Our State Fair is a great State Fair!

My gal and I arrived at the Minnesota State Fair this morning at 9:00 am sharp. After having a nice little breakfast (a scone with strawberries and cream) we walked around to the various sites.

Once the clock hit 11:00 am it was time for Volume I of the Northern Alliance Radio Network on AM 1280 The Patriot. Brian “Saint Paul” Ward and Chad the Elder, both of the blog Fraters Libertas, were the hosts for the two hour extravaganza.



Brian "Saint Paul" Ward (left) and Chad the Elder.

The first hour featured Kevin Arnold, founder of the newly featured Spam booth at the fair (located in Carousel Park under the Grandstand ramp).


Chad the Elder (left) and SPAM guy Kevin Arnold.

Mr. Arnold was there to give out samples of his products (i.e. Spam curds, Spam burger) as well as promote his new venture. I had a taste of the Spam curds and I have to admit they were quite tasty!

Later in the program, a gentleman from the Midwest Dairy Association was the guest and armed with him five hunks of butter. The purpose of this was to lure five volunteers from the audience to participate in a butter sculpting contest.

Yes, I was one of the five selected to partake in said contest. The subject of our endeavor was none other than Patriot promotions guy Jay Larson.

Sadly I was not the winner. I know. Given the uncanny likeness, I think it’s fair to say I was robbed. Oh well, I was a good sport about the whole thing.


At 1:00 pm, I sat in on Volume II of the NARN. Mitch Berg and Captain Ed Morrissey spoke mostly of the tragic story out of Saint Paul where 5-10 witnesses did not intervene during a sexual assault in an apartment hallway. I then went on the air to share the story of how I lived on that exact floor more than twenty years ago and how much the neighborhood has changed since.

I didn’t hear much of the second hour due to the parade going down Judson Street in front of the Patriot booth.

At about 3:30 we decided to go visit some of the animal barns. On our way we happened by the “Al Franken for Senate” booth. Franken himself was there holding a snooze fest meeting where he discussed his platform. Given some of Stuart Smalley’s Franken's ideas to expand government, I held on tightly to my wallet as I walked past. I only wish I had been there a half hour earlier when he was accosted by fellow MOB-ster Swiftee. Apparently Swiftee and his wife had poor Al sputtering when asking him about radio station Air America being bailed out by raiding a New York City charity.

Finally, it’s 5:00. After 1 ½ servings of cheese curds, two pronto pups, three bites of a wild rice burger and a chocolate shake from the U of M dairy bar, it was time to head home.

As is usually the case, it was a wonderful day at the great Minnesota get-together!!

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Dude, where's my neighborhood?

From July 1975 thru June 1986, my Mom, younger brother and I lived in a two-bedroom apartment on the east side of Saint Paul. The residents of our building consisted mainly of single moms raising their kids, sprinkled with some newlyweds and the elderly. In fact, many of the friends we had growing up were in the same situation as Eric & me: living in cramped quarters with a sole parent.

Given the clientele, there weren’t a lot of incidents which required law enforcement to visit the premises. I could count on one hand the number of annual stops made by Saint Paul’s finest. And when the cops did pay a visit to our apartment complex, it was for such benign things as a couple shouting at each other or someone playing music a little too loudly.

I can say with 100% certainty that we were never exposed to incidents like this:


Although police say as many as 10 people witnessed a sexual assault in a St. Paul hallway, the suspect said he has no memory of what happened.

Rage Ibrahim, 25, said he blacked out from drinking too much alcohol. But he said he wouldn't have committed rape.

"I'm so upset because of the situation I'm in," Ibrahim said, crying as he headed to the Ramsey County jail on Thursday to turn himself in. "I've got a mom, I've got a sister. I wouldn't rape anyone."

Surveillance video from a Highwood-area apartment hallway makes it clear that a sexual assault happened Tuesday, St. Paul police Cmdr. Shari Gray said.

Prosecutors charged Ibrahim, of St. Paul, on Thursday with first- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct.


Admittedly, it was this phrase which really shook me to my core:


The surveillance video shows the 26-year-old victim lying in the second-floor hallway at 371 S. Winthrop St. as early as 1:20 a.m. Tuesday, according to the criminal complaint.


Yes, for that 11-year period in the mid-70s to mid-80s, we lived on that exact same floor.

And to think the worst thing we ever saw was a guy getting busted for shooting a squirrel with a BB gun out his second floor apartment window.

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Canaan will not inhabit Little League promise land.

I very rarely watch the Little League World Series, which takes place every August. But I felt compelled to tune in occasionally this year as my hometown Coon Rapids club made it into the field.

Unfortunately Coon Rapids was knocked out of the tourney Wednesday evening by the team from Chandler, AZ. But the one game my hometown team won was mighty sweet in my eyes. They defeated a team from Salisbury, MD 4-3, thanks to a walk-off homer by my neighbor Tanner Lowe. And if that wasn’t compelling enough, the game-winning shot was hit off an impudent little pipsqueak pitcher of the Maryland club.

Earlier in the game, Canaan Cropper displayed the brashness and borderline arrogance usually reserved for the big leaguers.


In the bottom of the fourth with Coon Rapids' Noah Fedje on first, Cropper grabbed a hard line drive up the middle off the bat of Tyler Kelm. Cropper stumbled slightly before recovering and throwing to first to catch Fedje off the bag for a double play.

Cropper lifted his arms toward the stands as he ran toward the dugout, encouraging Maryland's delirious fans.


What really irked me was Cropper’s behavior after arriving in the dugout. He shouted vociferously toward the Coon Rapids players, something along the lines of “SIT DOWN!! SIT DOWN!!”

So after Tanner Lowe’s shot heard ‘round the world northern suburbs, I was bitten by a case of schadenfreude upon witnessing the following scene:


Cropper (center) being consoled by his Dad and coach after allowing walk-off homer.

Relax, kid. You seem to have a bright future. But I hope you’ve learned the finer points of what happens when you talk too much smack. Most importantly, it has a tendency to come back and bite you in the derriere.

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Carlson vs. Carlson.

Well, it finally happened. The long overdue conversation with my Dad took place this afternoon. And, to put it mildly, it wasn’t warm and fuzzy.

I made a resolve last month to continue to maintain contact with Dad despite the bad feelings which emerged during his June/July visit. After the no-holds-barred letter I wrote him before he left for home on July 15th, we never discussed the content. I did call him the following week to check in but I just got his voice mail.

So this afternoon I decided to try him again. This time he picked up. The first few minutes were pretty benign, talking about such things as the weather, my job status, etc.

But then the flood gates opened. He came at me with “I got your voice mail on the Sunday I left but given what you wrote in your letter I figured you didn’t want to see me so I said ‘F*** it, I’ll go home early!’”

Since the conversation lasted the better part of 60 minutes, I don’t want to rehash the entire dialogue exchanged. In summary, Dad assumed the victim role and accused me of turning “the whole family” against him with all of the frustrations I’ve conveyed to others. He also informed me that I have my head so far up my a** that I can’t think rationally anymore.

The majority of our talk was counterproductive because it always wound up at “That’s right, Bradley. You’re 100% right and I’m 100% wrong.” Bottom line: I was unable to rationalize with the irrational.

