New Venture

So in a never-ending attempt to spread myself thin... I am now a contributing blogger to a South Dakota Sports Website.

Sports Buzzard started out covering just Western South Dakota Sports. But as with any successful venture, they are looking to expand. Mike Henriksen of SportsMax Radio has corralled several area media mavens (including me) to contribute reports and coverage on teams from around the area. So I'll be concentrating on Madison, ORR, Chester, Howard, McCook Central/Montrose and the like.

So check it out at http://www.sportsbuzzard.com. I'm under the name "Jack Rabitt1".

Happy Birthday, KJAM!

Well, since my Lake Herman Friend already blogged about it, I figured I'd give a little more publicity to all of my five readers on this thing! LOL

On December 3, 1959 at 8:00 a.m., radio station KJAM signed on for the very first time on an assigned AM frequency of 1390 kilocycles (or for those living in the 21st century, 1390 kHz). Which means the place that has helped me pay my rent and keep me in good faith with my student loan company is now officially 50 years old.

Frankly, it doesn't look a day over 49!

But in all seriousness, with businesses changing hands, opening and closing at the drop of a hat, 50 years is something else. Hell, 10 years anymore is quite an accomplishment. So it's definitely nothing to sneeze at.

Thursday, John Goeman stopped by the station to reflect and to wish KJAM the best of wishes. John has been synonymous with KJAM all these years; when he graduated from Brown Institute back in 1959, he came to KJAM to work as the afternoon announcer and as the station's engineer.... all for the princely sum of $375 a month. Considering the average salary at the time was $2992, John was making some pretty good coin! He would later become the Station Manager and then Station Owner before selling in 2000 to Three Eagles Communications (Not "Communication", Cory!) of Lincoln, Nebraska.

He brought in this great book that was filled with advertisements, and photographs of the station througout the years. In fact the program log from that very first day was in John's collection. By the way... the station signed on at 8:00 a.m., then signed-off at 4:45 p.m., as it was licensed as as a daytime-only station.

But in talking with John and overhearing his conversations, I learned some interesting things about KJAM.

1) KJAM was not the original call letters that the owners wanted when they applied for a broadcast license. The founders actually wanted to use K-M-A-D with the "MAD" standing for "MADison", kinda like KSOO radio stood for "Sioux (or "SOO") Falls". But the FCC rejected the call letters, so the owners used KJAM, with the "JAM" named after the founder, Dr. John A. Muggly.

2) The original location for the station was above what was then Collignon's Hardware in Madison. Don't quote me on that, but I think that's where Central Business Supply is now located. The station moved to it's present location in 1969 when Northwestern Bank (now Wells Fargo) moved to its present Building on First Street and Egan Avenue. Although when something goes ca-ca (as it tends to do once in a while), we joke the the station is located on an "Indian Burial Ground"! LOL

3) Prior to KJAM, there had been another radio station of sorts in Madison. KBRK of Brookings had a satellite studio in Madison, above what is now Dakota Drug. However, when KJAM was established, the owners of KBRK shut down its studio, not wishing to compete with a home-grown radio company. It seems a little ironic that both stations would share the same owners a half-century later!

There are so many more interesting things I could share about the station, but frankly, the person to talk to would be John Goeman. He has so much knowledge, I really think he should write a book about KJAM. And I think all those great pictures, John, would make for an excellent website for locals and radio historians (like me) can enjoy. John, Cory, what do you think?

All in all, I just want to say "Happy Birthday, KJAM!" And I want to thank all of you who have tuned in for the last 50 years!

Yesterday...

Yesterday was the best day and the worst day of my life, all rolled into one. Not to go into details, but my South Dakota State University Jackrabbit foootball team played in its first playoff game in thirty years... and after three heavenly quarters, hell came raining down in the fourth quarter as Montana knocked off my Jacks 61-48.

A lot of hurting folks at the SDSUFans.com message board, including yours truly.... I posted this as a "look on the bright side" to boost our spirits... I thought I'd share this with all of you..


"I Think We'll Be Okay"...

Sorry to steal this from Filbert, but I thought it made a nifty title.

Yesterday was about the lowest I ever felt as a Jackrabbit fan... and that includes "The Game That Shall Not Be Mentioned." Yeah, Montana was the favorite and the top-seeded team, but we had them on the ropes and we didn't go for the jugular... it sucks... and like I said in an earlier post, I hope there's a special place in Hell for the inventor of the "prevent" defense. The only thing that defense prevents is victories.

With that in mind, an amazing thing happened today. The sun came up... okay, it's overcast, but the sun is up, nevertheless.

I got up at 7:00 to come to work and play Christian music for a few hours, like I normally do every couple of weeks or so. Getting dressed this morning, I made it a point to proudly wear my SDSU hoodie and my SDSU sweatpants that I bought after our triumph over Northern Iowa.

Yesterday royally sucked... and we are all still hurting. Some of us are even angry. I sure was angry yesterday; I'm just glad my 2-year old niece didn't hear some of the words I was spewing out yesterday! But today, I am much better.

When I look back on this season, this is what I see...

1) Our best season record since moving up to Division-I athletics... including one of the best starts in over 40 years.

2) One of the top defenses all season long in FCS, even though the fourth quarter yesterday didn't help. But I think that was more an abberition than anything else.

3) Another record for average attendance... over 13-thousand people in a stadium designed for just over 10-thousand... not too shabby.

4) Renewed interested in SDSU athletics... a multi-million dollar donation for a brand-spanking new Student Athete center that'll no doubt be the crowning jewel in the eventual refurbishing and remodeling of CAS. A new SDSU show on KSFY that has our interest. A new Athletic Director who knows that SDSU is not just the school for Brookings or East River, but for Aberdeen, Rapid City, Pierre, Sioux Falls, and yes, even Vermillion!

5) Something that Pete Retzlaff, Jim Langer, Josh Ranek, and Adam Vinatieri could never do as players... lead SDSU to the playoffs!!!

