I don't suppose anybody had his/her videocamera working in the last two seconds of the first half of the USD-Augustana men's game Thursday night. That clip would be perfect for submission to ESPN SportsCenter or at least YouTube or one of those sites.
The Argus' Matt Zimmer suggested in his blog that USD's Rane Mergen would make a great baseball player with an arm like that! Honestly once that rebound came down to him just to the left of the Augustana basket, he handled that big basketball as if it were a baseball. He grabbed it with one hand (he must have a huge hand!) and fired southward as if he were a centerfielder trying to nail a runner heading from third to home. It was a strike he threw, and it would have gone another 40 yards or so on the fly had not the south backboard been in the way. That ball slammed into the board just above the basket and caromed in a split-second into the net. The buzz in the Dome continued for several minutes. Unfortunately where I was sitting (in the north bleachers) I couldn't see the replay screen.
Also unfortunately that shot of momentum didn't help the Coyotes. What a disappointing loss, especially since it was Augustana! But perhaps the guys will take care of St. Cloud on Saturday, thus earning a home game against St. Cloud next Wednesday, and then regain that magic that carried them through November and into January with a perfect record when they go to Mankato for the NCC tourney next week.
USD has few seniors, but losing men like Dustin Little (of Castlewood) and Eric Hall (of Huron), who have been stalwarts here at the 'U' for four years, and first-year man Nick Morrell, who has added a wonderful shot of enthusiasm to the team this year, will be costly.
Good luck, 'Yotes, and congrats to the women and Coach Lavin on their NCC title. Let the magic continue all the way to Kearney at the end of March!
Friday, February 29, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Is age just a matter of numbers?
Today is the day my monthly column appears in the Custer Chronicle at Custer, S.D. So for the thousands of blog readers out there (I'm just kidding), here's today's column from out there, with a couple of the items similar to what has appeared on this blogsite before:
---
Your sympathy is not what I'm seeking today, but the week before last, I went through nine days when I didn't feel well. Coughing and hacking, a dripping nose, an aching back---and to make matters worse, my grandson had some of the same maladies, and that kept him home from his daycare destination five of those nine days. He and I felt awful together.
What got me to thinking about how badly I felt was the painful fact that I endured another birthday on Feb. 3. This one ends in a "9," which means that next year's birthday is one of those meaningful ones that ends in a "0." I suspect some people close to me will make a big deal of it. They had better do so because suddenly I feel as if I'm on the downward slide toward who-knows-what.
I read somewhere the other day that it's scary when your body starts making the same noises as your coffeemaker.
One of my problems is that all of these new people who give me reason to live as long as I possibly can---kids and grandkids---took so long to start appearing in my life. When one doesn't get married until he's 32, that happens. I jokingly blame my dad for that genetic trait---he didn't get married until he was 44, and by the time I showed up, he was already 45. Unfortunately he lived only to age 70 and got to see only the first of his grandchildren, and she was only six months old when he passed away. As for me, just to see my oldest grandchild graduate from high school, I'm going to have to make it to 81.
On my birthday the Sioux Falls paper contained a feature story on a lady up at Chancellor who lives alone and who was turning 99 that day. A photo showed her playing her upright piano. Since she and I share the same birthday as well as keyboard skills, I sent her a birthday card. I told her I hope to also live to be 99, which in my case, will mean 30 more years. That's a positive goal worth striving toward because it will mean I get to see the grandkids grow up, graduate and marry, but it will also mean I will get to see Jason at 65, Ryan at 62, and Heather and Holly at age 59. That will be interesting! And I wonder if, by that time, I will have seen the Cubs get to the World Series once and/or the Vikings win a Super Bowl once. But hey, a guy can't have everything, so I'll take 30 years of health good enough to keep me ticking and let those other extreme occurrences happen by chance, if at all.
It may take a lot of exercise, prune juice, prayer and extreme good luck, but I'll work at it.
Did you hear about the patient who visited his primary-care doctor for extensive lab tests and was told he was doing "fairly well" for his age? The gentleman asked his doctor if he thought he would live to be 80.
"Do you smoke tobacco or drink beer or wine?" the doctor asked.
"Oh no," the man replied. "I don't do drugs either."
Then the doctor asked, "Do you eat rib-eye steaks and barbecued ribs?"
"No," the patient answered. "My former doctor told me red meat isn't very healthful."
"Do you spend a lot of time in the sun like playing golf, sailing, hiking or bicycling?"
"No, I don't," the man said.
"Well," asked the doctor, "do you gamble, drive fast cars or have a lot of sex?"
"No, none of those things either," the man said.
The doctor looked at him and said, "Then why do you even give a hoot?"
