Yes to Wall Street, No to Main Street

The Bush administration and Congress recently took a lot of flak for giving $700 billion (with pinkie finger salute) to Wall Street financial firms to keep the credit valve open for average Americans. While I was opposed to the bailout for reasons not to get into right now, Congress seems to be sending mixed messages to the American worker.

The Senate was ready to approve a $15 lifeline loan to the Big 3 automakers to keep them afloat for a while. The check was all but written until the UAW decided that they would not take a pay cut. As before, my opinion on that is irrelevant.

What I am concerned about is the fact that congress approved $700 billion to financial firms without blinking and hemmed and hawed about giving a mere $15 billion to the B3 where a lot more jobs are at stake considering that auto parts suppliers and dealerships are also affected.

I do believe that financial firms and auto companies need new management structures, but I think it is wreck less for Congress to casually approve an exorbitant amount of money for financial firms and give a fraction of that to companies that employee a lot more middle class jobs.

Working for the buyout

At Embarq, we recently learned that we will be "merging" with another company. While we are still not sure what this will mean for Embarq, we are probably more unsure of what this means for employees. While the Greenville call center is one of Embarq's best performing centers, we are constantly being encouraged to be diverse and sell, sell, sell.

The merger will not be finalized until the new year, but I'm excited to see what opportunities, and possibly new services, the merger will bring.

Office of President Elect? When was that done? I know a lot happened during the election, and and I certainly could have missed something, but I think I would have picked up on the fact that a new governmental position had been created... Also, during his initial press conference, Obama took some questions. Pre-determined questions. From pre-determined reporters. I'm sorry, but I wouldn't call that a "press conference." Did the reporters jump on their legs for doggie treats too?

Democracy is Great, Only When it's Convenient

We are in our second day of inhaling all the recent political movements. While 99% of the attention is being paid to the Obama campaign and the pending transition in the White House, there was another vote that I think was just as important.

The citizens of California voted to define marriage only between man and woman. The citizens voted. THE CITIZENS VOTED. Now, opponents of Prop 8 are protesting in the streets and filing lawsuits challening the results. The L.A. Times reports that three seperate lawsuits were filed a day after the election asking the California Supreme Court to overturn the results, in effect, negating the will of the voters. The lawsuits were filed by the ACLU (surprise there), National Center for Lesbian Rights and Lambda Legal. Suits were also filed by Santa Clara County, the city of San Francisco, and a private attorney on behalf of a married lesbian couple.

Without going volcanic, I'm really at a loss for words. The democratic process overturned a judges ruling on this issue that I believe he had no business ruling on in the first place. The people have proclaimed how marriage should be defined. And unhappy with the results, gay marriage proponents are asking judges whom they support to overturn the peoples vote. How UN-Democratic.

Freeze! Hold it right there!

So banks aren't lending money to each other. Huh? You mean to tell me that banks, where thousands of people put thousands of dollars don't have enough money on deposit to make loans?!?!

Like my previous post lamented, companies, including banks, are running their finances just as bad as the typical American family.

On the news this morning, they say that banks aren't making loans to other banks because they're hoarding money. Banks are trying to protect themselves from a possible run - meaning that they need enough money to cover their deposits.
Here's a quick example. I gave Bank of Me $1,000 to put in a savings account. I only get 1.25% interest. Not too much. The bank turns around and gives my money away to someone else in the form of a loan. And that person, with good credit, pays about 6% interest. So, the interest is used to pay my money back to the bank, and also to make the bank money.

So, that model works fine. UNTIL, the bank starts making a lot more loans to people who have spotty credit and worse work history. All of a sudden, the loans aren't being paid back and the bank starts to panic because they don't have enough money in the coffers to cover the deposits. So, they start hoarding money.

The banks will stay afloat. Leave your money there. It's a lot safer than in the stock market right now. But instead of government and taxpayers money being used as corporate giveaways, I think financial institutions need to be creative in raising their own capital.

One of the major reasons that people put $1,000s of dollars into the stockmarket is because of a higher yield in long term investments than what banks offer through traditional savings vehicles. To increase the amount on deposit for banks, I propose that banks offer higher interest rates based on the amount on deposit. Customers need a reason to put money in the bank. I like my money to work for me - as little as I have, I like to know that it's making me something. If banks started offering no-min savings accounts with higher interest rates in the 3-5% range rather than the paltry 1.25%, it would give banks more money on deposit, thus more latitude in making loans. Even higher rates could be offered to people with substantial amounts in accounts.

