So, last night we had one of those recurring debates about who has the best pizza in Erie. We were down at Skeeter's watching the Pitt game. At halftime, with Skeeter's kitchen being closed, we decided we needed order out for a pie. Being the guy who came up with the idea, I was put in charge of making this happen, and being down the street from Dominick's, I made my call. Mind you, it was a bit of an expensive proposition, $14.25 or something for a large with cheese, pep, and sausage, but I think it was worth it. Dominick's has changed hands since I frequented it 15-20 years ago in college, and their pie recipe has also changed. One thing that has not changed is their sausage, which is still very plump, juicy, tasty, and plentiful. I would say the sausage alone saved the pizza, and actually made it very filling, so the large, which was actually pretty good size, was able to take care of 5-6 hungry drunks.
Anyways, Dominick's does not have the best pizza in Erie, but it was convenient and alright. After the pizza came in, the bartender told us that, believe it or not, The Cellblock has some of the best pie in town. "I'll stand by their pizza," was her exact quote, which led to some obvious jokes. J.B. insisted that Skeeter made a killer pie, and I have heard before he is a good cook. And then someone said their wife had been raving about a pizza shop downtown, but we weren't sure of the name. Someone said it may be Howie's, which is actually a chain, but that doesn't mean they have bad pizza...except that ordering from a chain, in a town like Erie that used to have a local shop on every other block, is a bit of shame. For a while though, I'll admit, I was hard-pressed to find good local pizza and took to going to Papa John's and Pizza Hut, which are both convenient, make decent pies, and always have coupons available. However, recently, we've turned back to Mr. Pizza, which has good solid pie and wings and is run by a really nice couple, which counts for something. Steel City has some good pie too, especially their cheese, and their crust receives high reviews.
Finally, my wife's friend highly recommends Mama Mia's, which of course, suffered the tragic loss of one of its delivery men in a notorious bank robbery a few years back. As bad as that whole situation was/is, it did put Erie's local pizza shops back on the map and I think we are seeing a bit of a resurgance in this area. Any thoughts?
Cheers.
Ralph
Friday, March 09, 2007
Monday, March 05, 2007
Smoking ban
Let's give some props to Judge Bozza for proving he is indeed no Bozo and striking down the county-wide smoking ban. Now, I'm not a smoker, so I really shouldn't care about this, but I am a big freedom and rights guy. I mean if you want to run a restaurant or bar where people are allowed to smoke, why shouldn't you be able to do it? Cigarettes were still legal, last I checked. If there is really tons of public support to ban smoking in public places, wouldn't that mean there is a huge opportunity for non-smoking establishments to open up, and these droves of people who destest smoking could just go to those?
I think it's a farce. I really don't think the majority of people in Erie County are in favor of a smoking ban. Rather, I think it's a vocal (and somewhat powerful) minority. I say we put the matter to the test. Put a proposed smoking ban on a public ballot, and if we get more than 50% of county-wide voters in favor of it, go for it. If not, then don't. We still live in a democracy, don't we? I mean if we can get stuff like gay marriage ammendments on the ballot, why not an anti-smoking ordinance? All those in favor, say, aye.
Cheers.
Ralph
I think it's a farce. I really don't think the majority of people in Erie County are in favor of a smoking ban. Rather, I think it's a vocal (and somewhat powerful) minority. I say we put the matter to the test. Put a proposed smoking ban on a public ballot, and if we get more than 50% of county-wide voters in favor of it, go for it. If not, then don't. We still live in a democracy, don't we? I mean if we can get stuff like gay marriage ammendments on the ballot, why not an anti-smoking ordinance? All those in favor, say, aye.
Cheers.
Ralph
What's the hang-up in Koehler project?
It has been recently reported in the Times that the project was stopped dead by some "paperwork" disagreements between Cornerstone (the acute health care guys) and the developers. Could we be more specific about this? Originally, it was reported that there was a problem specifically involving an "Estoppel Certificate" that the banks wanted Cornerstone to sign before they would finalize their loan to the Koehler developers. So, what's an Estoppel Certificate? Through some Googling, the best I could find is that it's some sort of agreement stating that terms in the lease have been agreed upon. So, was there a discrepency between the lease the Koehler developers showed the banks and the one Cornerstone agreed on? One story I heard was that the lending banks wanted Cornerstone to guarentee 20 years worth of lease payments, because that's how long the loan is for, but because Cornerstone only has a 10-year lease, they wouldn't do it. I would just like some more detail on this matter before we close the book on the project.
Cheers.
Ralph
Cheers.
Ralph
Friday, March 02, 2007
Passan column on steroids
So, was it coincidence that a new steroid scandal broke right when I finished the compelling book about the last big sports steroid scandal. As my firend Dr. Dee likes to put it "there are no accidents." Anyways, I would be less interested in this current story if I hadn't read such an in depth and interesting account about the old one. And the title of one of the chapters in Game of Shadows rights truer than ever: "Cheat or Lose." After all, the Pittsburgh Steelers doctor is accused of spending $150,000 on Human Growth Hormone last year, which he claims was medicine for one of his patients. Yeah right. Didn't the Steelers win the Super Bowl last year?
Then there's this great Jeff Passan column. Passan is a former Kansas City Royals beat guy who now writes for Yahoo! and cranks out consistenly riveting copy. He pretty much calls Gary Matthews, Jr. and the California Angels onto the carpet for some sort of collusion in which Matthews got a $50 million contract because of one good year, which we find out was now was contributed to by some sort of "supplements." Let's see, great year out of nowhere by a mediocre player who appeared to be reaching the end of the line... haven't we seen this scenario before, like starting with Brady Anderson about 10-15 years ago, and down through the years. Anyways, Passan says if the Angels had bothered to look, they could have figured out for themselves that Matthews was juicing, but they chose instead to ignore it and pay sign him to a $50 million contract, that they're probably stuck with now, even though Matthews has been busted... Anyways, Passan's point is that if Matthews gets his $50 million, it's yet more evidence that the cheaters have won.... and just wait until Barry Bonds breaks Hammerin' Hank's home run record. Aye Carumbas!