In the end, I finally got what I wanted all along: A stand.

Dad wrapped up our exchange with the following:

“Bradley, I’m 63-years old and I’ve never been one for heart-to-heart talks. That’s not going to change.”

THANK YOU!!!!

I now feel liberated!! I no longer have to pursue an endeavor (in this case, a meaningful relationship with Dad) that has caused nothing but anguish and frustration for many years now.

Don’t get me wrong. I would have preferred that Dad & I came to a peaceful reconciliation and moved ahead from there. Sadly, he chose the other extreme. But I can honestly say it is a relief that we are no longer straddling the fence.

This exercise in futility has long last come to a welcome conclusion!

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Monday, Monday.

I’m taking a day off today from my contract job. I tweaked my back on Friday and it still has yet to feel quite right. The worst part is I haven’t exercised since Thursday. Being unemployed since mid-July hasn’t been very compatible with my weight loss endeavor as it is, hence there was no report at the end of July. With the State Fair starting this Thursday, an August update, if I bother to do one, would be rather dubious.

Speaking of unemployment, I received an unexpected surprise on Friday. In checking my bank account online, I had an additional two weeks pay from my former employer!! When I was fired put on “Transition Employment”, I was told I would receive two weeks severance on August 17. But since I was let go before my transition period was complete, I figured the two weeks pay I received on August 3 was my severance. It was a natural assumption since I did not work any of the two weeks that would have been paid out in the August 3 paycheck.

Being of the utmost integrity, I called both my former boss and the payroll manager to inquire about the payment. If indeed I do not have this money coming to me I want to be sure to return it ASAP. Perhaps I could have kept it and they would have been none the wiser. Heck, I could have even rationalized how I felt I deserved a month severance pay. Nonetheless, I did the right thing by alerting my former company of the extra money.

Any chance they might show some goodwill and tell me to go ahead and keep it? I suppose that’s too much to hope for.

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Need a hitter? Look over in the first base dugout.

The Minnesota Twins are fading fast in their quest to make the 2007 postseason. The general consensus amongst the Twins front office, as well as columnists and fans, is that another bat in their lineup would make a big difference.

Of course, we’re given the typical spin doctoring by the organization about how everyone is looking for a bat and that the asking price is too high whenever contenders go shopping.

This weekend I believe the Twins could find a bargain…..in the visitors’ dugout no less!


Sammy Sosa's climb up the home run chart is about to slow down.

Sosa was told in a long, closed-door meeting (August 1) that his playing time will be cut, one day after the Texas Rangers traded away two other established stars.

"They have young kids they want to see," Sosa said. "Once in a while, I'll be playing. I don't have a problem with it."

"I feel great. If I didn't want to play, I'd leave right now. I know I have a couple years [left]. I'll stick around here until the season is over and then whatever happens, happens."

Sosa leads the last-place Rangers with 16 homers and 70 RBIs, but has seen his average drop to .239 after reaching a season-high .278 on May 11. He hit his 600th career homer June 20 and currently has 604.


Memo to Twins GM Terry Ryan: GO GET SOSA!! Even though his average is tanking, he still has some pop in his bat. Besides, his production at the DH spot tops whatever contributions we’ve received from the Tyner/Kubel/White/Cirillo carousel.

The best part? Sosa is only making $500,000 for the entire year! Pick him up now and you would only have to shell out about $120,000 for the remainder of this season. Also, the Rangers have come out and said they’re cutting Sosa’s playing time. Therefore, they have no leverage when it comes to trading him and thus wouldn’t ask for a king’s ransom in return.

The only potential sticking point is would Sosa clear waivers if he hasn’t already. If a trade is to be made after July 31, any player must be put on the waiver wire. He then must go through all the other 29 teams without being claimed. However, if a team does claim Sosa that is the only team with whom Texas can negotiate a trade. If a deal can not be reached, Sosa would go back to Texas where he would have to remain the rest of this season.

Go for it, Twins!! A 7-game deficit with 40 to go is getting close to insurmountable.

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On this date, nineteen years ago.

I learned today that a certain young lady MOB-ster was born on this day 19 years ago. Nineteen years???!!! That’s literally half my life ago. Scary!

Amazingly enough I recall what I was doing on August 18, 1988. I was at the Metrodome that evening where the Twins were taking on the Texas Rangers. I recall saying something derogatory about Rangers pitcher Jeff Russell within earshot of a Rangers fan. He told me to tone down the language because he didn’t want his kid exposed to my verbal assault on the Texas players. I think I told him mind his own business when at that point he went to get a security guard to try to get me removed from the game. Since we were in lower left field General Admission seating, my friends and I quickly ran to a different row where we wouldn’t be spotted.

While I was able to finish watching the game, I ended up receiving the worst punishment of all. The Twins lost to the pitiful Rangers, 4-2.

I have a feeling the atmosphere was much more celebratory and peaceful wherever the Stewart family was that day.

That's the birthday girl on the far right!


On behalf of my gal and me, we wish the Mall Diva a very happy birthday!!

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Bowled over.

For the first time in about 14 years, I went bowling on a Friday evening!

In fact, the fun and games took place at Bud’s Lanes in River Falls, WI, the very same town which happens to be the location of my alma mater UW-River Falls.

In an attempt to augment what was certain to be a humorous endeavor, I requested the Viz-A-Ball Eye Ball.

Unfortunately, no such ball was available.

Alas, the evening wasn’t a total loss. I’ll have you know that I rolled a 298!!! Of course, it took me three games to accumulate that total. The first two, I had scores of 89 and 85. But I finished the night strong with a 124.

I have to say, this was the first time I have ever bowled in an environment where there was artificial fog and a laser light show. I didn’t know if I was there to bowl or to revisit the disco era.

I’m due to bowl again in the year 2021.

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Imus sued.

While Don Imus is in negotiations to resume his radio career, the reason for his hiatus is now coming back to haunt him.


Don Imus is facing his first lawsuit from a player on the Rutgers Women's Basketball team for derogatory comments that cost him his job as a radio host in April, ABC News has learned.

Kia Vaughn, star center for the Rutgers Women's Basketball team, has filed a lawsuit against Imus for libel, slander and defamation -- the first civil suit to be filed against the former radio host. Vaughn is asking for monetary damages of an unspecified amount.

"This is a lawsuit in order to restore the good name and reputation of my client, Kia Vaughn," said her attorney, Richard Ancowitz, in an exclusive interview with the ABC News Law & Justice Unit.

The suit names Imus individually, but it is also waged against MSNBC, NBC Universal, CBS Radio, CBS Corp., Viacom Inc., Westwood One Radio and Imus producer Bernard McGuirk.

The suit refers to terms used by Imus April 4 -- including referring to women on the team as "nappy headed" -- as "debasing, demeaning, humiliating, and denigrating" to Vaughn and her fellow players.


I am the furthest thing from a legal mind so I decided to research what constitutes libel, slander and defamation.


In law, defamation is the communication of a statement that makes a false claim, expressly stated or implied to be factual, that may harm the reputation of an individual, business, product, group, government or nation. Most jurisdictions allow legal actions, civil and/or criminal, to deter various kinds of defamation and retaliate against criticism.


