When you say Wes-consin, you've said it wrong

Just read an interesting article from the Wisconsin State Journal about regional language nuances. It starts out with one of the things that bothers me most: peoples' inability to correctly pronounce Wisconsin. Hey Brent Musberger, it is not pronounced "WES-consin." There is no E in Wisconsin. Anyway, what I found interesting is that the study cited indicates that there is increasing diversity in regional dialects, which is almost the exact opposite of what I would expect. Given the mass homogenization of pop culture, you'd think we are all on our way to sounding like Nebraskans.

Without getting too deep into the logistics of the Northern Cities Shift, the basics seem to be that "cot" and "caught" are beginning to have the same pronunciation, to list just one example. So, it is possible that, as the Northern Cities Shift continues to creep into Wisconsin, people there may very well start giving Wisconsin the E sound. I doubt this, but stranger things have happened.

The article also mentions something called a "vowel merger," where vowel sounds are dropped. It mentions this happening in western counties, so I would assume this is happening here in Minnesota. The example cited is "Don" and "Dawn" being pronounced the same, like Don.

I have a theory that Wisconsin serves as a dividing line in dialects. I would be interested to see if that is correct. There are definitely some interesting differences in how Milwaukee natives speak in comparison to people in western Wisconsin, which is in the sphere of influence of the Twin Cities. Bud Selig is a good example of a subtle Milwaukee accent. Also, the Yooper accent seems to come into play quite a bit in northeastern Wisconsin, where I grew up. However, many people in that part of Wisconsin have "normal" Midwestern accents. Also, if you look at this map, you'll see a point right around the middle of the state. East of there, the word soda is used to describe stuff like Coca-Cola. West, pop is dominant.

If I find the time, I would like to explore this further. I also want to look more into this sort of thing in Minnesota. All I really know about Minnesota dialects is that there is some truth to the thick stereotypical lilting accents in the movie Fargo. Also, I think there are some similarities between speech patterns in the Iron Range and in Upper Michigan. Here in the Cities, things seem to be a little more conventionally Midwestern; although the Northern Cities Shift is apparently happening to a small extent up here. Overall, on the surface, I would think there is a lot more commonality in dialects here in Minnesota, given the Scandinavian influence that has gripped this state like few others. But, I am probably wrong, so it would be interesting to research.

A good week coming up

Baseball season began a couple of days ago in Japan. There is a game tonight as well. But, Opening Day is tomorrow. The Minnesota Twins open up against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Orange County, Southern California, California, United States of America. Of course, we are supposed to get about 9 inches of snow tomorrow, so it will not seem like Opening Day...more like what might be expected on the day of the Grey Cup. No matter, I will be there. This will be the second year in a row I will have gone to the opener. But, given the weather, it will be one of the few times I will be OK with being in the Jiffy Pop Dome. I am still amazed that the Twins new stadium will have no roof, nor will it be built in a way in which a retractable roof can be added later. I understand why it won't initially have a retractable roof, but to not plan for one in Minnesota is asinine. But, I digress.

But, even better than that, I get to go to the Milwaukee Brewers home opener against the San Francisco Giants on Friday. The Brewers hopefully will have slapped the Chicago Cubs around and served notice that they will be the team to beat in the NL Central. Hopefully by the time I get to Milwaukee there will only be a foot or two of snow on the ground (Milwaukee has had a particularly snowy winter, along with most of the rest of southern Wisconsin). I am really excited about this, as it is the first Brewers home opener I will have ever attended.

So, I am looking forward to this week. Any workweek that is bookended by attending baseball games is a pretty good week in my humble opinion.

Requiem for some dribbling weasels

Well, Cinderella isn't a delicate flower, is she? She kicked Wisconsin's butt in the Sweet 16 last night. Of all the possible outcomes of that game, I did not conceive of the one that happened. That was awful (or awesome depending on your perspective). I knew it was over when the Badgers started jacking up desperation shots with about 10 minutes left in the game, which is very un-Badgerlike. So, Davidson gets to play the Kansas Jayhawks. Kansas should win, but they better watch out.

