CHROME

Google is poised to hurt Microsoft with the announcement of Google's new Web browser, Chrome (see full story from PC World).

There are a lot of factors at work here, but the basic idea is that today's Internet offers more "applications" than simple Web pages. In other words, when you go to YouTube, you launch video apps, when you go to MySpace, you launch other bots and gadgets.

Therefore, a Web browser that can take this kind of thing into account might be poised to take over the marketplace. For an excellent comic book description of the new browser, visit the Google "Chrome" Comic Book.

The new browser will enable applications to be multi-threaded--forming a new tab with each app--rather than being single threaded. Currently, if a single app goes haywire, it can crash the entire browser. With Chrome, if a single app fails, you simply close the tab.

There will also be a Task Manager, which enables users to monitor what is happening behind the scenes of the browser.

There's a lot more, but I have to move on with my day.

I will say that Google is in an excellent spot right now. They're using Open Source technology and they have the Web pages to test the browser, so they should release a product that is fast and secure.

But, returning to my opening point: if this migration from desktop applications to Web-based applications continues (and it will), Microsoft might be in trouble. I admit I haven't closely followed Microsoft for several years, so I don't know what they are currently working on. But Internet Explorer is a big, clumsy browser that has more patches than Emmett Kelly's jacket.

IE has also been famous for its vunerability. If Google can solve these issues, while maintaining Open Source and the ability to revise based on the Open Source Credo, then IE is definitely in trouble and will lose market share (currently estimated at approximately 74% of the market).

I wonder what Cringely has to say about CHROME. What does Ralph have to say?

More on this later, I'm sure.

DDDDDDDDDDD

NFL - not for lightweights

This is an interesting story questioning Vikings QB Tavaris Jackson's toughness. It basically states that NFL players need to learn how to play with pain or forget about being a starter. That's apparently how the great ones like Brett Favre and Peyton Manning pile up these consecutive game streaks - and something that contributes to their greatness. Apparently, Mr. Jackson hasn't learned this toughness thing yet and is being called out for it in this article.

I guess it's a matter of sucking it up and still being productive when you're less than 100%. There's some sort of old adage about anybody being able to succeed when they're hot, but the great ones figuring out a way to do it even when they're not. I guess a prime example of this was Tiger Woods winning the U.S. Open with a broken leg. He figured it out and got it done, and now he can rest on his laurels. So, is Tavaris Jackson more like Tiger Woods or Eric Gange - a relief pitcher who always looked great until you put him in a real pressure cooker?

Ralph

The wacky MTR ride

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County Attempts to Embarrass Dunlavey

This is classic. The article starts out all nice, with Roger Taft, the lawyer for the County being polite and deferential. "Erie County and the ECGRA do not have a clear understanding as to why this Honorable Court invalidated (county ordinances) which authorized the organization of ECGRA, in its entirety, if that was the intention of the Court," Taft wrote.

However, as you work your way through the article, you see that Taft is merely (as one of my business partners likes to say) "kissing Judge Dunlavey before fucking him." The article later goes on to say, "Taft's order 'questions whether the term 'unrestricted' gaming revenue was erroneously inserted (by Dunlavey) in place of 'restricted' gaming revenue" in some sections." In other words, he's questioning whether Dunlavey completely screwed up and wrote the opposite of what he meant to write! Whoops!, Wouldn't that be an error?

Of course, this is likely just a rhetorical ploy being used by Taft to publicize how ridiculous the County feels Dunlavey's ruling is. As if to say, "This ruling is so outrageous, we just assumed you got it backwards and you meant to say this when you wrote that. We understand, you're a busy guy and all..."

Condescending mo'fuckers. I hope Dunlavey's throws them all in Gitmo!


Ralph

Peters Holdout Jeopardizes Bills Season

This Jason Peters holdout could kill the Bills' season. Left tackle is not exactly a high-profile position for non-football fans, but real fans know this guy protects the blind-side of the quarterback, usually taking on the defense's best rusher. And Peters is a good left tackle. Heck, he was our only Pro Bowl selection last year

The Bills also like to run behind Peters. He contributed mightily to last year's two-headed running attack, with Marshawn gaining 1,100 yards and Freddie Jackson looking solid as well. And, now Peters is holding out from training camp for a bigger contract. And the thing is, he's under contract for like the next three years... The Bills apparently signed him to a long-term deal a couple years back at like $2 million a year, which isn't small potatoes, but makes him the third-highest paid lineman on his own team, and puts him pretty far down on the pay scale for left tackles. But, the thing is, when the Bills signed him, there was no guarantee he'd become a star.

The guy was originally an undrafted free agent who played mainly tight end in college. The Bills invested in him and helped develop him, and now he wants his come-uppance. Can I fault him? Probably not, based on the short careers of NFL players and the fact that they need to grab all the money they can while they can. But, it sure sucks for the Bills.

Buffalo has a relatively easy schedule this year (although it may have just gotten harder with the Jets trading for Brett Favre) and had a realistic shot at winning 10 games, even with a fairly mediocre team and a second-year quarterback. However, losing Peters for the year would seem to jeopardize all that.

Reportedly, the two sides are barely even talking. There is some rumor that Peters hasn't fully recovered from off-season sports hernia surgery and that is why he is not showing up. The guy also apparently likes to lay pretty low in the offseason and there is talk that he is just carrying that attitude over into his holdout.

The Bills seem to be in a bit of a quandry. Peters has a pretty hard-ass agent who is also currently orchestrating a holdout for Steven Jackson in St. Louis. This agent has formerly worked for people like Deion Sanders and been responsible for things like "the largest contract for a rookie ever at the time." And the Bills don't want to renegotiate with a guy with three years left on his contract - especially while he is not in camp... It's all fucked up.

Most "experts" can't see Peters holding out into the season because of the money it would cost him. Let's hope they're right. Or let's just hope that in this case the team is bigger than the man, and the Bills can develop somebody else who can step in and fill Peters' shoes without too much of a downgrade/disaster.

The bottom line is that this Peters thing has the potential to ruin what was shaping up as a promising, if not somewhat misleading (based on schedule strength) season for the Bills. I think it bears more attention than it's been getting in the media.

Cheers.

Ralph

Dunlavey Bitch Slaps Erie County

This really doesn't seem good for Erie County. We're talking $5 million per year that the County has already committed to projects like the already controversial runway extension. I guess the County has other sources of revenue, but I'm assuming taxpayers will end up making up the difference at some point.

Here's two quotes from the article that explain Dunlavey's ruling:

1. "In his ruling, Dunlavey criticized the county for ignoring the costs that Summit and the contiguous townships must bear for traffic; sewers; fire, rescue and other emergency services; and infrastructure costs related to the racetrack and casino.

"He wrote that the county, if it is not careful, might 'kill the golden goose' (the casino)' by refusing to award the required restricted funds."

2. " 'The specific use of the word 'shall' indicates that the Legislature did not intend the broad discretion the county is actively seeking, but instead intended to have grants awarded to the municipalities affected by the establishment of a licensed gaming facility,' Dunlavey wrote.

"Dunlavey said the county's 'novel interpretation' suggested that County Council 'deliberately chose certain parts of the Gaming Act to benefit the county's plans,' such as the use of restricted money for the runway extension project."

Dynamics of the Ruling
To tell you the truth, this ruling by Dunlavey caught me off guard. Most of the info. I've gotten on this matter has come from the Erie Times-News, and the Times seems to have been squarely backing the County. Shows you what the liberal media knows.

Dunlavey is a former Gitmo torture guru, and from what I can tell from his interviews in the Times, is a cowboy. I think the boys in Summit share this disposition. So, I retrospect, I guess it's really not the surprising that Dunlavey sided with them.

I guess the biggest surprise should be that I did not see this coming - kind of like the whole George Bush presidency. No matter how educated a semi-city folk like me tries to make himself, them damn rednecks will creep up on you and get you when you let your guard down.

Cheers.

Ralph

PNC Park Rocks

Saw a great game between the Pirates and Padres yesterday. Jake Peavy throwing seven strong innings and like 115 pitches for the Pads, but striking out Pirate slugger Adam LaRoche on his final pitch. Earlier, LaRoche had the only RBI off Peavy, who struck out 10 and picked up the win, with some relief help from all-time MLB save leader Trevor Hoffman. Peavy is the NL's reigning CY Young winner and really a pleasure to watch. He gets the ball back from the catcher, winds up, and throws-without wasting any time.

Of course, Peavy was matched for seven innings by Pirates lefty Paul Maholm, who also only gave up one run and struck on nine. He's got a nasty sinker. We were sitting in center field, so I could see the action perfectly. Time and again, Padres hitters were swinging right over the top of the 81-mph pitch that looked like it was dropping off the table.

Of course, the Bucs bullpen came in and got rocked, giving up 2HRs in two innings and another shot off the top of the wall.

PNC is really a jewel. It was about 90 degrees, and we were sitting in the sun, but the center-field view (first time I've been there) was really neat. And there were plenty of food and drink vendors within a short walk. I will say that the in-the-stands vendor service was a bit lacking, at least in our section. However, we had stuff like Manny's barbeque and the Polish ethnic stand (it was their day) set up right behind us.

