Thanks Harry

He will always be the voice of baseball in my mind.

We're on the Same Team, Right?

I find myself growing increasingly tired of political discussions as of late.

I like President Obama. Sure, I didn't vote for him and don't agree with all of his platforms, but I think he's a fine man and is more than fit to lead. I especially am impressed that he appears to be trying. Regardless of all the criticisms circling about how his policies are ruining the future of our posterity, at least he is acting swiftly and definitively. He has a plan and is committed and is confident.

Meanwhile, the 'Obama opposition' finds themselves embodied by the governor of Louisiana, who just so happens to be a less personal, less eloquent, less appealing, and overall lower caliber version of Obama ('Hey look at me, I'm multi-racial too!') who for some reason can't keep his hands still while talking.

I am a frequent reader of the Wall Street Journal (which I realize leans Right, but is still a far cry from the Fox News genre...). I feel as though I've read enough about the state of the economy and enough commentary to be accurate in stating that nobody really knows how to 'fix' the economy. Everyone, on both sides, has their hunches and theories. Everyone has many valid reasons to be confident in their beliefs.

There is a story that's often told in a different context about a family which is looking to move into a new town. Before making the move, the family asks two different people in that town about their fellow citizens. One states 'The people here are great - some of the most kind people I've ever met!' The other sighs 'Honestly the people here are pretty depressing. No one cares about anyone else.'

Obviously the moral of the story is that often times situations will be as wonderful or as horrible as you want them to be. Naturally this is a blanket statement that doesn't apply to everything in life, but I'm confident you get my point.

We're on the same team. The president (with the democratic congress) has made it apparent that if he wants to pass something or otherwise get something done, then he is going to do it. I say good. No matter what is done, some people are going to be happy and some are going to be outraged. He's trying to think it out. He's trying to take and synthesize advice. He's making his decisions.

I'm a strong believer that complaining has never gotten anybody anywhere. The left-wing's incessant references to the past eight years being rivaled only by the holocaust and the crucifixion of Christ needs to end. The right wing's cryings about how they've been misrepresented by the Bush administration and how they're not being taken seriously has got to stop. The constant feed of pessimism surrounding the multi-trillion-dollar budget does no good. By doing so we are only making our own self-fulfilling prophecy of failure. Let's give him a chance. Let's give his policies a chance. It is not beyond any of us to put forth the effort to make it work.

After all, we Americans can do anything. Yes we can.

My Cinderella

I'm sure I'm probably the last person on Earth who hasn't heard this song before, but I just heard it on the radio last night for the first time. I don't know if it's played on mainstream radio; the only music radio I listen to anymore is the local Christian station.

I thought this was very touching.



She spins and she sways to whatever song plays,
Without a care in the world.
And I'm sittin' here wearin' the weight of the world on my shoulders.
It's been a long day and there's still work to do,
She's pulling at me saying "Dad I need you!
There's a ball at the castle and I've been invited and I need to practice my dancin'"
"Oh please, daddy, please!"

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh I will dance with Cinderella
I don't wanna miss even one song,
Cuz all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone

She says he's a nice guy and I'd be impressed
She wants to know if I approve of the dress
She says "Dad, the prom is just one week away,
And I need to practice my dancin'"
"Oh please, daddy, please!"

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Ohh-oh ohh-oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don't wanna miss even one song,
Cuz all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone
She will be gone.

Well, she came home today
With a ring on her hand
Just glowin' and tellin' us all they had planned
She says "Dad, the wedding's still six months away
but I need to practice my dancin'"
"Oh please, daddy please!"

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Ohh-oh ohh-oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don't wanna miss even one song,
(even one song)
Cuz all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone

Makes me miss Ruth already.

When I Grow Up...

I want to be like this guy.

US Airways Flight 1549

What's amazing to me is how calm everyone involved was. It sounds more like a training exercise than a genuine life-threatening ordeal.

Overheard In My Car

As part of my basketball coaching/boy scouting duties tonight, I had to do a significant amount of driving around Rochester with various boys.

Conversation with an 11-year-old (11yo):

11yo: Do you know what a halibut is?
me: Yea it's a fish.
11yo: No no, do you know what a halibut is?
me: Yea, it is a fish.
11yo: No, a halibut. Do you know what a halibut is?
me: What is it?
11yo: It's an ancient weapon made out of an ax and a sword.
11yo: It was named after a fish.
me: Oh. OK.

Conversation with a 16-year-old(16yo):
Driving through some of the not-so-nice areas of Rochester

16yo: Yo that a prostitute.
me: You think?
16yo: Oh yea. That a prostitute right thare.
me: She looks just like a girl walking down the street.
16yo: Na man. You see how she stop and look right thare? She a prostitute.
me: Just looks like a girl walking down the street to me.
16yo: Na man. Prostitute.
me: I think that's just a girl. How can you tell?
Looking right at me
16yo: Yo man. I just know.
me: Oh. OK.

Here's to hoping our kids go straight from 12 to 18 years old.

I Heart Onion News Network

I've recently re-discovered how amazingly ridiculously hilarious the Onion News Network is. I don't think I ever really appreciated how spot-on their 'newscasts' are until I started following/watching the news more carefully.

For my mom (which is abnormal since the site favors making fun of republicans):

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

Just for kicks:

In The Know: Has Halloween Become Overcommercialized?

And they just get better and better...