They key phrase here is “expressly stated or implied to be factual.” Anyone who listens to a morning radio show and takes what show hosts say as the gospel is deluding themselves. To prove that Imus was attempting to factually present the Rutgers women as truly being “nappy headed hos” is going to be a tough sell.


The common law origins of defamation lie in the torts of slander (harmful statement in a transitory form, especially speech) and libel (harmful statement in a fixed medium, especially writing but also a picture, sign, or electronic broadcast), each of which gives a common law right of action.


It’s irrefutable that Imus made the statements in a transitory form on an electronic broadcast. But I am truly baffled how Ms. Vaughn could have been considered “harmed” by such statements. As a college sophomore and an amateur athlete, she wasn’t earning anything financially. Therefore, there’s no proof of monetary loss. And I have a hard time ascertaining her reputation being harmed since the entire Rutgers women’s team became sympathetic figures in this whole controversy. I doubt anyone outside the state of New Jersey could have named more than three players on said basketball team prior to the April 4 incident. Even though Rutgers made a strong showing in the NCAA tournament (runner-up in the championship game) nobody ever remembers who finishes second in anything.

I want to be on record as saying I too found Imus’ comments reprehensible and stupid. But did that cause me to think any less of Kia Vaughn and her teammates? Absolutely not!


"There's no way these bigoted remarks should have seen the light of day," Ancowitz told ABC News.


No, Mr. Ancowitz. This lawsuit shouldn’t see the light of day.

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Meeting a bridge collapse survivor.

It has been two weeks since the 35W bridge collapse took place. The tragedy is still fresh in everyone’s minds as clean up and recovery efforts continue.

While watching KSTP’s live coverage of the event 14 days ago, the one story that stood out was that of a 32-year old woman who was on the bridge when it collapsed.


"Lucky, we’re really lucky." Those are the exact words from a woman who survived the bridge collapse on 35W in Minneapolis early Wednesday evening.

Melissa Hughes and her three-month-old child are okay after a truck fell on their red vehicle.

Melissa Hughes’ car was on a segment of bridge where 10 cars were involved.

"We were at a dead stop and I remember being suspended in the air and people in their cars and felling kind of a free fall and falling a little bit," Hughes said. "I stepped on my brake and grabbed my steering wheel. I didn’t know if I was going backwards or not, and suddenly there was a large crash and I saw my rear window broken out."

A pick-up fell on her car.


As it turns out, she is an employee at the company where I have been working on a contract basis over the past two weeks.

I was ecstatic to have met her in person! I just had to convey to her how amazed I was by the poise and calmness she displayed within four hours after such a horrific scene.

See the video of Melissa being interviewed here.

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Support our pitchers.

Tonight in Seattle, the Twins will attempt to snap their 5-game losing streak, taking on the Mariners. Matt Garza will be the starting pitcher for the Twins with Horacio Ramirez toiling for the M’s.

We need to look no further than the last six starts for each pitcher to give us an indication of how Seattle is flying and Minnesota is floundering.

In the aforementioned six-start span, Ramirez has struggled, posting an earned run average of 8.48. Meanwhile, Garza has been stellar with his 1.80 ERA over the same time frame.

The difference?

Ramirez has a record of 2-2.

Garza, only 1-3.

I think we can decipher which team has the more productive offense.

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Karl Rove resigns; Dems pile on.

In a surprise announcement, the Bush administration is losing a key member of their team.


Karl Rove, the political mastermind behind President Bush's races for the White House and an adviser with unparalleled influence over the past 6 1/2 turbulent years, announced his resignation Monday, ending a partnership stretching back more than three decades.

It was a major loss for Bush as he heads into the twilight of his presidency, battered in the polls, facing a hostile Democratic Congress and waging an unpopular war. A half dozen other senior advisers have left in recent months, forcing the White House to rebuild its staff at the same time the president is running out of influence.

"I'll be on the road behind you here in a little bit," said a rueful Bush, announcing the departure alongside Rove on the White House South Lawn. Bush leaves office Jan. 20, 2009.


Naturally, many Democrats conveyed the proverbial “don’t-let-the-door-hit-you-on-the-way-out” sentiment.

A sample of some of the reactions to the Rove resignation:


"Karl Rove was an architect of a political strategy that has left the country more divided, the special interests more powerful and the American people more shut out from their government than any time in memory." - Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

So invading Pakistan will somehow unify the country?


"Mr. Rove's apparent attempts to manipulate elections and push out prosecutors citing bogus claims of voter fraud shows corruption of federal law enforcement for partisan political purposes, and the Senate Judiciary Committee will continue its investigation into this serious issue. ... There is a cloud over this White House, and a gathering storm." - Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., committee chairman.

Bogus claims of voter fraud? See: Democrats (Florida 2000 & Ohio 2004).


"Karl Rove's resignation signals the final chapter in the Bush administration's betrayal of the identity of a covert CIA officer. ... Rove, identified by the prosecutors as one of the leakers, not only was not summarily dismissed, but has been allowed to leave on his own terms, to praise from the president." - Former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, whose wife, Valerie Plame, was the CIA officer whose name was disclosed.

The same Joseph Wilson who has been confirmed a liar, but has been allowed to perpetually spew falsehoods on his own terms, to praise from the mainstream media.


"It's a tragedy that an administration that promised to unite Americans has instead left us more divided than ever before. Without doubt the architect of that political strategy was Karl Rove, who proved the politics of division may win some elections but cannot govern America." - Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.

Winning elections but not governing America? Sounds like the slogan of the 2006 Congressional Democrat candidates.


"Goodbye, good riddance." - Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards.

Coincidentally, that is the exact same phrase Edwards heard from Sen. John Kerry on November 3, 2004.


"The need for Karl Rove to explain his role in the firing of the U.S. Attorneys does not diminish when he leaves the White House. Our investigation to date has revealed the White House's contempt for the rule of law and its interest in the politicization of the Department of Justice." - Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., House Judiciary Committee chairman.

And your innumerable “investigations” have earned you and your Democrat colleagues the title of the ultimate “Do-Nothing Congress”….which, come to think of it, isn’t a bad thing.


"Now is the time for the country to put the politics of division behind it." - Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn.

So you’re relinquishing your candidacy for President?

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Ding!! Twins are done.

Two Words:

PA THETIC.

The Minnesota Twins’ most recent slide culminated this afternoon with a 6-2 loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, giving the Halos a three game sweep of the Twins. Today’s loss puts the Twins under .500 for the first time since June 10.

With a 1-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians last Sunday, the Twins inexplicably inched closer to first place in the AL Central. After a brilliant pitching performance by Scott Baker, the Twins found themselves 4 ½ games out of first place.

In the seven games since? A 1-6 record (including three shutouts) with a grand total of 18 runs scored (an average of 2.6 per game). What’s most frightening is they scored 11 times in the one game they won. Take away that contest and you have a club barely averaging a run per game over the past week. Nice way to respond to getting back into post-season contention, eh?

