Monday, December 28, 2009

Columbus Weather; Winter is Here


Ahh, nothing like posting the weather. But here it is for when I look back many years from now... just as a reminder.

If you don't want to read it, I'll sum it up real quick... cold in the 20s. Snow. For the next 4 months. I love it. BRING IT!

Tonight
Mostly cloudy until early morning...then becoming partly cloudy. Very light snow or flurries this evening. Lows 15 to 20. Northwest winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. Chance of measurable snow 50 percent.

Tuesday
Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 20s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday Night
Mostly clear. Lows around 15. North winds around 5 mph...becoming southeast after midnight.

Wednesday
Partly sunny in the morning...then becoming mostly cloudy. Highs in the mid 30s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

Wednesday Night
Cloudy. Snow likely...mainly after midnight. Light snow accumulation possible. Warmer with lows around 30. South winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 60 percent.

Thursday
Cloudy. A chance of snow in the morning...then a chance of rain in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 30s. Chance of precipitation 50 percent.

Thursday Night
Cloudy with a 30 percent chance of snow. Lows in the upper 20s.

New Years Day
Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow showers. Cooler with highs in the upper 20s.

Friday Night and Saturday
Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of snow showers. Lows around 15. Highs around 20. Wind chill values as low as zero.

Saturday Night through Sunday Night
Mostly cloudy. Lows 10 to 15. Highs in the lower 20s.

Monday
Mostly cloudy. A chance of snow showers in the afternoon. Unseasonably cool with highs in the mid 20s. Chance of snow 30 percent.

Abdulmutallab

23-year-old Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to bring down a Northwest Airlines flight as it prepared to land in Detroit. This is more then a firm reminder that terrible acts are planned against the United States. It is no secret that there are more people wishing bad things towards us then there are wishing good things.

President Obama made this statement (2 days after the Christmas Day event): "This was a serious reminder of the dangers that we face," he said. "It's absolutely critical that we learn from this incident." After that he promptly went back to vacation activities, in this case heading off to the gym.

I'm guessing this sounds like I'm knocking the President for finishing up his vacation before addressing the topic with the American people. In a half hearted way it is because what I've learned in my years is that we don't need a political official to tell us how to feel or comfort us like babies. However, I will also half heartedly state that someone from Hawaii feels differently about America then, say, someone from the industrial side of Ohio. There is a large gap there besides the fact that, well, he is the President.

What happened in Detroit deserves more then what the President gave it, especially coming off the heels of what happened at Fort Hood. Oh, and how did the President act then? Well by lightheartedly giving a "shout out" incorrectly to a Medal of Honor "winner". People win the lottery. You don't "win" that award Mr. President. Also, it was the Medal of Freedom that was given to him... by you. Oh well, details right?

Both the Ft. Hood indecent and Detroit indecent were frighteningly handled in a similar fashion from the President. It's difficult to say what is right way to do things and what is wrong when coming from an ordinary citizen. Alls I'm saying is that it is two serious things treated in the same way. God forbid we get a third.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

George Michael Sports Machine


George Michael of Sports Machine! passed away over the holidays. He was a sportscaster for the local channel 4 news during my childhood years in Northern Virginia. For me he was the voice of the Redskins. I remember the Sports Machine! show he had late nights back then. I always figured it was local until recently. It's amazing how many people from coast to coast remember him fondly. He will be missed.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Pripyat

With the fall of the Berlin wall 20 years ago you didn't hear much mention of an event that played a major part; Chernobyl.

I am fascinated with this event. In looking around and searching the city you'll find that Infinity Ward did an amazing job recreating this area (Modern Warfare 1). That part of the game, Bloc I think, remains to this day one of the most memorable experiences I have ever had playing video games.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Lost and Found

I ran across this today reading up on some Harley Earl history. From the guide/book that lead to the Fisher Body Craftsman Guild.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Avert Your Eyes (and ears)

I don't quite understand. I don't know what to say. I'll let Mr Niedermeyer from The Truth About Cars take it from here.

Volt Birth Watch 179: The Mystery Dance Number
By Edward Niedermeyer on December 14, 2009

Chrysler’s new advertisements may have been replaced by this video as the automotive marketing gaffe of the moment. When asked in a Fastlane webchat why GM had approved this questionable video, Sales and Marketing supremo Susan Docherty managed to come across as even more clueless and incompetent than she would have if she’d been prancing front and center:

"I have to be honest I haven’t yet seen the Chevrolet Volt song and dance but it sounds like I need to spend some time tonight on the web viewing this. Thanks for the heads up. Do you have any suggestions for us?"

Yeah, here are some suggestions: first off, it’s not the roaring twenties, Busby Berkeley. Kill the dance numbers. Suggestion number two: if you’re the head of sales and marketing, you should at least be aware of the existence of “promotional” materials like this. Third: if GM doesn’t take the Volt seriously, nobody will. Keep that in mind when approving marketing ideas.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Not sure about this one

ASHBURN, Va. – The chip-shot miss against the New Orleans Saints has cost Washington Redskins kicker Shaun Suisham his job.

Suisham, the most accurate kicker in franchise history, was cut Tuesday by the Redskins, who replaced him with Graham Gano from the United Football League.
Suisham made his first 13 field goal attempts this season, but he had vital misses from 39 and 50 yards in the 7-6 loss to Dallas three games ago and was wide right Sunday on a 23-yarder that would have sealed a victory over the unbeaten Saints. New Orleans rallied to win 33-30 in overtime.

Suisham made 18 of 21 attempts this season and 81 of 101 since joining the Redskins in 2006. His 80.2 percent success rate is the best career mark for any Redskins kicker with more than a half-dozen attempts.

"We've let a good kicker go down the road," coach Jim Zorn said on his weekly radio show on ESPN980. "Shaun has performed very well. I know he'll just be upset. He should be, but yet there's an accountability there. We'll all end up being accountable for our season, no question about it."
-----------
I wish I knew who was making this call. Dropping the kicker, of all people, at this point in the season? Unforgivable. I'm angry, the fans are angry. It shows misdirection of the franchise (if we hadn't seen it already). It's sad. Zorn is talking about it like the end of days at the end of the year. Not just in football terms... more like the rapture.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

NFL Coaches

I read THIS a couple years ago and it keeps popping back up in my mind. A lot of the coaches mentioned have moved on or been fired but still funny. The best?

