Actually, I had not intended to even write about this at all. I figure that I would just let nature take its course and not really pay attention to it. Seriously. It doesn't affect me directly at all. I don't know him personally. I have no direct involvement in this story so why should I care? I took some grief when I said that I doubt he would be in this mess had his Dad been alive. I happen to believe that to be true. I am NOT excusing his actions at all. He made a series of VERY bad decisions. I honestly think there is a connection. He's somewhat clandestine in nature, as his Dad (a former Green Beret if you don't know). I think this way because that is the time when all this started. He ventured on unchartered waters and the waters overtook him. Until I hear women coming forward from pre-2003 (for example) come forward, this is my story and I'm sticking to it. Even his former girlfriend, Joanna Jagoda (who he dated until 2001), was floored by all of this.
You made it this far, so please work with me. I only look at the timeline- 2005 is when this all began. That seems to be the year all of this started. Around this time, his Dad's health had turned for the worst. He not only had prostate cancer but had been dealing with diabetes at the same time. Earl Woods was very involved in Tiger's life. He warned him about going the route he is now taken himself on. His folks lived in California while he lives in Florida. He would often go to California to see his Dad or take that trip to Vegas. Hence, the opportunity is born. The one man Tiger sought the approval of the most was gone by 2006. The one man who always kept him straight. The one man who kept Tiger in line dead. The rest is history. All of these affairs happened, or escalated after the elder Woods passed away. Tiger's gatekeeper, confidant, and most trusted friend was gone.
How does his father's death play into this? I think of my colleague who experienced the sudden death of his father. At times and for whatever reason, rational thought sometimes goes out the window. His wife, Elin, is a very beautiful woman. Most would think why would (or better yet, how could) he cheat on her? I don't think it's just power alone, though that is part of the picture. I'm not making excuses, but only stating what I have seen. Some people can deal with grief better than others. My colleague was a mess. Even though he took time off from work, he was not doing well. He would up being placed on 3 different medications to deal with his moods. He also (successfully) hacked into his company's Internet site, eventually getting him fired. This somewhat makes me think of Metallica (in particular, James Hetfield). In "Some Kind of Monster", he had just entered rehab. He also had to deal with grief that he admitted he failed to deal with properly. His mother died of cancer, father left him, and the tragic death of bassist Cliff Burton just got pushed down and never addressed (not to mention the relationships with his other band mates). James medicated his pain with alcohol, drugs and sex. If all that is being said about this is true, I see some parallels in this story. Someone had to see this train wreck happening and I still wonder if anyone tried to stop him (as a good friend should).
This is something I didn't think of when I first put this out. Woods has been under the public microscope since age 3. Now, I almost did a brownie advertisement at the same age. In fact, I can still remember the guy trying to do the shoot. My problem was I wanted to EAT the brownie while photoman wanted me to just keep it in my mouth. A picture-pillow exists and is currently at my Grandmother's house. He has been put in a position where he can't be normal. All his life, his image waws about being perfect, bordering on machine-like (as many have described him). Frankly, I think this might have pushed him over. This is no excuse but another possible factor where a person can make another bad decision. He tried some thigs (as he said) and he liked it. More important, he didn't get caught. Again I ask if anyone saw this and tried to stop it? As the details come out, it seems as if people enabled him to do so. Then the circle just got bigger. The limits only got pushed further out. I can't imagine living my life that publically for that long and not crack up at least one (look at the different child stars who did the same thing).
What gets me is that I as an outsider am putting this together. We're hearing stories about long nights of heavy drinking, affairs with multiple women (now reaching double digets and 2 of the alleged are porn stars), and medications (sleeping pills and pain killers). How is it that those close to him didn't or at least try to talk sense into him? I mentioned James Hetfield and his journey. He basically was told by his wife that stuff is going to change or I’m gone. Hetfield went for a lengthy in-patient treatment. Not to say that no one did it with Tiger. Then again, I guess the hangers-on could not take the risk of losing their meal ticket. I just wonder that "friends" actually knew of this and enabled him to carry on. From the no joke file, how will his wife deal with this? I feel worse for her. I hope he takes this seriously. He has done so much right (starting schools and a good foundation among other things) that to lose all of that in such a way would be a shame. In fact, it’s bordering on tragic. Then again, Nick Faldo’s career didn’t suffer for adultery either. I would hope that he should stay low for the next few months and not any sooner than the Masters (or at the minimum, Bay Hill), as I see it.
I think of King David and Bathsheba in all of this. David could have picked anything he wanted, and God even said that if what he had wasn't enough, I would have gladly given him more. He took Bathsheba, had his moment with her, sent her husband out to battle knowing he would be killed, and the result was a nightmare. The boy Bathsheba gave birth to died. King Soloman had all the power and women (over 700 wives) only for them to turn against him by woshipping other gods. I will end by saying this. I wonder if anyone sees their friend doing the things Tiger did, what would you do? Do you try to stop them, get out of the way or enable them to carry on in such a way. Stuff like this happens all too often so I hope in our own lives, we will be consistent in our reactions no matter who the person involved may be. I don't think that's unfair to ask.
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Monday, December 7, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Brilliant Beaurocracy
I saw a posting earlier today which got my attention. Now I don't like big government as much as the next person. I DO feel they have a role in our culture but when (or where) does this roll end? Now I'm not even going to mention Cap and Trade (which was voted DOWN last week in Australia) or "the Bill" to change health care. At least I won't mention this going forward. I have NEVER seen an administration like this current one do the things that they are doing (or trying to do). This is almost like President Clinton's ghost or his revenge of sorts.
That was the last time we heard so much intrusion in the lives of citizens. Lets think back a year ago, when all the bailout money was given to various financial institutions. This money was given out because those who approved it didn't read the bill. Then they try to create this insane tax to get back what they signed off on. For me, that was bad enough. Then I see this headline "Bank lobby lashes out at credit unions" today and I'm asking myself what is this all coming to? What was it? or some variation of the like(1). Then I start to read this. "In a lengthy letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-Calif.), the American Bankers Association (ABA) urged lawmakers not to increase the amount of money credit unions may lend." Now is it just me or does this sound just plain crazy. I call it Brilliant Beaurocracy!! Then I read this-"The bank lobbies said the change “will only increase the risk exposure of credit unions” and “result in credit unions straying further from their traditional mission of serving customers, particularly those of modest means."
Last time I check, there were many banks that needed government bailout help but did a credit union get any money? Nope, at least that I'm aware of. The big banks who DID get the bailout money aren't lending to the people who could use it. Meanwhile, credit unions quietly go about their business of taking care of their customers needs and not fleecing them in the process. I have been a credit union member since 1986 and have done my primary banking a the same credit union since 1997. They don't rip me off with insane fees or goofy clauses. Their services are as good or better and I know they're interests are in me.
This is brilliant beaurocracy at its best. Those in power want to mess up what isn't broken. They want to tell the successful credit unions of this country how to do business. The funniest part of this is that of all the people the beaurocrats are listening to, they listen to those banks that they had to bail out. Did I miss something here? While we're at it, how many banks has the FDIC taken over since this time a year ago? Thank you! These folks want to listen to the people who messed up their business and wanting to intervene where it isn't needed. Again, here we go. Instead of fixing what ISN'T broken, fix what IS.
Dan Mica is the President for the Credit Union National Association. I will end with his quote when he says, "they have too often throughout the nation’s financial crisis, the bankers are thinking only of themselves at a time when small businesses are in dire need of access to credit." Well said, Mr Mica. Well said!!!
Works cited:
1. "Bank lobby lashes out at credit unions", Silla Brush, thehill.com:
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/70685-banks-lash-out-at-credit-unions-in-letter-to-senior-democrats
That was the last time we heard so much intrusion in the lives of citizens. Lets think back a year ago, when all the bailout money was given to various financial institutions. This money was given out because those who approved it didn't read the bill. Then they try to create this insane tax to get back what they signed off on. For me, that was bad enough. Then I see this headline "Bank lobby lashes out at credit unions" today and I'm asking myself what is this all coming to? What was it? or some variation of the like(1). Then I start to read this. "In a lengthy letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-Calif.), the American Bankers Association (ABA) urged lawmakers not to increase the amount of money credit unions may lend." Now is it just me or does this sound just plain crazy. I call it Brilliant Beaurocracy!! Then I read this-"The bank lobbies said the change “will only increase the risk exposure of credit unions” and “result in credit unions straying further from their traditional mission of serving customers, particularly those of modest means."
Last time I check, there were many banks that needed government bailout help but did a credit union get any money? Nope, at least that I'm aware of. The big banks who DID get the bailout money aren't lending to the people who could use it. Meanwhile, credit unions quietly go about their business of taking care of their customers needs and not fleecing them in the process. I have been a credit union member since 1986 and have done my primary banking a the same credit union since 1997. They don't rip me off with insane fees or goofy clauses. Their services are as good or better and I know they're interests are in me.
This is brilliant beaurocracy at its best. Those in power want to mess up what isn't broken. They want to tell the successful credit unions of this country how to do business. The funniest part of this is that of all the people the beaurocrats are listening to, they listen to those banks that they had to bail out. Did I miss something here? While we're at it, how many banks has the FDIC taken over since this time a year ago? Thank you! These folks want to listen to the people who messed up their business and wanting to intervene where it isn't needed. Again, here we go. Instead of fixing what ISN'T broken, fix what IS.
Dan Mica is the President for the Credit Union National Association. I will end with his quote when he says, "they have too often throughout the nation’s financial crisis, the bankers are thinking only of themselves at a time when small businesses are in dire need of access to credit." Well said, Mr Mica. Well said!!!
Works cited:
1. "Bank lobby lashes out at credit unions", Silla Brush, thehill.com:
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/70685-banks-lash-out-at-credit-unions-in-letter-to-senior-democrats
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
The Story of Thanksgiving (modified)
I actually posted this on a different blog so I figured I would put this here. Thanksgiving is tomorrow here in the USA. The Pilgrims came to the USA from Europe as you all (probably) know. The journey that met them was even tougher. They escaped for religious freedom, as they desired to pray and worship as they wanted to, not what the King felt was good. The King was one way and the Ocean to the New World was the highway. After a few shorter journeys, the Pilgrims took the latter. The settlers in the new world were not prepared to live in the New World because they could not farm the land properly. Along came members of the Wompanoag Indian tribe alliance member Squanto showed them how to grow food properly. The result at the harvest time was that there was plenty of food for the long winter.
Why is that significant? How could a member of the Wompanoan tribal alliance communicate with the new settlers? He had been captured and brought to England as a youth by George Weymouth in 1605 (to prove he did go to the New World). Squanto returned in 1612 with Captain John Smith. A few years later, one of Smith's former officers tried to sell him into slavery, even though Smith let him go. The Pilgrims settled on where his former village was. He taught them how to cultivate the land and acted as an ambassador (of sorts) between the Pilgrims and the surrounding tribes. Nearly sold into slavery again, he managed to return to England and live there a few more years, learning more English during that time. 1619, he returned to his native region and had contact with the Pilgrims a few years later (this reminds me of the Biblical character Joseph).