What looked like a manageable 4 ½ game deficit in the division last week now looks like an impossible 7-game climb. When a team with the reigning AL Batting champ (Joe Mauer) and Most Valuable Player (Justin Morneau) has scored the fewest runs of any major league team since the All Star break, it might be time to make those reservations for early-October golf.

Anyone got a fork?

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Name one good thing to come out of Iowa.

That would be I-35.

I can now provide a second answer.

A web site called Iowa Presidential Watch.

I learned of this site through a high school classmate (who now resides in Iowa) after he located my classmates.com profile. He was able to glean my political leanings and thus directed me to the site.

It even has a section with some cool editorial cartoons.

That one has to be my favorite!

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Enjoy only those days which end in 'y'.

This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.-Psalm 118:24


Friday is always the favorite day of the working crowd. It’s inevitable that whenever you ask someone how they’re doing on that day, you’ll usually get a response like “Great! After all, it’s Friday!!”

That mentality is pretty common amongst those who put in a long work week. Hey, I can’t necessarily be critical since I too have an extra bounce in my step at the end of a five-day week on the job. The part I don’t get is how people essentially wish away their lives so that the weekend gets here as soon as possible.

I have a dear friend whom I have known for over twenty years. He is married now with a couple of kids. I will occasionally check in with him to see how he’s doing. Depending upon the day, I can pretty much predict his response.

“How are things?”, I’ll ask.

Monday: “OK. Only four more days until Friday.”

Wednesday: “Can’t complain. It’s hump day!!”

Friday: “Great!! The weekend is almost here!!!”

But in the same conversation he’ll talk about his kid going into fifth grade this year. “I can’t believe he’s gonna be a fifth grader. I remember the day he was born like it was last week. Where did that ten years go?”

My first inclination is to jump down his throat and say “WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘WHERE DID THE TIME GO’? YOU’VE BEEN WISHING AWAY FIVE DAYS A WEEK FOR YEARS”

Since he is indeed a wonderful friend, I resist that urge.

The bottom line is we should embrace every day like it’s our last. Can you imagine the things you would do or say differently if you knew you didn’t have tomorrow?

Jesus said in Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Live for today! It’s really the only day which is guaranteed to us.

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Carlson kids: past & present.

Searching through some old photos recently, I came across this one:




(Left to Right): Carly, Eric, Dad, Ben and Me. Why is no one smiling?

It is the only time in Carlson family history that my Dad has been with all four of his kids at one time. This historic occurrence took place in December 1989 when the entire family gathered together to celebrate Grandma & Grandpa Carlson’s 50th wedding anniversary.

The four of us at Grandma & Grandpa's 50th!


My brother Eric, age 36, is single, lives in Saint Paul and works in construction. While he and I didn’t get along too well as kids, we have become pretty good friends over the past several years. In fact, he was best man in my wedding! We have also been able to commiserate over the difficult relationship (or lack thereof) we’ve had with our father. It wasn’t until recently where we realized how good we had it as a family unit when it was Mom, Eric and I all those years. We would certainly welcome Dad into our lives if he so chooses. For now, Dad is going with the silent treatment.

Half-Sister Carly, 34, finally found love! Since her early 20s, she’d had a slew of serious boyfriends. She then got to the point in her late 20s where if a guy called more than once per week, she felt he was getting too clingy. But she officially settled down in September 2005 when she married husband Matt. They now live near Santa Barbara, CA where Matt is stationed in the Marine Corps.

Half-Brother Ben, 31, is in the Fresno area I believe. He was a high school drop out at 16 and was kicked out of his mother’s house at 18. With nowhere to go, Ben joined the Marines in 1994, got married in ’98, divorced in ’99 and left the Marine Corps in 2000. For about five years he muddled through life working odd jobs down in Fresno. For the past couple years he has been in the firefighter training program. I spoke with him for the first time in 5 ½ years when he turned 30 about 13 months ago. What was scary was he sounded like my Dad in the way he talked, the things he said, etc. I know Dad has not heard from Ben since October last year. Of course, Dad may have finally tracked him down by wandering the streets of Fresno.

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An unwelcome visitor.

For the next few days, we are dogsitting my sister-law’s dog Sasha. Naturally, the first thing she wanted to do was get acquainted with our cats.

Judging by the video footage, the cats were not in a playful mood.




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Bonds finally hits 756.

It was inevitable.

San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds finally became the all-time home run king by hitting number 756 tonight against the Washington Nationals. For me, the only thing worse than Bonds breaking the record was the fact that ESPN decided to broadcast every single Giants game over the past couple of weeks.

After Bonds surpassed Hank Aaron on the all-time home run list, Aaron’s video congratulations was played on the center field scoreboard. I only wish there would have been a second televised message. Not from Aaron, but from ESPN saying “Thank you, San Francisco Giants. We now return you to your regularly scheduled irrelevance.”

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National Night Out.

The first Tuesday every August is “National Night Out”, a community-police partnership to increase awareness about police programs in communities. On our street, there were approximately fifteen people who gathered together for fellowship, barbecuing, etc.

For the first half hour of the party, my wife and I were the only two people younger than age 50. It turned out that the other 30-something aged folks were the ones who were fashionably late. But we didn’t care as it was a nice evening to sit back and enjoy all the company, regardless of age.

Half way through the get-together, we were privileged to have received a visit from Bruce Sanders, our City Councilman. Naturally, Mr. Sanders was inundated by the folks in our neighborhood who all have their opinions on how the area where we reside can be improved. Living so close to Hwy 10, one resident inquired about the possibility of a sound wall to alleviate the noise caused by congested traffic. Mr. Sanders lamented the fact on how that will never happen. He went on to say how broke MNDOT was and how “this governor” has drove it into the ground. Oh, but he didn’t stop there. According to Sanders, it was only thanks to Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN) that we received the $3.5 billion in funding for 2004-09 but that the only road improvements taking place in Minnesota happen to be in the area where Transportation Commissioner Carol Molnau lives. Yes, demagoguery trickles down all the way to the city level.

Hey, it’s not my fault that Sanders landed back on the City Council. I voted for fellow Protest Warrior Sean Novack.

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Back to work.

For the first time since Wednesday, July 18 I put in a full day of work!

Even though I have yet to find a permanent position, I will be working for a Saint Paul direct mailing company on a two-week contract basis. My mission while there is to determine the cause of a $500,000 discrepancy in a postage account.

The first day analysis: Worse than the dentist.

But better than the proctologist!

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Tiger rallies; Now what?

For some sports pundits/talking heads it’s been boring covering Tiger Woods over the past ten years. Woods has not only been prolifically winning PGA majors, he’s at times been in another stratosphere compared to the rest of the field.

Of course, the knock on him thus far in 2007 is that he has yet to win a Grand Slam event. Some of golf's other all-time greatest players have gone two, maybe three years between major championships. But Woods goes almost one year without a major (the 2006 PGA last August was his last) and it’s suddenly national news.

The only “flaw” anyone could conjure up regarding Tiger’s play is the fact he’s not good at “coming from behind.” When Tiger trails going into the final day of match play he doesn’t ever win.

Well, we can throw that one out the window now.