The park, with its proximity to the river, is just such a majestic setting, and our seats (which where like $20 each with service charge and tax) were right up on top of the outfield. Only real drawback was the $6.50 beer, which was not really that cold, but it was a Penn Pilsner, so that was palpable. And after the game, I was able to walk across the bridge and find a nice cold Yuengling at a air-conditioned bar for about $2.50, so all was not lost.

Anyhow, although the Pirates continue to stink -even though the new GM Huntington (who was hired from Cleveland) seems to have them on the right track - the park absolutely still rocks, and I recommend checking out a game there against anybody. From what I can tell, the worse the opponent, the cheaper and better the tix you can get, and it's still MLB action. The Seawolves are great, but these guys are really good!

Cheers.

Ralph

Little League Showdown

We've been waiting a long time for tonight's game. No, I'm not talking about the big Joba-Beckett match-up at Fenway Park. I'm talking about the big 1B Erie Sports Store vs. Hagan's Business Machine match-up at 21st and Burst. Good luck Sports Store.

Sports Store is the team I coach. It's 8- and 9-year old baseball, so it's no big deal, really - except it's kind of fun. We've been battling back and forth with Hagan's for two years and now we're both tied for first with three games left. This was supposed to be the last game of the regular season, but some rainouts have extended us into next week.

At the beginning of the year, we knew Hagan's would be good, and we hoped our team would be good, so we kind of had this one circled as a potential big game. We've played three times so far, with Hagan's winning the first, us tying the second, and Sports Store pulling out the last game, a few weeks back.

Well, tonight's the rubber match if you will. As I said, it should be fun.

Cheers.

Ralph

Smokestack Lightning-The Continuing Saga Of Erie's Tires-To-Energy Plant

This has been building for some time, I think there is a dichotomy developing in viewpoint of the environmentalists/Green Party people fighting this tires-to-energy plant being proposed for the lower East side of Erie. On one side, you have the environmentalists' goal of creating alternative energy sources to oil. On the other side, you have environmentalists fighting a plant that promises to create an alternative energy source.

Two pieces in today's Erie Times illustrate this dichotomy beautifully. On page 1, you've got this big brouhaha about the plant's zoning approval getting overturned on a technicality. Of course, the environmentalists are all in favor of this. Then on the letters page, you have this fascinating letter by a Millcreek resident who used to work for the Dept. of Energy. He blames Reagan for canceling a number of government-sponsored energy development initiatives and leaving us in our current oil-dependent state.

The letter writer states: "By the early '80s, we had developed viable research and development programs into renewable energy sources, such as solar heating and cooling, solar electrification, wind energy, hydrogen, fuel cell technology and even into harnessing the power inherent in tidal action. In the nonrenewable area, we focused on developing coal liquefaction and gasification technologies, clean coal technology, electric car technology, tar sands extraction, improved nuclear power and many others."

Hmmm... is gasification green or not green? It seems to me like there are a lot of people out there that want something for nothing. They clamor for alternative energy sources, but then complain when somebody tries to do something innovative in this area. Now, I'm not saying that this tires-to-energy plant is a good thing, but as I've said before, there is still a lot about it that we don't know. I still haven't seen any good examples of existing plants that use the gassification technology these RewewErie guys, or whatever their name is, are talking about. The bottom line is that I think we need more information on how this plant will affect the environment. The BOTTOM LINE FOR THE ENVIRONMENTALISTS SHOULD BE: IS THIS PLANT GOING TO BE AN IMPROVEMENT OVER CURRENT MEANS OF PRODUCING ENERGY? Can we get some info on that? Yes, it may cause some pollution, but in the overall picture, will it be causing less damage to the environment than the current means of producing the same amount of energy, as well disposing of the same amount of tires. To me, recycling tires into useful energy sounds like a good thing, if the emissions/pollution can be controlled. Can we give these guys a chance to prove that they can do this?

Thanks.

Ralph

Beechwood Golf

Did I mention that as part of my therapy for preventing flare-ups of ulcerative colitis, my doctor advised me to golf more? He said this with my wife present, which was really nice. So, I've been out the past couple weeks and played 18 holes both Sundays with practice in between. Last week, we played at Downing, which was great. This week, we teed it up at Beechwood, which as far was I was concerned, sucked.

Which leads to the question, what makes a good, or even tolerable golf course? I'm really not sure what it is. But, here are my favorite playable courses in Erie, in this order, and I'll admit I haven't even played Whispering Woods yet, so I'm going on reputation.

Playable course (in order of my favorites):
1. Downing
2. Erie (it's not even open and it's still number two)
3. North Hills
4. Whispering Woods (haven't even played it).

That's it... Those are the only four public courses that I feel I could pay to play multiple times and be happy about it.

Semi-playable (I could play these a couple times a year at most, without going bonkers)
1. Gospel Hill
2. Overlake
3. Elk Valley
4. Green Meadows (the one in North East)

Beechwood reminded me of playing in a swamp or a bog. Granted, it had just rained the night before, but everything was very soft and spongy - greens and fairways. Just wasn't a fun golf experience. That said, I hate to throw these people under the bus that own it, because they seem like nice enough folk, but I just couldn't really enjoy their course.

The restaurant and service, however, I will say, was first rate.

Finally, I have felt really good after playing.... Good physical and mental workout. However, there is a dangerous side to the game, detailed in this interesting Scoop Jackson column that showed up on ESPN.com last week. It almost seems like he's writing this tongue-in-cheek, but I don't think he is. It leads to deeper thoughts about the whole sports addiction thing, which is probably an epidemic that isn't addressed often enough. (Probably because it helps drive consumerism.)

I love the line in the story when Scoop's friend is explaining how/why he chose golf over his family (wife and kids): "Golf balls don't talk back."

Cheers

Ralph

All Star Game Wrap-Up

Great, entertaining All-Star game last night, for a number of reasons. How about the number of runners thrown out at the plate? I don't know if it was poor clutch hitting, good fielding, and/or good pitching-probably some combination of all three, but I've never seen such a series of plays at the plate in my life....Good to see Pirates' rep Nate McLouth make one of the throws from the outfield to extend the game and then almost jack one out to give the N.L. the lead. He also had a great hustle play, beating out a sacrifice bunt, by absolutely flying down the line. He's come from nowhere to have a great year in relative obscurity in Pittsburgh, so it was nice to see him excel on the Big Stage.

And the Big Stage it was, as the game was played in Yankee Stadium in its final year (Yes, there was plenty of hype surrounding this). Yankee Stadium opened in 1923, which was also the year the Yankees won the first of their unprecedented 26 World Championships. Coincidence? I don't know, but it will sure be interesting to see how the new ballpark affects the team. I've been to Yankee Stadium for a handful of games, and I could really feel something special there. I, at first, thought it was because maybe I'd seen the thing on TV so many times that being there in person was sort of surreal experience, but who knows? Other people also seem to feel some sort of reverence in the place...

Maybe it was some of the magic of the stadium last night that helped extend the game for some 14-15 innings, almost like it didn't want to give up the big stage, and as it appears that this year's edition of the Yanks are headed nowhere, it might have been the old ballyard's last chance to be involved in a great baseball moment.

We watched the game in the backyard, taking advantage of the Fox 66.1 over-the-air HD feed, which came in great though my souped up rabbit ears. Beautiful night, stars out, almost a full moon, and just warm enough to enjoy some cold ones out of the cooler and a couple dogs on the grill (with hot coals left over from dinner). It did turn into a pretty late one, but I think it was worth it.

Cheers.

Ralph

Brett Favre Soap Opera

This is getting ridiculous. I've said all along that the Packers should just release/trade Favre and let him play where he wants/may. It's simple, the greatest quarterback of his generation wants to play some more 'ball. The Packers have moved on, because they really weren't sure how much longer Favre was going to play, and they had to make long-term plans. Let him go. There are plenty of teams out there that could use him, because they don't have a good QB plan in place, and I'm quite certain that the fans would like to see the guy play some more. It's good karma to let him play...

Now, on top of that, Favre comes out and insults the Packers GM Ted Thompson several times in this press conference. If I'm Thompson, and I've got any balls, I'm trading Favre to a division rival like the Vikings or Bears and then having at him twice a year with the team I've built. Like saying, "Bring it on, Brett, let's see what you got." It's come down to who's bigger, the Packers or Brett Favre. And if I'm Thompson, I better have enough confidence that it's the Pack.

That's about the way that I see it.

Cheers.

Ralph

Great 4th weekend

Couldn't have asked for better weather for Waldameer, golf, and cookouts...

Nice how that works out once and awhile.

R

Good to be alive...

...on this day before Independence Day. Good day to remember all those who died in the revolutionary struggle to free this country from Imperialism all those 230 some years ago.

Kinda' nice watchin' the rain fall down and soften things up, knowing the blazing sun isn't far behind to dry it all out and make all the grass green and the roses red...

Of course, I am on a few meds and just really happy to be sitting here in my office communicating with people seeing how a week ago I had an IV shoved into my arm and was trapped in a hospital bed.

Cheers.