As the video will show, the first Thanksgiving was celebrated with a feast and giving God thanks for His provision. On December 26, 1941 (almost 3 weeks after the Pearl Harbor attack), President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Day of Thanksgiving into law. Since 1942, Thanksgiving has been celebrated on the last Thursday in November. The foods served for the modern Thanksgiving dinner is reflected in part by that first feast.
Thanksgiving, from a historical point:
Fun food videos:
This is a MUST for Thanksgiving:
Turducken (a TURkey, stuffed with a DUCK, stuffed with a chicKEN). This is unique to the southern US and is actually a yearly dish. You can kill three birds with one stone:
Why is that significant? How could a member of the Wompanoan tribal alliance communicate with the new settlers? He had been captured and brought to England as a youth by George Weymouth in 1605 (to prove he did go to the New World). Squanto returned in 1612 with Captain John Smith. A few years later, one of Smith's former officers tried to sell him into slavery, even though Smith let him go. The Pilgrims settled on where his former village was. He taught them how to cultivate the land and acted as an ambassador (of sorts) between the Pilgrims and the surrounding tribes. Nearly sold into slavery again, he managed to return to England and live there a few more years, learning more English during that time. 1619, he returned to his native region and had contact with the Pilgrims a few years later (this reminds me of the Biblical character Joseph).
As the video will show, the first Thanksgiving was celebrated with a feast and giving God thanks for His provision. On December 26, 1941 (almost 3 weeks after the Pearl Harbor attack), President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Day of Thanksgiving into law. Since 1942, Thanksgiving has been celebrated on the last Thursday in November. The foods served for the modern Thanksgiving dinner is reflected in part by that first feast.
Thanksgiving, from a historical point:
Fun food videos:
This is a MUST for Thanksgiving:
Turducken (a TURkey, stuffed with a DUCK, stuffed with a chicKEN). This is unique to the southern US and is actually a yearly dish. You can kill three birds with one stone:
Monday, November 23, 2009
The Notre Dame Beautiful Mess
I knew ND was not going to any BCS game. In fact, they might make the Weedwhacker Bowl. I hate to say this is fate compli, but the writing on the wall seems to be clear. I've watched countless Senior Day Football games at all levels and I don't recall seeing ONE cry. Personally, I think Coach Charlie Weis seems to be a good guy. Do you remember how they GOT him? People don't recall that. Let me refresh your memories. You think Meyer going to Florida is the reason he got the job. Wrong. After a series of doors being slammed in their faces (Gruden, Marriuci, Petrino, and Tedford to name 4), ND played the one card they had left. Charlie Weis, Offensive Coordinator at New England and ND alum (didn't play there). His track record in the NFL spoke for itself.
Now I'm enjoying the view a bit. They gave Weis the 5 years and his best 2 years were the players of Ty "he got only 3 seasons" Willingham (Quinn being the top of the litter). Willingham had a slightly better winning percentage. Willingham was shown the door, Weis gets a fat extension which they will soon pay in a very expensive buyout. I don't dislike Weis at all, but the arrogance that's in excess with Notre Dame. A guy like him deserves better as I see it.
Remember Kevin White ( http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&id=3422039&sportCat=ncf )? He was smart enough to see what went on he left ND for the same job at DUKE!!!
So who comes in next, should this go down? I have broken this down in to the No chance, slight chance, and possibly.
No Chance on Earth:
Urban Meyer, Mark Richt, Nick Sabin, Bob Stoops, Mack Brown. All of these guys have one thing in common. They have well established programs as it is so why would the leave to clean up someone else mess. Sabin, you could say, was a big reason Les Miles enjoyed the success he did after he left. He also called it the biggest mistake of his life leaving LSU. They all have the best players at their access and most are less than 300 miles away. If you think you can pay them more, forget it. Jim Harbough, a Michigan guy, won't take it either especially since he'll beat them this Saturday. He got a few ND commits to change their mind. I'll go this far. If any guy on this list takes that job, the guys who don't might help him pack up. In other words, great programs with equally great traditions (especially of recent history). Why follow someone else's ghosts? When it's all said and done, they're going to be the ghost future coaches will be chasing.
Slight chance:
Jon Gruden. He has the ties to ND (Dad was an assistant under Dan Devine) but recently signed an extension. Dennis Erickson. The thing is he doesn't stay anywhere for long. Chris Petersen and Brian Kelly could make perfect sense based on what they've done with their programs (Boise St & Cincinnati). But would they feel it would be worth the moves, especially after what happened to the last 3 guys who roamed the sidelines (and what's happening now)? Kelly is a bit like Urban Meyer 5 years ago. How about Mike Leach at Texas Tech? Unless they can him, don't hold your breath. I also saw an article where Pat Fitzgerald would be a consideration. Why leave Northwestern? It seems that's where he wants to be. He's at his alma matter and his family won't need to travel far to watch him coach (45 minutes vs 2 1/2- 3 hours). Chip Kelly I would call a slight chance but Oregon is doing well, so with all the Nike money there why leave?
Possibly (and some names not mentioned in other places):
Paul Johnson (GA Tech)- good coach but hasn't been on the job that long.
Gary Patterson (TCU)- nice fit. He has only 2 losing seasons and won at least 10 games since 2005.
Tom Clements, who is Green Bay's QB Coach. I saw this in the Tribune yesterday. The thing is he's never been a Head Coach and only served as a Coordinator for 2 years. Also an ND alum.
Tommy Tubberville- the guy who actually coached Auburn to 9 plus wins in 6 seasons. He did this in a conference that gave us the eventual national champion 3 straight years (Florida in 06' & '08, LSU in '07).
Gary Crowton- current LSU coordinator was a Head Coach at BYU and Louisiana Tech.
Jimbo Fisher- on one side, you have a sure thing in FSU. When Coach Bowden steps down, he gets the gig. Signed, sealed and delivered. But since he got there, FSU's offense has gone nowhere. Crowton replaced Fisher after he left LSU for FSU.
Congrats, ND. You make the change. It will cost you more than the $8 Million alone. It may cost you recruits. So if you think things post-Willingham were bad, just wait. Your rep is officially garbage. Have fun on National Signing Day.
Now I'm enjoying the view a bit. They gave Weis the 5 years and his best 2 years were the players of Ty "he got only 3 seasons" Willingham (Quinn being the top of the litter). Willingham had a slightly better winning percentage. Willingham was shown the door, Weis gets a fat extension which they will soon pay in a very expensive buyout. I don't dislike Weis at all, but the arrogance that's in excess with Notre Dame. A guy like him deserves better as I see it.
Remember Kevin White ( http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&id=3422039&sportCat=ncf )? He was smart enough to see what went on he left ND for the same job at DUKE!!!
So who comes in next, should this go down? I have broken this down in to the No chance, slight chance, and possibly.
No Chance on Earth:
Urban Meyer, Mark Richt, Nick Sabin, Bob Stoops, Mack Brown. All of these guys have one thing in common. They have well established programs as it is so why would the leave to clean up someone else mess. Sabin, you could say, was a big reason Les Miles enjoyed the success he did after he left. He also called it the biggest mistake of his life leaving LSU. They all have the best players at their access and most are less than 300 miles away. If you think you can pay them more, forget it. Jim Harbough, a Michigan guy, won't take it either especially since he'll beat them this Saturday. He got a few ND commits to change their mind. I'll go this far. If any guy on this list takes that job, the guys who don't might help him pack up. In other words, great programs with equally great traditions (especially of recent history). Why follow someone else's ghosts? When it's all said and done, they're going to be the ghost future coaches will be chasing.
Slight chance:
Jon Gruden. He has the ties to ND (Dad was an assistant under Dan Devine) but recently signed an extension. Dennis Erickson. The thing is he doesn't stay anywhere for long. Chris Petersen and Brian Kelly could make perfect sense based on what they've done with their programs (Boise St & Cincinnati). But would they feel it would be worth the moves, especially after what happened to the last 3 guys who roamed the sidelines (and what's happening now)? Kelly is a bit like Urban Meyer 5 years ago. How about Mike Leach at Texas Tech? Unless they can him, don't hold your breath. I also saw an article where Pat Fitzgerald would be a consideration. Why leave Northwestern? It seems that's where he wants to be. He's at his alma matter and his family won't need to travel far to watch him coach (45 minutes vs 2 1/2- 3 hours). Chip Kelly I would call a slight chance but Oregon is doing well, so with all the Nike money there why leave?
Possibly (and some names not mentioned in other places):
Paul Johnson (GA Tech)- good coach but hasn't been on the job that long.
Gary Patterson (TCU)- nice fit. He has only 2 losing seasons and won at least 10 games since 2005.
Tom Clements, who is Green Bay's QB Coach. I saw this in the Tribune yesterday. The thing is he's never been a Head Coach and only served as a Coordinator for 2 years. Also an ND alum.
Tommy Tubberville- the guy who actually coached Auburn to 9 plus wins in 6 seasons. He did this in a conference that gave us the eventual national champion 3 straight years (Florida in 06' & '08, LSU in '07).
Gary Crowton- current LSU coordinator was a Head Coach at BYU and Louisiana Tech.
Jimbo Fisher- on one side, you have a sure thing in FSU. When Coach Bowden steps down, he gets the gig. Signed, sealed and delivered. But since he got there, FSU's offense has gone nowhere. Crowton replaced Fisher after he left LSU for FSU.
Congrats, ND. You make the change. It will cost you more than the $8 Million alone. It may cost you recruits. So if you think things post-Willingham were bad, just wait. Your rep is officially garbage. Have fun on National Signing Day.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Big 10 & Pac 10 Playoffs
I am a big college football fan. To me, I get a good laugh when people ask for a post season playoff when several BCS conferences don't have a Championship game of their own. The Big 10 and Pac 10 are two that don't. The SEC, Big 12 and ACC each have their own conference champs and I believe that it would good if the others would follow suit. That way, we can have a team with 1 loss meet another with no losses or 1 at the most. This could also create some competitive balance to the conferences as well. Again, this is just me. It may not just be good for the game of football but the balance can carry over with the other sports.
So how would I break them up? First I could do it by geography. Find a starting point for each (say Ohio State for the Big 10 and USC/UCLA for the Pac 10). I would look to see what the winning percentanges were of each team over say a 10-15 year period and build from there. The goal is to create balance and not create a "super division" by putting Michigan, Ohio State and Penn St in the same division. My goal is to create balance, not turn over the apple cart.
This is what it would look like for each:
- Big 10 North: Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Minnesota.
- Big 10 South: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Purdue, Penn St.