Ralph
Then there's this great Jeff Passan column. Passan is a former Kansas City Royals beat guy who now writes for Yahoo! and cranks out consistenly riveting copy. He pretty much calls Gary Matthews, Jr. and the California Angels onto the carpet for some sort of collusion in which Matthews got a $50 million contract because of one good year, which we find out was now was contributed to by some sort of "supplements." Let's see, great year out of nowhere by a mediocre player who appeared to be reaching the end of the line... haven't we seen this scenario before, like starting with Brady Anderson about 10-15 years ago, and down through the years. Anyways, Passan says if the Angels had bothered to look, they could have figured out for themselves that Matthews was juicing, but they chose instead to ignore it and pay sign him to a $50 million contract, that they're probably stuck with now, even though Matthews has been busted... Anyways, Passan's point is that if Matthews gets his $50 million, it's yet more evidence that the cheaters have won.... and just wait until Barry Bonds breaks Hammerin' Hank's home run record. Aye Carumbas!
Ralph
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Honoring Fr. John "Tex" HIlbert
For many in the Erie community, the recent passing of Fr. John Hilbert was shocking and sad. "Tex" as he was known (as was his father before him) was active in the Erie Cursillo movement, the Erie CALL program, and was chaplain at Mercyhurst Erie for nearly 20 years. At the time of his death, he was chaplain to Mercyhurst North East.
Tex was a friend to my family since 1970 and I worked with him personally for the past five years. He was a great man with a great spiritual presence. His funeral at St. Peter's Cathedral on Tuesday was standing room only. Clearly, he touched many lives.
Tex and I used to have long conversations at MNE concerning politics (he did not care for the Bush administration and its rush to war) and spirituality (he believed that all of us are God's childrem, regardless of color or gender or belief system). I will miss those conversations and I will miss seeing him in the hallways of MNE.
If you have not yet see his obit on GoErie, you might want to take a look to see how many people loved Tex. It's very moving.
A great light has been taken from us, and he will be impossible to replace. We can only thank God that Tex was able to spend his entire life helping the people of Erie, PA. We need more people like him.
DDDDD
Tex was a friend to my family since 1970 and I worked with him personally for the past five years. He was a great man with a great spiritual presence. His funeral at St. Peter's Cathedral on Tuesday was standing room only. Clearly, he touched many lives.
Tex and I used to have long conversations at MNE concerning politics (he did not care for the Bush administration and its rush to war) and spirituality (he believed that all of us are God's childrem, regardless of color or gender or belief system). I will miss those conversations and I will miss seeing him in the hallways of MNE.
If you have not yet see his obit on GoErie, you might want to take a look to see how many people loved Tex. It's very moving.
A great light has been taken from us, and he will be impossible to replace. We can only thank God that Tex was able to spend his entire life helping the people of Erie, PA. We need more people like him.
DDDDD
Presque Isle Downs
I've been talking to people about the new casino in Summit Township, Presque Isle Downs. As you might imagine, some people think it's a good thing, some think it's bad, and others are indifferent.
Those who support the project cite jobs and tax revenue. And although they are skeptical about the promise of Property Tax Reform (meaning that your property taxes will go away and be paid for by the slots), they believe that county-funded projects like the Zoo and the County Library System will now be able to avoid their annual funding crises.
Those who do not like the casino cite social problems. People told me that gambling "attracts the wrong crowd to Erie County" and will create additional strain on social service agencies (presumably, because gambling creates debt and debt can destroy families). In addition, debt also leads to the lending of money which quite often cannot be paid back, and this leads to Draconian Debt Collection, if you get my drift.
Those who are indifferent tend to see both sides of the issue. They agree that revenue generation is necessary; however, they're not sure that a casino is the best way to generate jobs and tax revenue.
Interestingly, the seniors I spoke with are more likely to visit the casino than people in other age groups. They said they like to play the slots because it's fun, safe, and potentially profitable...and now they won't have to travel to Salamanca or Canada to play the slots.
Personally, it seems to me that there is so much to do in this world: Helping people learn to read and write, feeding the hungry, volunteering for various local projects...making Erie a better place to live, that it seems odd that so many people have time to sit on a stool and play slots. But it's back to Bread and Circus, I guess. As long as the masses are fed and entertained, then all is well in the U.S. of A.
Those who support the project cite jobs and tax revenue. And although they are skeptical about the promise of Property Tax Reform (meaning that your property taxes will go away and be paid for by the slots), they believe that county-funded projects like the Zoo and the County Library System will now be able to avoid their annual funding crises.
Those who do not like the casino cite social problems. People told me that gambling "attracts the wrong crowd to Erie County" and will create additional strain on social service agencies (presumably, because gambling creates debt and debt can destroy families). In addition, debt also leads to the lending of money which quite often cannot be paid back, and this leads to Draconian Debt Collection, if you get my drift.
Those who are indifferent tend to see both sides of the issue. They agree that revenue generation is necessary; however, they're not sure that a casino is the best way to generate jobs and tax revenue.
Interestingly, the seniors I spoke with are more likely to visit the casino than people in other age groups. They said they like to play the slots because it's fun, safe, and potentially profitable...and now they won't have to travel to Salamanca or Canada to play the slots.
Personally, it seems to me that there is so much to do in this world: Helping people learn to read and write, feeding the hungry, volunteering for various local projects...making Erie a better place to live, that it seems odd that so many people have time to sit on a stool and play slots. But it's back to Bread and Circus, I guess. As long as the masses are fed and entertained, then all is well in the U.S. of A.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Heart of Darkness
Here's a great quote from Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, which I am making my way through:
"You know I hate, detest, and can't bear a lie, not because I am straighter than the rest of us, but simply because it appals me. There is a taint of death, a flavor of mortality in lies - which is exactly what I hate and detest in the world - what I want to forget. It makes me miserable and sick, like biting something rotten would do. Temperment, I suppose...."