I expect the feds to raise the FDIC insurance to $250,000 anyway to entice people to leave their money in accounts rather than pull it out.

Anyway, this is just something thats been stewing about for the last few days. Discuss.

American Family, meet your model.

For years, the American family has been maligned about how much debt we carry. The house, the car payments, the credit cards, the medical payments, the student loans, and on and on and on. Every time you go to Target, they ask you if you would like to apply for a Target card. I found this on MSN's website :

• About 43% of American families spend more than they earn each year.
• Average households carry some $8,000 in credit card debt.
• Personal bankruptcies have doubled in the past decade.
  

With the fall of financial giants Bear Stearns, Lehman Bros., Merril Lynch, and AIG hanging on to threads, it is clear that the American economy is troubled. But do we really blame a "slow" economy, or is the recent downturn a result of how we all handle money? Would Lehman Bros. go bankrupt if it had money in the bank? These companies risked their future on the HOPES of other people paying their mortgages on time. And they were subprimes at that, not even people qualified to get a good interest rate to start with.

I said years ago when the trickery of the ARM started to get well publicized that the end result would be very ugly, and it is. Those that thought they would have a better job in 4-5 years and be able to refinance don't have the jobs they thought they would have. And it was wreckless behaviour on the part of banks to push those loans on people they knew couldn't afford the loan and payments in the first place.

Financial institutions want us to let them manage our money. But could they do a better job and earn me more money that just a standard savings account at this point?

Take that US Track & Field!

After many years and Gold medals, the US track team had pretty much dominated the sprints on the world stage. Now that everyone who runs for the U.S. (not including distance runners) is under suspicion for doping, breathing too hard, or wearing too many gold chains, the U.S. got smashed in the short sprints.

It wasn't until the Men's 400M that we looked like we belonged at the Olympics. The Jamacains pretty much handed it to us in the short sprints by sweeping the Women's 100M, winning Gold in the Men's 100M, and 200M. As much as Michael Phelps got attention piled on him during the 1st week of the Games, he deserved it. But now Usain Bolt is the new sprint diva. And he deserves it too: 3 events, 3 Gold Medals, 3 World Records.

Enjoy your plane ride home Tyson Gay.

What happens at the end of the roll?

Why do we leave empty rolls? What happened to the person before? Did they just not feel like using any more TP or was there really just enough?

A Recent History of Rocker

WARNING: This will probably the longest post in the history of this blog.

Aside from the neat little rhyming trick, the primary reason I titled this blog "Rocker Crocker" was that I have always been a been a rock music fan, mostly rock and alternative. Sometime in early 2007 I came to a conclusion one day at work that's not what I should be listening too. I had always considered myself a Christian, but my musical tastes did not reflect my beliefs.... at all.

Bit by bit, I got rid of probably over 300 CDs that I didn't think we're a good influence on me. This included all my Soundgarden, TOOL, Faith No More, and many others. I think God just told me it was time to leave my teenage angst behind, finally. I wasn't even listening to most of it anymore. It was finally time for a more positive influence. The process wasn't even that painful. I just packed up the CDs in boxes or bags and took them to a store in Raleigh when I was headed that way. Done. Finito.

I will confess that having kids has had a definit affect on me as well. I don't want my kids to think that they can't listen to daddy's music because daddy says it's not good. I want to be a positive influence on my kids and raise them in a Christian environment, and that includes my music.

Getting rid of all that mess definetly took some getting used to. What used to be over 300 CDs is now about 50. Some of it is still rock like Midnight Oil, the Doves, and Paw. But that did leave a hole in my musical head. I have since discovered all kinds of great Christian rock bands that I would never have tried to find before. A few of the bands I'm now listening to are Sanctus Real, Future of Forestry, As Cities Burn, Between the Trees and a few others. I can say without a doubt that my relationships with my family has improved. The Rocker Crockers are part of a great church family now and we love our church family as well. It is a great feeling to be wanted as part of your church family.

This recent development has also changed my life outlook as well. I have changed my politics to more conservative for religious purposes, but I also believe in a smaller government that lets it's citizens do and help themselves than overburden the general population with taxes for unnessary programs. Even as far as the web and links to this particular blog, before I post a link, I check the link for language and content. This is my little property on the web and I must be the caretaker of it.

