A Word On College Mascots

I always enjoy watching the NCAA "March Madness" college basketball tournament. For me, it’s the most exciting sporting event of the year. Each game is played with great intensity as the "one and done" situation sends the losing team home. But aside from all of the excitement of the games themselves, I always get a kick out of the team mascots.

Animals always make great mascots. There’s the cats: Lions, Tigers, Panthers, Cougars, Wildcats and Bobcats. There's also some dogs: Retrievers, Great Danes, Bulldogs, Huskies and the ever popular Salukis. And, of course there’s a variety of birds:, Eagles, Owls, Fightin' Blue Hens, Seahawks, Jayhawks, Skyhawks, Redhawks and just plain ol’ Hawks. Some teams are even named after bugs: Yellow Jackets, Hornets and Spiders. Of course, I’m partial to the mighty Terrapins of Maryland. (For those who don’t know, a terrapin is a bad ass turtle!)

All of these sound formidable to some degree. After all, isn’t the idea to intimidate the opposing team? With that being said, I have to wonder about the thought that went behind some of the team’s names. Here are a few that I don’t completely understand:

Oregon Ducks – Unless you just washed your car, how could you be intimidated of a bunch of ducks?

Bucknell Bison – Just sounds like a bunch of bullsh*t to me.

Idaho Vandals – What do they do to warm up, spray paint graffiti on the backboards?

USC Trojans – Come on! Condoms can’t play basketball!

Utah Runnin' Utes - Reminds me of the scene in My Cousin Vinny where the cook asks Joe Pesci, "What the hell's a yute?"

Marist Red Foxes - After a bad play, I wonder if the coach ever yells, "Hey, you big dummy"!

Notre Dame Fighting Irish – Sure, a pissed off Irish guy is a great mascot. But what’s he doing representing a school with a French name?

West Virginia Mountaineers – I don’t know, this one just sounds too much like a sequel to Deliverance.

Stanford Cardinal – What happened to the “s”?

Delta State Fighting Okra - A fighting asparagus could be a little intimidating. A fighting okra, not so much...

Oregon State Beavers – Really? Do I even have to explain why this name might be a bad idea?

Nebraska Corn Huskers - Nothing intimidates another team like a bunch of guys husking corn.

Vanderbilt Commodores – I guess these guys enter the court singing, “She’s a brick house??”

St. Mary Gaels – Hail, Hail, Hail! What the hell’s a Gael???

Houston Cougars – Can a bunch of horny middle aged women really be taken seriously??

Arizona State Sun Devils – Sponsored by Coppertone?

Kent. St. Golden Flashes - Sounds too much like a symptom of menopause.

On a positive note, here are some of my favorite mascots: the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels, the Crimson Tide of Alabama, and the Maryland Terrapins (did I mention that it’s a bad ass turtle?)


kw

A Scorned Nation

I can’t say that I’m surprised about the harsh response Democrats are receiving regarding their passage of the recent healthcare bill. Putting it mildly, people are fired up. And they have good reason to be! They were betrayed by the very people they elected to represent them in Washington.

Over the past few days, there have been reported threats against several representatives. For the record, I think these threats are wrong. It’s not the way to get things done and it makes America look bad. We’re better than that. However, I do think it’s an obvious sign that people are fed up with being ignored by Washington.

So, now the Democrats are demanding that the Republicans do something to curtail the threats. Are you kidding me? All of a sudden they want to turn righteous on us?

Where was the Democrat’s outrage when Sarah Palin and her family were getting dragged through the gutter during the entire 2008 Presidential campaign? And it continued even after the campaign until she had to eventually step down as Governor of Alaska. The harassment she endured was something that I didn’t even think scumbag liberals were low enough to take part in. But they did. And they were absolutely ruthless! And what did the Democrats say about it? Not a damned thing! In fact, they loved it!

And when Black Panthers stood outside a polling place in Philadelphia with clubs on Election Day, where was the Democratic outrage? I guess the Panthers were just there to show their “brotherly love”?

And when several Bush campaign headquarters were vandalized several years ago, did the Democrats come out and denounce it? Hell no!

