And For You Auld Acquaintances

Another year is fast slipping by. As we begin 2013, I wish each of my auld acquaintances the very best of all the new year brings us.

I can get quite melancholy on New Year's Eve, thinking of those that have gone before, along with good friends and good times. This year, however, I'm already seeing hints of good things in store for loved ones and friends during 2013. Hopefully, those hints will come to pass.

So my friends, let us take a cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Evil Won't Be Legislated Away

Last Friday afternoon, as the details began to emerge about the horrific tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, I felt sick to my stomach. You see, I have 4 grandchildren ages 10 and below. Then, the following day as the photos of the victims of that senseless massacre became available...well, I just didn't know what to think or do. It just made me sick. How, how in the world could anyone walk into an elementary school and execute twenty beautiful six and seven-year-olds and the wonderful people that taught and watched over them?

I'm beginning to realize the answer to that question. Evil in all its ugliness and unbelievable horror, does exist in this world. Banning "assault" weapons and high-capacity magazines will make the legislators in favor feel like they've done something positive...but that will not stop the evil. Evil has been with us forever and we cannot banish it from our lives, as much as we'd love to do so.

Yes, I'm a Christian and I believe in a loving and caring God. No matter what the misguided idiots at the Westwood Baptist Church in Kentucky may believe, God did not cause this carnage to take place. But there is another side, one that has been present for millenniums and will be present until the end of this life and world as we know it. I believe it is a fact, a horrible fact that we don't want with us, but is true nonetheless. The devil, that fallen angel, and his ilk are real and they fight their battles using the most abhorrent means imaginable. We saw one of those instances last Friday, when beautiful, innocent young ones were massacred at the hands of one God-forsaken coward.

So, what do we do in our defense? In my case, I believe with all my heart that my God has given me the right to defend myself and my loved ones from this evil force when possible, and the second amendment to the Constitution reinforces that right. I do what I can to be prepared to meet that ugly force with my own force. I'm licensed to carry a concealed weapon...and I do. I've trained, I've practiced and I know that I am ready to do what I can to meet that evil force with the best I can muster; and I know that I will, should the unfortunate opportunity present itself. I'd be there for Jack and Emma, for Ben and Mitchell, as well as for myself.

So called "Gun Free Zones" are ridiculous. For those thousands of us that have taken the classes, done (and continued) the required training...are we different somehow if we enter the local grocery store than we are entering the local U.S. Post Office or elementary school? I think not. Had the principal of Sandy Hook Elementary approached the cowardly shooter with a loaded gun in her hand, I do believe things would have turned out somewhat differently. But, sadly, she could not have done that, by law. The carnage was over within ten minutes; how could the police department have stopped or reduced the 26 deaths?

We live with the evil among us; it is up to each of us to meet and repel that evil the best we can. It will not go away, as much as we'd like to think it will somehow.

Be safe, my friends, and be prepared to meet what will befall us.

Band...Take the Field!

I've been a fan of University of Michigan Wolverine football since the late 1960s. I've attended dozens of games and have never ceased to be amazed at the way they've packed over 100,000 fans in their stadium, The Big House, for every home game since 1975.

I love the football, but there's more to an afternoon at The Big House than a game. Seeing one of the finest marching bands in the country is worth the price of admission alone. It all begins ten to fifteen minutes prior to kickoff when the stadium announcer blasts over the PA system:

Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the 235-member 

Michigan Marching Band

B-a-a-a-a-n-d, Take the Field!

They coming pouring out of the eastern tunnel entrance to the field, knees kicking high as they form the big block M and play the greatest fight song ever written, The Victors. If you've not been fortunate enough to witness it in person, the video below will give a pretty decent idea of how majestic it really is. Every fan with maize 'n' blue blood will feel the excitement and experience the goosebumps by this, in my opinion one of the greatest moments in sports.

Go Blue!

Our Home from Space at Night

This image of the United States at night is a composite of data taken by the VIIRS instrument aboard the Suomi NPP satellite in April and October 2012.

Pretty cool, isn't it? Learn more directly from the NASA site: HERE

Wired.com published a nice series of these photos HERE which show more areas of the planet at night.