In the final event before the final major of the year, Woods buried Rory Sabbatini and the rest of the field Sunday at the Bridgestone Invitational for an eight-shot victory, sending his confidence soaring Sunday as he left for Southern Hills and the PGA Championship.


Tiger’s thoughts after capturing the title at the Bridgestone?


"This might just give me a little more confidence," Woods said.


I’m sure that’s the last thing the field wanted to hear with the PGA championship coming up next weekend.

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Libs & mainstream media: Facts optional.

What I found most infuriating about the disastrous I-35W bridge collapse is the endless demagoguery by the mainstream media and liberal politicians.

Check out some of the comments offered up by those who do not even wait for the full story to come out.


CRAIG CRAWFORD, MSNBC: I've looked up what it would take to fix the nation's infrastructure. It's about $532 billion a year. It just so happens to be about what we're spending in Iraq.

JOE SCARBOROUGH, MSNBC: Certainly American voters would probably decide it would be wiser to invest in our own aging infrastructure than continuing to throw good money after bad in Iraq.

GREG HUNTER, CNN: We're spending billions of dollars every month in Iraq.

REP. BARNEY FRANK (D-MA): If we did not have the war in Iraq, with hundreds of billions of dollars, we would be able to do a great deal more.

JACKASS CAFFERTY, CNN: How could the US better spend the $2 billion a week that we're pouring into Iraq here at home?

BILL TUCKER, CNN: We're spending about a trillion dollars in infrastructure in Iraq.

LOU DOBBS, CNN: We're not even succeeding in rebuilding the infrastructure and creating new infrastructure in Iraq.

SENATOR AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN): Priorities in our country have been out of whack the last few years. We've spent like almost $500 billion in Iraq.


The various talking heads would have you believe that the bridge collapsed due to a lack of funds. But a 2005 news release by MnDOT (via Power Line) effectively debunks such shameless rhetoric.


U.S. President George Bush signed a $286.4 billion six-year transportation reauthorization bill Aug. 10, 2005 that covers federal fiscal years 2004-09.

Although the details of the reauthorization package are still being reviewed, Minnesota state and local governments can expect to receive about $3.5 billion in federal transportation funding through 2009, an increase of about 46 percent (or about $1.1 billion) over the previous six-year bill.


I guess we can’t blame the libs and their cohorts in the media. Why should they let the facts get in the way of a good demagogue?

Another classic example would be the appearance of vapid vacuous hack Star Tribune columnist Nick Coleman on MSNBC:






To quote character Ricky Fitts from the movie American Beauty: "What a sad old man you are."


UPDATE: The Kool Aid Report effectively slices and dices Coleman's post-collapse screed.


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Katie Couric slammed: Part MMCLXVII

“I've always really liked Katie's work. I think she does a good job and she's a good journalist, but I think, by trying to put her into a completely different format, she's gone from being sort of an exuberant presence to someone who looks like they've been kidnapped and drugged and are making a hostage tape.”

-Mary Mapes, former producer of CBS evening news, commenting on Katie Couric in her role as anchor of said evening news program.


By the way, has there been any response from CBS head guy Les Moonves on Mapes' analysis? When former CBS news anchor Dan Rather gave an unflattering synopsis of Couric’s work, Moonves labeled his remarks “sexist”.

Come to think of it, Moonves will probably give Mapes a pass on her comments. After all, she served a valuable purpose in her role as scapegoat in the forged documents scandal at CBS.

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Will '07 be Heaven for Cubdom?

The 21st century seems to be the magical time frame to break baseball’s greatest curses.

In 2004, the Boston Red Sox exorcised the dreaded “Curse of the Bambino” with their World Series championship. Their 4-0 sweep of the St Louis Cardinals seemed almost anticlimactic in the wake of their 4-3 ALCS triumph over their arch rival New York Yankees. The Sox did something never done in the history of Major League Baseball – rally from a 3-0 deficit to win a best of seven series.

The other Sox, the Chicago White Sox that is, won it all the following season in 2005. That broke an 88-year drought when manager Pants Rowland led the pale hose to a World Series championship in 1917. From the “Black Sox” scandal in 1919 to “Disco Demolition Night” in 1979, Chicago’s south siders have seen some bizarre things happen on and off the diamond in between championship seasons.

But all that pales in comparison to the plight of Chi-town’s north siders.

In Cubbie land, certain one or two word phrases are all that's required to convey decades of heartache and frustration.

Billy Goat

Black Cat

Leon Durham

Bartman

Yes, it has been almost an entire century since the Chicago Cubs last won a World Series. It was 1908 when the Cubbies last claimed the title as baseball’s best.

Could the 21st century prove to be as kind to the Cubs as it has been to a pair of Sox? On June 21, the Cubs were 32-39, 8 ½ games out of first place in the NL Central and in utter disarray. But in just over five weeks since, the Cubbies have gone 25-11 and are now percentage points ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers for first in the NL Central.

So if my Twins can’t make a go of it this season, I am officially jumping on the Cubs bandwagon!

It’s not that I’m brand new to Cubdom. I actually had the privilege of attending a couple of games in historic Wrigley Field once upon a time. It was Labor Day weekend back in 1993 when my buddy Skip and I indulged in the Saturday and Sunday afternoon games.




"Excuse me, Sir? Sally Jessy Raphael would like her glasses back."

A view from our seats. We sat right by the visitors' bullpen down the right field line!!

I may have to break out that Cubs jersey this Fall!!


Given that I haven’t worn it in fourteen years I’ll be lucky if I could fit one arm in it.

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8/1/2007: A day we won't soon forget.

I can only describe last evening in a series of one-word phrases.

Bizarre.

Horrific.

Surreal.

Devastating.

Tragic.





I first heard the news of the I-35W bridge collapsing into the Mississippi River at 6:20 pm, approximately 15 minutes after it actually happened. I was tuning in to Channel 4 news to catch Mark Rosen’s sports cast (the only watchable/listenable aspect of WCCO news) when live coverage of the tragedy was being aired. Not wanting to listen to the inevitable demagoguery that would ensue from DFL Don Shelby, I switched over to KSTP channel 5 news.

Within ten minutes of soaking in the horrific scene of 35W, we got a call from my mother-in law. Her frantic tone had us very worried in the wake of my father-in law having cosmetic surgery done on his nose. This was a couple of weeks after several skin cancer cells were removed from that area. I felt the need to explain the reasoning behind such a procedure since this 77-year old man would not be so vain as to have a face lift.

But I digress.

Anyhow, he was bleeding profusely to the point where he was becoming light-headed. We took the one hour jaunt to western Wisconsin in an attempt to both calm my panicking mother-in law and drive my father-in law to the Woodbury hospital where his surgeon would meet him.

In the end, the medical staff at Woodwinds hospital was able to get my father-in law cleaned up and sedated so he could rest comfortably overnight.

To summarize, I spent about 3 ½ hours in the waiting area of an emergency room watching on TV one of the largest calamities in Minnesota history while occasionally checking in on my father-in law, who’s face looked like it had been run through a meat grinder.

August 1, 2007 will be a day I won’t soon forget.

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Johan Santana set to leave?

When I first heard this, I knew it was much ado about nothing. Nevertheless, the media has to make mountains out of mole hills.