I'm not admitting that I see myself in that patient, but my memory's not as sharp as it used to be. Also my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
Life goes on. As I write this, most of my sniffles are gone, I am coughing less, and my backache is bearable. Let's take it one day at a time and consider each new day that dawns to be a blessing.
-o-o-o-o-o-
Perhaps it's a failing in my personal makeup that causes me to distrust politicians---almost all of them. Something happens to almost every one of them once he or she crosses the Potomac and settles in in Washington. That fact wasn't helped any by that fiasco of a television special in Congress last week when a committee questioned baseball pitcher Roger Clemens and his former trainer, Brian McNamee.
What especially ticked me off was that the line of questioning went, for the most part, along party lines. What in heaven's name does that hearing on steroids in baseball have to do with political affiliation! But there they were, the Democrats flailing on Clemens and the Republicans kissing his well-punctured behind while directing their venom at McNamee. If those people are typical of the full membership in Congress, then we have more problems than any two presidential candidates will ever be able to solve.
Sweeping all 435 House members and those senators who are up for re-election out the door and back to real jobs might not be a bad idea.
Politics being what it is, we either have to participate in it or ignore it. As I mentioned in an earlier column, this year is far too interesting and fascinating to ignore it. Can you believe some of the far-right Republican wackos who worship Rush Limbaugh say they prefer not to vote in the presidential election than support John McCain? That's a great way to participate in the process!
The Republicans' bigger problem may be that McCain is going to have the nomination wrapped up any day now. For what reason then, I ask you, will we have to pay any attention to him until the convention this summer? The Republicans will no doubt feel happy and warm and fuzzy and "united" behind one candidate while the Democrats, with two obviously outstanding candidates fighting tooth and nail perhaps into the summer and to the convention in Denver, will be on the front pages and the TV screens and in our conversations on a daily basis.
Wouldn't it be fun to be one of those so-called superdelegates to the Democratic convention in whose hands the choosing of the presidential candidate may rest? I was reading a story about a lady in a small town in Minnesota who happens to be one, and she was telling about some of the phone calls she has been receiving. Pick up the phone and Madeleine Albright is on the line, and then Bill Clinton, and then Chelsea Clinton, and then Michelle Obama, and then Hillary Clinton herself.
If I am one of those superdelegates, do I vote for the candidate the majority of my own state's voters favored? Do I vote my own conscience and choose the candidate I think would be the better president? Do I vote for the candidate who can do the most for me individually---perhaps the promise of a cabinet post or a favor for down the road? Do I cave in to pressure and vote with the rest of the superdelegates from my state, succumbing to backroom threats?
Perhaps never again in our lifetimes will presidential politics be as interesting, minute by minute, as it is this year. That's not a bad thing.
And on we go to Texas and Ohio.
-o-o-o-o-o-
About the time we were observing Groundhog Day, an e-mail made the rounds and made a good point. As a result I'll never worry (as if I ever did) about whether Punxutawney Phil sees his shadow because whether he does or doesn't, in South Dakota it's always good news.
You see, if the groundhog doesn't see his shadow, spring is just around the corner. That's good news. But if he sees his shadow, we have only six more weeks of winter. Here in South Dakota, where winter extends into April and sometimes May, that too is good news. So we can't lose.
-o-o-o-o-o-
As if the U.S. economy isn't in bad enough shape, there's news that, on March 20-21 at least, it's likely to take a nosedive because of the lack of productivity in the workforce. You see, those are the first two days of the NCAA men's college basketball tournament---they call it "March Madness" even though it won't end this year until April 7---and on that Thursday and Friday, there are games live on TV from 9 a.m. till bedtime.
What makes it worse---some of us would say "better"---this year is that CBS is going to make available all tournament games live online without any blackout restrictions. So you will be able to sit at your office computer and watch to your heart's content, hoping of course that the boss is gone those two days.
If he's not, there is a recourse. CBS will also offer a "boss button." In case the boss wanders too close to your cubicle, just hit the "boss button" and instantly a spreadsheet will appear on the screen, covering up the basketball.
Last year when I was in my dark little corner of the Chronicle office, my only way to follow the NCAA games was to click on the espn.com scoreboard and check the scores. This year I'll be positioned in front of my television set, snacks and dog alongside, from morning to night. But the thought of pressing that "boss button" each time Charley wanders nearby is rather amusing.
-o-o-o-o-o-
Good luck to the Wildcat teams in the district tournaments! I'll be watching for your scores each night.
---
Your sympathy is not what I'm seeking today, but the week before last, I went through nine days when I didn't feel well. Coughing and hacking, a dripping nose, an aching back---and to make matters worse, my grandson had some of the same maladies, and that kept him home from his daycare destination five of those nine days. He and I felt awful together.
