Well....

...hello out there. Been a long time since I've been here. Just figured I'd check to see if anyone is paying attention. I've been really busy of late. Perhaps I'll fill you in sometime soon.

Last five

Trying again to do a twist on the whole Last Five/Next Five thing...having multiple blogs to post on is one way. The last five is here, but the next five is over here. Once again, you get to guess what the songs are.

1. "Is it any wonder I found peace with you."
2. "You're pushing me, you're breaking; overtaking me you're racing."
3. "Bonafide ride, step aside my Johnson; yes I could in the woods of Wisconsin."
4. "Tell Bill Clinton to go and inhale."
5. "Don't you push your drugs in my face or I'll put you in your place."

Remember, next five can be found here.

Street lights, people...oh-oh-ohhhhhhhhh!!!

Just saw this article talking about the rise of "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey back into American conciousness. I don't know that you can really pinpoint when this song became what it is today. My guess is that it happened the same way Pabst Blue Ribbon became popular unexpectedly a few years ago...as a joke.

It is undeniable that this song is everywhere...also this song. I can't wait until they really try to make grunge songs into sports anthems next decade.

Union 1, Fond du Lac 0

Mercury Marine is a pretty familiar name to anyone with an interest in boating. They have had their headquarters and a lot of their manufacturing operations in Fond du Lac, WI for many, many years. But, this will soon come to an end as their union rejected a contract with, to be fair, some pretty serious concessions. The management side has said throughout the process that they needed these concessions to remain competitive while maintaining operations in Fond du Lac. Now that the contract has been rejected, Mercury Marine seems intent on consolidating their operations in Stillwater, OK (a non-union shop).

This is part of the problem with unions. Unions once served a purpose, but now are a parasitic block between employee and employer, with little purpose other than perpetuating itself. In this instance, union solidarity is going to cost a decent-sized city (Fondy has 41,000 people) one of its largest employers. Bloated labor costs, largely due to unions, are the cause of a lot of the problems that have been plaguing automakers (not all, but a lot).

What unions need to remember is that the largest cost in any business is labor. If unions continually increase the cost of labor artificially, this starts to impact the bottom line. Companies have to increase the cost of their products, which....well, I don't think it is necessary to explain the laws of supply and demand. So, when less product is moved, something has to give. Unfortunately for Fond du Lac, they are what's going to give.

Sorry Fond du Lac, but the parasites won.

Judas...Benedict...Brett...Desperado

Ever since a buddy at work sent me an email stating that Mark Rosen had a scoop on Brett Favre, I have been struggling to not curse at every opportunity. Frankly, I am livid that Favre is now a Viking. To me, this is unforgivable.

I started writing this last night, which is the paragraph above. But, having had a chance to sleep on it, here are my thoughts on this. The main theme here is desperation.

1. Despite his protestations to the contrary, Favre is desperate to get back at Ted Thompson for a perceived slight. Favre believes that Ted Thompson disrespected him by not letting Favre come out of retirement and re-assume the starting job in Green Bay. Then, trading him to the Jets? I really believe that Favre remains upset about not getting a poke at the Packers last season. So, while revenge is not the only reason Favre did this, it's definitely a consideration.

2. According to Randy Shaver on KARE11, Brad Childress called Favre and asked him to come back on Monday night. This makes sense, as Brad Childress is probably on the hot seat. Childress wants to keep his job, and saw that his QBs of Sage Rosenfels and Tavaris Jackson weren't doing enough. So, Brad calls his buddy and begs him to reconsider. But, this is a big gamble on Childress' part. If this backfires at all (and I can't help but think it might), Chilly is done in Minnesota. The fans and ownership labor under the impression that this team with Favre can win the Super Bowl. Anything less than a deep playoff run is probably going to cost Childress his job, especially now. The ante has been upped.

3. Of course, the owner of the Vikings signed off on this. Zygi Wilf (known around here as Ziggy Piggy) owns a franchise that people were losing interest in fast. Prior to this signing, only two of the Vikings home games were sold out (Green Bay and Chicago, which draw considerable attendance from opposing fans). In this economy, and with thousands of seats available for the other games, Fox 9 and WCCO are likely not in a position to buy the other tickets to avoid local TV blackouts due to decreased advertising revenue.

The other thing to consider is how badly the Vikings want a new stadium. They have one of the worst stadium situations in the NFL. Their division rivals all have new or renovated stadiums, and are making money hand-over-fist (well, maybe not Detroit so much). Ziggy Piggy wants more revenue streams, and is just not going to get them in the Jiffy Pop Dome. With a moribund franchise who has never won a Super Bowl, this definitely wasn't going to happen. Signing Brett Favre is a gamble that could really pay off if the Vikings actually won a Super Bowl with him. This is sure to increase pressure on the state legislature to get a stadium deal done...Ziggy Piggy knows something has to give, because right now the state government has no interest in forking over money for a new stadium.

So, why did Brett Favre come to the Vikings? I believe a ton of desperation on all sides has a lot to do with this. And, here's hoping it blows up in their face.

Go Pack!

Green Bay: You Can Leave Your Trash Behind

WARNING: Wisconsin-centric post coming up:

All right, a chance to engage in Appleton snobbery (because, other than the Packers, Green Bay is completely inferior to the Fox Cities)!! Austin Straubel "International" Airport is lucky enough to receive a garbage sterilizer for disposing of trash from international flights. According to the linked article, officials believe that this could serve as an impetus to have more international flights come into Green Bay.

Three things here: First, the idea that any international commercial flights will ever come into Green Bay is laughable. Per the airport website, you can fly directly from Green Bay to the following cities:

Chicago (O'Hare)
Minneapolis-St. Paul
Detroit
Milwaukee
Marquette, MI

Yes, I am sure the direct flights from Heathrow, de Gaulle, Narita, Pearson, Frankfurt, etc will quickly be added to the list. Never mind not having any flights to states that don't border Wisconsin, Straubel will get them all.

Even Appleton's crappy little airport serves more destinations (Las Vegas, Orlando, Atlanta, and Denver are all direct destinations from ATW, although in fairness there is no direct flight from Appleton to Marquette. That must be one of the loneliest customs offices in the country over there at Straubel.

Second, if private international flights need to go to a city with a real airport, they are not going to go to Green Bay because they can dump their trash there. Imagine how this might go:

Pilot: "You know, you have a meeting in Chicago, but we need to get rid of this trash, so we're diverting to Green Bay, Wisconsin. Sure, you need to go to Chicago, but in Green Bay, you can clear customs faster...and, no trash."

Rich international flyer: "Uh, how far is Green Bay from Chicago?"

Pilot: "336 kilometers."

RIF: "Wrong answer, we're flying to Chicago."

Third, what reason short of the Packers does anyone outside of the Midwest ever have to go to Green Bay? Bay Beach? The National Railroad Museum? Oh wait, I know...it's because Preble High School has a huge following throughout the world. That must be it. That's why people will want to come to Green Bay from all over the world, the Green Bay Preble Hornets.

Come to Green Bay!! Don't worry about your exotic trash, we'll take care of it!

Hi kettle, this is pot...

Wisconsinites can't drive, says a Minnesotan. Do Wisconsinites tend to obey the speed limit...yeah, to some extent. Wisconsin has a Gestapo for a State Patrol, so speed limits tend to be obeyed (let's not even talk about Rosendale)...so, we're a little slow. But, for any Minnesotan to claim that anyone from anywhere is worse than they are is WRONG!!! Minnesotans, you suck at driving!!!! You are supposed to let people in when they are merging onto a freeway!! I swear, people think they lose if they let someone in. You are supposed to use turn signals when you switch lanes and, you know, make turns!!! Turn signals are not merely for decorative purposes. They serve a purpose. Oh, one other thing...the left lane is for passing (although in fairness, some Sconnies hang out in the left lane like idiots too).

I have figured this out even though I rarely ever drive. Minnesotans, I generally love ya (except for your stupid-ass pro football team), but you claiming Sconnies are bad drivers is, to quote Trimuph the Insult Comic Dog, like poop telling vomit it stinks!!

Follow the Stinger...

...as I begin contributing to Mr D's neighborhood. This does not mean the end of Stinger Nation, though. I am hoping by occasionally throwing some posts up there, that blog writing gets back into my blood and I post here more often. So anyway, see what I do there and here if you dare.

Time to state the obvious...

...I am on a hiatus. I pretty much have been for a couple of months. I am not sure what I want to do with this. Until I figure it out, I will likely not post at all. Thanks to anyone who has read this blog. I have tried to make salient points, and/or give you a chuckle. But, this is all for now.

Later...

I walk the line, and you pay for it

From Captain Capitalism, the latest and greatest in my city. I wonder if I'll be celebrated as a walking champion because I walk to and from work. I have no problem with the concept of people walking more. It's probably a good idea from a health standpoint. But, do we really need tax dollars going to this? Isn't the "Do" campaign from Blue Cross & Blue Shield effective enough?

