They're Leaving?!?! Our Dream Come True...

Hey, dig this article from the USA Today:

Illegal immigrants leaving Arizona
Updated 23h 15m ago | Comments1,098 | Recommend81 E-mail | Save | Print |

Wearing plastic handcuffs and waving U.S. flags, youth pastor Magdalena Schwartz of Mesa, Ariz., left, prayed with others outside a Senate office building to protest measures criminalizing clergy who aid undocumented immigrants in March '06. Illegal immigrants are leaving Arizona because "they don't want to live in fear," Schwartz said.

The Rev. Glenn Jenks, right, talks with men waiting for work outside the Good Shepherd of the Hills Episcopal Church in Cave Creek, Ariz., in August. However, new state laws come down hard on employers who hire illegals, sending many undocumented workers elsewhere.


PHOENIX (AP) — Illegal immigrants in Arizona, frustrated with a flagging economy and tough new legislation cracking down on their employers, are returning to their home countries or trying their luck in other states.
For months, immigrants have taken a wait-and-see attitude toward the state's new employer-sanctions law, which takes effect Jan. 1. The voter-approved legislation is an attempt to lessen the economic incentive for illegal immigrants in Arizona, the busiest crossing point along the U.S.-Mexico border.

And by all appearances, it's starting to work.

"People are calling me telling me about their friend, their cousin, their neighbors — they're moving back to Mexico," said Magdalena Schwartz, an immigrant-rights activist and pastor at a Mesa church. "They don't want to live in fear, in terror."

Martin Herrera, a 40-year-old illegal immigrant and masonry worker who lives in Camp Verde, 70 miles north of Phoenix, said he is planning to return to Mexico as soon as he ties up loose ends after living here for four years.

"I don't want to live here because of the new law and the oppressive environment," he said. "I'll be better in my country."

He called the employer-sanctions law "absurd."

"Everybody here, legally or illegally, we are part of a motor that makes this country run," Herrera said. "Once we leave, the motor is going to start to slow down."

There's no way to know how many illegal immigrants are leaving Arizona, especially now with many returning home for normal holidays visits. But economists, immigration lawyers and people who work in the immigrant community agree it's happening.

State Rep. Russell Pearce of Mesa, the author of the employer sanctions law, said his intent was to drive illegal immigrants out of Arizona.

"I'm hoping they will self-deport," Pearce said. "They broke the law. They're criminals."

Under the employer sanctions law, businesses found to have knowingly hired illegal workers will be subject to sanctions from probation to a 10-day suspension of their business licenses. A second violation would bring permanent revocation of the license.

Nancy-Jo Merritt, an immigration lawyer who primarily represents employers, said her clients already have started to fire workers who can't prove they are in the country legally.

"Workers are being fired, of course," she said. "Nobody wants to find out later on that they've got somebody working for them who's not here legally."

When immigrants don't have jobs, they don't stick around, said Dawn McLaren, a research economist at Arizona State University who specializes in illegal immigration.

She said the flagging economy, particularly in the construction industry, also is contributing to an immigrant exodus.

"As the jobs dwindle and the environment becomes more unpleasant in more ways than one, you then decide what to do, and perhaps leaving looks like a good idea," she said. "And certainly that creates a problem, because as people leave, they take the jobs they created with them."

Pearce disagreed that the Arizona economy will suffer after illegal immigrants leave, saying there will be less crime, lower taxes, less congestion, smaller classroom sizes and shorter lines in emergency rooms.

"We have a free market. It'll adjust," he said. "Americans will be much better off."

He said he's not surprised illegal immigrants are leaving the state and predicts that more will go once the employer-sanctions law takes effect next month.

"It's attrition by enforcement," he said. "As you make this an unfriendly state for lawbreakers, I'm hoping they will pick up and leave."

/end
How about that... all this hand wringing about "What to do about illegal immigration", and here's a solution right in front of us, and it's WORKING.

Senator Pearce should be on every talk show on every station for the next 2 months.... he's a hero.

These people "don't want to live in fear"... hey, you're here ILLEGALLY!!! Every damn day you're here, you should be very afraid!!! And if you're NOT afraid, we've failed as a nation!!!

Of course, the sad sad sad part of this is, I'm such a naive little doggy, I foolishly ASSUMED that there were already HEAVY PENALTIES for employers who had illegal aliens on their payrolls... Or NOT!! Shows how wrong I can be...

Anyway, share this with everyone you know.... maybe someday, these slimy politicians will get the idea that we're really sick and f-ing tired of illegals being here, and we're more than ready for it to end...

3 hours to kickoff... time to organize the bacon, and the cheese, and the ground sirloin for the epic bacon cheeseburgers...

Big Money and Small Dogs...

Greetings.

Very cold here.... very cold.

Today's topic, since it's Christmas, is big money. You definitely want to be related to these people... and if they're cheaping out on your gift, you need to get that addressed....


This is Lloyd Blankfein. Hello, Lloyd. Why is this guy so happy?? Well, he's a big shot at Goldman Sachs, the right hand of your very own Federal Reserve, and rumored apparatchnik of the Fed's vaunted "Plunge Protection Team", errr, sorry, their Committee on Open Markets, I think they're calling themselves...

Anyway, Lloyd is gonna make $70 Million Dollars! Not bad. He's being lauded at the moment for keeping Goldman Sachs out of the subprime mess.... tell me again how "no one saw this coming".... Yeah.

So, If you're on Lloyd's Christmas list, you're looking for something big.... like a new Corvette Convertible. Seriously, income for income, percentage vs percentage, Lloyd buying you a Corvette is like me getting you a $50 gift Card to Home Depot.... I know. You're feelin' me.


This is Robert Nardelli. They call him Bobby around the office...(actually, they don't, but it would be pretty funny). Anyway, speaking of Home Depot, Bob used to run the place. He was only making like ten to fourteen million a year at that gig though. He was at the controls when they lost 40% of their market value, and then mysteriously sold off some of the most profitable components of the company. Strange. But anyway, after that amazing performance of Captaining the ship, he retired with a very juicy $210 million dollar severance package. Nice. That'll keep you in Bacon Cheeseburgers for awhile, dude....

Not to worry though, his retirement barely got rolling, his golf lessons were just starting to show some results when he was named Chariman and CEO of the new Chrysler Corporation. Heh heh, yeah, after his "MVP-like" season at Home Depot, you can see where Cerebrus was thinking "we gotta have this guy". A-Rod just got a lotta money, but he probably deserves it, he was MVP of the freakin' league!!! Bob? Ahhh, not so much, no.... nuh uh...

But if you're on Bob's Christmas list, you should probably be thinking Corvette also... assuming he has any of the amazing retirement money left, if he bought you a new Corvette Convertible, that would be like me buying you a $25 Gift Card to Home Depot. And you'd probably call me a cheapskate if I did that... So, note to Bob, you better buy them a Corvette Convertible, and a $60,000 gasoline credit card, for that to be a reasonable gift.... yeah, you're feelin' me. I'm just trying to help.


This is Trouble. No no no, His NAME is Trouble... He's a little boy Maltese doggy. And here at The Adventures of Fireplug Headquarters Bunker of Ultimate Defense (and Bacon Cheeseburger Repository), we Love the small Doggy, in all it's forms...

You may recognize the woman in the picture, that is the notorious Leona Helmsley, recently passed away. Allegedly not a nice person to work for, but we have to give her some props, she left a $12 million dollar trust fund, to care for her dog Trouble, for the rest of his life. Now, if you're going to be a super millionaire - billionairre, at least you can do something good with the money. Like, take care of a dog. Yeah. See, you're feelin me now!!! Yeah, exactly.... You love it.

That guy can get a Corvette Convertible, and drive to Culver's every day for a Bacon Cheeseburger!!!

Well, that would have been the end of the post today, but in a very late-breaking story, Former #1 Golfer in the World Greg Norman (aka the "Great White Shark") has announced that he and former #1 Tennis Star Chris Evert are engaged to be married. They allegedly carried on a hush romance for a year or so, and announced their engagement this morning.... This will be his 2nd marriage (after a recent ugly divorce) and her 3rd marriage. More to follow on that, next time.

Until next time, enjoy!!!

Return of the Native

Hey, what's up?!?!?!

Well, I'm back in Wisconsin... yeah. I'm so thrilled... Whew. At those "welcome centers" at the state line, they oughta pass out Prozac and a little Oxy for people...

Had a great trip.


Here I am with the fellas in Florida....



Here's my Driver, getting ready to take me golfing....


The Epic 3rd Tee... Carry that water, and then dogleg right. If you really are in control, you can blow your tee shot over those trees on the right, and be in great shape... That used to be impossible, but Hurricane Charley knocked down some of the big trees there, so now, that's really the play...


The Frankster, while he's an excellent cart driver, is really a professional R/C Pilot... a small part of Frank's Flying Circus, his little air force... That little purple and white plane is a modern electric airplane, and it really flies. Electrics used to be a joke, but no more. That thing is for real, it is legitimate, it is awesome. Has big power, and is very airworthy....


I guess we gotta go home.... Seriously, these people in Northern Florida / Southern Georgia are not wasting any time on the highway... I was still getting passed... And, to those of you in law enforcement, I coulda photoshopped that, okay, so take it easy.... (I didn't, but I could have...)