What got me to thinking about how badly I felt was the painful fact that I endured another birthday on Feb. 3. This one ends in a "9," which means that next year's birthday is one of those meaningful ones that ends in a "0." I suspect some people close to me will make a big deal of it. They had better do so because suddenly I feel as if I'm on the downward slide toward who-knows-what.
I read somewhere the other day that it's scary when your body starts making the same noises as your coffeemaker.
One of my problems is that all of these new people who give me reason to live as long as I possibly can---kids and grandkids---took so long to start appearing in my life. When one doesn't get married until he's 32, that happens. I jokingly blame my dad for that genetic trait---he didn't get married until he was 44, and by the time I showed up, he was already 45. Unfortunately he lived only to age 70 and got to see only the first of his grandchildren, and she was only six months old when he passed away. As for me, just to see my oldest grandchild graduate from high school, I'm going to have to make it to 81.
On my birthday the Sioux Falls paper contained a feature story on a lady up at Chancellor who lives alone and who was turning 99 that day. A photo showed her playing her upright piano. Since she and I share the same birthday as well as keyboard skills, I sent her a birthday card. I told her I hope to also live to be 99, which in my case, will mean 30 more years. That's a positive goal worth striving toward because it will mean I get to see the grandkids grow up, graduate and marry, but it will also mean I will get to see Jason at 65, Ryan at 62, and Heather and Holly at age 59. That will be interesting! And I wonder if, by that time, I will have seen the Cubs get to the World Series once and/or the Vikings win a Super Bowl once. But hey, a guy can't have everything, so I'll take 30 years of health good enough to keep me ticking and let those other extreme occurrences happen by chance, if at all.
It may take a lot of exercise, prune juice, prayer and extreme good luck, but I'll work at it.
Did you hear about the patient who visited his primary-care doctor for extensive lab tests and was told he was doing "fairly well" for his age? The gentleman asked his doctor if he thought he would live to be 80.
"Do you smoke tobacco or drink beer or wine?" the doctor asked.
"Oh no," the man replied. "I don't do drugs either."
Then the doctor asked, "Do you eat rib-eye steaks and barbecued ribs?"
"No," the patient answered. "My former doctor told me red meat isn't very healthful."
"Do you spend a lot of time in the sun like playing golf, sailing, hiking or bicycling?"
"No, I don't," the man said.
"Well," asked the doctor, "do you gamble, drive fast cars or have a lot of sex?"
"No, none of those things either," the man said.
The doctor looked at him and said, "Then why do you even give a hoot?"
I'm not admitting that I see myself in that patient, but my memory's not as sharp as it used to be. Also my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
Life goes on. As I write this, most of my sniffles are gone, I am coughing less, and my backache is bearable. Let's take it one day at a time and consider each new day that dawns to be a blessing.
-o-o-o-o-o-
Perhaps it's a failing in my personal makeup that causes me to distrust politicians---almost all of them. Something happens to almost every one of them once he or she crosses the Potomac and settles in in Washington. That fact wasn't helped any by that fiasco of a television special in Congress last week when a committee questioned baseball pitcher Roger Clemens and his former trainer, Brian McNamee.
What especially ticked me off was that the line of questioning went, for the most part, along party lines. What in heaven's name does that hearing on steroids in baseball have to do with political affiliation! But there they were, the Democrats flailing on Clemens and the Republicans kissing his well-punctured behind while directing their venom at McNamee. If those people are typical of the full membership in Congress, then we have more problems than any two presidential candidates will ever be able to solve.
Sweeping all 435 House members and those senators who are up for re-election out the door and back to real jobs might not be a bad idea.
Politics being what it is, we either have to participate in it or ignore it. As I mentioned in an earlier column, this year is far too interesting and fascinating to ignore it. Can you believe some of the far-right Republican wackos who worship Rush Limbaugh say they prefer not to vote in the presidential election than support John McCain? That's a great way to participate in the process!
The Republicans' bigger problem may be that McCain is going to have the nomination wrapped up any day now. For what reason then, I ask you, will we have to pay any attention to him until the convention this summer? The Republicans will no doubt feel happy and warm and fuzzy and "united" behind one candidate while the Democrats, with two obviously outstanding candidates fighting tooth and nail perhaps into the summer and to the convention in Denver, will be on the front pages and the TV screens and in our conversations on a daily basis.
Wouldn't it be fun to be one of those so-called superdelegates to the Democratic convention in whose hands the choosing of the presidential candidate may rest? I was reading a story about a lady in a small town in Minnesota who happens to be one, and she was telling about some of the phone calls she has been receiving. Pick up the phone and Madeleine Albright is on the line, and then Bill Clinton, and then Chelsea Clinton, and then Michelle Obama, and then Hillary Clinton herself.