We have a good head coach in Stig. Unlike other coaches in our conference, Stig isn't content to look for just talent alone when recruiting. He looks for young men of good character... young men who realize that you play for the name on the front of the jersey, rather than the name on the back (figurative, since we don't have either on our unis, but you get my drift). Young men from across the country that have avoided the controversy, scandals, and arrest records that have plagued some of our conference brothers. And who can win.

We still have a long way to go... our budget is pathetic, our facilities need serious upgrades, we are seriously understaffed. But all those things are in the process of being corrected, and we have the forward-thinking administration in place to do just that.

Some idiot from Montana decided to show his maturity and say it'll be 30 years before we make the playoffs again... I know we'll be back next year. We have a dynamic quarterback, a solid running back, and a hungry defense coming back next year... all a year older and wiser... and with major chips on their shoulders. And we'll be something no one would have ever guessed for us when we made this transition six years ago... CONTENDERS.

Yesterday sucked... and we're all hurting... but the progress we have made in so short of a time has been amazing, and the future continues to be bright for SDSU Football and SDSU Athletics.

It is still a great day to be a Jackrabbit!

And to quote Filbert... "I think we'll be okay."

Roll Call

As I was getting ready for work this morning, I started thinking about all the people in my life who have served this country in the Armed Forces. Here's a partial list of all the people I've known that have served.

Jim Driscoll, USA-World War II
Tommy Wilson, USA-World War II
Myron “Mike” Stadem, USN-Korea
Dave Driscoll, USN-Vietnam
Jim Auen, USA-peacetime
Wade Harkema, USA-peacetime
Chad Swenson, USN-peacetime, Operation Enduring Freedom
Steve Clark, USA-Operation Desert Storm
Matt Smith, USCG-peacetime
Tom Verhey, USMC-peacetime
Chris Gill, USA-peacetime, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom
Cole Dearduff, USAF-peacetime
Scott Richardson, USAF-peacetime
Chris Swan, USA-peacetime, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom
Darin Huwe, USA-Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom
Brady Bender, USA-Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom
David Ellmore, USA-Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom
Mathew Wollman, USMC-recent graduate from Basic Training, currently in Infantry Training

Family... friends... classmates. They've all served this country. To them, and to all who have served or are currently serving, Thank You. I list your names here not to cause draw unnecessary attention to yourselves, but to show my honest and sincere appreciation.

Some yahoos like MoveOn.org, Ted Rall, and others may drag your name in the mud and spit on you and generally act like real assholes. Rest assured an overwhelming majority of us appreciate all your sacrifice, putting the needs of us ahead of your own. It takes a special person to do that, especially in this “me first” culture. You are ALL true heroes.

P.S. I realize I may not be entirely accurate where and when everyone served, be it peace time or otherwise. If I erred, please contact me and I will correct your information as soon as possible. Again, thank you very much.

On Hiatus

So I haven't been on posting here for a few months... that's because I'm on hiatus from blogging.

Frankly, I'm burned out on the whole blogging thing. With my crazy-ass schedule at the station, I just haven't had the time or energy to blog. And with basketball around the corner, it's going to be even nuttier. Plus with part-time jobs with First Dance and the Old Dutch, I basically have about enought time to somewhat straighten my apartment, do some laundry, cook supper, work out and sleep.

Secondly, I've really become disgusted with the semi-negative tone some of my fellow bloggers have taken... I'm still upset with the way my friend Todd was raked over the coals simply because he wanted to post pictures of women on his blog. Nothing dirty, just women he happens to admire. There are some good bloggers that are quite informative, but then there are some that Lenin would call "useful idiots".

I still read blogs, and I'll still post messages. But by and far, I've pretty much stayed away. After a while, it all starts to sound the same, anyway.

In the meantime, I keep busy with my working out (ran my first-ever 5K this summer and didn't die), reading (be it on-line or with those bound-paper devices called books), work, and even trying to establish some semblance of a social/dating life.

So if you don't see me posting all that often, well, there ya go.

In the meantime, a few things off my chest.

1) I think the ultimate case of Poetic Justice would be for Osama Bin Laden to come down with a case of Swine Flu. I would laugh my ass off... then I'd scream because, hey, my ass fell off.

2) Government is good at protecting us from invaders (for the most part), regulating trade, and settling disputes with states. Education and running health care, not so good a job.

3) Certain people need to remove me from their mailing lists (i.e. Nicci). I got a mass-email from this person last week and it upset me greatly. Nicci, I've done a very good job of leaving you alone and purging you from my life the past 18 months. Please respect my privacy and remove all traces of me from your life as well.

4) Boondock Saints... Best. Movie. Ever. (thanks, Jim Howard!) Why they can't have a wide-scale release of Boondock Saints II is beyond me. Not everyone cares about the latest "Bragelina" movie or some retarded teen-sex romp. In a similar vein... I love Netflix... and Hulu.

5) I'm finally warming up to Fav-ruh as QB for my Vikings. The true test of a great player is when elevates the play of those around him. And looking at what he's done for Bernard Berrian, Visanthe Shaincoe, and Sidney Rice says this guy is worth his salt, even if it for only a year as most people are expecting.

And finally, some blogs for you to peruse while I continue my leave of absence...in no particular order....

1) Madville Times. My friend Cory Heidelberger's blog. I don't agree with a lot of his opinions, some really even piss me off. But instead of being a complete left-wing blow-hard, he does provide some interesting evidence to support his claims... and his blogging about local people and local topics is thoughtful and sincere.

2) Dakota War College. Cory Heidelberger if he was Republican... and named Pat Powers. Pat's kinda reminds me of the side of beef in Rocky I. Pounded on all sides... Republican, Democrat, you name it. But he also backs up his claims with interesting evidence and isn't afraid to torque off a few in his own party. The Gadfly of his Party!

3) Middle Border Sun. My friend Todd Epp's blog. He's kinda stepped away from the blogosphere to concentrate on other interests, mainly his new-found passion for officiating soccer and basketball and joining the Civil Air Patrol. I don't agree with a lot of what he says, but he's always been very cordial friendly towards this doofus, which makes him a mensch in my book.

4) Fastidious. I know not the identity of Ms. "Fastidious" or her husband cosbysweater08. But she reminds me of my friend and SDSU classmate Sonya. Very outspoken, very opinionated, very intelligent, and a pretty quirky sense of humor.