So, where would you rather be living: in the midst of bright lights or in the relative darkness?

As for me, I'm glad I'm in one of the "dimmer" areas, not dark just dimmer.

A Blog Vacation and Special Music

OK, I know, shame on me; three weeks since my last blog post. No excuses, just this 'n' that going on, including my "milestone" 65th birthday, which came and went with a whimper. After these many, you're just glad to have made another. Accept my apologies for being missing in action for a time.

What inspired me today, though, is that I opened the iTunes program and began to listen to Christmas tunes for the first time this year. The first one to play, Jo Dee Messina's A Joyful Noise, immediately grabbed me by the throat...

Somethin' 'bout December
Gets me thinking of the past
How the child that I was
Grew up so fast
But I still remember getting caught in the thrill
In the magic of the season, and I know I always will

Make a joyful noise
Send it out across the sky tonight
Send it racin' through the cool starlight
Let it fall on Heaven's ears

Indeed.

Then, Celine Dion came along next blasting O Holy Night, as only she can blast it. Ah, the music of Christmas...joyous, beautiful, and full of memories. Even the more modern Chip Davis and his Mannheim Steamroller group takes those old time classics and makes them into extraordinary, synthesized, New Age wonders that help you to "see" the horse and sleigh prancing through the new snowfall, or the Christmas star shining over that stable in Bethlehem.

Our eclectic collection of Christmas tunes ranges from the piano of Jim Brickman, to Reba, Michael Bolton, Kenny G, Vince Gill and others. Each of them bringing their own flavor to add to the magic of this special season.

Merry Christmas, friends.

Say It Isn't So!

Hostess Brands Inc., the maker of iconic treats such as Twinkies and traditional pantry staple Wonder Bread, said Friday it is shuttering its plants and will seek to liquidate the 82-year-old business. The company, which filed for Chapter 11 in January, said it has requested bankruptcy-court authorization to close the business and sell its assets.


I'll be honest, I cannot remember when I last ate a Twinkie, but we're talking about a genuine piece of Americana here, people! Whether you favor the scrumptious treat fresh out of the package or deep-fried, as some enterprising eateries have done, this one will be missed.

Farewell, yummy old friend.

On a more serious note, a Wall Street Journal article goes on to say,

The work stoppage, launched Nov. 9 by the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers Union to protest a fresh labor contract, affected about two-thirds of Hostess's 36 plants. The strike was making it impossible for the Irving, Tex., company to continue producing its baked goods, Chief Executive Gregory Rayburn said.

The CEO says they will be laying off most of their 18,500 employees immediately, which begs the question to the baker's union bosses:  how's that new (wage- and benefit-cutting) contract look to you now?

A Simple But Troubling Question

Although the world's economy is teetering on the brink of financial malaise, let me just take a moment to jump into our very important and most attention-getting current event with a question:

Wouldn't you think the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency might have access to a more secure means of encrypting and hiding electronic communications rather than utilizing a Google Gmail account drop box?

Just askin'.......................................

Helvetia's Dream

I am a neophyte astronomer, hoping that I can make time available to study the vast universe surrounding us, and I also thoroughly enjoy time-lapse video. Well, this one combines the two with lovely music...a fascinating and absolutely beautiful combination.

This video's creator/photographer is Alessandro Della Bella, a professional photographer living in Switzerland, most if not all of the scenes are in that part of the world. It is certainly beautiful country.

I highly suggest watching in HD expanded to full screen for your best experience. Enjoy!


Helvetia's Dream from Alessandro Della Bella on Vimeo.

Thanks to Phil Plait at Bad Astronomy for featuring this video.

Vote Today!

I voted this morning on my way into work. I arrived at 7:50 a.m. and lined up behind about 30 neighbors. Still, the process was smooth and I was back on my way in less than 40 minutes. The size of the ballot—with choices from President, to County Sheriff, to School Board member, including six ballot proposals—caused the voting to take more time than usual, but that doesn't matter...it's our Constitution-given right as American citizens and each of us needs to exercise that right. If you don't vote, don't even think of bitching about the results.