If I went East-West, from the middle point of school location (being Northwestern or Illinois), a super division would exist because Ohio State, Penn State and both Michigan schools are East of that point. That is something I would assume avoid.
Pac 10 would be a little different and two outcomes would work.
To me, this would be more logical:
- Pac 10 North: Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, "X"
- Pac 10 South: Arizona, Arizona State, UCLA, USC, "X".
X= Stanford and Cal. Both are literally right in the middle of this grouping. Both have enjoyed recent success, although Cal a bit moreso than Stanford. If you wish to split hairs and go by location, Cal would slide to the North and Stanford to the South conference. Either school would fit well with either conference.
Second option is a bit trickier but worth examining. The thing is there is a potential for a super conference (the Coast conference) with the proposal listed below:
- Coast Conference (those schools on or near the Pacific coast line): USC, UCLA, Cal, Stanford, & Oregon State.
- Inland Conference (the schools that are inland/ off the shore of the Pacific ocean): Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, Washington, & Washington State.
Then rotate the Championship game to different cities, each based on Big 10 school proximity. For example, here's what the Big 10 Championship venue rotation could look like. Each would be located in an NFL city:
Year 1: Chicago
Year 2: Indianapolis
Year 3: Milwaukee/ Green Bay
Year 4: Philadelphia
Year 5: Cincinatti
Year 6: Detroit
Year 7: Minneapolis
Pac 10 rotation, based on facilities.
Year 1: LA
Year 2: Phoenix
Year 3: Seattle
Year 4: San Francisco/Oakland
Year 5: San Diego
Year 6: Las Vegas
Year 7: Mexico City (just for consideration because of its size).
This is MY opinion and mine alone. I figured I would put this out for consumption.
So how would I break them up? First I could do it by geography. Find a starting point for each (say Ohio State for the Big 10 and USC/UCLA for the Pac 10). I would look to see what the winning percentanges were of each team over say a 10-15 year period and build from there. The goal is to create balance and not create a "super division" by putting Michigan, Ohio State and Penn St in the same division. My goal is to create balance, not turn over the apple cart.
This is what it would look like for each:
- Big 10 North: Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Minnesota.
- Big 10 South: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Purdue, Penn St.
If I went East-West, from the middle point of school location (being Northwestern or Illinois), a super division would exist because Ohio State, Penn State and both Michigan schools are East of that point. That is something I would assume avoid.
Pac 10 would be a little different and two outcomes would work.
To me, this would be more logical:
- Pac 10 North: Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, "X"
- Pac 10 South: Arizona, Arizona State, UCLA, USC, "X".
X= Stanford and Cal. Both are literally right in the middle of this grouping. Both have enjoyed recent success, although Cal a bit moreso than Stanford. If you wish to split hairs and go by location, Cal would slide to the North and Stanford to the South conference. Either school would fit well with either conference.
Second option is a bit trickier but worth examining. The thing is there is a potential for a super conference (the Coast conference) with the proposal listed below:
- Coast Conference (those schools on or near the Pacific coast line): USC, UCLA, Cal, Stanford, & Oregon State.
- Inland Conference (the schools that are inland/ off the shore of the Pacific ocean): Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, Washington, & Washington State.
Then rotate the Championship game to different cities, each based on Big 10 school proximity. For example, here's what the Big 10 Championship venue rotation could look like. Each would be located in an NFL city:
Year 1: Chicago
Year 2: Indianapolis
Year 3: Milwaukee/ Green Bay
Year 4: Philadelphia
Year 5: Cincinatti
Year 6: Detroit
Year 7: Minneapolis
Pac 10 rotation, based on facilities.
Year 1: LA
Year 2: Phoenix
Year 3: Seattle
Year 4: San Francisco/Oakland
Year 5: San Diego
Year 6: Las Vegas
Year 7: Mexico City (just for consideration because of its size).
This is MY opinion and mine alone. I figured I would put this out for consumption.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
"Wheat Grass?????"
I found this on YouTube not long ago and can remember everything when this was on "The Apprentice." This is in four parts. It's Trace Adkins meets the Backstreet Boys- seriously. The BSB's were doing a charity event on the show and Trace Adkins was the Team Leader. Now Adkins, being a musician by trade, understands what the rider is all about. For those who don't understand, it's really designed to make sure that all the contract's details have been met. The strangest rider was Van Halen, who wanted no brown M&M's in their bowl (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/backstagetour/1982vanhalen/1982vanhalen1.html).
Part 1: the Rider meeting-
Part 2: Knee brace & no wheat grass-
Part 3: Still no wheat grass, but did find a knee brace, black nail polish (you think I'm making this up) and the weight of the world off his shoulders:
Part 4: Trace speaks to Trump, and the phrase of the day= wheat grass juice.
Part 1: the Rider meeting-
Part 2: Knee brace & no wheat grass-
Part 3: Still no wheat grass, but did find a knee brace, black nail polish (you think I'm making this up) and the weight of the world off his shoulders:
Part 4: Trace speaks to Trump, and the phrase of the day= wheat grass juice.
Monday, November 16, 2009
"The Bill" & the Bible
Ok. Something strange came to me earlier today and I decided to share it here. You might look at the subject and ask what the two have in common? Am I going to say "the Bible" says...X.... about this bill? No chance. One, I'm not trained enough to make such a statement. Frankly, other than abuse of power, I see no other real connection to it until now.
I use the NIV (New International Version) Bible, which I have owned for almost 2 decades now. I noticed that my version from Genesis to Relelations has a grand total of 1148 pages. Now anyone who has read the Bible knows there is A LOT of subject matter covered in this. People spend years trying to tie together each book along with each character and related events or principles. I've know people who have studied the Bible at an academic level for years. Many Doctor of Divinity programs run as long or longer than some MBA or Law programs. There is so much to learn and apply as it relates to Biblical subject matter. It takes years to get a grasp on some very touchly subjects, understand what context they came from and how it can apply today.
Now this brings me to the point of how the Bible and "the Bill" are related. As I mentioned earlier, my Bible from start to finish has 1148 page. This bill has 1990 pages. I can tell you right now there is no chance on earth that I know every inch of the Bible. Sure, I may have some understanding of this of the main characters and stories but really may not grasp every principle. So how is it that those in the House and the Senate can HONESTLY say that they know what's in that bill? Every inch and line by line I bet they can't do it. That bill is like trying to read the entire NIV Bible from Genesis to Revelations, then starting at Genesis again and reading until finishing the book of Amos. In other words, after Amos there are only 36 pages left in the Old Testament to read. THAT give you an idea of what 1990 pages looks like. Imagine someone saying you have 72 hours to read the ENTIRE Bible plus 30 of 39 books in the Old Testament. Good luck, partner.
Then you had to give a report on that. You can't do it, can you? I don't think God expects us to read the entire Bible in such a short period of time. I believe He wants us to read it slowly and understand the entire work. This happens over years, as He intended. So how can someone say they read the entire monster known as "the Bill" and know everything that's in the bill? How is it that people believe that our politicians actually know what they're (trying) to sign into law? Make matters worse you commit a Saturday evening to do this?? Come on now. You can not do it. No chance!! Let me guess. They're speed readers, graduates of the Evelyn Wood Speed Reading Dynamics course of something of the like. Get real, politicians. Wake up citizens before the damage is done. Correct me if I'm wrong. For now, that's my story and I'm sticking with it.
I use the NIV (New International Version) Bible, which I have owned for almost 2 decades now. I noticed that my version from Genesis to Relelations has a grand total of 1148 pages. Now anyone who has read the Bible knows there is A LOT of subject matter covered in this. People spend years trying to tie together each book along with each character and related events or principles. I've know people who have studied the Bible at an academic level for years. Many Doctor of Divinity programs run as long or longer than some MBA or Law programs. There is so much to learn and apply as it relates to Biblical subject matter. It takes years to get a grasp on some very touchly subjects, understand what context they came from and how it can apply today.
Now this brings me to the point of how the Bible and "the Bill" are related. As I mentioned earlier, my Bible from start to finish has 1148 page. This bill has 1990 pages. I can tell you right now there is no chance on earth that I know every inch of the Bible. Sure, I may have some understanding of this of the main characters and stories but really may not grasp every principle. So how is it that those in the House and the Senate can HONESTLY say that they know what's in that bill? Every inch and line by line I bet they can't do it. That bill is like trying to read the entire NIV Bible from Genesis to Revelations, then starting at Genesis again and reading until finishing the book of Amos. In other words, after Amos there are only 36 pages left in the Old Testament to read. THAT give you an idea of what 1990 pages looks like. Imagine someone saying you have 72 hours to read the ENTIRE Bible plus 30 of 39 books in the Old Testament. Good luck, partner.
Then you had to give a report on that. You can't do it, can you? I don't think God expects us to read the entire Bible in such a short period of time. I believe He wants us to read it slowly and understand the entire work. This happens over years, as He intended. So how can someone say they read the entire monster known as "the Bill" and know everything that's in the bill? How is it that people believe that our politicians actually know what they're (trying) to sign into law? Make matters worse you commit a Saturday evening to do this?? Come on now. You can not do it. No chance!! Let me guess. They're speed readers, graduates of the Evelyn Wood Speed Reading Dynamics course of something of the like. Get real, politicians. Wake up citizens before the damage is done. Correct me if I'm wrong. For now, that's my story and I'm sticking with it.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Study Says 90% Of Black Children On Food Stamps (?) Wrong!!
I'm sorry. I find this absurd to make that assumption based on a sample of 18000 people. No way. This is NOT to say the problems do not exist, but I did find this to be a bit off the hoof to say the least. The numbers they're releasing is a bit absurd.
I first noticed on Twitter that this story came out. When I saw this title, I had a range of emotions. First, I thought it was some Aryan- Brotherhood-type wanting to start trouble, especially in times as these. Me, being Black I knew there was more to this than meets the eye. Then I saw this on another Twitter account user. Then hearing about this on the radio is what finally did it for me. So finally, I decided to find the article myself. I know this is not accurate because I feel that these methods may have been flawed or defective at the very least. I highlighted some key words that most did not take the time to find (for whatever reason). My goal is not to call anyone out or make ANYONE feel bad but I have to state my case. I know poverty does exist because Jesus Christ himself said that the poor will always be among you. Now, I ask that if you've made it this far, look at where I placed emphasis on what has not been said elsewhere. I'll add my criticism as I go along. My criticism will be mark in italics while the parts I have concerns over are marked **.
CHICAGO — Nearly half of all U.S. children and 90 percent of black youngsters will be on food stamps at some point during childhood, and fallout from the current recession could push those numbers even higher, researchers say.
- Notice the key phrase at some point during childhood. This does not say that 90% of Black children are currently on food stamps but may at some point in time.