And most recently, when Rep. Stupak was leaning towards voting “no” on the healthcare bill (because of government funded abortion), he received threatening messages from angry liberals. Did we hear anything about that? Of course, we didn’t. It was only after he buckled under the Pelosi pressure and voted “yes” that we heard of the new threats (assumed to be from conservatives).

Why is it when liberals go ape-shit, it’s called “civil disobedience” and we’re expected to tolerate it? After all, they say, it’s just part of the Democratic process. But when a few conservatives go off the deep end, the media instantly portrays the whole Republican Party as a bunch of backwoods racist lunatics? Is it just me, or is there a double standard here?

Let me break it down..........

What did you clueless Democrats think was going to happen after you screwed the country over?? Did you think people were just going to sit quietly around the Kool-Aid bowl and watch as you blatantly strip away their freedoms and liberties? People are pissed, dammit!! They feel that they’re losing their country and you jerk-offs are doing everything you can to expedite the process. They tried and tried to get their message across to you, but you ignored them. You obviously weren't paying attention during all of those heated town hall meetings and Tea Parties last year. So, now the people are desperate and frankly, some have reached the boiling point.. And now you act surprised? Give me a freggin’ break! When will you assholes ever wake up??

If nothing else, can we at least now agree that the people are thoroughly fed up??

And let’s not think for a moment that the Democrats aren’t using all of these threats as a political advantage. They know they are going to get their asses handed to them in November, so they’ll do anything they can to make the Republicans look bad.

Again, I want to reiterate that I DO NOT CONDONE THREATS OR VIOLENCE against anyone. But I can certainly understand the frustration and outrage………….


KW

Welcome To The Machine

Always a glutton for punishment, I forced myself to watch the official vote on the Healthcare bill. And although I expected it to pass, I was still somehow shocked when the final vote count was officially in. I guess I was clinging to the hope that something like this could never happen in America.

Democrats sold their souls for this bill. They fell blindly in line behind the Obama-Reid-Pelosi machine and proceeded to defy America. Sure, they’ll pay dearly in the mid-term elections. But the damage is already done. I seriously wonder how these people can even sleep at night!

It sickened me to watch Nancy Pelosi’s gleaming face as the final votes came in. With her sinister smile, she reminded me of the Joker in Batman. At one point, she mentioned something about Ted Kennedy and the passion he had for healthcare reform. This really got my blood boiling. If Uncle Teddy was so concerned about healthcare, he sure wasn’t too convincing at that Chappaquiddick Lake forty years ago!

Watching the Democrats having their impromptu victory party, I viewed it as if they were dancing on the grave of America. I truly think this has the potential to open up the gates to Obama’s ultimate vision: The United Socialist States of America. And even though the majority of Americans have shown that they are opposed to big government, the Democrats continue to give us the proverbial middle finger.

When Obama campaigned, he gave an illusion of being someone who would bring the country together. He was supposed to bridge partisan politics and reach across the aisle. He would work with Republicans to do what was best for America. Remember that? Considering the healthcare bill didn’t get a single Republican vote, I guess that “reaching across the aisle” thing isn’t working out. At times yesterday, the House chamber resembled an angry soccer crowd. I have never seen so much contention between the two parties (Of course, I wasn’t around during the Civil War. But maybe we could ask Senator Robert Byrd about it).

So in the end, Democrats will have to live with the consequences of this bill. They will have to answer to their constituents about things like higher taxes, reduced Medicare benefits, lay-offs (especially in small businesses), increased out-of-pocket medical expenses and IRS fines for those who chose not to buy insurance. And more importantly, they will have to explain why they blatantly defied the will of the people.

Bu then again, many of them won’t have to worry about this after November.


KW

Let's Make A Deal

So, it appears that the day had finally arrived for the House to vote on the healthcare bill. Obama has spent the past week making stump speeches as if the Presidential campaign is still on. (Actually, Obama has never stopped making campaign speeches!) And today, Nancy Pelosi is no doubt frantically try to secure any last minute votes among fellow Democrats.

