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.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
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...
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...
Sunday, August 19, 2007
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!
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!
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
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!
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!
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