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism, political correctness and Shirley McClain. You can also have the U.N. but we will no longer be paying the bill.
We'll keep the SUV's, pickup trucks and oversized luxury cars. You can take every Volt and Leaf you can find.
You can give everyone healthcare if you can find any practicing doctors.
We'll continue to believe healthcare is a luxury and not a right.
We'll keep "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "The National Anthem."
I'm sure you'll be happy to substitute "Imagine", "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing", "Kum Ba Ya" or "We Are the World".
We'll practice trickle-down economics and you can continue to give trickle up poverty your best shot.
Since it often so offends you, we'll keep our history, our name and our flag.
Would you agree to this? If so, please pass it along to other like-minded liberal and conservative patriots and if you do not agree, just hit delete. In the spirit of friendly parting, I'll bet you answer which one of us will need whose help in 15 years.
Sincerely,
John J. Wall
Law Student and an American
P.S. Also, please take Ted Turner, Sean Penn, Martin & Charlie Sheen, Barbara Streisand, & ( Hanoi ) Jane Fonda with you.
Dear American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists and Obama supporters, et al: We have stuck together since the late 1950's for the sake of the kids, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce. I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has clearly run its course.
Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right for us all, so let's just end it on friendly terms. We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go our own way.
Here is a model separation agreement:
Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a similar portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that, it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.
We don't like redistributive taxes so you can keep them.
You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU.
Since you hate guns and war, we'll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA and the military.
We'll take the nasty, smelly oil industry and you can go with wind, solar and biodiesel.
You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore and Rosie O'Donnell. You are, however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move all three of them.
We'll keep capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Wal-Mart and Wall Street.
You can have your beloved lifelong welfare dwellers, food stamps, homeless, homeboys, hippies, druggies and illegal aliens.
We'll keep the hot Alaskan hockey moms, greedy CEO's and rednecks.
We'll keep the Bibles and give you NBC and Hollywood.
You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we'll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us.
You can have the peaceniks and war protesters. When our allies or our way of life are under !@# ault, we'll help provide them security.
We'll keep our Judeo-Christian values.
You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism, political correctness and Shirley McClain. You can also have the U.N. but we will no longer be paying the bill.
We'll keep the SUV's, pickup trucks and oversized luxury cars. You can take every Volt and Leaf you can find.
You can give everyone healthcare if you can find any practicing doctors.
We'll continue to believe healthcare is a luxury and not a right.
We'll keep "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "The National Anthem."
I'm sure you'll be happy to substitute "Imagine", "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing", "Kum Ba Ya" or "We Are the World".
We'll practice trickle-down economics and you can continue to give trickle up poverty your best shot.
Since it often so offends you, we'll keep our history, our name and our flag.
Would you agree to this? If so, please pass it along to other like-minded liberal and conservative patriots and if you do not agree, just hit delete. In the spirit of friendly parting, I'll bet you answer which one of us will need whose help in 15 years.
Sincerely,
John J. Wall
Law Student and an American
P.S. Also, please take Ted Turner, Sean Penn, Martin & Charlie Sheen, Barbara Streisand, & ( Hanoi ) Jane Fonda with you.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
I just received my tax return for 2011 back from the IRS. It puzzles me!!! They are questioning how many dependents I claimed. I guess it was because of my response to the question: "List all dependents?" I replied: 12 million illegal immigrants; 3 million crack heads; 42 million unemployed people on food stamps, 2 million people in over 243 prisons; Half of Mexico; and 535 persons in the U.S. House and Senate." Evidently, this was NOT an acceptable answer.
I KEEP ASKING MYSELF, WHOM DID I MISS?
I KEEP ASKING MYSELF, WHOM DID I MISS?
Friday, May 25, 2012
Obama is victim of Bush's failed promises.
By a democrat reporter, Chuck Green.
I think it is time that we asked George Bush to step aside so that Obama can get his presidency going.
Here's an opinion piece by Chuck Green who writes "Greener Pastures" for the
Denver Post Aurora Sentinel...one of the more liberal papers in the country.
Additionally, Mr. Green is a lifelong Democrat...so this is rather a stunning piece...
Obama is victim of Bush's failed promises!
Barack Obama is setting a record-setting number of records during his first term in office:
Largest budget ever. Largest deficit ever.
Largest number of broken promises ever.
Most self-serving speeches ever.
Largest number of agenda-setting failures ever.
Fastest dive in popularity ever!
Wow! Talk about change.