Brian Billick, Baltimore Ravens: washed up action hero who used to ride motorbikes, get chicks, and “be the best,” but now he’s an aging alcoholic living in a houseboat. When the modern action hero needs help, he calls upon Billick for “one last ride.” Billick grabs his sawed-off shotgun and gives glory one more shot.
Other possibilities: executive for a relatively small telecommunications company, but a real hot shot. Thinks he can get away with anything. Major violator of inner-office harassment policy. Tells Judy her “tits look great today” and tries to justify it because he was “giving her a compliment.” Gets slapped with a lawsuit and he’s dumbfounded, as if everyone else is crazy.

Next 10 Years; A Shift

Amazon is making some news today with rumors about a brick and mortar store opening in London. I think that this is a window into the future of retail where established online retailers will be dipping there toes into the shark infested waters of traditional retail.

I think that online retailers have a distinct advantage in inventory and supply. They know how to get things to customers quickly and they know how to forecast what they want - sight unseen. While there may be big advantages traditional retailers have, I think the days of walking into mega stores are over. The Borders business model had a good run but it is clearly done.

While there are thousands of factors to consider in making a move like Amazon is seemingly trying to do, I think one of the biggest things is something overlooked. Shipping. All online companies rely on carriers that they have little control over. If Amazon looks at their customer satisfaction score or NPS (and I'm sure they do) they'll see that most detractors come from delivery and carriers. In the US it can be the USPS in England it can be the national carrier service that recently went on strike and caused major problems. Amazon can deliver to stores for pickup themselves on more items from a regional DC. The more control over carriers the better. It's something that Netflix has mastered.

Looking forward to a very interesting next decade in retail.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Creepy World Cup Mascot

Zakumi, i think.

Anyway, here is the draw for the US and England. Same group this year.

Group C
1 - England
2 - USA
3 - Algeria
4 - Slovenia

Now... the Winter Olympics have a group of mascots. Looks like they might have been designed by the folks that to Fosters Imaginary Friends. On paper. Cool. In reality. Funny.

Friday, December 4, 2009

2011 CTS Coupe



Not bad. Impressive even. Now we are getting somewhere. Looks like they are looking back a bit to the 1970 AMC AMX. Good.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

GM's Volt (woops)

I know that this is just a showcase for the new Volt. But watch around 50 seconds in for the test driver to brake. The stupid taillight is out. I dunno, it just bothers me, especially when you see it working later in the video.
Looking past this we also see that Lordstown, Ohio is pinning it's hopes on the Cruze. GM's next little car similar to the long lived Cavalier and short lived Cobalt. Want to know a little history on Lordstown? I know you do...

This is from the Detroit News Online:

Lordstown
Taking Exit 215 off the Ohio Turnpike, you can't miss the GM plant. At 5 million square feet, it overshadows the community, and at times has had more employees than Lordstown has residents.

The city has a couple of convenience stores, a gas station and a small business strip with a dollar store and a Subway shop. At Lordstown High School, where the graduating class this year had 28 students, there's no football field or outdoor track. American cars sit in the driveways. More than 70 percent of the town's tax revenue comes from workers at the plant, and the town has been forced to cut some of its part-time employees.
"It causes a lot of strain," said Chaffee, the mayor. "Three times more houses are for sale in our community (since 2008), and what used to be a number in the teens is now 75. It's kind of a slow-drip death for our whole area. Hardly a week goes by that you don't find out someone in the area is cutting 60, 70, 80 jobs. In the old days, they would always say the cuts were temporary."

California Pizza and Things pizzeria and convenience store, about a mile from the plant, gleans more than half of its business from factory workers, owner Mark McGrail said. To cope with declining income, McGrail and his wife, Rita, have cut costs: They have laid off all but one employee, picked up their goods instead of having them delivered, kept most of the lights turned off and turned the heat down in the winter. Conversation over the register is almost always the same.
"It just seems like everyone is laid off, or someone in their family is laid off, and it's not just those who work in the plant," Rita McGrail said.
The hopes of Lordstown.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Fritz Is Out

Here is a great old picture of GM designers and engineers at work. Continue on Gentlemen.

Frederick Henderson is out at GM. He helped lead them through bankruptcy but unfortunately for him the board decided it was time to move on. I don't think that is was very pretty over at GM. Henderson's daughter posted at GM's Facebook page (of which I follow). Sarah Henderson's statement is vulgar and gross. I understand that she may be upset but this is a reflection of him and how all this went down. Here is the post (read at your own risk, she hit the caps lock and unleashed the FURY):

HE F*****G GOT ASKED TO STEP DOWN ALL OF YOU F*****G IDIOTS. IM FRITZ'S F*****G DAUGHTER, AND HE DID NOT F*****G RESIGN. WHITACRE IS A SELFISH PIECE OF SHIFT, WHO CARES ABOUT HIMSELF AND NOT THE F*****G COMPANY. HAVE FUN WITH GM, I HOPE TO NEVER BUY FROM THIS GOD FORESAKEN COMPANY EVERY AGAIN. F**K ALL OF YOU.

Maybe I should apologize for adding that but it puts some of the pieces together about the state of GM because also on the GM Facebook page you can find many GM employees finding out ON the page about the firing of their boss. I know that it is a huge company but it goes to show you that this was hastily done.

Outing Fritz I think was do to a couple things. First, I think he has failed at unloading Saturn and Saab. These two companies were thought to be worth something but as it turns out GM got greedy. They are also having a hard time unloading Hummer to the Chinese. I'll believe that when it happens. He was successful in unloading Pontiac to, well, nobody. It is just being liquidated.

Ed Whitacre is taking over temporarily and serving as Chairman and CEO. I believe his is the right guy to be making these decisions, at least from my limited perspective. Bob Lutz is also still there too, pulling some strings behind the scenes. Bub Lutz is what the call "a car guy" and has been there since forever.

My writing here may be in futility though. GM has a long way to go before they really stabilize (if they can even achieve that). They are still spending way to much to advertise and there cars look like they were designed by a fourth grader playing with construction paper and scissors. Nap time!

Anyway, to lighten the mood, here is a response to Sarah's comment that I thought funny:

"I HOPE TO NEVER BUY FROM THIS GOD FORESAKEN COMPANY EVERY AGAIN."

Good luck with that goal, Sarah. I had similar aspirations, but you wouldn't believe the number of times I've accidentally bought a GM vehicle, even though I had no intention to.

Also, I need to find a situation where I can properly use the phrase "every again." I like the way that sounds.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Redskins Win! Igor, Hurt

It's not difficult to get excited when the Redskins finally win. I was able to watch some of the game online today and it was great to see the team trying some new things. For a game and 1/2 they have really been trying hard.