Here's a game for you. Read the PDF of the actual program, and find one different item that you think is ridiculous. There is a treasure trove of crap here. Have at it!! Or, if you agree with the program and its method of payment, enlighten me as to why I am wrong to mock it.

Everything is great in Monona

So once again a city in Wisconsin is tangling with the burning issue of whether they should allow chickens in their burg. First it was Neenah (link to the old article no longer works, so no link), now it's Monona, a suburb of Madison. It seems the proponents here are dirty hippies who take the whole "sustainable living" thing to the extreme...you know, because all corporate food is evil and bad for you and will kill you dead.

But, I am glad that things are so great in Monona. I will have to remember that next time I am in the Madison area.

Stupid Minnesotans - 1

I once posted about how I claim to be from Windom, MN whenever some embarrasing story comes out of Wisconsin. Well, no Sconnie is dumb enough to do this....at age 21!!! So, to all Minnesotans, you may temporarily claim this as your hometown. I grew up in that general vicinty, so I will vouch for you.

About the story itself...lady, is your life so boring up in Cambridge that you actually resorted to prank calls...TO YOUR GRANDMOTHER?!!! First off, prank calls are a bad idea these days, what with callerID and the like. Then, she threatens to kill her as a joke. I know, joking about offing your relatives is comedy gold. But, you may not want to do it to a close relative. There's at least a small chance they know your voice.

I am so glad this didn't happen in Wisconsin, because if it did, I would have to cheer for the Windom Eagles for a few days.

Watch out for those rolling heads

I apologize in advance for the tone of this post, but when you read it, you'll know why.

Yesterday was an interesting day at the office...somewhat unexpectedly, a bunch of people were sent on their way. I say somewhat unexpectedly because the company I work for has largely been bucking the overall trend in the economy. Of course, I can't verify this because we are a division of a another company that went private a few years ago. But, we are acquiring new business on a regular basis. So, I was surprised at the sheer number of people let go. Now, this has happened before in some departments, but not across the board. This is new ground for me, so needless to say yesterday was kind of a scary day.

Unfortunately, a good friend of mine was amongst those let go. That made it hard for me to focus on my work. This is obviously going to make it more difficult to remain friends with this person, but I have to try. Some people are worth the effort.

I managed to avoid the guillotine this time around. Actually, things are going pretty well for me at work. I am assuming more responsibility and taking on more work...which is another reason why yesterday's events shook me quite a bit.

Happy weekend, indeed. I think I will take my thoughts and head down to Lake Calhoun.

If I don't post again soon (which is likely), have a great 4th, everyone!!

Bad day to be a celebrity

Have to note the passing of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. Farrah Fawcett's peak of popularity happened before I was old enough to pay attention to such things as this poster. But, she had quite the career. I don't know enough about her life to say much, but she was beautiful.

I do remember Michael Jackson's peak of popularity though. I was just starting to pay attention to music when Thriller came out. It is hard to understate just how amazing this album is. There is not a bad song on here. There is not a merely OK song on it. Every song is at least good, and most are great to outstanding. He made iconic videos for this album, and really changed the music industry. He made two more solid albums, and then...well, let's not talk about that today. Despite those things we are not talking about, he was an excellent singer who made great music.

RIP

Since we seem to like quizzes...

...I think we'll have a general trivia quiz. Here are ten questions, ranging across many topics, but with an easy-to-decipher theme (so easy, I'll tell you...each question has some connection to Arizona). But, this is my first quiz, so I have to figure out how to more subtly make a theme.

Whoever answers all 10 questions correctly first wins...well, nothing, except the respect of all Stinger Nation readers. Frankly, I expect this to be done quickly. I made this pretty easy.

1. What university aims to potentially have an enrollment of 90,000 students in 15 years or so? Follow-up question: Why?

Answer: Arizona State, basically because the state dictated it. Given Arizona's enormous rate of growth, they expect more demand for their universities. Arizona State is expected to take up 90% of the growth slack.

2. Glenn Frey sang about standing on a corner in what city?

Answer: Winslow, AZ. "It's a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford." I really don't care for the Eagles much.

3. Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald went to which high school?

Answer: Holy Angels in Richfield, MN...thus, a local angle on this quiz

4. Trey Wilson was an unpainted furniture store owner in what movie?

Answer: Raising Arizona...which if you haven't seen, you should

5. Which team was the Phoenix Suns' sister expansion NBA franchise?

Answer: Milwaukee Bucks...both came into the league in 1968. Interestingly, the Suns have been more successful overall, but the Bucks have one championship...Phoenix has none.

6. What/where is Shadow Mountain?

Answer: It is a high school in NE Phoenix (Paradise Valley). For hoops fans, it is best known as Mike Bibby's alma mater. Had to throw one obscure one out at you.

7. Why was Public Enemy so upset that they wrote a controversial song about the potential assassination of the governor?

Answer: "By the Time I Get to Arizona" was written in response to Arizona being slow to make MLK Day a holiday. Mark made the point about them imagining rather violent means to honor a man who preached non-violence.

8. How many TV markets are largely based in Arizona?

Answer: Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, Yuma

9. How did we acquire the southern part of Arizona?

Answer: Gadsden Purchase...basically purchasing right-of-way for a railroad if I am not mistaken.

10. Put in order by population the following cities: Tempe, Kingman, Flagstaff, Chandler, Tucson, Yuma, Apache Junction, Nogales, Surprise, Peoria

Answer (based on 2000 census, which means this order is likely no longer correct..for example, Surprise has tripled in population since 2000): 1. Tucson (486,699); 2. Chandler (176,581); 3. Tempe (158,625); 4. Peoria (108,364); 5. Yuma (77,515); 6. Flagstaff (52,894); 7. Apache Junction (31,814); 8. Surprise (30,848); 9. Nogales (20,878); Kingman (20,069)

Bonus: Which Peoria is bigger; Arizona or Illinois?

Answer: Peoria, AZ recently became bigger than Peoria, IL.

UPDATE: Answers are now posted with the questions.

The most important news....EVER!!!!!

This was one of the main headlines on the hometown paper's website. Things must be great all over the Valley, not just in Neenah.

By the way, the official view of Stinger Nation is that pretty much all "reality" shows suck. But, it's my own generation's fault for giving "The Real World" on MTV the ratings necessary for this to happen....and, I include me in the blame. I was into the first 4-6 seasons of that show. So, I am sorry.

Quiz time, suckas!!

When I first started at my current job, I ended up reading Isaac Asimov's Super Quiz every morning to my co-workers (mostly because when someone else did it, I answered too many questions and ruined the fun). I announced when it was time to do the quiz by saying the subject line of this post.

But, we aren't doing the Super Quiz. This is kind of a twist on the "Last 5, Next 5." Instead of just listing the songs, I am going to put down a line of lyrics, and you will tell me what the next five songs are (really, last five as I have to listen to them first). This should be pretty easy, as I am on a pop song kick of late (or cheeseball song kick, depending on perspective). I make no guarantees that you will like any of these.

1. "All around the world, statues crumble for me."
2. "I remember standing on the corner at midnight, trying to get my courage up."
3. "Why is the bedroom so cold, turned away on your side?"
4. "We don't follow fashion, that would be a joke."
5. "Never trust a big butt and a smile."

Good luck...shouldn't be too hard.

UPDATE: Here are the answers:

1. "Fly" by Sugar Ray.
2. "Main Street" by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
3. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Joy Division
4. "Goody Two Shoes" by Adam Ant

And, the elusive answer to #5...."Poison" by Bell Biv DeVoe. I am kinda disappointed in Amanda for not getting this one. Something tells me that song played at her school dances back in the day. Lord knows it played at mine.

Reunited, and it feels so...hey, where is everyone??

So I had my 15-year class reunion last weekend. We had it 28 miles from where we went to high school (went to Kimberly High School, had the reunion in Oshkosh), but I have to say that a rooftop patio with a great view of Lake Winnebago is pretty good. And, it was a beautiful evening weather-wise. Anyway, I don't think my class has figured out the whole reunion thing yet. My five-year reunion had about 30% attendance. We didn't have a ten-year, and the 15-year reunion had about 25% attendance. So, we are struggling with the general concept of a reunion. Hopefully we will collectively figure it out in the future.

But, I do have to say that it was the right 25%. With a few exceptions, pretty much everyone I was interested in seeing was there. It was a reunion of old friends as much as it was classmates. I was at least friendly with everyone there back in high school, and they were all great to be around last weekend. If nothing else, hopefully I can have a fuller social calendar whenever I go back to Appleton.

Just when I thought I had nothing else to say...

...people start talking about suing regarding the unallotment process that Tim Pawlenty is doing to balance the state budget (you know, because the DFL-dominated Legislature passed budgets they knew had no chance of being enacted). Anyone in the viewing area of Twin Cities TV stations has seen story after story trotting out supposed victims of this process and how we are going to be absolutely devastated by this.