Cheers.
Ralph
"You know I hate, detest, and can't bear a lie, not because I am straighter than the rest of us, but simply because it appals me. There is a taint of death, a flavor of mortality in lies - which is exactly what I hate and detest in the world - what I want to forget. It makes me miserable and sick, like biting something rotten would do. Temperment, I suppose...."
Cheers.
Ralph
Friday, February 23, 2007
Game of Shadows
Started reading this incredible book about about the Barry Bonds' steroid scandal. It's been pretty well publicized, and I think the two authors got into some sort of trouble for being in possession of leaked Grand Jury testimony, but they really do a great job detailing the culture that led to this tremendous abuse of steroids in baseball. I'm about halfway through, and I'm pretty convinced that Sosa's, McGwire's, and Bonds' records, well they're tarnished to say the least. Should we pull them from the record books? I don't know. I guess, when you really think about it, Ruth and Mantle, for example, probably would have turned to steroids had they been as readily available back in the day as they were to these three guys I just mentioned. I'm not saying they were victims, but they were just playing the game, a big money one at that. It's the same game that track and field athletes, as well as football players (less so now I think) have been playing for years. Remember Lyle Alzado - the guy went from nobody to All-Pro defensive end, thanks to steroids and then died of brain cancer.
All in a life's work.
Ralph
All in a life's work.
Ralph
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Britney
I'll have to admit, I'm a Britney Spears fan. In fact, "Oops I did it again," was one of my favorite pop hits of all time. Catchy, sarcastic, and a really funny video, plus Britney was pretty sexy back in the day. Had a lot going for her. Now, it's all come apart. As Bill "Sports Guy" Simmons puts it, she's entered the Tyson Zone. Go Britney.
Here's my take: Britney is at a crossroads. He old life is gone, and she needs to make a call about what her future direction is going to be. Her days as a teen queen pop star are over, and she knows it. She's a mother of two now- a lady, not a girl, and is having a tough time figuring out how to deal with that. The shaving of the head thing - that was the external sign that she knows she's changed. But how is she going to come out of this? The best move she could me would be to pull a Demi Moore and back off everything for awhile. The other alternative is an Anna Nicole Smith and just keep running around as a has-been and deluding yourself into thinking you're not a joke. Drugs and alchohol help with that delusion.
Anyhow, I'm cheering for Britney to drop out, but I'm sure not betting that is the path she'll take. Bottoms up.
Ralph
Here's my take: Britney is at a crossroads. He old life is gone, and she needs to make a call about what her future direction is going to be. Her days as a teen queen pop star are over, and she knows it. She's a mother of two now- a lady, not a girl, and is having a tough time figuring out how to deal with that. The shaving of the head thing - that was the external sign that she knows she's changed. But how is she going to come out of this? The best move she could me would be to pull a Demi Moore and back off everything for awhile. The other alternative is an Anna Nicole Smith and just keep running around as a has-been and deluding yourself into thinking you're not a joke. Drugs and alchohol help with that delusion.
Anyhow, I'm cheering for Britney to drop out, but I'm sure not betting that is the path she'll take. Bottoms up.
Ralph
Monday, February 19, 2007
A Clockwork Orange
Spent the last week in Belgium and previous week in Vegas and parts of San Diego. Not a huge Vegas fan, but San Diego, especially if you've got a view of the bay, can be pretty relaxing. Anyhow, the two shots posted above are from Belgium. The top is from the town square in the villiage of Brugge, which is in the Flemish (Dutch) part of the country. The bottom is the Atonium or something in Brussels which was built for a World's Fair in the 1950s. We went up in it. Nothing too great. Brugge seemed pretty cool and only reaffirmed my desire to visit Amsterdam someday... Anyways, I was pretty sick the whole time I was there, with a stomach thing and a cold. It didn't help that I didn't get my luggage until Thursday night, after the gala meeting I attended in jeans and a shirt I bought out of some shop across the street from my hotel. Did I mention that European people like to wear suits, and I had packed one for the occasion? I came across as quite the "American" in my duds...
Then there is this thing about heat in Europe. It was about 40-50 degrees during the day in Belgium, which I understand was nowhere near as cold as it was here. But, Europeans seem to have something against forced air heat, as I could never get the temperature properly adjusted except for half of one night in my hotel room. Then, on Saturday, I went out for a "coffee" appointment and the gents I was with suggested taking it in an outdoor cafe. I think the key to this aversion to heat is the fact alcholic drinks run pretty much as same price as soft drinks, so you might as well go for the internal warmth and damn the heaters. Normally, I would have had no problem with this, but with my stomach, my drinking capacity was down substantially...
Anyways, I tried to rest a bit and did manage with the help of travel time to finish Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange. Quite likely, you’ve seen the movie version, which I did a number of years ago. However, for some reason, as it does from time to time, a bug had gotten into me to read the book. So, I checked it out of the Ridge Library and off I went.
Now, there appears to be a bit of a discrepancy, and maybe even a bit of controversy between the novel and movie. You see in the U.S. published book on which the movie is based, Chapter 21 is removed. Chapter 21 functions as sort of the denouement, or falling action. If you remove it, you end up with this real horror show (to use Alex’s terminology) ending, where the main character is pretty much back where he started. The extra chapter, in fact, shows him maturing a bit and growing away from this character.
Here’s what Burgess has to say about that (in the intro to the second U.S. book version.): “There is in fact, not much point in writing a novel unless you can show the possibility of moral transformation, or an increase in wisdom, operating in your chief character or characters….
“When a fictional work fails to show change, when it merely indicates that human character is set, stony, unregenerable, then you are out of the field of the novel and into that of the fable or the allegory.”