R

Ulcerative Colitis

Wow. What a title for a post, huh? I guess I could say, holey shit!, and that would give you more idea of what has been troubling me. Anyhow, I apologize for the lack of blog posts in the past six months, as I've been fairly busy, and apparently pretty sick at least for the past two months, and quite possibly much longer than that.

"You're intestine looks like somebody ran a cheese grader through it," was pretty much what the doctor told me following my colonoscopy last week. After that I was whisked off to the hospital for four days of IVs and meds. I'm home now and feeling much better, but still on some serious meds for a couple weeks.

So, what is colitis? It's an inflammation of the large intestine caused by the immune system reacting to something. The biggest problem seems that they haven't isolated what that "something is." Anyhow, good news is that the disease of fairly isolated to one area of the intestine and seems to be manageable - by keeping the swelling down through some sort of medication. And from what I understand, it's not too much medication... We'll see. As I said, I'm feeling better for now.

I really just wanted to thank everybody who has told me I was in their thoughts, prayers, and well wishes. It always makes me feel good when you hear from so many nice people when you go through a tough spell.

Cheers.
R

Gene Simmons Takes It Up the Arse

No long ago, Gene Simmons of KISS fame was the topic of conversation here on Ralph's blog.

At the time, Simmons was quoted as saying that all the kids who download music for free should be "sued off the face of the earth." Furthermore, Simmons called college students "crooks" and claimed they have created a situation of "chaos and anarchy" where music artists can no longer earn an honest living.

"After all" he said, "it's all about the music."

[Part of Simmons wish is coming true: The RIAA has successfully sued a number of college kids.]

However, the part of Simmons attitude that strikes me as disengenuous is when he says "it's all about the music." For Simmons, that's never been the case. For example, Simmons admits making tons of money by selling KISS merchanside (action figures, keychains, makeup, etc). I'll bet he's made more money selling junk to kids than just about any other rock star.

So, it's not about the music, right? It's about making money, right? It's a big con, so don't try to tell us that it's all about being true to the art form. That's just bullshit.

So, clearly, it is not "all about the music" for Mr. Simmons, despite what he would have us believe.

But it doesn't end there, last night, as I was flipping through the channels, I saw a few hideous moments of Gene Simmons getting a conoloscopy on television. So, here he is again, Mr. All About the Music, cashing in by having pictures of his colon broadcast on cable television.

Seems odd that a guy who supposedly argues for musical integrity---and uses that trope to argue for lawsuits against college kids---continues to make his money more through shock value than through musical artistry.

But that's always been the case for him. The music of KISS was not the attraction; instead, the shock value---the costumes, the fake blood, the explosions, and the tongue---was what brought in the fans.

It continues to this day: colonoscopies for entertainment value. What's next from this guy? Is he going to eat his own vomit?

So, in closing, when Gene Simmons argues for musical integrity. Don't bother listening. He doesn't care about that; he cares about money.

After all, Bob Dylan he ain't.

Enjoy your day.

DDDDDDDDDDD

Anti-Conservative Behavior

Like Shimp (in the previous posting), I am troubled by the message of the media mouthpieces of modern conservatism. They have lost their way.

I thought conservatives (and, by direct connection, the Republican Party) were supposed to represent individual (private) rights and public financial restraint; however, if you look at the words of the dominant "conservative" pundits, you don't see these values. For example, Fox News has abandoned any critique of the current administration and instead has become tabloid, prying into the sad life of Brittany Spears and harshly judging Amy Winehouse because she struggles with addiction.

These pundits do not represent conservatism; they are simply media whores, cashing in by judging other people. Old school conservatives would call this "sinful behavior."

As for the time-honored "conservative" tenet of financial restraint, when you look at the behavior of the current administration, you'll see a president that has spent more dollars than any other president in American history....while lowering taxes at the same time. Conservatives should find this irresponsible, shouldn't they? So, why is Bill O'Reilly focused on Amy Winehouse? Because she's an easy target.

Here's the latest fiscal policy from the White House: Instead of creating a jobs infrastructure program that would put people to work and update the country's infrastructure (bridges and highways), President Bush chooses a simple cash giveaway stimulus package. Huh? I thought this was the party that wanted to eliminate welfare and other "government giveaways." I'm not following the logic here. Where are the conservative critics? Silent on this topic. In his latest article in the NY Times, Bill Kristol takes Barack Obama to task for not wearing an American flag lapel pin.

Now, I realize that creating a government-run jobs package is a liberal idea, so you can trash that idea if you want (in true Conservative style) but isn't the idea of just giving people money even more offensive to conservatives? I want to hear from Republicans on this one. Are there any true conservatives left out there?

The other anti-conservative development that makes no sense to me relates to the messages fashioned by the current crop of Republican "pundits": Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, William Kristol, Ann Coulter, among others.

These "conservative" pundits sound increasingly like fascists.

I understand.....most of their rhetoric is contrived to sell books and/or generate advertising revenue, so that's the ugly joke, but the final outcome is more serious and involves the establishment of a certain, rigid code of behavior that, by implication, must be followed by everyone at all times.

Barack Obama must wear a flag lapel pin. Amy Winehouse must be drug-free before she can be eligible for a Grammy (and Rush Limbaugh must be drug-free before he can win an award for radio?). It goes on and on. Just watch Fox News on any evening and you'll see the smear campaign at work: "We don't like you, so we will public ally smear you." It's like they politically lynch someone every evening. It's frightening.

Is this what Conservatism and the Republican Party have devolved into? Big cash giveaways from the government, micromanaging the behavior of individual people, drug-related litmus tests for musicians, and public/political lynchings? Geez. I thought the Republicans were focused on being productive, not delving into such foolishness as attacking Hillary Clinton's choice of hat (I'm not making this up). And do we really want drug-free musicians?

Isn't this the party of Rush Limbaugh? Hasn't Rush railed for years against "feminazis" and "political correctness"---those forces that would tell us what to believe and how to behave? It seems, today, that his party is the new enforcer of PC. "Wear that flag lapel pin, goddam it, or we'll castrate you politically...we'll even attack your wife."

All this seems dishonorable to me, as a conservative person.

The irony is that "PC" is all we hear today from the Republican pundits: "You either behave as we tell you to behave or we're going to smear you in every way we can."

What the hell has happened? I guess it's a combination of things. First, it is an appeal to the lowest common denominator in society: Rather than addressing important problems, it's a lot easier to smear anybody we don't like.

Second, as mentioned, it generates ratings. Preaching to the choir goes back thousands of years, so Hannity, O'Reilly, and Coulter continue to provide orgasm after ideological orgasm to their readers/viewers.

Third, as much as I hate to say this, public lynchings have attracted crowds as long as lynchings have been held in public. The style of Fox News "journalism" is not an effort to provide the viewer with both sides of a reasonably objective argument; not at all. Instead, it involves smearing people with contrivances and hyped-up rhetoric. It is a nightly, public lynching of some one's reputation and personality (and they're not above personal attacks, as well, involving some one's stature, choice of clothing, accent).

But, I guess if you don't like Hillary Clinton, you love seeing her smeared every night on Fox News. So, the show must go on.

As entertaining as all of this is, I believe it does not bode well for the Republican party. True conservatism in the US is dead; just ask George Will. It has been subsumed by political and market forces that have agendas other than the authentic support of Conservative policies. Fox News---owned by an Aussie---has clearly reshaped and degraded the political landscape.

William F. Buckley is one of only a few true Conservatives alive these days.

As for me, I am a conservative Democrat. There are times I would like to see the Republican Party really, really, really become conservative. I keep waiting. But while they give lip service to fiscal restraint and personal responsibility, the party pundits write about lapel pins (or the lack thereof) and micromanaging the behavior of private citizens while they smear anybody who does not behave in a certain, prescribed manner.

They have become the enforcers of political correctness.

DDDDDDDDDDD

O'Reilly's "Liberal" Rantings

This was originally posted as a comment by "Shimp" under my "Super Tuesday" post, but of course, is way overqualified to be left as that....

I did something tonight that I'm ashamed of.And although I'd rather just forget about it, I think in the spirit of AA I should come clean and own up to what I am: someone who still cannot resist the occasional temptation of peeking in on those crazy conservatives.

Okay, so what I'm specifically admitting to, of course (and you know that you're sometimes guilty too), is having actually sat through an episode of The O'Reilly Factor. And I'm glad I did it, because it reminded me just how played out and predictable his whole shtick is.

It was like tuning in to a soap opera you haven't seen in maybe two years. You realize that certain small things have changed -- maybe something with the set seems different, or some major character now has cancer (they never die... unless the actors REALLY die) -- but for the most part you can still follow it. It's like you never went away...

And I truly did tune in just out of curiosity -- just to see what the hell the guy's talking about these days. On my cable, O'Reilly (which is to say FOX) is way down in this dead zone of the dial, sandwiched between crap like Lifetime Movie Network and that ridiculous bald headed guy who's always screaming about stocks, or whatever it is that's got him so worked up.

So I was literally out of my depths. Next thing I know, I'm tuning in.