The Minnesota Twins didn't add any players but did subtract their starting second baseman at the trade deadline. And after watching his front office's inactivity, ace Johan Santana reportedly didn't hide his disappointment.

"It's not just about hope," Santana told The Star Tribune. "In a realistic world, you have to really make it happen and go for it.

"You always talk about future, future. ... But if you only worry about the future, then I guess a lot of us won't be part of it," Santana told the newspaper.

Santana can be a free agent after the 2008 season. The only move Minnesota made before the non-waiver trade deadline was to send second baseman Luis Castillo to the New York Mets for two minor league prospects.

"Why waste time when you're talking about something that's always going to be like that? It's never going to be beyond this point," Santana told the newspaper. "It doesn't make any sense for me to be here, you know?"


I don’t view the Castillo trade as a sign the Twins are raising the proverbial white flag for this year. Instead, the organization viewed it as an opportunity to obtain some players in a trade as opposed to losing Castillo to free agency after the 2007 campaign. It has pretty much been set in stone that Castillo would not be retained beyond ‘07 in an effort to free up money to sign Torii Hunter to an extension. With Hunter also a free agent after this season, he clearly is a higher priority given the Twins best centerfield prospect, Denard Span, is not ready for the big leagues. But the organization thinks very highly of second baseman Alexi Casilla, who was called up from AAA Rochester to replace Castillo on the roster.

If the Twins do indeed sign Hunter to a long term extension, you can bet Santana will significantly soften his tone.

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Chief Justice Roberts falls ill.

Some rather disturbing news from the East Coast:


Chief Justice John Roberts suffered a seizure at his summer home in Maine on Monday, causing a fall that resulted in minor scrapes, Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said.

He will remain in a hospital in Maine overnight.

"It's my understanding he's fully recovered, said Christopher Burke, a spokesman for Penobscot Bay Medical Center, where Roberts was taken.

Roberts, 52, was taken by ambulance to the medical center, where he underwent a "thorough neurological evaluation, which revealed no cause for concern," Arberg said in a statement.


Can you imagine if a similar incident happened to either Justice John Paul Stevens or Ruth Bader Ginsburg? It’s a good bet that some liberal sock puppet in the blogosphere or mainstream media would lay blame on some right wing plot to pack the courts with more conservative judges. Just imagine if one of those liberal justices fell ill shortly after a Republican senator said something along the lines of “The Supreme Court is dangerously out of balance.” Yes, the lefty hysterics and conspiracy theories would really be kicked into high gear. Actually those words were spoken recently by Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), claiming the Senate should not confirm another U.S. Supreme Court nominee under President Bush “except in extraordinary circumstances.”

It’s not totally out of character for libs to concoct such kooky theories. Does anyone remember last December when Joy Behar of The View inquired about the ability of invoking “man made strokes” after Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) was stricken with such an ailment? If Johnson were unable to complete his term, the Governor of his state (in this case, a Republican) would name a successor. In turn, that could have swung the Senate majority back in favor of the GOP. Behar theorized it could have been the Republicans who caused Johnson’s illness because she knew what “that party is capable of.”

I don’t even want to browse the lefty blogosphere in light of this incident involving the Chief Justice. I can only surmise that I would need to take another shower.

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Talk show titan passes on; gave Weird Al his TV debut

Long time talk show host Tom Snyder passed away Sunday evening at the age of 71. To be honest, I wasn’t a big fan of Snyder himself. However, no one could deny the power-packed guests Snyder could book on his late night shows. John Lennon, Charles Manson, cast members of Star Trek, just to name a few.

For me, Snyder’s show served the ultimate noble purpose when he offered a venue for Weird Al Yankovic’s television debut.

Al, along with band mate Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz, appeared on Snyder’s Tomorrow Show in 1981. One of the first songs Yankovic ever parodied was Queen’s Another One Bites the Dust.

Here now is Weird Al Yankovic performing one of his first hits on said TV debut, Another One Rides the Bus.




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Whiny Libs: Part MCMLXXIV

Q: What do you call a bunch of liberals locked in a basement?

A: A whine cellar.


Yes, I know that’s a slight variation of an old joke. But it seems oh so appropriate given their shenanigans over the past couple of months.

As we know, libs are abysmal failures at talk radio. When it comes to competing in the marketplace of ideas, liberals will always be defeated since the American people don’t care to hear their country being run into the ground. So instead of toning down the shrill and vile rhetoric, the libs stick to their motto of having even more government intervention. This time it’s the futile efforts to resurrect the undead that is lib talk radio by reinstituting the Fairness Doctrine.

Thankfully that idea, like Air America itself, is all but dead.


The Federal Communications Commission has no intention of reinstating the Fairness Doctrine imposing a requirement of balanced coverage of issues on public airwaves, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said.

Martin, in a letter written this week to Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., and made public Thursday, said the agency found no compelling reason to revisit its 1987 decision that enforcing the federal rule was not in the public interest.


Besides, parasites like Al Franken need people such as Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly et al to succeed. It’s using those names/faces on his books which affords “Frankenfraud” the title of “Best-Selling author.”

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Summer of '07.

I feel like a kid on Summer vacation! Oh, don’t get me wrong. Since being let go from my job after last Wednesday, I have stayed busy searching for gainful employment. But the search doesn’t typically begin before 9:30 am.

Here is a glimpse of what I have done since I was handed my walking papers:


Thursday, July 19: Woke up at about 9:00 am, due to the fact I didn’t get home until after Midnight (Traffic was awful leaving the Twins game Wednesday evening). My awesome gal made pancakes for breakfast. We then hung around the house until about Noon when we went to visit my wife’s parents in Western Wisconsin. My in-laws grilled the most phenomenal steaks I have had in quite sometime in addition to serving the most exquisite corn on the cob. Hung out there until about 8:30 pm and then headed home.

Friday, July 20: Got up early, around 9:15 I guess. Bacon and eggs for breakfast. After breakfast, my gal and I went for a long 10-mile bike ride. Didn’t do much else the rest of the day. I think we may have gone to Applebee’s for dinner later on but that was about it.

Monday, July 23: Slept in until about 9:45 due to being up until 4:00 a.m. watching Goodfellas on AMC. Again, pancakes for breakfast. My brother called me at 11:30 asking me to take my mom to the doctor since he had to borrow her car. I dropped off mom at her doctor’s office in Woodbury in time for her 1:00 appointment. I hung out at the local Northwestern book store until mom was done at 2:30. Mom then treated me to lunch at Don Pablo’s Mexican restaurant. In waiting for rush hour traffic to die down, I headed home around 6:00. I then went for a 45-minute bike ride from 7:30 until 8:15.

Tuesday, July 24: I actually got up at 7:30 a.m. to get ready for a 9:00 appointment in downtown Minneapolis. I was home by 10:15. At 10:45 I talked to a recruiter guy whom I have been working with for a month or so. He had some job prospects he wanted to run by me. At 11:30, I had a phone interview with a Maple Grove company. Once that was done, my gal had grilled burgers and corn on the cob waiting for me. At 1:00, I decided to take a one hour nap (since I was up soooo early) before going to work out at the health club. I then worked out from 2:30 until 3:30. In the continuation of spoiling me rotten (as well as fattening me up) my gal brought home some pizza from Old Chicago restaurant after visiting with some of her friends there. We then watched a couple of DVDs the rest of the evening before turning in for the night.