For Bucky Badger, it was a surprisingly successful season. Losing Alando Tucker and Kammron Taylor did not make things look good going into the season. Frankly, I think Bo Ryan deserves any and all accolades for coaching this team to a 31-5 record. This is not to say there was no talent on the team, but he made more with less. This is not surprising to Badgers fans, of course. Ryan has a system, he plugs players into it, and they are by and large successful. Just ask Michigan State.

It will be interesting to see if the Badgers will maintain this level of play in the Big Ten over the next few years. While the national media bashes the Big Ten at every opportunity, I think there will be an increase in the quality of play, and the Big Ten will resume its role as a power conference. You know Michigan State will be there. Illinois won't be down for long, Indiana will be OK once they get a new coach, Purdue is a team that will be a force in the next few years, Ohio State will have their one-year studs circulating in and out, and even Minnesota will become better with Tubby Smith as the coach...and, having Blake Hoffarber at the end of games will help the Gophers. So, there will be a lot of quality teams looking to knock Bucky off his perch.

Time to take a stand

Something that will probably surface over the time I do this blogging thing is my disdain for the environmental movement. Now, I think that improving the environment is a good thing, but the environmental movement seems to be centered around increased government presence in our lives and reducing property rights. Also, the scare tactics used by the greenies to get their agenda enacted bothers me. So, needling the greenies is something I will probably do from time to time.

With this in mind, I would like to call your attention to Earth Hour. Sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund, and promoted by the Sydney Morning Herald, Earth Hour entails all of us turning off the lights for an hour between 8:00 and 9:00 local time, to help conserve energy. This idea started in Australia, and has spread like wildfire around the world. I understand that even the city of Minneapolis is getting in on the act (hopefully they keep Phillips and most of the north side well-lit, given the crime rates in those areas).

I plan on taking a slightly different tack. I plan on turning on all my lights, charging my phone and iPod, watching TV, listening to the radio, surfing the Internet....and what the heck, turning on my air conditioning unit. So what if it's only 40 degrees outside in Minneapolis? I need to counteract all the heat generated by everything I own being on.

I feel I need to take a stand and do my part to counteract the silliness inherent in Earth Hour. If you agree, please feel free to use all the electricity you want, especially between 8 and 9 pm tonight. After all, you wouldn't want your favorite utility to suffer from less revenue, would you? Their employees have families too, you know.

It's settled: Bans rule!!!

Dr. Dorothy Hatsukami believes she has empirically proven that smoking bans in bars and restaurants reduces the risks associated with smoking for their employees. According to the article, she tested 24 non-smoking employees and found reduced levels of carcinogens. Seems to me that this is patently obvious. However, I am not sure 24 is a large enough sample. In fairness though, she probably had trouble finding non-smoking restaurant and bar employees. This is what I find to be disingenuous about this argument for smoking bans. Anyone with basic observational skills can look at the back door of any restaurant and see the employees throwing down heaters like they were about to be banned in total. I would like to see a survey about that. I bet you can find a lot more than 24 smokers for a study. Heck, you could probably exceed that total at a larger Champps.

Now, I do have to state that it's nice to be able to go out and not smell like stale cigarette smoke when coming home. I think this is the real reason that a ban was passed. It's all aesthetics. Non-smokers don't want to smell like that dirtbag they remember from high school who came into class late after having a smoke by the dumpster. I understand that. And, the proponents said all these people will be coming out of the woodwork and filling up bars and restaurants after the ban passed. Apparently this has not happened (I will look for numbers on this). My problem with smoking bans is this: if there was such a demand for this, you would think bars would voluntarily go smoke-free. And, you would certainly think no one would try to get around the ban. I have never believed that the ban proponents have given a rat's ass about bar employees. I really think it's all about the aesthetics...and power. I mustn't forget that part of the equation.

And always remember, no one put a gun to anyone's head and told them to work at any particular business in the first place.