And since I'd decided to just go with it, I thought I might as well try to predict Bill's major topics for the night. I tried to think of what's going on right now that could possibly be stoking his anger. I guessed maybe something about the Presidential Primaries. And although that did get about five minutes of coverage during the "roundup," or whatever it's called, actual politics had to take a back seat to the creative dredging up of outrage over the sort of stuff that gets headlines only on blatant gossip shows like Access Hollywood.

So, despite the ample availability of high-quality political fodder from the current Presidential campaign, Bill elects to focus his ire on basically three "big" stories:
1) Jane Fonda apparently uttering the C Word on the Today show this morning
2) Amy Winehouse winning multiple Grammy awards earlier this week
3) Some I-can't-imagine-there-being-a-more-marginal "news event" taking place in Massachusetts in which (and I do not exaggerate) what looked like about five inmates (including one known and registered sex offender) from a local mental hospital being permitted to take a supervised visit to the circus.

I'll summarize Bill's rants on each of these issues in a moment. But what I want to bring out now is the unmistakable overarching theme which carried through each of O'Reilly's expositions. Although he devotes more time each episode to attempting to highlight what he sees as the fundamental differences between conservative and liberal orthodoxy than anything else, if you look closely you'll actually see that O'Reilly himself is quite liberal, or at least not so much conservative.Let me just say now that I bristle at the mere suggestion that O'Reilly and his ilk represent anything having to do with what I see as traditional conservative ideology. These people are, as I see them, far more protectionist and pro-govt involvement in every aspect of our lives than anyone I know on the left.

Okay, so let's look at O'Reilly's Big Three issues for Feb. 4th, 2008.
Issue 1
The problem: Jane Fonda used the C Word on the live, not taped, Today show this morning.
O'Reilly's solution: The FCC should have its enforcement authority increased so that it may prevent incidents like this (by the way, this was LIVE TV, which means that it couldn't have been thwarted in any case) from happening again.
Issue 2
The problem: Amy Winehouse won multiple Grammys.Further to the problem: She, being a known drug abuser (possibly even an addict), should, from O'Reilly's perspective, not qualify to receive a Grammy. Instead, because of her notorious addiction problem, should be punished as not meeting the minimum standard for a Grammy recipient. O'Reilly clearly believes that there should be a behavioral component to the voting for Artist of the Year. I say that has NOTHING to do with the award. It's not about who sets the best example of how to live one's life. It's about the music. Period.O'Reilly's solution: Ban her from receiving any award/recognition because of her dispicable behavior.
Issue 3
The problem and O'Reilly's solution: (It's tempting to just ignore this one, but... ) The actual problem this situation presented was, according to O'Reilly, that these people (especially the known sex offender) should, assuming they were found guilty in a court of law, NEVER be left to roam outside the building they are incarcerated in for the rest of their lives. Being found guilty means that they willingly forfeit all rights available to the unincarcerated (e.g., you and I). Even permitting these people out for two hours of heavily supervised "fun" (if the circus can be described that way) is more than they deserve, and is in fact a danger to our children.

All of the above contribute to my impression that what has come to be known as the current conservative orthodoxy actually has a fairly liberal view of how societal problems should be handled, which is to say through increased govt interference in people's daily lives. I would expect them to be more promoting of personal responsibility and suffering the folly of one's own freely made choices in life, but no...

Instead their prescription is to expand government's reach into our personal lives, to make government more responsible for protecting us from bad decisions we might make along the way.

So, this is what the O'Reilly Factor has become... An organ for the disenfranchised and those who don't want to take responsibility for their own decisions in life.

Shimp

College Scholoarship Hoax

This is one of my favorite sports stories of the year. It's about this kid in some small town in Nevada who somehow fools everyone into believing he has a Div-I college football scholarship and even acts out a dramatic choice between the two finalists in front of a school assembly. Complete madness! Shortly after he announces his choice, it comes out nobody even considered the kid Div-I material.



Why do I find this story so intriguing? I'm not sure. I kind of feel bad for the kid, who just seems a bit immature, made up a couple lies, and then didn't have the courage to admit that he was lying. So, he played his bluff all the way through, no doubt (at least somewhere in the back of his mind) knowing that this had to end badly, but perhaps, hoping against all hope, that something would happen to change his fate. Of course, it didn't, and reality has come crashing down around him.



He's clearly in a tough spot.



And, what will be the long-range ramifications of this? Perhaps it will make some people take a second look at the ramifications of this recruting hype machine that is seemingly increasing its velocity every year. This kid clearly got up in the excitment and hype surrounding the recruiting process and bad things happened/are happening to him because of it. If college recruiting is truly about giving kids an opportunity, as it should be, and not about exploiting kids for our own ends, as it often turns out to be, then perhaps we need to update the rules and regulations governing recruiting to be more reflective of the hyper-media world in which we live.

Cheers.

Ralph

Super Tuesday

Hilliary's strong Super Tuesday showing means she's not as dead-and-buried as I projected earlier. She did get creamed in the African American vote, apparently, but word is that she carries the Hispanic vote. Either way, with McCain now leading the Republican race, I think we're going to get a decent president out of the whole process. Hiliary was more impressive, more under control and calm, in a speech I saw her give to her supporters last night. That's a good sign. She didn't look like she was panicking.

In the meantime, there's quite a bit of panicking I think to be done around here, especially with this gambling/airport runway money. We can only hope that Judge Dunlavey sees things the County's way in his upcoming ruling on how this gambling revenue can be spent. From what I've read, despite the fact that their dealings stink of underhanded collusion, the Summit boys have themselves a pretty good case. It all depends on how Judge Mike interprets the law.

One thing working in the County's favor may be that having been a former interregator at Gitmo, Dunleavy is obviously not afraid to interpret the law the right way.

Cheers.

Ralph

HD-DVD vs. Blu Ray

Does anyone have any thoughts or opinions on this?

Thanks.

Ralph

HDTV-Breaking Free From the Man

After about a week of research and a day of struggles, I think I've finally found a good HDTV solution. The whole thing started when I decided I wanted to get an HDTV in time for the Super Bowl. The local Fox affiliate was even accomodating me by launching a digital signal last weekend. Well, I got delayed and ended up first looking at TVs about an hour before gametime.

I tried to do some research prior to my purchase, but it was mostly fruitless. HDTV can be very confusing. First off, analog pictures look like shit on an digital TVs, at least the one I bought. Second, I had a couple people tell me that they were able to pick up HDTV signals through their normal cable service; this was not the case for me. Of course, all I have is Lifeline Basic, which is like 12 channels or something. I called Time Warner this morning about it, and they told me it would cost an extra $33 per month to add a tier that would enable me to get the local HDTV feeds. They also told me I'd get an extra 200 channel...not something I was very intersted in.

So, I went out and bought an antenna from Radio Shack. I plugged it in, scanned for channels, and 24.1, 54.1, and 66.1, all the local digital over-the-airwaves digital signals, registered. I tuned them in, and they come in great-crystal clear. (I may have actually found an advantage to living in the city-close proximity to HDTV signals!) The non-digital local guys, 12 and 35, are a little fuzzy, but I was getting a fuzzy 12 through Time Warner anyhow, plus, I'm assuming their digital signals will be as clear as their rivals as soon as they get them up, which by law has to happen in the next 12 months.

This all enables me to say, "sayonara Time Warner." I've got my HDTV, and I'm not paying you a cent. In fact, I don't even have to pay the $15 per month, I've been paying to get clear local channel reception. It seems that HDTV is giving me the opportunity to cut the cord. If this is what the government (the FCC, I assume) had in mind when it pushed the law through mandating HDTV broadcasing, God bless them. The next natural step seems to be be hooking up a PC to my digital TV, which will enable me to download or stream all non-network programming I want, on-demand.

I can see the future, and it doesn't look bright for Big Cable, at least in my house.

Cheers.

Ralph

Rush is right

Well, we knew that, not always from a knowledge standpoint of course, but in his political views at least. However, as much as we lefties like to dismiss Rush as a cheerleader, he does bring some intelligent insights to the table every now and then. Actually, based on my latest experience, it's probably even more than now and then (deference to righties here), as I have only heard him talk for about 10 minutes in the past couple years, but the comment he made in those 10 minutes has proven to be spot on.

To clarify what I'm talking about, it's probably helpful to refer to Friday's editorial page in the Erie Times-News. There are two articles on it that slam the Clintons pretty god. One (which I can't seem to find online) pretty much says the sleezeball factor is finally catching up with the Clintons. One thing I've found interesting is how once Hillary started struggling, Bill's precense strated amping up. In my opinion, this is bad news. I don't think anybody wants eight more years of Bill.

The second article, by Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson, hits more directly on the Limbaugh comments I heard last week. I was driving around looking for something stimulating on the airwaves, and Rush happened to be the best I could fine. He started going on about how Hillary was tanking South Carolina so the Clintons could play the race card on Obama. Rush said something like this, "Now, the Clintons won't come out and say it themselves, but somebody in the Democratic party will. You'll hear the whispers. They'll go something like, 'He won because of the black vote.' In fact, they want Obama to win South Carolina, just so they can scare voters."