Igor (Kyle Orton) was hurt for the second half though. After that he ran to the sidelines "Master, master... I play still?" To which master (Josh McDaniels) replied... "No Igor go sit on the bench".

But hey, a win is a win. Sorry Igor. You play next week, I promise.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Dirk's Dragon Warfare


Modern Warfare 2 just became the most successful entertainment release in history. It is charting somewhere north of $300 million in its first few days. I just finished the short solo campaign and have come to the determination that it is much like the gameplay of Dragon's Lair. Move to the left you live, to the right, you die. Now, there's a lot more to the game; like the Special Ops portion and the online multiplayer, which is where the term "game" best fits. But the solo portion's mechanics, to which many are showering praise, is well trodden gaming territory.

Turns out that Modern Warfare 2 solo part is very much less a game then a story... but a good one, one that takes some risks and is fun to take part in. Therein, me thinks, is why it is making all that green. Games may not be for everyone, like crossword puzzles or scrabble or Civilization IV, but an interactive movie? Apparently so.

Up next for me is getting beat up by everyone online. AKA: The "game" portion. To give you an idea of how many people are playing this game... I'm ranked (after about 30 mins of playing) in the 3,000,000 territory. And that's just on the Xbox.

O, Dragon's Lair, where would we be with out ya?

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Modern Warfare 2

Call of Duty Modern Warfare is one of the best games I've ever played. I've just plowed through most of the single player game on the second one now and pretty much what I can say is that it is more of that same goodness. That's a nice run on sentence for ya. It's more of a movie then anything. You have some choices and you do have to find the right spots but it pushes you along with the story.

Now, the story? Over the top war stuff. Although... it is with Russia and being a child of the final days of the Cold War, I find some sort of enjoyment in that. Virtual enjoyment (sheesh). It's something that fits comfortably. I guess it is simplifying the game to just pick out Russia as the only story bad guy. It's more complex then that. But going up against them brings back feelings from old Red Dawn. In fact the game plays on that a little calling one of the missions "Wolverines".

The game is hitting it's marks well and has some scenes plucked right out of movies (ex: The Rock shower room scene, or plopping you in a situation very similar to Black Hawk Down's convoy experience). The visuals are way above average and the depth of knowledge and research that went into the game is mind blowing. That said, it never lets you stand there and admire any of it. It moves at a breakneck pace.

There is a scene that the news media (and some parents alike) are pulling out and rallying against. Yeah, it's in there, but your still the good guy trying to take down the bad guys. It's pivotal to the overall story and the writers scripted it in there to make you dislike the bad guys. It works. You want to win and prevail of that evil. It's akin to the opening of Red Dawn. It's gives you an enemy you want to take out and turns the story into a good old fight between the USA and the Soviet Un... er, Russia. Only, Sum of all Fears Tom Clancy like. In fact... exactly like that. Sorry, spoiler.

Ah, Red Dawn. WOLVERINES!!!!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Bob Knight


Bob Knight was inducted into the Indiana University Hall of Fame over this past weekend. Not to much seems to be made about it and I'm glad. He did not show up and I do not believe he should have. Longtime Knight friend, Bob Hammel of the local Bloomington paper accepted the honor in his place. He had the following to say:

"What those numbers don’t say is what made Indiana so special, ’cause everyone knew that what Bob Knight was doing at Indiana was kicking the slats out of that perennial excuse that you have to cut a few corners, that you have to cheat a little bit. Everybody would have loved to catch Bob Knight cheating on something and they never could. The never did and they never would. That alone, coming at a time when they graduated kids and were bringing in great kids and putting together the model program in college basketball, is why this night had to happen. Tonight is recognition that those really were priceless days. The time of distancing a great university from a coach and players who contributed richly to that greatness is over."

I agree with that statement 100%.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Well, Yoder had a nice catch

He did. Redskins go down again this week. Lots of folks out there are pointing to a good second half but I wish they didn't. The game was in Atlanta's hands by then. I don't want to hear about Campbell looking good or even Betts running well (he did show heart). The only thing I am noticing about Campbell is that he keeps going to the sidelines injured. His confidence is gone and his ego is no more and with that his immature behavior is peeking out. Not the kind of immature as in beating his girlfriend or shootings at clubs, but the kind that is more like a kid who never had any coach push him. I guess I'll take the latter, but it is disappointing.

The Redskins were outmatched and Atlanta knew it. The Falcons wound up winning 31-17.

It's going to be a long rest of the season.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Tickled

While sitting here waiting for the election results to come in I wondered over the the AV Club. With the AV Club as with some other sites, you get lots of comments on short little articles that seem as if they were posted for conversation.

One of which is one about how half the people with DVR can't find the FF button to advance through commercials. Not the most interesting topic and nor where the comments because everyone was just describing there experiences with DVR with plenty of vulgarity... That is till I came across this one by kjohnson1585:

"Man, remember back then when you were teaching your grandma how to program a VCR? You might as well teach her how to build a computer from scratch. It ain't happening."

Now, I'm not saying that all grandma's can learn this. Heck, I have a hard time with things. I found myself today thinking... Hey, maybe I'll get the new fancy pants phone when it comes out... wait, can I, or more importantly, do I want to figure it out?

The kicker in the article (from the NY Times) is that it was people between the ages of 18-49 that couldn't find the button.

Yeah, the new phone... it ain't happening.

Maybe I should get it for my nana.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Modern Mythology

September 8th, 1990:

"You can call it a miracle or a legend or whatever you want to. I just know that on that day, Brett Favre was larger than life."

- Gene Stallings, Alabama Coach, after Southern Mississippi's Brett Favre led the team to a comeback victory who - six weeks prior - had a near fatal car wreck in which he had 30" of is small intestines removed.

------------------------------
November 1st, 2009

"It was about what I expected," Favre said. "It was probably worse every time I took the field ... but I considered it a good thing. It's better than saying nothing, I guess. I know what I did here. You can ask the teammates I played with here. ... I would venture to think all the guys I played with would speak positively about the way I carried myself. ... Although I wasn't expecting a standing ovation, I know what I've done and what I stand for."

As he went on he got a little emotional. I checked behind him during this interview to see if any Green Bay fans were still there cheering him. There were, thank goodness. He spent 16 years there being what the fans thought, was one of them. He was, he is. What he is not is one of the people that run the Packers franchise.

"I know how special these fans are," Favre said. "I think deep down inside I know how they feel. Packer fans cheer for Packers first. I know that. I hope that everyone in the stadium watching tonight said, 'That joker's on the other side, but he does play the way he's always played, with his passion and love of the game.' As long as I play, that's not going to change."