Watching from the sidelines

I wanted to link to this post from Mr. Dilettante. As my nascent blogroll indicates, he is my brother. The post itself explains the situation and his take on it very well. However, I wanted to share my sideline perspective. When he called to tell me he was going to have surgery, I was on my way to visit a friend who was having a really hard time recovering from brain cancer (ultimately she succumbed to it, unfortunately). Given the timing of the phone call, to be blunt, I was scared. Having lost a number of close relatives over the years (including my parents), anytime anyone in my family goes into the hospital, there is always that lingering doubt. Plus, seeing a good friend deteriorate before my eyes didn't help ease my mind. After the surgery, I visited him a couple of times: once on Easter with his wife and kids, and the next day by myself after work. It was a really nice visit in that we talked about a lot of what we usually talk about: baseball, music, politics, etc. I thought he held up really well, so I was surprised to read how scared he was.

I re-learned a valuable lesson during this time about not taking people for granted. In the ten years since I moved back to Minnesota for school, we have gotten together fairly often, but he largely let me blaze my own trail up here. For that I am grateful because it allowed me to become my own person. However, since the surgery, I have tried (with some success, but not always) to be better about talking with him and being more of a presence in his life, as well as his family. It really occurred to me that he and his family are the only rock I have here in Minnesota. Friends come and go, but they have always been there for me, the punk little brother. Even if it has been somewhat of a pain for him (I don't have a car), I hope it is worth it. It sure is for me.

Here's hoping things continue to flourish for Mr. D.

Long-haired freaky people, need not apply...

..so I took my hair up under my hat, and I went in to ask him why.

The NFL is looking into the possibility of forcing players to tuck their long hair into their helmets. They claim it is a safety issue, and there is a lot of truth to it, but I wonder how the Green Bay Packer secondary is going to handle this? I mean, the players in the secondary look like the Wailers (or at least the Melody Makers).

On the other hand, couldn't the NFL just establish a penalty against hair pulling? I mean, what a sissy way to get a guy!

So sick of winter

Quick question: What will happen first?
A. 8:00 sunset (April 16)
B. A day with a high temperature with 55 degrees

My guess: A high of 55...but not by much, given how this winter is going.

Keep in mind, I mean in the Twin Cities. Our sunset is 15-20 minutes later than eastern and southern Wisconsin.

New start for Bucks

It happened last week, but I wanted to mention the firing of Larry Harris as GM of the Milwaukee Bucks. This is something that should have happened a while ago. He made questionable picks, mucked up the salary cap situation with bad contracts to Bobby Simmons, Dan Gadzuric, etc, and generally wasn't ready for the job. So, now the Bucks are out there looking for a new GM.

I don't have anyone in mind myself. I just want the next GM to realize that the Bucks are either rebuilding or contending. By the way, the correct answer is rebuilding. He needs to get rid of some bad contracts and make some space on the cap. He needs to realize that everyone on the roster (Michael Redd included) is expendable. But, the most important thing he needs to realize is that the Bucks are currently about 5th or 6th on the list of teams people follow in Wisconsin. He needs to build a team that will draw interest, and that will get butts in the seats. It's great that the Bucks have some fans in China due to Yi Jianlian and Australia due to Andrew Bogut, but the most important fanbase is in Wisconsin. It's the people in Wisconsin who are going to go to games. It's the people in Wisconsin who will watch on TV. Most importantly, it's the people in Wisconsin who the Bucks are going to have to convince to build a new arena at some point. Without a GM who is willing to really build a team, and not one with spare parts, it's going to be more of the same.

Skyline jealousy

We have something that is kinda rare: a Nick Coleman column that is actually interesting and doesn't sneer at anything or anyone to the right of Josef Stalin. Like I said in my intro post, I will occasionally blog about cities and urban planning. Here, Coleman talks about the three tallest buildings in Minneapolis: the newly-named Capella Tower, the IDS Center, and the Wells Fargo Tower. Recently, there has been some debate as to which is the tallest, the IDS Center or the Capella Tower. Coleman cites Emporis*, a site I like to look at on occasion, to say that IDS still rules, despite the halo on top of the Capella. I tend to agree with that. I also agree that the Wells Fargo Tower is the nicest of the three. Cesar Pelli did a really nice job with that one. Really, I am not the biggest fan of the Capella Tower. It's nice, but it's rather pedestrian. It isn't a signature building like IDS or Wells Fargo.