My gut feeling is after some arm twisting and other back room deals by Princess Nancy, the bill will pass by one vote. Many House Democrats will ignore the wishes of their constituents and instead they’ll tow the party line and vote for the government takeover of the healthcare business. And, of course, when they’re thrown out on their asses by the voters in November, they’ll wonder what happened.

From most polls that I’ve seen, the majority of Americans do not want a government run healthcare system. Not surprising since most Americans believe in a limited government. Unfortunately, Obama and crew see things a different way. They want the government involved in every aspect of your life. They believe that the government, not you, knows what’s best for you.

I personally think that government run healthcare is a terrible idea on many levels. Not the least of which is that the government has shown a history of inefficiency at anything it runs. Medicare is a microcosm of what the Obama proposed healthcare plan will look like. Medicare is paying out more money that it takes in now, and it only covers senior citizens! And now we’re going to open it up to the whole country and trust the government to effectively run another twenty percent of the American economy??? Am I crazy for predicting that that this will not work?

From another angle, I also feel that this is a backdoor way for Obama to put private insurance companies out of business. Think about it. How can companies like Blue Cross or United Healthcare ever compete with a competitor (the US government) that never has to make a profit?

And small businesses will likely suffer too, as they will be forced to provide healthcare for their employees or pay a hefty fine. This will likely backfire as these companies will wind up laying off employees or closing up shop. I don’t understand why Democrats have such an issue with people making money. After all, isn’t working hard and becoming successful part of the American dream? Everyone can’t be on welfare!

I think that this is all part of liberals ultimate plan to transform the US into a socialist nation. It doesn’t matter what the majority of Americans want. Like I mentioned before, liberals feel that the government can run your life better than you. You should just sit back and do as you’re told! Many Americans (especially those who are financially dependent on the government generation after generation) don’t have a problem with this. They just take whatever entitlements come their way and then ask for more. However, the majority of working class Americans see things a different way!

Pray for the future of our country. We’re going to need all of the help we can get……..

KW

Last One Out Turn Off The Lights

A couple of weeks ago, the Archdiocese announced that they would be closing thirteen local Catholic schools at the end of this year. It shouldn’t have really come as a surprise since sixteen other area schools have been closed since 2002. But with the scheduled closings of St. Rose of Lima and Cardinal Gibbons, it struck a personal chord this time.

It’s no secret that there’s no lost love between St. Rose and me. I have my personal reasons for my disgust with them, but that’s another story. However, I truly feel for the parents who now have to scramble to find a new school for their kids next year. These people include my own family and several close friends.

I was truly saddened (and shocked) when I heard that my alma mater, Cardinal Gibbons, was included in the latest closings. There will always be a special place in my heart for Gibbons. I met a lot of great people during my four years there. And the teachers really cared about our success, not just in academics, but in life as well. There’s no doubt that I’m a much better person because of Cardinal Gibbons High School.

Aside from my personal experiences at Gibbons, it is also has a bit of history. After all, it was where the legend of Babe Ruth was born. For those who don’t know, way before it was a high school, Gibbons was the site of St. Mary’s Industrial School (a school for troubled youths). The Babe was eventually “committed” here and it didn’t take long for Brother Matthias to notice his natural baseball talent. And, as they say, the rest is history. Many times, I sat on the wall overlooking the baseball field at Gibbons and visualized the Babe knocking one out of the park.

So, the big question is: Why are these schools being forced to close? The first thing that comes to my mind is the average tuition for these places. If I’m not mistaken, the annual cost of sending a child to St. Rose today is roughly $4000. And this is an elementary school! This is roughly four times the cost of my senior year at Gibbons! And from what I understand, the high school tuition rates are now $10,000 a year (and up!).

With the unemployment rate continuing to rise (no matter what bullshit the politicians are feeding you) and the overall state of the economy, how can parents continue to afford this? People are having a hard enough time just paying the mortgage and putting food on the table. And people wonder why enrollment is down?

And let’s face it, money may be the root of all evil but it’s near and dear to the heart of the Catholic Church. The Church , in many respects, is run like a large corporation. If there are parts of the business that are losing money, they will inevitably have to go. Could the Church “spread the wealth” and keep the struggling schools afloat? Probably. But again, it all boils down to money. And, in my humble opinion, there is a glaring double standard when it comes to our money and the Church’s money.