Anyway, if the Dems go forward, I can see the commercials now. "First, they try to push through tax hikes, but fail. Now, they are suing to raise your taxes." Frankly, I don't think that is an unfair assessment. So, while I believe a lot of people in this state are completely behind the idea of suing Pawlenty (or the state, however that would work), I believe most will see this as it is...a blatant attempt to circumvent an established process with the specific intention to derail any political advancement that may happen to Tim Pawlenty. They want his scalp.

UPDATE: OK, while I do think they want T-Paw's scalp, to say that is their specific intention is too conspiratorial. It is not their specific intention, but it is one of them, IMHO. I wonder though if they really think they are going to get another crack to raise taxes? Do they think if they win, they'll get to pass a budget and have it bypass the governor?

Conkey's is conked out of business

A bit of sad news from Appleton, that really doesn't matter in the grand scheme, unless you are in or from there. But, this is a story that has happened many times before in every city in America, so most everyone can relate at least a little. Conkey's Bookstore, which has been open in downtown Appleton for 113 years, is about to close. It was beat out by Barnes & Noble....this is quantifiable in this case, as B&N offered a lower-priced contract to be the bookstore for students at Fox Valley Technical College. This represented half of Conkey's business. It's hard to make up a drop like that.

I remember going into Conkey's as a kid and buying Choose Your Own Adventure books. Any child of the 80s knows those books. Other times, there were books I wanted to buy that I couldn't afford. But, there were always a lot of interesting books there, many of which were hard to find elsewhere in Appleton. The last book I bought from there was a book on new urbanism by former Milwaukee mayor John Norquist. This was in 1998, not long before I moved back to Minneapolis. Can't say I agreed with everything in that book, but books like that are why I browsed Conkey's somewhat regularly.

I am not generally one to lament the loss of local businesses to national chains. In our economic world, if someone can sell the same product at a better price, they are going to get business. I know that lamenting local stores closing is a cause celebre for some people, specifically when it comes to Wal-Mart. I am not with these people, and this is not why I am posting about this. But, that doesn't mean losing an institution (and Conkey's was an institution) doesn't sting at least a little. Conkey's was a great bookstore for a city like Appleton, and Appleton is a little less cool for losing Conkey's. I am not aware of another quality independent bookstore in Appleton. Perhaps I have one more book purchase in me over on 226 E College Ave.

Hey Badgers fans...quick question

How many of you thought this man would be coaching a team in the NBA Finals 14 years after taking one of the most talented teams (on paper) in Wisconsin history to a 14-15 record? Notice how that entry kindly omits any mention of his college coaching days in Madison.....hmmm. How does a team with Tracy Webster, Michael Finley, and Rashard Griffith go 14-15?

He's had Paw-lenty

Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty is not going to run for a third term. I have to admit to being surprised at this. Even though there has been and continues to be speculation that T-Paw has national aspirations, I kinda thought he would try for a third term. As someone who thinks T-Paw has done a pretty good job as governor (most commenters on the Strib would disagree), I think whoever replaces him is going to have tough shoes to fill. He largely held the line on taxes (the "health impact fee" notwithstanding), and has managed to serve as an effective counter to the DFL-dominated legislature. Of course, critics say taxes did increase under his watch, and technically they are right. But, they seem to conveniently forget that he does not control local spending. If local governments can't hold the line, that's on them, not Pawlenty.

As for his chances on the national stage, I would say that he might do decently, but he does not have the national profile required to win the GOP nomination yet. I suppose having two years will give him that chance, though.

As for the 2010 gubernatorial election, this could become really interesting. I can't think of people on the GOP side who might win...yet. I have long believed that this state is returning to form, and now that T-Paw is not running, I have a feeling we may have the first DFL governor since Rudy Perpich. Then everything will be better, right Strib commenters?

Sweeps, meets, and other stuff (or, how was your weekend, Stinger?)

I had a good Memorial Day weekend. Not as good as these two, but still pretty decent (BTW, congratulations!).

While those two were getting married, I took my nephew and niece to a Brewers game against the Twins. While the Twins won, I had fun with them anyway. For me, it was something new. I had never taken them anywhere without at least one of their parents. I had never gone anywhere with kids being the adult in charge before. I have to admit to being a little scared at the idea, but I think it went well. It helps that they are not little kids anymore.

The next day, I met this guy. I enjoyed hanging out with him (as well as Mr. D) at MOA, and it was nice to meet one of the first supporters of this little adventure. A little heavy on the Bears gear, but hey, nobody's perfect. We saw something that was pretty shocking when we were there, but I am sure Gino will fill us in himself (he took video and everything).

Interspersed with these activities were a couple of nights out in the Warehouse District and another Twins win over my Brewers. I have a theory on why the Twins seem to beat the Brewers with regularity (and no, it's not because the Brewers suck). I may have to put my theory out there for peer review.

Is this irony, or just funny?

This would be one of the funnier buyouts we will have ever seen if it happens. I think this is a good opportunity to come up with as many one-liners, jokes, quips, and the like as possible. Play along at home!!

Trebek!!

Just saw the latest "Celebrity Jeopardy" sketch from last night's SNL. It was actually one of the best ones of these, and there have been a lot of good ones. Check it out.

My nephew Vinny

So I was going to post about my new nephew, but because others can apparently blog at work while I, you know, work at work, I was beaten to it. All you need to know is here.

30

So it's my blogging buddy Amanda's birthday today!! She has reached the beginning of a really fun decade (well, my 30s have rocked so far). So that she can see how much fun turning 30 can be, I will relay the story of my 30th birthday. Warning, this is a long post...

12:00 midnight (1/1/06): I am in Neenah, WI at a bar whose name escapes me. I am with my good friend Sean and a bunch of his friends ringing in the New Year (for those who don't know, I am a New Year's baby). Being that I am in Wisconsin, the bars do not have to close at the usual bar time. So, we stay at this bar until 3:30 am.

4:00 am: The Neenah bar we were at got lame, so we piled into a car and headed north to Appleton (really Grand Chute), with high hopes that we could continue the celebration at a bar called The Bar. Unfortunately for us, they had just closed. Being that we are in Grand Chute, there are no other real options nearby. So...

4:15 am: Sean and I are walking up railroad tracks bellowing "More than Words" by Extreme. We are on the way to his place. I received a couple of happy birthday calls at this point.

4:45 am: We arrive at Sean's place. He grabs each of us a beer, and we put in "Back to the Future." I should note that Sean and I have done this same routine many times back in the day when I still lived back in Appleton.

5:30 am: Around this time, I pass out. Apparently Biff Tannen was boring me.

8:00 am: I am jolted awake to a phone call that went like this:
Me: Hello?
Sister: Mike!! Where the hell are you?!! The drunk bus leaves at 9!!
Me: Huh??
Sister: We're going to the Packer game today, remember?!!
Me: Oh shit!! I am at Sean's!!
Sister: Your brother is coming to get you.

8:15 am: My brother arrives and runs me back to his house where I am staying. I shower, get ready, then get a lift back to The Bar, which was not there for me four hours ago.

9:00 am: I get on the drunk bus, get handed a beer, and we head up to Green Bay.

10:30 am: The drunk bus drops us off at The Bar on Holmgren Way. I am running on fumes, but a Packer game demands my full attention. So be it!

12:00ish: We walk into Lambeau Field and watch the Packers play a Seattle Seahawks team that was largely resting their starters. Meanwhile, the Packers were at 3-12, and we were thinking we may have been watching the last game of Brett Favre...little did we know what would happen over the next several years.

1:00 pm: I am dragging ass, so I stop drinking beer for a spell and switch to Coke. I need caffeine...bad.

3:00 pm: The Packers beat Seattle 23-17. We wonder if we saw the last of Brett Favre. Back to The Bar.

4:30 pm: The drunk bus hits the road heading back towards Grand Chute.

6:00 pm: Nap time...and trying to decide whether I should go out that night.

7:30 pm: Decision made...it's off to The Bar (on the Avenue). I hang out with my sister and anyone else hanging around.

8:50 pm: Goodbye, 20s. I officially turn 30. I celebrate the moment by taking another pull off of my Miller Lite.

2:00 am: I can't believe I closed it down....good God, something is very wrong with me....phew, what a birthday!!

OK, so that is my 30th birthday. It was a great way to begin my 30s. So, while Amanda's 30th might not be this event-filled, hopefully her 30s are as good as mine have been so far.

Happy birthday, Amanda!!

17

This is how many consecutive times the Brewers have defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates (they won 8-5 tonight). This is difficult to do in any sport, but in baseball it's hard to string together more than a couple of wins consecutively against any team.

Way to go Brewers....see you on Friday!!

Davey Z has a point...