Anyway, Coleman thinks it's time for Minneapolis to build something taller. I am pretty certain there isn't a market for a 60-80 story skyscraper at the moment in this city. Perhaps sometime in the future, but not now. There seem to be a few vacancies around here, not to mention downtown St. Paul. This brings me to my only problem with the column, and it's one of my problems with Minneapolis. He perishes the thought that a city like Indianapolis could possibly have a taller building than Minneapolis. How terrible!! I think people here in Minneapolis think they are right on the level of Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles on the list of important American cities, or just a smidge below it. Here's a newsflash, Minneapolis: YOU ARE NOT THAT IMPORTANT!!! That doesn't mean this isn't a great city (if it wasn't, I wouldn't be here). But, I would put Minneapolis on a level with Denver or Seattle. But, Minneapolis (and Minnesota as a whole) likes to think it's more indispensable than it is.

The bottom line is this: Minneapolis has a great skyline. Perhaps it can be added to with a taller building someday, but it's fine for now. I think the market would agree. Hey, it could be worse. You could have Milwaukee's skyline. One tall building, and a ready-made opener to flip someone the bird.

On the other hand, Nick probably has an idea for who could occupy a taller building: Hennepin County! Or, the Met Council!

*Emporis is thorough. It's so thorough, you can even check out their listings on "skyscrapers" in Appleton.

Good news for Anoka County

Zubaz pants are back!!! I remember these monstrosities from the late 80s and early 90s. God, were these things awful. Hammer pants with tiger stripes! What a great thing! I didn't know they were invented here in Minnesota. Wow, that increases the cool factor of this state tenfold. But hey, the ultimate fashion statement for our friends in Blaine, Coon Rapids, and Anoka is back, and there's some celebrating north of 694.

A couple of 1st round picks

Just wanted to put out a couple of picks for some of the 1st round games. I will not post all of them, because as Snoop Dogg says, the game is to be sold, not to be told. But, here are a couple of picks:

(3) Wisconsin over (14) Cal State Fullerton: Yeah, this is really going out on a limb. The Big West champs can score points in bundles (I actually watched part of the Big West title game, mostly because I have no life). However, they are short....really short. There is no one over 6-6 on the team. The Wisconsin bigs should have a field day.

(6) Marquette over (11) Kentucky: I posted earlier about Kentucky's impressive run through the SEC. However, they are hobbling at the moment. The Marquette guards should be able to take advantage.

(9) Arkansas over (8) Indiana: Of course, if the Mr. Hyde Hoosiers show up, all bets are off. Since Kelvin Sampson was fired, the Hoosiers have been inconsistent. And, it's not like Arkansas is all that great. But, I just have an inkling that the Hogs win.

(5) Michigan State over (12) Temple: Another maddeningly inconsistent team in the Spartans. And, I think Temple could pull the upset. Ultimately, I think Sparty moves on, but barely.

(6) Purdue over (11) Baylor: Baylor being in the tournament is a good thing, being that they were down for the count not too long ago. And, apparently they are fun to watch. But, I think Purdue is just a little better and will pull out a victory.

(6) USC over (11) Kansas St: Of course, most people think USC will beat K-State, then beat Wisconsin. I don't know that I see that. But K-State, despite the friendly crowd in Omaha, will fall just short. And, shortly after the tournament, both the USC and K-State fanbases will be disappointed when OJ Mayo and Michael Beasley run to the NBA.

I have gone through the brackets, and have had a hard time picking any major upsets. Last year, there weren't that many (although props are still due to VCU for knocking off Duke in the first round). The one I really really want to pick is George Mason (12) over Notre Dame (5). But, I just don't see it happening.

If I do well here, I may throw a couple of picks out in each round. Or, even if I do poorly here, I may do more picks. It gives me a chance to redeem myself, especially after the god-awful brackets I am turning in tomorrow.

UPDATE: I did OK on these picks (only USC lost), but it was all downhill from there. I am getting decimated on my bracket this year. Those games in Tampa-St. Pete yesterday killed me. Oh well, maybe next year.

One other thing: as I am posting this update, I am watching Pittsburgh play against Michigan State. And, I gotta tell ya, there may be no better announcer on dunks and late in games than Gus Johnson. He just gets so into it. Kevin Harlan is good for that too. Unfortunately, CBS sticks Gus with Len Elmore, who is a good analyst, but boring.