I don't have any proof of it, but the rumor is that a lucrative real estate deal was struck a couple of years ago between the Archdiocese and St. Agnes Hospital (which directly across from Gibbons on Caton Avenue). If this turns out to be true, it just reinforces my belief that it's always about the money.

One of the more absurd things that I’ve heard about the school closings is that it was racially motivated. The fact that most of the schools that were closed were in Baltimore City (which has a predominantly black population) quickly got the attention of the usual race baiters. Let me explain something to these fools: It doesn’t matter if you’re black or white, when it comes to business decisions, the only color that matters is green!

So, many parents are now faced with the decision to send their kids to nearby Catholic schools or send them to their local public schools. Sending them to other private schools will likely translate into higher tuition rates. And, in some parts of the city, the public schools are more like a breeding ground for future prison inmates. So, this doesn't even factor in as an option.

I truly feel for these parents and sincerely wish them the best of luck…..

KW

Playful Politicians

Through the years, I have worked for several large companies. And at some point, they required all employees to take some type of sexual harassment course. Most of us already knew the rules and the courses are more of a legal formality than anything else.

So, it always boggles my mind when some high ranking politician finds himself in an embarrassing sexual scandal. After all, politicians are probably scrutinized more than any other people in the country. They're under a 24/7 microscope by the opposing party, as well as the tabloid media. And I'm sure, somewhere along the line, they've all been taught the golden rule of  "Thou shall not grab thy co-worker's ass".  So knowing all of this, why do they continue to put themselves in these compromising positions?

I’m not sure when it all began........

I know there was some controversy with JFK and Marilyn Monroe. I’m sure everyone has seen the video clip of Marilyn singing Happy Birthday to John. The first thing that went through my mind when I saw it was, “Yep. He’s doing her.” But for some reason, even to this day, people still accept it….

And of course, who can forget the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal. Although never specifically mentioned in any of my seminars, I’m pretty sure that playing “hide the cigar” with a young intern is not a smart thing to do. Especially if you’re the most powerful man the free world! You want to hear something really crazy? When I first heard about this, my immediate thought was, “What a waste of a perfectly fine cigar!”

And, although not technically a politician, Jesse “I Have a Scheme” Jackson counseled Slick Willy during the Lewinsky ordeal. It sounded good until it was discovered that Super Jesse was busy making his own extramarital love child! What a clown! Does anyone take him serious anymore??

Speaking of clowns, let's say hello to Barney Frank. If nothing else, this guy is entertaining to watch. As if being gay, overweight and talking like Elmer Fudd didn’t bring enough attention to the Congressman, Frank was reprimanded by the House in 1989 for having a “relationship” with a male prostitute. I guess Barney was just keepin’ it real……

And just when the Republicans were starting to feel good, here comes Senator Larry Craig toe-tapping to a men’s room near you. The story is that Craig was attempting to solicit sex from someone in an adjacent public bathroom stall. He used a “toe-tapping” signal to get the party started. (You learn something new everyday) As luck would have it, Craig’s bathroom neighbor happened to be a cop. And they don’t usually like old guys hitting on them while they’re dropping a deuce. The Republican Senator maintained his innocence and explained that he merely has a “wide stance”. Okay........

Another Republican, Mark Foley was forced to resign in 2006 after it was revealed that he sent sexually explicit emails to young male pages. Yeah, like that would never be discovered. What a dumb ass!

And what about Governor Mark Sanford? He goes AWOL for a week and takes a trip to Argentina to do the horizontal bop with his young mistress. Did he really think that South Carolina wouldn't notice that he was gone?

And the latest scandal involves Congressman Eric Massa. He has been accused of groping a male staff. What was that? Oh, I’m sorry, he was accused of groping male staffers. My bad. Of course, he says he’s being set up by his fellow Democrats for voting against their beloved healthcare bill. Massa recently resigned saying it was for health reasons. He can say what he wants, I say it’s bullshit.

These are just a few of the never ending scandals . There are just too many more to mention.

I just don’t get it. Do these morons really think these things won’t be publicized? And these are the bozos that we elect to represent us? God help us.......