All for now.

Go Ahead, Put the Big Stamp on My Forehead

I have officially joined the facebook.com revolution. sigh....

Probably much to the chagrin of Mrs. Rocker.

ok, some music then

For those that know me, you know I'm a HUGE music guy. If they made an Ipod that just plugged into my brain, I'd be all over it.

So, I figured it's about time I post something about music on here besides the little links on the side.

I've been listening to two tracks by a band called The Myriad for some time. They were available as a free download some time ago on some site ago. Anyway, I liked them. But I really never got around to listening to some of their other songs... until.

This is the video for "You Waste Time Like a Grandfather Clock." The song is great. Andy, if you watch this, do you remember that Swedish band I liked called Kent? Anyway, they sound alot like them, and even claim to be fans! Anyway, you can find some of their videos on Youtube.com and listen to some more of their songs on purevolume.com. Anyway, below is the video for "You Waste Time Like a Grandfather Clock."

Look Ma, No Hands!

Hey everyone - OK. Hey to the 2 or 3 people that actually read this thing. I figured out how to get some personalized links on the side. I guess for now, everything is OK. Who knows, I might change the template again....

Anyway, Griffey gets traded to the ChiSox. Guess if the Mets don't make it to the playoffs, I'll be a ChiSox homer so maybe The Kid can get some jewelry. Anyway, the Mets haven't made any moves to improve their outfield situation. Boo Omar!

Addition by Subtraction

Had to revert back to the old template because the *new*, *fancier*, (imagine Lewis Black saying that on 8 cups of coffee) templates don't allow line-item HTML changes. Say, for instance, when I re-added the Blogs I have listed on the right side, the template widgets totally screwed up the links. The widget was looking for a feed link, and not a .html link. You would think Blogger would give the users ability to change their links if neccessary. Also, there was no way to add my own distinctive links on the sidebar. The new template has its own "lists" of things you can add. As an example, I could make a list of my favorite movies, CDs, that sort of thing. But I could not make those into links. Boo!

So, it's back to the old template. I might play with some of the settings here eventually.

Spring Cleaning - in July

Decided to make a change to the template. I like it. Need to get updated links on the side. Will work on that as well.

Sneak up behind the tiger and grab its tail....

Here is a great article on CNN Money about a family who lost their home. It's part of their never ending coverage about the economy is a mess and the government has to fix it.

Oh, it's also a great reference on why I don't feel sorry for some people who lost their home after their interest rates jumped.

If you make $25G a year, and take on a $4G-a-month mortgage, WHAT do you expect to happen?! And people want to blame Bush for this mess? puh-lease....

As Homer Simpson would say, "D'oh!"

/rant

Let Him Be....

Recently, Joe Horn was acquitted of murder charges for killing two men who were robbing his neighbor. Conservative pundits call him an American Hero and laud him with praise. Conservative radio host Mike Gallagher even wants to send him on a trip to Disney World.

I don't want to pass judgement on the actions of Mr. Horn. I do, however, want to pass judgement on the voices of the throngs who want to praise Mr. Horn.

I recently watched an interview with him on one of the morning talk shows. It was the day after his acquittal, and he sat with his lawyer beside him. Mr. Horn seemed very remorseful that the event ever occurred. This was a broken man on TV. His life had been turned upside down by a pending double murder conviction. He just wants his life back.

If all the pundits want to do this man a favor, leave him alone. He is not a gun rights spokeperson. He might be considered a hero by some. Fine. Just let him live in peace. That's the best thing you can do for him.

Old draft, new post

This is was an old draft I did some time ago. I published it and it dated to the date that I started working on it.

About Oprah....

Is This the Dream?

So, our fine offices have had a dress down dress code since I've been here in May. We're allowed to wear shorts, comfortable clothing, and so on.

But, some of my co-workers like to take a very liberal approach to "casual." Apparently, baggy jeans, t-shirts that look more like dresses, and questionable slogans are ok, too. I mean, I guess it would be wrong to discriminate against the pimps and pot smokers.

I've generally ignored most of the clothing, but this particular t-shirt really grabbed my attention today.

I believe anyone who would wear this t-shirt to work seriously needs to have their head examined, and probably their drug test results, too.