Hey, think of it (and cringe): the Presidential candidates have spent in excess of Two Billion Dollars to get to this point, you've endured God only knows how many political television and radio commercials and sorted through pounds of mailings. So, get out there and take a half-hour or so to express your choices on the myriad of important items up for a decision, a decision in the hands of the people.

Remember, if you don't vote I don't care to hear your whining about the results. Just Do It!

An Amazing Natural Display

One of the blogs I follow, Bad Astronomy, posted an amazing photo today. I must say, had I witnessed this in person I may have dropped to my knees, bowed my head and waited to be "beamed away"!

Is this not beautiful?

photo credit: David Hathaway, a solar physicist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center
in Huntsville, Alabama

An explanation of this phenomenon from the blog entry:

It’s funny what tiny little ice crystals can do. Floating high in the air, suspended by air currents, they hang there… and then a ray of sunshine enters them. The light gets bent due to complicated physics, the interplay of that beam of light passing from air to a solid crystal and out again. But once that beam leaves, the sky can light up with a wizard’s pattern of colors and shapes. And if you’re very, very lucky, you’ll see something that you’ll remember the rest of your life.

For a full explanation and more information about the photo, go here. Pretty amazing, eh?

Happy Anniversary!

One year ago today—11/1/11—I officially retired. At least, I retired from the full-time, work-a-day, prosper that career, chase the gold ring world. Then, just three weeks later I was commanding a 15-passenger bus at our local airport a couple days each week. In January, I began a 20-hour-per-week gig in a tiny marketing research office and I'm still working both of those jobs.

Bottom Line:  I'm loving it!

Retirement most certainly does not mean solitude, a good book, daily long naps, a rocking chair, and nothing more...at least not for this guy. Both of my part-time endeavors put me in touch with people; people make life interesting, fun and worthwhile. Make no mistake, I covet my "alone time", but that time should be somewhat limited. Interacting with family, friends and others helps to enhance daily life, instills positive thinking, and keeps the old grey matter a bit more sharp—use it or lose it, they say!

So, beginning year two of this new phase of my life I'm happy to say I see no reason for changing a thing. Damn the torpedoes; full speed ahead! After all, the day will come when I won't have a choice about available activities. That day, hopefully, will be postponed by staying active, social and engaged with the fascinating world around me and all that it's inhabitants have to offer.

Yup, There's an App for THAT!

Driving downtown to work this week, I was listening to my favorite News/Talk/Weather station (yeah, I'm an old guy; we do that, ya know!) and they mentioned the latest and greatest smart phone app that was recently released. This one really sounded interesting to me because, well, as I said I'm an old guy and we never stray far from an available Men's Room!

The app is called (are you ready for this?) RunPee. It was developed because, as their web site states, movie theaters don't have pause buttons. From their web site:

The RunPee app is primarily here to help you enjoy your movie going experience by telling you the best times to Run and Pee without missing anything important. The RunPee family – Dan, Mom and Sis – see each wide release movie that comes out on opening day. We watch for 3-5 minute spans in the movie where nothing really exciting, or funny, or important happens. (Obviously this can be next to impossible for really good movies but we do our best. )

We start looking for peetimes about 30 minutes into the movie and we stop when there’s only 20-30 minutes left in the movie. For short movies of about 90 minutes there may only be one peetime. But for movies over 2 hours there may be 2-3 peetimes. 

Each peetime has a synopses of what happens. So if you do need to run and pee then you’ll be able to come back to the theater knowing exactly what happened while you were taking care of business.

How cool is that?!!? We all know there are spots of boredom in most movies and this app will suggest when those are coming so you can...run and pee! The app sends a vibration to your smart phone to alert you while not bothering your neighbors.

Head to their web page to, if nothing else, watch what happens to the heading on the page; pretty cute. You'll find it at RunPee.com.

And They Vote, Too!

Jimmy Kimmel Live did their "Man On the Street" interviews this week, asking who people felt won the second Presidential Debate. But, there's a catch:  they were asking "who won last night's debate" FOUR HOURS prior to the debate taking place!

Is it the camera and microphone? On camera, no one wants to look uninformed, so they ad lib? I don't know, but it is scary to think that these folks may be helping to select our next President in just a couple weeks.

