The 2009 season started with great promise for the Cleveland Indians. Some publications picked them to win their division, and the long-suffering hearts of Cleveland sports fans were filled with a desperate, wild-eyed hope that this might be the year. Alas, the season quickly turned to ashes in the mouths of Cleveland fans. The Tribe [...]
Archive for September, 2009
The Ass End Of The Season
Posted in sports, tagged Cleveland, Cleveland Indians, Eric Wedge, sports, Tribe on September 30, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Negative On Positive Thinking
Posted in America, tagged America, modern culture, positive thinking, The Secret on September 30, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
When I saw this piece, it reminded me of UJ’s postings on positive thinking and The Secret. The author questions whether the power of positive thinking and the constant exhortations that people should act happy and be happy, haven’t been harmful to our culture. The issue is whether trying to be upbeat at all times [...]
Betting On The Weather
Posted in The Economy, weather, tagged Commodities, economy, weather on September 30, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Russell asked us to send him his winter boots recently, and it is probably a good thing he did. Weather forecasters are saying that a weak El Nino current exists in the Pacific Ocean, and about 75 percent of the time a weak El Nino condition correlates with colder than expected winters in the northeast [...]
The Startling Mr. Opossum
Posted in Environment, Ohio, tagged Animals, Environment, New Albany, Ohio, opossum, wildlife on September 29, 2009 | 1 Comment »
The weather turned cooler overnight, and this morning’s walk brought the first opossum sighting in quite a while. I was strolling along, floating in some pleasant reverie, when suddenly I saw the white-faced Mr. Opossum waddling across the street right in front of me. Seeing a wild animal is always a bit of a shock, [...]
House: The New Season
Posted in TV, tagged House, TV on September 28, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
I was traveling last week and didn’t get a chance to watch the two-hour season premiere of House until this past weekend. Kish and I had different reactions to it: she thought it was pretty mediocre, and I thought it was pretty good. I liked most of the new characters in the psychiatric hospital and [...]
Healthcare Reform A No-Brainer? (Cont.)
Posted in Healthcare Reform, Politics, tagged Congress, Health Care Reform, Healthcare Reform, Politics, President Obama, stimulus on September 28, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
UJ recently asked whether reforming the American health care system shouldn’t be considered a “no-brainer” — that is, something that is so obvious anyone should support it. I thought of that posting when I saw the most recent Rasmussen poll, which shows that support for health care reform continues to ebb. On June 27 and [...]
Vacation Time: Cozumel And Chichen Itza
Posted in Travel, World, tagged Chichen Itza, Cozumel, Family, Mayan culture, Mexico, scuba diving, Travel, Vacation Time, World on September 28, 2009 | 1 Comment »
We spent Christmas break a few years ago at Cozumel. We stayed in another of those all-expenses-paid resorts that offered a fine, white sand beach, several different restaurant options with good food, and a menu of different activities. We decided to try two of the activities — one of which was disastrous and one of [...]
The Risk of Overexposure (II)
Posted in Politics, tagged Politics, President Obama on September 27, 2009 | 1 Comment »
I wrote a few months ago about the risks that President Obama was running by appearing on television so frequently, and in every conceivable sports, political, and entertainment venue. Howard Fineman of Newsweek addresses the issue in his most recent column.
Young, And Not Working
Posted in America, The Economy, Work, tagged America, economy, Unemployment, Unemployment statistics, Work on September 27, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Recent data shows that the unemployment rate among Americans aged 16 to 24 who are not in school has jumped to a stunning 52.2 percent, the highest rate since World War II. The linked story indicates that the future for these young adults doesn’t look great, either. Small businesses, which traditionally create more than half [...]
Grinding Some Meat
Posted in sports, weather, tagged Big Ten, Buckeye football, college football, ESPN, Illinois vs. Ohio State, Ohio State vs. Illinois, sports, The Ohio State University, weather on September 27, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Yesterday’s game between Ohio State and Illinois was a good example of why Big Ten football teams need to be able to execute simple running plays if they want to be successful. For much of the game the rain was coming down in sheets, which put a premium on being able to move the ball [...]
The Prospect Of A Nuclear Iran
Posted in America, World, tagged America, foreign policy, Iran, Israel, Middle East, North Korea, Nuclear Weapons, President Obama, World on September 26, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
The recent disclosure about a new secret Iranian facility devoted to the Iranian nuclear program — one of several such facilities in Iran — significantly raises the stakes in our relations with that Islamic state. It seems clear that the President will focus, for the present, on getting international agreement to some form of new [...]
Who Was Col. Wilbur C. Blount?
Posted in America, Columbus, Ohio, tagged America, Columbus, I-670, Military, Ohio, Ohio Air National Guard, The Ohio State University on September 26, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Recently the stretch of I-670 that I drive on every workday was designated the Col. Wilbur C. Blount Memorial Highway. These kinds of things happen everyday, without anyone paying much attention. I’ve wondered who Col. Blount was, though, and the answer to that question turns out to be interesting. Col. Blount was a colonel in [...]
Pain In The Butt
Posted in America, Environment, tagged America, Environment, Environmentalists, recycling, Toilet Paper on September 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
This story about efforts by environmentalists to convince Americans to buy toilet paper made from recycled fibers is pretty hilarious. Americans want the toilet paper that they buy for use at their homes to be super-soft. Toilet paper makers oblige by producing products made largely from the pulp of old trees, which have the longer [...]
Let The Big 10 Begin
Posted in sports, tagged Big Ten, Buckeye football, college football, Illibuck, Illinois vs. Ohio State, Juice Williams, Ohio State vs. Illinois, sports, Terrelle Pryor, The Ohio State University on September 24, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Tomorrow the Buckeyes play the Fighting Illini in their Big 10 opener. And, as important a game as USC was, as fun and patriotic as the Navy game may have been, the Big 10 is where the rubber meets the road. We remember when the Buckeye defense could not stop Juice Williams two years ago; [...]
One Big Baby !
Posted in Uncategorized on September 24, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
When I go to the library to use their computers I tend to have a regular routine, the first thing I do is access my e-mail which is usually cluttered with offers from Border’s Rewards to buy books at a discount and First Link updates which is a volunteer organization I accessed shortly after I retired in an [...]