If I am one of those superdelegates, do I vote for the candidate the majority of my own state's voters favored? Do I vote my own conscience and choose the candidate I think would be the better president? Do I vote for the candidate who can do the most for me individually---perhaps the promise of a cabinet post or a favor for down the road? Do I cave in to pressure and vote with the rest of the superdelegates from my state, succumbing to backroom threats?
Perhaps never again in our lifetimes will presidential politics be as interesting, minute by minute, as it is this year. That's not a bad thing.
And on we go to Texas and Ohio.
-o-o-o-o-o-
About the time we were observing Groundhog Day, an e-mail made the rounds and made a good point. As a result I'll never worry (as if I ever did) about whether Punxutawney Phil sees his shadow because whether he does or doesn't, in South Dakota it's always good news.
You see, if the groundhog doesn't see his shadow, spring is just around the corner. That's good news. But if he sees his shadow, we have only six more weeks of winter. Here in South Dakota, where winter extends into April and sometimes May, that too is good news. So we can't lose.
-o-o-o-o-o-
As if the U.S. economy isn't in bad enough shape, there's news that, on March 20-21 at least, it's likely to take a nosedive because of the lack of productivity in the workforce. You see, those are the first two days of the NCAA men's college basketball tournament---they call it "March Madness" even though it won't end this year until April 7---and on that Thursday and Friday, there are games live on TV from 9 a.m. till bedtime.
What makes it worse---some of us would say "better"---this year is that CBS is going to make available all tournament games live online without any blackout restrictions. So you will be able to sit at your office computer and watch to your heart's content, hoping of course that the boss is gone those two days.
If he's not, there is a recourse. CBS will also offer a "boss button." In case the boss wanders too close to your cubicle, just hit the "boss button" and instantly a spreadsheet will appear on the screen, covering up the basketball.
Last year when I was in my dark little corner of the Chronicle office, my only way to follow the NCAA games was to click on the espn.com scoreboard and check the scores. This year I'll be positioned in front of my television set, snacks and dog alongside, from morning to night. But the thought of pressing that "boss button" each time Charley wanders nearby is rather amusing.
-o-o-o-o-o-
Good luck to the Wildcat teams in the district tournaments! I'll be watching for your scores each night.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Presidents Day and I'm home!
Of course, I'm not working ANY day, so of course I'm home on this Presidents Day! But as I think back, it is quite likely this is the first Presidents Day I haven't had to go to work since I quit teaching school in the spring of 1978! In all the years at the Capital Journal, and even back when we owned the Onida paper ourselves, and in the last three Januarys at the Custer paper, Presidents Day was just another Monday workday. Oh wait, I do remember one Presidents Day---in 1997, I skipped out of work and rode up to Bismarck with Paul and Sharyn Forney to go to the Governors' boys basketball game. We got blown out not only by the Demons but by the referees, so I probably should have stayed home to go to work. . . . . .
Dylan is spending this week with his father in Rapid City, so it is very quiet around here. Hopefully he is getting well without being near me, and I am getting well so I don't make him sick again, or vice versa, when he returns next weekend. . . . . .
How desperate and pathetic is it on the part of the Clintons' mutual campaign for the presidency that their attack on Sen. Obama today is whether he plagiarized a speech delivered by one of his supporters, the governor of Massachusetts. . . . . . I just saw an interesting poll result on MSNBC: The Texas poll (the primary there is two weeks away) in a state where the Clintons say they must win, shows it Clinton 50%, Obama 48%. Interesting! . . . . .
Our prayers today are for Hill City wrestler Dusty Swanson, who was paralyzed in a match at the regional tournament in Fort Pierre Saturday, and his family. He's a great athlete; track especially. I remember him well since Hill City is only 11 miles from Custer where I wrote high school sports for the Chronicle for more than two years. He was flown from Pierre out to Rapid City Regional and may be moved on to Denver later. As of this afternoon, he was still paralyzed from his chest down. . . . . .
Dylan is spending this week with his father in Rapid City, so it is very quiet around here. Hopefully he is getting well without being near me, and I am getting well so I don't make him sick again, or vice versa, when he returns next weekend. . . . . .
How desperate and pathetic is it on the part of the Clintons' mutual campaign for the presidency that their attack on Sen. Obama today is whether he plagiarized a speech delivered by one of his supporters, the governor of Massachusetts. . . . . . I just saw an interesting poll result on MSNBC: The Texas poll (the primary there is two weeks away) in a state where the Clintons say they must win, shows it Clinton 50%, Obama 48%. Interesting! . . . . .
Our prayers today are for Hill City wrestler Dusty Swanson, who was paralyzed in a match at the regional tournament in Fort Pierre Saturday, and his family. He's a great athlete; track especially. I remember him well since Hill City is only 11 miles from Custer where I wrote high school sports for the Chronicle for more than two years. He was flown from Pierre out to Rapid City Regional and may be moved on to Denver later. As of this afternoon, he was still paralyzed from his chest down. . . . . .