**The estimate comes from an analysis of 30 years of national data, and it bolsters other recent evidence on the pervasiveness of youngsters at economic risk. It suggests that almost everyone knows a family who has received food stamps, or will in the future, said lead author Mark Rank, a sociologist at Washington University in St. Louis.
“Your neighbor may be using some of these programs but it’s not the kind of thing people want to talk about,” Rank said.
The analysis was released Monday in the November issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. The authors say it’s a medical issue pediatricians need to be aware of because children on food stamps are at risk for malnutrition and other ills linked with poverty.
“This is a real danger sign that we as a society need to do a lot more to protect children,” Rank said.
** Food stamps are a Department of Agriculture program for low-income individuals and families, covering most foods although not prepared hot foods or alcohol. For a family of four to be eligible, their annual take-home pay can’t exceed about $22,000.
According to a USDA report released last month, 28.4 million Americans received food stamps in an average month in 2008, and about half were younger than age 18. The average monthly benefit per household totaled $222.
Rank and Cornell University sociologist Thomas Hirschl studied data from a nationally representative survey of 4,800 American households interviewed annually from 1968 through 1997 by the University of Michigan. About 18,000 adults and children were involved.
Overall, about 49 percent of all children were on food stamps at some point by the age of 20, the analysis found. That includes 90 percent of black children and 37 percent of whites. The analysis didn’t include other ethnic groups.
The time span included typical economic ups and downs, including the early 1980s recession. That means similar portions of children now and in the future will live in families receiving food stamps, although ongoing economic turmoil may increase the numbers, Rank said.
Now here's where my problem is and I think someone should ask this. I have done some qualitative and quantitative studies while in college (quantitative methods are insane). My biggest concern when I see something like this (or anything where there is such a strong slant from a single source) is evaluator bias. If the evaluator goes and tries to find what they want to find, they'll do it.
First is I know they did several years (dating back to 1968) so the time frame is not a concern. The thing that does bother me is what type of sample (or groups) they used to reach these conclusions. In other words, were they in diverse areas or in the same cities? Did they go to areas where they KNEW going in that they would find wide spead poverty? For example, if they went into and took the Black samples from public housing alone or mixed that with some rural areas, chances are you may find a number like that. In the 1970's and 1980's, the United States had some major economic meltdowns so that would factor in. In fact, did the sample groups change and if so how often? The study does mention the duration of people who are on food stamps (even as long as a week which you will later read).
Am I saying this is not a problem. No. I'm not trying to trivialize poverty at all. To say the numbers are not high would be right but these figures are a bit high. Now here's my concern gets deeper. I went back to 1968, where there were 18 million Black citizen living in the US (or 10%, where Whites were about 151 million or 75% of the population). In 1990, 29 million Black citizens and about 190 million White citizens (1. ). Now, if you're still with me, keep it up. Now the average birth rate stayed steady at around 2 children per woman. Lets say 25% of American citizens are children, with an average of 2 children per woman being the national fertility rate (2- ). That would put Black children's numbers at 6.25 millions and White children's numbers at 43 million. I decided to take the average of of the population from each group over the period of this study (w/ some overlap). So using those numbers, this report expects me to believe that over the time frame mentioned:
a. If half of White children are on food stamps, this study is trying to tell me that over 21 million different White children will experience the need for food stamps.
b. If 90% of Black children will experience the need for food stamps, that means over that time 5.6 million Black children will be in this position.
An editorial in the medical journal agreed.
“The current recession is likely to generate for children in the United States the greatest level of material deprivation that we will see in our professional lifetimes,” Stanford pediatrician Dr. Paul Wise wrote.
Wise said the Archives study estimate is believable.
“I find it terribly sad, but not surprising,” Wise said.
James Weill, president of Food Research and Action Center, a Washington-based advocacy group, said the analysis underscores that “there are just very large numbers of people who rely on this program for a month, six months, a year.”
“What I hope comes out of this study is an understanding that food stamp beneficiaries aren’t them – they’re us,” Weill said.
The analysis is in line with other recent research suggesting that more than 40 percent of U.S. children will live in poverty or near-poverty by age 17; and that half will live at some point in a single-parent family. Also, other researchers have estimated that slightly more than half of adults will use food stamps at some point by age 65.
I first noticed on Twitter that this story came out. When I saw this title, I had a range of emotions. First, I thought it was some Aryan- Brotherhood-type wanting to start trouble, especially in times as these. Me, being Black I knew there was more to this than meets the eye. Then I saw this on another Twitter account user. Then hearing about this on the radio is what finally did it for me. So finally, I decided to find the article myself. I know this is not accurate because I feel that these methods may have been flawed or defective at the very least. I highlighted some key words that most did not take the time to find (for whatever reason). My goal is not to call anyone out or make ANYONE feel bad but I have to state my case. I know poverty does exist because Jesus Christ himself said that the poor will always be among you. Now, I ask that if you've made it this far, look at where I placed emphasis on what has not been said elsewhere. I'll add my criticism as I go along. My criticism will be mark in italics while the parts I have concerns over are marked **.
CHICAGO — Nearly half of all U.S. children and 90 percent of black youngsters will be on food stamps at some point during childhood, and fallout from the current recession could push those numbers even higher, researchers say.
- Notice the key phrase at some point during childhood. This does not say that 90% of Black children are currently on food stamps but may at some point in time.
**The estimate comes from an analysis of 30 years of national data, and it bolsters other recent evidence on the pervasiveness of youngsters at economic risk. It suggests that almost everyone knows a family who has received food stamps, or will in the future, said lead author Mark Rank, a sociologist at Washington University in St. Louis.
“Your neighbor may be using some of these programs but it’s not the kind of thing people want to talk about,” Rank said.
The analysis was released Monday in the November issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. The authors say it’s a medical issue pediatricians need to be aware of because children on food stamps are at risk for malnutrition and other ills linked with poverty.
“This is a real danger sign that we as a society need to do a lot more to protect children,” Rank said.
** Food stamps are a Department of Agriculture program for low-income individuals and families, covering most foods although not prepared hot foods or alcohol. For a family of four to be eligible, their annual take-home pay can’t exceed about $22,000.
According to a USDA report released last month, 28.4 million Americans received food stamps in an average month in 2008, and about half were younger than age 18. The average monthly benefit per household totaled $222.
Rank and Cornell University sociologist Thomas Hirschl studied data from a nationally representative survey of 4,800 American households interviewed annually from 1968 through 1997 by the University of Michigan. About 18,000 adults and children were involved.
Overall, about 49 percent of all children were on food stamps at some point by the age of 20, the analysis found. That includes 90 percent of black children and 37 percent of whites. The analysis didn’t include other ethnic groups.
The time span included typical economic ups and downs, including the early 1980s recession. That means similar portions of children now and in the future will live in families receiving food stamps, although ongoing economic turmoil may increase the numbers, Rank said.
Now here's where my problem is and I think someone should ask this. I have done some qualitative and quantitative studies while in college (quantitative methods are insane). My biggest concern when I see something like this (or anything where there is such a strong slant from a single source) is evaluator bias. If the evaluator goes and tries to find what they want to find, they'll do it.
First is I know they did several years (dating back to 1968) so the time frame is not a concern. The thing that does bother me is what type of sample (or groups) they used to reach these conclusions. In other words, were they in diverse areas or in the same cities? Did they go to areas where they KNEW going in that they would find wide spead poverty? For example, if they went into and took the Black samples from public housing alone or mixed that with some rural areas, chances are you may find a number like that. In the 1970's and 1980's, the United States had some major economic meltdowns so that would factor in. In fact, did the sample groups change and if so how often? The study does mention the duration of people who are on food stamps (even as long as a week which you will later read).
Am I saying this is not a problem. No. I'm not trying to trivialize poverty at all. To say the numbers are not high would be right but these figures are a bit high. Now here's my concern gets deeper. I went back to 1968, where there were 18 million Black citizen living in the US (or 10%, where Whites were about 151 million or 75% of the population). In 1990, 29 million Black citizens and about 190 million White citizens (1. ). Now, if you're still with me, keep it up. Now the average birth rate stayed steady at around 2 children per woman. Lets say 25% of American citizens are children, with an average of 2 children per woman being the national fertility rate (2- ). That would put Black children's numbers at 6.25 millions and White children's numbers at 43 million. I decided to take the average of of the population from each group over the period of this study (w/ some overlap). So using those numbers, this report expects me to believe that over the time frame mentioned:
a. If half of White children are on food stamps, this study is trying to tell me that over 21 million different White children will experience the need for food stamps.
b. If 90% of Black children will experience the need for food stamps, that means over that time 5.6 million Black children will be in this position.
An editorial in the medical journal agreed.
“The current recession is likely to generate for children in the United States the greatest level of material deprivation that we will see in our professional lifetimes,” Stanford pediatrician Dr. Paul Wise wrote.
Wise said the Archives study estimate is believable.
“I find it terribly sad, but not surprising,” Wise said.
James Weill, president of Food Research and Action Center, a Washington-based advocacy group, said the analysis underscores that “there are just very large numbers of people who rely on this program for a month, six months, a year.”
“What I hope comes out of this study is an understanding that food stamp beneficiaries aren’t them – they’re us,” Weill said.
The analysis is in line with other recent research suggesting that more than 40 percent of U.S. children will live in poverty or near-poverty by age 17; and that half will live at some point in a single-parent family. Also, other researchers have estimated that slightly more than half of adults will use food stamps at some point by age 65.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
The Fall of the Berlin Wall, Part 2
I have actually worked on this on and off over the last month or so. This is part is more video from those who experienced life behind the wall. I could write my own words about it, but I think it’s safe to say their words work much better. I may have read about or even spoken to people who lived behind it. The folks you hear in this segment are those who lived it. You’ll witness the stories of those who escaped the divided city and the freedom train from Prague among other things.
Daring Acts, reflectioning of escaping East Germany.
More escape attempts, two of which were mentioned previously. People could not go over the wall, so some went under it and one (Wolfgang Engels) drove right through it:
The Divided Village. Mödlareuth is a town of 50 people, yet the Berlin Wall ran right between this city:
The Exodus, or the Train of Freedom (Zug der Frieheit) reenactment from Prague (where many Germans stayed just prior to the Berlin Wall’s fall), which I touched upon earlier. This reflects the journey of the early post Berlin Wall. Some welcomed it but some Germans didn’t like it. I had seen a German girl just about 1 year after the Berlin Wall fell. She had mixed emotions.
Love, post Berlin Wall style, something a little more light-hearted:
The Wartburg Castle, the place where Martin Luther translated the New Testament and did many writings at this location:
The Blooming Landscapes (Die Bluhenden Lanschaften), a goal to make Germany blooming with landscapes
Daring Acts, reflectioning of escaping East Germany.