If this is the case then, it's my call that A Clockwork Orange works great as a fable or allegory, but not as a novel, because the last “extra” chapter seems forced and really doesn’t draw on the rest of the story very well. It’s like Burgess wrote 20 chapters to come to this perfect fable ending, then realized he hadn’t shown any change and tacked this last one on.
Burgess claims this 21st chapter was always planned, but it sure didn't come across as very connected to me. I’ll let the poor guy rest, as he’s probably dead now and did say in the intro he was a bit embarrassed by the novel and all the attention it garnered. He thought he had many works that were much better Poor chap.
Regards,
Ralph
Friday, February 02, 2007
1980 Browns- Cardiac Kids
Does anyone remember this team? I must have been 13 when they made their improbable run into the playoffs with an 11-5 record. I remember, we used their nickname for one of our street football teams that had a penchant for comebacks. The 1980 Browns were led by Brian Sipe, an undersize, and I believe undrafted quarterback who had beaten out first-round pick Mike Phipps a couple years earlier. He was a real underdog story, and their coach, Sam Rutigliano, was one of these rah-rah Italian guys that everyone seemed to rally around.
Anyways, the Browns met their demise in one of the coldest games in NFL history, played in January in old Cleveland Stadium. They were trailing 14-12 with time running out and had driven down the field against Raiders to well within field goal range-on a normal day. But the Browns' 200-year-old kicker, Don Cockroft, I believe, had already missed two extra points to create the deficit - correct me if I'm wrong - so they called a pass play, and Sipe threw into double coverage - for Ozzie Newsome - and it got picked off by in a great play by a Raiders' linebacker.
Maybe it's because the Super Bowl is approaching, but Sports Time Ohio has had a couple specials on this team this past week, with former WR Reggie Rucker, who was on the team, interviewing ex-players. They had the old middle linebacker on last night, and he explained that he had actually driven halfway to practice the following Wed. because he still couldn't believe the Browns had lost the game. The Raiders went on to win the Super Bowl and the Browns went 5-11 the next year. They're cursed I tell you...
Ralph
Anyways, the Browns met their demise in one of the coldest games in NFL history, played in January in old Cleveland Stadium. They were trailing 14-12 with time running out and had driven down the field against Raiders to well within field goal range-on a normal day. But the Browns' 200-year-old kicker, Don Cockroft, I believe, had already missed two extra points to create the deficit - correct me if I'm wrong - so they called a pass play, and Sipe threw into double coverage - for Ozzie Newsome - and it got picked off by in a great play by a Raiders' linebacker.
Maybe it's because the Super Bowl is approaching, but Sports Time Ohio has had a couple specials on this team this past week, with former WR Reggie Rucker, who was on the team, interviewing ex-players. They had the old middle linebacker on last night, and he explained that he had actually driven halfway to practice the following Wed. because he still couldn't believe the Browns had lost the game. The Raiders went on to win the Super Bowl and the Browns went 5-11 the next year. They're cursed I tell you...
Ralph
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Cheever's Swimmer
Has anyone ever read John Cheever's, "The Swimmer?" Any thoughts on this disturbing piece of literature? Re-read it last night for the first time in several years. Even though I've gone though many changes since I first read it, it still came across as powerful as it did the first time I read it back in college. Maybe that's the definition of true literature - that it never ceases to have a profound affect on you, no matter when you re-visit it. (Yes, Cheever was the guy mentioned in the Seinfeld episode when Kramer burned down the cabin.)
Regards,
Ralph
Regards,
Ralph
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Welcome Back Snow!
Finally, some snow. I must admit, I think it's wonderful. I may have told you that last Janurary I bought this beat-up toboggan off some Canadian guy in an old pick-up that looked like it had dog cages in the bed. I found it through an ad in the classifieds and the transaction took place one evening in the Home Depot parking lot. When I got the thing home, it was in worse shape than it appeared in the dark, but for $35, I definitely had a solid piece of wood I could work with. I think I invested about $10 in some screws, cut up an old belt for leather strapping material, and put a few hours worth of manpower in. After a couple test runs, I decided we needed a pad and ordered one off E-bay. A couple weeks later it arrived, and what do you know, it stopped snowing...until now that is.
I was out of town when the initial couple feet hit, but arrived back home Friday. By Sunday, we were up at Erie Golf Course. Must have been about 50 people there around sunset time, and we were all cruising down the ice covered slopes - if you remember there was some freezing rain that day. Well, we took it easy and made a few runs down one of the remedial slopes, but we were still moving pretty good. Then, last night, as we got hit hard with fluffy snow - it seemed like the perfect time to try out my new/old sled at Frontier. I figured on a Tuesday, the crowds would be sparse and the new-fallen snow would keep the track slow enough that I could still work out some kinks.
Now, as it kept snowing, it became clear that maybe one shouldn't take to the roads for something as frivilous as a sled ride, but something kept pulling at me. It was almost like that old toboggan was calling me from the garage. I kept trying to find excuses not to go, but after taking out the garbage and shoveling the walks and driveway, I found myself waxing her up with a piece from an old candle. I leaned her against the car and waited. The snow was falling heavily and thickly, and I went inside to check on my son and see if he still wanted to go. After some chaos involving him not wanting to go in the basement himself to get his coat, we headed out. I don't think the wife was all too happy, as I was leaving her with a baby and my daughter who was too tired to go out, but as I said, I was being called.
We negotiated through a near-white out to get to Frontier and found ourselves on hill with a couple drunken teenagers on snow boards. The snow was so thick, that on the first ride down, its spray blinded me, but my instincts had proven correct and we made it down at a nice cruising speed without hitting any jumps. After we wore a path, the spray decreased and we picked up speed. We just went down about four times, but that was enough for me to learn what I needed to about the old toboggan. As I get a better feel, I expect to be able to go faster and take more chances.