As I watched the post game interview on the field with Brett Favre I couldn't help but get a little into the moment. He was trying his best to get off his chest what he wanted to say to all the fans there in that tiny microphone in front of him. Even though he seemed to be searching for words, I think the words found him.

Green Bay ownership wanted to move on without him and insert the new young gun, and they did. I think Brett took on a two year journey to get to Minnesota (Green Bay's rival) and stick it to them. An he did. I know that revenge can sometimes be hollow. In this case I think only Favre knows if that's the case. I also think that the ownership of which he was exacting revenge on probably feels empty as well. Not because of the team loosing, but for the decisions they made two years ago. And the fans, for whom cheered him on for nearly a generation? I hope they are upset with themselves for booing him, but in fact, are feeling probably pretty empty as well for doing so.

From is roots in Kiln, Mississippi (pop. 2000) to is time as 7th string QB at Southern Miss (the only school to offer him a scholarship), to this first Packers pass (which he completed to himself), to his young days enjoying a beer or two, or his addiction to painkillers, to his two Super Bowls, through is wifes cancer, to the legendary game after his fathers death, to setting most all passing records including interceptions all through his 276 game start streak. His story is seemingly as rich as Davie Crockett or Daniel Boone. And like any other stubborn southerner, he refuses to quit or go quietly.

By beating the very group off people that said he was washed up twice this year... Brett did what he done set out to do.

-----------------

Here is the obligatory excerpt from Wikipedia about his early days:

Favre was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, and raised in the small town of Kiln. He is of French and Choctaw ancestry; one of his paternal grandparents was a Native American affiliated with the Choctaw. He was the second of four children and attended Hancock North Central High School where he played baseball and football. Favre started for the Hancock North Central baseball team as an eighth–grader and earned five varsity letters. He played quarterback, lineman, strong safety, placekicker and punter in a primarily option, run-oriented offense coached by his father, Irvin Favre.

Irvin Favre said he knew his son had a great arm but also knew that the school was blessed with good running backs. As a result, in the three years Brett was on the team, his father ran a run-oriented offense called the wishbone. Favre rarely threw more than five passes in a game.

After high school Southern Mississippi offered Favre a scholarship (the only one he received). Southern Miss wanted him to play defensive back but Favre wanted to play quarterback instead. Favre began his freshman year as the seventh–string quarterback and took over the starting position in the second half of the third game of the year against Tulane on September 19, 1987. Favre, despite suffering a hangover from the night before and vomiting during warm-ups, led the Golden Eagles to a come-from-behind victory with two touchdown passes.

In his junior season, Favre led the Golden Eagles to an upset of Florida State (then ranked sixth in the nation) on September 2, 1989. Favre capped a six-and-a-half-minute drive with the game–winning touchdown pass with 23 seconds remaining.

On July 14, 1990, before the start of Favre's senior year at Southern Miss, he was involved in a near-fatal car accident. When going around a bend a few tenths of a mile from his parents' house, Favre lost control of his car, which flipped three times and came to rest against a tree. It was only after one of his brothers smashed a car window with a golf club that Favre could be evacuated to the hospital. In the ambulance, his mother was sitting with him. "All I kept asking [her] was 'Will I be able to play football again?'" Favre recalled later. Doctors would later remove 30 inches (760 mm) of Favre's small intestine. Six weeks after this incident, on September 8, Favre led Southern Miss to a comeback victory over Alabama. Alabama coach Gene Stallings said, "You can call it a miracle or a legend or whatever you want to. I just know that on that day, Brett Favre was larger than life."

100 Times No

Big vote up this week for plainly named "Issue 3" here in Ohio. It's yet another attempt by casino owners from outside the state to bring them in. Ohio has voted this down 4 times since 1990.

I'll sum up and set up what is going on right now with this issue:

The states around Ohio all have so called "Las Vegas Style" casinos. The argument for is that millions, if not billions are leaving the state, therefore Ohio is loosing money.

That's about it. But let me say that you would think that top state leaders in government would be for this (tax dollars baby!) but they are not (Democrat and Republican). It's the Fraternal Order of Police, Unions (including my favorite, the UAW), the casino owners themselves, Ohio's own Black Caucus.

Here is a complete list below. I'm posting all of them because you see a trend. Unions the will benefit from construction. I'm also posting it to give you an idea of just how many labor unions are large and active in the Unionized State.

AFL-CIO Ashtabula Central Labor Council
AFL-CIO Mahoning/ Trumbull County Labor Council
AFSCME Local 3192
AFSCME Ohio Council/ Mahoning Trumbull AFL-CIO
Bricklayers Local 5
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen
Carpenters Local Union 200
Central Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council
Cincinnati Building & Construction Trades Council
Cleveland AFL-CIO
Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council
Cleveland FireFighters
Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association
Construction Employers Association
Dayton Bricklayers Local 22
Dayton Building and Construction Trades Council
Dayton/Miami Valley AFL-CIO
IATSE #12 (Stagehands Union)
IBEW Local 38
IBEW Local 8
International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 413
International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 37
Int'l Assoc. of Heat & Frost Insulators & Allied Workers
Int'l Assoc. of Machinists & Aerospace Workers - Lodge 34
Iron Workers Local 17
Ironworkers District Council of Southern Ohio and Vicinity
IUE-CWA
Journeymen Plumbers' Union, Local 55
Laborers' District Council of Ohio
Laborers' Local 1410
Laborers Local 310
MFLU Local 1099
North Shore AFL-CIO Federation of Labor
Northeast Area Labor Federation AFL-CIO
Northeast Ohio Area Labor Federation
Northwest Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council
OAPSE Local 194
Ohio & Vicinity Regional Council of Carpenters
Ohio AFL-CIO
Ohio Fraternal Order of Police
Ohio State Building & Construction Trades Council
Operative Plasterers' and Cement Mason' International Association Local 80
Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6
Pipe Fitters Local 120
Plumbers & PipeLitters Local 162
Plumbers & PipeLitters Local 189
Plumbers, PipeLitters & Mechanical Equipment Service Local 392
Roofers Local 75
Roofers Local 88
Sheet Metal Workers Local 24
Sheet Metal Workers Local 24
Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (S.O.A.R.)
Tile Layers Local 36
Toledo Police Patrolmen's Association
Tri-County AFL-CIO Central Labor Council
U.A. Local 189 Plumbers & PipeLitters
United Auto Workers
United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 880
United Industrial Workers Union AFL-CIO
United Steel Workers Local 21
United Steel Workers Local 9401
United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers

This morning the Columbus Dispatch planted a few articles (including the front page, above the fold, op ed against it. The paper also has there official stance in the Opinion section of the paper titled the same as this post. I'll put it at the bottom of this post.