His point is that the Clintons want white voters to be scared of Obama as someone who is going to lead some sort of black uprising. This seemed a preposterous to me when Rush said it, but Limbaugh delivers his message with such casual authority, he makes you think...

Then, low and behold, less than a week later, according to Robinson's column, you get Bill Clinton himself making this comment in the wake of Obama's win in South Carolina: "Jesse Jackson won South Carolina in '84 and '88. Jackson ran a good campaign. And Obama ran a good campaign here."

So, here's good ole' boy Bill trying to dismiss Obama as another "Jesse Jackson." Robinson, who is black, rightfully went nuts over this.

I think this proves, as the first article I mentioned, the Clintons are played out. Whatever energy and new-style politics Bill brought to the table in '92 has clearly disappated now, and they are falling back on tried-and-true good 'ole boy Southern-fried politrix. And because Hillary isn't a boy, she's relying on Bill to prop her up. It's really ugly.

Long live Obama!.

Cheers.

Ralph

Yankees-Santana

This could turn out to be somewhat painful, if Santana enjoys four or five banner years with the Mets, but I just don't think the Yankees should have traded for him. For the past five years, we really haven't had good luck with veteran pitchers, even seemingly dominant left-handers like Randy Johnson. Santana hasn't logged a ton of innings, but almost 900 over the past four years isn't insignificant either. This, plus all the pressure that'd be put on him with the Yankees, he's probably better off in the N.L.

Plus, now the Yankees keep together their core of young guns: Kennedy, Chamberlain, and, of course, Philip Hughes, who was largely rumored to be going to the Twins if the Yankees got Santana. We also get to keep Melky, who's only 23, and are apparently negotiating a long term deal with Cano, who's 25. It's good to have some up and coming homegrown talent in place to lead the team into the future again. If you remember it was homegrowners like Jeter, Pettitte, Williams, Rivera, and Posada that helped lead us to our last series of World Championships.

Back to the pitchers though, it will be interesting to watch how the young guys feed off each other and push each other forward. I keep going back to the days when the Braves had Glavine, Smoltz, and Avery all coming up together, and hope it works out that well - except for Avery of course, but the other two became Hall-of-Famers. Then again, the Braves did add Maddux, which would be akin to the Yankees adding Santana at this stage of his career, but Maddox was a free agent (so the Braves go to keep their young guns and still add a superstar). I guess, we'll have to count on Pettitte for the veteran leadership, althought this whole steroid thing doesn't look good for him. Right, almost forgot about sinkerball specialist Chien Ming Wang...

Ahh, it's still January, but baseball is starting to permeate my mind. Must be the end of football I guess, except for those evil Patriots and their inexorible march toward an undefeated season...

Cheers.

Ralph

Christmas Toy Hangover

Drove by Toys-R-Us a couple hours ago and saw literally two cars in the parking lot.

Streetcar Named Desire

Just finished re-reading (I think I've read it before; I know I've seen the Brando movie) Tennessee Williams' masterpiece last night. Wow! That thing will hit you hard. There's so much in there. You've got wife beating, rape, alcoholism, pedophilia, mental illness, and even some homosexuality thrown in for good measure - and this was written in the late 1940s. It's one of those things that you read, and almost no matter what, you can look at your situation and say, "well, at least I'm better off than they are." So, in that respect it's a feel good story.

But it's also tragically sad when looked at another way. When you consider how unprepared Blanche was for life and how hard reality hit her. After reading it, I decided I must be kinder to people, especially those that may have the sensitive qualities that Blanche's character embodies.

Anyhow, the play got me to doing some serious thinking. Hats off to Tennessee Williams for some quality work.

Cheers.

X

Championship Sunday

Congratulations to the Patriots and Giants on fine wins yesterday, catapulting themselves into the Super Bowl - to be held in two weeks in Phoenix. The Pats proved they deserved to be undefeated with their style of win. All season, they relied on the pass. However, yesterday, as it often does in the postseason, the passing game disappeared. Weather, nerves, who knows what causes it, but we saw it happen to the Colts last year and now the Pats this year. And both teams were able to persevere with strong and timely defense, as well as a running game. Versatility is what it often takes to win an NFL championship - and the Patriots, who have won a few championships in the past, realize this, which is why they are able to adjust. Their line has been given accolades all year for its pass blocking, but yesterday was able to put its hard hats on, drive forward, and create holes for Lawrence Maroney when it needed to. The Chargers, alas, were trading field goals for TDs, and through three quarters, even though they had won the battle, were losing the war.... And, the Patriots of course have proven they are a fourth quarter team.

The Pack, well, I kind of felt they were somewhat smoke and mirrors all season, and yesterday, they just went up in smoke - or the foggy breath of everyone at Lambeau Field. I am looking somewhat forward to this Giants-Pats rematch because it was such a great game the first time, although I think the Pats proved they were a better team, if only slightly. This game (the Super Bowl) will be on a neutral site in warm weather and should play right into the Pats' hands.

Cheers.

X
X

Weeds

I know that Netflix or some sort of on demand/download delivery is the new and future wave of renting movies. However, I live within a 10-minute walk/3-minute drive of the local Blockbuster and still like going in there to get my rentals. I helps that the liquor store is a couple doors down. I mean wine and DVDs make for a fine evening...

I recently signed up for a program called Blockbuster Rewards. It costs $10 a year and on Monday, Tuesday, and Wed., it's basically rent one movie and get one non-new-release for free. So, for $4 I can get two pretty good DVDs for a week. (I'm also supposed to get a free rental once per month.)

Anyhow, I think I've told some of you, I've been renting the HBO Series Rome. Last night, I watched the first episode of the second season, and I'd have to say it may be the single greatest TV episode I have ever seen. It helps that I recently read a book on the history of Rome, as part of my research on trying to figure out if the U.S. really is the next Rome. (My conclustion so far has been no.) So, I've got some good background going in. But the show itself is phenominal. One thing they did, for instance, was not to show Mark Antony's famous speech at Ceasar's funeral, assuming (I assume at least) that everyone is already familiar with it. Instead, they showed a patron in an underground pub describing what went on. A nice bit of alternative storytelling.

I've enjoyed Rome so much, I decided I'd start watching another cable TV show - Weeds. The premise is that this suburban housewife's husband dies of a heart attack, so to make some money, her brother-in-law hooks her up with an urban black family that sells her pot that she resells to her suburban neighbors. I had read that the show was pretty funny.

I watched the pilot last night, and it seemed a bit strained. It was almost like a slightly hipper Desparate Housewives, but not as heavy as DH was in its first season and a half. However, there was a joke at the very end that absolutely killed me and will get me to watch at least one more episode. If it turns out to be one of those shows that consitently, cleverly sets you up for a big laugh at the end, I think I'll be happy with it. We'll see.

Cheers.

Ralph

American Gladiators

Had a nasty cold - or something- that took me out of commission for most of the weekend. My brother-in-law is a D.O., and he's a big proponent of hip, back, and neck alignment. I've adopted his thinking on this and spent the weekend stretching out. I'm feeling a lot better today, as I think I've straightened some things out, but still have a bit of a head cold.

Anyhow, in my relaxed state, I was able to enjoy a couple hours of the new American Gladiators show last night. It's an amped up edition of the show I used to enjoy back in high school, when it first came out. Boy, is the new show cheesy, but I guess the 80's one was too - which is/was part of the charm. Of course, in the '80s everything else was cheesy too, so it may have been less noticable then.

Hulk Hogan is the host of this new version, and he has kind of an odd way of talking and moving his hands, that almost makes him look like he's computer-generated. I guess steroid-generated is close enough. There's a second episode on tonight. I'm thinking it will be more entertaining than the BCS championship game, or whatever it's called.

Cheers.

X

Oh yeah, Danny Carr - is that the name of the guy from Erie who invented Gladiators? - rocks!.

Winter Scene

The globby wet snow
Weighs the branch down
the white carpet rolled out
for the children to own

with their sleds
and their boots
and their new Christmas hats

mittens and snowballs
tossed here and like that

One hits the window
and splatters a mess
it looks like a spider
or the sun at her best

the metallic blue sky
makes me squint to see
the brown rabbit hopping
out from under bare tree

its paws leave their print
soon to be wiped
clear and away
by the winter’s windy might
Tonight…

For she smiles at me
And winks her cold eye
winter’s a mistress
that will never die.

Corry Pub turnover rate

OK, just to tie up a loose end... I worked at Corry Pub for like six years. It really afforded me some great opportunities while I was there. In fact, the current business I am in was purchased from Corry Pub, it's a pretty good gig, and I wouldn't have it, nor would I probably be able to live in Erie (for better or for worse) without Corry Pub.

That said, they have historically had a very high turnover rate, no matter what they say. When I started there in 1996, I think there were eight people in the editorial department. By the time I left in 2002, all eight were gone. As far back as 1993-94, I remember a friend of mine (who incidentally still works there) told me I should apply for a writer's job. However, I was working in Union City at the time (just up the road from Corry) and was warned by people there that they churned through people pretty good. I resisted applying until they advertised anonimously (presumably because of their reputation), and then point blank asked the publisher about the turnover rate. He, of course, assured me their policies had changed.