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Back on track
It's not the result of the Super Bowl that has kept me off the blog for more than a week although that was a real bummer.
We've been sick at our house for more than a week. Not the nausea, throw-up kind of sick, but the constant coughing and hacking, chest congestion kind of sick, and for lack of a better phrase, I'm sick of it.
Little Dylan, age 3 1/2, has been home from his daycare experience five days out of the past nine. I don't know if I have been making him sick or vice versa. So far Heather has escaped it.
Then last weekend I had to help my old friends at the Custer paper out of a bind by coming up with a Valentine's Day article for them. Sort of hard to at a distance of 400 miles, but it got accomplished by Monday noon. Then I had to scramble to get this week's Midweek Update done for how ever many hundred Pierre readers there are. Now that that's done, I need to have my monthly column for the Custer paper sent out to them by tomorrow.
We've had snow three times so far this week. The saint with the snowblower, about whom I have written before, has come through as usual, but the daylong light snowfalls require a guy to shovel every couple of hours to keep up with it or face heavy shoveling when it ends.
I'm ready for spring and a week of feeling good.
We've been sick at our house for more than a week. Not the nausea, throw-up kind of sick, but the constant coughing and hacking, chest congestion kind of sick, and for lack of a better phrase, I'm sick of it.
Little Dylan, age 3 1/2, has been home from his daycare experience five days out of the past nine. I don't know if I have been making him sick or vice versa. So far Heather has escaped it.
Then last weekend I had to help my old friends at the Custer paper out of a bind by coming up with a Valentine's Day article for them. Sort of hard to at a distance of 400 miles, but it got accomplished by Monday noon. Then I had to scramble to get this week's Midweek Update done for how ever many hundred Pierre readers there are. Now that that's done, I need to have my monthly column for the Custer paper sent out to them by tomorrow.
We've had snow three times so far this week. The saint with the snowblower, about whom I have written before, has come through as usual, but the daylong light snowfalls require a guy to shovel every couple of hours to keep up with it or face heavy shoveling when it ends.
I'm ready for spring and a week of feeling good.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Telling it as it is
This is a copyright excerpt from Lee Iacocca's book. I wish all of the Super Tuesday voters tomorrow had time to read this first:
Lee Iacocca says:
"Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder.
"We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods his head when the politicians say, "Stay the course." Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America , not the Titanic.
"I'll give you a sound bite: "Throw all the bums out!" You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore. The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq , the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving 'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the America my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?
"I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. The Biggest "C" is Crisis!
"Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.
"On Sept. 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way.
"These are times that cry out for leadership. But when you look around, you've got to ask: 'Where have all the leaders gone?' Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense?
"Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.
"Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm. Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.
"Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when 'The Big Three' referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?
"Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.
"I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?
"Had enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope I believe in America. In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America 's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: The Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, the Kennedy assassination, the Vietnam War, the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I've learned one thing, it's this: You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a call to action for people who, like me, believe in America. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had enough."
(Excerpted from "Where Have All the Leaders Gone?." Copyright (c) 2007 by Lee Iacocca. All rights reserved.)
Lee Iacocca says:
"Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder.
"We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods his head when the politicians say, "Stay the course." Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America , not the Titanic.
"I'll give you a sound bite: "Throw all the bums out!" You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore. The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq , the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving 'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the America my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?
"I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. The Biggest "C" is Crisis!
"Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.
"On Sept. 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way.
"These are times that cry out for leadership. But when you look around, you've got to ask: 'Where have all the leaders gone?' Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense?
"Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.
"Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm. Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.
"Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when 'The Big Three' referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?
"Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.
"I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?
"Had enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope I believe in America. In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America 's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: The Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, the Kennedy assassination, the Vietnam War, the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I've learned one thing, it's this: You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a call to action for people who, like me, believe in America. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had enough."
(Excerpted from "Where Have All the Leaders Gone?." Copyright (c) 2007 by Lee Iacocca. All rights reserved.)
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Super Bowl XLII: Second half
This halftime show is taking much longer than the entire first quarter did tonight. . . . . .
I hope Belichick did his thing at halftime and figured out what the offense can do to get moving against the Giants' defense. Maybe one big play (how about a Brady-to-Moss bomb?) can give the Patriots some breathing room. We should get the ball to start this half. . . . . .
All of the kids have called with birthday greetings today as they always do. Ryan is pulling a double shift at the Chinese restaurant in Edina where he works. Of course everybody is hosting or attending a Super Bowl party, so there's not much business there. Jason is also working at the bar at the Radisson in Rapid City. He said most of their customers there are cowboys still in town from the stock show. Holly and family are at some friends' house in Rochester. Heather and Dylan went over to Yankton for a Super Bowl party at the home of one of her law school friends. Oliver and I are hanging in there here at home, hoping the second half keeps the Patriots undefeated. . . . . .
