I associate quite a bit of the music that I listen to with the seasons. I tend to listen to lighter music in the spring and summer, and heavier, more brooding music in the fall and winter. One of my favorite bands, Wilco, has definitely been a "winter" band with their last couple of albums, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost is Born. Not that there is anything wrong with that. These were heavier albums with hard to decipher lyrics. While they were excellent, the songs were often difficult to listen to. Let's just say you wouldn't play them at a keg party. After a nearly three-year hiatus, Wilco is ready to release their next album, Sky Blue Sky. It's not officially due for release until May, but my neighbor Dan knows a guy who knows a guy who was able to obtain a copy, which Dan burned for me. I've been able to listen to it a few times, which has allowed me to form the following opinion:
Sky Blue Sky is Wilco's best album. It's outstanding.
After their beginning as an "Alternative Country" band, Wilco has been following a "Beatlesque" path beginning with their album Summerteeth. I heard quite a bit of Help, Revolver and Rubber Soul in their last few albums, but Wilco has now written their Abbey Road. Just like the Beatles final recording, Sky Blue Sky is a summer album. It's light and airy. It's a Hefe-Weitzen with a lemon compared to the Northern Porter of their last few albums. The first song, "Either Way," sums up the feeling of the album with these lyrics:
Maybe the sun will shine today
And the clouds will roll away
Maybe I won't be so alone
I will try to understand
Everything has it's plan
Either way
Here are some of my observations of the songs on the album:
1. Comparisons with the late '60's Beatles. As previously mentioned, the closest comparison I can make to Sky Blue Sky is Abbey Road. The song "Side With the Seeds" is the 2007 version of Paul McCartney's "Oh, Darling." "Please Be Patient With Me" recalls John Lennon's "Julia" from the White Album. My favorite song on the album, "Hate It Here," combines Billy Preston-like keyboards with Jeff Tweedy mimicking George Harrison "wah-wah" guitar from All Things Must Pass. The refrain of the song reminds of "Isn't It a Pity" from Harrison's classic solo album. All in all, Sky Blue Sky has a easy-going "groove" that past Wilco albums have not had. Two songs, "Impossible Germany" and "Leave Me (Like You Found Me)" have guitar riffs that beg a person to sit on the deck with a beer with summer breeze blowing through what is left of your hair. Can you say that about anything on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot? Other songs on Sky Blue Sky, such as "Walken," and "On and On and On" have a feeling of the jam on the second side of Abbey Road which essentially signaled an end to the Beatles.
2. Return to Wilco roots. Many old-school Wilco fans have never forgiven them for abandoning their alt-country sounds for Beatlesque pop. A couple of songs on the new album revert back to the old Wilco sound. The song "Sky Blue Sky" would be at home on either A.M. or Being There. In addition, "What Light" is a Gram Parsons-influenced tune that could easily find a home on any Uncle Tupelo album (which is a grand compliment). The slide guitar is back and it's great to hear.
All in all, Sky Blue Sky is a fantastic album. Many songs are already available to download. Run, don't walk, to buy this when it is available. I think I have my soundtrack for the summer.
Peace.
Jeff
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Friday, March 30, 2007
Rosie O'Donnell & Those Wacky Iranians
Everyone has been asking “what has been up with those wacky, fun-loving Iranians lately?” Well, it turns out that they have seized 15 British Navel personnel and accused them of illegally trespassing into Iranian waters. According to a New York Times article, The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mohammad Ali Hosseini, said the Britons had violated "the sovereign boundaries of other states," the state-run IRNA news agency said, and that Iran was carrying out "further investigation of the blatant aggression." The Times goes on to report that Iranian news agencies said the 15 Britons had been transferred to Tehran. " The said personnel are being interrogated and have confessed to aggression into the Islamic Republic of Iran waters," Gen. Ali Reza Afshar was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency.
Now, Great Britain does not see the humor in this. Once again, the New York Times reports Prime Minister Tony Blair told Parliament that the British sailors were acting legally and in Iraqi waters, and that Britain was running out of patience with Iran for holding the 15 hostages.
"It is now time to ratchet up international and diplomatic pressure in order to make sure that the Iranian government understands their total isolation on this issue," he told Parliament. Blair and Great Britain have gone so far as to cut diplomatic ties with Iran.
The Royal Navy also took the unusual step of making public charts, photographs and previously secret navigational coordinates to substantiate its claim the British sailors were 1.7 nautical miles - roughly 2 miles - inside Iraqi waters when they were apprehended at gunpoint and forced into Iranian waters.
Apparently, however, the 15 British hostages (14 men and 1 woman) have been treated quite well during their stay in beautiful downtown Tehran. In fact, the female hostage, Faye Turney, has been provided with the traditional Muslim headgear to wear during her stay. She has been treated so well, in fact, that (amazingly) she has fully admitted to illegally crossing over into Iranian waters. She wrote a letter, addressed to the British people, saying that she had been treated well, unlike the prisoners held by the at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. "I'm writing to you as a British serviceperson who has been sent to Iraq, sacrificed due to the intervening policies of the Bush and Blair government,'' the letter said. In addition, according to reports, hostage Nathan Summers had this to say on Iranian television: “…I deeply apologize for entering your waters,'' Summers said in the broadcast on Al-Alam television. ”We trespassed without permission.'' Yes, I’m sure the interrogation went something like this:
Iranian authority: “Did you Crusaders illegally enter the Islamic Republic of Iran waters in order to cause harm and provoke a war against our great nation?”