I know most schools wouldn't even allow this to be worn, much less employers. I know a lot of companys have gone to "business casual" to have a more comfortable working environment. I know this isn't your grandfathers white shirt and tie days. But I believe that anyone showing up to work in something like this needs to be shown where the exit is just as easily as they were shown the entrance.

Congrats to the Celtics

Congrats to the Boston Celtics for this years NBA Championship!

Working for the Weekend

Finally, it's Friday. Feels like it's been a long week. My legs aren't sore any more. We don't even have a game tonight anyway. Another doubleheader on Saturday night.

The smoke from the Hyde county fire has been really bad the last few days in Greenville. Right now, I can't even see a radio tower less than 1/2 from our building. Its pretty bad when you walk outside for a few minutes and come back smelling like you've been sitting in a sleazy bar for the last 3 hours (no comments from Mrs. Rocker, please).

On a much better note. I watched the greatest comeback (or collapse depending on your perspective) in NBA Finals history last night. Leprachauns need one more win to hoist the banner. I'm still not ready to annoint Pierce as one of the Celtic Greats, but he's been a gamer this postseason. More on that later.

Soup That Eats Like a Meal

Hello Donovan. How ya' doin? Offseason been good to ya? greeeeeaaaat. Well look. I know the G-Men won the Superbowl this year. Pretty disappointing, huh?

And that shoulder tendinitis has you on the sidelines right now. Bummer.

And you don't have any reliable receivers either. Tough time in Philly right now. But, don't worry McNabby, at least you look healthy. I mean, it looks like you could play linebacker right now. As Cartman would say, "BEEEEEFCAKE!"

Hang on Coach Doc!

The Celtics are up 2-0 on the Lakers. Barely.
Doc Rivers needs to realize that there are 4 quarters in a regulation game. Stop playing and laughing around with your players, I don't care if you are ahead by 20 points.
Keep coaching.

I'm not a Doc fan. Never have been. I'm still waiting to for Phil Jackson to bust out the "I've got 11 NBA titles" bat and wack Doc on the head, then the Lakers win 4 in a row. I think the players are just floating along on their own raft and KG is holding an oar out to Doc so he doesn't drown.

This is his 4th year in Beantown, and only his second post-season appearance (His first season). He was fired from Orlando in 2003. A 1-10 start will do that to you. His career record in Orlando (excluding his 1-10 start in '03) is 170-158, only a .518 winning percentage (does not include postseason). Only with a revamped line-up, and one of the best defenders of the last 20 years in the NBA does he finally look like a good coach. And lets keep in mind that the Celts are only 1 year removed from last place in the lEast. Boston GM Danny Ainge is a fan of Rivers, and I'm convinced thats the only thing that keeps him employed.

Batter up!

So, for the first time in 15 years, or my junior year of high school, I am playing organized ball, or softball. I'm in a church league with seven teams. On our team, we have a good mix of people, young and old. I'm the catcher.

And my legs are sore.

We did have a good weekend though. We're 3-1 after our first weekend. Our two games Saturday night were both 1-run squeakers. I had some good hits both nights, couple of RBI's.

Someone is setting up a site with league info and stats available. As soon as I get the address, I'll have it linked on the right side.

Does NCAA need tougher penalties for athlete behavior?

Today is Tuesday, June 3rd. On ESPN.COM's college football page, there are 9 headlines on the rightside column. 4 of those are about athletes getting arrested, in court, or pending charges. And I certainly know that not all college athletes are hooligans. But what is it that these athletes always seem to find trouble?

I've never been one to seek out trouble, nor has it really found me. I grew up in a very stable environment. I think the worst thing I did was pull a fire alarm at school one day. It got in-school suspension for a few days.

But why is it when these guys break the law or get in trouble, the worst thing that ever happens is some un-supervised probation and community service. HELLO? These guys do community service all the time. It is sometimes required. And don't talk to me about fines.

I know these are just college kids. But what happens when these 20-year old "kids" become "adults." There is no switch. We grow into adulthood. Obviously, that transformation occurs much later for some people than others.

If the NCAA is really serious (I know, dream on right?) about putting the college athlete first, then it should be able to punish and weed out those that aren't as interested in being a college athlete as they should be. Yes, there are great stories of college athletics. But as a fan, I'm tired of sifting through stories about this athlete in jail, or that athlete getting arrested before I get to stories about .... sports.