KW

Text To You Later

Remember the good old days when we were kids and we would actually talk to each other? If we weren’t in the same place, we would actually pick up corded phone and speak (with our real voices) to the person on the other end.

Fast forward to modern day kids and cell phones……..

There’s no doubt that cell phones are make life a little more convenient. And some people might argue that that more than just a convenience, they’re a necessity. I’m not sure I would agree with that. I mean we survived all those years without them, didn’t we?

Today, it’s hard to find some one who doesn’t have a cell phone. Even kids as young as five or six have them. The next time you’re at the shopping mall, pay attention to all of the kids. Although a few might be talking, I’ll bet that the overwhelming majority of them are texting on their phones. It’s like they’re zombies as they wander aimlessly while frantically punching the keypads……

I know it can be a convenience at times, but kids take all of this to another level. They’ll even text each other while sitting just a few feet apart from one another! It’s kind of like they’ve taken a step back and became cavemen again. But instead of grunting and using hand signals, they use their thumbs at breakneck speed to punch the keypads on their Blackberries. I’m convinced that future generations will be born with mutated thumbs that are about twelve inches long!

Try having a normal conversation with an average teenager today. Every few seconds, their attention will be diverted to a barrage of useless incoming text massages. It’s rude and annoying, but they couldn’t care less as they respond to each new message. And they use a shorthand texting language that breaks every rule of English grammar. A typical text dialogue might look something like this:

Joe: what r u up 2?
Sue: nuthin. wat up wit u?
Joe: chillin like penicillin
Sue: LMFAO
Joe: me 2 LOL
Sue: cool
Joe: yep
Sue: wanna go to mall and text each other l8er?
Joe: let me text my mom & ax her, shes sittin rite nex 2 me
Sue: my mom is on her way home. i will text her as soon as she gits here.

Countless hours of communication without really saying anything.....

Ironically, with every advancement in technology, society seems to take an intellectual step backwards. Within another generation or two, I’m convinced our society will resemble a gigantic Wal-Mart!

KW

The Day The Music Died

When I recently learned of the closing of our local Record and Tape Traders store, it was like the end of an era to me. The good ol’ days of going into a traditional record store are gone. Large volume stores like Best Buy and Wal-Mart have pretty much put them out of business.

When I was a teenager, I can remember making frequent trips to the old Record Bar in the Glen Burnie Mall. You could always find the latest releases as well as the heavier rock stuff that I was into at the time. And the best part about it was that the employees actually knew a lot about the music. You could ask these guys questions and they would give you actual answers. Try that with a Wal-Mart employee!

There was one Record Bar employee who we used to refer to as “Outrageous Bob”. If we wanted a seal of approval before buying an album, we would go over to see Bob. We would ask, “Hey Bob, what’d ya think about this one?” If he responded with “It’s outrageous!” you knew it was worth buying.

There were other local stores where you could find the same type of setting. This was good stuff. Those were the days when it was all about the music. You knew all of the lyrics to the songs. You knew the band members. And whenever the bands came to town, you went to see them at the local arenas (mainly the Baltimore Civic Center and the Capital Centre in Largo, MD).

Many of us had dreams of becoming rock stars. So, we went out and bought guitars and learned to play our favorite rock tunes. Yeah, that’s right, we actually played real guitars. We shared our knowledge and taught each other how to play different songs. And I’m still friends today with many of my old musician buddies. Unfortunately, it’s another dying tradition.

Rap “music” has become the pop music of today’s youth. Frankly, I can’t stand it. I think it too often sends a negative message. It often degrades woman and glorifies the thug lifestyle. And every time you turn around, it seems like another rap star is getting arrested. They say this gives them “street cred.” I don’t understand it. Shouldn’t music ability take precedent over street credibility? When did the handgun become the instrument of choice over the Stratocaster?

Another thing, I don’t understand the whole East Coast vs. West Coast rivalry in the rap world. What ever happened to open-mindedness and respect in the music business? Back in the days of Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones, no one was “busting caps” in each other. They were too busy partying!

I dunno, maybe I’m just getting old. But I that’s the way I see it……

KW