British Seaman: “Hell, yeah. We did that.”
In addition, Iran must be a pretty cool place with really nice people. In fact, Turney had this to say about her captors: "Obviously, we trespassed into their waters" and praising her captors as "very friendly, very hospitable and very thoughtful, nice people. There was no hurt or harm," Turney, whose rank is leading seaman, said in the report. "They were very, very commpassionate." Wow, sounds like they’d all like to stay!
Bullshit.
It sounds to me like Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his wing-nut regime in Iran is taking some serious risks in seizing these 15 British sailors. According to published reports, Iranian citizens are getting increasingly annoyed with the sanctions placed on their country because of the actions of their “leaders.” Taking 15 hostages is not going to endear Iran to the world community (except maybe France). Interestingly enough, it has been suggested in an article written by Gwynne Dyer that Iran purposely seized British soldiers rather than Americans because they knew the response would be different from the Americans. Dyer writes:
The 15 British sailors and marines who were captured and taken to Tehran for "questioning" last week are undoubtedly having an unpleasant time, but they are alive, and Britain is only involved in two wars, in Iraq and Afghanistan. If it had been one of Horner's boarding teams, they would all be dead, and the United States and Iran would now be at war.
So there they are, eight sailors and seven marines in two rubber boats, with personal weapons and no protection whatever, sitting about 30cm above the water, surrounded by six or seven Iranian attack boats with mounted machine guns.
"Defend yourself" by opening fire, and after a single long burst from half a dozen heavy machine-guns there will be 14 dead young men and one dead young woman in two rapidly sinking inflatables, and your country will be at war. Seems a bit pointless, really..
It's a cultural thing, at bottom. Britain has a long history of fighting wars and taking casualties, but the combat doctrines are less hairy-chested. British rules of engagement "are very much de-escalatory, because we don't want wars starting," explained Admiral Sir Alan West, former First Sea Lord.
"Rather than roaring into action and sinking everything in sight, we try to step back, and that, of course, is why our chaps were ... able to be captured and taken away." Kidnapping American troops as hostages for an exchange could cause a war, so they decided to grab some Brits instead. And it will probably work, after a certain delay.
I’d like to know what you – the readers – think about this viewpoint. I agree that the American response to being boarded and seized would have been more violent. However, does this “threat of a violent reaction” help avoid the incident in the first place? You don’t see 15 Americans being held hostage in Tehran. Now, of course, you did see American hostages held in Tehran 28 years ago under President Carter. Were circumstances different back then? Did Iran think that Carter would not have the cahones to respond militarily? I don’t know – what do you think?
Most importantly, what do the Brain Wizards in Hollywood think about this?? After all, if anyone understands the pulse of America, it is Hollywood. Here is what Rosie O’Donnell had to say about the situation in a recent interview:
O’DONNELL: Yes, but it’s very interesting too that, you know, these guys, they went into the water by mistake right at a time when British and American, you know, they're two, they’re pretty much our biggest ally and we're considering whether or not we should go into war with Iran.
BEHAR: But the U.N. was about to sanction them, also have an embargo against Iran. And the, and the timing [unintelligible] so they distracted the whole world with this.
ELISABETH HASSELBECK: Right and they may be about to expel the inspectors right now, too, which could be considered [unintelligible]
O’DONNELL: Right or it could be just the Gulf of Tonkin, which you should all Google.
So there you have it. It’s OUR own fault, Great Britain and The United States, that those 15 individuals were taken hostage. Those two rubber rafts were going to attack the coast of Iran! You know, Rosie O’Donnell has every right to her opinions, and to voice those opinions. In all honesty, it is heartwarming to me that we live in a country in which talentless individuals such as O’Donnell are provided forums for their ridiculous views (kind of like this blog, you might say!). In fact, many individuals are not only provided a forum for their views, but they are paid handsomely to express them. After all, if O’Donnell lived in Iran and spoke out against “the regime,” she would be punished. This would be a moot point, however, because she would have been punished much earlier in her life for being so unfunny. I’m sure Rosie would love having to wear the black scarf on her head that all women are required to wear in Iran, too.
I hope this drama ends on a positive note, and all of the hostages are returned safely to England. I’d hate for something bad to happen to them, because that would be our fault, too. Right Rosie?
Now, Great Britain does not see the humor in this. Once again, the New York Times reports Prime Minister Tony Blair told Parliament that the British sailors were acting legally and in Iraqi waters, and that Britain was running out of patience with Iran for holding the 15 hostages.
"It is now time to ratchet up international and diplomatic pressure in order to make sure that the Iranian government understands their total isolation on this issue," he told Parliament. Blair and Great Britain have gone so far as to cut diplomatic ties with Iran.
The Royal Navy also took the unusual step of making public charts, photographs and previously secret navigational coordinates to substantiate its claim the British sailors were 1.7 nautical miles - roughly 2 miles - inside Iraqi waters when they were apprehended at gunpoint and forced into Iranian waters.