But, regardless of all that, it was an absolutely beautiful night at the park. I'm not sure where all the ambient light was coming from, but its reflection off the snow gave the whole place a wonderful night-time glow and the heavy falling snowflakes and peaceful setting surrounded by trees created a winter paradise. Yeah, the snow gets a bad rap, but when you haven't had it for awhile...boy, was I starting to miss it. Last night reaffirmed why. Welcome back snow! Erie in the winter is not such a bad place after all.
I was out of town when the initial couple feet hit, but arrived back home Friday. By Sunday, we were up at Erie Golf Course. Must have been about 50 people there around sunset time, and we were all cruising down the ice covered slopes - if you remember there was some freezing rain that day. Well, we took it easy and made a few runs down one of the remedial slopes, but we were still moving pretty good. Then, last night, as we got hit hard with fluffy snow - it seemed like the perfect time to try out my new/old sled at Frontier. I figured on a Tuesday, the crowds would be sparse and the new-fallen snow would keep the track slow enough that I could still work out some kinks.
Now, as it kept snowing, it became clear that maybe one shouldn't take to the roads for something as frivilous as a sled ride, but something kept pulling at me. It was almost like that old toboggan was calling me from the garage. I kept trying to find excuses not to go, but after taking out the garbage and shoveling the walks and driveway, I found myself waxing her up with a piece from an old candle. I leaned her against the car and waited. The snow was falling heavily and thickly, and I went inside to check on my son and see if he still wanted to go. After some chaos involving him not wanting to go in the basement himself to get his coat, we headed out. I don't think the wife was all too happy, as I was leaving her with a baby and my daughter who was too tired to go out, but as I said, I was being called.
We negotiated through a near-white out to get to Frontier and found ourselves on hill with a couple drunken teenagers on snow boards. The snow was so thick, that on the first ride down, its spray blinded me, but my instincts had proven correct and we made it down at a nice cruising speed without hitting any jumps. After we wore a path, the spray decreased and we picked up speed. We just went down about four times, but that was enough for me to learn what I needed to about the old toboggan. As I get a better feel, I expect to be able to go faster and take more chances.
But, regardless of all that, it was an absolutely beautiful night at the park. I'm not sure where all the ambient light was coming from, but its reflection off the snow gave the whole place a wonderful night-time glow and the heavy falling snowflakes and peaceful setting surrounded by trees created a winter paradise. Yeah, the snow gets a bad rap, but when you haven't had it for awhile...boy, was I starting to miss it. Last night reaffirmed why. Welcome back snow! Erie in the winter is not such a bad place after all.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Colts/Patriots, Eastside/Westside, Yin/Yang
That was your Super Bowl ladies and gents. We saw it all yesterday. A real knock-down, dragum' out affair, complete with a great comeback and vindicated heros - Manning and Dungy - two guys who have always come up short in the big game, but have now teamed together to finally make it to Football's biggest stage.
Remember, last week, we got into the whole Chargers/Patriots - Eastsider/Westsider parallel. Well, here's my take on this week's outcome, in relation to that theory - with a little dressing added on top: The Patriots have gone too Westside. Tom Brady, from what I heard, is dating actresses and supermodels, in other words, he's moved to Millcreek. This is not wrong in itself. After all, the Colts are historically, a Westside, offensive-minded team. However, the Colts have been balanced out by the hiring of Tony Dungy, a great Eastside, conservative mind, to run the team. And sure enough, the Colts defense kept them in the playoff tournament through two and a half games, before the offense finally opened up and showed its true colors in the second-half yesterday. Yes, the marriage of East and West can work beautifully. And here's why it didn't work with the Patriots, who really squandered their chances yesterday, similar to the way that Dr. Dee obseved the Chargers squandered theirs a week earlier: (Note: theme shift coming) - while the Colts have achieved the perfect balance of Yin/Yang through their marriage of East and West, the Patriots now rely too heavily on the Yang...
Bill Belichick has been seperated from his wife since 2004. The Patriots last Super Bowl win followed the 2004 season. I don't think this is completely coincidence. While some may say, great, this frees Bill up to work even more than his legendary long hours, I think it has also upset his balance. The Patriots have lost their female touch, or their Yin. Brady dating super models and actresses , who probably have more Yang than most men because of the competitive nature of their professions, doesn't help the situation either. Yes, the Patriots are built for war, but football is about more than war, it's also about properity and peace. You have know how to manage the entire game. The Patriots got off to a big lead, but then didn't have the motherly instincts to properly nurse it, and therefore gave it away so they could get back to the battle and satisfy their Yang instincts. Unfortunately, being constantly at battle uses up too much energy, and the announcers noted several times that the Pats looked tired down the stretch.
Now, the Colts, have historically been a "soft" team, having too much Yin, and their quarterback may be gay, for all I know. He sure is a helluvan' actor. Dungy brought the warlike, father-figure into the picture and laid down some loving discipline on the franchise. When the Colts offense couldn't get untracked trough the first two rounds of the playoffs, and through most of the first-half yesterday, there was no panic. No, Dungy applied a steadying hand to keep things calm, and he also got his Bob Sanders-led defense to carry the load with some hard-hitting Yanglike play. Then, when the offense blossomed in the second half yesterday, it was a thing of beauty. The warline Yang of the Colts defense had laid the groundwork for the Yin to bloom. The interception on the final play (not to mentioned the three runs to slam the ball into the end zone for the winning points) were evidence of the Yang protecting what the Yin had established...
No, the Bears don't stand a chance.
Cheers.
Ralph
Remember, last week, we got into the whole Chargers/Patriots - Eastsider/Westsider parallel. Well, here's my take on this week's outcome, in relation to that theory - with a little dressing added on top: The Patriots have gone too Westside. Tom Brady, from what I heard, is dating actresses and supermodels, in other words, he's moved to Millcreek. This is not wrong in itself. After all, the Colts are historically, a Westside, offensive-minded team. However, the Colts have been balanced out by the hiring of Tony Dungy, a great Eastside, conservative mind, to run the team. And sure enough, the Colts defense kept them in the playoff tournament through two and a half games, before the offense finally opened up and showed its true colors in the second-half yesterday. Yes, the marriage of East and West can work beautifully. And here's why it didn't work with the Patriots, who really squandered their chances yesterday, similar to the way that Dr. Dee obseved the Chargers squandered theirs a week earlier: (Note: theme shift coming) - while the Colts have achieved the perfect balance of Yin/Yang through their marriage of East and West, the Patriots now rely too heavily on the Yang...