Man, this is awful, but still the Patriots lead 7-3. I'm a-thinking it's going to take a defensive touchdown because the offense can't do it, so far at least. . . . . .
Third quarter is over, and it's still 7-3. This is nerve-wracking. . . . . .
Now it's 10-7 Giants, and the perfect season is really in jeopardy. The disgusting '72 Dolphins are going crazy wherever they are. How can it be that the Patriots can't stop them on defense and can't do anything on offense! . . . . .
I know what it is. It's the Jessica Simpson factor all over again, only this time it's Gisele what's-her-name. What is she doing at a football game anyway? . . . . .
Well, this may be it right now. Patriots' ball on their 20, 80 yards away with 7:54 to go. . . . . .
TOUCHDOWN!!! TOUCHDOWN!!! A calm Patriots drive ending in a Brady-to-Moss touchdown pass! How sweet it is! Now let's hold 'em. . . . . .
Down to 1:59 to go. Giants with a 3rd-and-10 still in their own territory. . . . . .
1:20 and they're still in their own territory. Come on, defense! . . . . .
Oh, man. An amazing play, and the Giants are in position to win it. 0:59 left. . . . . .
Manning is down, and they have to use their last timeout. 50 seconds left. The defense is going to have to save us. . . . . .
Second-down play incomplete. Now third-and-11. . . . . .
Pass complete to the 15, and the Giants are in position to win it. They just can't be stopped. . . . . .
And there it is, a Giants touchdown, and the perfect season is gone. . . . . .
Only 10 seconds left, and the Patriots are down to their fourth-down desperation pass. Totally outplayed tonight. . . . . . It's 17-14. . . . . .
I still say the '72 Dolphins suck. . . . . .
I hope Belichick did his thing at halftime and figured out what the offense can do to get moving against the Giants' defense. Maybe one big play (how about a Brady-to-Moss bomb?) can give the Patriots some breathing room. We should get the ball to start this half. . . . . .
All of the kids have called with birthday greetings today as they always do. Ryan is pulling a double shift at the Chinese restaurant in Edina where he works. Of course everybody is hosting or attending a Super Bowl party, so there's not much business there. Jason is also working at the bar at the Radisson in Rapid City. He said most of their customers there are cowboys still in town from the stock show. Holly and family are at some friends' house in Rochester. Heather and Dylan went over to Yankton for a Super Bowl party at the home of one of her law school friends. Oliver and I are hanging in there here at home, hoping the second half keeps the Patriots undefeated. . . . . .
Man, this is awful, but still the Patriots lead 7-3. I'm a-thinking it's going to take a defensive touchdown because the offense can't do it, so far at least. . . . . .
Third quarter is over, and it's still 7-3. This is nerve-wracking. . . . . .
Now it's 10-7 Giants, and the perfect season is really in jeopardy. The disgusting '72 Dolphins are going crazy wherever they are. How can it be that the Patriots can't stop them on defense and can't do anything on offense! . . . . .
I know what it is. It's the Jessica Simpson factor all over again, only this time it's Gisele what's-her-name. What is she doing at a football game anyway? . . . . .
Well, this may be it right now. Patriots' ball on their 20, 80 yards away with 7:54 to go. . . . . .
TOUCHDOWN!!! TOUCHDOWN!!! A calm Patriots drive ending in a Brady-to-Moss touchdown pass! How sweet it is! Now let's hold 'em. . . . . .
Down to 1:59 to go. Giants with a 3rd-and-10 still in their own territory. . . . . .
1:20 and they're still in their own territory. Come on, defense! . . . . .
Oh, man. An amazing play, and the Giants are in position to win it. 0:59 left. . . . . .
Manning is down, and they have to use their last timeout. 50 seconds left. The defense is going to have to save us. . . . . .
Second-down play incomplete. Now third-and-11. . . . . .
Pass complete to the 15, and the Giants are in position to win it. They just can't be stopped. . . . . .
And there it is, a Giants touchdown, and the perfect season is gone. . . . . .
Only 10 seconds left, and the Patriots are down to their fourth-down desperation pass. Totally outplayed tonight. . . . . . It's 17-14. . . . . .
I still say the '72 Dolphins suck. . . . . .
Super Bowl XLII: First half
We're in the second quarter, and there is the best commercial right there---the Budweiser commercial where the beerwagon dog trains the horse to be one of those selected to pull with the Clydesdales. There's the winner! . . . . .
Worst commercialso far: The CareerBuilder.com ad where the secretary's heart jumps out of her body and walks over to the boss and says, "I quit." Follow your heart indeed. That was awful. . . . . .