Apparently, however, the 15 British hostages (14 men and 1 woman) have been treated quite well during their stay in beautiful downtown Tehran. In fact, the female hostage, Faye Turney, has been provided with the traditional Muslim headgear to wear during her stay. She has been treated so well, in fact, that (amazingly) she has fully admitted to illegally crossing over into Iranian waters. She wrote a letter, addressed to the British people, saying that she had been treated well, unlike the prisoners held by the at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. "I'm writing to you as a British serviceperson who has been sent to Iraq, sacrificed due to the intervening policies of the Bush and Blair government,'' the letter said. In addition, according to reports, hostage Nathan Summers had this to say on Iranian television: “…I deeply apologize for entering your waters,'' Summers said in the broadcast on Al-Alam television. ”We trespassed without permission.'' Yes, I’m sure the interrogation went something like this:
Iranian authority: “Did you Crusaders illegally enter the Islamic Republic of Iran waters in order to cause harm and provoke a war against our great nation?”
British Seaman: “Hell, yeah. We did that.”
In addition, Iran must be a pretty cool place with really nice people. In fact, Turney had this to say about her captors: "Obviously, we trespassed into their waters" and praising her captors as "very friendly, very hospitable and very thoughtful, nice people. There was no hurt or harm," Turney, whose rank is leading seaman, said in the report. "They were very, very commpassionate." Wow, sounds like they’d all like to stay!
Bullshit.
It sounds to me like Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his wing-nut regime in Iran is taking some serious risks in seizing these 15 British sailors. According to published reports, Iranian citizens are getting increasingly annoyed with the sanctions placed on their country because of the actions of their “leaders.” Taking 15 hostages is not going to endear Iran to the world community (except maybe France). Interestingly enough, it has been suggested in an article written by Gwynne Dyer that Iran purposely seized British soldiers rather than Americans because they knew the response would be different from the Americans. Dyer writes:
The 15 British sailors and marines who were captured and taken to Tehran for "questioning" last week are undoubtedly having an unpleasant time, but they are alive, and Britain is only involved in two wars, in Iraq and Afghanistan. If it had been one of Horner's boarding teams, they would all be dead, and the United States and Iran would now be at war.
So there they are, eight sailors and seven marines in two rubber boats, with personal weapons and no protection whatever, sitting about 30cm above the water, surrounded by six or seven Iranian attack boats with mounted machine guns.
"Defend yourself" by opening fire, and after a single long burst from half a dozen heavy machine-guns there will be 14 dead young men and one dead young woman in two rapidly sinking inflatables, and your country will be at war. Seems a bit pointless, really..
It's a cultural thing, at bottom. Britain has a long history of fighting wars and taking casualties, but the combat doctrines are less hairy-chested. British rules of engagement "are very much de-escalatory, because we don't want wars starting," explained Admiral Sir Alan West, former First Sea Lord.
"Rather than roaring into action and sinking everything in sight, we try to step back, and that, of course, is why our chaps were ... able to be captured and taken away." Kidnapping American troops as hostages for an exchange could cause a war, so they decided to grab some Brits instead. And it will probably work, after a certain delay.
I’d like to know what you – the readers – think about this viewpoint. I agree that the American response to being boarded and seized would have been more violent. However, does this “threat of a violent reaction” help avoid the incident in the first place? You don’t see 15 Americans being held hostage in Tehran. Now, of course, you did see American hostages held in Tehran 28 years ago under President Carter. Were circumstances different back then? Did Iran think that Carter would not have the cahones to respond militarily? I don’t know – what do you think?
Most importantly, what do the Brain Wizards in Hollywood think about this?? After all, if anyone understands the pulse of America, it is Hollywood. Here is what Rosie O’Donnell had to say about the situation in a recent interview:
O’DONNELL: Yes, but it’s very interesting too that, you know, these guys, they went into the water by mistake right at a time when British and American, you know, they're two, they’re pretty much our biggest ally and we're considering whether or not we should go into war with Iran.
BEHAR: But the U.N. was about to sanction them, also have an embargo against Iran. And the, and the timing [unintelligible] so they distracted the whole world with this.
ELISABETH HASSELBECK: Right and they may be about to expel the inspectors right now, too, which could be considered [unintelligible]
O’DONNELL: Right or it could be just the Gulf of Tonkin, which you should all Google.
So there you have it. It’s OUR own fault, Great Britain and The United States, that those 15 individuals were taken hostage. Those two rubber rafts were going to attack the coast of Iran! You know, Rosie O’Donnell has every right to her opinions, and to voice those opinions. In all honesty, it is heartwarming to me that we live in a country in which talentless individuals such as O’Donnell are provided forums for their ridiculous views (kind of like this blog, you might say!). In fact, many individuals are not only provided a forum for their views, but they are paid handsomely to express them. After all, if O’Donnell lived in Iran and spoke out against “the regime,” she would be punished. This would be a moot point, however, because she would have been punished much earlier in her life for being so unfunny. I’m sure Rosie would love having to wear the black scarf on her head that all women are required to wear in Iran, too.
I hope this drama ends on a positive note, and all of the hostages are returned safely to England. I’d hate for something bad to happen to them, because that would be our fault, too. Right Rosie?