Confession time

First, Eliot Spitzer. Now, his replacement as New York govenor, David Paterson, has admitted to several affairs (and of course he drags the Mrs. along with him to announce this).

I have decided I want to run for office in New York. I'll even move there, Hillary-style. But first, I have a confession. One time, I got a woman's phone number in Madison when I was kinda sorta having a long-distance relationship (I lived in Minnesota, she was back home). I didn't call the number ever, but I got it. Could I at least be a state rep? I'll even represent an unpopular town like Binghamton, Elmira, or even Plattsburgh. Or, would I have needed to call that number to qualify? Just wondering.

Making hay out of gusset plates

Minnesota Democrat James Oberstar, who represents Duluth and the Iron Range, is upset because the National Transportation Safety Board won't have a hearing into the 35W bridge collapse while the investigation is ongoing. Of course, he was also upset when it was announced by the NTSB that the design of the gusset plates was looked at as a major cause of the bridge collapse. Oh, Oberstar is the chair of the House Transportation Committee. I don't mean to read into this, but I wonder if Oberstar is upset because he (and the rest of the Minnesota DFL) couldn't pin it on Tim Pawlenty, or more specifically, former MNDOT commissioner Carol Molnau (who is "former" due to what could objectively be called a witchhunt). The supposed purpose of a public hearing would be to quell political debate in Minnesota. Again, I don't mean to question motives, but is the fact that a Democratic representative and the two Dem members of the board are calling for this meeting kind of making it more political? Have they not already received what they wanted, the scalp of Molnau on a platter? Of course, they do want it to be more political. I think there are a lot of people in the DFL party who want to hold all the levers of state power. The fact that a Republican is the governor craws at them. And, having a public hearing in DC about the bridge collapse could show that maybe there weren't enough inspections, so by proxy they can pin the whole thing on Pawlenty, or more generally the GOP, hence throwing the GOP bums out next time around. I doubt it gets much more political than that.

March Madness - the best time of year

I love the NCAA tournament. To me, it is the best sporting event of the year. 65 teams playing basketball, it's sort of a free-for-all. Anyway, just a couple of quick preliminary thoughts on teams of local interest.

Minnesota - NIT-bound, but rate mention because they have improved drastically with Tubby Smith as the coach. And, Blake Hoffarber's buzzer-beater against Indiana in the Big Ten tournament was the most exciting thing to happen in Gopher basketball in quite some time. For what it's worth, Minnesota is playing Maryland in the first round of the NIT. Maryland has been on the skids lately, losing 5 of their last 6. Here's a tip for Maryland: wear Illinois uniforms. But, I think with Tubby Smith at the helm, the Gophers will be a team that will get to the NCAA tournament as soon as next year.

Wisconsin - They are the 3-seed in the Midwest and start out with Cal State-Fullerton, which is probably better known for its baseball team (meanwhile Wisconsin doesn't have baseball). I don't know that they shouldn't have been a 2-seed, but the Big Ten apparently is on its way to being a mid-major, so I guess a 3-seed isn't bad. The upside is that if they get to the Sweet 16, they could have a somewhat friendly crowd in Detroit. The downside is that Kansas is the #1 seed. If Wisconsin somehow gets to Kansas, I think the Jayhawks run them out of the gym. And, that's only if they get past Georgetown. But, they don't seem to get any respect nationally. It seems a lot of prognosticators think the USC-Kansas State winner will beat Wisconsin.

Marquette - They are the 6-seed in the South and get to play Kentucky. I can't get a good read on Kentucky. Going 12-4 in the SEC is a big deal, but they didn't do much out of conference. Also, they were one of Georgia's victims in the Bulldogs' unbelievable run through the SEC tournament. As for Marquette, they have the guard play to make a run, but the Golden Eagles just got through a bruising run through the Big East. And, MU hasn't been consistent lately. I think they beat Kentucky, but are going to have a hard time beating Stanford. At this point, it would be nice for a Tom Crean-coached team to get past the first round without Dwyane Wade.