I know this will all end soon enough. But I have to say I am certainly enjoying it while it lasts!!!

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Have you ever laughed soooo hard.....

….that you had to stand up to catch your breath?

Well, the following video made by my good buddy Greg could be placed in such a category.

Don’t say I didn’t warn ya!




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W's good week.

It was a rare good week for President Bush in what has been overall a rather tumultuous second term.

-The economy continues to hum along, with the Dow Jones industrial average breaking 14,000 for the first time.

-One of the most fraudulent and overblown stories in political history, the Valerie Plame “leak case”, has come to a merciful and long overdue end. A judge tossed Plame’s suit, which accused Bush administration officials of leaking her identity as a CIA operative.

-In a rare moment of clarity, the President didn’t botch a joke (unlike his 2004 opponent for President) during one of his speeches. In a visit to Tennessee yesterday, the President alluded to the Democrats desires to increase taxes. When pointing out that such massive hikes would subsequently harm businesses like the Nashville Bun Co., President Bush said:


I would warn the Nashville Bun Company to be very careful with this kind of approach because you can't keep making buns if the Democrats take all your dough.


Hey, you take the positives wherever and whenever you can get 'em.

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View from the cheap elite seats!

My good friend Dave scored a couple of tickets to see the Twins take on the Detroit Tigers last evening. In my almost thirty years as a Twins fan, these were by far the best seats I’ve ever had. We were two rows back above the first base dugout. These weren’t just any seats mind you. These were the club level dugout seats where a waitress comes to take your order! In going with my customary nitrate stick Dome Dog and Diet Coke, the waitress brought it to me personally as opposed to handing it to someone on the aisle seat and having them pass it on down. She even opened my 20 oz. bottle of Diet Coke and placed it in the cup holder in front of me. Now that’s the way to enjoy a ball game!!

Alas, the Twins turned in yet another frustrating performance in a 3-2 loss. While I was disappointed in the outcome, I enjoyed filming some up-close video clips of the action.




Johan Santana gets Ryan Raburn to fly out to right field for the first out of the game.




Santana ends the first inning by getting Gary Sheffield to ground out to shortstop.




Pat Neshek’s stellar relief effort continues with a strikeout of Magglio Ordonez.

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Transition update.

I had a great second interview yesterday with a Twin Cities manufacturing company. The initial phone interview took place on Monday and then I was called back right away to come in to meet with the Accounting Manager and the HR generalist on Wednesday. The whole process started at 3:00 and I was done by 4:30. I’ll find out Monday the 23rd if I’m in line for a third interview.

As I got in my car to go home I saw I had a voice mail message on my cell phone.

It went something along the lines of the following:


Hey Brad, it’s “Hagzilla” (my boss, but not her real name). I just wanted to let you know that you don’t have to come in tomorrow. I talked to “Tortoise Lady” (my replacement, but not her real name) and she didn’t feel as though she was benefiting from you being here so we’ll go ahead and release you now. I’ll pay you on Friday for your two weeks worked and then still go ahead and pay your severance. Good luck to you (Sound of her slamming the phone down).


Classy, eh?

Apparently, Hagzilla was a bit irritated that I ducked out at 2:30 yesterday afternoon to go to my job interview. Huh. I guess I didn’t realize that it was improper etiquette to actually search for gainful employment after having been fired placed on “Transition Employment.” As it turned out, I got no latitude despite having worked an average of two Saturdays per month while employed by that company.

Oh well, I can’t be too upset. After all, if you’re reading this on Thursday, July 19 before 10 am, it’s a good bet I’m still in REM sleep.
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One down, eight to go!

Day one of nine is in the books! Today began “Transition Employment” with my current employer. After firing me separating employment, my employer offered me the opportunity to stay with the company through July 27 and collect some severance. If I declined, then today would have been day one of unemployment. I honestly wrestled with the decision of whether or not to go back. Truth be told, I’d rather defecate a flaming hot porcupine than to work there another day (My apologies for the unwanted visual). But my motto for every noble duty these days is “It’s for our baby.” We are still progressing with our adoption plans, so any extra cash is welcome at this point.

The good news is I have a two-hour interview scheduled tomorrow with a well-established Twin Cities company. I had an initial phone interview yesterday and then I received a call this afternoon asking me to meet with the Human Resources director as well as Corporate Accounting Manager. It looks promising!

But I still wouldn’t be opposed to taking off the month of August should I not find gainful employment within the next two weeks.

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MOB Mentality.

Keegan’s Irish Pub was the place to be Saturday evening! The annual Summer gathering of the Minnesota Organization of Bloggers took place and, as always, it was a great opportunity to renew acquaintances with fellow MOB-sters as well as meet many others for the first time.



Here I am intently listening to the pearls of wisdom emitted by Derek Brigham (left) of Freedom Dogs and John “Night Writer” Stewart.

Ben Worley (left, of Hammerswing75) has been a regular commenter of mine for quite a while yet I never met him in person until last evening. It was quite an honor!! I was also privileged to finally meet the Mall Diva (right), valued contributor to the family-run Night Writer blog.

A photo-op with Dan “Northern Alliance Wannabe” Stover. Dan was pulling double duty on this night as he was busy socializing in addition to babysitting his daughters (ages 6 & 5).

Here, King Banaian (in Red Sox shirt) and the DFL’s public enemy #1 Michael Brodkorb (right) enjoy cigars while basking in the glory of another stellar show on AM 1280 The Patriot.

Here I’m chatting with AM 1500’s Bob Davis while Learned Foot (right) of The Kool Aid Report (a/k/a “Power Line on meth”) mugs for the camera.

James Lileks (right, wearing glasses) graces us with his presence. Of what little I read of the Star Tribune, Lileks’ column was one of the few worthy indulgences. He still does blogging, which always provides a nice dose of entertaining reading.

Others I had a chance to chat with Saturday evening, but not pictured:

-The gregarious Mitch Berg, AM 1280 radio guy and blogger extraordinaire. You can always catch him talking impassionedly as ever about reviving his beloved St Paul by getting more Republicans on the school board, city council, etc.

-Speed Gibson, who has lost a total of 75 lbs over the past few years and it still going strong!

-John Wilson, who himself took plenty of photos of the soiree.

-Andy Aplikowski, mayor of the MOB and an incredibly generous individual (first time I ever met the guy and he buys me a drink!!).

-John of Roosh Five, who offered a kind word of encouragement after my recent job loss.

As always, I look forward to the next big endeavor!!!

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And the hits just keep on comin'.

It has been a rather challenging week, to say the least.

Despite being very open and honest about family, I have never blogged much about my wife’s sister. Anyhow, let’s just say that my sister-in law has.…uh….”issues”. Well those “issues” have landed her in scalding hot water this week. The combo platter of her mental, emotional and physical issues has resulted in her receiving admission to a couple of days in the psych ward. To quote the indomitable Forrest Gump, “That’s all I have to say about that.”