It's not very often that I agree with Dave Zwiefel of the Cap Times in Madison, but he is dead-on about the people who still run with the whole "Obama isn't native-born" thing. Give it up, he's an American.

Meet and Re-meet

If you can step back from your day-to-day life and reflect, it's truly fascinating to think about the people who cross your path from time to time. On the East Coast trip, we encountered a particularly interesting person at The Tombs in DC. We were just hanging out, having a few beers and plotting the next day of our vacation when we encountered this person. He is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University named Chris Hull.

A little background before we continue: On our South Bend trip last fall, and driving down the Pennsylvania Turnpike between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, we got to talking about the mechanics of Presidential elections, from primaries and caucuses to whether the Electoral College is still necessary. My stance is that primaries are preferable to caucuses and that the Electoral College should not be junked. My travelling buddies tend to disagree. At some point, I may explain my view on this here.

Anyway, as soon as we found out what Mr. Hull did, we started talking to him about our prior discussions. He tended to side with me on the Electoral College, but not on caucuses, although my primary argument for primaries is that there is no peer pressure in a voting booth, but groupthink can definitely take hold in a caucus. Hull actually seemed pretty impressed with the three of us as far as our intelligence level. I ended up educating Hull about the Progressive movement that was prevalent in Wisconsin which led to Wisconsin being one of the first states to have primary elections. So, I thought that was a fascinating sequence of events.

The story above happened on the night we arrived in DC. Two days later, we went up to Baltimore to see the Orioles at Camden Yards. The Yankees were in town for the opening series, and two of us had never been to Camden Yards. Baseball fans know Oriole Park at Camden Yards as the first of the new ballparks to go for the retro look, so it was interesting to see the original park that started it. It is a great ballpark, although other parks that followed definitely improved on the concept. The crowd was somewhat bipartisan, so that was an interesting dynamic. As for the game, the Orioles jumped out to a big lead. The Yanks made it interesting in the 9th, but the Os ultimately prevailed. As for Baltimore itself, the Inner Harbor area looked cool, but the rest of Baltimore (at least what I saw) was not terribly impressive.

OK, so at the game I reunited with a friend from college whom I hadn't seen in years. She lives in Baltimore and works for Johns Hopkins University. We sat together and basically laughed with each other for most of the game...which was pretty much where we left off when we were both in school back here in Minnesota. She was great to be around, and it was definitely good to see her. So, there is a lesson here...Facebook gets results! This would not have happened if it wasn't for Facebook. I was pretty skeptical about Facebook, but seeing my friend in Baltimore is one of a few rekindled relationships I have as a result of setting up a profile.

Like I said at the beginning, the people who cross your path can be fascinating. Even if you only meet someone once, they can teach you a thing or two, or vice-versa. Also, they can prove to be people that turn out to be great friends, even if you don't see them all that often.

There are probably a couple more DC-trip related posts I can squeeze out of this, so hang tight.

Hey, since I am posting tonight....

...how about talking about Washington, DC. DC will likely take up a couple of posts. I will use this post to talk about some of the sights we saw. Now, sibs who read this know we did DC back in 1982. So, a lot of this was not new to me...but it kinda was.

First, we walked by the White House. At one point, we saw someone in the back on a smoke break. A few people around, us included, were speculating on whether that was President Obama (or has he quit?).

We went to a few memorials. I had seen Lincoln and Jefferson before, but the World War II memorial was pretty cool. The Vietnam Memorial was a sombering experience. I was asked if I had any relatives who passed away there. Sad to say, I didn't have an answer. But, seeing all the names left me awe-struck.

All of that was on one day. Oh, we also saw a motorcade at one point, not too long after seeing Marine One flying towards the White House.

That was Tuesday...one day after seeing Gettysburg and finding a pretty cool watering hole near the Georgetown campus. There's an interesting person we met there. That will be another post.

Making hay out of swine flu

Mr D. had a post lambasting Chuck Schumer for trying to blame the GOP for the swine flu outbreak, and rightly so, especially given the facts on the ground. Well, as we know, stupidity reigns on both sides of the aisle. Our friend Michelle Bachmann is popping off again, noting the supposed coincidence that the Dems were in power last time there was a swine flu outbreak. Now, I am no expert on American history, but I am pretty sure Gerald Ford was president in 1976, when this happened. It was one line, but still....



News flash to Sen. Schumer and Rep. Bachmann...viruses are apolitical. One other thing...when you pop off, know that people are going to check on what you say. Make sure you know your stuff.

Here is the video in question. In fairness, Bachmann did alright on other issues discussed. Calling out the environmental movement is rarely a bad idea. In addition, she has a point about doing a cost-benefit analysis of such things a cap-and-trade. But again, get your basic facts right.

More Philly - The Great Debate

Where Passyunk Ave crosses 9th St and Wharton Ave in South Philly, two restaurants stand tall amongst others who serve the ubiquitous Philly cheesesteaks. Both claim to have originated it, and obviously both claim to be the best.

*

Now, in the interest of science, we went to both establishments. First, we stopped at Geno's. Thinking we couldn't all eat one ourselves, two of us split one....Whiz without (real cheesesteaks are made with Cheez Whiz...I hadn't known that prior to this trip). Without meaning without onions. All in all, a pretty good sandwich. But, Pat's got to have a turn. This time, the two testers got whole sandwiches (Whiz without for me, Whiz with for my buddy). The sandwich at Pat's had more cheese-type product on it. Again, pretty good.

*

So, who wins? For me, I liked that there was more cheese-type product at Pat's. But, those of us who ate the cheesesteaks liked the bread better at Geno's. The steak itself was a wash in my opinion, and the amount of cheese at Geno's was fine. So, for me, the winner (but not by much) was Geno's.

*

After the great debate, we went and saw where some real debating happened in the 1770s, Independence Hall. I will have more to say about this later on...

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That night, after a side trip to Delaware (come on, how many chances do you get to go there as a Midwesterner), we went to Chickie and Pete's, where more stellar food was served. Oh, and that is where I celebrated my winning the office pool. Bragging rights only, of course.

*

Next: DC, baby!!!

Chez-Target or Wally World

This is an interesting read...well, not so much the story as the comments. This is kind of a placeholder as I have some thoughts on this. However, I have to go to work, so no time to write at the moment.

AFTER WORK: OK, so here's my observation...Target partisans sure can be snobs!! Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I tend to shop at Target. Not because I have much in the way of antipathy towards Wal-Mart, but because Target has a store downtown that is very convenient for me. And, in reading the comments, I agree that some Wal-Marts can be disorganized. But my God, the way some of these people look down on Wal-Mart shoppers is amazing. Target is not freaking Bloomingdale's!!! It's a discount retailer, just like Wal-Mart!! They bring in cheap goods from China just like Wal-Mart. They pay their store employees...well not that much, just like Wal-Mart. Target has better public relations, and that's why I think they skate...that, and Wal-Mart is much more omnipresent in most locales.

Now, I know that the comments posted are mostly from Minnesotans, so there is going to be a pro-Target bias. But, some of those comments about Wal-Mart shoppers are condescending, rude, aloof, and pretty mean. Are Target shoppers inherently better than Wal-Mart shoppers? I doubt it.

Now, I am going to show my Wisconsin bias and state that Shopko is better than either Target or Wal-Mart. The only good thing about outstate Minnesota from a retail standpoint is that there are Shopkos there. If there were Shopkos in the Twin Cities (there won't ever be), I would make it a point to shop there at least sometimes. Oh well, at least I can shop with one Wisconsin company.

Requiem for some antlered creatures

For the few Milwaukee Bucks fans remaining, this article sums up what Scott Skiles thinks of the season. This was a disappointing season, particularly the finish. The Bucks have not finished well in most of the past few seasons. This year, injuries to Andrew Bogut and Michael Redd likely doomed the Bucks, but you hate to see a team falter down the stretch like the Bucks did. I am not ready to blame Skiles for this yet. If it happens again next season, then you can question him. But for now, an 8-game improvement over last season is not bad. But, the Bucks are back in the lottery...again.

The Bucks seriously need to start posting winning records, and soon. The Bucks are not near the top of mind for most people in Wisconsin. If they ever want to be #2 (Packers are always #1) or even #3 or #4, they need to play winning basketball. The Bradley Center is not getting any younger.

A new neighbor?

This is a Minneapolis-centric post...but good news for those of us in the Whittier neighborhood, at least in my opinion.

This is good news if it actually happens. Yes, Trader Joe's will provide stiff competition for The Wedge and for Hum's Liquors. But, it will also provide competition for the Uptown Rainbow Foods and Lunds. But, I also think it could complement the existing stores in this part of town. Seems to me that enough people will shop at all of these stores for different things.

The other reason I like this is that it's a vote of confidence in my neigborhood. This is a good area of Minneapolis, with an interesting mix of people. This is exactly the sort of neighborhood that would support a Trader Joe's. If this development happens (a big if in this economy), I think it will be good for this part of Minneapolis.