Beer City USA

I'm far from being a brewing aficionado, but I do enjoy an occasional beer. Grand Rapids was named Beer City USA for 2012—a title shared with Asheville, NC since voting finished in a statistical tie. Craft beers have surged in popularity all over the country and Grand Rapids has it's own fair share of breweries.

This video features 16 local breweries. Watch and enjoy these Grand Rapidians having lots of fun, while also realizing why G.R. was not named the city with the most talented singing bar patrons!!!

Trip the Light

I love music, most all types of music. It seems to me that music is one of those things that is loved the world over. It doesn't matter your country, your economic status, whether you're a lousy dancer (like me) or even if you're confined to a wheelchair...music can lift one's soul.

This video, shot in every corner of this big world of ours, seems to confirm what I'm saying. It brought a smile to my face and I'll bet it will to yours as well. It also reminded me of these little suggestions for enjoying life to the fullest:

“You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching,
Love like you'll never be hurt,
Sing like there's nobody listening,
And live like it's heaven on earth.”

                                  ― William W. Purkey


with thanks to my good buddy, Art, who shared the video with me.

Very Little Stars

I find time-lapse photography fascinating. In this piece, creator Ben Wiggins mixes wilderness with city shots to make things even more interesting. Just when I found myself starting to relax, wham!, in came the hustle-bustle city shots, just to shake things up a bit. Still, it's all good.

From the speeding train to the busy city street corner, there's never a dull moment in this one. Watching in full-screen mode is highly encouraged.


Very Little Stars from Timelapse, Inc. on Vimeo.

A tip o' the hat to the Bad Astronomy blog for bringing this video to my attention.

Where Were the Other Guys and Gals?

It has been nearly a month since my last post—gasp!—and for that I apologize to those few that check in here from time to time. I'll do better in the future...really I will.

Today, however, something is weighing on my mind:  where were the others last night?

Mitt and Barack went at it on national TV, radio, the web and everywhere imaginable, but where was, oh, say Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party (capital "L") candidate? Or Buddy Roehmer, an independent candidate and former Governor of Louisiana?

Why are "outsiders" forbidden from participating in these debates? Is that fair? Is that what we should want? "Well, these people don't stand a chance of winning" you say? No wonder; they can't get the publicity needed to become viable candidates.

It's just not right, my friends.  Who knows, with these other "non-mainstream" folks, these debates could really become interesting. They could even help to right some wrongs in how we do political business.

The Repubs and the Demos control the rules and those rules forbid others from getting into the game. That's not right and not what's best for the U.S. of A.

With the limited field we were presented with, however, Mitt kicked butt...big time. What in the world qualified Mr. Obama to be President of these United States anyway??? He looked like a whipped schoolboy who had just claimed he'd lost his homework. Just sayin'...

New Blogging Tool

Next week I'm doing a bit of traveling and will only have my iPad with me. It occurred to me, "what if I want to post a new blog entry?" Lo and behold I just read an article touting Blogsy as the best blogging app available for the iPad! A quick trip to the Apple App Store, a short download, and Voila! I'm creating this post on my iPad. Very cool.

Now, I can easily post photos from the iPad's own photo roll, as well as photos from my Picassa account.

Pretty slick.

Now the important test: can I upload and publish this entry? If you're reading this...success!

Posted with Blogsy

More Canning Baby Steps

With an overabundance of tomatoes in the garden, especially a Roma variety, we decided to try our hand at canning some for a nice sauce. Wow, I had no idea it take so many 'maters to can a decent amount of them! Of course, exactly what constitutes a "decent amount"? Good question.

At any rate, after skinning and cooking the tomatoes down, adding some onions, mild Cubanelle peppers and celery, we only wound up with two and a half quarts. Still, it feels good to have a couple quarts in storage for a cold winter's day. 

Look pretty nice, don't you think?

Does Dorothy Need Photo I.D.?

On this final day of August, just over two months prior to our Presidential Election, I give you yet another snippet from an episode of the HBO program, The News Room. I know, I know, the writers, producers and directors of this program are raving lunatic whacko commies...or at least appear so to some of us. Others feel they've hit the nail squarely on the head.