Weekend Update

I had a busy weekend. Saturday morning, the fam left for Boone to stay with one of Mrs. Rocker's uncles, and then to take Sarah to go see Thomas the Train on Monday.

After they left, I got ready to go to a funeral for a member of the church. He had been in and out of the hospital for some time. Anyway, he was a volunteer fire fighter in Bear Grass. They did a great job, dressed in full uniform with color guard.

Found out on Sunday that we were going to have softball practice that afternoon. It's the first time since my junior year of high school that i've participated in any sort of semi-organized recreational activity. We have a game on Friday night, and another one on Saturday. I hope my body can recover in time for the quick turnaround.

Talked to Mrs. Rocker and Sarah this morning. Sarah is very excited about seeing Thomas today. I can't wait to see the pictures!

ah, sweet sleep

The little one, Jacob, has decided he will sleep through the night. BUT ONLY IF you get him to bed about 11:00 at night. And for some reason, he only sleeps well on his stomach. On his back? Forget it. His hands start punching the air so much you would think George Forman was laying there.

He has also started swatting at his toys with more profenciency. Tomorrow, I teach him to follow the ball.

UNC Track's drug problem

Does anyone notice the a thread between some major track stars? On ESPN.com Friday, May 23, Antonio Pettigrew, now an assistant coach at UNC,

admitted on Thursday in a federal courtroom here that he used banned performance enhancers from 1997 to 2001 after enjoying a long and successful career in which he passed all drug tests.

Of course, this is comes during years of investigations of pro athletes for performance enhancing drugs. Recently, many highly regarded track athletes have come under scrutiny for drug use. The list is long, and even includes olympic gold medal winners, including the above mentioned Pettigrew.

Others include Marion Jones, who at the tail end of her career finally tested positive after much speculation about steroid use. Jones was a track star at UNC. Her ex-husband, C.J. Hunter, tested positive 4 times for nandrolone during the summer of 2000. Although Hunter did not attend UNC, he was a coach there while Jones was a student (Hunter's Wikipedia profile).

I'm sure not all people involved with the UNC Track program are guilty of doping, but having three major pro athletes involved in some fashion certainly does put the program into unfavorable light, especially when one of those is a current coach. If the admins at UNC want to run a clean program, they need to take an immediate stance on these issues, and commission an immediate independent investigation of their athletes and coaches.

I Want My Quotable Quotes!

Finally, the NBA is down to the last 4 teams. We have in the West, The Spurs vs. the Lakers. And in the East, it's the Pistons vs. the Celtics.

Message to David Stern: Do whatever you have to do to get Boston and L.A. in the Finals. Pay whomever you need to to. Break whomever's kneecaps you need to. For the NBA to get any type of significant TV coverage other than game nights, you need this matchup. And if you've seen the ratings for the NBA Finals the last few years, you really need this matchup.

Boston and L.A. give us that classic East versus West matchup. Two major markets on opposite sides of the country. And just think of all the marketing and TV opportunities for this matchup. Get Lakers and Celtics players from the 80's to do spot TV promos, and even make them available for some color commentary on TV. People who don't give a hoot about the NBA might watch just because it's the Lakers and Celtics.

And then there are the players. Kobe vs KG, Ray, and Paul. The quotes will just come spewing. Unfortunately, for Kobe, he is the only top-bill star on the Lakers. The Celtics have ... 2. But both teams have enough quotable star talent to make it interesting. I'd love to see Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher step up and say some things that Sam Cassell and Paul Pierce could respond to.

To once again be part of the American sports conversation, the NBA needs this.

Thoughts?

Andy?

I want my cheap gas!

In response to Andys post about higher education, there are some good points, and points that need to be discussed further. One thing Andy did bring up that is completely valid is the fact that more students are getting into universities, but those students are smarter. I'm sure thre are/will be all kinds of studies determining why todays students are smarter. But that is not for me to discuss.

One thing the original study doesn't factor in - not that they could have even anticipated this - was the rise in prominence of community colleges. With community colleges, todays students can get professional training in vocational programs without spending 4 or more years learning about the Ming Dynasty when all they want to do is learn how to weld, or become a physical therapist.

There are many great paying careers out there available with only a community college education.

BUT, as the original study indicated, there is a growing disconnect between the Joe Schmoe workforce and educated intellectuals.