A little gas stop just outside Atlanta... The GMC Envoy SLT, for those who want more Bacon Cheeseburgers... or something like that. Someone help me out on the slogan...


Yep, I'm home.... And it's cold, and snowy, but The Doc did make me chocolate chip cookies, which is never a bad thing, either....

All in all, a great trip. Besides the golfing, and the flying, and the hanging around Harpoon Harry's, and the Naples Poker Room, and the fine cigars, it really was kind of a drag...

(Yeah, right...)

Anyway, it's also my birthday, and I've already received a great number of Happy Birthday greetings, so thanks very much for that, I appreciate it.

The Fireplug Has Landed...

Hey, greetings again!!!

(cue dramatic theme music...) The Fireplug Has Landed!!!

I find myself in sunny southwest Florida, a few miles north of Fort Myers...



A little slow with the camera, but this is our crossing over the Florida border...

A nice trip overall. Uneventful.



Sure feels good to stop, when you're finally there!! By the way, special thanks to The Doc, not just for all the bacon cheeseburgers and Egg McMuffins, but for a new Sony 12 megapixel camera that she gave me for my birthday... awfully nice. That shot above was using a special "low light portrait" setting... that's just the dome light shining on a small doggy... looks like a million bucks.

Alright, let's have the trip report:



Getting a little gas in Beloit.

Actual trip time was just about exactly 24 hours... which includes naps, breaks, stops at Harley Dealerships... the usual nonsense.

First, let us lambaste the State of Wisconsin, as usual, for having some of the most expensive gasoline in the country. Absurd. And clearly, our streets are not paved with gold... But I must say, this year, I did actually observe 2 stations higher than ours!!

1st prize has to go to a station in Metropolis Illinois, who was at $3.24. And 3 miles down the road, across the river, in Kentucky, many stations were spotted at $2.87. Ouch!! Wish I'd have waited a couple miles.... say what you want about Kentucky, they have cheap gas and cheap cigs, and god bless them for that....

2nd prize goes to a station outside Gainesville Florida, who was at $3.25. I know, that's higher, and you're wondering why they aren't in first place. I felt first place had to go to Metropolis IL, just for the sheer audacity and outrageousness of being a full 37 cents higher than a nearby place... and in defense of the
Gainesville place, this looked like a classy area, the Harley dealer and a luxury hotel are right there, so they know they gotcha....

3rd place is a Mobil station in Watertown Wisconsin, where I paid $3.21 Wednesday afternoon.... crazy.

Aside from that, the typical prices seen where $3.02-ish to $3.09-ish...

So be proud, Wisconsinites, you're being taxed until it hurts.... you can travel the country, and you pretty much have to turn over every rock to find a more expensive gallon of gas.... and at this moment, the illustrious governor is in his mansion, dreaming up ways to take more off of you....

Anyway, the actual trip statistics from the Driver Information Center, brought to you by GMC, And the GMC Envoy SLT, for those who want it more (or is it professional grade?? Hard to keep up...):

Miles: 1430.8
Drive time (time the truck was running): 19:54 and 20 seconds

Average MPG: 19.4 (a little disappointing for a smaller suv with a 6 cylinder)

Fuel Used: 73.7 gallons.

Average speed: Almost 72 miles per hour, which is huge. I'll tell you what, in Georgia and Florida, you can drive 80, and get passed like you're standing still... often.

That's enough for now... time for a dip in the pool....

Legends of the Fall...

Hey, greetings...



An Eldorado Touring Coupe in fall glory, ready to be stored for the winter... enjoy.

Actually, I tried to put Fireplug in this picture, but it was so F-ing windy, he blew off the car, and I caught him like a touchdown pass.... sorry pal. I thought he might sit still.... naah!

On the Envoy, I just changed all the fluids. Motor oil & filter, transmission, transfer case, front diff, rear diff... done! Still runs too, which amazes some of you... Now I'm basking in a job well done. And if there's a plus to the night shift, it's that I'm done for the week RIGHT NOW!! Heh heh... don't hate, appreciate.

I seem to have a deal on the bike... I signed all the paperwork and sent it back. Lucky for me, the brand new Office Max across the street from my house is a DHL dropoff!! Hah! I love it when a plan comes together... where's my cigar??

Actually, I have to give some props to Devin Nier of Northern Lights Harley Davidson, 1700 N Hwy 51, Arbor Vitae Wisconsin, 54568, Phone 715-358-5054. Email him at nlharley@nnex.net, or go to www.northerlightshd.com. He really made this easy. He sent me all the documents, walked me thru it on the phone, and included a return shipping package prepaid. He's really working for me, which is rare in today's world. If you have any Harley needs, give him a call.

On another note, I just worked my way thru season one of Heroes...



Very nice. A little uneven in spots, but overall a great story, great characters, and some really nice acting performances from a real bunch of unknowns. Bennett is great, he's wonderful. As is the daughter, Claire Bennett, the cheerleader. For a long time, one wonders if Bennett is a good guy or a bad guy, and clearly there's nothing he wouldn't do for Claire... or nothing he wouldn't do if it suits him. There's a blonde girl with a split personality... we need MORE of her driving the 57 Eldorado Convertible and firing the sniper rifle, and LESS of her ongoing emotional angst over her abilities....

There's a lot of material here, a synopsis is out of the question. I did feel that it really felt like two seasons, a la the Sopranos... the first 13 or so episodes complete a story arc, and reach a great crescendo... and then it seems to restart for the next 12 or so episodes, which takes awhile to rebuild some momentum... and the waters get awfully muddy on some of these plot lines, but stay with it... try and ignore the gaps in the story, and the crazy inconsistencies... because there's a lot of goodness here too. When the characters converge, it's always nice.

Also, if you're already a Heroes junkie, this DVD is really worthwhile, because it has commentary on every episode, which on the 2 I listened to, were very good and quite enjoyable. It varied who did the commentary, on one, Dr Suresh and Noah Bennett were doing it, on another Tim Kring, creater, and a couple of other producer director types did it, and that was interesting too.

Special thanks to PM, who loaned me her box set of this... thanks.

That's enough for now... I hear a bacon cheeseburger calling me....

Big Bikes & Small Dogs....

Hey greetings again!!!



I'm Fireplug. And you're not!!! Apologies to Chevy Chase....

Well, we went on an exciting road trip yesterday... to a little place called Northern Lights Harley Davidson. In a teeny little town called Arbor Vitae. It's near Eagle River. As the kids say, Google it.



Drove through a bit of a snowstorm on the way up there.... winter is no joke, not up near the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.... winter is a very serious thing up there.



But why oh why would someone drive so far, through the snow???

To get a good deal on a Harley, that's why!!!



This is a 2007 Harley Davidson Road King Classic... It's also my new bike. Okay, it's used, but it's new to me, and only has around 6000 miles on it... under warranty until 2009... that's pretty fresh.

It was too good of a deal, I couldn't pass it up. Like the time that half a steak was sitting on that plate... I couldn't pass that up, either...

Speaking of which, I should go finish my dinner....

The Gambler....

Hey, good day to you...



Been playing a little poker on the Internet again.... not doing so great. But I found a better website, that seems to offer a lot more action.... small doggies like action... well, we REALLY like Bacon Cheeseburgers, but we also like action at the poker table.

Product review: now, I like the pre-cooked microwave bacon. I do. Now, by accident, I bought something called Hormel Microwave Ready Bacon. Which I THOUGHT was the precooked stuff I like.

Ahhh, No. But, but, THIS is a cool product. You open the box, and there's plastic pouches in there, with 4 slices of fresh bacon in each. Raw. You microwave for 2.5 minutes, and wa-la, cooked. Peel open the package, enjoy your cooked bacon. Tastes great. Perfectly done. Very nice. So, by accident, I found something pretty cool. Check it out.

Yeah, so anyway, I collected lots of bad beats today... typical.

I'm still alive in my pick one pool. I think my deepest trek ever in one of these was 7 weeks, so if I survive next week, it's a record....

I got a match play coupon at a quasi-local casino, free money if I play, basically... Good this week only. Do you think they know the Packers are on a bye week?? I think they do... but no matter, small doggies love free money, too...

Well, I suppose.... there's an online tournament starting somewhere, right now...

Fall Colors...

Hey, how are ya???

I know, it's been awhile.... I've been busy, what can I say.... they put me back on days. Don't get me started on my workplace.... don't.



Saddled up and did the Colorama ride Sunday... check out the fall colors out in the Kettle Moraine!



Ahh... nothing like a little rolling thunder in the countryside.... Super nice day. Who ever dreamed I could get sunburned in October... crazy.

Well, five weeks of the NFL are under our belts. I'm dying in my confidence pool... but I'm still alive in my pick one pool, miraculously...

Tried to buy a Road King Classic.... and failed. Hal's Harley Davidson is very proud of that bike, and I think it'd hurt them to actually sell it... the showroom apparently wouldn't be the same without it....

But on the other hand, what they want for their 04 is only like mid 2's to mid 3's away from what I could buy a used 07 for... and the 07 would feature a 96 inch motor and a 6 speed transmission... so there's a huge leap of improvement there, for not a lot of money. I'm probably lucky they said no... I woulda kicked myself later. Post purchase dissonance may have set in....