5) South DaCola. Scott is the "wildcard" of the bunch. Just when you have him pegged as a flaming liberal, he'll turn around and rail against higher taxes in Sioux Falls and very much speak like a fiscal conservative. Warning... if you have an aversion to snarkiness, best to take him in via small doses.

6) Terry Vandrovec and Matt Zimmer. Both sports reporters for the Argus Leader. If Terry and Matt could be best described in TV terms... I'd consider them "The Odd Couple." Terry reminds me of Felix Unger... Neat, prepared, erudite, well-mannered. Matt reminds me of Oscar Madison... Outspoken, a little disheveled, about as non-diplomatic in terms of talking about sports. He's not afraid to drop a few f-bombs to prove a point or get a laugh.... which means I should think twice before having him on the Sports Spotlight?

7) Doug Lund and Steve Hemmingsen. These guys pretty much defined my weeknights at 6:00 ever since I was knee-high to a quart bottle of beer. Even though both now enjoy the bliss of retirement, they both keep pretty busy with blogging about everything and anything... from their battles with the bulge, to living life on the lake, to travels across the United States, to even a little politics. The Elder Statesmen of broadcasting and now South Dakota blogging. When they speak, people listen.

In closing, I leave you with these words of wisdom from talk radio host (and 2009 Radio Hall of Fame inductee) Neal Boortz.

Look, life is insensitive, and the truth can be highly offensive. To hide from either is to hide from the reality of life. Take comfort in the fact that I am an equal opportunity offender. You today. Someone else tomorrow. You have no Constitutional right not to be offended and I'm here to make sure this non-existent Constitutional right is honored.

--Neal Boortz "FAQ". http://www.boortz.com.

Stay groovy, kiddies!

Goodbye, "Uncle Walter"

"That's the Way It Is."

For 19 years, that familiar phrase was heard in millions of homes across the United States on a weekly basis. The words ended the evening newscast of the man called the "Most Trusted Man in America," Walter Cronkite. From 1962-1981, "Uncle Walter" gave a concise telling of the days events in a voice that was a combination of authority, objectiveness, and trust.

This weekend, that voice was stilled forever... Dead of complications from Dementia at 92.

I doubt Cronkite's death will have much media impact as, say, Michael Jackson's death and the carnival surrounding it. While Jackson was a very good entertainer, Cronkite offered more substance... informing us of the major stories of the day and sometimes even impacting the stories himself.

Two big examples of that include his 1968 comment on the Vietnam War, where he said the best we could hope for was to leave the conflict with honor. President Lyndon Johnson was reported to have said afterwords, "If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost Middle America." It was a major factor in LBJ's decision not to run for re-election in 1968.

Another example was Cronkite's interview in the late 1970's with Egyptian president Anwar Sadat. Cronkite asked Sadat what he thought would be a "throwaway" question, or a question that most people knew the answer to and wasn't of any real substance. That question was would Sadat be willing to visit Israel? Sadat surprised a lot of people, including Cronkite when he said "Yes". That set the wheels in motion to what became known as the Camp David Accords in 1979, the first peace treaty between Israel and one of her neighboring countries.

Despite reporting on the events of the day (and sometimes playing an incidental part of them), Cronkite always kept his opinions and biases in check. Sure, he would offer up the occasional commentary on his newscast, but he kept it at the end of the newscast, never during. And he made sure people knew it was simply his opinion and not any official stand. Reporters from CNN, Fox News, and the major networks could stand to learn a thing or two from that objectivity.

That attention to objectivity, and detail, might have saved Dan Rather's job. When he reported on the memo about George W. Bush not reporting for the National Guard as ordered, he relied on his producer and didn't check the facts of the story himself. Had it been Cronkite who was going to air such a politically-charged story, he would have made darn sure to check the facts himself... after all, it was his butt on the line. Rather got lazy. That, combined with the fact he had come out a few years before as a die-hard supporter of the Democrat party, put the idea in many minds that the story was a "hatchet job", sparked by political bias. It cost Rather his credibility, and eventually his job.

Not to say "Uncle Walter" didn't have his political beliefs. He was very much a die-hard Liberal, even going so far as to advocate a limited "world government". But during his time behind the anchor desk at CBS, he kept his politics in check, and didn't publicly express those opinions until well after he left CBS. In fact, he was a registered Independent so his detractors couldn't accuse him of bias one way or the other... But the greatest testament to his objectivity was the criticism from the Left that he was biased towards the Right, and vice versa.

Nowadays, with inundation of instant news via the Internet, cable and satellite news, and the plethora of screaming talking heads like Chris Mathews, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly and Keith Olberman, I doubt we'll ever see someone as "fair and balanced" as Walter Cronkite delivering our news... in a non-biased, apolitical, objective fashion.

And that's truly something to mourn.

my two cents-again

With all the blog wars that are going on in the South Dakota Blogsphere, I'm reminded of some key words of wisdom from my friend Michelle...

"Winning an on-line argument is like winning in the Special Olympics. Sure, you may cross the finish line, but you're still a retard."

Something to think about...

Remember to Say "Thank You"

"I bear this cross with honor, 'cause freedom don't come free."

--Toby Keith, "American Soldier"

As you get ready for your picnics, your trips to the lake, your last-minute trip to the fireworks stand to get the last gross of bottle rockets and sparklers, I want you to stop and think for a minute about where you got your freedom on this Independence Day.

Did you get it from Barack Obama and George W. Bush? No.

Did you get it from media talking heads like Bill O'Reilly, Arianna Huffington, Rush Limbaugh, and James Carville? No.

Did you get it from organizations like the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, The New York Times, The Washington Post and USA Today? No.

Did you get it from celebrities like Brad Pitt, Paris Hilton, Bruce Willis, and Susan Sarandon? No.

Did you get it from academics from such places as Berkely, South Dakota State, Columbia University, Harvard and Dakota State University? No.

Did you get it from community organizers like ACORN? No.

Did you get it from bloggers like Todd Epp, Steve Sibson, Cory Heidelberger, Pat Powers, Dakota Women and me? No.