How nice to have an NFL game without a penalty flag on every other play! For awhile there I thought the refs had left their flags back at the hotel. Fortunately they threw one just in time on the obvious Giants pass interference call in the end zone that set up the Patriots for their first touchdown. . . . . .
That was a pretty good commercial---Justin Timberlake in the Amazonmp3.com commercial. Sort of funny. And I even knew who he was before they told me! . . . . .
There's the end of the first half. Thankfully they don't count statistics, time of possession or anything else except the score. It's 7-3 Patriots though the Giants defense has played great. Enough of that. . . . . .
I hate Super Bowl halftime shows. I thought Tom Petty was a racecar driver. Oh yeah, maybe that's Kyle Petty. Oh well. I wonder what each of these people get paid to go out on the field at halftime to bob up and down and shake around to a rocker's music. . . . . .
Worst commercialso far: The CareerBuilder.com ad where the secretary's heart jumps out of her body and walks over to the boss and says, "I quit." Follow your heart indeed. That was awful. . . . . .
How nice to have an NFL game without a penalty flag on every other play! For awhile there I thought the refs had left their flags back at the hotel. Fortunately they threw one just in time on the obvious Giants pass interference call in the end zone that set up the Patriots for their first touchdown. . . . . .
That was a pretty good commercial---Justin Timberlake in the Amazonmp3.com commercial. Sort of funny. And I even knew who he was before they told me! . . . . .
There's the end of the first half. Thankfully they don't count statistics, time of possession or anything else except the score. It's 7-3 Patriots though the Giants defense has played great. Enough of that. . . . . .
I hate Super Bowl halftime shows. I thought Tom Petty was a racecar driver. Oh yeah, maybe that's Kyle Petty. Oh well. I wonder what each of these people get paid to go out on the field at halftime to bob up and down and shake around to a rocker's music. . . . . .
Day of days
We'll take a break from politics at least until Monday. After all, this is a national holiday from all of that, and not just because it's my birthday! . . . . .
I had Fox's NFL pre-game show (the first few minutes of the first of four hours!) on until they started showing and listening to the tired old 1972 Miami Dolphins. Thankfully a Patriot win today will put them on the backburner for the rest of their pathetic lives, at least until somebody sticks a microphone in front of one of their faces. . . . . .
A Groundhog Day e-mail made the rounds yesterday. It made a good point: In South Dakota, whether the groundhog sees his shadow or not is immaterial because, either way it's good news. Either we have spring soon or we have only six more weeks of winter instead of three months! That's a positive thought.
Here in Vermillion there is something hanging in the air today under bright but cloudy skies. Snow is supposed to be on the way although even the Keloland Doppler Storm Center with all of their bells and whistles isn't saying yet just how much we might receive. Let it snow; without the bitter cold, snow isn't all that bad, as long as I don't have to travel anywhere! . . . . .
Our USD teams both won last night before a crowd within 98 people of 6,000. Both were #4 in the nation last week. The women lead the conference, and the men are now in a first-place tie. It gets tough now. Next games are at Nebraska-Omaha next Saturday, then Minnesota State and St. Cloud State, both on the road, the following week. . . . . .
I don't think I'll blog the Super Bowl game. I know that, if the Patriots lose, I'll get e-mails and phone calls, which I will ignore. If it happens, at least it's to a decent team like the Giants instead of despicable groups like the Packers or the Steelers. But it's hard to imagine their coming this far without finishing the perfect season. Let's play ball and see what happens. The Super Bowl meatloaf is in the crockpot (that's a personal tradition); later sweet potatoes and pumpkin dessert will go into the oven. Oliver and I will dine in style as kickoff approaches.
I had Fox's NFL pre-game show (the first few minutes of the first of four hours!) on until they started showing and listening to the tired old 1972 Miami Dolphins. Thankfully a Patriot win today will put them on the backburner for the rest of their pathetic lives, at least until somebody sticks a microphone in front of one of their faces. . . . . .
A Groundhog Day e-mail made the rounds yesterday. It made a good point: In South Dakota, whether the groundhog sees his shadow or not is immaterial because, either way it's good news. Either we have spring soon or we have only six more weeks of winter instead of three months! That's a positive thought.
Here in Vermillion there is something hanging in the air today under bright but cloudy skies. Snow is supposed to be on the way although even the Keloland Doppler Storm Center with all of their bells and whistles isn't saying yet just how much we might receive. Let it snow; without the bitter cold, snow isn't all that bad, as long as I don't have to travel anywhere! . . . . .
Our USD teams both won last night before a crowd within 98 people of 6,000. Both were #4 in the nation last week. The women lead the conference, and the men are now in a first-place tie. It gets tough now. Next games are at Nebraska-Omaha next Saturday, then Minnesota State and St. Cloud State, both on the road, the following week. . . . . .