Just over two years ago, fresh from his inauguration celebrations,
President Obama was flying high. After one of the nation's most inspiring political campaigns,
the election of America 's first black president had captured the hopes and dreams of millions.
To his devout followers, it was inconceivable that a year later his administration would be gripped in self-imposed crisis.
Of course, they don't see it as self-imposed. It's all George Bush's fault !
George Bush, who doesn't have a vote in congress and who no longer occupies The White House, is to blame for it all. He broke Obama's promise, to put all bills on the White House web site for five days before signing them.
He broke Obama's promise, to have the congressional health care negotiations broadcast live on C-SPAN.
He broke Obama's promise, to end earmarks.
He broke Obama's promise, to keep unemployment from rising above 8 percent.
He broke Obama's promise, to close the detention center at Guantanamo in the first year.
He broke Obama's promise, to make peace with direct, no precondition talks with America 's most hate-filled enemies during his first year in office, ushering in a new era of global cooperation.
He broke Obama's promise, to end the hiring of former lobbyists into high White House jobs.
He broke Obama's promise, to end no-compete contracts with the government.
He broke Obama's promise, to disclose the names of all attendees at closed White House meetings.
He broke Obama's promise, for a new era of bipartisan cooperation in all matters.
He broke Obama's promise, to have chosen a home church to attend Sunday services with his family by Easter.
Yes, it's all George Bush's fault!
President Obama is nothing more than a puppet in the never-ending failed Bush administration. If only George Bush wasn't still in charge, all of President Obama's problems would be solved.
His promises would have been kept, the economy would be back on track, Iran would have stopped its work on developing a nuclear bomb and would be negotiating a peace treaty with Israel .
North Korea would have ended its tyrannical regime, and integrity would have been restored to the federal government.
Oh, and did I mention what it would be like, if the Democrats, under the leadership of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, didn't have the heavy yoke of George Bush around their necks?
There would be no ear marks, no closed-door drafting of bills, no increase in deficit spending, no special-interest influence (unions), no vote buying ( Nebraska, Louisiana ).
If only George Bush wasn't still in charge, we'd have real change by now.
All the broken promises, all the failed legislation and delay (health care reform, immigration reform)
is not President Obama's fault or the fault of the Democrat-controlled Congress.
It's all George Bush's fault !
Take for example the attempt of Eric Holder, the president's attorney general,to hold terrorists' trials in New York City . Or his decision to try the Christmas Day underpants bomber as a civilian.
Two disastrous decisions.
Certainly those were bad judgments based on poor advice from George Bush!
Need more proof? You might recall when Scott Brown won the election to the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts, capturing "The Ted Kennedy Seat", President Obama said, Brown's victory was the result of the same voter anger that propelled Obama into office in 2008.
People were still angry about George Bush and the policies of the past 10 years. And they wanted change.
Yes, according to the president, the voter rebellion in Massachusetts , was George Bush's fault.
Therefore, in retaliation, they elected a Republican to the Ted Kennedy seat, ending a half-century of domination by Democrats. It is all George Bush's fault !
Will the failed administration of George Bush ever end, and the time for hope and change ever arrive ???
Will President Obama ever accept responsibility for something / anything?
It's Bush's Fault!
(Chuck Green is a veteran Colorado journalist and former editor-in-chief of The Denver Post.)
By a democrat reporter, Chuck Green.
I think it is time that we asked George Bush to step aside so that Obama can get his presidency going.
Here's an opinion piece by Chuck Green who writes "Greener Pastures" for the
Denver Post Aurora Sentinel...one of the more liberal papers in the country.
Additionally, Mr. Green is a lifelong Democrat...so this is rather a stunning piece...
Obama is victim of Bush's failed promises!
Barack Obama is setting a record-setting number of records during his first term in office:
Largest budget ever. Largest deficit ever.
Largest number of broken promises ever.
Most self-serving speeches ever.
Largest number of agenda-setting failures ever.
Fastest dive in popularity ever!
Wow! Talk about change.
Just over two years ago, fresh from his inauguration celebrations,
President Obama was flying high. After one of the nation's most inspiring political campaigns,
the election of America 's first black president had captured the hopes and dreams of millions.
To his devout followers, it was inconceivable that a year later his administration would be gripped in self-imposed crisis.
Of course, they don't see it as self-imposed. It's all George Bush's fault !
George Bush, who doesn't have a vote in congress and who no longer occupies The White House, is to blame for it all. He broke Obama's promise, to put all bills on the White House web site for five days before signing them.