Then I find out yesterday that I am being let go from my job. For some reason, companies these days don’t just come out and do the Donald Trump bit of “You’re Fired.” No, instead I’m being offered what is called “Transition Employment.” I’ve heard other asinine labels such as “Outplacement Program” or “Reorganization Efforts”. But “Transition Employment”? As I read through the Separation Agreement (another vapid phrase, IMO), I found out that Transition Employment entails me transferring the knowledge of my current responsibilities for the transition period of July 17 thru July 27 (nine working days). Showing that I was taking it all in stride, I asked my boss “What’ll we do the other eight days?” Being the hard-nosed, stuffy VP that she is, that didn’t go over particularly well. Basically, I still have two full paychecks coming for the actual work I’ve done (and will do) and then I will receive an additional two weeks severance. Based on my calculations, I could be out of work until the end of August and live strictly on my paychecks and severance.

A wise man once said, “Out of every adversity is a seed of equal or greater benefit.” God is still Lord of my life. Because of that fact, I don’t stress on iota over the uncertainty of my family or my employment situation. After all, we are bound to reap a bountiful harvest of benefits after the tumultuous week we have endured.

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We have a winner!!

I was in the mood for a little snack this afternoon so I checked out the vending machine while at work. I like those Pearson’s salted nut rolls so I went with that. As the machine dispensed the candy bar I noticed a card taped to the back. The card said something along the lines of “You are the winner of a 5 lb. Nut Roll!!!”

The prize-winning card instructed me to call one of the secretaries to claim the prize, which I did before I left for the day

I know. “What on earth does a 5 lb. Nut Roll look like?” you may ask.

Well, wonder no more.

It serves the equivalent of 54 regular size candy bars!!!! At 200 calories a serving, that’s a whopping 10,800 calories!!!

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Twins outlook: Cloudy.

If the Twins are to return to the postseason this year, they are going to need a similar post-All Star game run to 2006. After a scorching month of June last year, the Twins entered the All Star break at 47-39. Their 49-27 record after that won them the division.

This year, the Twins are a mediocre 45-43. I surmise they have to finish 48-26 just to get in the playoffs. While I don’t envision them catching the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central, I think 93 victories would put them in the 2007 postseason as the AL wild card team.

Now, can they get there?

Here’s how I believe it can be done:

-Trade for another hitter. Nick Punto CAN NOT be the everyday third baseman. While he is one of the better fielding infielders on this club, he is barely above the Mendoza line at the plate. In the American League, that’s a killer if you have a sure out in your lineup. A trade for Tampa Bay Devil Rays infielder Ty Wigginton could give this team a pretty good bat at the bottom of the order. With a .269 average, 13 homers and 42 RBIs at the break, it’s a significant upgrade over Punto’s lifeless bat. Plus you free up Punto to be the utility infielder, a role where he would be most valuable to this club. He could occasionally spell Luis Castillo at second base and Jason Bartlett at shortstop, both of whom wore down at the end of last year due to playing practically every day.

-The Twins need a pitcher to step up and be the #2 starter. We know Johan Santana will be Mr. Reliable as he normally is after the All Star break. From 2003-06 Santana is a ridiculous 40-4 in post-All Star break starts! Having won four in a row just prior to the break, Santana is already primed for yet another great second half. Last year, the Twins had a solid #2 guy in Francisco Liriano until he went on the shelf in early August. Then Brad Radke stepped in with several gutsy performances until his bum shoulder gave out in September. Thankfully, Boof Bonser was up to the task when Radke went down. Boof had several good starts down the stretch which helped the Twins ultimately pass the Tigers in the division race. This season, the Twins have gotten some solid starts from Scott Baker, Carlos Silva and Bonser. They have also been equally miserable at times (see the Chicago White Sox series, July 6-8). That leaves Matt Garza, who pitched six shutout innings last Friday at Chicago. Is it realistic to expect a 23-year old with only a handful of major league starts to step up to #2? Considering the alternatives, it may be our best hope.

The Twins have a ten game home stand starting tomorrow with a game against the Oakland Athletics. With four games against the A’s, three with the Tigers and three more with the LA Angels, we’ll know at the end of this stretch of games just how serious of a contender they will be.

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Separated at Birth: Bela Lugosi & Al Gore.

With Al Gore (right) going with the slicked back hair, he bears an uncanny resemblance to actor Bela Lugosi, who is most famous for having played Count Dracula in the 1930s.

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Celebrating 7 years on 07/07/07.

Today’s blog post is brought to you by the number…





7







Sevens are wild on this date. My gal and I celebrate 7 years of wedded bliss here on 07/07/07!!!



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Blog Rating

I entered in my URL to determine my blog rating.

I must say, I'm somewhat surprised. Given some of the visitor comments on this blog (posted and unposted), I was beginning to think some people thought I was the anti-Christ.

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Book meme.

I was tagged by Marty Andrade to put together a book meme.

So, here goes.


1.) One book that changed your life:

Joel Osteen’s “Your Best Life Now!!” I actually wrote about the impact it had in helping me overcome an unwanted family trait.


2.) One book that you've read more than once:

“How to Win Friends and Influence People.” I found that in my early to mid 20s I had a rather repellant personality. Today, the Dale Carnegie classic still impacts me in that I am much more cognizant of what I say to others in conversation.


3.) One book that you would want on a deserted island:

The Bible. Hey, it’s been my survival guide for over 20 years. Seems to me a deserted island would be the ultimate test of one’s faith and spiritual strength. Plus I would need to cling to the belief that one person could feed hundreds with a few loaves and fishes.


4.) One book that made you laugh:

Ann Coulter’s “Godless: The church of liberalism.” With her patented acerbic wit as well as thorough analysis, Ann eviscerates certain sanctimonious libs and the creeds of their own religion called "liberalism".


5.) One book that made you cry:

“Let’s Roll” written by Lisa Beamer, widow of United 93 passenger/hero Todd Beamer. Her heart-wrenching account of learning about Todd’s demise on 9/11/01 and her heart-warming faith in dealing with the tragedy caused me to reach for the Kleenex.


6.) One book you wish had been written:

KFAN’s (and former Star Tribune columnist) Dan Barreiro has told so many bizarre tales about the Minnesota Timberwolves (pre-Garnett) that I would love to see them all in print.


7.) One book you wish hadn't been written:

“My Lie Life”, the autobiography of former President Bill Clinton. Because he is such a narcissist, the book is over 1,000 pages long. Goodness gracious, think of the serious back injuries that resulted from trying to remove it from book shelves.


8.) One book you're currently reading:

A couple, actually. Always reading through The Bible. I am also reading a book entitled “Overcoming Rejection Will Make You Rich” by Larry DiAngi.


9). One book you've been meaning to read:

"Original Intent" by David Barton. I purchased this book a few years ago but for some odd reason I just didn't get into it.

Reading the foreword, however, has piqued my curiosity:

Barton not only documents the original intent on a number of constitutional issues debated today, the book also documents how this essential information is often ignored under today’s standard of political correctness.


10). Six people to tag:

Mark Meuer
Katie McCollow
Greg Bittner
"Lassie" at Freedom Dogs
Dan Stover
Speed Gibson

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