I got Halo 3, of course. Of course. Awesome. Awesome. If you don't have an XBox 360 yet, you're in luck, because the new Elite system has an HDMI output, which is worthwhile... so go buy one of those, and Halo 3, and enjoy life....

I have another book review for you:
Dennis Lehane, "Shutter Island". 9.0, Readers Pick. Gets a slow start, but really good. Gripping, compelling book that involves you immediately in the story. Really runs the gamut of emotions. Heavy on suspense and foreboding. In some ways, a little disturbing... but a very good book. A departure for Lehane, not really in the mold of his previous works.

Ahhh, I went to see "3:10 to Yuma". Not bad. I'd give it an 8 out of ten. Had some revisionist aspects to it, that I found annoying, but overall it was good. Russell Crowe does a nice job. For those of you unfamiliar with the term "revisionist western", see "Unforgiven"...

I'm not interested in "revisionist" westerns, personally. Look, I get it, that that's not what the west was REALLY like... Watch "The Quick and the Dead", you'll like it. But note, Sharon Stone shows up in town on a horse with 2 saddlebags. Now, the assortment of boots, chaps, jackets and dresses she wears would never fit in the saddlebags. Look, I have saddlebags on my bike. I know very well what fits in them. And it seems unlikely that a Cowboy (or Cowgirl) could afford a Nickel plated Sheriff's Model Revolver, with custom action and grips, and a super nice custom gunbelt and holster for said firearm...

And you know what?? I DON'T CARE!! I want escapist entertainment!!! I want the mystique and the lore and the mysticism and the legend of the old west!! I want the ballad played out with tough talk and fancy shooting!!

That's about all I have for now... it's way past time to get a bacon cheeseburger, and then retire to the Halo 3 room....

Reading, writing, and bacon cheeseburgers

Good day!

Well, let's review a few things here...

#1. The Sopranos Complete Second Season DVD. 9.0. Viewers pick. Well worth your time. Didn't see Richie Aprile's end coming.... well, his end was coming, but not like that. Wow. Again, if you don't like a lot of nudity, language, and violence, don't bother.

#2. "Bad Luck & Trouble: A Jack Reacher Novel", by Lee Child. 9.5. Readers pick. Beautiful. Another great book in the Jack Reacher series. Somebody is killing all the members of Jack's former Army MP Unit, The Special Investigators. And guess what, Jack is not thrilled about this. No, seriously. He's seriously pissed. People are going to get hurt. I'll give you a hint: their unit motto was "You do not mess with the special investigators." Great book. If you haven't read any of these, get one, and start enjoying something in your life for a change....

#3. "Invisible Prey", John Sanford. 8.5. Good book. Not the best of this long-running series, but still good. Detective Lucas Davenport is back, with a tricky little case to solve. A somewhat murky subplot kind of waters this one down, but there were some great moments.

I'm almost thinking of going to the movies... I wanna see "3:10 to Yuma". For anyone who remembers, A young Russell Crowe and a young Leonardo Di Caprio did a great job in a little western called "The Quick and the Dead", with Sharon Stone & Gene Hackman. I'd almost like to see Crowe in another Western.

I got a haircut today... yes, the little doggie got sent to be clipped... well, I had taken the ponytail thing about as far as I could, really... I just wasn't thrilled with certain aspects.

I heard someone complaining about Bill Belicek's punishment, a la "not as severe" as Mike Vick. Yeah, okay donkeys, let me break this to you gently: killing a dog with your bare hands is more serious than videotaping someone. No really, it is.

Look, he was cheating at a game. Period. He videotaped someone. Wow. Yeah. And guess what, everyone else is doing the same thing... they just got caught. I'm particularly amused by how the former players on tv and radio aren't touching this one. Heh heh, obviously, PLENTY goes on, and nobody wants to talk about it. Obviously, stealing signs has been around since the first caveman gave another caveman a hand signal, and the third caveman picked up on it, okay... let's all just settle down...

Cleaned my kitchen today. Well, sort of. It's cleaner than it was, but probably not clean enough to satisfy the neat freaks out there... Question: why is it that with all the exotic cleaning products out there, I always seem to end up with a bottle of windex in one hand, and a roll of paper towels in the other???

Another question: why is it that they have products and implements that will clean up a scummy paint factory very nicely, but they have yet to invent anything that works worth a crap to clean your house???

Third question: it would be absurdly easy to make a few design changes to houses, that would greatly simplify the cleaning process.... so why don't they!??!?!

Last question: what am I doing here, when I could be on my pillow, taking a nap???

Until next time...

$700, a 16 month high..

Good day. Been a little busy playing with some furnitre repairs, but I'm back for the bacon snack!!! Errr, I mean the attack, yeah, the attack...

Well, gold closed over $700 for the week, and was around $707 at various points today.... Hopefully, you established those gold, silver & oil stock positions a few weeks ago, when I told ya to.... The HUI closed above 358. In a month, you could have made around 25%.... Nice.

I hear a lot of talk about how the government is going to "bail out" these mortgage lenders, and "restore order", and how "we're at the bottom" of housing, which I've been hearing for 18 months now, and the default rate keeps growing...bottom... But anyway, on the subject of a bailout, Peter Schiff says it far more articulately than I ever could:

Schiff:
Now that home mortgage defaults are spreading like wildfire from coast to coast, there is a growing sense of certainty that the government will attempt to bail out homeowners and lenders. The ideas put forward last week by President Bush may be the camel’s nose pushing under the bottom of the tent. However, just as some things are too big to fail, this problem is far too big to fix.

First of all, one has to consider the moral hazards inherent in any bailout. Immediate relief in the form of debt reductions and more favorable loan terms will create a powerful incentive to default. Why would anyone stretch to make a burdensome mortgage payment while others are being rewarded for failing to make theirs?

Even without the incentives of a government bailout luring more people into default, policy makers simply have no idea as to the scope of the problem. Before this home mortgage correction runs its course, nearly every homeowner in the country who had availed themselves of an adjustable rate mortgage or a home equity loan will be in need of a bailout. Even a sizable percentage of those with traditional fixed rate mortgages will find themselves in danger. With millions, or perhaps tens of millions, of home owners on the rocks, there is simply no way the government can structure a bailout without bankrupting the country or destroying the currency.

Unfortunately, the only realistic way to “pay” for such a massive bailout would be for the Fed to monetize it. If that were to happen, the value of the dollar would plunge, and consumer prices would go through the roof. Now that the dollar Index has finally broken below the key 80 support level, an event that I have been forecasting would eventually occur for years, a run on the greenback may already be in motion. Ultimately, long-term interest rates will soar as a result, and we will experience unprecedented stagflation and a substantial decline in our collective standard of living. This week’s surge in the price of gold, which traded above $700 per ounce for the first time since May of 2006, reveals that some investors are finally beginning to figure this out.
/end

I'm not sure I agree that people in favorable fixed rate mortgages are in trouble... but he makes some good points. Let's take a guy who has a 5.75% fixed mortgage, a very doable mortgage for a long period of time. To me, what he's basically done is "sell short" in dollars, and the decline is his friend. He's going to pay off his mortgage with very inflated dollars... not a bad idea. He's locked at 5.75, it doesn't matter if shadowstats.com says inflation is running 9.7%, it doesn't matter if bond traders wake up and start demanding a real return... he's locked at 5.75!! But I digress...

Now I know, I know, you now think it's "too late" to establish a gold position, or to make some sort of move.... it's not.

Let's listen in on The Mogambo Guru, who, I must say, hardly appears at all at kitco.com, but is now featured daily on dailyreckoning.com, along with Chuck Butler.

Mogambo:
So imagine my chagrin when it turns out that I could have saved myself a lot of time and trouble by merely asking Doug Casey of the International Speculator newsletter about the general attitude towards gold, who writes that there is no rush, and you can still buy gold and silver at bargain-basement prices at your leisurely convenience.

This is the conclusion I get from his referring to the behavior usually encountered in the "mania phase" of classical boom-market phenomena, which is that glorious ultimate bull phase of a boom market when there is mass, universal public participation, as literally everyone with two nickels to rub together is buying and clamoring to climb aboard a booming asset bubble, and prices are rising to the moon because of it.

Specifically, he reports that the mania phase lies ahead, as, "The public is still out of the gold market. I promise you that every market top I've witnessed in my life was accompanied by cocktail party chatter about the asset class in question. I have yet to have any indication the public has a clue that gold and other resources even exist. If this is a market top, it's unique."

This very point was brought home to me the other day when I had accidentally driven my tee shot into a greenside sand trap. I instantly sized this up as a "touchy shot", and since nobody was looking, I just picked the ball up and threw it onto the green, very nearly holing it out and leaving just a two-inch "tap-in" par.

Suddenly, one of the other guys in the foursome yells out "Hey! I saw that! I just saw you throw your ball onto the green, you Cheating, Lying Piece of Mogambo Crap (CLPOMC)!"

Naturally, I yelled back, "You can see me throwing a little golf ball, even when your back was turned to me, but for some reason you can't see that your own government is lying to you, and the Federal Reserve is lying to you, and they are destroying the purchasing power of your money right in front of your eyes? Is that what you are telling me, you stinking mashie-niblick moron?"