More escape attempts, two of which were mentioned previously. People could not go over the wall, so some went under it and one (Wolfgang Engels) drove right through it:
The Divided Village. Mödlareuth is a town of 50 people, yet the Berlin Wall ran right between this city:
The Exodus, or the Train of Freedom (Zug der Frieheit) reenactment from Prague (where many Germans stayed just prior to the Berlin Wall’s fall), which I touched upon earlier. This reflects the journey of the early post Berlin Wall. Some welcomed it but some Germans didn’t like it. I had seen a German girl just about 1 year after the Berlin Wall fell. She had mixed emotions.
Love, post Berlin Wall style, something a little more light-hearted:
The Wartburg Castle, the place where Martin Luther translated the New Testament and did many writings at this location:
The Blooming Landscapes (Die Bluhenden Lanschaften), a goal to make Germany blooming with landscapes
The Fall of the Berlin Wall, Part 1
November 9th of this year marks the 20th year of the Berlin Wall falling. I had actually planned on going to Germany to witness this but some other things beyond my control prevented this. I actually wanted to go into Prague the day or so prior to the fall and take the train into Berlin (for reasons you may understand later). Maybe I’ll do it for the 25th anniversary.
My goal here is to try and write about this incredible event were a once divided nation became one again. Post WW II, Berlin was controlled by two different powers. West Berlin was controlled by the Allied Forces while East Berlins by the Soviets. The Berlin Wall construction began under the German (Deutsche) Democratic Republic or (DDR is the formal name for East Germany; West Germany was referred to as the Federal Republic of Germany, aka Bundesrepublik Deutschland, BRD) on August 16, 1961, but suggested first by the Soviet Union (under Stalin and Khrushchev). Going forward, I will use DDR and BDR to refer to the two countries. The Wall was not just one part, but two pieces and very intricately built around Berlin in particular(as you will see in the videos). The spaces between the wall (primary structure on the West, the secondary wall on the East) was referred to as “No Man’s Land” and “The Death Strip” (I believe the German word is Tudesstrifen) for those who would try to cross it. They built it because the East German citizens wanted to leave after the war. West Germany had some level of prosperity, but East Germany had their currency and economy was wrecked. Many skilled laborers and intellectuals left for West Germany in search of a better life. On any given day, up to 1500 East Germans would leave the Soviet occupied territory and go to Berlin (or somewhere in) West Germany. I wonder why. This is also the event that makes me believe Communism and Socialism do not work.
I decided to use the videos to explain this event, what lead up to it, and the after affects of it. I would not expect you to watch every video (in one sitting) but I think this is an important and very significant event to recall.
An intro to the Berlin Wall:
This gives you an idea and an intro to the significance and the Wall itself. Most have seen this structure from the West Berlin side. Now, we can see a detailed description from the Eastern part of the Wall. It is much more intricate than most even imagined. This includes me:
The East German Secret Police (the Stasi), was the operating arm where they oversaw its citizens. They controlled everything. If you would like a better view, the movie Das Leben Den Anderes (the Lives of Others) is a fine movie about one man's role inside of it. It was basically the KGB's cousin, acting in the same ways towards its citizens. I saw an article a while back that connected former imprisoned Nazi SS as member of the Stasi.
Portions of Ronald Reagan’s famous speech:
A pivotal moment in this story took place in Prague, 1989. Over 4000 East Germans took refuge at the West German Embassy in Prague. The DDR had the western part of the wall covered but ignored the East, which is where many Germans fled. They stayed there because they knew the East German could not come take them. The translation of what is said in the video. It was here that freedom became a reality. Their release was negotiated and were permitted to leave:
“"We're trying for a solution, but I don't want to give a statement now. First I'd like to speak to the Germans from the GDR who are currently at the embassy."
The matter became “WHEN” not “IF” the Berlin Wall would fall.
The day has come. The first video is in German (but does have subtitles/translations). I felt that this would have a better effect hearing it in German. It may sink in a bit more:
This is home video of the Wall being opened. This is actually happening on November 12, 1989 (remember, in Europe, the date comes before the month (for example, Jan 15, would be written 15/1/year). The street is full of people at 6:AM. You think this wasn’t important to them? This video was filmed over a 3 ½ hour period:
From those who live it:
My goal here is to try and write about this incredible event were a once divided nation became one again. Post WW II, Berlin was controlled by two different powers. West Berlin was controlled by the Allied Forces while East Berlins by the Soviets. The Berlin Wall construction began under the German (Deutsche) Democratic Republic or (DDR is the formal name for East Germany; West Germany was referred to as the Federal Republic of Germany, aka Bundesrepublik Deutschland, BRD) on August 16, 1961, but suggested first by the Soviet Union (under Stalin and Khrushchev). Going forward, I will use DDR and BDR to refer to the two countries. The Wall was not just one part, but two pieces and very intricately built around Berlin in particular(as you will see in the videos). The spaces between the wall (primary structure on the West, the secondary wall on the East) was referred to as “No Man’s Land” and “The Death Strip” (I believe the German word is Tudesstrifen) for those who would try to cross it. They built it because the East German citizens wanted to leave after the war. West Germany had some level of prosperity, but East Germany had their currency and economy was wrecked. Many skilled laborers and intellectuals left for West Germany in search of a better life. On any given day, up to 1500 East Germans would leave the Soviet occupied territory and go to Berlin (or somewhere in) West Germany. I wonder why. This is also the event that makes me believe Communism and Socialism do not work.
I decided to use the videos to explain this event, what lead up to it, and the after affects of it. I would not expect you to watch every video (in one sitting) but I think this is an important and very significant event to recall.
An intro to the Berlin Wall:
This gives you an idea and an intro to the significance and the Wall itself. Most have seen this structure from the West Berlin side. Now, we can see a detailed description from the Eastern part of the Wall. It is much more intricate than most even imagined. This includes me:
The East German Secret Police (the Stasi), was the operating arm where they oversaw its citizens. They controlled everything. If you would like a better view, the movie Das Leben Den Anderes (the Lives of Others) is a fine movie about one man's role inside of it. It was basically the KGB's cousin, acting in the same ways towards its citizens. I saw an article a while back that connected former imprisoned Nazi SS as member of the Stasi.
Portions of Ronald Reagan’s famous speech:
A pivotal moment in this story took place in Prague, 1989. Over 4000 East Germans took refuge at the West German Embassy in Prague. The DDR had the western part of the wall covered but ignored the East, which is where many Germans fled. They stayed there because they knew the East German could not come take them. The translation of what is said in the video. It was here that freedom became a reality. Their release was negotiated and were permitted to leave:
“"We're trying for a solution, but I don't want to give a statement now. First I'd like to speak to the Germans from the GDR who are currently at the embassy."
The matter became “WHEN” not “IF” the Berlin Wall would fall.
The day has come. The first video is in German (but does have subtitles/translations). I felt that this would have a better effect hearing it in German. It may sink in a bit more:
This is home video of the Wall being opened. This is actually happening on November 12, 1989 (remember, in Europe, the date comes before the month (for example, Jan 15, would be written 15/1/year). The street is full of people at 6:AM. You think this wasn’t important to them? This video was filmed over a 3 ½ hour period:
From those who live it:
Monday, November 2, 2009
1990........Pages..... in 72 hours??????
Now, I am a bit concerned here. Think about this. If someone walked up to you and said you have 72 hours to finish a 500 page book, what would you think? You'd think this person crazy to accomplish this. Or maybe they would read it, accept it and miss some VERY important details in the book. A teacher would not expect a student to do this. A Manager would not expect his staff to do this. A decent parent would not expect a child to do this. I doubt a Carpenter, Welder or Electrician would be expected to complete their apprenticeships in 72 hours because the process takes 4-5 years.
You get the theme here, I would imagine. SO WHY then would a member of congress be expected to read a bill THAT large and expect to have ANY level of comprehending the bill in a 72 hour period??? That is IMPOSSIBLE to do. I have never seen anything on this level before. What are those who created this bill (and the various incarnations of it) trying to hide. Those in power tell banks to make their lending and terms easy to understand. That's fair enough to ask. You tell car dealers to be more open in the sales process of a car. Fine. I'm with you. I hate to see anyone get cheated. So why is it that when those who ask for clarity, why are the the last to do it?? If they are making things "more clear", I must have missed it somewhere.
These videos pretty much tell the story better than I can alone. You decide for yourselves. Pick one, any or all:
Rep. Tom Price (an orthopedic surgeon by trade) should understand this better. THIS is what 1990 pages looks like:
Rep. Michele Bachmann:
Rep. Dan Burton:
Sen. Joe Lieberman:
You get the theme here, I would imagine. SO WHY then would a member of congress be expected to read a bill THAT large and expect to have ANY level of comprehending the bill in a 72 hour period??? That is IMPOSSIBLE to do. I have never seen anything on this level before. What are those who created this bill (and the various incarnations of it) trying to hide. Those in power tell banks to make their lending and terms easy to understand. That's fair enough to ask. You tell car dealers to be more open in the sales process of a car. Fine. I'm with you. I hate to see anyone get cheated. So why is it that when those who ask for clarity, why are the the last to do it?? If they are making things "more clear", I must have missed it somewhere.
These videos pretty much tell the story better than I can alone. You decide for yourselves. Pick one, any or all:
Rep. Tom Price (an orthopedic surgeon by trade) should understand this better. THIS is what 1990 pages looks like:
Rep. Michele Bachmann:
Rep. Dan Burton:
Sen. Joe Lieberman:
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Payne Stewart and Walter Payton
Ten years ago this week, the sports world lost two icons (and two of my favorite athletes). Payne Stewart and Walter Payton died within seven days of each other. Stewart, in a terrible plane crash, and Payton of bile duct cancer. Both had their place in sports history. This isn't meant to be some trivial tribute but this is just a reminder. One man eventually rediscovered faith in God through Jesus Christ (Stewart) and it seemed like his game was back. One always had it but never spoke much of it (Payton). Both had people in their lives I believe were strong influences, be it indirectly or directly (Payton had Singletary and Stewart had Azinger).
Stewart died on October 25, 1999. Known for his plus-4 pants and an incredible golf swing. He was also the first to wear the NFL teams on the PGA (which Ben Curtis now does). He would wear the NFL team of the city of where he played and sometimes he may have worn that city's rival (I don't think he ever wore Packer colors in Chicago). What stands out about him. He was known for being generous. He gave his first place check Bay Hill Invitational away in memory of his father, who had died of cancer. He also represented a never give up attitude. He failed to get his PGA Tour card after graduating from college so what did he do? We played in Asia and while overseas, he met his wife, Tracey. Even during a tough drought from 1994 until 1998, he had a moment in his life where things changed.