So where did you get your freedoms that you're celebrating today on this Independence Day?

Simple.

We got them from the (mostly) men and women who have sacrificed their time, bodies, minds, and lives so that we can enjoy our lives in freedom and security. For 234 years, starting in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, these individuals sacrificed their blood, so we would not have to sacrifice ours. THEY won us the freedom to act like idiots with our lives... to mock our country and feign embarrassment to the rest of the world... to celebrate the morons that throw shoes at our Presidents....

...and the freedom to call the people who have fought and died for our freedoms morons, rednecks, butchers, brainwashed robots, rapists, and baby killers.

These people are our greatest heroes.... they suffered through the hellish winter of Valley Forge. They shed blood at Bull Run and Shiloh. They went through Hell on Earth at Normandy and Omaha Beach. And they are fighting off those who would do us harm in Iraq and Afghanistan.

These brave men and women are indeed heroes. They have put their lives on the line, doing something that the rest of us either can not or will not do. Defend and ensure our freedoms with their lives.

So as you get ready to light off your fireworks, or get ready to play volleyball, or get ready to bemoan the state of our country, take the time to think of the soldiers, sailors, and pilots who have given the ultimate sacrifice so that we will not have to.



Think of them... and thank them.

panem et circenses

A half a world away, thousands of individuals are waking up from a 30-year slumber. They are starting to realize their government is lying to them, and that they will do anything to keep in power, including killing its citizens who protest.

A half a world away, a tyrannical dictator is waving his saber armed with a nuclear tip at us, threatening to blow up the world in order to assuage his feelings of inadequacy.

A half a world away, soldiers are sacrificing their limbs and lives so that we can live in freedom, and free from fear of the evil bastards that would do us harm.

Yet here, what do most people want to talk about?

*A pair of spoiled brats who get married and can't seem to decide whether or not to stay on a reality show.

*A couple who sold out themselves and their kids to be viewed by the public, at the cost of their own marriage.

*Who wins a singing or dancing show.

These things take up our mindset, constantly.

The Roman poet Juvenal wrote a phrase 200 years ago that accurately describes what we are experiencing... panem et circenses.

"Bread and Circuses"

At the risk of..

At the risk of offending some radical feminists, or sounding phallo-centric, I just wanted to pass along the following sentiment:

Happy Father's Day, Dad.

With love, your son.

Iran... Iran so far away...

Unless you're one of those rubes who like to follow the clusterf*#k that is the "Jon and Kate Plus 8" saga, you've probably been paying attention to the debacle over in Iran.

Basically, Iran's presidential election, featuring two hard-liners who'd both like to see Israel wiped off the map and to finish Hitler's "final solution" has been marred by massive voting irregularities, not to mention fraud. The religious folks, who are the ones who wear the "daddy pants" in Iran basically declared the incumbent as the winner despite it taking about three days to count the ballots (apparently they never heard of "hanging chads").

Needless to say, the public is a mite torqued off. So much so that they have decided to take to the streets and let the clerics know just how they're feeling. And based on some reports, around 100 or so folks have died. To make matters even more fun, the religious authority has said if the protests don't stop, they're bascially going to be busting heads, literally.

Kinda takes the phrase "The beatings will continue until morale improves" to a scary real level.

Here in the good ol' "Birthplace of Modern Democracy", the debate has been what to do or say about this whole situation. President Obama has denounced the way that the protesters are being handled. But should we say more?

In a word, no.

Why not? Two reasons. First of all, we're not looked upon with a whole lot of favor over in the Middle East right now... especially in the country formerly known as Persia. Still a lot of bad feelings from 1979, you know (they tend to know how to hold a grudge in that part of the world). So anything we say or do is going to be ignored at best, reviled at worst.

Secondly, it seems the regime over in Iran is doing a pretty good job of slitting its throat on its own. Fareed Zakaria of CNN says that even if the ruling religious leaders manage to stifle the protests, enough information and images of what's been going on has been leaked via Twitter and Facebook that they've pretty much abandoned the ideals that brought them into power thirty years ago.

So to summarize... this is a case where the less we do, the better off things will be... at least in our public image.

My "WTF" moment of the day....

And if you don't know what "WTF" means... then what the hell are you doing on a computer?

I follow Bob Barr, the 2008 Libertarian Party Candidate for President, on Facebook... he posted this a couple of days ago that's a real head-scratcher

In a little noted proposed regulatory decision issued in May by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (”CPB”), the administration is seeking to ban the import of any pocket knife that partially opens with a flick of the wrist.

The government is able to reach into the pockets of America’s millions of pocket knife users to limit the type of knife they can own, thanks to a novel and expansive interpretation of the 1958 “Switchblade Knife Act.” This half-century old law prohibited the importation into the U.S.of, or the interstate commerce in, automatic switchblade and stiletto knives.

Forget bin Laden, and screw Kim Jong Il... lets go after pocketknives!

Is it just me, or do you think there are some politicians in D.C. that really need to get lives?

Semantics Suck!

For the love of all that is holy and sacred... how many times do I have to tell you yahoos...

It's IH-talian... not EYE-talian!

The good people from the country shaped like a boot are not, repeat NOT, from EYE-taly!

SHEESH!

An open letter to Kim-Jong Il

Dear "honorable leader" of North Korea.

Sixty-four years ago, in the smal town of Alamogordo, New Mexico, scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer uttered these words after a successful experiment:

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds."

Less than a month later, the United States Army Air Force brought Dr. Oppenheimer's words to fruition on two Japanese cities... Hiroshima and Nagasaki.



With this in mind, and all the saber-rattling you've been doing, do you really think it's in your and your country's interest to be torquing-off a country that has nuclear weapons and HAS used them in an actual war?

I'm not saying, I'm just saying.

Think about it.

Tech... No Logic

Guess what? I'm taking a break today from railing against the gang teaming up on my Harrisburg Basketball co-announcer. And I promse not to use FCC-unfriendly language today, too!

For as much railing as I did aginst Twitter, I now twitter... I'm such a sell-out! By the way, here's the shameless plug... http://www.twitter.com/jackrabit1

So with this neat little thing, I've decided that I'll keep the personal stuff on there and keep this more that are on a larger scale... especially things that pi- I mean torque me off (WHEW!)