Don't get me wrong, the world needs welders and carpenters. But without the higher education, those workers have a hard time understanding the context of todays world and world situations. Joe Common has a hard time understanding why we need trade agreements and why manufacturing jobs have fallen off. Joe Common believes that the Arabs and oil companies are sitting around getting rich and fat off higher gas prices. To a point, I even think they are. But I believe we need to have a firm understanding of economics and our recent economic policies to understand the sudden jump in oil prices. With the Federal Reserve pumping millions of dollars into banks and the economy recently, the value of the dollar has fallen off slightly against overseas markets, and - without going into another essay - oil prices have risen.

The intellectuals know - maybe - that we live in the United States but we our part of a global economy. 10 years ago, when you got a morning stock market update, it was just of the U.S. markets. Now, we get information on overnight trading in Asia.

Joe Common doesn't understand the ramifications of Hugo Chavez hoarding oil supplies in Venezuela, but I don't know anything about welding.

The intellectual divide is - I feel - one of the primary reasons the U.S. is getting left behind by economic giants India and China. Even though those two countries are very agrarian societies, technology is a major part of their day-to-day lives.

OK. I think thats all I can think about right now. There could possibly be a million branches off this post, but we shall see.

Join my book club, mwahahahaha

This is about something I have been wanting to talk about for a long time. It may even disturb people who I see on a daily basis. And I have as much authority to discuss this as the person next door. I openly admit to having listened to a whole lot of bad rock music. I don't anymore, or at least try not to. Anyways, here goes.

One of the most influential persons in todays media is Oprah Winfrey. Duh. She commands a million person audience everyday. She stumps for politicians. Her book club makes bestsellers. She can make a star out of anybody. She also uses her larger than life influence to spread the words of New Age prophets.

Oprah's newest cause is the New Earth philosophy. Based on the book, "A New Earth," by Eckhart Tolle, who will "gently lead readers to a new level of consciousness, awaken them to their lives' purpose and invite them to envision a new earth where peace and fellowship are the norm." That is straight from the publisher's website, Penguin Books. Great idea, really. But didn't Jim Jones gently lead people to the juice line, too?

Prior to this book, Oprah widely endorsed the new age best seller "The Secret." This book trys to disguise itself in Biblical references, but they are taken completely out of context. Oprah's website says, "the principle explains that we create our own circumstances by the choices we make in life. And the choices we make are fueled by our thoughts which means our thoughts are the most powerful things we have here on earth." Listen up everyone: Our thoughts are the most powerful things we have here on earth. News to me. I pretty much thought that Jesus and God had a monopoly on "most powerful things" on Earth.

And I know that Oprah does do good. I know she gives a lot of her self and her money to charities. I've never spoken to her personally, but I really think she does a lot of her charitable work in order to create good karma for herself. At least, if you followed what she preaches, thats what it seems like.

Anyway, I'm not a big fan. Sorry. I just think that we should be careful of someone with that big of a daily audience and the overtly disastrous message they might be sharing.

Too early for feel a good story?

Finally, after years - although it seems like decades - the Tampa Rays are contending in the AL East. As of press time, they are only .5 games out behind the Red Sox beast. It seems as though management finally went after some veteran leadership during the offseason.



I'll step aside and let the pros tell you all about it. Here is Amy K. Nelson of ESPN.

Check, please

So, a big-time college athlete is on his way to being in a mess about gifts, money, and so forth. yawn. At the same school another big-time athlete was said to have accepted the same. yawn.

I went to a big school. Lots of kids go to big schools, wether is for school, sports, or to party. We've all seen kids who drive Yugos, and those that drive Beamers. I said this when I was at NC State too, and I still say there is no such thing as a poor college student.

The only poor athletes you might see on campus are probably on the bowling team, or Mathletes. The NCAA will probably do a percursory check of USC and O.J. Mayo, and find nothing worth investigating. But we should all know better. Any star athlete who has a "disadvantaged background" and shows up on campus in designer threads and a new ride should be investigated thoroughly. But before the punishment, if any, is handed down, lets find out who their benefactor is. As in the Mayo case, it could be someone who wanted to be an agent. It might be asking too much, but couldn't the NBA decertify them? Oh wait, that would be taking money from David Stern because the big-time college athlete will have to squander time by continuing to play for the NCAA, and not the NBA. The NBA has a vested interest in seeing these young studs get to play-for-pay.