Hey, it's April...let's talk football

The NFL released team schedules today. Here is the schedule for the Green Bay Packers. A very preliminary look at the schedule makes me think the Pack will go 9-7. I think they come out of the gates strong with winnable games against the Bears at home and hosting Cincy. They should win at St. Louis, but unfortunately lose on the road at Minnesota.

Then, an early bye.

Next, three winnable games at home against Detroit, at Cleveland, and home against Minnesota.

This would put them at 6-1. If this is correct, there will be a lot of excitement about the Packers.

The schedule gets a lot tougher at that point. Going to Tampa Bay followed by hosting Dallas could be tough. Then, they have two more winnable games against the 49ers and at Detroit (Thanksgiving). I am thinking 2-2 in that stretch, putting them at 8-3. Very much in the playoff hunt, possibly leading the NFC North (although Minny will have a lot to say about that).

The last five games are going to be pretty tough. Hosting Baltimore will not be easy. Then, road games against Chicago and Pittsburgh. Then, a winnable home game against Seattle, then finishing on the road at Arizona. I think they stumble a bit down the stretch and finish poorly. This is still a young team, and they have to prove they can win tough December games.

But, 9-7 would be a three-game improvement, and would put them in the thick of things for the wild card.

A lot depends on the draft and if any more moves are made. So, we'll check back on this in a few months.

In the meantime, go Brewers!!!

Back in black

Quick post before going back to reality....over the next couple of days, I will be posting some thoughts about my just-concluded vacation to the East Coast. Suffice it to say that this was right at the top of my list of all-time greatest vacations. However, it's also good to be back at the homebase.

...and now I have the AC/DC song in my head. Could be worse.

Subways, baseball, and a run up the stairs

Went to the Braves-Phillies game tonight in Philadelphia. It was my first game at Citizens Bank Park, which is similar in design to Coors Field and other retro ballparks...in other words, outstanding. Especially in comparison to the Metrodome.

Tonight, the Phillies raised their 2008 World Series banner. This was a cool thing to see, and I got a look at the World Series trophy. It was bittersweet though because my Brewers were one of the teams Philly beat on their way to the title.

As for the game, the Braves beat the Phillies. The Phils couldn't really get untracked, and Derek Lowe pitched eight strong innings. When he was pulled after the top of the 8th, his pitch count was at or just under 100.

The other cool thing was that we took the SEPTA Orange Line from downtown Philly to the ballpark. I love a city with real public transportation options!

Tomorrow, we are still in Philly. Weather permitting, I plan to run up the stairs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, just like the guy up top. Then, I can totally offset that at Geno's Steaks.

All the little chicks with the crimson lips

Hello from Cleveland!! It's Saturday morning, I'm a little worse for the wear from last night, and have a big day ahead. First, we are going to Canton to see the Pro Football HOF. Later, we are going to check out the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. Tonight, we are going to the 2009 induction ceremony!!

Initial impressions of Cleveland...downtown is pretty cool. We went to this place after eating at a Rock Bottom brewery in the Flats. The bar itself was typical, but the area (W 6th St) reminded me of the Warehouse District in Minneapolis....come to think of it, I think that area is also called the Warehouse District.

Anyway, gotta run. I'll have more to report later.

These are my words

I think some people think I am lying about Becky. Well, in an effort to demonstrate the horrid truth, I am resorting to writing poetry. I don't write poetry. But, love expresses itself in mysterious ways, doesn't it?

A woman named Rebecca
Possessor of my heart and soul
Romance and passion tell me
I'll love her until I'm old
Love is such an oddity
For it has passed me throughout my life
O, will it never find me?
Or will it give me a wife?
Lord, you have blessed me with Becky
So I say to you with glee!

Here I am with open arms
A woman named Rebecca for me.

Confession time

OK, so I have not done a lot of posting lately. I have said that it is because I have not been inspired to write much as of late. But, I have to be honest with my readership. Frankly, I have been distracted lately. You see, I met someone recently. Now, those of you who know me personally know that I tend to fall hard, and this is no exception. Her name is Becky. I have to tell you, I have never had anyone get me the way Becky does. I met her at the Y where I work out, and we clicked instantly. I have not felt this way for someone since I was back in Appleton and fell for someone (long story). The great thing is, she is pretty into me as well.

There is one thing about her though. She is somewhat political. She lives in Minneapolis, and has the politics of a typical Minneapolitan. She is pretty liberal. And, while I am pretty conservative, she has made me reconsider some of my core beliefs. Now, I know you may chalk this up to my being in love, but the reality is that she has a point on a lot of issues. I am working to convince her on some things too, but we'll see. The more pertinent issue at the moment is convincing her that the Packers are infinitely superior to the Vikings in every way.

So, my lack of posting will likely continue for awhile. I am not shutting Stinger Nation down, but it may take a different bent going forward. Hopefully you will all stick with me as I reevaluate some of my opinions. Because, one of the things I believe above all else, is that minds are like parachutes...they only work when they are open.

And to Becky, all my love, sweetheart. I'll miss you when I am on vacation.

Not really an -ism

I read this column from the Daily Telegraph over in the UK. It's a pretty good review of what capitalism really is, and what it isn't. The G20 summit is starting over in London, and as one would expect, the socialists and communists are out in full force, trying to convince the general public that a command economy is the way to go. Clearly these are less than heady times for those of us who believe in free markets, but at the same time people need to realize how big of a mistake it would be to go to a more centrally-planned system.

Here's the thing: You can't equalize outcomes. Any system that tries is doomed to failure, and as history has shown us, causes a lot of loss of life along the way.

Anyway, give it a read, and let me know what you think.

Heh-heh....ha ha ha...

...bwwahahahahahaha!!! Bwaaaaaahahahahaha!!!

Warning!!

I think this checklist pretty much has everything covered as far as consumer product warnings go....because, you know, everything is bad for you.

H/T: Lakeshore Laments

The countdown begins...

One week from now, I will be well on my way to the East Coast, specifically the Mid-Atlantic region (not to be confused with the Mid-Atlantic Ridge). Ultimately, I am going to the Frozen Four in Washington, DC. Along the way, we are stopping in Cleveland to take in some of the festivities surrounding the induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame of some pretty good acts (listed here). We are also going to the Phillies season opener, an Orioles game, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Gettysburg, and an Indians game on the way back. This is a very ambitious trip, but I am really looking forward to it. If time permits, I will hopefully blog along the way. Hopefully I will have some stuff to post about beforehand as well.

The 2 percenters

Listening to President Obama's press conference, the stat that 1 in 50 children are homeless was trotted out. I have to ask, has anyone questioned the validity of this? It would stand to reason that if 2 percent of children are homeless, that means at least 2 percent of adults are homeless, right? By my count, that means there are a minimum of 7.5 million homeless people in the US. I am sorry, but this does not pass the smell test. I remember these sorts of stats trotted out when I was in high school debate, and I remember that these were pretty easily debunked. Honestly, I don't have the numbers in front of me, but I am going to do some research on this. Like I said, that does not pass the smell test.

UPDATE: I watched the conference on CBS, and I wonder if anyone else noticed the way Katie Couric gushed at the conclusion of the press conference? "That's President Obama doing what he does sooo well, taking his case to the press and the American people." Folks, she...was....gushing!! To be fair, I bet Brian Williams and Charles Gibson gushed too, but I didn't hear them.

Where's The Fonz when you need him?

This guy is in a hip-hip video with Jaime Foxx.

This kid is in a video featuring T-Pain, possibly the least talented person in the music industry.

Here's a link. I would highly recommend muting your speakers before clicking the link. This song is terrible, and the video is the most pretentious video I have ever seen. But, it's like a bad car accident...you can't help but watch.

Geez Fonzie, can't you smack some sense into Richie Cunningham? Please?!!

My God, the apocalypse may be upon us...OPIE IS IN A JAIME FOXX/T-PAIN VIDEO!!!!

Bracket time!!

Once again, it's time for the NCAA basketball tournament. This year, Minnesota is in!! I am pretty happy about that. Anyway, I just want to look at at matchups of personal interest:

(7) Texas vs (10) Minnesota: These two teams have both been inconsistent down the stretch, but both have a couple of impressive wins (Texas beat Villanova and UCLA, while Minnesota beat Louisville in Arizona and swept Wisconsin). Texas can play uptempo really well and has a great coach in Rick Barnes. Minnesota is going to have a tough time with Texas, but if they can score consistently and not have their customary drought, they have a shot.

(6) Marquette vs (11) Utah State: Marquette was bound for the 2 or 3 line before losing Dominic James. Their quality of play has clearly suffered (4-6 in their last ten). Utah State is the champion of the WAC, and is 30-4. It doesn't matter what conference you are in, going 30-4 is impressive. But, Utah State didn't exactly play a tough schedule. Marquette can play uptempo, and is much more battle-tested. But, Utah State can play.