Of course, many things have happened there since I was hired as employee number 25. Maybe, they really have changed their policies to reduce turnover. But, if you're applying there and you're worried about that sort of thing, I'd ask to see some hard numbers.

Okay, I just wanted to get that all out there, so nobody can say Ralph's Place is hiding "the truth" from the people.

Cheers.

X

Commenting on deleted Corry Pub post

Shit, I was just doing a Google to locate my blog on an alternate computer and came across this post, which really takes me to task.

(Here's my comment, which I attempted to post on the linked to site, but for some reason I wasn't allowed to because comments on that blog are restricted to team members. Seems like an ironic policy for a blog that is basically ripping on me for deleting a comment I never even saw, but hey, it's a free world)
Sorry - I never saw the comment that the anonymous person has posted here. My colleague at the blog, Dr.D - a former Corry employee like myself made the original post. I think basically what he posted is accurate - or at least moreso than the story Corry tells, but hell, everybody lies a little... (and Brutus is an honorable man.)
Anyways, after Dr.D posted it, we both decided that it might appear a bit unprofessional, so we made a decision to take it down.
I guess it's back up now- as I'm including this link that has the original post plus the comments. Please feel free to comment, but I don't really appreciate snide, behind the back, peronal attacks. I really had no idea that anyone had even read this post and honsetly never saw the comment.
I am all about encouraging open, honest discussion.
Cheers.
Ralph

You know you're a Bills fan if....

1. You think Lou Saban is one of the greatest coaches ever.
2. You know O.J. did it, but you’re willing to forgive him.
3. You’ve ever wanted a Joe Cribbs throwback jersey.
4. You know that Jim Kelly was a better quarterback than Dan Marino.
5. You can name all 10 backs who’ve ever gained 1,000 yards for the Bills.
6. You wonder whatever happened to Cookie Gilchrist
7. You lament the trade of Joe DeLamielleure to the Browns.
8. You revere Joe Ferguson.
9. You considered voting for Jack Kemp for president even though you’re a liberal.
10. You remember where you were the day the Bills traded Greg Bell and draft picks to the Rams to get Cornelius Bennett from the Colts. ( with Eric Dickerson going to the Colts.)
11. You remember that Scott Norwood was once a Pro Bowl kicker.

These are some of the things I think about on holidays. Also, I figured 11 was a perfect number because, well that was Mr. Norwood's number.

Merry X-Mas

That's about it.
We've been pretty busy on this end, getting busy, buying the kids toys..
Got my wife a neat gift, but I can't say what it is, for fear she might read this and ruin the surprise.
I can say we went shopping for two hours yesterday
And I was passed out by 8, after watching Jeopardy. (Remember that old Greg Kihn? song - "Our love's in Jeopardy" that Wierd Al converted to "I Lost on Jeopardy.")

Anyways, hope you all have a wonderful holiday season.

And yes, I love eggnog and rum.

Cheers.

X

Winter Weekend

Lot of snow. Did some shoveling and lit two fires. Can't ask for much more.

Cheers.

Ralph

Viking of the Year

If they can pull this off, I nominate Continental Airlines for the Viking of the Year. I could barely make it driving the 15-20 minutes from my house to the Erie Airport this morning and saw one person spinout on the short stretech of I-79 between 26th and 12the streets. But, per usual, Continental's 24-seater or whatever is warming up and ready to go on the runway when I got here. "We're boarding at 6:45 because we have to de-ice" is all they told me. I sure hope we get out of here, because I'm headed for Miami, which will be a lot nicer if I have some time to unwind there this afternoon before conference festivities begin tonight.

Cheers.

X

Vanity Fair-Transylvania Heist

I keep trying to let my subscription to Vanity Fair run out, but they keep sending it, which is fine, because, it really contains some entertaining (and sometimes even informative) stories when you have time to read it. I got the December issue last week and found this wonderful article on a theft of some rare books by these pot-smoking college freshman/sophomores. Unfortunately, the article is not available online, Here it is - but there is a fairly decent summary posted on a Kentucky newsite. The heist took place in Lexington, Kentucky.

These guys almost pulled off this $10 million theft of some rare books stored at the University of Transylvania library. Now, they did mug a librarian, and this sort of theivery is by no means an honorable thing, but I was quite impressed by their ambition and that fact that they really almost succeeded. It took some serious planning and major cajones.

Basically, these three or four late-teens were sitting around getting high, going to college, and getting involved with petty crime. Then, they came up with this idea for this major heist and actually followed through with it. Personally, I've been through the first three things, and we may have fantasized about major crime back in the day, but we never had the ambition or wherewithal to actually go for it. I have to applaud these guys for their initiative.

It turns out, however, that there was one hole in their otherwise very smart plan. I blame too much marajuana for the fact they didn't recognize this hole ahead of time. The article makes a reference that one of the guys kept thinking the heist would be called off when they hit a major snag in the planning, but then describes how they were able to seemingly circumvent every snag. However, as I was reading the article, I could tell that their idea for getting an appraisal at Christie's was a bad one. This indeed is where the plan fell apart.

I guess the coup de grace about this whole thing is that these guys don't feel bad about what they've done. From my standpoint, it serves kind of like a brilliant college project for them - almost something you'd be proud to put on your resume. So, they're all serving seven years in the federal pen right now. The conclusion is that they're young, they'll be out in a few years, and that the whole thing was a great experience and gives them a great story to tell.

If you taking it from the mythological standpoint, the experience seems to have helped them cross the threshold into adulthood. Prior to the event, you get the feeling they felt they were suburban youths whose manhood was being suffocated. Now, they have established their own identity was would-be big time thieves.

Cheers.

X

Bizarre Bills win

The first thing I told my neighbor when he called yesterday after the Bills' game was, "We're supposed to lose those kind of games." And, maybe it's the curse of having former Bills head coach Gregg Williams as their defensive coordinator, but the Redskins truly lost in Bills-like fashion.

With 23 seconds to go, Bills wideout Josh Reed managed to get open 30 yards down the field on a post and make a catch to put us in field goal position -albeit a long 51-yarder in the rain. Well, thanks to Redskins Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs calling 2 consecutive time outs, the Bills found themselve 15 yards closer, on an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, and the kick was up and good. Bills win by a point.

The pass that rookie quarterback Trend Edwards threw to Reed was money. It looked like star receiver Lee Evans ran a deep route over the middle to clear some people out, and then Reed ran a post underneath. Edwards released the ball as Reed as making his cut, so the defense had little time to react. That landed perfectly in Reed's arms 35 yards from where it was launched and Reed was summarily smothered, but it was too late.

A great catch and run for 10 yards on the play before by Roscoe Parrish set up the Reed play. Parrish even managed to fumble out of bounds on the play to stop the clock. These are the types of games we always lose.

To add to the bizarre feel of the game was the fact that the Redskins were grieving safety Sean Taylor's shooting death earlier in the week. They may have been a bit off because of this, but it was a home game, and they also should have been somewhat inspired. However, inspired once again was not good enough in the cutthroat world of the NFL. (If you remember the Bills had severly injured tight-end Kevin Everett gives an inspirational talk right before they got waxed by New England two weeks ago.)

Here's SI columnmist Peter King's account of the first play of the game from his excellent Monday Morning Quarterback column on SI.com:

"In an attempt to fire up his unit, assistant head coach in charge of defense Gregg Williams told his players on Saturday night they would play the Bills' first offensive snap with 10 players, as a tribute to the absent Taylor.

'When coach told us that,' Fletcher told me Sunday night, 'I can't tell you how excited we were. We thought it was a perfect tribute to Sean.' One problem: Williams neglected to tell Joe Gibbs, who, from all indications, did not know about it until the game began.

It wasn't a happy surprise for Gibbs, who watched Buffalo running back Fred Jackson rip off a 22-yard run on the first snap."

Right. Not to mention that the game-winning pass was completed in an area of the field that likely would have been Taylor's responsibility as a safety.

Anyhow, we're headed up to the Bills-Dolphins game next week. Takin' Joey to bust his NFL cherry. Got some pretty inexpensive seats off of eBay. Should be cold. Should be fun. A win would move the Bills to 7-6 with three games remaining - Browns, Giants and Eagles in that order, with the toughtest team-the Giants, in Buffalo

They're all must-wins if the Bills hope to make the playoffs, but the Browns game at Cleveland is shaping up to be the biggie-especially for fans around here. Cleveland is one of the teams battling the Bills for an AFC Wild Card spot. Now, I'm not saying the Bills have a legitimate shot at the Super Bowl or anything, but a 10-6 finish and makng the playoffs would at least take some sting out of that embarrassing national TV waxing by the Patriots.

Cheers.

Ralph

Erie Airport Runway

Curious juxtaposition today of the two Times-News editorials. On top was this one calling for $80 million in government funding to extend the runway at the Erie Airport. Below it was this article complaining that the state is wasting $.5 million polling taxpayers to find out their opinions. What's that old saying about the forrest and the trees?