I've also done some housecleaning. A few weeks ago, I got rid of my MySpace page. Frankly, I never go there anymore... there's too many bad memories, and I like Facebook a heck of a lot better. And frankly, MySpace has become too much of a "little kids" shill site. Sorry.... never was a fan of the Jonas Brothers and I never will be. Though if they do a set with Bruce Springsteen, I might develop a little respect for them.

So here's another shameless plug... http://www.facebook.com/jackrabit1. Boy*, it's a good thing I own this little piece of cyberspace... with all the shameless plugs, I'd have to charge myself advertising!

So there's the post, and no swearing either. Heidelberger would be so proud! :P

*I used the word "boy" as common means of expression or emphasis... nothing ethno- or peno-centric about it!

Don't be a dumb-ass

1)Don't be a dumb-ass.

2)If you want something done, do it yourself. Don't rely on the government to do it for you. They'll eventually screw it up and tax you for it. If you believe that government is the answer to everything wrong in the world, you're a dumb-ass. Roll up your sleeves and take care of your own damn problems.

3)Never underestimate the stupidity of dumb-asses in large groups... all you need to do is look at the Republican and Democratic Parties.

4)60% of all statistics are made up on the spot. Usually by dumb-asses

5)Most atheists are either a) rebelling against religion because they don't like being told there are such things as absolutes like Right and Wrong... or b) they are arrogant enough to believe that there is no greater being than themselves. They are dumb-asses.

6)Human beings are primal creatures. We claim to be “enlightened” and above pettiness, but when our values or thoughts are challenged enough, we end up reverting to those base emotions of jealousy and pettiness and self-loathing. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a dumb-ass.

7)I don't need scientific proof to justify my belief in a supreme being... it's called FAITH... get it? If you can't understand that and continue to mock my faith... you're a dumb-ass.

8)Other “Christians” who say the Catholic Church is “evil” and “wrong” are morons. Has it ever occurred to you where your particular Christan doctrine stemmed from? There's a reason it's called the “Catholic” church... it's derived from the Greek word katholikos, which means “universal”. So all you self-righteous Bob Jones-wannabes think on that and try not to get any nightmares tonight! Dumb-asses.

9)People who are narrow-minded ideologues (right-wing AND left-wing) tend to suffer from tunnel-vision and can't see the big picture and only pick and choose what to read and make their opinions off that (i.e. The criticism by the Left Wing blogosphere as of lately). Those who are too open-minded usually end up with their brains (or common sense) leaking out. Both are dumb-asses

10)I'm an independent Libertarian... NO ONE tells me how to think. And if you think you can tell me how to think, then you're a dumb-ass. Oh, and if you think you can change my way of thinking by calling me a dumb-ass, misogynist, racist, or an asshole, then you the world's biggest dumb-ass!

On the beating of a dead horse...

Boy, just when you think this whole STUPID blog war is over with between my Harrisburg basketball co-announcer and the rest of the left-wing blogosphere, the shit hits the fan again..

Todd, having calmed down, explained his rationale behind posting his pictures of beautiful women (by the way, love the Juliana Hatfield pic, she rocked the Lemonheads!). But most importantly, I liked what he posted...

I hope you read this blog. But if it makes you go crazy or pisses you off, then don't read it. I don't hang out with people I don't like, go to places I don't like, read things I don't like, watch TV shows I don't like, read blogs I don't like, or otherwise torture myself with things I don't like unless I'm getting paid to do so. Life is too short to be that miserable by your own hands.

So, read on if you like the MBS, stop now if you don't. And expect that when you stop here, you'll sometimes be pleased and sometimes confounded. Sort of like life.

However, some on the left can't seem to accept this and continue to blast Todd and his ideas, or at the very least, the sincerity of them... apparently he's now some great "traitor" to their cause.

What a bunch of bullshit.

One of the supposed mantras of Liberalism is "Diversity". We gotta have diversity. Diversity in the schools, diversity in the workplace, diversity uber alles! Apparently that idea of "diversity" ends in diversity of thought and opinion. And THEY call the right-wing "Nazis"?!?

But what bothers the hell out of me is their apparent hypocrisy. Case in point, the whole David Letterman-Sarah Pailin controversy. Where was the Madville Times, Dakota Women, and all the other left-wing blogs to rip Letterman a new asshole? To me, joking about someone knocking up someone's daughter, political figure or not reeks of poor taste and is a HELL of a lot more offensive than posting some pictures of beautiful women and calling them "babe". But maybe the fact that Palin is a Republican means they think that ripping on her family is okay.

If this makes me an asshole in their eyes, I really don't care. They're practicing a double-standard and their lack of response over the Letterman situation reeks of it.

Sacrifcing honest debate at the altar of Political Correctness

My Lake Herman friend put up an interesting post on his blog. It talks about how the publisher of the Madison Daily Leader was critical of an airport project on one of the Indian reservations in South Dakota, where there were far more pressing problems.

A pair of writers responded to Jon's editorial, basically accusing him of being racist. About the only thing they didn't do is ask for a copy of his membership card in the KKK.

Here was my response, in its entirety.

These two writers are basically taking issue with Jon's opinion, which is fine. I can see where airport improvements could be vital, especially for health care.

What I take issue with is the way they sling around the term "Racism". What? Because he points out some strong issues that are still on the reservations? Because they have nothing better to criticize him with, so they hang the "Racist" pejorative on him?

"Racism" or calling someone "Racist" with no good evidence to support it is cheap criticism. It's the label for people who feel they can't win an argument any other way. It cheapens the term, when so much legitimate examples of racism still exist in the world... the attack in Washington D.C. this week is prime example of that.

Bringing up legitimate concerns is not racism... these writers are being intellectually lazy at best... knee-jerk reactionaries at worst.

So in other words... bring up your concerns about racially sensitive issues, get ready to be called a racist. All part of sacrificing honest, intellectual debate at the altar of political correctness.

Asshole of the Day

Today's Asshole of the Day must have a case of foot-in-mouth disease. But that should be nothing new coming from David Letterman.