His swing was as good as it got. I've built mine around his. When he played the Western Open, no matter who came that year, I was following Stewart (often playing with Paul Azinger and or Lee Janzen). It seemed as it he found a second wind. He was one of the first people I saw with the WWJD braclet on. He also share about what was important in life. I can recall the win at Pinehurst and the 12th hole, I said to my Dad that I think he's going to win (his second US Open). Six holes later, he did. Most remembered what was said after the win, "you're going to be a father" to Phil Mickelson (who first born child was born not long after). This was more dramatic than having to win his first US Open, an extra round playoff with Scott Simpson. Only four months later, he was gone. Hearing the story unfold was just numbing for me as a fan. I can't imagine how it was for his family and friends. Had he lived, he would have been eligible for the Champions Tour in 2007. Who knows what he would have done.
A funny side of him (if you want his musical efforts with Peter Jacobson and Mark Lye):
Walter Payton died on November 1, the following week. What can be said that hasn't already been said? For me, he's still the best back in my lifetime and that include everyone since. People recall the most rushing yards but people forget that he could actually BLOCK, which many backs today don't want to do. I can remember the 275 rushing yards game (against the Saints). He outworked people. There was a hill not far from where he lived and he sprinted up this hill (and the hill was pretty steep) multiple times. This is the hill, as shown by his son (it has actually leveled out a bit):
What people don't realize is that he was a JOKER. He knew how to play pranks on his guys. I think of a picture of him and Matt Suhey. Suhey was lined in front of Payton (he was a fullback) and Payton actually grabbed the back of Suhey's shorts as the play began. He played at Jackson State University, a small Historically Black College in Mississippi (where fellow Hall of Famer Jackie Slater came to play with him). He was known as "Sweetness" and I can attest to this first hand. Years ago, I worked at an outdoor concert hall named Poplar Creek. Working security, we would be responsible (at time) for escorting higher profile guest to their cars. This was two years after the Super Bowl. The Bears who came were all VERY nice to the people and Walter was no exception. He signed autographs, took some pictures, takled cars, and just take the time to show appreciation to those who saw him.
His journey ended in Canton. Payton was also the first to have his son give his induction speech.
Former teammates telling about Payton, the prankster:
A small but respectful tribute to two of my top sports figures. Thanks for the memories.
Stewart died on October 25, 1999. Known for his plus-4 pants and an incredible golf swing. He was also the first to wear the NFL teams on the PGA (which Ben Curtis now does). He would wear the NFL team of the city of where he played and sometimes he may have worn that city's rival (I don't think he ever wore Packer colors in Chicago). What stands out about him. He was known for being generous. He gave his first place check Bay Hill Invitational away in memory of his father, who had died of cancer. He also represented a never give up attitude. He failed to get his PGA Tour card after graduating from college so what did he do? We played in Asia and while overseas, he met his wife, Tracey. Even during a tough drought from 1994 until 1998, he had a moment in his life where things changed.
His swing was as good as it got. I've built mine around his. When he played the Western Open, no matter who came that year, I was following Stewart (often playing with Paul Azinger and or Lee Janzen). It seemed as it he found a second wind. He was one of the first people I saw with the WWJD braclet on. He also share about what was important in life. I can recall the win at Pinehurst and the 12th hole, I said to my Dad that I think he's going to win (his second US Open). Six holes later, he did. Most remembered what was said after the win, "you're going to be a father" to Phil Mickelson (who first born child was born not long after). This was more dramatic than having to win his first US Open, an extra round playoff with Scott Simpson. Only four months later, he was gone. Hearing the story unfold was just numbing for me as a fan. I can't imagine how it was for his family and friends. Had he lived, he would have been eligible for the Champions Tour in 2007. Who knows what he would have done.
A funny side of him (if you want his musical efforts with Peter Jacobson and Mark Lye):
Walter Payton died on November 1, the following week. What can be said that hasn't already been said? For me, he's still the best back in my lifetime and that include everyone since. People recall the most rushing yards but people forget that he could actually BLOCK, which many backs today don't want to do. I can remember the 275 rushing yards game (against the Saints). He outworked people. There was a hill not far from where he lived and he sprinted up this hill (and the hill was pretty steep) multiple times. This is the hill, as shown by his son (it has actually leveled out a bit):
What people don't realize is that he was a JOKER. He knew how to play pranks on his guys. I think of a picture of him and Matt Suhey. Suhey was lined in front of Payton (he was a fullback) and Payton actually grabbed the back of Suhey's shorts as the play began. He played at Jackson State University, a small Historically Black College in Mississippi (where fellow Hall of Famer Jackie Slater came to play with him). He was known as "Sweetness" and I can attest to this first hand. Years ago, I worked at an outdoor concert hall named Poplar Creek. Working security, we would be responsible (at time) for escorting higher profile guest to their cars. This was two years after the Super Bowl. The Bears who came were all VERY nice to the people and Walter was no exception. He signed autographs, took some pictures, takled cars, and just take the time to show appreciation to those who saw him.
His journey ended in Canton. Payton was also the first to have his son give his induction speech.
Former teammates telling about Payton, the prankster:
A small but respectful tribute to two of my top sports figures. Thanks for the memories.
Friday, October 23, 2009
In this last week alone..........
To name a few things:
1. This years 100th bank failed (currently standing at 105).
2. "Pay Czar" authorizes a 90% reduction in compensation for certain banks executives (cutting salary 90% and making execs keep stock for 5 years. Currently, most execs sell a portion of their stocks in 2-3 years).
3. A health care bill carrying a price of $1 Trillion dollars (over the next decade) has been proposed and is waiting for a vote.
4. Swine Flu/H1N1 virus spreads yet not enough vaccines to go around.
5. Unemployment is over 10% nationally.
So one question is that why is it no one is taking all of this seriously? Why is it an acceptable concept that the US Government can control (not oversee) everything we do? I'm just saying.
1. This years 100th bank failed (currently standing at 105).
2. "Pay Czar" authorizes a 90% reduction in compensation for certain banks executives (cutting salary 90% and making execs keep stock for 5 years. Currently, most execs sell a portion of their stocks in 2-3 years).
3. A health care bill carrying a price of $1 Trillion dollars (over the next decade) has been proposed and is waiting for a vote.
4. Swine Flu/H1N1 virus spreads yet not enough vaccines to go around.
5. Unemployment is over 10% nationally.
So one question is that why is it no one is taking all of this seriously? Why is it an acceptable concept that the US Government can control (not oversee) everything we do? I'm just saying.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
God's first commandments (?)
Let me start by saying I have no formal training in the Bible or Biblical related subjects. I am not a Pastor or teacher and don't see myself as one any time soon. This is my opinion and mine alone (at least I believe it is). One part criticism and one part theory/opinion. I am not saying that this is what God says but I only do it based on two things. The context He speaks in and His nature (what He did in other contexts). The 10 Commandments are the blueprint for what modern (criminal and civil) laws are based off of. For the longest time, I thought that to be true but then something hit me. I’m not trying to denounce the 10 Commandments (because you can’t keep them anyway at least as they were intended). In fact, far from that at all. Over a period of days while reading Genesis, something came to me (strangely enough after reading Revelations). This is how I think God intended things to be. Fellowship with Him with no pain, death, sorrow- none of it. My thinking is based off of different teaching I’ve heard over time (along with those on God’s nature). I also base it off of reading the Bible as a piece of literature (yep all the English classes I took may have done some good). Don’t ask me to get into the Hebrew, Greek or so on because that is WELL outside my knowledge base.
This is only a thought. What you see below is what I think are the first commandments God gave to man. Personally, I think that these were the only commandments He ever wanted to give mankind. This is what God said to Adam and Eve (from Genesis 2 and 3). To me, it seems pretty straight forward. As I looked at the story further, it made more sense. The one little act caused God to cut off this incredible paradise He had created for his creation. He also had to send his only Son to the world to die the most barbaric death for that time. Why? No other way to save mankind as God saw it. Do you think these are doable? I hope I edited the “thous” to "you" to make this more readable. Who speaks King's English anyway. I don't. I'm an American. Anyway, here it goes.
1. “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful"
2. "and multiply"
3. "and replenish the earth.” I think the be fruitful and multiply parts are the act of creating human life and intimacy between the Adam and Eve (hint-hint). Replenish I think was seems to show things once the children is born and how they should carry forward.
4. “and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” In other words, Adam and Eve were supposed to oversee the earth. The entire creation was given to them by God. Look up the words subdue and dominion to get a better picture.
5. “God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.” Translation. I see this as authority that God made mankind superior to other living things. Adam and Eve were in God’s image. It follows number four. I think this could show partnership with God as well (though not being equal with him). Adam thought up a name, that’s what it was called. I actually heard a sermon on this years back so that's what comes to mind here.
6. “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Again, pretty self-explanatory if you think about what the words imply (especially the last part if you think about it). I think the first part of this was directed for the children of Adam and Eve (again, just my opinion and is something I am unsure of). At this point, Adam and Eve were it. An early marriage blueprint.
7. “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou may freely eat.” Imagine going into a forest or orchard. Imagine that you can eat any fruit that you see. I have seen enough orchards and these are not small pieces of property. More provision.
8. “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, do not eat of it: for in the day that thou eat thereof thou shalt surely die.” The first “do not/thou shall not” is given here. This was intended to be a warning once they ate the fruit, their lives will not be the same. They had a free will to eat of the tree but God gave them the right to decide for themselves. God wanted to give Adam and Eve free decisions to act within the boundaries He set for them. The serpent (Satan) tells the first lie in human history, hence becoming the "father of all lies" by doing this. The result was that Eve ate the fruit, gave some to Adam, which he ate as well. The rest was all down hill from there. The death was not physical but the spiritual, once perfect state they once knew. All glory given up for one piece of fruit.
If I tried to do this in the actual Hebrew, it will look something like this (note: I used Google translate to create this but you get the picture):
ואת אלוהים בירך אותם אלוהים ויאמר להם פרו ורבו
ו לחדש את כדור הארץ
ולהכניע אותו: ויש לך שליטה על הדגים של הים, ועל עוף של באוויר, מעל כל דבר חי שזז על פני האדמה.
אלוהים יצר כל חיית השדה, וכל עוף של האוויר; והביא אותם אל אדם כדי לראות מה הוא היה קורא להם: ואת בכלל אדם בשם כל יצור חי, זה היה שם ממנו.
לכן יהיה אדם לעזוב את אביו ואת אמו, ולא תחול לבקע אל אשתו: והם יהיו לבשר אחד.
של כל עץ של הגן אתה יכול לאכול חופשי. ואת יהוה אלוהים ציווה האיש לאמר, כל עץ של הגן אתה יכול לאכול חופשי.
אבל העץ של הידע של תעשה טוב ורע, אתה לא לאכול אותו: במשך היום כי אתה לאכול ממנו ונתתה בוודאי למות.
Or Greek (in part):
Και ο Θεός τους ευλόγησε, και ο Θεός είπε εις αυτούς, να είναι καρποφόρες και να πολλαπλασιάζεται
ανασύσταση και η γη
και να υποτάξει: και να έχει κυριαρχία πάνω από τα ψάρια της θάλασσας, και πάνω από τα όρνιθες του αέρα, και πάνω από κάθε ζωντανό πράγμα που κινείται επάνω στη γη.