We've had some discussion here about whether this runway extension is really worth the money, and another blogger has asked for a cost-justification study on the matter. The airport Web site actually has a special section on the runway extension project. There, I was able to find the FAA's 2005 report that explains why the runway extension would have no significant impact on the environment and surrounding area.

This is great, and this study seems to be the charter that the Airport Authority is using to push the project ahead. However, there is a line item in the report regarding funding: "Prior to any funding decision concerning the proposed project, determination under 49 U.S.C. § 44502(b) that the airport development is reasonably necessary for use in air commerce or in the interests of national defense." It seems to me like this could be the hold-up that the Times is blaming the FAA for. After all, have we indeed determined the necessity of this project? I don't recall seeing many detailed arguments saying why the extension is "necessary" for air commerce and national defense." Maybe that's all the stuff Phil English is doing behind the scenes...

One thing I can say from reading the report, is that the necessity of the project has apparently evolved from being driven by a desire to increase passenger traffic, to a desire to increase cargo traffic. The whole extension seems to be based around being able to fly DC-9 jets in and out of Erie. But, I guess with passenger traffic dropping from over 180,000 in 2005 to around 160,000 in 2006, there doesn't seem to be much necessity for accomodating increasing passenger traffic. This trend apparently was obvious as far back as 2005, because the report makes mention of changing the "critical aircraft design" for the runway extension from accomodating DC-9 passenger jets to DC-9 cargo jets.

So great, now we just need to determine what that cargo is and where it will be coming from, in order to cost-justify an investment of $80 million, minus, of course, whatever investment is being made for national security purposes. Apparently Erie Aviation has done some research on this topic. Maybe I just missed it when they published their findings. However, I suspect with the runway project at such a critical juncture, as reported in the Times today, some of the cost -justifcation findings will be showing up in the news again. I'm looking forward to seeing them.

Cheers.

Ralph

Thanksgiving

One thing I'm thankful for is my wireless network.

I really missed it the past couple weeks. I was picking up interference from something; I'm not sure what, but it would kick me off my wireless Internet connection everytime I tried to do anything that required the slightest bandwidth...and then, for awhile, I couldn't even get on it. The interference seemed to be coming in on Channel 9, from what looked like some sort of secure wireless network with an odd name. I finally solved the problem by switching my network signal from channel 11 to channel 9. This seems to have elminated the interference from the other signal.

I'm now back up and running on wireless, which is much better than trying to move around connected to a three-foot Ethernet cable. Now, when the new laptop batter arrives...

What are you thankful for?

Cheers.

Ralph

Mossed

It's official (if not a bit belated, but I've finally seen it with my own eyes against my own team), what I said about the Tom Brady-Randy Moss combo at the beginning of the season, was completely off base. Last night it was proven so off base, that I nthought that someone must have forwarded my article off of the AFC East Report to Misters Brady and Moss, who seemed to be going out of their way, if only slightly (the way a steamroller might swerve to squash a chipmunk), to spite me. Brady hit Moss for four TDs in the first half! Then, they went for a record-tyring fifth in the third quarter, only to have a Bills defender miraculously make a play to break it up. Of course, Brady followed up with a TD to his tight-end, so what did it matter?

I must admit, in contrast to what many of his critics were saying at the beginning of the year, Moss is a complete football player when he wants to be. Last night he was running around throwing blocks, jumping on fumbles, playing D, and oh yes, even catching passes, incluidng TDs. He, Brady, and the rest of the Pats looked like the varsity going against a Bills' JV squad.

One sad thing about the game was that it made me recall how good the Bills used to be. Heck, with the K-Gun in full force, we beat the Raiders 51-3 in the AFC Championship game in 1990. But, that was a long time ago. Last night ,the score was 35-7 and half, and I recalled that 15 years ago, we trailed by a similar margin at the half against the Houston Oilers. But back then, even though we were down, we knew we had a better team. So, there was at least a glimmer of hope. Last night, the Patriots were clearly that "better" team, except they were winning. But, if they had been down 7-35, they still wouldn't have been out of it...

The Metamorphisis
So, what happened between then and now? Bill Polian. Polian, of course, is now the GM of the defending Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts. But, in the late 1980s, he built the Bills, from a 2-14 squad to a four-time AFC champion. Then, in the middle of our Super Bowl run, he was dismissed. Why? No one is quite sure, from what I've read. But, he has a notoriously bad temper and apparently he pissed off Ralph Wilson. Now, I hate to rip on another member of the disappearing breed of people with "Ralph" as their first name, but Mr. Wilson looks like a fool. Did you see him last night propped up in the owner's box with the brand new, not even broken-in Bills hat and coat. Granted, he is 90 years ago, and shouldn't be expected to be fully lively and vigorous, but Wilson still fancies himself the CEO of our team. (Well, I guess in many respects it is his team.) But, the fact that he let Polian walk... I mean, Wilson deserves credit for promoting Polian to GM in the first place, giving him his first big break in the NFL, but it was almost like Wilson couldn't deal with the success the Polian brought. By all accounts Poiian was basically fired, and it has been a downward sprial (absolutely no pun intended, but Brady thows a helluva spiral, doesn't he?) ever since. I'm thinkin' if Wilson would have appreciated properly what Polian did, he'd still be in Buffalo, and the Bills-Colts rivalry would be akin to the Red Sox-Yankees, and, well, there'd be no talk of moving to Toronto, because the NFL wouldn't want to upset the balance of things.

Psychopathy and success
This brings me to the previous point we have discussed previously (mainly in reference to anther Buffalo icon, O.J.) about psychopaths and their ability to succeed in professional football. Terrell Owens and Randy Moss each had 4 TD receptions yesterday. Yes, I think you have to be a bit crazy to run across the middle of the field in an NFL game with your eyes trained on a spiraling football while some 200-pound, chiseled athletic maniac like Bob Sanders or Troy Polamalu has his eyes trained on you and is chomping at the bit to split your spine in half with one crushing blow. Moss and Owens take their craziness to the extreme and both enjoy tremendous success in the NFL, partially at least, because of it. Even Bill Belichick is nuts. He has pretty much sacrificed the rest of his life to be a great football coach. Like Richard Nixon, he's even sacrificed ethics when he really didn't need to.

Which brings us back to Polian. So, he was a little off-kilter, a little (well, maybe a lot, based on some of stuff I've read about him reportedly jacking-up a Jets PR guy) tempermental, a little, dare we say, psychopathic. If that's what it takes to win in the NFL these days, so be it. Wilson really dropped the ball by not recognizing this 15 years ago, when he canned Polian. Sadly, it seems that Leo Duroucher's old addage about "nice guys finishing last" was never more evident than in today's NFL. And it's too bad that Wilson, Levy, and Jauron are always getting praised for being such nice guys.

But, luckily for the Bills, everyone in the NFL isn't crazy, and we still have a chance of finishing at .500. By the way, that new Steelers' coach seems like a pretty down-to-earth guy, especially compared to that yelling, spitting, Super Bowl-winning lunatic that he replaced.

Cheers

Ralph

Gene Simmons Says College Kids Killed the Music Business

Gene Simmons (formerly of the band KISS) makes me laugh out loud.

In a recent interview, Simmons calls college students "crooks" and claims they have created a situation of "chaos and anarchy" where music artists can no longer earn an honest living.

[Point: Chris Cornell was in Allentown last Thursday. The show cost $32.50 and it was sold out. Let's see, 2000 people times $32.50 = $65,000. That's not a bad payday for a musician.]

But back to the Simmons article: Ironically, Simmons begins by commenting about how big KISS's marketing/merchandising empire is. He says "in the music world...nobody can shine our shoes [when it comes to peddling merchandise]". Obviously, he's making lots of money as a result of his time spent in the music industry. so, what's his beef?

Well, right after that, he launches into a tirade against college students, claiming that "Every little college kid, every freshly-scrubbed little kid's face should have been sued off the face of the earth [by the RIAA for stealing music]."

But wait a minute. If you sue all those kids, who will buy KISS merchandise?

Most ironic of all, Simmons later claims that "The most important part is the music. Without that, why would you care?"

Huuuuhhh? Music? Was that the priority of KISS? So, like Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Bob Dylan, and Paul Simon, KISS were all about the music. Riiiiiight.

That's not how I remember it. They were merchandising monsters from the outset, and, apparently, they are still cashing in.

Besides, hasn't Gene Simmons has made tons of money as the face of Mr. Counter-Culture? So what happened to Mr. Paint-Your-Face-and-Stick-Your-Tongue-Out-at-People-So-You-Can-Make-Money? What happened to the guy who encouraged you to give the finger to the man?

He's now saying that "fresh faced college kids" stole the music and ruined the industry. Apparently, he didn't mean for you to REALLy give the finger to the man. It was just a prank...it was just Simmons' schtick.

But speaking of stealing music, I thought KISS stole the music. Talk about a band where costumes and spectacle outranked good songwriting and you have KISS. Outside of one or two good songs, KISS pretty much sucked when it came to writing good music. They were comic book characters with guitars and stage antics. The music was secondary.

And, let me ask, who is he selling all of his junk to? Not me. I expect it's a bunch of kids who think KISS is cool because they own the KISS action figures. Geez...Mr. Music-Comes-First. What bullshit.