In case you've been incommunicado, here's what happened. A few nights ago, ol' Dave was poking fun at one of his favorite political punching bags, Sarah Palin. Nothing new there. Palin was in New York City and took one of her daughters to a Yankees game. Where, according to our pal Dave, Alex Rodriguez had sex with the daugther.

One little problem... instead of Pailin's 18-year old daughter, Bristol, at the game, it was Governor Palin's 14-year old daughther, Willow. Oops.

And to make matters worse, Letterman decides to give an "apology" that doesn't even include the phrase "I'm Sorry" anywhere in it. Just "It was not my intent." What arrogance.

Asshole.

Amazing... one of my friends gets ripped on for putting pictures of pretty women on-line and these "enlightened" folks don't say shit about this... which is a hell of a lot more offensive and disgusting than some pictures of "babes". Why is this? Is it because Palin is a politician? A Republican and the so-called "enemy?"

Whatever happened to leaving a politician's family alone? Hell, even Rush Limbaugh ripped on people that were throwing pot-shots on then-First Daugther Chelsea Clinton's appearance. Or does that not count towards those on the political end of the spectrum Perhaps it's the liberals getting in their pot-shots at the Republicans... ya know, there is such a thing as being a "poor winner".

If you want to throw pot-shots at Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton, the GOP, the Democrats, fine. Go right ahead. But to attack and use those smarmy remarks towards members of their families... who are still private citizens and are entitled to some privace... is disgusting and makes the people who do it real assholes.

Letterman is a poor winner. He has shown poor taste and he is not contrite in the least for needlessly dragging this family's name trough the mud. Thus, he's the Jackrabbit Den's "Asshole of the Day".

From now on, I'm watching Jimmy Kimmel.

Quote of the day.

From David Evjen's "Bitman" radio prep service...

"On this date in 1972 the movie Deep Throat opened in New York City. Critics said the plot was good, but the acting sucked."

The switch is on.

It's official... as of 11 PM tonight, the digital TV transition is going to take effect. For good. Permanently.

For those of you who don't have cable and dickered around on getting a converter box coupon, you're shit out of luck. You had five years, plus an extra four months to get ready.

Unless you've been in a cave or have been a complete moron, you've seen the news reports on TV. Read the stories in the newspaper and heard the announcements on radio explaining the change. And still you blew it off.

Don't expect President Obama to come to your aid with another stimulus package to help you out. He's putting his foot down on this too.

So I'll leave you with one parting word on this subject... quityerbitchin.

Asshole of the Day

Take a good look at this guy.

His name is James von Brunn... a real piece of work.

He is a racist, bigoted asshole who has a hard-on for Hitler.

Did I forget to mention he shot up the Holocaust Museum yesterday and killed a security guard... a "gentle giant" of a man who had a son?

Fortunately someone had the good sense to shoot this waste of egg and sperm in the head. Let's hope he dies and saves us taxpayers the cost of incarcerating and defending his worthless ass.

Where the Hell did I go?

So it's been a while since I've posted on this blog. And I took more than my fair share of ribbing for it... Where'd you go? Why aren't you keeping up with the blogging?

My explanation... I got burned out.

To be honest, I just didn't feel like posting. I was exhausted from the basketball season and I needed a break. Plus, I was spending quite a bit of time on Facebook-or as I call it, the "Crack Cocaine" of the Internet!

And there was a lot of stuff I could have written about... the bailouts, the shutting down of KAUR next month, the Swee' Pea. But I chose to take it easy and stop to smell the flowers.

Until someone (or some people) took a turd in the flower bed.

So I'm back. For how long, I don't know. But I'm going to use this thing to smack some sense into people that are acting like the proverbial chickens with their heads cut off... whether they like it or not.

Because I'm sick of the bullshit drama. If I want drama, I'll watch Netflix.

Moderating comments

So after a bit, I've decided to do away with the comment moderation bit... since the character assassins are too chickenshit and slinked away. So comment away... just mind your tongue, lest I wash it out with soap.

Oh, and to take a page from my friend from Lake Herman, use your name. You want to be "cute", have the cajones to put your name behind it. If you don't, you'll get deleted. This isn't a democracy... this is my blog... I am el Jefe, comprende?

I'm being harsh? Tough... I was enjoying my sabbatical before some folks had to get into a pissing match. You woke this bear up and he's grumpy.

Has everyone gone mental??

I swear, it must be the weather...

My friends, A* and E* are pissed off at each other... My Harrisburg Basketball Cohort and his compadres are at each other's (figurative) throats over some silly issue of posting pictures of women on the aforementioned's blog... an argument that Camille Paglia would laugh her ass off at.

Why the hell is everyone so pissy all of a sudden? Is it the weather? Frustration with the economy? The alignment of Saturn and Jupiter? My choice of deodorant?

I think we all need to blow off some steam in a grand, ridiculous and completely childish fashion.


I'm thinking Toga Party...



...Who's with me!!!

I'm Back, Baby!

Boy, you take a little sabbatical and the whole farkin' blogosphere is going to pot!

By this, I'm talking about the "blog war" between my Harrisburg basketball cohort and several other bloggers, including my friend on Lake Herman.

The issue at hand is the posting of several photogs of fairly attractive women on my Harrisburg basketball cohort's website. An homage, if you will, to Esquire, which I think is twice as classy as Playboy and a hundred times moreso than FHM or Stuff. Nothing wrong with posting pictures of beautiful women... after all if you take away all images of beautiful women, you lose about half of the world's artistic masterpieces.

But what has surprised me is the outrage that some of the "fellow traveler" blogs have heaped upon this guy because he posted some pics.... of beautiful women... fully clothed or at least not in an indecent posture. Basically, this guy has become the human punching bag of the South Dakota Blogosphere.

And frankly, I don't like it.

Now I like to think I get along with everyone... with the exception of a few ex-girlfriends! So when I say this, I say this with all due love and respect...

TAKE A CHILL PILL!

When I first heard of this little "Blog War", I thought it was just a bunch of play-acting and that people were just blowing off steam. But this is getting a bit vicious. You have several folks accusing one guy of basically being worse than Hitler, or at the very least, Joey Buttafucco.