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Goaltending
Congratulations to the North Dakota Fighting Sioux for their 3-2 overtime defeat of the Minnesota Gophers in the NCAA Hockey tournament. It was a hard fought game that could have gone either way. Chris Porter scored the game winner in the first overtime to end the Gophers season. Where is Porter from? Grand Forks, ND? Bismark, ND? Anywhere in North Dakota?? How about the United States???
No - Thunder Bay, Ontario. Canada. Of course. (Rumor has it that Porter actually heard rumors of the State of North Dakota before signing his Letter Of Intent with the school, but could not locate the state on a map). Please see my March 18th post for more information on how I feel about this.
But let's not mince words here. This game came down to goaltending. The goal that Jeff Frazee let in during overtime was weak. My 11-year old son would be embarrassed to let that type of goal in while playing street hockey in our driveway. Granted, Frazee made some great stops to keep the Gophers in the game. And he's a college student after all, not a professional, so it's hard to get too down on him. Goaltending has always been a weak spot for the Gophers, to say the least, and it cost the Gophers their season. I guess it's really hard for me to watch the outstanding combination of Backstrom, Harding & Fernandez play for the Wild, and then flip the channel over to the Gophers and see Frazee and Briggs struggle for the Gophers.
Anyway, the season is over. What the hell. Go Wild.
Peace.
Jeff
No - Thunder Bay, Ontario. Canada. Of course. (Rumor has it that Porter actually heard rumors of the State of North Dakota before signing his Letter Of Intent with the school, but could not locate the state on a map). Please see my March 18th post for more information on how I feel about this.
But let's not mince words here. This game came down to goaltending. The goal that Jeff Frazee let in during overtime was weak. My 11-year old son would be embarrassed to let that type of goal in while playing street hockey in our driveway. Granted, Frazee made some great stops to keep the Gophers in the game. And he's a college student after all, not a professional, so it's hard to get too down on him. Goaltending has always been a weak spot for the Gophers, to say the least, and it cost the Gophers their season. I guess it's really hard for me to watch the outstanding combination of Backstrom, Harding & Fernandez play for the Wild, and then flip the channel over to the Gophers and see Frazee and Briggs struggle for the Gophers.
Anyway, the season is over. What the hell. Go Wild.
Peace.
Jeff
Friday, March 23, 2007
State Of The State In Sports - 1st Edition
Those of you that know me realize that I am quite into sports. I spend a lot of my free time thinking about sports and sports stadiums. Luckily, I don't have that much free time anymore, so I'm not quite as obsessed as I used to be. Back in college, it literally used to ruin my week when the Vikings lost. If I felt that way today, I'd be a basket case, and quite possibly dead. Anyway, I thought it would be a good idea to begin a "State of the State in Sports" post in which I treat the four Minnesota pro teams and Gophers men's teams as "stocks." You know - buy vs. sell. I apologize to all of my female readers (hell0?), but I am not going to rate any of the Gophers women's teams. First off, I know nothing about them. Secondly, without trying to sound like a sexist bastard, who cares?
So here we go with The State of the State in Sports - Edition 1 (3/23/07):
Minnesota Twins -Tentative Buy. I love the Twins. No other pro franchise in Minnesota has provided their fans with more "likeable" players, winning seasons, world championships and virtually no off the field embarrassment. Their future seems to be clouding up a little, however. They have an incredible upside, and an incredible downside. For starters, Joe Mauer has just been diagnosed with a "minor stress reaction" in his left ankle. He is out 4 - 5 days. The Twins, however, are notorious for under evaluating injuries. As Patrick Ruesse has said, "The Twins haven't been this confident that an injury is minor since Francisco Liriano's elbow in 2006." Add to this the stadium issue. I'm not going to go into detail on this, but the information on the land deal seems to change hourly. Every time a land deal seem imminent, some new problem is brought up in the media. Without this new stadium, there is no Twins. Folks, there is no going back to the Legislature for a "site change." They either condemn the land and move forward, or start looking for another city to play in. Stay tuned.
Minnesota Wild - Strong Buy! The Wild is quickly becoming the most "competent" franchise in the Twin Cities. They are a model NHL franchise. They boast a state-of-the-art arena, 7000 on the season ticket waiting list, Hall of Fame coaching staff (Lemaire, Ramsey & Trembley), Management (Risebrough) and incredible young talent (Gaborik, Bouchard, Burns, Koivu). And now they are starting to win. The playoff run in 2003 was great, but everyone knew it was a fluke. This year's squad, however, is loaded with home-grown talent hand picked in the draft. They are on a 8-game winning streak and are shooting for home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Many of their stars are signed for years to come. I believe the Wild is lined up for years of success because this franchise knows that their fans are the reason for their existence.