Ironic, isn't it? Today, the once-iconoclastic Gene Simmons sounds like an old fuddy-duddy: "Those young whipper-snappers...they ruined everything and they ought to be punished." What a dick.

You know, I can remember the day when oldsters said the same thing about Gene Simmons...

DDDDDDDDDDD

Erie Community Foundation gets $100 Million

Did the Times-News report this. I searched GoErie and couldn't find it.

I hope Camp Notre Dame gets some of the windfall. They can set up lots of sponsorships with a nice chunk of change.

DDDDDDDDDDDDD

Prep-McDowell Classic

Another great night of football on Friday between these two arch rivals. The final was 15-13 in favor of Prep in what was a pretty average game until the second half of the last quarter. The only problem was that you had to sit through a 40-degree night and an hour-and-a-half of drizzle to get there...

Here's what went down: Prep is leading 15-0 with about nine minutes left in the game. The Ramblers had scored three times: 1) on a solid drive late in the first quarter, 2) on a safety on a muffed punt by McDowell, and 3) on a short TD drive set up by a bad snap on a punt. They weren't blowing McDowell away, but the Trojans were having trouble moving the ball. And, when McDowell did move it, something stupid happened, like a holding penalty that ruined a long TD pass and a pair of interceptions.

But, finally, McDowell's running game clicked. They drove down the field on some nice long gains to score with just over five minutes to play. Oh yes, to go back to Prep's second TD: After the score, the Ramblers executed this wonderful fake-kick on the extra point, and it looked like the kicker had just lofted a beautiful conversion pass to the tight-end. But, alas, the ref said the Prep holder had his knee on the ground when he caught the snap before pitching it to the kicker. The holder argued vehemently, and I would guess not having your knee on the ground would be a key element of the play that you would practice and be very careful about executing, but to no avail. This miscue - or perhaps, bad call - kept the Trojans in the game, if only barely, as two TDs with successful conversions could still tie, or even win the game.

Here's where it gets tricky. After McDowell scores its first TD, Coach Joe Tarasovitch is faced with the decision to go for one or two. Sitting in the stands, having just watched the McDowell running attack shred the Prep D, the obvious choice for me is to go for two. Of course, a couple years ago in a D-10 Championship game, Tarasovitch notoriously went for two with his team down by one, and ended up losing by that very one point. So, this year, he decides to kick, and of course the kick gets blocked - now it's 15-6 Prep. This is probably not a big deal, especially after Prep cleanly fields the ensuing onside kick...

On top of that, the Ramblers start to drive downfield, with their star back Akeem Satterfield ripping off a 30-yard run to about the 12 yard-line. It was a great run. He took on about seven McDowell defenders, spinning and driving his way forward, while staying in bounds, before finally being pushed out, apparently, wa-a-a-y out, because he was a bit steamed following the play. I think the Prep coaches abided his wishes and gave him the ball three straight times after that, but after getting five yards on first down, he got stuffed the next two times. This set up a fourth-and-two inside the McDowell 10, with just over two minutes to play.

Prep has a number of options here and going for it on fourth down is probably the best one. And apparently, Coach Donnie Hall makes an ingenius, with a play action fake to Satterfield, and quarterback Branden Seyler lofting a pass over the head of McDowell linebacker Zach Stano for an easy six. But wait! Stano leaps high in the air, tips the ball to himself and gains possession. A couple zigs, zags, stops, starts, jukes and maybe broken tackle later, he's at the 20 and racing down the sideline in front of the Prep bench, with a clear path to the end zone.

Here comes Satterfield. The angry one is flying up the field after Stano gaining yards with each stride. He looks like he's about to catch Stano and stop him at midfield, when out of the nowhere Brad Gore (at least that was his name accoridng to the paper; I didn't catch the number of that truck that hit Satterfield), who must have been smartly trailing the play, shows up and blasts Satterfield, knocking him about five yards into the Prep bench. This time McDowell makes the extra point and it's 15-13 Ramblers.

Unfortunately for McDowell, Prep again does a great job covering the onside kick, and by the time the Trojans get the ball back on a punt (Prep's punt teams, both kicking and reciving, were outstanding all night and may have made the difference in the game), there's too little time, and they can't do anything with it.

Another Prep-McDowell classic and definitley worth spending two-and-a-half hours in the cold rain, if you appreciate that kind of thing.

Cheers.

Ralph

War Casualties

I know the Iraq War is bad and we've lost something like 4,000 soliders, not to mention many times more Iraqis, but I must admit I am absolutley astounded at the death toll numbers from WWII. I've watched a few episodes of that Ken Burns documentary on PBS, and there are several times we lost thousands of soldiers in a single battle. Overall, it appears that in about the same amount of time we've been in Iraq, the U.S. lost 100 times as many solidies in WWII - something like 400,000. I guess with better medical care we get more wounded survivors now, but sill... and we won WWII. The countries that lost, lost many times more solidiers. I guess the world and warfare has changed a lot in a relatively short period of time.

Any perspectives on this?

Ralph

Vikings Coach Brad Childress - and the Late Michael Jeter, who played the assistant football coach on Evening Shade.

Which brings me to the observation that Adrian Peterson's current season can be compared to one season in history that I'm aware of. That is OJ's '73 season when O.J. gained 2003 yards and averaged 6.0 yards per carry despite a rookie QB that threw for four TDs all year. Vikings QB Tarvaris Jackson is currently on pace to throw four TDs, as well. The Bills finished 9-5 that year but missed the playoffs, because there was only one wild card back then. (I thought Eric Dickerson might fall into the same categorey as Peterson and Jackson, as he has some pretty mediorcre starting quaterbacks like Dieter Brock and Jeff Kemp, but they both achieved over double-digit TD totals, so they were somewhat of a threat.)

That's it for now.

Ralph

Baseball-Free enterprise

I came across this setiment last night in a book by Attorney Henry D. Fetter called Taking on the Yankees - "Winning and Losing in the Business of Baseball." (Note: The book was written in the early 2000s, when the Yankees were on a run of World Series appearances.)

"Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, major league baseball has been, is, and likely will be what it has always been-the sporting world's last frontier of unbridled individualism on the field and off, a relic perhaps of a distant time, removed from the orchestrated mechinations of professional football and basketball with their owners marching in lockstep to a master plan of marketers and broadcasters."

Just some food for thought.

Ralph

No Power Today

Going on five hours. Great....

Adrian Peterson

I was lucky enough to see a Vikings game yesterday...and when they let that dude return the second-quarter field goal attempt 109 yards for a TD, I figured it was going to be another rough day for the Vikes.

But how about Adrian Peterson? He had 296 yards rushing! That's an all-time, single-game record! He's fun to watch.

They just kept giving him the ball and he kept running roughshod over the Chargers defense.

Kudos to the VIkings front line...they can hold some serious blocks.

I don't expect that Vikes to go anywhere this year, as they've already got five losses and no QB.

However, if they can get their hands on a good QB (Tavaris Jackson is not the man), they have the makings of a pretty good team. They should look to the free agent market for an established QB.

Steelers vs. Ravens tonight on MNF.

DDDDD

Erie Regional Gov. - When is an expense an asset?

Pat Howard ran an interesting column today, in which he makes a lot of points that have come up both on our blog and in "real-world" discussions over the past couple months. He addresses this whole city vs. county mentality, which is a bad thing for progress. One of the main points he makes is one DrD has been making for at least a year - the City is part of the County!

Interestingly, Mayor Joe Sinnott, who I think is often seen at odds with Howard, published a newsletter last week that really asks for a lot of the same things that Howard is asking for. Contrary to the way I've seen him portrayed in the paper, Sinnott really comes out as a proponent for regional government.

This is great, as it appears more leaders seem to be getting on the same boat, to steal Howard's analogy. The major discrepency between Howard's and Sinnott's views seems to have to do with the value of the some of the city assets, such as the zoo and EMTA - and even the airport to some extent. Sinnott seems reluctant to give up City-control of these "assets" even though, in Howard's view, they don't make money - in fact, they cost money, and there is no way the city could sell them. (Well, maybe it could sell the airport, so that might be an exception. And, maybe the airport could make money too, if it wasn't run by the government, ala the State Liquor stores.) Sinnott basically seems to be asking for County funding for these City assets, as a gesture by the County toward regionalization. He's got a point, because so far, it seems the City seems to be doing all the pushing toward regionalizaiton, while County people want to distance themselves from the city's balance sheet as much as possible.

Anyways, it;'s good to see that this white elephant of regionalization is now being discussed at least in more than a pipe dream form. Here's to hoping we can continue to move forward with this agenda. It's the 21st Century now. The Age of Globalization. Having turf rivalries and squabbles among 25 entities (some of which are overlapping) in a space of 800 square miles in northwestern PA is no way to go about encouraging progress.

Cheers.

Ralph

Some rumors about Phil

And just in case you all were wondering what I meant when I made those comments about Phil's potential downfall coming in an airport bathroom, here's some stuff that showed up on a left-wing blog during the Porter campaign last year. I'm not saying any of this stuff is true... but I'm not saying it isn't. Does anyone have further info on this?