(5) Florida State vs (12) Wisconsin: Wisconsin was surprisingly a lot closer to being NIT-bound than a lot of the bracketologists thought. Most conventional wisdom thought Minnesota was in more trouble than UW, but when you go 19-12 and make an early exit in the conference tournament, perhaps you should be on the bubble. Florida State isn't necessarily a good matchup for them either. FSU is 6-4 in their last 10, with two of those losses being to Duke, and one of the wins was against North Carolina.

(3) Kansas vs (14) North Dakota State: NDSU is a great story. 5 years ago their former coach redshirted the entire freshman class knowing that they would be eligible for the tournament for the first time this year. They plugged away, and won the Summit League tournament this year. Now, Kansas should win this game going away, but there are two minor problems for the Jayhawks: NDSU is better than a 14 seed, and the Metrodome is going to be incredibly pro-NDSU. Kansas was not done any favors by being placed in this regional and this game.

I will make some picks a little later this week.

Next five songs

While trying to figure out my next real post, here's the next five songs on my iPod:

"My My Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)" by Neil Young and Crazy Horse - I have the live version, I believe off of "Live Rust." I prefer this to "Hey Hey My My."

"Knights" by Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles is an electronic band that features what seems to be the sound card from an Atari video game system circa 1983. A friend from work introduced me to them last year. Very synth-oriented. Some songs are flat-out noisy, but they do mid-tempo stuff well..."Knights" falls into the latter category.

"Just" by Radiohead - Off the 1995 album "The Bends." Time and place song for me. I heard this on the old Sunday night alternative music show Planet X on WIXX, a Green Bay top-40 station. This show was surprisingly ahead of its time. I heard songs on that show in September that I didn't hear again until I moved to Minneapolis to start school (January...long story). "Just" is simply a good song that fits well into its time.

"My Sister" by Juliana Hatfield - Kind of a typical early-to-mid 90s angst-ridden song with contradictory lyrics about Juliana's sister. But, Juliana Hatfield has kind of a cute voice, so it works.

"Kryptonite" by Three Doors Down - This song grew on me back in 2000. Good hook, lyrics tied to Superman, what's not to like?

Parlez vous MOB?

Sorry for the lack of posting...just haven't had a lot to write about of late. But, a couple of things are going on with me (which will explain the title of the post).

1. At work, we are starting to deal with Canada. For many of us here in the States, it is sometimes easy to forget that due to British concessions to the French population in Lower Canada in the Treaty of Paris and Quebec Act, Canada is bilingual. I get reminded of this every year when I flip through the channels during the free preview of NHL Center Ice and find myself entranced by the French-language broadcasts of Montreal Canadiens hockey. And, Quebecers are pretty serious about maintaining their French language. For crying out loud, they made up a word for email because they didn't want to use the word email because it was "too English." Hence, courriel. Anyway, since I am going to be doing some work with our Canadian friends, I am going to learn some French. It will be my third language, as I took Spanish in high school and college. I don't expect to become fluent, or even all that proficient. I just want to be able to read it as I will encounter a good amount of French-language papers. I knew for awhile that I wanted to learn at least one more language in my life. I just thought it was going to be German, Mandarin, Japanese, or something else. Alas, it is French. Thanks Canada!

2. Tomorrow, I will be hanging out with my brother at Keegan's, with a bunch of MOBsters. I have a decision to make. The Minnesota Organization of Bloggers is a group of mostly right-wing bloggers. One of the few criteria for becoming a MOBster is going to a MOB event. So conceivably, I could be a part of this group. This could potentially increase my readership. However, I have to be sure my stuff is up to snuff. So, I will go and see how it goes. Will I join the MOB? I don't know. I just hope I don't have to get hazed via beating.

Some over/unders for you

Just for kicks, I am going to list a few over/unders regarding local weather (and other things), and then have you guess which one it will be...over or under. Anyone who bets, especially at sports books, knows the drill. I am trying to be hopeful about spring, but right about now I am at the point where I feel winter will never end. But it inevitably will. These are signs of hope for me...when will they happen? Hence, the over/under...

Weather ones:
1. Amount of days left where there will be a low temp below zero (Twin Cities): 3 days
2. Amount of snow left to fall this winter (Twin Cities): 18.5 inches
3. First day it will hit 55 degrees (Twin Cities): March 28
4. When average depth of snow in the Twin Cities will be zero inches: April 7

Sports ones:
5. Number of Big Ten teams in the NCAA basketball tournament: 5
6. Number of Big East teams in the NCAA basketball tournament: 7
7. Number of WCHA teams I will be seeing in Washington DC at the Frozen Four: 1

News/Politics
8. Number of votes Sandy Pappas' bill to ban smoking in cars with children will receive in the MN State House: 51...incidentally, there will be a post about this ridiculous piece of legislation soon.
9. Number of days until Al Franken officially becomes a senator: 20

You don't have to guess on all of these. But, I am interested to see what you think.

Adventures in being found

Last August, I blogged about joining Facebook. It has been an interesting exercise in reconnecting with people I hadn't seen in a long time. I went out for coffee with a classmate I hadn't seen since 1998 when I was home over the holidays. A couple of weeks ago, I almost got together with another friend who I hadn't seen since 2000 at her wedding. So, it has been a fun experience despite my misgivings at the beginning.

Today, I had a rather odd development. I had someone "friend" me who wasn't exactly friendly with me. Actually, he was one of the people who made my high school years pretty painful at times. In addition, the last few times I have seen this guy, he basically reverted to form. So, now I have a dilemma: do I accept this "friend," and ostensibly be the bigger person? Or, do I just ignore his request? This would be easy, but frankly things have been going well for me in life as of late, and I am in somewhat of a forgiving mood. But, frankly the guy was a jerk back in the day. And ultimately, what I do with this is not a big deal in the grand scheme...but, it is an interesting dilemma nonetheless.

So what do you think, folks??

Oh, a couple of people who read this may know exactly who I am talking about. For his sake and mine, I would ask that we not be Burl Ives here....as in, don't name names.

Need an appetite suppressant?

Then click here. I know I don't have the best diet, but even I wouldn't eat most of this stuff.

Everything is great in Minneapolis #2

The City Council is apparently going to explore tackling a huge problem in this fair city....happy hour. Once again, I have to reiterate how blessed I am to live in a city where there are so few problems that they feel the need to attack happy hour.

Hugo for life

Down in Venezuela, Hugo Chavez essentially got the green light to be ruler for life with changes to their Constitution that he wanted approved by the voters. Of course, he will have to be "elected" to six-year terms, but I have a funny feeling this won't be a problem for him...

V-Day

No rant today, not feeling too well. Besides, listening to and watching stand-up comedy has been pretty cathartic. George Carlin and Denis Leary are good for that.

Only 31 days until St. Patty's Day!!

Screw you, Cupid

Well, we are quickly approaching the worst day of the year (in general...some days are personally worse), that being Valentine's Day. In honor of this wretched holiday, Stinger Nation will likely have another rant about why V-Day sucks. But, I'll need some tunes. I know a few, such as this, or this one, or even this. By the way, the third link has one of my all-time favorite lines: "Every time I kiss you I taste what other men had for lunch." I need more. I made an anti-love disc a few years ago, but may want to make another one this year. So help a dude out, won't you?

Even if you are in a happy, loving relationship, V-Day puts a lot of pressure on you. If you don't come through somehow, you are done. So, even for you, this day sucks.

Re-retire?

Mr. Wishy-Washy himself, Brett Favre, has decided to retire again. This time for good. No really, he's back to Mississippi and he's going to ride his tractor. Honestly, it's for real this time.

The over/under on either Brad Childress or Darrel Bevell calling Favre to try to get him in purple, thus fulfilling the secret wet dream of 75% of Vikings fans: 5 days. And no Vikings fans can tell me they haven't fantasized about it at least once...if they hadn't, pics like this would not exist.

Aaron Rodgers? He is not retiring, and not even intimating that he might. Oh, and he put up better numbers than Favre in 2008. Go Pack!

Why I need a digital camera

If I had a digital camera, I could have posted a bunch of pictures of cool things I saw in Milwaukee. My sister and I went to Milwaukee on Saturday to watch the Bucks play the Detroit Pistons. But, we got to town early, so we tooled around town a bit. We went to the Milwaukee Art Museum, which had an addition built a few years ago. Oh, that addition is one of the most stunning buildings I have ever seen. It is beautiful, and is one of the signatures of the Milwaukee skyline. The museum itself has a pretty decent collection.


If I had a digital camera, I could have shown the wonderful urban renaissance happening in the Historic Third Ward. The formerly industrial area south of downtown Milwaukee has turned into a great urban neighborhood that rivals anything found in Minneapolis. I could say the same thing about the areas immediately north and northeast of downtown.