He broke Obama's promise, to have the congressional health care negotiations broadcast live on C-SPAN.
He broke Obama's promise, to end earmarks.
He broke Obama's promise, to keep unemployment from rising above 8 percent.
He broke Obama's promise, to close the detention center at Guantanamo in the first year.
He broke Obama's promise, to make peace with direct, no precondition talks with America 's most hate-filled enemies during his first year in office, ushering in a new era of global cooperation.
He broke Obama's promise, to end the hiring of former lobbyists into high White House jobs.
He broke Obama's promise, to end no-compete contracts with the government.
He broke Obama's promise, to disclose the names of all attendees at closed White House meetings.
He broke Obama's promise, for a new era of bipartisan cooperation in all matters.
He broke Obama's promise, to have chosen a home church to attend Sunday services with his family by Easter.
Yes, it's all George Bush's fault!
President Obama is nothing more than a puppet in the never-ending failed Bush administration. If only George Bush wasn't still in charge, all of President Obama's problems would be solved.
His promises would have been kept, the economy would be back on track, Iran would have stopped its work on developing a nuclear bomb and would be negotiating a peace treaty with Israel .
North Korea would have ended its tyrannical regime, and integrity would have been restored to the federal government.
Oh, and did I mention what it would be like, if the Democrats, under the leadership of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, didn't have the heavy yoke of George Bush around their necks?
There would be no ear marks, no closed-door drafting of bills, no increase in deficit spending, no special-interest influence (unions), no vote buying ( Nebraska, Louisiana ).
If only George Bush wasn't still in charge, we'd have real change by now.
All the broken promises, all the failed legislation and delay (health care reform, immigration reform)
is not President Obama's fault or the fault of the Democrat-controlled Congress.
It's all George Bush's fault !
Take for example the attempt of Eric Holder, the president's attorney general,to hold terrorists' trials in New York City . Or his decision to try the Christmas Day underpants bomber as a civilian.
Two disastrous decisions.
Certainly those were bad judgments based on poor advice from George Bush!
Need more proof? You might recall when Scott Brown won the election to the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts, capturing "The Ted Kennedy Seat", President Obama said, Brown's victory was the result of the same voter anger that propelled Obama into office in 2008.
People were still angry about George Bush and the policies of the past 10 years. And they wanted change.
Yes, according to the president, the voter rebellion in Massachusetts , was George Bush's fault.
Therefore, in retaliation, they elected a Republican to the Ted Kennedy seat, ending a half-century of domination by Democrats. It is all George Bush's fault !
Will the failed administration of George Bush ever end, and the time for hope and change ever arrive ???
Will President Obama ever accept responsibility for something / anything?
It's Bush's Fault!
(Chuck Green is a veteran Colorado journalist and former editor-in-chief of The Denver Post.)
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
We're Back
No we did not die. We have been teaching 8th graders pre-algebra and coaching baseball. I served as the athletics director at an all-boys college prep school for 35 years and retired in 2008. Since then I have been teaching math and returned to coaching as an assistant for freshman football and baseball. I am having more fun working with these guys than I had working with all the adults, schedules, parents, etc that an AD has to do.
Many years ago I decided that college sports at the "big time" level was becoming more and more like professional sports. This is a concept that totally turns me off. I love to watch college football in the fall. I like the festival atmosphere associated with a big college game, but the decisions being made at most places are upsetting. As an example: Today we are seeing the formation of 16+ member super conferences that cover coast to coast. Ridiculous for travel and time missed from classes. This is happening for one reason- the money. Everything about college sports today is making money. It has little if nothing to do with educating talented athletes. It has everything to do with paying coaches, building facilities and killing colleagues to recruit the best athletes. Everything is about the money.
I'll be back to rave again.
Many years ago I decided that college sports at the "big time" level was becoming more and more like professional sports. This is a concept that totally turns me off. I love to watch college football in the fall. I like the festival atmosphere associated with a big college game, but the decisions being made at most places are upsetting. As an example: Today we are seeing the formation of 16+ member super conferences that cover coast to coast. Ridiculous for travel and time missed from classes. This is happening for one reason- the money. Everything about college sports today is making money. It has little if nothing to do with educating talented athletes. It has everything to do with paying coaches, building facilities and killing colleagues to recruit the best athletes. Everything is about the money.
I'll be back to rave again.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Screw the NBA
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.
NBA should stand for No Basketball at All on Christmas.
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.
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