I don't think I'll blog the Super Bowl game. I know that, if the Patriots lose, I'll get e-mails and phone calls, which I will ignore. If it happens, at least it's to a decent team like the Giants instead of despicable groups like the Packers or the Steelers. But it's hard to imagine their coming this far without finishing the perfect season. Let's play ball and see what happens. The Super Bowl meatloaf is in the crockpot (that's a personal tradition); later sweet potatoes and pumpkin dessert will go into the oven. Oliver and I will dine in style as kickoff approaches.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Ready for the weekend
It's February, and that means spring is even closer. But so are our March and April blizzards, but that kind of snow melts soon whereas the Dec. 2 ice storm ice is still on our yard and driveway! . . . . .
More than 4,000 were in the Dome last night for the USD games vs. Minnesota-Duluth. The women won easily; the men struggled with cold shooting again but had enough weapons in the second half to win. Both teams have lost only once, and both are ranked #4 in the nation. Big games here tomorrow vs. Minnesota State! . . . . .
I've seen only snippets of the Obama-Clinton debate last night. I'm sure I would have my opinion about who "won" if I had seen it all, but since I didn't, I won't comment on that. . . . . .
Quote worth saving from columnist Leonard Pitts' Thursday column: Quoting a friend of his who at age 46 is volunteering to work for a campaign for the first time in her life, he said, "'We don't need another politician. We need a leader.'" And then Pitts in his own words continued, "I submit that maybe a critical mass of us has grown sick of the politics of acrimony, the politics of red vs. blue, the politics of addition by division. I submit that there is a yearning to e called into the service of something larger than self or party." And then, speaking about Sen. Obama, Pitts wrote, "He has not sacrificed intellectual honesty for ideological purity. He comes across as a man not so rigidly enslaved by political creed that he cannot be persuaded, a man who is, in a word, reasonable. And reason has become a rarity. Obama appeals to American characteristics that lately have seemed used up, forgotten, discarded. Meaning our capacity for reinvention and the native idealism that powers it. If I were a politician, I'd be taking notes." . . . . .
The Sioux Falls paper had a feature story on a lady who lives alone up at Chancellor and who will be 99 on Sunday. A photo showed her playing her upright piano. So since she and I share the same birthday and the same piano inclinations, I sent her a birthday card today. I told her I hope I live to be 99, which in my case will mean 30 more years. That's a positive thought because it will mean I get to see the grandkids grow up, graduate, marry. But it will also mean I will get to see Jason at 65, Ryan at 62, and Heather and Holly at 59. That will be interesting! And I wonder if, by that time, I will have seen the Cubs get to the World Series once and/or the Vikings win a Super Bowl once. Well, hey, a guy can't have everything. I'll trade both of those extreme occurrences for the chance to live to 99.
More than 4,000 were in the Dome last night for the USD games vs. Minnesota-Duluth. The women won easily; the men struggled with cold shooting again but had enough weapons in the second half to win. Both teams have lost only once, and both are ranked #4 in the nation. Big games here tomorrow vs. Minnesota State! . . . . .
I've seen only snippets of the Obama-Clinton debate last night. I'm sure I would have my opinion about who "won" if I had seen it all, but since I didn't, I won't comment on that. . . . . .
Quote worth saving from columnist Leonard Pitts' Thursday column: Quoting a friend of his who at age 46 is volunteering to work for a campaign for the first time in her life, he said, "'We don't need another politician. We need a leader.'" And then Pitts in his own words continued, "I submit that maybe a critical mass of us has grown sick of the politics of acrimony, the politics of red vs. blue, the politics of addition by division. I submit that there is a yearning to e called into the service of something larger than self or party." And then, speaking about Sen. Obama, Pitts wrote, "He has not sacrificed intellectual honesty for ideological purity. He comes across as a man not so rigidly enslaved by political creed that he cannot be persuaded, a man who is, in a word, reasonable. And reason has become a rarity. Obama appeals to American characteristics that lately have seemed used up, forgotten, discarded. Meaning our capacity for reinvention and the native idealism that powers it. If I were a politician, I'd be taking notes." . . . . .
The Sioux Falls paper had a feature story on a lady who lives alone up at Chancellor and who will be 99 on Sunday. A photo showed her playing her upright piano. So since she and I share the same birthday and the same piano inclinations, I sent her a birthday card today. I told her I hope I live to be 99, which in my case will mean 30 more years. That's a positive thought because it will mean I get to see the grandkids grow up, graduate, marry. But it will also mean I will get to see Jason at 65, Ryan at 62, and Heather and Holly at 59. That will be interesting! And I wonder if, by that time, I will have seen the Cubs get to the World Series once and/or the Vikings win a Super Bowl once. Well, hey, a guy can't have everything. I'll trade both of those extreme occurrences for the chance to live to 99.
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