This is nothing new; hell, we Americans have been bickering back and forth about such topics for generations. The public bickering however, in my opinion, has reached an all-time low point. Both sides throwing lies out there while hoping no one will notice and call them on it, evidently. Pretty sad.

I'm no historian, so maybe politics has been so low down, dirty and full of lies all along...but as for me, I'm sick of all of it. November 6 cannot come and go soon enough, so we can begin hearing about the 2016 race, of course. Good grief.

The following is presented here to get those brain cells in gear. What do you think?

Puttin' Up the Flag

A good friend just sent me the following link. Sorry I couldn't find a way to embed the video, but you can get there easy enough by just "clicking" the link shown below.

Just simple facts, along with some feelings, stated well by a guy that could be called a member of our great Silent Majority. Yes, it has a tiny religious bent to it, but why not? This is America and we're free to do that.

Yes, I'm sappy, patriotic, country-loving...things that sometimes make other parts of the world hate us. No, we are far from perfect, but I can't think of a better place.

God Bless America!

http://www.billcook.net/puttin-up-the-flag.html

Fantastic Weather

This year's weather has been strange and unpredictable: an extremely mild winter, two weeks of 70-degree weather in March, freezing nights in April, multiple 100-degree days in July. But, that's Michigan for you. As they say, if you don't like today's weather, just wait, tomorrow is sure to be different. 

This week has been filled with "Chamber of Commerce" weather, however. Temperatures in the upper 70s, cool good-for-sleeping nights, and brilliant clear blue skies. Absolutely lovely, as shown in this photo taken from my office 4th floor window this morning.

Perfect, don't you agree?

A Beautiful and Majestic Ode

Back in my college days, I needed a "fluff" course to fill out my schedule so I decided to take a Classical Music Appreciation class. Amazingly, the class gave me an actual appreciation for and love of classical music! Imagine that!

A good friend just sent me a link to the video displayed below. It isn't the full fourth movement of Mr. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, but you'll get the idea...this is truly majestic stuff.

Oh, at about 4:00 into the video, you can get a good idea of what I expect to hear as I travel through that "tunnel" many people who've had near-death experiences have talked about. You know, on that last journey when my time here is completed. I've put in my request, someday I'll see if The Big Guy comes through for me.

Now, enjoy the video and watch the faces of the people, young and old alike; it truly is an ode to great joy. Thanks, Ludwig.

The Garden is Winding Down

Well, in just a month we'll be at the first day of Autumn, so I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that the garden is beginning to slow down. However, in another week or two I plan to get a fall planting in of the more cool-hearty veggies, like lettuce, peas, Swiss chard and a couple others. The snow won't be flying for quite a while, so why not make "hay" while the sun shines?

I apologize for the poor photo quality here (too much green with the wooded area in the background), but I'll follow-up with a few better shots. The tomato and cucumber plants are absolutely huge and both produced very well.

These heirloom cherry tomatoes, you may recall, were
"volunteers" that popped up from seeds in our
compost pile. 

We cannot honestly figure how these Roma
volunteers made their way into the garden. We haven't
grown any Roma tomatoes! 

These Beefsteak beauties were grown from plants this year. They're a
beautiful deep red inside and sweet as can be.

We've enjoyed these mild "Cubanelle" peppers; similar
to banana peppers. They go about 6" long when ripe and
are a tasty addition to a fresh salad.

I plan to dry this basil as soon as it fully matures. 

Our cucumber plants have pretty much stopped production, but we've enjoyed lots of them fresh while looking forward to tasting the dill pickles happily soaking away right now in basement storage. I just checked them and they look great. I made myself put them back on the storage shelving, though, at least for a while longer.

All in all, I've been pleased with our production, considering the crazy hot and dry summer we've experienced this year. As I said, though, the Fall garden is still to come.

Martian Landscape Panorama

Here's a fantastic interactive 360° color panorama of Curiosity rover and the surrounding Martian landscape beamed back from the vehicle. Pretty amazing stuff!

Nice job by Andrew Bodrov putting this together.



Link directly to the original web page and image HERE.

What a Pickle!