What I think is that this is something that probably will happen at some point. I don't want it too, but probably will. I think if it passes now it will have been helped along by the down economy over the past 12 months, which is very sad.

Ohio has shaken off this kind of legalized gambling for the entire history of the state which dates back to 1803.

If strapped for time, scroll down to the closing paragraph, it sums my thoughts up perfectly.

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Editorial: 100 times no
State Issue 3 is bad bet for Ohio and all Ohioans
Sunday, November 1, 2009 3:43 AM

There are 100 good reasons to vote no on State Issue 3, which would authorize Las Vegas-style casinos in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo.
These are the top 10:

• No special-interest group -- ever -- should be allowed to purchase a special place for itself in the Ohio Constitution. This proposed amendment was written by two out-of-state gambling companies for their exclusive benefit. It would prostitute the state's basic governing document.

• If Ohio ever authorizes Las Vegas-style casino gambling, the people, through their elected representatives, should determine the rules, regulations, tax rates and locations. There was no public discussion or debate over the drafting of Issue 3.

• By their own admission, the gambling companies behind Issue 3 are prepared to spend $50 million to buy their constitutional amendment. They have purchased the support of any organization or individual willing to be bought.

• The gambling companies decided their tax rate would be a ridiculously low 33 percent. How many companies and individuals get to decide their own tax rates?

• The four cities would have virtually no control, zoning or otherwise, over casinos, which would operate 24 hours a day, 365 days per year.

• Not a dime of the casinos' tax proceeds would go to Ohio's general fund. All tax monies would be earmarked for local governments and schools.

• Casino profits would leave the state. The two companies that would own the casinos are based in Michigan and Pennsylvania.

• The lack of safeguards in the amendment would leave Ohio with the weakest casino regulations in the nation.

• Casinos suck economic vitality from neighboring businesses. The proposed location for the Columbus casino is a direct threat to the health of the Arena District.

• Las Vegas-style casinos spawn crime, addictions and family breakdowns. These societal costs far exceed the modest number of jobs they provide.

Democratic and Republican leaders agree that Issue 3 is rotten. Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat, calls it "another bad deal for Ohio."

Betty Montgomery, a Republican and former Ohio attorney general, calls it straight: "Ohio's constitution should not be a playground for special-interest groups with big checkbooks."

Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman, a Democrat, says Issue 3 would handcuff Columbus, giving city officials absolutely no say over casino operations. State Auditor Mary Taylor, a Republican, calls Issue 3 a sweetheart deal, crafted to enrich casino owners while shortchanging Ohio.

No responsible Democratic nor Republican official is standing up to defend Issue 3. The silence of some elected officials speaks volumes. Some simply have been purchased by casino interests.

Franklin County Commissioner John O'Grady, a co-chairman of the opposition to Issue 3, deserves special commendation for his courage in standing up to the pro-Issue 3 thugs. O'Grady says the Arena District represents the most pro-family development Columbus has experienced in decades. He recognizes a next-door casino would be a cancer on the district and on the entire Downtown.

"This (casino) is going to suck the jobs and customers away. It's going to bring an element of crime," O'Grady said.

He's right. And his point underlines how shameful and disappointing was the endorsement of Issue 3 by the state Fraternal Order of Police. Something is very wrong within the leadership ranks of the FOP.

Four times since 1990, Ohioans have demonstrated common sense in rejecting proposed constitutional amendments sponsored by big-time gambling interests.

For all of its current economic troubles, Ohio should not be tempted to cashier its core Midwestern values for the false promise of casino gold. There is no evidence on the planet that casinos rejuvenate depressed local economies.

There is not one good reason to vote for Issue 3. Not one.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Bookend to Cash 4 Clunkers

I wrote a bit more then I probably should have about the Clunkers program back when it was going on. What strikes me is that I never really came to any strong conclusion to what it did or accomplished.

I'm happy that it jump started some production facilities around the country. I say "some" because it was only that. Really what the program did was allow auto makers and sellers to reduce inventory. Because most of the facilities stayed closed all the way through the program (and still are now) dealerships have somewhat of a shortage on there lots and there are not enough buyers now to up production. It's unfortunate because the potential new car buyers now are the ones that can actually afford a new car. This is one of those take the good with the bad scenarios. People that probably should have purchased a used car bought a new one and dealerships are stuck with poor selling cars.

GM is still mostly shutdown. Workers are still idle save for the ones working on the new Camaro (Delphi is still chugging along adding ballast to the Camaro because the rear brakes were designed poorly). Honda up in Marysville, Ohio is still cutting hours too.

It's reported that the Government spent $24k for every clunker traded in (Edmunds). But I believe the math required to figure out if the program was successful or not is too complex to boil down to any number.

I know this sounds like rambling and that's because it is. Nothing about this program can be pinned down as bad or good and there in lies the problem with it... it's failure. I do not believe you can start something without clearly defined goals to achieve. It's sort of like we just did this program to do something. Anything.

It's frustrating in the workplace and frustrating when it is tax dollars in the government.

It does not make sense to me.

As a Post Script I'll mention something that I didn't mention. The picture. In my adventures in trying to get an old 1988 Camaro running I ran into people that this program directly affected in regards to the destroying of perfectly running vehicles that otherwise would have been donated or kept by families struggling with debt or sold to someone inexpensively that otherwise couldn't afford a car to get to that temp job at GM. That picture up there is disgusting and it happened all over the country.

Monday, October 26, 2009

The PS3!


I'm very excited to finally have the PS3. I got it as a gift for my birthday last week. What a great gift! It has been something I have wanted for quite some time.

The first thing I wanted to test out was the Blu-ray. James Bond. I've never had the opportunity to watch any James Bond movies (well, pre-Goldeneye) without commercial interruption and until recently I hadn't seen any in HD. Over the weekend I picked up From Russia with Love. I watched it, and it was good.

The PS3 came packaged with Uncharted: Drakes Fortune. I never read anything about the game so I went into it with no expectations. But, wow. The game is very good. Heck, the best thing I have played in a while even. I don't know if it was the fact that it was on a new system for me or not... I just know that I was hooked for a good three hours after thinking I would just pick it up for an hour or so.

The gameplay is easy to learn, the artwork and graphics our excellent, and, wait for it... it has a story to follow. A understandable one, albeit simple. It is a treasure hunter game very much in the same vein as Tomb Raider. But I can't get over how simple story bullet points can hold you. Yes, a simple understandable story. It even has you caring about other characters. Friendship and possibly a love interest. It's amazing how desperate I must be for this in a game. Did I mention the story?