As I walked up to my ball with my putter in hand and tapped in for par, I continued yelling, "Well, you are a lying piece of trash, because you couldn't have seen me throw it on the green because I purposely waited for you to turn your back to me so that you COULDN'T see me throw it on the green! And yet even with your remarkable power to see out of the back of your damned stupid head that even Superman would envy, you don't buy gold in response to the blazing destruction of your own money caused by the Fed issuing so much more of it, right in front of your stupid, ugly face?"

Well, skipping the ugly details of the ensuing animated discussion, I got the par and they all resolved to watch me much more closely from now on, and one day they will start watching gold, too, just like Mr. Casey said they would!
/end

Now, is today the day to buy gold?? No. Probably not. It just hit a 16 month high. Will there be a correction?? Of course. There's always a correction. Anything in the 650-660 area is a blue light special. 670 is a buy. Gold is very seasonal. It's going to run up for awhile, a month or so. Foreign demand is huge right now... the whole continent of Europe just got back from a monthlong vacation... and some of them are frantically re-allocating their money into something dependable, like gold, until the storm blows over....

Econ... I've bored half of you to death already.

Football Season kicked off last night. I hit my 16 point pick in my pool, with the Colts. I also had the Colts in a pick-one pool, so I live to pick another week. Football... always bittersweet. It means summer is coming to an unfortunate close, but it also means that the National Football League is back, to give our empty lives some meaning....

I see a few more boneheads have stepped up to defend Mike Vick. Amazing. Hunting is legal, don't see the difference...the usual BS. Even Whoopie Goldberg, I saw saying "Dogfighting is a very normal thing, where Mike is from..." Whaaa?? Huh? My head spins...

I'm trying to get off of dogfighting, but it just keeps rolling, and it's so horrific, I can't handle it. Jim Rome, on his radio show, summed it up like this (and I'll have to paraphrase, I don't have the exact verbage):

Rome:
Look, I'm not about hunting... that's not my bag. But I get it that dogfighting is a very very different thing than hunting. For starters, one is a Felony, and one is not. For another thing, I've never seen anyone dress up in camoloflauge, go in the woods with a rifle, shoot a dog, and mount his head on their wall. I've never seen that, ever, a dog head on a wall. And I've never seen anyone with a deer for a pet, either, okay... It just doesn't happen. Nobody is out walking their pet deer after dinner in my neighborhood! Dogs are our PETS. They're MAN'S BEST FRIEND. They LIVE IN OUR HOMES. They sit with us, they fetch our slippers, they get the newspaper, they play with our kids, and plenty of dogs have defended their homes from intruders. They're DOGS. They're our PETS. I'm not about hunting, don't ask me to defend hunting, but at the same time, you can't tell me there's any similarity whatsoever between dogfighting and hunting, because there isn't any.
/end

So, enough about dogfighting. For now, I guess, until someone else pops off...

These half-baked defenses really get me in this aspect, too. Look, we're not talking about a guy who was SEEN at a dogfight, like ONE TIME. If he went to ONE dogfight, ONE, sure, he could say hey, I was with friends, I was curious, I didn't know what it was about... okay, sure. I get it, that he's from a different backround, and maybe that's what people do. But what he did was pump hundreds of thousands of dollars into a full blown professional dogfighting operation, complete with dog breeding, dog selling, fight promoting, dog training... and yes, dog execution for poor performance. And he didn't just FUND it, he PARTICIPATED in everything, even the execution of the dogs, himself, personally, with his own hands...

See, there I go again. Okay, seriously, I'm gonna get off dogfighting now, we're going to talk about something else from now on...

I'm gonna go get a little bacon burger, and calm down....

Defending???

Good day.

Back to Mike Vick for a second.

Here is Stephon Marbury:

"I think it's tough," Marbury said, according to Albany TV station Capital News 9. "I think, you know, we don't say anything about people who shoot deer or shoot other animals. You know, from what I hear, dogfighting is a sport. It's just behind closed doors."

"I think it's tough that we build Michael Vick up and then we break him down," Marbury said. "I think he's one of the superb athletes, and he's a good human being. I just think that he fell into a bad situation."

Ahhaaa.. riiiight. Dogfighting is a sport... hmmm. Ahh, look pal, dogfighting is a crime in 50 states, a felony in 48. And there's a reason for that. It's outrageously cruel and inhumane. Look, nobody takes an 8 point buck, keeps him in a pen, trains him, and then throws him into a pit with another 8 point buck, so they can fight to the death, okay... these comparisons to hunting are so absurd, and so misguided, it boggles the mind... Deer would STARVE to death over the winter, thus, people who like to eat deer are allowed to shoot a deer, under controlled conditions, which are sporting... this is good for the deer population, and good for sportsmen. Dogfighting has none of these qualities.

Fell into a bad situation... uh huh... See, I could listen to that, if Mike Vick had been caught in a raid at a dogfight. And he said hey look, My friends brought me here, I thought I'd see what it was like, I was shocked & outraged, I've never been to a dogfight before.... something along that line. NO no no, we're talking about a dude who was RUNNING a dogfighting operation, for over 5 years, personally training & killing dogs. This is far beyond a "brush" with dogfighting...

How about R.L. White, president of the Atlanta NAACP?? I would like to think someone of his caliber would have some integrity, but get a load of this:

"Some have said things to save their own necks," White said. "Michael Vick has received more negative press than if he had killed a human being."

White said he does not support dogfighting and that he considers it as bad as hunting.

"His crime is, it was a dog," White said.

Whaaa??? Again with the hunting... insane.

It's all crazy. In what alternate universe can you defend dogfighting?? The comparison to killing a human being isn't really apples to apples either... we'd have to find a sicko who captured & bred human beings, abused them daily, trained the to viciousness, and then threw them in a pit to fight another depraved human to the death... now THAT'S a comparison. And sure, that WOULD BE WORSE than running a dogfighting operation... Not a lot of human fights to the death going on in pits, with people cheering and betting... but if there were, yeah, it would be worse than dogfighting.

I also love the "people have said things to save their own necks", like somehow the other defendants are so slimy, they'd say anything... sorry R.L., but these were his PARTNERS in the deal... if you're a millionaire star athlete, why exactly are you even associating with people like that??? Probably because you're pretty slimy yourself, and have no desire to be less slimy than you are...

Ahh well, what else is going on.... Last week, you could have picked up the HUI, the AMEX Gold Bugs Index, for $290... even with a loss of a point this morning, it's still above 320... Would have been a nice 10% pop... That was a sale, kids... if something of value goes on sale, you buy it, right???

The gold/silver ratio is around 56 right now... which means silver, right now, is too cheap, compared to gold, which is also too cheap, compared to oil, dollars, etc. Thus, even if you do nothing else, at a moment like this, do yourself a favor, and buy ten silver eagles for $140 or so bucks. You might be very glad you did someday.... The Fed is pumping money into our economy right now, trying to stave off the inevitable... so, pop quiz, you think that might lead to inflation???

Let's put it in terms you can understand: if I have a poker game, backed by buy-in cash, and I dump more chips on the table, does the cash value of each chip go up or down, in cash??

If you're not sure, you definitely need to start reading some books on basic economics...

Now, if they tell me the CPI is up 2%, but the price of bacon cheeseburgers is up 10%, and my fuel is up 20%, and my taxes are up another 10%, what does that tell me about the CPI???

You think on that... I'm gonna go get a bacon cheeseburger.

Big trip, part II

Okay, I'm back.


This is the Kuryakyn Ultra Tour Bag. Nice size for a Softail. As you can see, I have it on the passenger seat, but it could also be turned around, and sit on the luggage rack behind the passenger seat.

I did it this way because you can lean back against the bag on a long ride, like a backrest. Very nice. You can extend your range some with a backrest...


My hotel room in Champaign... very nice.


That's my bike down there!!!

A great trip. Thanks to Big Mike & his friends for showing me a good time.

So, Mike Vick is going to take a plea. Okay. Fair enough...

I hear a lot of defenders coming out, saying it's no big deal... you guys need to shut up. To personally, by your own hand, kill dogs... that's exploring a dark place in the human heart, I'm sorry. This is to say nothing of purposely throwing dogs in a fighting pit, to fight to the death... spooky.

I hear a lot of Pit Bull Defenders out there too... okay, I'll tell you what: next time a couple savage Shih Tzus maul somebody, come talk to me. Next time there's a savage Yorkshire Terrier attack, I wanna hear about it. Until then, you need to shut up.

And you people who think Mike Vick will never play another down in the NFL, I urge you to shut up as well. Ray Lewis, if he didn't personally gut that dude like a fish, was standing right there when one of his homeboys did it... and last I heard, he's playing in the NFL. Look, Vick will do his time... Roger will suspend him for a stretch, but he'll be back. Hear me now and believe me later, but he will be with a team again before it's all over... as a backup, as something.... You're not seriously going to tell me that Al Davis wouldn't sign him to a minimum deal?? Of course he would. The only disclaimer on this is: Roger Goodell could slap a lifetime ban on him. But if Roger says okay, I guarantee he's back with someone.