Minnesota Vikings - Um, sell. Quickly. And then there is the Vikings. Please re-read the Wild section of this post, and then turn everything around 180 degrees and you have the Minnesota Vikings. This franchise could screw up a two-car funeral. Where to begin? Lousy stadium? Boat cruise? Horrible draft picks (Troy Williamson)? Off-the-field embarrassments too many to count? Horrible ownership? Standoffish, paranoid coach? Kick-ass offense? Herschel Walker trade? Randy Moss? Demitrius Underwood? Threatening to move? Choking in the playoffs? 41 - doughnut? Gary Anderson wide-left? I can truthfully say that no organization has come close to providing me with more personal anguish over the years than the Minnesota Vikings. One positive, however, is that I always really liked their uniforms. What did they do last year? They changed their uniforms to look like something from the Arena Football League. Nice going, guys. Well, at least I have my Sunday afternoons back now to enjoy the nice fall days. No more wasting four hours only to be disappointed by a late fumble or shanked field goal. Good luck with Tarvarius Jackson or Brooks Bollinger at QB next year! I see one big way list franchise can be turned around quickly - if Zygi Wilf builds his own outdoor stadium for the team. Get back to the roots - outdoor, cold. I will now sit and hold my breath until this happens..............................................................................hello? Zygi?
Minnesota Timberwolves - Sell. I've never been a huge NBA fan. I just don't get the thugs and the posse's (spelling??). It seems like 75% of these guys would be in prison if they weren't playing basketball. One thing that I give the Wolves credit for is spending money. They will throw money around, and gladly exceed the salary cap. The problem is that they spend it on all of the wrong guys. And, other than Kevin Garnett, they rarely draft competent players. In fact, they have drafted a few that are downright laughable. I really believe they are now in a position in which they HAVE to trade Garnett, and start over from scratch. I'm not going to spend a lot of time on the T-Wolves because I just don't really care. Which is much worse than the Vikings making me mad.
Minnesota Gophers Basketball - Buy! Yes, you read that correctly. If you would have told me that I'd put "buy" here two days ago, I would have said you are crazy. All that happened in the last couple days is Tubby Smith fell in their laps. I thought they would end up signing some "up and coming" coach from a minor conference ( see Dan Monson). But Tubby frickin' Smith? He brings instant credibility, and I've got to think excellent recruiting. I don't care what the rubes and rednecks in Ketucky are saying. "10-loss Tubby?" If Tubby only loses 10 games a year in Minnesota, we'll name a street after him. This team suddenly got some good Karma! Should be fun to watch.
Minnesota Gophers Football - Tentative Buy. Another shocking development, because in the past I would have put "give away" here. However, Tim Brewster seems like an affable chap who knows how to recruit. And, they have a new outdoor stadium on the way. I'll watch anyone play outside. I'm going to put "tentative" here, however, because they have 40 years of losing in their history. Brewster seems like a good guy, but he needs to win some games, or he will be the next Jim Wacker. "Good golly my corpuscles are jumpin!" I believe the public "wants" to cheer for this team more than any other team in the state - they just haven't had a reason to in decades. Only the Vikings have "snatched more defeats from the jaws of victory" than the Gopher football team. Some losses have been mind-boggling (Michigan, Wisconsin blocked punt, etc. etc. etc.). If this changes, and they start to win, they could actually surpass the Vikings in popularity within a couple of years (especially if the Vikes move to LA).
Minnesota Gophers Hockey - Buy. The Gophers have been called the New York Yankees of college hockey. Best arena, best recruits, etc. They actually have had a little bit of a handicap, however, over the last couple of years. Their best players are virtually all Freshman and Sophomores. Many of their "stars" have been jumping to the NHL after a year to two in college. This has hurt a little lately in the post-season tournaments when they are going up against more seasoned, hungrier teams. If you remember their last couple of National Championships, their rosters included senior leadership such as Jordan Leopold and Johnny Pohl. I have a good feeling about this years, WCHA- champs, however. They play hated Air Force tomorrow, and a win may set up a rematch against No- Dak. That will be the game of the year. Or, a loss to hated Air Force would mean two first round chokes in two years (i.e. Holy Cross).
Anyway, let me know what you think of these ratings. My friends back in "Sconny can rate their squads, too if you want. Time for this 40-year-old to hit the hay.
Jeff
So here we go with The State of the State in Sports - Edition 1 (3/23/07):
Minnesota Twins -Tentative Buy. I love the Twins. No other pro franchise in Minnesota has provided their fans with more "likeable" players, winning seasons, world championships and virtually no off the field embarrassment. Their future seems to be clouding up a little, however. They have an incredible upside, and an incredible downside. For starters, Joe Mauer has just been diagnosed with a "minor stress reaction" in his left ankle. He is out 4 - 5 days. The Twins, however, are notorious for under evaluating injuries. As Patrick Ruesse has said, "The Twins haven't been this confident that an injury is minor since Francisco Liriano's elbow in 2006." Add to this the stadium issue. I'm not going to go into detail on this, but the information on the land deal seems to change hourly. Every time a land deal seem imminent, some new problem is brought up in the media. Without this new stadium, there is no Twins. Folks, there is no going back to the Legislature for a "site change." They either condemn the land and move forward, or start looking for another city to play in. Stay tuned.
Minnesota Wild - Strong Buy! The Wild is quickly becoming the most "competent" franchise in the Twin Cities. They are a model NHL franchise. They boast a state-of-the-art arena, 7000 on the season ticket waiting list, Hall of Fame coaching staff (Lemaire, Ramsey & Trembley), Management (Risebrough) and incredible young talent (Gaborik, Bouchard, Burns, Koivu). And now they are starting to win. The playoff run in 2003 was great, but everyone knew it was a fluke. This year's squad, however, is loaded with home-grown talent hand picked in the draft. They are on a 8-game winning streak and are shooting for home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Many of their stars are signed for years to come. I believe the Wild is lined up for years of success because this franchise knows that their fans are the reason for their existence.