Uncharted 2 is already out and getting some of the best reviews I've ever seen for a video game. Even the AV Club got into act of loving this game (and yes, the story).

"But the real triumph is the painfully real way Uncharted 2 portrays human relationships. People come together and fall apart in devastating, believable ways. The relationship between Nathan and Chloe feels both old—these two have a history together—and new again in an exciting way. It’s the sexiest, most convincing relationship in gaming history."

When was the last time I read reviews saying a game has a good story?

Here is another quote, this time from Jesse Costantino at Gamerevolution.com

"Among Thieves is all about constant movement. And even movement on top of movement. It grabbed me from the beginning and didn’t let go for twelve hours. Once I finished, all I could think about was playing it again. More than a defining game for the PS3, Uncharted 2 is a defining game of this console generation. It shows that games have outgrown the tired comparisons to film and that we’re witnessing the maturing of the medium."

Looking forward to it.

A simple, interesting story. Imagine that.

(I'm looking at you, Red Faction.)

Go here for more on Uncharted 2. I haven't seen reviews like this for a game... ever.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

ZORN

Redskins just allowed the 3rd winless team this year to, well, get a win. I think, in an act of desperation, Jim Zorn benched Jason Campbell. For him to do that after always standing by him this year must have been hard for him so I think the word from on high came down to Zorn. "Win this game or you are done." - Dan

I do believe that this is the last game for Jim Zorn. If so, him finally benching Campbell this far in the year is very sad. It's saying that Jim only believed in him until his butt was on the line. I think that he will carry that with him for a very long time.

The only thing that will keep Zorn from getting let go at this point is the greedy owners desire to keep interest in the team nationally. He knows that once he goes to another coach on the team they drop off the radar. We'll see.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Dragon Rising Impressions


I think I've made my way into this game just barely enough to say a few things about it now.

Let me start out with what isn't working for me:

1. Frequent Timed Objectives. So far the game is pushing me along with things like "go here now before X happens very soon". Having a clock pushing you can be frustrating. I don't dislike this gameplay mechanic, but after the first Operation Flashpoint I realized how nice some of it was to be able to take my time. Still have a ways to go in the game tho, so we shall see.

2. Commanding your fire-team. On the console this is no easy task when locked in a firefight. The key here is learning how to skip through it fast which requires practice. Also, you cannot move when in this menu. The upside to this is that there are plenty of commands to give.

3. No map editor for the Xbox 360. I'm upset about this. Very upset.

What is working for me:

1. The planning. You better have a plan and listen to your commanders or you will go down... A lot. The game does afford you a lot of creative ways of completing an objective. And when a plan works, it's very satisfying.

2. The Audio. The menu music song is outstanding. It's half ugly (in a good way), and half beautiful. The sound effects and voice work are top notch. One the second mission you will actually fear some noises ie. gunship firing down one you. It makes an incredible 'thump, thump, thump' sound and if you are wearing your headphones- will make you hide behind the couch and suck your thumb. Also the accuracy in which you can tell where something is better in this game then any other I have played. Lastly, the ambient sounds make it feel like its the time of day your in. Even going as far as changing as the time of day changes.

3. The presentation. Again, outstanding in every way. The graphics are above average and I'm constantly surprised by new things. In similar games like Ghost Recon or Call of Duty, scripted things happen with explosions. Here they can happen anywhere and structures can and will be destroyed. Another thing here is with the menus. This may be a design preference with me but they are beautiful. Another thing to mention here is the dynamic time of day lighting. The sun rises and sets. Haven't been in the rain yet, but looking forward to it.

4. The difficulty. This game is difficult. But not in a way that makes it seem impossible. Make a mistake and you will be shot. If you find yourself thinking "I shouldn't be here in this spot" then your probably shouldn't and you will probably be shot, or your team will. This is a game where the developers don't hold your hand. The first two missions can be frustrating... you feel like you are missing enemies and going the wrong way. Be patient. Listen to your commander and stay in cover. Once the third mission starts up the game really starts to shine.

5. Your AI buddies. They behave correctly. Get locked in a firefight and you quickly realize you can't just call them out to run and follow you especially if it means they will be shot in the back. If you are making a series of bad moves and they will stop listening to you at all. Also, if you send one or more of your guys down a hill to check things out before you go (aka, a suicide mission cause you are a wuss) they will get angry and let you know. The game places a premium on your teammates. Lose them and you are done. I've read that this part of the game is turning people off because they think they are just being unresponsive. Not the case. If you are making the right decisions they will listen.

So far I'm impressed. I can see that some people are really hammering this game (particularly the online modes). I do think, like I've mentioned before, that the game is one that was released in late Beta form. So of the gripes and complaints should be fixed here in the new future.

I'd liken this game to the original Ghost Recon, a whole lotta good. With so many things going on at once it is truly something to behold. Especially for a console game.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Woody Hayes

Out of the blue the other day I got a great story from a co-worker (Dave) about the punch that Woody Hayes through that kicked him out of the game. It was long, but the just of it was that while Dave was living in NY he went to see an AFL game in which Art Schlichter (good German Ohio name) was playing. Schlichter was the quarterback that threw the interception in the game where Woody threw the punch.

After the game ended Dave went down to see if Schlichter was available, and of course he was. Dave got to talking with him and after a while asked about the punch. Schlichter opened up and stated that Woody did what he did to try and protect him from what would have been accusations of throwing the game (which, as it turns out, he did do) and allow him to have a pro-career. Which he did but threw it all away to a gambling addiction. You can read that tragic tale here.

What Woody did it put his career on the line for one of his players. Woody was fired after that game.

As a footnote I was also told that Charlie Bauman, the linebacker that intercepted it told the OSU bench that "Your quarterback just threw the game".

I find this clip hard to watch now, but here it is.

Taking on the Bad Guys

I ran across this today over at Rotten Tomatoes. In this clip. John Matrix takes on entire army head on. Does it get any better? Well, maybe the clip beneath it..

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Fumble #8

Jason Campbell fumbles #8 on the season 5 minutes into the game. The NFL record on a year is 23. I know that I'm riding JC and this isn't all his fault. The O line holds some of the blame. Also, Zorn still just coaching JC not to make mistakes. A 145 yd passing game is terrible.

No interceptions though, right?