As for the national title, without having analyzed the bracket that much as of yet, I can't say for sure. But, I am really impressed with Kansas. I am also pretty impressed with North Carolina, although Clemson gave them a game today. I may come back with some first round picks for games that interest me.

Regardless, this is the best sporting event of the year. I like it more than the World Series or the Super Bowl, or the BCS (which sucks).

You stay classy, murdering dude

Just saw this gem of an article. Dontaro Riddley was convicted of a couple of murder charges, and proceeds to go on a verbal tear because he doesn't get to decide his sentencing date. He looks at the victims' family and says something not repeatable here (well I could, but I don't care to) on his way out of the courtroom. What a guy!

Tell you what, that is probably not a good PR move. Of course, anyone who kills people is probably not well-versed in public relations, but saying what he said to the family is just incredibly stupid. On the other hand, he already knows his sentence, so I suppose he doesn't care who he offends. Still, not showing remorse, and in fact cursing out the families of the victims as a parting shot, is not a good move. It certainly isn't Minnesota Nice. Hey, Minnesota Nice...that may be the topic of the next Stinger rant...dare to dream, readership (which may number in the high single digits!!).

Milwaukee loses bowling HQ

In the most terrible corporate theft by Texas against Wisconsin since these guys left Neenah in the 80s, the United States Bowling Congress has decided to move HQ to Arlington, Texas. A newly formed regional economic development group called the "Milwaukee 7" tried to keep the HQ in the area, but failed miserably. I think that they jumped in too late. There are probably perfectly good reasons for this move (uh, taxes) in addition to what the article cites, but there is just something wrong with no bowling congress being in Milwaukee. Milwaukee was the bowling capital of the world. Back in the day, half the damn city left work, and proceeded to go bowling. Of course, half the companies that these people worked for are either no longer in the city or no longer in existence (Allis-Chalmers, Tower Automotive). Now, the USBC will work with the BPAA (Bowling Proprietors' Association of America) to try to save bowling. It will be interesting to see if that supposed synergy that paved the way for this move will work (it won't).

All I gotta say is that the Milwaukee 7 needs to do better if they want to keep Miller from moving HQ to Denver, Chicago, Dallas, or elsewhere. If Milwaukee loses the last major beer producer, I am not sure what Milwaukee will be anymore. It's too bad, Milwaukee isn't that bad a city. But stuff like this makes Milwaukee look like a city in irreversible decline. As much as a lot of Wisconsin doesn't think they need Milwaukee, they do. Milwaukee is what keeps Wisconsin from being Iowa. Wisconsin needs Milwaukee to be a thriving city again.

Arrested in '08??

Oh Eliot Spitzer, you couldn't keep it in your pants, could you? The governor of New York, apparently tired of the cheap to mid-range women of Albany-Schenectady-Troy, decided to go for the high-priced call girls in DC. I am sure there is a point about keeping money in the local economy, and upstate New York needs all the help it can get, but I digress. Client #9 was wiretapped while making arrangements to go to Washington for a high-priced tryst. Oh well, at least she was female and at least he didn't assume a wide stance at a bathroom at MSP, right Larry Craig? Anyway, Eliot Spitzer is best known for shaking down companies...I mean, he was best known for righting wrongs committed by evil corporations, and parlaying that into being elected governor. This is true even though most everyone knew Spitzer was only doing this to position for a gubernatorial run. While some are calling for his resignation, I think Gov. Spitzer ought to use this in his reelection campaign in 2010. He can say he's screwing hookers like corporations screw you. It would be great!!

I am really starting to think that the biggest difference between Republicans and Democrats is who they screw. I suppose that applies politically as well.

OK, I know he likely won't get arrested for this, but I liked the synergy in post titles. Deal with it!

UPDATE: I forgot to mention another great aspect of political sex scandals, that being dragging the wife with you to the press conference when you get caught. Erica Perez, usually a lifestyle blogger with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, talks about this aspect of it. I agree with every word of what she posted.

Arrested in '09??