Minnesota Vikings - Um, sell. Quickly. And then there is the Vikings. Please re-read the Wild section of this post, and then turn everything around 180 degrees and you have the Minnesota Vikings. This franchise could screw up a two-car funeral. Where to begin? Lousy stadium? Boat cruise? Horrible draft picks (Troy Williamson)? Off-the-field embarrassments too many to count? Horrible ownership? Standoffish, paranoid coach? Kick-ass offense? Herschel Walker trade? Randy Moss? Demitrius Underwood? Threatening to move? Choking in the playoffs? 41 - doughnut? Gary Anderson wide-left? I can truthfully say that no organization has come close to providing me with more personal anguish over the years than the Minnesota Vikings. One positive, however, is that I always really liked their uniforms. What did they do last year? They changed their uniforms to look like something from the Arena Football League. Nice going, guys. Well, at least I have my Sunday afternoons back now to enjoy the nice fall days. No more wasting four hours only to be disappointed by a late fumble or shanked field goal. Good luck with Tarvarius Jackson or Brooks Bollinger at QB next year! I see one big way list franchise can be turned around quickly - if Zygi Wilf builds his own outdoor stadium for the team. Get back to the roots - outdoor, cold. I will now sit and hold my breath until this happens..............................................................................hello? Zygi?
Minnesota Timberwolves - Sell. I've never been a huge NBA fan. I just don't get the thugs and the posse's (spelling??). It seems like 75% of these guys would be in prison if they weren't playing basketball. One thing that I give the Wolves credit for is spending money. They will throw money around, and gladly exceed the salary cap. The problem is that they spend it on all of the wrong guys. And, other than Kevin Garnett, they rarely draft competent players. In fact, they have drafted a few that are downright laughable. I really believe they are now in a position in which they HAVE to trade Garnett, and start over from scratch. I'm not going to spend a lot of time on the T-Wolves because I just don't really care. Which is much worse than the Vikings making me mad.
Minnesota Gophers Basketball - Buy! Yes, you read that correctly. If you would have told me that I'd put "buy" here two days ago, I would have said you are crazy. All that happened in the last couple days is Tubby Smith fell in their laps. I thought they would end up signing some "up and coming" coach from a minor conference ( see Dan Monson). But Tubby frickin' Smith? He brings instant credibility, and I've got to think excellent recruiting. I don't care what the rubes and rednecks in Ketucky are saying. "10-loss Tubby?" If Tubby only loses 10 games a year in Minnesota, we'll name a street after him. This team suddenly got some good Karma! Should be fun to watch.
Minnesota Gophers Football - Tentative Buy. Another shocking development, because in the past I would have put "give away" here. However, Tim Brewster seems like an affable chap who knows how to recruit. And, they have a new outdoor stadium on the way. I'll watch anyone play outside. I'm going to put "tentative" here, however, because they have 40 years of losing in their history. Brewster seems like a good guy, but he needs to win some games, or he will be the next Jim Wacker. "Good golly my corpuscles are jumpin!" I believe the public "wants" to cheer for this team more than any other team in the state - they just haven't had a reason to in decades. Only the Vikings have "snatched more defeats from the jaws of victory" than the Gopher football team. Some losses have been mind-boggling (Michigan, Wisconsin blocked punt, etc. etc. etc.). If this changes, and they start to win, they could actually surpass the Vikings in popularity within a couple of years (especially if the Vikes move to LA).
Minnesota Gophers Hockey - Buy. The Gophers have been called the New York Yankees of college hockey. Best arena, best recruits, etc. They actually have had a little bit of a handicap, however, over the last couple of years. Their best players are virtually all Freshman and Sophomores. Many of their "stars" have been jumping to the NHL after a year to two in college. This has hurt a little lately in the post-season tournaments when they are going up against more seasoned, hungrier teams. If you remember their last couple of National Championships, their rosters included senior leadership such as Jordan Leopold and Johnny Pohl. I have a good feeling about this years, WCHA- champs, however. They play hated Air Force tomorrow, and a win may set up a rematch against No- Dak. That will be the game of the year. Or, a loss to hated Air Force would mean two first round chokes in two years (i.e. Holy Cross).
Anyway, let me know what you think of these ratings. My friends back in "Sconny can rate their squads, too if you want. Time for this 40-year-old to hit the hay.
Jeff
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
One last thing...