Lots of blame always gets tossed on the hangers-ons and agent wannabe's for giving gifts to college stars. But don't think for a minute that coaches don't know what's going on with their players. As much money and time goes into recruiting each player, coaches know when and where these kids like to go to get a milkshake, much less who goes with them.

Yes, the kids are at fault. But if you were a college athlete and had to rely on Athletic Dept. handouts for every meal, would you say know to some free money? The NCAA should go after the schools, but the coaches have just as much to gain from this system as the athletes do. Until the NCAA severly cracks down on coaches - like a multi-year ban, recruiting handcufffs - this system will continue to prosper.

The political sin wave

Before I start on this editorial, I need to tell you some things about me. I am a Christian. More now, than what I was just 2 years ago. I also lean more to Republican politics and ideals than to Democratic. Working 2 years in the rent-to-own industry can do that to you.

A lot of people see the GOP has the "Christian" party in todays world. This isn't necessarily a bad thing for Christians. The rap against Christians is this is the same party that gave Pat Roberts, Alan Keyes, and Ron Paul big bear hugs. They all are conservative, no doubt. But they have all been labeled as extreme conservative, or in the case of Roberts, racist and a general nut job.

After the 8 years of the Clinton lovefest, it would have been hard for the GOP to win back support it experienced during the Reagan terms. If it weren't for the Dems throwing Al "The Robot" Gore out during the 2000 election, the Dems may have had a better chance at beating W. Currently, the GOP is so beaten up, that it is the perfect opportunity for either a black or female candidate on the Dem side. And the presumed nominee of the GOP is old enough to be either Obama's or Hillary's dad.

Politics is cyclical. The GOP will probably continue to be in slight dissaray until the next generation of conservatives is ready to assume control. But lets have a real moment. Looking at this seasons crop of political ads, most of the GOP candidates are older than their Dem counterparts. Until there are younger GOP candidates for younger voters to look to, the Democrats will probably be more successful with that demographic.

for Andy

"I told them you lived in the Village and smoked pot and everything, and I said one thing about Frank Serpico is that he's no troublemaker. With Frank Serpico, it's live and let live.
Serpico stared straight ahead, sipping his tea.
__________
From Serpico by Peter Maas, copyright 1973, Viking Press.

I don't know 5 more people, although Frank Serpico does have his own blog at frankserpico.blogspot.com, although he's a little more liberal than I am.

I Want to be a Superdelegate when I grow up

What is a Superdelegate?


The way I understand it is, superdelegates are those that are big ballers in the Democatic party and whose primary vote, or endorsement, has more leverage than you or I.

Hillary Clinton is behind Barak Obama in the delegate race - and I'm not counting superdelegates. She is enough behind that she would have to win every delegate of every primary left to squeak out a victory.

OR....

She could be close enough in the final delegate count she could court enough SD's (superdelegates from here on) that she could theoretically overtake Obama for the nomination.

So, here is Mrs. Clinton, trying to be the people's choice, when she is actually discounting our vote by hoping that the SD's will put her over the top. So much for democracy. I understand that even some people don't like the electoral college anyway, but it's the system we have. Even though Al Gore pretty much got screwed by the electoral college in 2000, I still think it is a better option than simple majority vote. I believe if we were to use the majority vote outcome, we would end up with a system similar to third world countries where results are disputed for weeks, and with no candidate winning a majority, a runoff is needed, and the election process is dragged on some more.

Quite simply, the SD system needs to be trashed. Voters expect their vote to count for something and the SD option takes that away. Here's a good example. The democratic voters of eastern North Carolina vote overwhelmingly for Barak Obama during the primary. Then, our state level and national reps, who are SDs, turncoat and give their vote to Clinton. Those SDs will have told their constituents that their votes don't matter because I am going to vote this way, whether you like it or not.

With so much complaining after the 2000 national election about voter disenfranchisment, you would think their would be more vocal opposition to the SD system.

But when we let the media make the news, unfortunately, I don't think that will happen. Right now, the media has a lot invested in seeing this particular battle drawn out to the bitter end. May the person with the most SDs win!

second verse....

New job with Embarq in Greenville, NC.

Still living in the same town.

Sarah is almost 3. Jacob is the positive side of 2 months old.