And even in the football sense, all these people who think he was the greatest thing... he wasn't. Are you telling me you'd rather have Mike Vick than Drew Brees, or Tom Brady??? Didn't think so. Look, Vick is a notch better than the failed Kordell Stewart experiment. He was a novelty act, amazing athlete, barely average passer. When he looked good, he looked great, but when he looked bad, he looked awfully bad. This year, football wise, would have been the year he either put up or shut up. The Falcons let his backup go, and threw the checkbook at him. He really had a lot to prove, and instead, he's going to Club Fed.

Kinda shortsighted, if you ask me, not to pay Peace & the others to keep his name out of it. He coulda said look, do the time, tell 'em I had nothing to do with it, we'll settle up later.

Think that couldn't happen? There's a dude sitting in jail right now for Barry Bonds, keeping his mouth firmly shut. Think he's doing that for free?? Heh heh, not likely. I have a feeling Barroid is going to "make good" on that....

Anyway, another killer thunderstorm just rolled thru... I'm a soakin' wet puppy!

ttyl...

Fun in the sun...

Well... it's been awhile. Miss me??

Sorry.. been a little busy.

Where to start. I read James Patterson "Cross"... Dr. Alex Cross, trying to find his wife's killer.. Very nice. 9.0, Readers Pick. Typical excellence of Dr. Alex Cross. I see they're going to make a TV series of the "women's murder club" series, also by Patterson. This will get me killed, or at least generate a lot of angry email, but I am not a fan of that series. Seriously, before Morgan Freeman gets too old, they need to make a couple more movies about Dr. Alex Cross.... please.

Also, The Doc loaned me some CD's by a band named "Bond"... 4 girls who play the violin, viola, and Cello. Kind of like a souped up classical sound, in the vein of a hooked on classics type thing, but way better. It might be a little uneven, but their good songs are really good.

Well, last weekend, I went to Champaign to ride motorcycles with Big Mike and some of his friends. Very nice. Got myself quite an amusing sunburn, and made it worse, trying to even it out....

Had a little tire problem on the way down, so then I had to buy the wrong tire, just to get home, and then buy another tire once I got home. But I seem to have put that behind me. Overall, it was a great trip, great riding in hot weather... real nice.

I met a doggie too, Oscar... a Schnauzer. A real champ.

After the trip, I should say this: I bought a Kuryakyn Ultra Tour Bag. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 5. Perfect. Nice high quality bag. Fits perfect over the backrest of a Softail. The straps & stuff work perfect. Stays put super nice, even at 80 on the freeway. Great bag. Complete with shipping to my house from J&P Cycles, it was about $155. Very reasonable, compared to the $450 that a similar T-Bag is going for...

I'll have to post some pictures next time. I'm a little pressed for time right now. My work tours have been insane too.

Another observation, that'll make you happy. When I left, unleaded gas up here was $2.82 or so. Down there, it's $2.47. Nice. I went to fill up, and I run premium in my bike, and I saw $2.79 on the display, and I was like, oh crap, I pressed the wrong button, darn it.... whoops, wait a minute, that WAS PREMIUM!!! Heh heh... wow.

They're much bigger on E85 and Biodiesel down there too... at ridiculous low prices... I'm not sure why that stuff isn't catching on up here...

Different kind of riding down there... the cornfields go on forever... almost scary. The roads were layed out with lasers, apparently, they're dead straight, flat, and go forever. When you see a building in the distance, you can only see the top. You ride for a few miles, and it gets bigger... the curvature of the earth may actually be a factor.... They pretty much ride at whatever pace is comfartable down there, too, which is nice... those signs are more of a guideline, or a starting point, if you will...

Well, the investment landscape has certainly been interesting... if you're in Gold, Silver, Oil... you're not as unhappy as some people. And pretty soon, you're going to be a lot happier than most people. A lot of very interesting things are "on sale" right now... hopefully, you kept your powder dry, and you're ready to pick up some of these bargains... Buy low, sell high. Things are low right now. Some things that have a lot of value, for example...

Anyway... I have some pictures from the trip, when I get around to it, I'll put those up.

I gotta go... until next time!

A New Chew Toy!!!

Hey, what's up?? I'm up... I need a nap, but I'm still up...

http://www.vickdogchewtoy.com/

Check out that link... a new doggie chew toy!! Isn't it cute?? Okay, it's not as good as bacon, or the squeaky fuzzy Harley Oil Can, but it's worth a look...

This is an interesting website...

http://www.dailyreckoning.com/

Chuck Butler, who writes "The Daily Pfennig", is on there... Kitco seems to have dropped him. Actually, Chuck is recovering from cancer at the moment, so another VP at Everbank, Chris Gaffney has been writing it. It's worth your time.

The Daily Reckoning is also home to one of my personal faves, "The Mogambo Guru", which Kitco has been a little spotty on lately... pretty good website overall.

Addison Wiggin had this observation, also reported in other places, but without this much cynicism thrown in:

"The much anticipated Cerberus/Chrysler deal has gone through. What was Cerberus' first action as the new owner? They've hired former Home Depot chief Bob Nardelli as the CEO. Heh. Nardelli built himself such a large compensation scheme at Home Depot that shareholders forced him to resign. Quit he did… but not before writing himself a $210 million severance check."

Poor guy was trying to live on a fixed income, whaddaya expect?? He had to find a job, to make ends meet... I hear that a lot lately, especially during news stories, when I'm supposed to be made to feel bad. Something is happening to people "living on a fixed income." #1, if that "fixed" income is high enough, it shouldn't be a problem. #2, aren't we ALL living on a FIXED income, to some degree?? If I need more money, I guess I could ask my boss, but he'd have a heart attack while he was laughing so hard, and then I'd have to call 911... or not. Then I'd be the one laughing... but either way, I'm not getting any more money...

Some people enjoy my book and movie reviews, so here we go:

#1 James Patterson, “The Big Bad Wolf”
9.0, – “Reader’s Pick” Very good book. Detective Alex Cross Joins the FBI, and while he’s not too busy being hassled by some of his jealous superiors, he finds time to solve some tricky kidnappings. This is a bit of a departure for Cross, he’s not chasing psychos per se (although there are some sick people in this book), the motive this time is money… beautiful women are being kidnapped and sold into white slavery… and by that I mean sexual slavery, okay, in case I have to spell that out. An interesting case, and a nice plethora of slimy bad guys… plenty of blame to go around. And some of Dr. Cross’s new co-workers at the FBI are no day at the beach, either. I will admit that I’m not a big fan of some of Mr. Patterson’s work, but I do enjoy Dr. Alex Cross. This book does not disappoint.

#2 “The Sopranos”, The Complete First Season DVD
9.0 - “Viewer’s Pick” Very Nice! I will freely admit, I watched the first episode, and really, I thought “This is the great show I hear so much about?” Nothing special. I was watching with my friend “The Doc”. So we decided to watch the second episode. Ahh, a little better. By the end of the first disc (first 4 episodes) we were interested. Having wrapped up the 13 episodes of Season One, We are HOOKED! We’re probably the only people on the planet who don’t have HBO, so this review may be pointless, but for those of you who have never seen this, check it out, have patience, stay with it. If you haven’t seen it, I’m not going to give it away with a plot synopsis, but let’s suffice it to say that James Gandolfini plays Tony Soprano, a Cappo (Captain) in the New Jersey Mob, with some vague affiliations with some New York Crime Families. Tony may be losing it a little, he’s got a lot of family issues, a lot of “work” issues, and he’s depressed, so he starts seeing a psychiatrist, Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco). Edie Falco plays Tony’s wife Carmela. These three are quite brilliant in their roles. Wonderfully acted. Very well written & well shot. Gandolfini is a genius in this role, it’s the role he was born to play, quite honestly. Michael Imperioli (Christopher), Steven Van Zandt (Silvio) and Tony Sirico (Paulie) are also outstanding, as Tony’s main guys on his crew. This cast has great chemistry. John Heard also does a great job in a supporting role for most of season one. Note: this really needs to be watched IN ORDER. Each episode builds on the last episode, so if you watch out of order, I can’t see how it would make any sense at all. 2nd Note: If you’re bothered by nudity, there is some, it’s brief generally… there’s also a lot of rough language, if that’s going to turn you off, don’t bother, because there’s plenty of language throughout.

Some of you may or may not know, but I am "The Phantom" of the Pewaukee Public Library. Why buy the box set when you can go to the Library and get it for free? That's my public service message for the day: go to your local library and check it out. I'm probably lucky, they built us a new library, and it is awesome. Music CD's, DVD's, books, new books, magazines, pc's with internet... a loan program from other libraries, computerized lookups. It's nice.

I'm a small yawning puppy... I'm takin' a nap. Until next time!

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land...

Good day!

Well, as usual, the busy life of a small doggie keeps me so occupied, I barely have time to post in this thing...


Yes, a pilgrimage to the Holy Land last Wednesday... that is, Green Bay, Wisconsin, Lambeau Field... Not exactly the frozen tundra in July... but this is the place.


Yes, I was there for the 2007 Shareholders Meeting. Not that I'm a shareholder, but I got somebody's tickets.

Nice place. We toured the stadium, saw the luxury boxes and club seats... pretty nice.