I am pretty excited about this potential movie. For those who know, Arrested Development was a comedy that aired on Fox from 2003-2006. I was a huge fan of the show, and was amongst the few million who were extremely disappointed when Fox canceled it (plus ran the final four episodes against the opening ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics). To me, this show never got a real chance to build an audience, and is amongst the funniest TV shows EVER!! I think it ranks up there with Seinfeld, Cheers, Mary Tyler Moore, and The Bob Newhart Show. The show was about a rich family whose patriarch (played brilliantly by Jeffrey Tambor) was arrested for using the company as his personal piggy bank. It starred Jason Bateman, who played Michael Bluth, the "good son," who tried to be honest in his dealings. The show also featured Will Arnett, Portia de Rossi, Tony Hale, David Cross, Jessica Walter, and Michael Cera (who played possibly the most nervous kid ever). Oh, and it was narrated by Ron Howard. So, to actually hear people like Jason Bateman and Will Arnett talk openly about a movie is really exciting! I don't believe anything is really official yet, but I am one person who will probably see this movie the day it comes out. In the meantime, I think G4 still has Arrested Development reruns. Or, rent or buy the DVDs of all three seasons and check it out.

Welcome Mr. Dilettante readers

My wonderful brother linked to this blog, so I should welcome anyone with the gumption to actually come here. Right now I don't post much, and I seem to be posting sports-related stuff. But, I don't want this to be a sports blog exclusively. If you look at my intro post, that should give an idea of what I would like to do with this. So, hopefully some of you will come around on occasion. However, I don't have a whole lot of smack talk about Kate Knuth, Mr. D's MN House rep. OK, the bathroom access for all bill was a joke. My state rep is Margaret Anderson Kelliher. The only way she would get bounced is if she suddenly started voting against tax increases and for decreased spending. The Kenwood liberals on the other side of my district wouldn't like that much. And the Loring libs on my side of the district would really get mad if Kelliher did that.

Anyway, a hearty welcome to all, and hopefully I don't stink up the joint too much.

"What about Brett Fav-ruh?"

Brett Favre, the great QB for the Green Bay Packers since 1992, decided to call it a career. I was very surprised at the move, considering that I think the Pack could have made another run to the Super Bowl, and win it. Favre decided that there is no guarantee of this was enough for him to retire instead of going through the slog of training camp. He said he is mentally tired.

I was fortunate to see him play one last game in 2007. For years, friends in Kansas City and I talked about seeing the Packers play the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. So, I knew for awhile that I was going to go to that game. In that game, Favre took another thing off his to-do list, as in beating the Chiefs. It was the last team the Packers had not beaten under Favre. He threw a couple of picks, but threw a beautiful pass to Greg Jennings to put them up for good late in the game. At that point, Arrowhead (a very tough place to play) pretty much became Lambeau Mid-America. I am very glad I got to see that. That was a good way for me to end my live viewing of Brett Favre.

I figure I saw about a dozen or so games started by Favre, including his first start against Pittsburgh in 1992. I was 16, a junior in high school, and lucked out when my stepbrother had an extra ticket to the game. At the time, I wasn't sure what to think about Favre. I am pretty sure I was counting down the weeks until Don Majkowski would come back. I do remember wanting to keep an eye on the Sterling Sharpe/Rod Woodson matchup. But, what I had read was that Favre had a great arm, and that he had been injured seriously during college. But, the Packers won that game.

Anyway, while I would much rather have Favre make one last run, I can do nothing but wish him a happy retirement! Thank you for playing as long and as well as you did! Thank you for allowing me to be a fan of a Super Bowl champion. Thank you for playing the game all out at all times. Thank you for making the Green Bay Packers relevant again.

Not a good day

So I have not felt well these past few days. The flu bug got me. This particular flu virus has a sick sense of humor. I got sick last Thursday, felt terrible on Friday, but felt OK on Saturday. Sunday, I felt totally sick again. Monday, not good. Today, I started out feeling OK, but had leg cramps. For the life of me I don't know what leg cramps have to do with the flu, but there they were. I left work early today for the first time in five years.

Then, as if the wicked flu virus wasn't enough, this happens. I'll have more to say about Brett Favre later, but for now just suffice it to say that the Packers, the NFL, and sports in general lost one of the true embodiments of greatness.