Bill Belichick has been seperated from his wife since 2004. The Patriots last Super Bowl win followed the 2004 season. I don't think this is completely coincidence. While some may say, great, this frees Bill up to work even more than his legendary long hours, I think it has also upset his balance. The Patriots have lost their female touch, or their Yin. Brady dating super models and actresses , who probably have more Yang than most men because of the competitive nature of their professions, doesn't help the situation either. Yes, the Patriots are built for war, but football is about more than war, it's also about properity and peace. You have know how to manage the entire game. The Patriots got off to a big lead, but then didn't have the motherly instincts to properly nurse it, and therefore gave it away so they could get back to the battle and satisfy their Yang instincts. Unfortunately, being constantly at battle uses up too much energy, and the announcers noted several times that the Pats looked tired down the stretch.
Now, the Colts, have historically been a "soft" team, having too much Yin, and their quarterback may be gay, for all I know. He sure is a helluvan' actor. Dungy brought the warlike, father-figure into the picture and laid down some loving discipline on the franchise. When the Colts offense couldn't get untracked trough the first two rounds of the playoffs, and through most of the first-half yesterday, there was no panic. No, Dungy applied a steadying hand to keep things calm, and he also got his Bob Sanders-led defense to carry the load with some hard-hitting Yanglike play. Then, when the offense blossomed in the second half yesterday, it was a thing of beauty. The warline Yang of the Colts defense had laid the groundwork for the Yin to bloom. The interception on the final play (not to mentioned the three runs to slam the ball into the end zone for the winning points) were evidence of the Yang protecting what the Yin had established...
No, the Bears don't stand a chance.
Cheers.
Ralph
Friday, January 19, 2007
Troop Surge
Okay. It's time to go on record for or against the Bush Administration's proposed troop surge in Iraq.
I have been against the invasion of Iraq from the beginning for a variety of reasons:
For example, I thought the war against terror organizations needed to be fought by attacking their funding and through surgical military strikes against individually identified targets. I also thought international cooperation was critical. Declaring a costly, open land war against a country that did not attack us--without the backing of the China, Russia, France, Germany, Canada, or any Arab nation--was bad policy.
However, instead of creating coalitions, the US went against almost every major country in the world and invaded Iraq...and now we are left on an island. The deaths, the bloodshed, the $400 billion pricetag...all of it has led to this quagmire.
In addition, since this is primarily an ideological war, it must be fought for the hearts and minds of the people. Belive it or not, the Iranian demographic is fairly young and they want their iPods and blue jeans. They want to be friends with the West and we keep giving them the finger. In other words, the "war" with the Arab world is not being fought properly. Killing Arabs in Iraq, whether they be Sunni or Shiia, is not going to produce stability in the region.
Face it: The rehabilitation of Iraq has been poorly planned from the start. In other words, The Bushies planned for an easy win, but--like remodeling your bathroom--this project has been more difficult (and more costly) than expected.
That said, the US cannot simply walk away. There has been too much invested. Therefore, I support the proposal to send additional troops as long as there is a timeline. If, for example, there is no clear-cut progress by Labor Day, then "everybody out of the pool." They all come home. There's no more point in it.
I guess the thing that annoys me most is: What took them so long? Why is Bush talking about a troop surge now (four years into it)? Just because Republicans lost the elections? Is that what it takes to revise a strategy? For someone who can never admit a mistake, I guess it is. The man has mud in his ears.
So, there it is. Send in the additional troops and get the job done or get the fuck out right now. That's my position.
Sadly, I fear that more troops will be sent, more people will die, and the Iraq mess will not end until a new president takes office.
I have been against the invasion of Iraq from the beginning for a variety of reasons:
For example, I thought the war against terror organizations needed to be fought by attacking their funding and through surgical military strikes against individually identified targets. I also thought international cooperation was critical. Declaring a costly, open land war against a country that did not attack us--without the backing of the China, Russia, France, Germany, Canada, or any Arab nation--was bad policy.
However, instead of creating coalitions, the US went against almost every major country in the world and invaded Iraq...and now we are left on an island. The deaths, the bloodshed, the $400 billion pricetag...all of it has led to this quagmire.
In addition, since this is primarily an ideological war, it must be fought for the hearts and minds of the people. Belive it or not, the Iranian demographic is fairly young and they want their iPods and blue jeans. They want to be friends with the West and we keep giving them the finger. In other words, the "war" with the Arab world is not being fought properly. Killing Arabs in Iraq, whether they be Sunni or Shiia, is not going to produce stability in the region.
Face it: The rehabilitation of Iraq has been poorly planned from the start. In other words, The Bushies planned for an easy win, but--like remodeling your bathroom--this project has been more difficult (and more costly) than expected.
That said, the US cannot simply walk away. There has been too much invested. Therefore, I support the proposal to send additional troops as long as there is a timeline. If, for example, there is no clear-cut progress by Labor Day, then "everybody out of the pool." They all come home. There's no more point in it.
I guess the thing that annoys me most is: What took them so long? Why is Bush talking about a troop surge now (four years into it)? Just because Republicans lost the elections? Is that what it takes to revise a strategy? For someone who can never admit a mistake, I guess it is. The man has mud in his ears.
So, there it is. Send in the additional troops and get the job done or get the fuck out right now. That's my position.