They just re-sodded the field, a complete re-do of what was there... they had a video of what it took. Looked like a lotta work to me. In case you're wondering, yes, this is the cushioned wall where they do the "Lambeau Leap" after a touchdown... no players were there. I felt pretty safe. Those guys in suits didn't look like they were going to get that much air...


Big Statue of Vincent T. "Vince" Lombardi outside... very impressive. He looked like he was getting ready to tell me to take another lap...


That's a big statue... I'm just a small doggie.

Very nice place, though.

"Beady Eyes" Tedly Thompson spoke at the Shareholder's Meeting... if you can call it speaking. 5th grade public speaking classes are more scintillating than that guy. And he had nothing to say. He says "be patient" on our absurd draft, because "these kids are gonna be good football players." He says he's trying to win NOW. Uh huh... after that draft, and our offseason, I can only conclude we're in total rebuilding mode, and the only person who didn't get the memo was Brett Favre.

Not a word about the Jones fiasco... not one word.

Weird Uncle Teddy aside, it was a great day, really fun. The Doc went along, which was great.

Ahem, now then, I have an important nap to take.... see ya next time!

A few small doggie treats...

Good morning!!

Well, a few quick thoughts here today, a few little snacks. The next post should be interesting....

But then, I thought the LAST post would stimulate some juicy NFL discussion, and instead it stimulated nothing. Play the sound bite of the crickets chirping on an empty quiet night....

Okay, so we're not feeling the football yet... fair enough.

I read in the Wall Street Journal that, in order to pay homage to the USSR, Massachussetts has just implemented their glorious "health care for everyone" plan... which is fine, except just on word that it was coming, Doctors have fled the state in droves, and now it takes like 40+ days to get an appointment. As one guy in the article was quoted as saying, "Our health care system was already hopelessly overloaded... I'm not sure how we're going to be expected to handle another 500,000 patients."

Brezshnev was right... World Socialism will be achieved peaceably... we're doing it to ourselves, one day at a time. Or was that a character in a James Bond Movie who said that?? Not sure... ;)

I saw in the Journal Sentinel that some guy in California has built a "proof of Concept" airplane, a single engine deal, that flies with an electric motor, and LIthium-polymer batteries, just like the R/C guys use... fascinating. This is a full size plane. Flies for an hour on a charge. Very interesting.

How about that NBA Official who was in too deep with the mob, and was throwing games... you like that?? I know why Commisioner David Stern is so upset... because throwing games is HIS job... heh heh. I see the papers in several cities, especially Milwaukee, have been breaking down all the ugly losses and pointless Technical Fouls that were handed out by this donkey... This is bad news for the 6 of you out there that still follow the NBA, and feel it's not fixed. How can you stay in denial now???

Steve Czaban (www.czabe.com) threw another putter in the drink... heh heh. I personally refer to that as a "burial at sea" for the particular club that has committed the offense, and been sentenced to death.

I have to say, I've had a similar history with putters... I bought a Ram Zebra once, in the early 90s... I made everything I looked at for about 5 weeks, and then **pow**, it went bad, bad, bad.... I eventually sold that one. If you need a putter, give me a call, chances are, I've tried it, benched it, and it's sitting in my closet right now....

For example, at the moment, I have a Ping Answer 2 belly putter in my bag, but the early period of greatness ended long ago, and it's become "just another putter", although it hasn't gone south yet. I like the belly putter concept... you'll at least make the short ones. Speed control on long ones is more elusive. Sergio Garcia wasn't exactly a commercial for the belly putter at the British Open. One word of warning: I've seen short dudes really struggle with the belly putter. You don't want to be fanning the blade open and closed during your pass at the ball, and if you're taller, it seems easier. Not that you have to be 6-10, okay, but if you're 5-6, get it cut down or something. You have to be able to take it straight back and straight thru, standing over it, with your head right over the ball...

Enough about that. I have things to do... stay tuned for the next post, which will review Wednesday's big adventure!!!

Top 25 NFL Players

Good day!

Well, as promised, here's my comments on the USA Today's top 25 player list.

To view the whole enchilada, try this link:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2007-top-25-series.htm

There's also ways to link to the articles that ran each day, defending the virtues...

Here We go:

#1 Joe Montana. I agree. Greatest of All Time. 4-0 in Super Bowls. 3 Super Bowl MVP's, and it should have been 4. For a 3rd round pick out of Notre Dame, who was routinely benched by coach Dan Devine, he didn't do too bad.

#2. Jerry Rice. I have no problem with that. He may as well have his own chapter in the NFL record book, he holds so many record that will never be touched.

#3. Walter Payton. Ahem, well. I'm starting to have a problem. Emmitt Smith ran for more yards, more yards per game, surpassed his record in fewer games, and won 3 Super Bowls. Not that Payton wasn't great. And really, this isn't so much about Payton, but Emmitt is 7th on this list, with some very odd people in between... to me, these two guys need to be right next to each other, wherever they appear. Personally, I put Emmitt 3, and Payton 4, but I suppose I'll grudgingly admit, I could see Payton 3 and Emmitt 4... Payton never scored in a Super Bowl, and only appeared in 1... I dunno...

#4. Lawrence Taylor. Does he belong on this list?? Sure. Is he #4?? No. Sure, he was a game changer, a leader, people feared him... Put him at 6, if you must, with Emmitt 4... I think LT got a lotta mileage out of playing in front of 500 writers in New York every week... Was he REALLY that much better than Howie Long?? No, not really... I personally put Troy Aikman right here....

#5. Reggie White. Again, he certainly belongs on the list. I would really almost argue that Reggie was better than Lawrence Taylor. And as you'll see as this list goes on, this is a very modern-centric list... obviously, Reggie played more of his career in the modern era, and I would argue was more dominating, and had more impact on games, in an era where it was tougher to dominate. Not that it matters, but Reggie was also a better human being than cokehead Lawrence Taylor... did I say that out loud?? Sorry, excuse me...

#6. John Elway. Okay, that's absurd. #6?? Are you F-ing kidding me?? Yeah, he had a lot of comebacks, but mainly because he played like a donkey in the first half of a lotta games. Sorry. And the Super Bowls he finally won, he won because he quit chucking the ball all over, and let his dominating running game and tough D take over.... sorry, no way. Just shooting from the hip, Favre, Aikman, Brady, and Steve Young were better QB's.... NO. No way on Elway. I suppose if you wanna put him 25th on this list, go ahead. How can you not put Troy Aikman #6?? What didn't he accomplish in his career?? Even if you hate Aikman, he has to be here, and Elway has to be dropped down to #20.

#7. Emmitt Smith. Finally we get to the all time rushing leader in NFL history, and 3-time Super Bowl champ, winning 3 in 4 years. Also a Super Bowl MVP, which Payton was not... Absurd. Obviously should be 3rd or 4th.

#8. Ronnie Lott. I love Ronnie Lott... one of the toughest guys ever to play football. Ever. Had part of his finger amputated so he could play next week. Loved him. But ahead of Brady, Aikman???? I dunno about that. Sorry. Love the guy, belongs on the list, but probably not this high. Although he was feared, and the brain-blasting hit he layed on Ickey Woods in that Super Bowl vs the Bengals might be the greatest hit in NFL History...

#9. Tom Brady. Hmmm... I'm not sure he should be ahead of Aikman, to be honest. I love Tom Brady. I love him. But.... He's basically Troy Aikman 2.0, really... he's won 3 in 4 years, he's fundamentally sound, a great leader, a great guy, can make all the throws, maintains composure... really though, Tom Brady should be sending Adam Vinatieri a Rolex every year for his birthday... Vinatieri kicked a lotta lotta huge field goals in a lotta crappy weather to win big games for the Patriots.... Troy Aikman was busy throwing for 5 touchdowns in 55-10 blowouts in Super Bowls... he coulda done it without a kicker... I'm not sure Tom Brady is Tom Brady without Vinatieri... where I'm sure you can't name me the Cowboys kicker 1994-2000...

10. Barry Sanders. Okay, I guess... his mysterious retirement, and his absurd mis-utilization by Wayne Fontes probably cost him the record book in several categories... he belongs on this list, but not this high. Even all these years later, I still consider Barry Sanders an enigma of sorts... what could he have done with a real coach, and a real team??? We'll never know.

11. Dan Marino. Way too high. For starters, Favre is going to pass all his records this year. Second, Favre has a Super Bowl. Third, Aikman was better in all meaningful measurements that matter, like wins, for instance... 4th, I think Dan Fouts, on balance, was everything Marino was, and a better leader and teammate to boot... I think Fouts did more with less, overall... Too high on the list. Probably belongs, but too high.

12. Peyton Manning. I guess now that he has a Super Bowl, I don't have a problem, but again, he has to be below Aikman. He's really basically Marino Or Jim Kelly, except with a Super Bowl win... Has to be right next to Favre, one way or another, buth are great players who never miss a start...

13. Anthony Munoz. Huh? Sure, he was a great O-lineman... but halfway up a list of greatest of all time?? For starters, Bruce Matthews immediately springs to mind, of the Oilers, as possibly being better... any host of guys from the Cowboys, Redskins (hogs), Payton era Bears, Simms era Giants.... I think not.