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Sick, Superdad and Dragon Rising

Been feeling under the weather here for a few days, but was able to pick up Dragon Rising the other day. I tried playing it last night for about 30 minutes before I had to put it down and get some rest. Tried it again tonight and had to put it down again for the same reason. Flipped on the TV and saw that Superdad (Kurt Russell) was on. I think it was one of the last old young Kurt did for Disney. Very bad, but very good to watch when not feeling well.

Alas, while you may think that popping in an extremely difficult game like Flashpoint may stink while you are sick, it isn't. I've was brainwashed by Modern Warfare I think. I'm having to recalibrate to this type of game. But so far it is living up to the hype I built up in my head for it.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

NOOOOOOOO! (and yay)

Redskins win. Yay, Go Skins! But wait... Campbell with a 101 passer rating... NOOOOOOOOO! AGAIN. It's like I said before; Zorn is coaching JC only. It makes no sense. Three INTs and two fumbles against one of the worst teams in the NFL?? Safe to say the Skins are stuck with this guy, (a aged backup, young guy hurt) but come on!

The Redskins are beneficiaries of a easy schedule, even over the next two weeks. As a fan, I'm hoping Campbell can find his magic soon, otherwise it is going to get ugly later this year.

Mid-Game Redskins Post


So while I'm sitting here watching the stats go by again this week for the Redskins game I'll mention that Jason Campbell just added another two fumbles in the first half (lost one). He has also thrown two INTs. What is going on you may ask? Well, I told you last week. Campbell is not a starting QB.

On a positive note... I heard Charlie Casserly mention his days with the Redskins twice during the pre-game show over at CBS. Bring him back. I'll say this and leave it about Mr. Casserly. Four Super Bowls.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Full Color Football


Showtime is showing an excellent documentary on the AFL marking the 50 year anniversary. The thing I enjoy most about it is that is sheds light on what is now the NFL. A lot of the names are still there; owners, coaches and all. It really rounds out what is today one of the best run businesses in the United States.

Also marking this moment is Madden 10. They are getting in the act by releasing a add on pack that includes uniforms worn by the teams that were in the original AFL. After watching the first part of the doc I'm considering checking this out.

Now, as I seem to be developing a habit of, I'll say another thing about Madden 10. I finally finished my franchise season. I lost in the Conference Championship to Arizona. It turned out to be a barn burner. Arizona kicked a 57 yard field goal in overtime to beat me. Am I disappointed? Did Madden once again script a loss for me? I'll never know, but I will say that I enjoyed it.

I mentioned before that the game was missing a few elements that make it a great title. A couple examples of this are the sameness of each game. The fact that fans are still in shorts in late December outdoors. After watching the AFL documentary you realize the remarkably rich history of football in the United States and wish that more could be done to allow you to immerse yourself in that and really become part of it. I lot to ask for sure, but I think just changing some of the repetitiveness between games and adding more personality would go a long way.

One curious thing to mention is that after the first franchise season you can go into an owner type mode with completely insane upgrades to your stadium. Enter: Valet Teleportation, HD screens at every seat and Food Replicators. Believe it. I actually found it refreshing and am going to get going on my team creation.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

OFP:DR Post Quatro!


Only one week away and I can honestly say I'm getting pretty excited. It's rare for me to take a second before a game gets released and get excited about it. Even between playing Civ 4, Madden 10 and Beatles Rock Band I'm thinking about this game. Let's hope it lives up to the hype in my head (not difficult to do).

Only question left is a strange and foreign one for me. Console or PC version? Goodness. I'll probably go console. We'll see.

And since I've mentioned Madden up there. I'll post a review of it soon. I've just about finished my first year franchise season. Yes, actually playing through it. I'm not just simulating it or whatever. I will say now that it does get wacky and turns into just another game towards the end of the season. Without any substantial pre or post game recap or robust highlight system or making one game different from another it just becomes bland.

I have started creating a team full of players to fill a roster. We will see how it does under that kind of Larry pressure. First strike against it... No Campbell University football team. They have a team now man! Anywho, Sasquatch lives!!!

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Zero and 19 Team Wins

I watched the Redskins game from a unique perspective today. Since it wasn't on TV I was just able two follow it play by play online (like many do, just I've never done). I've also read a lot of the fans reaction, post game now.

So, I have two perspectives here. One: the emotions of the fans that saw the game live and, Two: what I saw on the stat lines only.

The fans saw a team that was asleep at the wheel the first half. A team that looked un-inspired. What I saw was a defense doing the best they could with an offense that did nothing. Washington ended up holding the Lions to 19 points. The Lions scored 27 in their opener against New Orleans and 13 against the Vikings who have one of the best defensive teams in the league. One might say that the jury is out on what the Lions can do offensively. If you were to have told me that the Lions would score 19 on the Skins before the game, I would have said, okay, and taken it. I do not believe Washington's defense is the problem here.

What I'm seeing is a lot of people wanting Coach Zorn's head on a platter. I'm not sure that this is the best solution right now, but it would be satisfying if it happened. I do not think he is a head coach. The only person he is coaching is Jason Campbell.

I say that because I think he is coaching to get JC stats. I'm not saying this in some sort of conspiracy theory way. Just that he seems to be calling pass plays on clear run plays and so forth. The opponents D has to be scratching their heads sometimes I think on that front thinking "Okay, well, that was a funny call, it got them nowhere, and we still have all the time in the world to play our game." How else do you explain a QB rating of 92.5 on a team that can't score?

JC is getting his stats. But at the same time, I saw him put the ball on the ground twice today (well, read that in the play by play). I watched him do that last week as well. He also had another bad interception. On the year he has five (yes, 5) fumbles. I guess fans think that it's okay that he has only lost one? Not good. That's terrible. I'm looking around for another QB in the league that has that many official fumbles... none. Even Kurt 'butterfingers' Warner only has one this year. His worst year he had 12. Campbell is going to get to that total here in 4 weeks. He also has 2 picks. Not too bad I guess. But combine that with the fumbles and it's 7 individual, game changing errors (whether he recovers the ball or not).

Anyway, all this is funny because I'm in week 14 of my season with the Skins in Madden. Jason cannot be tackled because he'll drop the ball. He is also throwing more INTs then TDs. Even with that though, I keep playing him because his completion % is very high and he has a strong arm.

So what is the solution for the Skins after loosing to a team that is considered one of the worse in football history? I hate to say this... but do nothing to the coaching. Leave the pieces in place. The only thing I might change is on the player personnel side. It doesn't seem that any of these players have any fire in the belly. There isn't any competition. Sit Portis for a few weeks. Throw more to Devin Thomas and get Jason Campbell out of there. Heck, get the ball more to Yoder over Cooley.