We canned four quarts of dill pickles last night; my first endeavor of this kind. They didn't come out looking perfect, like a jar of Claussen's, but I think they're going to be pretty tasty. Lots of garlic, dill, pickling spices, vinegar and salt...how could they not be fantastic? At least each jar sealed tight, so we're off to a good start.

We'll give them a minimum of a week, hopefully our curiosity will hold off even longer, then crack a jar open to taste the fruits of our labor. It was fun putting them together; I hope the eating will be even better!

Dare Mighty Things

I'm sure you know of the incredible journey just completed by "Curiosity" winding up safely on the surface of Mars, a mere 140 million miles from Earth, give or take a few. I came across this video and thought it did a great job of illustrating what took place during the final, white-knuckle portion of that mission.

This collection of various NASA animation, telemetry data, onboard vehicle instrumentation, incident audio, and JPL footage was put together beautifully by film critic and film maker Brandon Fibbs.

Pretty amazing "2001: Space Odyssey" stuff. Congratulations to the great work by the team at the Jet Propulsion Lab; the first and most critical part of the mission was accomplished, but the work is far from over.

Self Control or Gun Control?

First of all, I'm licensed by the state of Michigan to carry a concealed weapon. I've trained extensively, I've taken the required class, I've studied and I certainly feel I'm qualified to carry a firearm, which is a right guaranteed by the second amendment to the U.S. Constitution—training, classes or studies be damned—to be ready to defend myself, my loved ones, and others in need of protection from the garbage among us that would do us harm.

Now, zoom back to Friday, July 20th, just after midnight in a Cinemark theater in Aurora, Colorado. That establishment forbade citizens like myself from carrying their weapons inside the theater, just as most theaters do here in Michigan. At least one patron of the theater that night has come forward to report he is licensed to carry a concealed firearm in Colorado, but was not carrying due to the establishment's rules. Friends, please help me to understand what good that company policy did? What good is it presumed to do in any self defense situation?

The city of Chicago has some of the most stringent gun-forbidding laws in the nation, yet every single night gun violence occurs throughout that city (just read the Chicago Tribune as I do). Does it really, really make sense to forbid law-abiding citizens their Constitution-given right to arm and protect themselves? I think not.

The old saying seems trite, but think about it:  An armed society is a polite society.

Here's my own belief:  So-called Gun-Free Zones are a farce; they exist to make politicians and those who fear firearms feel better about having to tolerate gun freedoms granted us by the Constitution.

Here's what one of my favorite gun proponents had to say about the situation:
========================================================

Massad Ayoob

---

ON GUN-FREE ZONES Posted: 22 Jul 2012 11:36 PM PDT Our last entry here touched on “gun-free zones,” and whether the theater where the latest mass-murder atrocity took place guaranteed its premises to be a safe hunting preserve for the mad dog killer who wrought horror there. In blog commentary, I was asked if I could provide a link to confirm that the establishment where it happened, and its parent chain Cinemark, forbade law-abiding armed citizens to legally carry firearms there. Try these: http://johnrlott.blogspot.com/2012/07/no-guns-policy-at-cinemark-theaters.html http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2012/07/robert-farago/cinemark-theaters-no-legal-firearms-allowed/ http://www.defensivecarry.com/forum/open-carry-issues-discussions/89005-asked-leave-cinemark-theater.html http://forum.opencarry.org/forums/showthread.php?46023-Cinemark-Theaters Debate over whether a court would determine that the “guns forbidden” policy carried power of law seems moot: we’re talking practical reality here. Most of us go by the common sense precept, “Do not go where you are not wanted.” Armed citizens who could have stopped the killer were clearly notified by the company policy that “they were not welcome there.” When you make potential rescuers unwelcome, do not blame those potential rescuers for not being there when the disaster happens, and the death toll mounts because what could have stopped the killing has been banned from your establishment.

Angel Flight

Although I never got up in the air, unbelievably, I did spend four years in the U.S. Air Force. This video had many emotions jumping to the surface of my awareness. Pride in these air crews, the air traffic controllers that guide them, and the men and women on the ground, even today, fighting in the hope of helping parts of our world to become better places. 