Sadly, I fear that more troops will be sent, more people will die, and the Iraq mess will not end until a new president takes office.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
NFL Playoffs
Ralph,
Well, it looks like we both got knocked out last weekend. Baltimore and SD both lost. Of the two, the SD loss was particularly disappointing. The Chargers were not prepared for that game...and I can see why people label Schottenheimer as a "loser." His players repeatedly gave the game away.
I'm no pro football coach, but I can tell you that if I'm up against Bill Bellicheck, I'm going to go into the game with an Eastsider mentality. In other words, I would assume that the Pats are not going to be easily conquered. Therefore, every play would be contested and every advantage maximized. The Chargers, however, played like they were going to have a hundred chances at everything.
A muffed punt that the returner tried to pick up instead of just covering? Not against New England in the playoffs...they made him pay.
An interception that turned into a fumble because the interceptor tried to run directly into traffic? Not against New England in the playoffs...they made him pay. He should have focused on protecting the ball, and not on making a big return.
In my opinion, the Chargers should have won that game easily. They certainly had the chances and the talent.
However, it appears that coaching was the biggest problem. SD was not ready to beat Bellicheck and the Pats, so they didn't.
As for the Baltimore Browns, I was glad to see them lose. They are a Steeler arch-nemesis, so fuck them.
DDD
Well, it looks like we both got knocked out last weekend. Baltimore and SD both lost. Of the two, the SD loss was particularly disappointing. The Chargers were not prepared for that game...and I can see why people label Schottenheimer as a "loser." His players repeatedly gave the game away.
I'm no pro football coach, but I can tell you that if I'm up against Bill Bellicheck, I'm going to go into the game with an Eastsider mentality. In other words, I would assume that the Pats are not going to be easily conquered. Therefore, every play would be contested and every advantage maximized. The Chargers, however, played like they were going to have a hundred chances at everything.
A muffed punt that the returner tried to pick up instead of just covering? Not against New England in the playoffs...they made him pay.
An interception that turned into a fumble because the interceptor tried to run directly into traffic? Not against New England in the playoffs...they made him pay. He should have focused on protecting the ball, and not on making a big return.
In my opinion, the Chargers should have won that game easily. They certainly had the chances and the talent.
However, it appears that coaching was the biggest problem. SD was not ready to beat Bellicheck and the Pats, so they didn't.
As for the Baltimore Browns, I was glad to see them lose. They are a Steeler arch-nemesis, so fuck them.
DDD
The Sp"oils" of Iraq
Ralph,
You have asked, since the beginning, "Why did the US really invade Iraq?"
One oft-repeated reason is to "bring democracy to the Middle East." Bullshit. We spend $400 billion and 3029 American lives so that Iraqis can vote? Does anyone support that kind of deal?
To fight terrorism? To depose Saddam? To find WMDs?
It's all trumped-up bullshit.
The reasons the US went into Iraq are money and oil. First, the guy who pushed hardest for the war was Dick Cheney, and the entity that has gained most from the war has been Halliburton.
Now, according to the The Independent, a British newspaper, "the Bush administration is heavily involved in writing Iraq's oil law, a draft of which the paper said it had obtained. The law would allow Western oil companies contracts of up to 30 years to pump oil out of Iraq, and the profits would be tax-free" (USA Today, January 16, 2006).
So, there you go. It is all about the sp"oils" of war after all.....and how dare we innocently wonder---after watching all of this go down---why some Arabs want to kill Americans. The US marches in with its army (under the guise of self-defense), kills thousands of their people, fails at providing adequate security, and then steals their oil on top of it.
Wow...our "leaders" are some serious assholes. All they care about is money and power. Maybe that's all there is...
I fear that, as a result of these policies, that we continue to be a nation held hostage to the interests of big business and big money. Innocent people will continue to die in the name of "national interest" while the weathy gain more wealth.
Survival of the fittest, eh, Ralph?
On it goes..........................
You have asked, since the beginning, "Why did the US really invade Iraq?"
One oft-repeated reason is to "bring democracy to the Middle East." Bullshit. We spend $400 billion and 3029 American lives so that Iraqis can vote? Does anyone support that kind of deal?
To fight terrorism? To depose Saddam? To find WMDs?
It's all trumped-up bullshit.
The reasons the US went into Iraq are money and oil. First, the guy who pushed hardest for the war was Dick Cheney, and the entity that has gained most from the war has been Halliburton.
Now, according to the The Independent, a British newspaper, "the Bush administration is heavily involved in writing Iraq's oil law, a draft of which the paper said it had obtained. The law would allow Western oil companies contracts of up to 30 years to pump oil out of Iraq, and the profits would be tax-free" (USA Today, January 16, 2006).
So, there you go. It is all about the sp"oils" of war after all.....and how dare we innocently wonder---after watching all of this go down---why some Arabs want to kill Americans. The US marches in with its army (under the guise of self-defense), kills thousands of their people, fails at providing adequate security, and then steals their oil on top of it.
Wow...our "leaders" are some serious assholes. All they care about is money and power. Maybe that's all there is...
I fear that, as a result of these policies, that we continue to be a nation held hostage to the interests of big business and big money. Innocent people will continue to die in the name of "national interest" while the weathy gain more wealth.
Survival of the fittest, eh, Ralph?
On it goes..........................
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Al Shugart
Just to get back to Big Al for a minutue, who Dr. Dee eugligized last month. Here's a great article from his local rag in Santa Cruz that kinda sums up his life and times. There are some great lines in here:
"When Seagate company policy banned smoking indoors, Shugart would go outside and chat with fellow smokers, some of whom had no idea he was the CEO."
"In 1996, Watkins, working at Conner Peripherals, opposed Seagate's acquisition of the company. He planned to bail out of the post-merger firm and lined up a job at Maxtor, a Seagate competitor. When Shugart found out, he arranged for a conversation and showed up in bellbottoms, red socks and sandals. Shugart didn't ask Watkins to stay, but Watkins canceled his move to Maxtor to work for Shugart."
"He left every day for work before 6 a.m. driving from his home in Pebble Beach, saying someone had to make the coffee."