So, I'm just about to turn in for the night around 9:00 (I'm 40 now, you know) and I happen to be searching some web sites for the latest Twins stadium news (it's an obsession). I come across the Kare 11 web site, and they have a link to stories from Wisconsin called "Across Wisconsin." Oh, hey, I was born there, lets see what's going on. Here was today's story:
A 20-year-old Superior man received probation after he was convicted of having sexual contact with a dead deer. The sentence also requires Bryan James Hathaway to be evaluated as a sex offender and treated at the Institute for Psychological and Sexual Health in Duluth, Minn." The state believes that particular place is the best to provide treatment for the individual," Assistant District Attorney Jim Boughner said. Hathaway's probation will be served at the same time as a nine-month jail sentence he received in February for violating his extended supervision. He was found guilty in April 2005 of felony mistreatment of an animal after he killed a horse with the intention of having sex with it. He was sentenced to 18 months in jail and two years of extended supervision on that charge as well as six years of probation for taking and driving a vehicle without the owner's consent. Hathaway pleaded no contest earlier this month to misdemeanor mistreatment of an animal for the incident involving the deer. He was sentenced Tuesday in Douglas County Circuit Court."The type of behavior is disturbing," Judge Michael Lucci said. "It's disturbing to the public. It's disturbing to the court."
And, it's disturbing to Jeff. A dead deer. Hey, I like venison too, but this is taking things a bit far. To make matters worse, it's not this guy's first offense. A horse? Even worse (if that's possible) a dead horse? I will ask again - why Wisconsin? Couldn't this guy be from Michigan? Hey - I've visited the UP of Michigan and it's a little weird up there. Maybe they just don't report on these types of "incidents."
Boy, I sure hope the Institute for Psychological and Sexual Health in Duluth has a good outpatient program for guys who like dead animals. A person must have to attend an extra week or two in this program to be "fully rehabilitated."
On a positive note, however, there was no mention of the guy's blood-alcohol level when he was caught. I'm sure he was 100% sober.
I have a feeling I'm going to have some weird dreams tonight.
Jeff
A 20-year-old Superior man received probation after he was convicted of having sexual contact with a dead deer. The sentence also requires Bryan James Hathaway to be evaluated as a sex offender and treated at the Institute for Psychological and Sexual Health in Duluth, Minn." The state believes that particular place is the best to provide treatment for the individual," Assistant District Attorney Jim Boughner said. Hathaway's probation will be served at the same time as a nine-month jail sentence he received in February for violating his extended supervision. He was found guilty in April 2005 of felony mistreatment of an animal after he killed a horse with the intention of having sex with it. He was sentenced to 18 months in jail and two years of extended supervision on that charge as well as six years of probation for taking and driving a vehicle without the owner's consent. Hathaway pleaded no contest earlier this month to misdemeanor mistreatment of an animal for the incident involving the deer. He was sentenced Tuesday in Douglas County Circuit Court."The type of behavior is disturbing," Judge Michael Lucci said. "It's disturbing to the public. It's disturbing to the court."
And, it's disturbing to Jeff. A dead deer. Hey, I like venison too, but this is taking things a bit far. To make matters worse, it's not this guy's first offense. A horse? Even worse (if that's possible) a dead horse? I will ask again - why Wisconsin? Couldn't this guy be from Michigan? Hey - I've visited the UP of Michigan and it's a little weird up there. Maybe they just don't report on these types of "incidents."
Boy, I sure hope the Institute for Psychological and Sexual Health in Duluth has a good outpatient program for guys who like dead animals. A person must have to attend an extra week or two in this program to be "fully rehabilitated."
On a positive note, however, there was no mention of the guy's blood-alcohol level when he was caught. I'm sure he was 100% sober.
I have a feeling I'm going to have some weird dreams tonight.
Jeff
Where The Hell Is Jase?
OK. I've had a few posts here the last few days, and not one comment from Jase. Where are you, Jase? I've even heard from Ronny-San, for God's sakes. Are you on vacation? Maybe at the Mall looking for shoes? Down at Ray's?
The Randy-Moss-To-The-Packers rumors have quieted down. I can see how a Packer fan would go into hiding over that one. Don't worry Jase - I don't think it's going to happen.
Hope to hear from you soon. The blog's just not the same...
Jeff
The Randy-Moss-To-The-Packers rumors have quieted down. I can see how a Packer fan would go into hiding over that one. Don't worry Jase - I don't think it's going to happen.
Hope to hear from you soon. The blog's just not the same...
Jeff
Monday, March 19, 2007
Life Lessons
Sometimes I struggle for topics to write about for this blog, and other times the posts write themselves. This is one of those times. I came across a great feature on msn.com in which famous men over the age of 50 were interviewed and asked to provide their "life lessons" learned throughout the years. These men are actors, rock stars, sports figures, owners of pornographic magazines, etc. In my opinion, some of these men come across as wise sages and others as jack asses. I am simply going to list some of their "pearls of wisdom" and let you decipher between the sages and the asses:
Tom Petty:
--I couldn't exist nowadays. I could never have built a career like I've had if I were just starting out now. Radio doesn't take a chance on anything anymore; they've streamlined the playlists to the lowest common denominator. It's really kind of silly that they think people would rather hear "Stairway to Heaven" one more time than a new song.
--I remember John Lennon saying, "Sid Vicious died for what? So that we might rock?" You've got to keep that in perspective. At the end of the day, they're just phonograph records.
--What surprises me about getting older is that I remain so young. If you don't have a sense of humor about life and yourself, then you are old.
--Gloria Steinem said that a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle. And now she's married to a wealthy guy. So what does that say to you?
Ozzy Osbourne:
--My problem is that by the time I understood a little bit about life, I was well on the way to f**king burnout.