I only did this to clear my head. As I said before, these are my thoughts and mine alone. It's just something that I found curious and considered pondering.
This is only a thought. What you see below is what I think are the first commandments God gave to man. Personally, I think that these were the only commandments He ever wanted to give mankind. This is what God said to Adam and Eve (from Genesis 2 and 3). To me, it seems pretty straight forward. As I looked at the story further, it made more sense. The one little act caused God to cut off this incredible paradise He had created for his creation. He also had to send his only Son to the world to die the most barbaric death for that time. Why? No other way to save mankind as God saw it. Do you think these are doable? I hope I edited the “thous” to "you" to make this more readable. Who speaks King's English anyway. I don't. I'm an American. Anyway, here it goes.
1. “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful"
2. "and multiply"
3. "and replenish the earth.” I think the be fruitful and multiply parts are the act of creating human life and intimacy between the Adam and Eve (hint-hint). Replenish I think was seems to show things once the children is born and how they should carry forward.
4. “and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” In other words, Adam and Eve were supposed to oversee the earth. The entire creation was given to them by God. Look up the words subdue and dominion to get a better picture.
5. “God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.” Translation. I see this as authority that God made mankind superior to other living things. Adam and Eve were in God’s image. It follows number four. I think this could show partnership with God as well (though not being equal with him). Adam thought up a name, that’s what it was called. I actually heard a sermon on this years back so that's what comes to mind here.
6. “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Again, pretty self-explanatory if you think about what the words imply (especially the last part if you think about it). I think the first part of this was directed for the children of Adam and Eve (again, just my opinion and is something I am unsure of). At this point, Adam and Eve were it. An early marriage blueprint.
7. “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou may freely eat.” Imagine going into a forest or orchard. Imagine that you can eat any fruit that you see. I have seen enough orchards and these are not small pieces of property. More provision.
8. “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, do not eat of it: for in the day that thou eat thereof thou shalt surely die.” The first “do not/thou shall not” is given here. This was intended to be a warning once they ate the fruit, their lives will not be the same. They had a free will to eat of the tree but God gave them the right to decide for themselves. God wanted to give Adam and Eve free decisions to act within the boundaries He set for them. The serpent (Satan) tells the first lie in human history, hence becoming the "father of all lies" by doing this. The result was that Eve ate the fruit, gave some to Adam, which he ate as well. The rest was all down hill from there. The death was not physical but the spiritual, once perfect state they once knew. All glory given up for one piece of fruit.
If I tried to do this in the actual Hebrew, it will look something like this (note: I used Google translate to create this but you get the picture):
ואת אלוהים בירך אותם אלוהים ויאמר להם פרו ורבו
ו לחדש את כדור הארץ
ולהכניע אותו: ויש לך שליטה על הדגים של הים, ועל עוף של באוויר, מעל כל דבר חי שזז על פני האדמה.
אלוהים יצר כל חיית השדה, וכל עוף של האוויר; והביא אותם אל אדם כדי לראות מה הוא היה קורא להם: ואת בכלל אדם בשם כל יצור חי, זה היה שם ממנו.
לכן יהיה אדם לעזוב את אביו ואת אמו, ולא תחול לבקע אל אשתו: והם יהיו לבשר אחד.
של כל עץ של הגן אתה יכול לאכול חופשי. ואת יהוה אלוהים ציווה האיש לאמר, כל עץ של הגן אתה יכול לאכול חופשי.
אבל העץ של הידע של תעשה טוב ורע, אתה לא לאכול אותו: במשך היום כי אתה לאכול ממנו ונתתה בוודאי למות.
Or Greek (in part):
Και ο Θεός τους ευλόγησε, και ο Θεός είπε εις αυτούς, να είναι καρποφόρες και να πολλαπλασιάζεται
ανασύσταση και η γη
και να υποτάξει: και να έχει κυριαρχία πάνω από τα ψάρια της θάλασσας, και πάνω από τα όρνιθες του αέρα, και πάνω από κάθε ζωντανό πράγμα που κινείται επάνω στη γη.
I only did this to clear my head. As I said before, these are my thoughts and mine alone. It's just something that I found curious and considered pondering.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Duck- that luxurios meat
I just saw a blog piece on cooking duck. They did it a slightly different way as far as stuffing it (veal, beef, pork belly & seasonings). So I decided to place some video on cooking duck. I decided to make this a global flavor. Duck is not difficult to do but cooking takes time and patience. One thing you have to know is that when cooking duck, pierce the skin. Why? Duck is not fatty and when you pierce the skin, the fat cooks out of the duck and falls into the pan (the skin is thicker than chicken or turkey for example). If you don’t piece it, the fat stays inside and cooks. The result is a VERY greasy duck. A roasting rack would be suggested when using cooking duck.
Alton Brown. He will explain the differences between the duck species as well early on. I might forget it, but still a good reference point:
How to debone a duck:
Peking Duck (part 1 of 3). This will show the process that it takes to make this incredible dish. Parts 2 and 3 you can select after this video completes. If you want this for dinner, start early because it takes time for the marinade to soak in properly. Here’s an actual recipe (taken from about.com):
“Prep Time: 10 hours, 10 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes; Ingredients:
• One 5 to 6 pound duck
• 8 cups water
• 1 slice ginger
• 1 scallion, cut into halves
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sherry
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 3 tablespoons water
• Scallions for garnish
Preparation:
Clean duck. Wipe dry and tie string around neck.
Hang duck in cool, windy place 4 hours.
Fill large wok with water. Bring to boil. Add ginger, scallion, honey, vinegar, and sherry. Bring to boil. Pour in dissolved cornstarch. Stir constantly. Place duck in large strainer above larger bowl. Scoop boiling mixture all over duck for about 10 minutes.
Hang duck again in cool, windy place for 6 hours until thoroughly dry.
Place duck breast side up on a greased rack in oven preheated to 350 degrees. Set a pan filled with 2 inches of water in bottom of oven.
(This is for drippings). Roast 30 minutes.
Turn duck and roast 30 minutes more. Turn breast side up again. Roast 10 minutes more.
Use sharp knife to cut off crispy skin. Serve meat and skin immediately on a prewarmed dish.
The duck is eaten hot with hoisin sauce rolled in Mandarin Crepes. Garnish with scallion flowerets. Serves 4 to 6.”
Reprinted with permission from Madame Wong's Long-life Chinese Cookbook
Gordon Ramsey provides some interesting techniques on cooking duck breast. His seasoning is pretty simple. He also reinforces the “never cut meat immediately after cooking” concept. If the meat does not settle (letting it sit in the pan for a few minutes), the juices run out and your meat will be bone dry. Sounds good, yes? If you do cut the meat right out of the oven, you might hear a "you messed up the dish you donkey" somewhere during this process:
Duck gumbo:
Duck soup. The herbs I would normally put inside the duck while cooking it. One word off warning for you. Throughout the video, you will hear duck while listening to this video. I think you can almost take some of the seasonings in the gumbo and use them here or visa versa:
The french classic duck confit.
Now, this video covers how to cook duck pieces individually. This cook is using olive oil because the meat has no skin:
Do you thing grilling a duck on the grill sounds good? It is because I’ve done it. I did not use honey but a normal marinade to cook it with. If you have some Chinese seasonings, that won’t hurt your cause either:
Wild duck pizza. I never tried this one:
+
Duck stew:
A more classic roasted duck. Again, you can amend the seasonings to your liking. Again, the chef mentions piercing the skin (in other words, poke holes in the meat but don’t cut the meat). No oils are needed because the duck gives off a lot of fat.
Alton Brown. He will explain the differences between the duck species as well early on. I might forget it, but still a good reference point:
How to debone a duck:
Peking Duck (part 1 of 3). This will show the process that it takes to make this incredible dish. Parts 2 and 3 you can select after this video completes. If you want this for dinner, start early because it takes time for the marinade to soak in properly. Here’s an actual recipe (taken from about.com):
“Prep Time: 10 hours, 10 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes; Ingredients:
• One 5 to 6 pound duck
• 8 cups water
• 1 slice ginger
• 1 scallion, cut into halves
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sherry
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 3 tablespoons water
• Scallions for garnish
Preparation:
Clean duck. Wipe dry and tie string around neck.
Hang duck in cool, windy place 4 hours.
Fill large wok with water. Bring to boil. Add ginger, scallion, honey, vinegar, and sherry. Bring to boil. Pour in dissolved cornstarch. Stir constantly. Place duck in large strainer above larger bowl. Scoop boiling mixture all over duck for about 10 minutes.
Hang duck again in cool, windy place for 6 hours until thoroughly dry.
Place duck breast side up on a greased rack in oven preheated to 350 degrees. Set a pan filled with 2 inches of water in bottom of oven.
(This is for drippings). Roast 30 minutes.
Turn duck and roast 30 minutes more. Turn breast side up again. Roast 10 minutes more.
Use sharp knife to cut off crispy skin. Serve meat and skin immediately on a prewarmed dish.
The duck is eaten hot with hoisin sauce rolled in Mandarin Crepes. Garnish with scallion flowerets. Serves 4 to 6.”
Reprinted with permission from Madame Wong's Long-life Chinese Cookbook
Gordon Ramsey provides some interesting techniques on cooking duck breast. His seasoning is pretty simple. He also reinforces the “never cut meat immediately after cooking” concept. If the meat does not settle (letting it sit in the pan for a few minutes), the juices run out and your meat will be bone dry. Sounds good, yes? If you do cut the meat right out of the oven, you might hear a "you messed up the dish you donkey" somewhere during this process:
Duck gumbo:
Duck soup. The herbs I would normally put inside the duck while cooking it. One word off warning for you. Throughout the video, you will hear duck while listening to this video. I think you can almost take some of the seasonings in the gumbo and use them here or visa versa:
The french classic duck confit.
Now, this video covers how to cook duck pieces individually. This cook is using olive oil because the meat has no skin:
Do you thing grilling a duck on the grill sounds good? It is because I’ve done it. I did not use honey but a normal marinade to cook it with. If you have some Chinese seasonings, that won’t hurt your cause either:
Wild duck pizza. I never tried this one:
+
Duck stew:
A more classic roasted duck. Again, you can amend the seasonings to your liking. Again, the chef mentions piercing the skin (in other words, poke holes in the meat but don’t cut the meat). No oils are needed because the duck gives off a lot of fat.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
3 Terms You May Want to Learn (if you don't know them): Inflation, Hyperinflation, Deflation
Think about this. Every dollar you have is owned to someone by someone. How did we get to this point? Andrew Jackson shut down the Central Bank. There's an interesting quote towards the end. It's amazing that most of this came during the last 100 years. Amazing isn't it. We heard these terms especially more in these current times. Zero percentage interest rates seem good on paper but is it any good? So when you put your money in the bank, it doesn't stay there. I will do my best to use modern media to put these three terms into action. For me, gaining understanding of these 3 terms is a work in process.