As for the Bucks game, the Bucks are missing three starters. They went up against a Detroit team that on paper should have won by 15-20. For awhile, it looked like it would happen. But, Ramon Sessions and Charlie Villanueva had outstanding nights, and almost willed the Bucks to a win. If I had a digital camera, I could have taken a picture of the view from our seats, which were lower level behind the basket (not direct, but close). It was a surprisingly bipartisan crowd. I don't know if that's because the Pistons have that sort of draw, or if there are a bunch of Michigan transplants in Milwaukee. Either way, a couple of them were directly behind my sister and me, and were very obnoxious.


But, as I don't have a digital camera (yet), you'll just have to take my word for it. But, I will have one soon, and I will certainly be back in Milwaukee soon.

Stinger rant #5

I commented on this post from Amanda lamenting Valentine's Day (a BS holiday if there ever was one), and inspiration struck!! I have a new rant!!

I hate jewelry store commercials. I pretty much hate them all. The message that a woman needs a rock to be happy is not a good one to be reinforced...but hey, do what you gotta do, that's cool. But, a special place in Hell is reserved for those chuckleheads at Jared (no I will not link to them...F them). For those pretentious gold-digging minxes in those commercials, the fact that they got a fat rock from some schlepp of a dude isn't enough. No, it's gotta be, "What's a thirteen-letter word for marriage proposal...he went to Jared!!" Or the other one, where the stupid chick texts her friends with the checklist of what her boyfriend brought. Roses, some other thing, and "He went to Jared!!"

Ladies, please tell me that you wouldn't actually know a ring or necklace or bracelet by where it was purchased.

You know what, Jared can bite me. Here's a memo to any woman I may date in the future...you may get a rock out of me, but IT WILL NEVER, EVER COME FROM JARED!!! It probably won't come from Kay either. They are almost as bad.

Jewelry stores suck, but Jared is the worst.

Periodic lapses in posting...

...are a part of what makes Stinger Nation what it is. Right now, I am having one of those lapses. Don't feel like commenting on political matters. Don't feel like commenting on sports matters, although Michael Phelps sucking on a water bong is kinda funny. Dude, you gotta get the one-hitter that looks like a cigarette. Remember though, when you buy it, it's for tobacco use only. I'm not into the moral outrage some are expressing over this. It's not like he was huffing glue or riding the white horse. I know I know, he's supposedly a role model. Well, maybe he's just a 23-year old kid who likes to let loose every once in awhile. I'm not worried about it.

Anyway, I am going out of town (gonna celebrate some birthdays and go watch the Bucks get slaughtered by Detroit). So, posting may continue to be light. Or maybe not. You never know when inspiration strikes.

Arizona...really...in the Super Bowl?

I am still amazed that the Arizona Cardinals actually got to the Super Bowl. This has been a franchise that has been run horribly for many years. Fans in Chicago, St. Louis, and Arizona have had to watch really bad football for many years. But, they finally got to the Super Bowl, after not winning a championship since 1947.

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers are in their 7th Super Bowl. They are 5-1 in their Super Bowl appearances, and is one of the great franchises in the NFL.

So, who wins the game today? Arizona has not been given a chance in any of their playoff games, and they keep on winning. But, I think that stops today. The Cardinals have a great passing attack, and likely have a chip on their shoulder because no one has given them a chance since the playoffs started. But, I think Pittsburgh has too much defense. I think the Steelers will win.

It's for the kids

So I am participating in BigBowl, a fundraiser for Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest. We really didn't do JA at my high school, but I do know "alums" for whom it has made a difference.

So, I will now pull out all the stops to get people to donate, so click here and donate. C'mon, it's for the kids. If you don't give, these children will likely join gangs and kill you. So give...the life you save may be your own.

OK, I'm kidding about the gang thing...but, it would be nice for you to help me raise enough funds so I can bowl a robust 250...in three games.

I've seen this 100 times..

...but I still laugh at this commercial. What a drag, duuude.

That is all.

20-point Buck down

I hope against hope that this won't put the clamps on a season that is going decently (not great), but the Milwaukee Bucks lost Michael Redd for the season with a torn ACL. Last season, it would have been the end of the road. But, with another solid scoring option in Richard Jefferson, maybe it won't be so bad. But, there is no question this one hurts the Bucks quite a bit.

The real meaning of flubs

As most of you know, Chief Justice John Roberts flubbed a couple of words when administering the oath of office to President Barack Obama on Tuesday. What most of you didn't know is why. Sure, most of us probably assumed it was merely a jumbling of words. But, John Nichols of the Capital Times in Madison knows the truth. It's because Roberts doesn't take the Constitution seriously. Nichols does assure us that he doesn't think it's a grand conspiracy (although I wonder if he was trying to convince himself), just that Roberts doesn't have a whole lot of interest in the Constitution, much like the President who appointed him.

So, there's a little truth for your Sunday.

Dining with Red

Every year in Appleton there is an event that seems like it's too big for the likes of a city of 72,000. That is the Red Smith Banquet. It's a fundraiser for youth sports in the Fox Cities. Basically, a bunch of memorabilia is auctioned off, people pay a good chunk of money for a decent dinner and a couple of good speeches. This year's edition just happened, and had such luminaries as former Purdue coach Gene Keady and Brewers GM Doug Melvin. The Red Smith award went to Wisconsin women's hockey coach and member of the 1980 US hockey team that won the gold, Mark Johnson. The Nice Guy award went to Doug Melvin.

I got to go in 1998. My sister managed to get me a ticket, so I got to go. Somewhere in my archives, I have the program, autographed by two of the speakers there; former 49ers coach/genius Bill Walsh, and one of the all-time great Celtics, Bob Cousy. I believe Walsh may have won the Red Smith award, and I think Sal Bando won the Nice Guy award.

I think this is a great event, and it stuns me every year when the speakers are announced. They get some great people at these banquets, despite it being in January and in a cold city like Appleton.

Inauguration Day

So, today's the day a lot of people have been waiting for...Bush is out, Obama is in. So, what am I doing to observe the change in power?

Working...just like any other Tuesday. I know this inauguration day has been hyped like no other, and there is almost orgasmic joy with a lot of people. So, I know just going to work is not giving the new president his due. But, when it comes down to it, we as a nation need to get back to work. This is why I am a tad disappointed at all the pomp and circumstance. If there was ever a time for a more subdued swearing in, this is it.

Don't get me wrong, this is a historic moment. An African-American president is a big deal...however, do we need all this?

Best of luck, President Obama...you are going to need it.

Perhaps Obama is right

President-elect Barack Obama said in a speech today that anything is possible, as the headline of this article states.

Exhibit A in favor of Obama's statement was found on the same site I found the other article...the Arizona Cardinals are going to the Super Bowl.

Everything is great in Minneapolis (St. Paul, too)

Things must be, because now the push is on to protect us from trans fats. Now, I understand that trans fats have no real nutritional value and are in fact quite bad for you, but do we need government action for them to go away? Can't we as citizens vote with our feet and eat at establishments who don't use them? Won't doing that solve the problem? In a time of budget crunches, can we afford the additional costs associated with enforcing a ban? Have things gotten better health-wise in places where trans fats have been banned? Has a cost-benefit analysis of something like this been done? Can Minneapolis and/or St. Paul ever not do something that was done in New York, San Francisco, or Portland?

To me, things like this are on the level of when an city council member in Minneapolis tried to ban circuses with animals in 2007. This is silliness and not the business of government to be micromanaging restaurants.

What is Stinger doing tonight?

Oh, not much...just going to see these guys play against the Anaheim Ducks. It has taken 33 years, but I am finally going to my first NHL game tonight. I'll be in the upper level, but I'll be there.

Details to follow...needless to say, I am excited.

UPDATE: Anaheim beat the Wild 3-0. The Ducks defense and goaltending were sensational tonight. The Wild had their chances, but they were frequently out of position, and the defense forced the Wild to the edges most of the game. It didn't help that Andrew Brunette got hurt in the 2nd period. Derek Boogaard was on the ice quite a bit because of this.

As for the arena, it is outstanding. I have been there a couple of times for either concerts or for the MN high school hockey tournament, so I knew that even the upper deck seats are good. But, the Wild put on a show. And, the way hockey in Minnesota is celebrated there is very cool. The crowd was definitely into the game, even though the Wild didn't give us much to celebrate.

Still, I kinda prefer the atmosphere at college hockey games. But, I will definitely go to another Wild game at some point.

Tubby Time!!!

I won't talk a lot of trash about the Badgers here...but that was a gritty win the Gophers had over Wisconsin tonight. To come back from 14 down in the 2nd half and win it in overtime was huge!! I know my Badger fan readers don't like it, but tonight was a defining win for a Gopher basketball squad that is really coming together. You don't beat Bucky Badger at the Kohl Center. But, the Gophers did tonight!!

I am so happy idiotic Kentucky fans ran Tubby out of Lexington. We like him just fine up here in Minnesota!