Frankly, I think everyone is getting just a bit too worked up about this. Honestly, you're going to rake this guy over the coals over a few pictures? I can understand if you disagree with them, that's fine. Don't pay attention to them...

Friendly disagreement I can handle... Ganging up on someone for no good reason and I get my Irish up... even if I don't agree with everything he or she believes in.

When I was a teacher, a piece of advice that I learned too late was "You have to learn to pick your battles." Before everyone involved gets to saying things that can't be taken back, let me ask you these things...

1) Is it worth it?

2) Aren't there worse things in the world to get worked up about?

and finally...

3) IS... IT... REALLY... WORTH... IT???

So now, I'm probably a pig. And if I have to earn someone's scorn because I'm standing up for someone getting picked on, so be it. I stopped giving a shit what others think of me when I turned 30... Get off your crucifixes.

Good Night... and Good Bye.

Paul Harvey died this weekend.

Some of you may be wondering "Who the hell is Paul Harvey, and why should I care?" If that's the case, I feel bad for you because you missed out on a true legend of broadcasting.

If you're any kind of student of broadcasting, you would know that in the world of radio commentary, Paul Harvey was "The Man". His "News and Comments" and "The Rest of the Story" programs aired daily across the U.S., at one time on over 1200 radio stations. He won just about every major broadcasting award imaginable, including FOUR Marconi awards. If you're wondering what a Marconi Award is, consider it the "Oscar" for radio broadcasting.

But it wasn't the awards that made him so special. It was how he distinguished himself. He wasn't afraid to express his opinions (he was conservative) and he took positions that some people would object to. But he never showed rancor or contempt for the other side. He never displayed any self-serving snarkiness, or even raised his voice. Can such "professionals" as Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Schultz, and Franken claim to do the same?

The man was a professional. He didn't entertain by lowering himself to toilet humor or self-depreciating comments on the size of his anatomy. He didn't get cheap laughs by having listenters hold their "Wee for a Wii". He entertained by being honest... by making people think, laugh, cry, and even sometimes get mad.

He was a professional... in other words, a dinosaur. With the exception of Charles Osgood... there really aren't any commentators that are along the lines of Paul Harvey, at least none that are self-serving pompous windbags.

I'd like to teach a radio course, and do nothing but play "News and Comments" and "The Rest of the Story." Then I'd say... "This is what a professional sounds like. You have your work cut out for you."

Paul Harvey... Good Night... and Good Bye.

Time

Time is wasted, walking
You ain't no friend of mine
I don't know where I'm going
I think I'm out of my mind
Thinking about time
-Hootie and the Blowfish "Time"

It doesn't make a damn bit of sense.

As you may have heard through the gossip lines, a young man in Dell Rapids died over the weekend. What happened and how he died is inconsequential right now, but it has left a lot of folks in shock and in a lot of pain.

I never had the opportunity to talk to the young man. But as a radio announcer, I had the chance to call his name several times in area and Madison High School football games. Our connection was my mentioning him during the game broadcasts, but I am feeling a sense of loss.

I could not even begin to imagine what his family and friends are going through.

Time... it's funny... you think you have an infinite amount and then all of a sudden it's gone without warning. And unlike a video game, you can't hit the reset button, punch in a secret code, or put more coins in the machine. Once this game's over, it's over.

I wish I could wax poetic and say something profound and meaningful. But it would just be empty words. One of the young man's friends puts it more eloquently than I ever could.

Casey, if you're reading this... I hope you don't mind me posting this.

The Gift of Time

Written By: Casey Michel

Some people like to talk about the “best gift they’ve ever been given.” People talk about something like a car or jewelry, and they usually cover everything in between. However, the best gift ever given to mankind is not given to us on this earth. When God creates a human He gives them the best gift anyone could ask for: the gift of time. Along with the gift of time, God gives us a side gift: the gift of free will – the ability to decide what we wish to do with our time, either good or bad. It took me nearly 20 years and one tragic event to realize what a precious gift the gift of time really is.

You see, I always used to be like everybody in this world; I would always wonder how I was going to get everything done that needed to be done, wondering why there were never enough hours in the day. You look around and see the world moving at such a fast pace that you wonder how anybody could get by, and I felt like I was in the same boat with everyone else.

“Hey Casey, can you help me with my math homework?”

--- “Sorry, not right now man, I’m busy.”

“Hey Casey, got a minute to talk?”

--- “Hey I’d love to, but I gotta get somewhere quick.”

I didn’t always have enough time to help out a friend. After all I had my own stuff to take care of, just like everyone else. And if I couldn’t make time for a friend or a loved one, how could I make time for anybody else? When I saw a stranger on crutches struggling with their books, I just kept walking. I couldn’t help them; I was in too big of a rush. A rush to where? I don’t know, but I had places to be and things to do, and I didn’t have nearly enough hours in the day to do it.

And so I went about my life day by day by day. I was always in a hurry, always in a rush; I didn’t have time to do anything.

That was up until that February Sunday changed everything.

Suddenly, I wasn’t in such a rush; suddenly, I had time. I had time to help a friend with homework, or to talk to them about something. I had time to help carry books for the stranger on crutches. Not only did I now have time, but I somehow made time, too. I made time to ask a friend “Hey, how you holding up?” “Hey, how’s everything going for you?” I made time to tell my family and friends that I love them. I made time to let everyone know that I’m here for them whenever they need me; that I will always answer if they call. And I know I would answer if they called. You can bet on it. After all – now I had the time to.

It’s almost as if God granted me more hours in the day. It’s almost as if He not only gave me more time to do what had to get done, but also more time to do what needed to be done. But this isn’t at all the case. The amount of time God gave me on this earth did not change one second from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon. I will not live one second longer or shorter because of what happened on a football field in Dell Rapids in the morning hours of February 22, 2009. Neither will anybody who reads this or who was affected by that tragic event. No, rather, God granted me the ability to realize what a precious gift time really is; and to use that time to seize every second, every moment that I am on this earth.