Mix it up Redskins. We've still got most of the season to go and even though this is, absolutely, rock bottom that just means only one way to go.

NFL Picks thru Week 2

Madden has dropped to the bottom so far, but only 32 games to go by so far. This is % right.

Picker Total
Mort 78.1%
Golic 74.2%
Schefter 71.9%
Schlereth 68.8%
Hoge 68.8%
Allen 65.6%
Wickersham 65.6%
Jaws 63.3%
Madden 56.3%

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Football Should be Outside

Ah. Saturday Morning.



On a natural field. I read, sometime ago, about a photographer who regularly shoots the Super Bowl. He made it a point to say that football should always be played outside.

I've tried to find some pics of games played indoors, like from Ford Field, to show and compare, but it is just depressing. It's like watching a game happening in an office building. Like the office Joe works for in Joe vs the Volcano.

Okay, well, that's just mean. Here's a pretty shot from the Lions last home game...

Thursday, September 24, 2009

The Beatles


Spent some more time with the game this evening and put down the mic and only went with the drums so I could pick up some of the artwork and animations in the background. While I had my reservations at first about the stylized, video game-y look I have come to the conclusion that it looks wonderful. Everything is so polished, from the voice/lip sync to the music video hitting all it's marks. It's outstanding.

One note about the opening that I think I've gotten wrong is that it has more to do with Passion Pictures and Pete Candeland, although I'm sure Hewlett has something to do with it. Either way, very well done. The beginning of it struggles to mesh with the latter part, but ok. It makes me wonder if they should have went with that art style though out the game instead of the typical 3-D video game models. Even with that, I'm very impressed that each of the 45 tracks have their own 'video'. I think that may have been too tall an order for all involved in the production of the opening.

I'm sure however owns the game will see for themselves, but my clear surprise favorite song is 'And Your Bird Can Sing'. However, I could listen to 'Dear Prudence' over and over. Looks like Abby Road is the next album available for download soon. Sgt Pepper and Rubber Soul soon after.

(and did I just randomly throw out there a 'favorite Beatles song'?, sheesh)

Looking forward to the rest of the White Album where I can declare Rocky Raccoon as my super duper favorite.

Learning from Robert Henson


It's sort of unfortunate that I'm learning something from a football player and then, or now, writing about it. But I am. Robert Henson is a young linebacker for the Redskins and earlier this week he posted, on his Twitter account to fans:

"I dislike you very strongly, don’t come to FedEx to boo dim wits! The question is who are you to say you know what’s best for the team and you work 9 to 5 at Mcdonalds.”

And for this he has taken a huge beating from everyone, locally and nationally. The Redskins won last weekend, yet got booed. I admit that fans of the team expect great things. But in my book, a win is a win. His comment about McDonald's is out of line, but I don't mind him being upset about being booed. The number one thing I know about the Redskins fan base is that they are passionate about their team. I'm passionate about it. Heck, my nana is a huge fan. Booing the team is bush league. It's something that goes on in Cincinnati, not Washington.

So, what have I learned? I've learned that with popularity growing for the game of football to new highs that new fans who may not fully understand the game are dominating the landscape. I'm not one to say that I understand it fully, but I understand enough that sometimes a certain type of game has to be played in order to win and even sometimes loose.

The Redskins are not New England, nor do they have Peyton Manning at QB. Washington played the game they had to play to win. Control the clock and minimize mistakes.

Robert Henson is a bench player. He hasn't even played a snap this year, but at least he is passionate about the Redskins. He loves his team and the city. I like that. And I'll take that fight he has over someone who doesn't have it.

He is also a good kid who didn't start at Texas Christian until his senior year and probably wouldn't have gotten drafted had he not went to the same church as GM Vinny Cerrato's sister.

Here is a quote in effort to support Henson from the Redskins site:

"I love this city and the rich tradition, it makes me play and study harder. Because I wanna be a part of the history, you guys can bash me. To all the fans who still love us thanks and we play hard for you!!”

“Listen Twitter family I was really upset abut being booed ... and I said some things that were out of line. So keep supporting us and we will keep playing hard for you all ... Again I’m sorry. I apologize for all earlier comments about and to the fans.”

Henson’s apologies on Twitter and in his Monday media session--as well as Zorn’s comments on the young linebacker--were not fully included in a Tuesday story in The Washington Post. The article focused more on the mistake and not the contrition.

In contrast, while the Post and other media used the incident as an example of irrational behavior, Henson was scheduled to spend Tuesday with more than 40 burn survivors on a tour of FedExField.

Henson arranged this event weeks ago. He lost his 10-year-old brother in a house fire in 1997 and intends to share the story of his family tragedy with the burn survivors.

As Henson tries to launch a professional career with the Redskins, he is hoping to move on from a mistake he has quickly acknowledged.
=======================
I personally hope that more players from the team show this much passion for the City and the Team.

Sans the McDonald's comment.

Beatles Rock Band


Completely went into another world playing this finally last night. Buttercup tried to hang with me (she, on guitar. me, singing and drums), but she ended up going to sleep as I continued on singing and drumming my brains out.

The game is great. The overall in game design is very well done (when I looked). The opening of the game is exceptionally well done by Jamie Hewlett.

Check it out here: OPEN

Friday, September 18, 2009

Grove City National News


Here is a link... HERE.

I've mentioned this before. It's difficult to write about all that goes into an issue like this. But it is sad for the school just in general. I really dislike how the levy was put to vote in that it was all or nothing. There was no "pay for play" option in the vote. I hate that. The school district seems to think that people will be scared into paying more taxes to a group who mis-manages their funds. They were not tricked.

Ohio is a working class state that bleeds football, yes. But to go to a school that has no athletics? I'm conflicted and confused.

This issue impacts me greatly as many I work with live in Grove City. Asking people for an extra $50 or 100 bucks a month is a huge deal. That's gas to work, another two weeks medication to keep you well, or an electric payment. The question people are asking is if athletics, music and art existed before on the same tax rate (that's a % folks), why are they asking for more now?

The article does mention the Somali population, which I like, but doesn't really explain the impact on a town like this. Columbus was one of the cities that took in refugees back in the mid 90's (see; Black Hawk Down). I work with a number of Somalians at work. That impact, in and of itself, is a topic for another day.

The article mentions that yet another vote (already voted down 3 times) is up in November. By then football season will already be over, but alas, the school is putting in pay for play this time. Imagine that.

Some people are calling the 'no' voters the 'angry mob'. Yes. It may be just that. But this mob knows when it is being fucking lied to. From the top down, start to finish, this thing is a mess.