14. Brett Favre. Okay, I suppose if you take out Munoz, and move Aikman up the list to where he belongs, I'm fine with this... 3 time MVP, Super Bowl winner... as his career winds down, though, on a bad team, with bad management, and bad coaching, and bad players around him, his mistakes are more glaring, and it's really starting to have a bad "Marino in the bad twilight" feel to it.... This will truly be heresy, people will hate me for this, but if Mike Holmgren has Troy Aikman, he probably wins 3 Super Bowls here, not one.... That loss to the Broncos was inexcusable. Sorry.

15. Bruce Smith. I suppose. Obviously, Aikman has to be higher... But, now, amongst his contemporaries, was he really better than Warren Sapp, who didn't make this list?? Is he better than Junior Seau, who didn't make this list??? Put me down for "No, he's not better." To me, he's Warren Sapp, pretty much... except Sapp has a Super Bowl ring, and Smith doesn't. More New York favoritism...

16. Deion Sanders. I dunno about that. I don't know. Is Sanders even a Hall of Famer?? I'm not sure. His career was short... he never hit anyone. I just don't know about that. And I loved Deion. I loved him. He was great. But 25 greatest??? Above Aikman?? Above Marshall Faulk?? If I'm picking my team in the sandlot, do I pick him and leave Steve Young in the line??? No. I don't. I can't. If he's even on the list, he's way down lower... I almost have to say, much as it pains me, since I hate the Redskins, that Darrel Green was probably better than Deion, especially if you just take their work in the defensive backfield. Deion had the X-factor of also being an insane kick returner, but...

17. Mike Singletary. Sure. Too high, but sure, he's on the list. Probably as good as Lawrence Taylor, but didn't play in New York... not as good as Reggie White, though.

18. Ray Lewis. Hmmm. I personally hate Ray Lewis, and think he's overrated... And at the very least, he was standing there when his buddies killed two people, that's if you believe he didn't participate.... so while we crucify Mike Vick for dogfighting, which we should, Ray Lewis is supposed to be accepted like a regular citizen?? I'm just not a Ray Lewis fan.... I think he's on a team full of defensive stalwarts, which enables him to shine, and grab a lotta credit. Is he that much better than Zach Johnson?? He's a little better, but...

19. Marshall Faulk. I can still hear Chris Berman yelling "Marshall Marshall Marshall!!!" during highlight packages. A great player. Probably underrated.. give him Deion's spot. Very dangerous. He could catch, he could run... amazing. Very underappreciated out here in the midwest.... If he plays for the New York Giants, he's #5 on this list, probably...

20. Troy Aikman. Troy Aikman... hmm, I hearda that guy somewhere, who did he play for again?? The Eagles?? No wait, it was the Cowboys, I think, yeah... If only he'd gone to a Super Bowl, that would have really cemented his place in NFL history... too bad, he'll end up like Marino, just a footnote... He what?? He went to the Super Bowl?? He was 3-0 in Super Bowls?? He won 3 in 4 years?? He was a Super Bowl MVP?? NO kidding, how did I miss that?? I thought Tom Brady was the only guy to do that... hmm. It must help to play on the east coast. He authored the biggest blowout in Super Bowl History? Amazing. Who knew?? Beat the heavily favored Buffalo Bills, how about that.... Give him spot number 4, bump Lawrence Taylor down to 6, and drop Elway waaaay down the list.... Put Elway here at 20, if you must...

21. LaDanian Tomlinson. Sure, I love the guy, but a very modern-centric pick. He's so young, if he gets hurt next year, he's the next Bo Jackson. How about Marcus Allen, not on this list. Tim Brown is not on this list. Marvin Harrison is not on this list. Jim Kelly, Kellen Winslow, Tony Dorsett, Michael Irvin... not on this list. Personally, I almost have to put Marcus Allen in this spot. Or Dan Fouts, or Kellen Winslow. Tim Brown, really, if you remove the other-worldly Jerry Rice, Tim Brown is your Jerry Rice, he has every record.... So, put me down for no, sorry, on the new LT.

22. Rod Woodson. Naaah. Again, Marcus Allen is glaringly missing. If you want a defensive back, Darrell Green of the Redskins was a force for a long time....

23. Terry Bradshaw. I suppose he has to be on the list, and this may be heresy to Pittsburgh fans, but I think he was overrated. Swann, Stallworth, Franco Harris, and the Steel Curtain defense covered a lot of Bradshaw's mistakes. And of course, going that far back, now we really have to open the whole can of worms and consider Ken Stabler, Roger Staubach, Phil Simms, Tony Dorsett, John Riggins, Joe Theisman... I dunno. If you're gonna have Bradshaw, how do you not have Theisman?? Or Staubach? Or Howie Long? That's a tricky one.

24. Steve Young. He's gotta be on the list, I guess. Only guy in history to get along with Terrell Owens, that has to be worth something....

25. Eric Dickerson. Yeah, huge player. Sure.

Notably absent though, in my humble opinion, I really think Marcus Allen and Marvin Harrison have to be on there. I have to find a spot for Kellen Winslow, and maybe Fouts. There's only 1 wideout on the whole list, I mean, Tim Brown, or Marvin Harrison... even a Michael Irvin... No tight ends. I mean, Brent Jones, Jay Novacek, Tony Gonzalez, all great.

There you have it.

As football season approaches, we have to start thinking of these things....

Until next time.

Baroid Comes to town.

Good day.

Well, Baroid Bonds is in town... I personally was pulling hard for walking him every time up. Ned did not do that. Much to my dismay...

But he was pitched very carefully, and went 0-4 with a walk. I'm fine with that.

Just to be clear, in my humble opinion, it would be a disgrace for him to go deep here in Milwaukee. It would be disgusting.

Really, If I'm Ned (Yost, manager of the Milwaukee Brewers), I don't want my pitchers appearing in highlight films for the rest of their lives... no way.

Brewers lost anyway. In a true display of irony, our pitchers walked EVERYBODY BUT BONDS!!! Nice, fellas. You were supposed to Walk BONDS, and pitch to everyone else!!! Doh!!!!

Kind of like a scene from a bizarre parallel universe... Bonds was pitched to, and a boatload of walks were given up to the rest of the team. At one point, three batters were walked to load the bases, then one was walked home, then a wild pitch scored another...

But we pitched to Baroid Bonds. How absurd is that. That is very absurd.

Next week, we're going to review the USA Today's top 25 NFL Players of all time. They've been revealing a list, a player a day, extolling their virtues...

So, for a coming attraction, let me say this: I have some real problems with this list.

We will discuss. Yesterday they revealed #2, Jerry Rice. I presume #1, Joe Montana, will be revealed Monday. I have no problem with those two. Deeper in the list, however, there are some real oddities...

Until then!

Bad Newz Kennels... No Kidding...

Filed in Open Court
June 17, 2007
Clerk, US District Court
Richmond, VA

Count One: Conspiracy to Travel in Interstate Commerce in Aid of Unlawful Activities and to Sponsor a Dog in an Animal Fighting Venture.

Defendant: Michael Vick, aka "Ookie"
(and three others, mssrs Peace, Phillips, Taylor)

Yes, Michael Vick, indicted for dog fighting.

You can read part of the indictment here:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/vick20070717.pdf

The Smoking gun has the rest....

Shocking and difficult to read, to be sure.

Attending a dog fight is bad enough, really... to voluntarily attend a match, and to enjoy watching two dogs fight to the death... that's really sick. But then, to personally execute poorly performing dogs in a variety of methods... that really pegs the sicko meter...

Bad Newz Kennels was Vick's breeding operation and fighting operation. Bad News, no kidding....

I know, I know, the Duke LaCrosse Players were indicted too, and it turned out there was nothing there. I know. This is a little different, though. There's at least 4 witnesses involved, not one. There's piles of physical evidence, as opposed to none. And there's such a pattern of activity, from 2000 to April of 07, it's hard to overlook the body of evidence that is there....

And really, let's be honest here: this WHOLE THING came to light because Michael Vick's goofball nephew was the target of a DRUG investigation, when officials stumbled onto this complete dog breeding/dog training/dog fighting complex owned by Michael Vick.... duh!!! Hey, try arranging your drug deals someplace OTHER THAN the same place you host your dog fights.... duh.

If you're the NFL, can you really let this guy play?? If you're the Atlanta Falcons, can you really let this guy put on your uniform, or stand on your sidelines??? At road games, how do you get the opposing team's PA guy to stop playing "who let the dogs out" every time Vick walks out on the field???

I'm sure Clinton Portis will weigh in shortly... I mean, in Portis' mind, they're Michael's dogs, on Michael's property... if he wants to kill them, fight them, whatever, that's his business... right???

The more that comes out, the sicker it gets... I think that anonymous guy on ESPN was right, though... a lot of people have to be scared right now... If I run some other kennel, I'm petrified right now. Does anyone think for one second that Vick won't do some kind of plea deal, in exchange for some testimoney, and some naming of names?? Do you think Vick will keep his mouth shut and do some jail time, to protect some other dudes?? Give up his double-digit millions per year?? Heh heh, I kinda doubt it....

I seem to have lost my appetite. Until next time...

You call that buffing??? Stay away from my car...

Good day.

Well, I saw "Bruce Almighty" the other day... nice. Way better than Evan Almighty. Funny, and good. Morgan Freeman was quite brilliant.