Still, it all begs the question in this old guy's heart:  is it all really worth it?

With that question floating out there, grab a tissue, if you're at all an emotional sap like me, and watch this outstanding four-minute video. 

It Won't Be Long Now

In just a few weeks, that special, very exciting sports season will begin...collegiate football. That time of year is my absolute favorite for sports, especially when it involves the University of Michigan Wolverines. The USA Today Coaches Preseason Poll was just announced and I've posted it below for those that care and haven't seen it elsewhere.

I see the Wolverines are picked as eighth in the country...not too shabby. I wholeheartedly agree that this season will be an improvement over last year for Michigan (not an easy order) and offer hours of excitement for fans everywhere.

Let the (football) games begin!

Rank	Team (first-place votes)	Record	Points	Final 2011 rank
1.	LSU (18)	13-1	1,403	2
2.	Alabama (20)	12-1	1,399	1
3.	Southern California (19)	10-2	1,388	NR
4.	Oklahoma	10-3	1,276	15
5.	Oregon	12-2	1,258	4
6.	Georgia	10-4	1,061	20
7.	Florida State	9-4	1,055	23
8.	Michigan	11-2	1,023	9
9.	South Carolina	11-2	981	8
10.	Arkansas	11-2	948	5
11.	West Virginia	10-3	833	18
12.	Wisconsin	11-3	743	11
13.	Michigan State	11-3	717	10
14.	Clemson	10-4	598	22
15.	Texas	8-5	549	NR
16.	Nebraska	9-4	501	24
17.	TCU	11-2	499	13
18.	Stanford	11-2	497	7
19.	Oklahoma State	12-1	476	3
20.	Virginia Tech	11-3	461	17
21.	Kansas State	10-3	398	16
22.	Boise State	12-1	271	6
23.	Florida	7-6	250	NR
24.	Notre Dame	8-5	166	NR
25.	Auburn	8-5	66	NR

Are We...Well, Are We?

I received a link to this promo of a new HBO program, The Newsroom, from a friend. Take a look and see if it really grabs you by the throat, as it did me. I believe there is much truth to be found here. It almost makes me want to add an HBO subscription to our cable plan...almost.

(Oh, this is HBO, so it does have the obligatory f-bomb sprinkled lightly within)

So, I ask myself, did MY generation—baby boomers—cause the changes? Are we the ones responsible for changing America from that Bright, Shining City on a Hill to a country torn apart by this or that label? Maybe those Gen-X folks caused it, eh? One thing for sure: this clip demonstrates why I decided to turn off conservative radio, for one thing, and try to concentrate on things more positive-leaning.

So, what do you say? Is America the greatest country in the world? Was it? Should it be? Need it be? Do you give a rat's behind if we are, or not?

It's Official: They ALL Knew

The report is out and we who love collegiate sports, football in particular, have had their worst fears confirmed. Joe-Pa knew...they all knew, from the PSU President, to the Vice President, to the Athletic Director, amazingly including a man I held in very high regard until recently, Head Coach Paterno.

The Louis Freeh investigative team released their report today, stating:

"Our most saddening and sobering finding is the total disregard for the safety and welfare of Sandusky's child victims by the most senior leaders at Penn State," Freeh wrote in his summary of his report. "The most powerful men at Penn State failed to take any steps for 14 years to protect the children who Sandusky victimized. Messrs. Spanier, Schultz, Paterno and Curley never demonstrated, through actions or words, any concern for the safety and well-being of Sandusky's victims until after Sandusky's arrest."

It makes me sick. Find a tall, strong oak tree and use a thick rope. Knot it around Sandusky's hangy-down parts and pull him up, very slowly, from the ground. The others can have the benefit of a scaffolding and trap door, except for Paterno, of course; he assumed room temperature knowing he had abandoned the welfare of defenseless kids in favor of saving face and protecting a profitable sports program. Disgusting.

Since 1965, I've been a raving lunatic Michigan Wolverine football fan. I hold Bo Schembechler in the highest regard possible. He ran, to the best of my knowledge, the cleanest, toughest, best football program in the nation for twenty years. Please God, don't let there be an as yet unknown ugly skeleton in his closet. It's just too damn hard to have your heroes disintegrate into useless dust.