Rah-rah-rah for Ski-U-Mah!!!!

Good news for Mr D...

Old Style is back...and krausened, baby!!! Woo-hoo!!!

Minnesconsin

Minnesota and Wisconsin are looking for ways to share costs on various things in an effort to save money. Both states face huge budget deficits, and both have needs. I will be very interested in seeing how this works, or even if this works. But, I suppose if we can share in-state tuition, we can share snowplows or whatever. Maybe Minnesota can let Wisconsin borrow the Wild. In exchange, Wisconsin can lend out a Vince Lombardi trophy so Minnesotans can see what one looks like. Of course, only under heavy guard. Wouldn't want Minnesotans to get any funny ideas about getting one of their own.

Mini-rant...with apologies to Natalie Merchant

Much like 10,000 Maniacs back in '86, there's a shiver in my bones just thinking about the weather.

But that's not what this mini-rant is about. What it is about is how freaking happy some TV meteorologists and others seem to be about it. In particular, I am talking about the chief meteorologist on a certain Twin Cities channel that has news at 9. When he does the forecast, he acts so smarmy about it. Look, we know it's cold. Stop telling me to "embrace the forecast." I don't want to embrace 30 below windchills, and my guess is most other people don't either. The other people that need to go are those who talk about, "now this is a real winter." Shut the hell up!!! If you are happy about 30 below windchills, you pretty much need to have your head examined. The frostbite is affecting your brain.

I can deal with winter, but I can't deal with people who are happy about miserable winter weather. People who cheer for blizzards and really cold temperatures have got to go!

Rice 'n Rickey

Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame today. There was no question Henderson was getting in as the all-time stolen bases and runs leader (2nd all-time in walks). Also, it is sometimes forgotten that he hit a pretty good amount of lead-off home runs...and he has two World Series rings. Rickey Henderson was a no-brainer.

Much less of a no-brainer was Jim Rice. It took 15 years for Jim Rice to get elected. He was a career .298 hitter who hit 382 home runs, which are solid numbers but not necessarily great. But, Jim Rice put together some really nice seasons. And, in an era where a fair amount of people in their first few years of eligibility are marked with a scarlet S, Jim Rice looks a lot better.

As a Minnesota resident, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Bert Blyleven. He is one of the best strikeout artists of all time, and has 287 career wins. Shouldn't he be in?

Bucks ball

Got my first live look at the Milwaukee Bucks tonight as they played the Minnesota Timberwolves up here in Minneapolis. The Bucks were lights-out in the first half, shooting something like 65%. Unfortunately, they let the Timberwolves hang around. And, you know what happens when you let teams hang around....they come back and win, especially at home. While there were a few hundred Bucks fans there, the home crowd (all 10,000 of them) helped the Wolves come back and win. A couple of observations about the Bucks:

1. I really like Andrew Bogut's development. I think he is one of the better passing centers in the league, and he has some nice post moves. I would like to see him alter more shots on defense, but that will get there.

2. Michael Redd had his usual solid game, scoring 32, but I still think he can be a little too quick to shoot. He needs to realize that he is not the only scorer.

3. Richard Jefferson is a nice addition to the team. He had 29 tonight, and while I know he wasn't terribly pleased to come to Milwaukee, he has been a good soldier. Having a high-scoring forward helps.

4. Scott Skiles has a scheme problem on defense. The reason the Wolves got back into the game was because the Bucks did not do enough to defend the baseline. Rodney Carney was left open on the baseline too many times and made too many uncontested shots. He came off the bench and scored 22, and I think he was 4-5 from behind the arc. The Bucks are markedly better on defense, but still are not good enough. I should not have to miss Paul Pressey 20 years after he stopped playing.

5. Overall, the Bucks are definitely better than last year. Having a real coach helps. But, they are not ready for prime time yet. They have to learn to put teams away. The Bucks had no business losing this game, but did anyway. The Bucks may end up in the playoffs in a top-heavy Eastern Conference, but they will not get far. They will be better as Skiles gets these guys to buy into the system.

I hope I can get to another Bucks game, this time in Milwaukee.

Philsophy on the run

So I was at the Y today, jogging around the track. I was cursing the New Year's Resolution crowd for clogging up the track and taking all the treadmills, bikes, weights, etc, when I started thinking about the nature of New Year's resolutions and how the beginning of a new year seems to provoke so many attempts at change. I started thinking about something my old industrial arts teacher, the late Irv Gabrilska, said about change. He basically said that people don't change much past the age of three.

This is all while I was running, by the way.

So, I am interested in your thoughts on this topic. Can people change, or is Mr. Gabrilska right? To start, I think that we can change some things about ourselves, but there are many aspects of our personalities that are hard-wired. I know I am sitting on the fence a little, but I can only look at my own experience. I think I have made changes in some things about myself, but I know that there are some things that will not change no matter how hard I try.

What say you? Sorry, but working out sometimes bring out the philosophizer in me (bonus points for naming the movie in which I likely heard the word "philosophizer?")

Carl Pohlad, 1915-2009

The owner of the Minnesota Twins, billionaire Carl Pohlad, has died. The article gives all the details. Pohlad rightly took a lot of crap for his stewardship of the Twins, including offering them up for contraction a few years ago (that's right, Twins fans...it's not all Bud Selig's fault) and attempting to sell them to people who would move them. But, he eventually got things to a point where there is a new Twins stadium being built (with a lot of help from Hennepin County taxpayers). It is too bad he won't see it come to fruition.

It's been a tough slog for the Twins in the past few years, losing Bob Casey and Kirby Puckett. Now, it's Carl Pohlad.

RIP, Carl.

Down to 71

I gotta give it up to Milwaukee, whose murder count dropped to 71 in 2008, the lowest number since 1985. If this keeps up, some ignorant Wisconsinites may stop being afraid of Milwaukee, which is ridiculous.

Minneapolis' murder count was 39, which is pretty good, too. If this keeps up, some ignorant Minnesotans may stop being afraid of Minneapolis, which is also ridiculous.

I know, murder rate is hardly the total picture of crime in a city. But, murder rate is the easiest way for people to get scared of cities.

Wither Big Ten football?

As I write this, Ohio State is about to take the field against an angry Texas Longhorns squad who could make a very solid argument for being in the championship game ahead of Oklahoma. Folks, Ohio State is about to get smoked like a blunt does by Cypress Hill. It's not going to be pretty. And, it will make the Big Ten 1-6 in bowl games (thanks for the win, Iowa). This is following several previous stinkfests put up by the Big Ten.

This makes me wonder if the Big Ten is ever going to cycle back up into the top conferences along with the Big 12 and the SEC. Now, I know that these things can be cyclical, but I think there are a couple of things standing against the Big Ten ever rising to prominence again:

Demographics: The Big Ten is largely located in states that are declining in importance. We are in the Rust Belt, and people with families are leaving in droves. We are getting older more quickly than the SEC states. While Florida, Texas, Georgia, and Tennessee will continue to grow with families, the Midwest and Pennsylvania are losing the game demographically. While Big Ten schools can sell tradition and beautiful campuses, they are far away from home. Also, they get cold. This will be more of a problem going forward.

Coaching: This is slowly changing, but the days of power football at the college level are over for the time being. Unless power football comes back into vogue, the Big Ten needs to adjust. It's starting to happen, with Wisconsin being the one holdout. But, it's going to take a few years. During that time, the Big Ten is probably going to continue to take beatings in bowl games. During that time, athletic directors are going to have to have patience, as well as the alumni. Patience is easy...as a Minnesota alumnus, I have been patient for many years.

So, my question to you is this: Is the Big Ten done as a power conference? I am not sure, but I am afraid that it may be the case.

UPDATE: I should clarify...what I mean is this: Will the Big Ten ever be at the level of the SEC and Big 12, or are we condemned to be like the Big East?

Hop on the bus, Gus...4 bucks, please

So bus ridership in the Twin Cities is at its highest point in nearly 30 years. Yet, Metro Transit is in a funding crunch, according to this article, which also talks about potential solutions. With ridership at these high levels (I can attest to this with full buses going up and down Nicollet), the Met Council does not want service cuts...however, fares going up too much would lower ridership numbers. For me, I believe that there may have to be service cuts. For example, do there really need to be certain routes running every 7-8 minutes (I am thinking of the Hi-Frequency routes in Minneapolis and St. Paul)? How much money would be saved by having 15 minutes between buses throughout the day? If need be, run the accordion buses. You almost never see those in town.

Also, fare increases are inevitable. This sucks for people who rely on the bus (I am kinda amongst that group), but we riders really do need to foot more of the bill for riding the bus, as fares cover only 30 percent of the cost to run a bus. The proposal for another 50 cent increase (on top of the 50 cent increase already happening) could help provided ridership doesn't drop too much.

I am someone who believes that public transportation is a need in communities across the country. Cars rule, but buses and their riders shouldn't be totally left in the lurch.