Milton Freidman explains the Federal Reserve, where this all starts:
Inflation. Defined as.
a. An increase in the amount of currency in circulation, resulting in a relatively sharp and sudden fall in its value and rise in prices: it may be caused by an increase in the volume of paper money issued or of gold mined, or a relative increase in expenditures as when the supply of goods fails to meet the demand. - Websters
b. A persistent increase in the level of consumer prices or a persistent decline in the purchasing power of money, caused by an increase in available currency and credit beyond the proportion of available goods and services. -American Heratage
c. The overall general upward price movement of goods and services in an economy, usually as measured by the Consumer Price Index and the Producer Price Index; opposite of deflation.-Investorwords.com
d. a general and progressive increase in prices; "in inflation everything gets more valuable except money" [syn: rising prices] [ant: deflation, disinflation]- Princeton University
Deflation, as defined by investwords.com:
A decline in general price levels, often caused by a reduction in the supply of money or credit. Deflation can also be brought about by direct contractions in spending, either in the form of a reduction in government spending, personal spending or investment spending. Deflation has often had the side effect of increasing unemployment in an economy, since the process often leads to a lower level of demand in the economy. opposite of inflation.
Other related terms listed below:
Disinflation - A drop in the inflation rate, i.e. a reduction in the rate at which prices rise.
Or wait until things get cheap, then cheaper, then cheaper. Prices fall, production and supply stalls.
Depression- A period during which business activity drops significantly. High unemployment rates and deflation often accompany a depression.
Reflation- The intentional reversal of deflation through a monetary action by a government.
This cartoon does a good job of explaining deflation:
This video is a bit more detailed, using late 20th century Japan as an example. Have we seen this picture before? What did they do that the US didn't?
Hyperinflation, defined as:
a. A very high rate of increase in the general price level. For accounting purposes, hyperinflation is defined in International Accounting Standard 29. The appropriate accounting treatment in the UK is explained in Financial Reporting Standard 24.- Encyclopedia.com
b. A period of rapid inflation that leaves a country's currency virtually worthless.- investorwords.com.
c. Bring a flatbed truck full of money to the store, leave with one sack full of groceries.- Me
This video explains the current situation.
Think Germany (early 1920's) and current day Zimbabwe:
Hyperinflation in modern day ($300 Zimbabwe= $1.00 USA. How's that for an exchange rate?). Modern day chaos:
Peter Schiff on the dollar and bonds (earlier this year). Less government and more private sector job creation.
Milton Freidman explains the Federal Reserve, where this all starts:
Inflation. Defined as.
a. An increase in the amount of currency in circulation, resulting in a relatively sharp and sudden fall in its value and rise in prices: it may be caused by an increase in the volume of paper money issued or of gold mined, or a relative increase in expenditures as when the supply of goods fails to meet the demand. - Websters
b. A persistent increase in the level of consumer prices or a persistent decline in the purchasing power of money, caused by an increase in available currency and credit beyond the proportion of available goods and services. -American Heratage
c. The overall general upward price movement of goods and services in an economy, usually as measured by the Consumer Price Index and the Producer Price Index; opposite of deflation.-Investorwords.com
d. a general and progressive increase in prices; "in inflation everything gets more valuable except money" [syn: rising prices] [ant: deflation, disinflation]- Princeton University
Deflation, as defined by investwords.com:
A decline in general price levels, often caused by a reduction in the supply of money or credit. Deflation can also be brought about by direct contractions in spending, either in the form of a reduction in government spending, personal spending or investment spending. Deflation has often had the side effect of increasing unemployment in an economy, since the process often leads to a lower level of demand in the economy. opposite of inflation.
Other related terms listed below:
Disinflation - A drop in the inflation rate, i.e. a reduction in the rate at which prices rise.
Or wait until things get cheap, then cheaper, then cheaper. Prices fall, production and supply stalls.
Depression- A period during which business activity drops significantly. High unemployment rates and deflation often accompany a depression.
Reflation- The intentional reversal of deflation through a monetary action by a government.
This cartoon does a good job of explaining deflation:
This video is a bit more detailed, using late 20th century Japan as an example. Have we seen this picture before? What did they do that the US didn't?
Hyperinflation, defined as:
a. A very high rate of increase in the general price level. For accounting purposes, hyperinflation is defined in International Accounting Standard 29. The appropriate accounting treatment in the UK is explained in Financial Reporting Standard 24.- Encyclopedia.com
b. A period of rapid inflation that leaves a country's currency virtually worthless.- investorwords.com.
c. Bring a flatbed truck full of money to the store, leave with one sack full of groceries.- Me
This video explains the current situation.
Think Germany (early 1920's) and current day Zimbabwe:
Hyperinflation in modern day ($300 Zimbabwe= $1.00 USA. How's that for an exchange rate?). Modern day chaos:
Peter Schiff on the dollar and bonds (earlier this year). Less government and more private sector job creation.
Monday, October 5, 2009
April 15, 2009
I figured that I will let this video speak for itself. "I 've abandonded free market principles to save the free market system" quote is what got me. It's not taxes alone but what actually sits behind them. Now at the start of this video, Jon Hoenig explains how all of this put this in a language everyone. You may decide for yourselves. What's the principle behind Collectivism? You may not like that word when you hear it.
Friday, October 2, 2009
David Letterman
The last show of his I saw (from start to finish) was Warren Zevon's last TV appearance. He was the only guest to get the entire hour of the show and he died about a year later. Over the years, I don't see the same Letterman I saw years back. Over the last year or so especially, I've tuned him out. The guy I watched in college is LONG gone. Bud Melman might be turning over in his grave. Not only did he admit to cheating on his wife but basically made a joke of it on his show. Sounds desperate to me. I actually enjoyed the show many years back when there was not nearly the political slant (or bias) that is so present now.
From 1989:
From this year (beating a dead horse):
Terrible!!! No wonder I may switch between Nightline & the Tonight Show (depending on the subject).
10. Worldwide Pants and Staff Infection have more than one meaning.
9. Cheating on your spouse with staff members= no big deal.
8. Flaunting gifts for EVERY female employee should be the norml, especially for the 3 to 5 female "special" assistants he may have at any time.
7. Pay extortionists with a check backed by Monopoly money.
6. Knowing you actions would make Bill Clinton proud.
5. You can be in your 60's, make crude jokes about teenage girls, and know someone is stupid enough to pay you want watch you (Bristol had just turned 18 at the time of the joke. By the way. I guess he forgot the unwritten rule about leaving the kids out of the spotlight when it comes to politics).
4. He should having his own school for spin control (some of his guest may need it).
3. You can make jokes about the mistakes of other people, then do the same thing to yourself (makes for great practice).
2. Be glad Jay Leno is no longer competing against you and deep down know Regis is really "the Man" as hosts go.
1. He actually makes Keith Olbermann look somewhat normal (for his sake, he best hope that Steven A Smith doesn't follow him to the news side. If he does, Olbermann news career is done).
http://www.marklevinshow.com/Article.asp?id=1291114
From 1989:
From this year (beating a dead horse):
Terrible!!! No wonder I may switch between Nightline & the Tonight Show (depending on the subject).
10. Worldwide Pants and Staff Infection have more than one meaning.
9. Cheating on your spouse with staff members= no big deal.
8. Flaunting gifts for EVERY female employee should be the norml, especially for the 3 to 5 female "special" assistants he may have at any time.
7. Pay extortionists with a check backed by Monopoly money.
6. Knowing you actions would make Bill Clinton proud.
5. You can be in your 60's, make crude jokes about teenage girls, and know someone is stupid enough to pay you want watch you (Bristol had just turned 18 at the time of the joke. By the way. I guess he forgot the unwritten rule about leaving the kids out of the spotlight when it comes to politics).
4. He should having his own school for spin control (some of his guest may need it).
3. You can make jokes about the mistakes of other people, then do the same thing to yourself (makes for great practice).
2. Be glad Jay Leno is no longer competing against you and deep down know Regis is really "the Man" as hosts go.
1. He actually makes Keith Olbermann look somewhat normal (for his sake, he best hope that Steven A Smith doesn't follow him to the news side. If he does, Olbermann news career is done).
http://www.marklevinshow.com/Article.asp?id=1291114
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Steven A Smith on the Mark Levin Show
I won't add anything to this because it speaks for itself. This was from about a week or two ago. Enjoy.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Anyone for "Pass Time." Name the time, win the cash.
I don't to get to watch much TV anymore but I stumbled on this show a while back. I'm hooked!!! "Pass Time" is (or was) on SpeedTV. A drag racing specialty. Basically, two guests try to guess the time of a car's run for money. They also have to beat the expert, Ken Hering. Each panel member can ask the driver one question about the car by the drvier. In other words- name the time, win the cash! Sounds easy right? In other words, the concept is shown in this commercial:
1976 Chevy Camero (aka, the "Mad Max"):
If you didn't win, you have to give the cash you did win back to the host, Brett Wagner. At 6'5", 300 lbs, I don't think most smart people may not consider challenging him. In this episode, each player is already eliminated and Ken Herring takes all the money. Why the parachute on the car? Ken Herring explains. 1986 Monte Carlo SS on SPEED's Pass-Time
1993 Dodge Stealth. The time this car put up turned everyones head on the panel.
Here's how the show ends. He with the most money, wins all the money in the pool. Some days, someone will win before it even gets to this point (normally Ken as seen in the Monte Carlo video). This episode was not one of them.
1932 Phantom. Whoops!!
Neither was this one. I don't recall a final segment this close.
1969 Chevy Nova:
An extra segment that I could not pass up. Driver dedicates the pass to his late brother. And look who won (again).
1989 Mustang, Turbocharged.
1976 Chevy Camero (aka, the "Mad Max"):
If you didn't win, you have to give the cash you did win back to the host, Brett Wagner. At 6'5", 300 lbs, I don't think most smart people may not consider challenging him. In this episode, each player is already eliminated and Ken Herring takes all the money. Why the parachute on the car? Ken Herring explains. 1986 Monte Carlo SS on SPEED's Pass-Time
1993 Dodge Stealth. The time this car put up turned everyones head on the panel.
Here's how the show ends. He with the most money, wins all the money in the pool. Some days, someone will win before it even gets to this point (normally Ken as seen in the Monte Carlo video). This episode was not one of them.
1932 Phantom. Whoops!!
Neither was this one. I don't recall a final segment this close.
1969 Chevy Nova:
An extra segment that I could not pass up. Driver dedicates the pass to his late brother. And look who won (again).
1989 Mustang, Turbocharged.
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