I know their cheer, I heard it time and again while tailgating prior to our contests against them in Ann Arbor: WE ARE...PENN STATE!

I doubt it will be shouted with such volume or conviction any time in the coming years. What a damn shame.

Buy American?

My oldest son—who has been wonderfully employed by Toyota for nearly 20 years now—just shared an interesting chart, depicting the American-Made Index put together each year by Cars.com. How things have changed from "those Jap imports" cries of days gone by to companies producing vehicles that employ tens of thousands of American workers across this country. NOTE: Four of the top five vehicles shown below are Honda and Toyota products!

So the next time you see that "Buy American" bumper sticker, realize that buying American can be very difficult to define in our very globally-intertwined world.

See the full article HERE.


===============================================================

The Cars.com American-Made Index

By Kelsey Mays, Cars.com

What Are the Top American-Made Cars?
Cars.com's American-Made Index rates vehicles built and bought in the U.S. Factors include sales, where the car's parts come from and whether the car is assembled in the U.S. We disqualify models with a domestic parts content rating below 75 percent, models built exclusively outside the U.S. or models soon to be discontinued without a U.S.-built successor.
Rank	Make/Model	U.S. Assembly Location	Last Rank
1.	Toyota Camry	Georgetown, Ky.; Lafayette, Ind.	1
2.	Ford F-150	Dearborn, Mich.; Claycomo, Mo.	—
3.	Honda Accord	Marysville, Ohio	2
4.	Toyota Sienna	Princeton, Ind.	6
5.	Honda Pilot	Lincoln, Ala.	—
6.	Chevrolet Traverse	Lansing, Mich.	8
7.	Toyota Tundra	San Antonio	9
8.	Jeep Liberty	Toledo, Ohio	—
9.	GMC Acadia	Lansing, Mich.	10
10.	Buick Enclave	Lansing, Mich.	—
Excludes hybrid variants. The Camry excludes the related Venza; the Accord excludes the related Crosstour. Sources: Automaker data, Automotive News, dealership data, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Hot Tamale, er...Tomato Update

Good grief, what a summer so far! As I write this, we're at 103° even and looking to hit 105° for today's high temp. We've had heat indices into the 100s since the last weeks in June and it is beginning to wear everyone down. Not to worry though, it should drop into the mid-eighties next week. Yay!!! Obviously, I've been dutifully pumping the water to the garden almost every morning and it's hanging in there so far. We had our first bites on a salad last night:  a freshly picked, sliced cucumber. Mmm, mmm good!

I'm loving the garden progress, in spite of this weather. Looks good, doesn't it?

That cucumber plant in the foreground is reaching for the sky! About 5 feet tall, with the help of a tomato cage.

I picked this nice cuke right after the photo was taken. That is a 1" wide slat just below it, so it was time. Cool it down, slice, add a little salt and enjoy! His baby brother is coming along nicely right beside him, too.

Wanna buy a tomato? All our plants are coming along just fine, even those volunteers! Can't wait for a jumbo slice on a burger or tossed salad.

Sorry for the lack of focus, but you get the idea.
It's too dang hot to go back out for another shot! 

The Kentucky Wonder (of course) pole beans are really taking off. I'm working to get them to hook onto that trellis in back, then up, up and away!

Finally, this gorgeous sweet pepper is about three inches, top to bottom; it won't be long before we can pick and enjoy.

So, all in all, especially considering the scorching weather of the past two weeks, I'm pretty pleased with our garden progress. We'll have lots of delicious, healthy eating over the weeks to come.

One bonus of all this hot, humid weather:  the local garden center suggests watering the lawn, but say do not mow the grass! Mowing would only add to the stress the lawn is experiencing. Sweet!

Hot, Hot, Hot

We've had scorching hot weather this week, and quite often so far this summer. When it gets close to or above 90°, it can be downright dangerous out there, and we've had temps over ninety degrees during five of the past seven days here.

For instance, yesterday's high of 93° was just unbearable. Consider the fate of this ice cream vendor...

                                                                                                   from The Big Picture by Barry Ritholtz

Let's be careful out there people!!!