It's not wonder the guy the guy was named the "Most Admired Man in the Industy" by DataStorage six times. I'd say "rest in peace," but I'm not sure Al would want total peace.
Regards,
Ralph
"When Seagate company policy banned smoking indoors, Shugart would go outside and chat with fellow smokers, some of whom had no idea he was the CEO."
"In 1996, Watkins, working at Conner Peripherals, opposed Seagate's acquisition of the company. He planned to bail out of the post-merger firm and lined up a job at Maxtor, a Seagate competitor. When Shugart found out, he arranged for a conversation and showed up in bellbottoms, red socks and sandals. Shugart didn't ask Watkins to stay, but Watkins canceled his move to Maxtor to work for Shugart."
"He left every day for work before 6 a.m. driving from his home in Pebble Beach, saying someone had to make the coffee."
It's not wonder the guy the guy was named the "Most Admired Man in the Industy" by DataStorage six times. I'd say "rest in peace," but I'm not sure Al would want total peace.
Regards,
Ralph
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Super Bowl Picks
OK, Ralph, it's time to go on record with your Super Bowl picks for 2006-2007.
It’s a tough call for me because I haven’t seen many teams play (other than Pittsburgh).
In the NFC, I’ll pick New Orleans. Chicago is tough, and should make it to the NFC Championship Game, but Rex Grossman makes key mistakes...he's sort of the Vinny Testaverde of The Midway.
Other NFC wannabes: Philly, Dallas, and Seattle, are all inconsistent. So, I’ll pick Chicago and New Orleans in the NFC Championship with New Orleans going to the Super Bowl on the last-minute heroics of Drew Brees.
In the AFC, I like San Diego. Although I’ve only seen them play once, LT seems very good. Plus, SD is 10-2 in the AFC! That's pretty impressive.
At the same time, New England--with Tom Brady and Bill Belicheck--are always tough at playoff time. Baltimore has the defense to win the Super Bowl while Indy does not, but can the Ravens score enough points? The AFC is more difficult to call than the NFC....better teams.
My final word on the AFC? I’ll say San Diego and Baltimore in the AFC Championship and San Diego going to the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl pick: San Diego beats New Orleans 31-17.
Now that I've put the hex on them, they'll probably both lose in the first round...
DDDDDDDDDDDD
It’s a tough call for me because I haven’t seen many teams play (other than Pittsburgh).
In the NFC, I’ll pick New Orleans. Chicago is tough, and should make it to the NFC Championship Game, but Rex Grossman makes key mistakes...he's sort of the Vinny Testaverde of The Midway.
Other NFC wannabes: Philly, Dallas, and Seattle, are all inconsistent. So, I’ll pick Chicago and New Orleans in the NFC Championship with New Orleans going to the Super Bowl on the last-minute heroics of Drew Brees.
In the AFC, I like San Diego. Although I’ve only seen them play once, LT seems very good. Plus, SD is 10-2 in the AFC! That's pretty impressive.
At the same time, New England--with Tom Brady and Bill Belicheck--are always tough at playoff time. Baltimore has the defense to win the Super Bowl while Indy does not, but can the Ravens score enough points? The AFC is more difficult to call than the NFC....better teams.
My final word on the AFC? I’ll say San Diego and Baltimore in the AFC Championship and San Diego going to the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl pick: San Diego beats New Orleans 31-17.
Now that I've put the hex on them, they'll probably both lose in the first round...
DDDDDDDDDDDD
Thursday, December 28, 2006
President Ford and Iraq
It's all starting to come out. The late President Ford disagreed with the Bush policy on Iraq. I'm not surprised. Unfortunately, the current administration has typically been hostile to the ideas of other people. "BB's off a rhino," as we used to say.
Now that Rumsfeld is gone and Cheney has dropped out of sight, we might see a change in Bush. It'll be interesting to see what his new plan is going to be for Iraq. Based on past policy, it will probably lack a clear goal and call for more violence.
It's clear already to most Americans...we should not have entered Iraq. It's going to fuel violence and terrorism for at least another generation of Arabs.
There were multiple other options, as Ford suggests in the AP article, but I think Cheney is the biggest creep in this story. I think he saw the whole Iraq endeavor as a lucrative power play, and this is the proper role of a CEO, right?
Even hanging Hussein seems hollow at this point, when compared to the devastation that this war has caused to Iraq. I mean, he was convicted of killing 150 people (although it's clear that he killed many more). With all respect to the dead, 150 seems like a small number when compared tot he ~100,000 (or more?) Iraqis that have been killed as a result of the current war.
Plus, 2,900 American troops have been killed (so we've doubled the number killed in the World Trade Center catastrophe....is that what we wanted?). What a mess.
In conclusion, President Ford, rest in peace and please stand by the United States as we go through these dangerous and difficult times.
DDDDDDDD
Now that Rumsfeld is gone and Cheney has dropped out of sight, we might see a change in Bush. It'll be interesting to see what his new plan is going to be for Iraq. Based on past policy, it will probably lack a clear goal and call for more violence.
It's clear already to most Americans...we should not have entered Iraq. It's going to fuel violence and terrorism for at least another generation of Arabs.
There were multiple other options, as Ford suggests in the AP article, but I think Cheney is the biggest creep in this story. I think he saw the whole Iraq endeavor as a lucrative power play, and this is the proper role of a CEO, right?
Even hanging Hussein seems hollow at this point, when compared to the devastation that this war has caused to Iraq. I mean, he was convicted of killing 150 people (although it's clear that he killed many more). With all respect to the dead, 150 seems like a small number when compared tot he ~100,000 (or more?) Iraqis that have been killed as a result of the current war.
Plus, 2,900 American troops have been killed (so we've doubled the number killed in the World Trade Center catastrophe....is that what we wanted?). What a mess.
In conclusion, President Ford, rest in peace and please stand by the United States as we go through these dangerous and difficult times.
DDDDDDDD
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