--Back in the day, it was, "If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair." Where in the f**k was San Francisco? And the only flowers we ever saw in Aston were on a coffin going to a cemetery.
--I can't do anything in moderation. When I used to smoke, I smoked thirty Cohibas a day.
--What makes a good day for me? It's not picking up a drink or using any drugs. At this point, today.
--To be a liar, you've got to have a great memory, and I don't have a memory.
--You don't accidentally become an ass. It takes a bit of work.
Tom Petty:
--I couldn't exist nowadays. I could never have built a career like I've had if I were just starting out now. Radio doesn't take a chance on anything anymore; they've streamlined the playlists to the lowest common denominator. It's really kind of silly that they think people would rather hear "Stairway to Heaven" one more time than a new song.
--I remember John Lennon saying, "Sid Vicious died for what? So that we might rock?" You've got to keep that in perspective. At the end of the day, they're just phonograph records.
--When you kill somebody's little sister with a missile, he's going to hate you forever. And the next generation will hate you even more.
--Do something you really like, and hopefully it pays the rent. As far as I'm concerned, that's success.
Hugh Hefner:--What surprises me about getting older is that I remain so young. If you don't have a sense of humor about life and yourself, then you are old.
--Gloria Steinem said that a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle. And now she's married to a wealthy guy. So what does that say to you?
Ozzy Osbourne:
--My problem is that by the time I understood a little bit about life, I was well on the way to f**king burnout.
--Back in the day, it was, "If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair." Where in the f**k was San Francisco? And the only flowers we ever saw in Aston were on a coffin going to a cemetery.
--I can't do anything in moderation. When I used to smoke, I smoked thirty Cohibas a day.
--What makes a good day for me? It's not picking up a drink or using any drugs. At this point, today.
--To be a liar, you've got to have a great memory, and I don't have a memory.
--You don't accidentally become an ass. It takes a bit of work.
Gene Simmons:
--Kiss is the number-one American band in gold-record sales. In the world, only the Beatles and the Stones are ahead of us. Every other band should be wiping my ass. The line forms over there to the left.
--I want more guys like Kurt Cobain and Jerry Garcia to become dried-up drug addicts and kill themselves. I totally defend all these rock stars' right to become heroin addicts and die. I want them all to die and get out of my way.
--"You can't buy love with money." Only a poor person says that.
--I think Christians are wrong. They're wrong because you're not judged by your actions, you're judged by your beliefs, which is to say that if you're Hitler and right before you die, you say, "Jesus, I'm sorry," you get a better chance of going to heaven than the millions of people you killed.
Neil Young (one of my favorite people):
--Yes, there was something good that came out of having polio as a kid. Walking.
--The wisest person I ever met had to be my companion in the hospital. I was recovering from complications after an operation to remove an aneurism in my brain. She was about eighty-five years old and maybe five feet tall. An old black lady from South Carolina. This young nurse wasn't really in touch with what she was doing, and the old lady would tell her how to do what she needed to do without telling her. She never talked down to her, just gave examples. I felt that this old woman must be deeply religious, but there was nothing forceful about her. I woke up one morning at a quarter to six and looked out the window. Fog was on the bridge outside the room, and I said, "Well, that's just beautiful." And she said: "Yes, it is." She turned toward me with this eighty-five-year-old face that didn't have a line on it, no strain, nothing, and she said: "So the master's not taking you. It's not your turn."
--When I was six, I really didn't know what God was. But I did know about Sunday school. I was reading a lot about God, but I was bored. I couldn't wait to get out of Sunday school. God was secondary to the whole thing. But as time went by, I got more and more angry, to the point where I didn't like religion. Hate is a strong word. But I just kept getting angrier and angrier . . . until finally I wasn't angry anymore. I was just peaceful, because I thought: This is not fruitful for me. I rejected the whole thing and found peace in paganism. Jesus didn't go to church. I went way back before Jesus. Back to the forest, to the wheat fields, to the river, to the ocean. I go where the wind is. That's my church.
--Maybe this is a little too thoughtful, but we're all just passengers in a way.
Keith Richards:
--So far, so good
--I've done a lot of dadding.
--Whoo, I tell you what -- it grows you up pretty quick when that little bugger starts waking up. Suddenly there's this little cute ball of stuff yelling its head off -- boom! Snap to! Oh, man, I better take care of this. Daughters are far easier to bring up. My first was Marlon, my son, and he gave me a good fight, man. He would drag my butt sometimes, before I could talk to him and instill the wisdom of not doing that.
--Poison's not bad. It's a matter of how much.
Forest Whitaker:
--The other night, I was walking down the stairs behind one of my daughters -- I have three, and one son, ages eight to sixteen. I was tired, and she was goofing around, you know, like kids do, doing all this stupid stuff on the stairs. And I was thinking, Please just go down the stairs and let's get you to bed. It's after your bedtime. I've had enough for one day. And then I sort of caught myself. I snapped out of it. I was like, Dude, you should be dancing down the stairs behind her!
--One of my greatest lessons in life came from my mom. When I told her I didn't want to go to church, she said, "You don't have to go to church, but you have to go somewhere. You have to believe in something."
And one of my favorites sayings from Warren Zevon:
...You better take the time to enjoy every sandwich.
Just some stuff to think about.
Peace,
Jeff
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