Wherever you are,
whatever you do,
whatever you think:
you can still enjoy
the unlicensed magic
that works its way
through so many people
this time of year.
Peace and joy to you.
Wherever you are,
whatever you do,
whatever you think:
you can still enjoy
the unlicensed magic
that works its way
through so many people
this time of year.
Peace and joy to you.
I’m told one time I jumped out of a plane;
I must believe it, since I can’t recall
if I at any point enjoyed the fall
or how on earth I came to earth again.
Another time it’s said I bagged a lion,
At least, the beast was dead and I was not,
And I had either passed out or forgot
This hunting deed that would have shamed Orion.
Since then I’ve tried to tread a calmer road
Because I fret that when I reach December
What use such feats be if I can’t remember?
Such pastimes as won’t make my brain implode.
Bassooning, spooning, schooning, tunes and ballooning:
I’m proud to say that none of these cause swooning.
©2006 Michael W. Lucas
I’ve decided that I’m not “easily distracted”, nor do I have a “short attention span”.
I have “agile mental focus”.
I’m already starting to get sick of media pundits and other gadabouts who continue to claim that the last election results are a backlash against the situation in Iraq.
Speaking for myself, it was a question of the people who were running. My opinion of Iraq had little or nothing to do with the way I voted.
I know that’s a bizarre idea: I had a difficult time voting for my party of choice when it was so questionably represented by the individual that was running.
I can’t imagine I was the only person in that position. I’m not going to elect a schmuck to lead my state in order to send my President a message– I have my own farm to run, don’tcha know.
So pundits, gather ’round:
You want to know how the people feel about Iraq? Put it on a referendum. Ask us. Americans are never shy about sharing their opinions.
But you’re treading dangerous water when you make assumptions about some sort of implied national mandate based on the results of local and state elections.
So I open a store brand of corn chips– never mind which store– and I’m surprised to find the chips exceptionally light and crispy and delicious.
I check the label and, sure enough, no trans fats.
It’s proof of the boiling frog theory, that manufacturers will squeeze the pennies until the public reacts with a single, loud voice, figuring we won’t notice the changes over time.
But me, I still want the cane sugar back in my cola.
Wonder how it would take to bring that about?
Saw this book in the checkout lane today:
Living Longer for Dummies
I’m not sure what to make of this.
First, I don’t think it’s a known issue for the dummy community.
Moreover, I can’t say that extending the lifespan of a known dummy is a good idea in any case.
I did note, however, that the book was quite short.
I next wondered if anyone had thought to write “Ventriloquism for Dummies”.
Sadly, someone had.
Days after Steve Spurrier was reprimanded by the SEC for complaining about football officiating, Tennessee’s Phil Fulmer has been added to the pillory for daring to speak out.
Laughably, he was cited under a “Code of Ethics” that prohibits public criticism of league officials. One has to wonder how long *that* concept would stand up under First Amendment scrutiny.
Fulmer apologized, of course, saying, “I should have worked through the SEC office channels to express my frustrations.”
Now *there’s* a winning strategy. Just ask Steve Spurrier how well that’s worked for him over the years. Ask LSU how much the apology they got for the blown call at Florida earlier this year has helped their ranking in the polls. Ron Zook might have a comment or two as well.
Rivalries aside, the SEC is comprised of some of the best educational institutions in the nation, schools that spend real resources striving to portray themselves in a positive light to enable them to fulfill their academic missions.
What the SEC *can’t* afford is prime-time reinforcement of the Mayberry, RFD stereotype already attached to schools in the South. Yet when a coach dares to complain, the league’s imperious, smack-down response invariably gives just that.
The problem with “working the system” is that the core issue never gets addressed: Officials are demonstratably making mistakes, big ones, that are affecting the outcome of league games. Surprisingly, some of the coaches are a bit miffed about that.
A better path for the league might be to pay more attention to what is *causing* the coaches to speak out in the first place. I think I can speak for every team out there when I say that they want to win, or lose, honestly and fairly.
The Ol’ Ball Coach embraces the best idea yet for dealing with the issue: Do away with the concept of ‘league officials’. Let the NCAA establish the metrics for officiating competency and provide the personnel to call the games.
Sounds like a plan.