This DVD I rented though, It was skipping, and not playing real well... so I look at the back... yikes!!! Looks like somebody took an orbital sander to the back of it... So look people, I know you bought that "Home DVD Buffer" on QVC, but please, take it easy with the thing... Chances are, you do not need to buff the thing. Just wipe all the fingerprints and bacon grease off with a nice soft cotton cloth, it'll be fine.... really.

And like big Frank used to say, don't touch the middle!!! Hold it by the edges!!! Damn you kids!!

I see Barroid Bonds is endearing himself to fans... I heard the sound bite on the radio, and sadly, I can't find a link to it on the net... but he basically sounds off to some reporters, and tells them "I'm embarrased to be wearing the uniform, the way I'm playing... that's it, now GET OUT!!" The tone of voice is truly priceless, it has to be heard to be believed.... Jerk.

Won another $5 playing poker on the net... err, I mean, that's $5 of play money... whoops.

The Doc is rollin' up the play money... wish it was real...

Somebody won my Megabucks jackpot.... slimeballs. I was really counting on that money. Think of the good I could have done. I could have provided needy puppy dogs with bacon cheeseburgers and shelter and Harleys and Cadillacs... It's sad.

Oh well... today's another day, full of fresh possibilities, and fresh bacon strips, to be layed on fresh cheese atop a lovely sirloin burger....

What's a Sub-Prime???

Good day...

Been awhile. Hey, it's tough, hangin' out, having fun all the time... I'm a small doggie, it's my job.

I've heard of Prime Rib, and I know it's good, but sub-prime? If it's tender and tasty, I'm interested...

Ahh, sub prime mortgages. I get it. Check this article out:

http://www.kitco.com/ind/Schiff/jul132007.html

Interesting take on the situation. The worst may not be over. For those who don't know, the term "sub prime mortgage" refers to a whole batch of mortgages that have been written to, shall we say, less qualified buyers, without a lot of checking up on the income that was stated on the application. Also, many of these are Adjustable rate loans, or ARMs, which, the buyers may have qualified for the low introductory teaser rate, but probably wouldn't qualify for the new higher payment, now that the rate has reset.... or is due to reset kinda soonish.

Gonna hit a Brewers game tonight. Should be fun...

Just read a great book. Richard Laymon, "Island". Very nice. Den of Earth recommended this, and he made reference to a big thing around a third of the way in... which I may have missed, or saw it coming... but a great book. The second half really ramps up the intensity. Great juxtaposition of characters throughout. Kind of a first person sort of narrative, told as a series of diary entries, which gives it an interesting, palpable urgency and suspense. Seems odd at first, but it works. A somewhat disturbing surprise at the end, too... heh heh. Nice. Check it out. My library had it, Amazon has it... It's billed as horror, but I found it more in a vein of action adventure. When I think horror, I'm thinking supernatural weirdness, vampires, immortals, evil military lab generated mutants, something like that... this was nothing supernatural. Some of these people's brains are definitely miswired, but I'm not sure it rises to "horror"... Laymon might have a bit of a sick mind, or at least a very active imagination, but I freely admit I loved it.

Well, maybe a nap is in order....

Happy 4th!!!

Good day!

Well, last weekend, I started celebrating early by riding in a 4th of July Parade. Very nice. Tough on bikes, to idle for an hour in the hot sun, stepping forward at walking speed... tough on your clutch hand too. Whew!!




So, I got ready in the morning... new bandana. Very patriotic, if I may say so...



Got in my seat... very nice. I'm ready to go!!!



I'm just a small doggie, in a sea of big bikes....

It was fun. Perfect weather.

Played poker last weekend too. Played well and made money. That'll keep me in bacon cheeseburgers for awhile...

I see the Bucks drafted some dude who isn't going to play here... nice. The precious draft pick, wasted. My sources tell me the 76ers had players and future picks on the table, in exchange for that pick. Seems like maybe we should have taken that.

A local sports guy on the radio also made a great point: they're trying to get a new stadium right now... so, now, the overburdened taxpayer is supposed to pony up money for this, when players don't want to come here??? I'm generally in favor of these stadium deals, but I dunno about this. But then, I'm not really much for the NBA...

So, I hate politics, but I can't pass this up: Hillary says that W's pardon of Scooter shows that he thinks he's "above the law".

Is that right.... now look, if Obama wants to say that, I guess I let it go, but HIllary was probably standing right there in the office when Wild Bill stayed up all night his final night in office, signing north of 200 pardons. Some of us remember the highlights of the Clinton years, lady... There was one dude, his name might have been Mark Rich, he was in exile in Europe, facing a boatload of Federal Prison time... but his rich wife was still here in the states, dropping cash on Wild Bill and his legal defense fund... and then wa-la, he got a pardon.

So, explain to me again who think's he's above the law?? I thought so... I'm really amused by the "revisionist" look back on the Clinton presidency... As I recall, the only way Wild Bill could have gotten slimier and dirtier would be if he went on "Dirty Jobs" with Mike Rowe, and was dropped into a waste oil storage tank.

This is not to say I don't have issues with W... I do. Oh my, yes. But really, that's breathtaking, to see Hillary pointing the finger about presidential pardons... my goodness. Is there no shame? Isn't there ONE reporter out there somewhere, who would actually do his/her job and CALL her on it???

Ahh well. I see Delphi got the union to take a 50% cut in pay... and I see a lot of union bashing on the net, like, as if all the problems are the evil greedy union. Like, as if the top brass at Delphi doesn't win the lottery in their juicy pay packages every year. UH huh...

And you don't work at Delphi, right, so, this doesn't effect you. Right. Fair enough. I'm sure your boss "didn't notice" that those people took a 50% pay cut. I'm sure. Most of my experiences with bosses, I have to say, they really feel that their people are lazy and overpaid. I suppose your boss is different... (wink). Still think this doesn't affect you??

How about your cousin, who works at that car dealer down by the plant. When everyone's pay gets slashed, do you think they're going to sell more cars, or less cars? Do you think the guys who run the car lot might let some people go, when they see they're not selling any cars??

When a bunch of houses hit the market down there at giveaway fire sale prices, do you think that helps the value of your house, or hurts it?

These are complicated questions... I'm just a small doggie.

I know I'm a lucky dog, and I get a lotta bacon cheeseburgers. And I'm not sure I'd want to cut down to half the number of juicy delicious bacon cheeseburgers... I'm just saying.

Enjoy your 4th!! Count your blessings, and thank a veteran for the freedoms we enjoy!!

The Jury Returns a Verdict

Good Day!

Well, the verdict is in... a 2005 GMC Envoy SLT. Has pretty much everything.

Pretty nice truck. I think this might work.

Another crazy week... so busy.

Absolute Poker put money in my account, they want me back so badly... so I played a little single table tourney the other day. If an idiot doesn't draw out on me in the late stages, I am the huge chip leader, and probably coast to victory. But alas, that was not the case.... I thought I played okay, though. It was fun.

I gave away my original X-Box to my Dad, who let's the step-nephews play. Now, I'm really good at the racing/driving style games. Project Gotham Racing, 1, 2, and 3, in particular. So, they were quite disgusted with the ease with which I dispatched them, even in wildly inferior cars.

I was over there yesterday, and the house was abuzz with the news that Gabe, my s-nephew, is also really good. My stepmom informs me with great delight that Gabe "Beats us as bad as YOU do!!!"

Thus, a championship match must be played. We are led into the living room, as an expectant crowd gathers... there is a real feeling of a heavyweight fight in the air. It was kinda cool.

We take our seats on the couch, and choose our controllers.

I ask him what kind of car he likes. I figure I'll let him pick, and I'll drive whatever he drives... give him a chance, ya know?? I really didn't think I had anything to worry about, but the atmosphere in the room was like, hmmm, something might really be up here...

He wants a Ferrari 360 Spyder. I thought to myself "Big Mistake", as the Ferraris got me past all the worst moments in PGR3. Including the diabolical Nuernburgring... I'm still having bad flashbacks.





The race begins. I settle in behind him. I figure a) I'll let him lead for awhile, make him feel like it was a race, and b) Just in case he's good, I'll get an idea where he's fast, and where he's vulnerable.

I'm right behind him, and he greases thru the first turn, and the second, and he's running away from me. Whoops. I'm like the guy who realizes he has a tiger by the tail...

I finally passed him somewhere in lap 4 I think, and held on for the win. But it was a great race. The kid is really good.

Went to the new Marcus Theatre last night, the Majestic. Pretty cool. I almost felt like I was walking into a casino. It's that nice, and that opulent. Huge place, too. They have 2 ultrascreens, which are 70-some odd foot screens. Stadium style seating. Also $10 a seat. Unless you wanna pay an extra $3 a seat, for a "premium" seat. Which, hey, they did look nice, but wow. I have a home theatre system in my house, with premium seats, and premium vodka in the freezer, and a premium pause button, and no premium a-holes sitting next to me talking during the film....

I saw "Evan Almighty". It was okay. Morgan Freeman is brilliant in the role of God. I never saw Bruce Almighty, maybe that would have been better, to see that first... although I guess I get the idea.

Lotta money to see a movie, though, especially when you hit & miss on movies... $10 buys a lotta bacon cheeseburgers...

Speaking of which... talk to you later.