It was through this tragic event that I learned probably the most important lesson of my life:

You don’t realize how much time you have, until you realize that time is all you’ve got

I mean think about it: what do we have in life besides time? If a fire burns down our house, we will still have time. If a loved one passes away, we still have time. Things happen on a personal level: cars break down, jewelry loses its shine, we grow out of clothes, relationships break up…. Things happen on a wide-scale level, too: wars are being fought, poverty strikes nations, natural disasters devastate areas…. Yet through it all what we still have is the gift of time.

There’s also the other side of the coin that we must see. While I now realize how much time I have during the day, I have no way of knowing how much time I have left on this earth. I could live to be 100, or I could die tomorrow. And once my time is up, I am completely out of it. I only get one chance to use this gift that God has given me.

And that’s the key to it all; the use of the gift. God did not give us the gift of time so that everyone could follow the same path – the easy path, the straight and narrow one – to arrive safely at death. No, He gave it to us so that we could use it as we choose; that free will aspect. While we can never know how much time God has given us on this earth, we will always have the ability to do with it as we please.

In the end, that’s how we will be judged. When we get to the Gates of Heaven, there will be God waiting to punch our time card that He gave us when he created us. And then God will look at us and judge us. The thing is, He won’t judge us on the number of hours we put in. He won’t look and say “You lived to be 100, come on in” or “You only lived to be 22? Sorry, you didn’t put in enough time….” No, God won’t do that because the number of hours we put in are not up to us, but to Him. Rather, God will look at what we did while on earth. He will judge us by the way we used the gift; He will judge us by what we did with the time He allotted us.

That is why I am writing this. It is my way of using the time that has been given to me. I am not writing this to try to tug on people’s emotions, or to make people regret anything that has happened in their past. I am writing this to make a difference; to change the way people view those hours of the day from here out. I used to sit around and watch the seconds of my life tick away, but not anymore. Now those seconds don’t drag on or fly by like they used to. Now those seconds don’t seem so insignificant.

You see, this is the way I am choosing to use my gift of time. I have 3 goals in life, and I know that if I can fulfill them, I will have successfully used the time given to me on earth. These are 3 goals that I think everyone in the world could live by. They are 3 goals that everyone could strive to achieve with their gift of time.

1. Make a difference in the lives of others. Whether I make a difference in the lives of just my family, or just my friends; whether I make a difference in the life of one, or the lives of 10,000 people – I want to make a difference for the better.

2. Be the change you wish to see in the world. I see and hear so many people these days wishing for things to be better, but yet doing nothing to make them better. I want the world to be a better place, and I want the world to change – and I will do everything I can while on this earth to be that change I wish to see in the world.

3. Leave the world a better place than you found it. This is the tie in to everything. This is the way to bring it all together. No matter how much time I have on this earth, I can always make a difference. One way or another, I can leave this place a little better than when I found it. And really – that’s all that can be asked of anyone.

So here we are today, slowly coming around to coping with a tragedy that shook a town and a community to its very core. We wish we could go back in time and change something to make it different. We wish time would just stand still until we are able to deal with this and move on. But the fact of the matter is that time goes on. Our time on this earth is still ticking.

Nothing we do can change the past, but everything we do can change the future

We can’t change what happened on that Sunday morning. But we can change what might happen this Sunday morning, or next Sunday morning, or the Sunday after that. We can do this by using the gift of time that God has given us, and using it to the fullest. I encourage everyone to realize what a precious gift time really is, and I encourage everyone to use their gift to the fullest. Reach out to loved ones and strangers alike. Let people know that you’re always there for them. Do everything you can to make a difference in this world. But above all and most importantly: PRAY. Pray that God bless everyone you love and everyone in this world. Pray that God helps everyone involved through this tragic and tough time. The easiest way to make a difference in someone’s life is to send a prayer their way.

It is not going to be easy to continue on with our time. For many people this is going to be the toughest thing they ever have or ever will have had to deal with. It’s going to take an unbelievable amount of strength to press onward. That strength will not only come from ourselves, but from the people around us. Everybody is going to question if they are strong enough to get past this. But that’s the amazing thing with the way God created us: He doesn’t just put everything on the surface; He doesn’t let everyone know who they are and what gifts they have when He creates them. No, because that would be the easy path – the straight and narrow one. Instead, God makes us fight for what we truly believe in, for what we truly want. The strength that comes from within each of us won’t be evident; it won’t just be on the surface. It’s something that we have to delve deep within ourselves to find; it’s something that we have to fight for with all our hearts. After all,

You never know how strong you are, until being strong is the only choice you have

Personally, I don’t want God to question me when he punches my time card at the Gates of Heaven. I don’t want there to be any doubt in his mind about whether I should come in – any doubt whether I used my gift of time the way He intended it to be used. I want to use every second I have on this earth, and I want to live every moment to the fullest.

You must dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die tomorrow; and live every moment like it’s your last

Do everything you can to use every second that God has given you on this earth.

After all, this time on earth is the only time we’ve got.

Amen, Casey.

In closing I leave you this...



Dona nobis pacem.

Lunchtime musings

So I'm taking a few minutes to blog today, as I have my lunch break right now. It's been a while since I've blogged so I figured I'd get you caught up on what's going on in Jackrabit1's life...

Becoming a Tech-Head.

So now that I'm back to where I was before financially before I started spending like a madman, I realized I needed to treat myself a little bit. I bought a new LCD TV. Nothing too fancy, 32-inch, 750 dpi so it's on the low-end of HDTV. But the super-cool thing is it has a VGA port to hook up a computer.

With a little investment of around 35-bucks for cables, I now have my computer hooked up to my TV. Which is all the cooler because I signed up for Netflix so I can get movies to my computer instantly. Add Hulu to the mix, and I have a virtual library of great shows and movies at my fingertips!

I'm easily amused this way.

The Crud

That's right, it's time for my annual bout with the crud. Call it the cold, rhinovirus, whatever... all I know is it usually makes my job 10 times harder and during the busiest time of my year at the station.

But here's the funny thing... I wake up in the morning and feel like complete crap. I get dressed and over to the Community Center and start working out and still feel like crap. But about 10 minutes in, the sweat's pouring, the sinuses start to loosen, and I actually feel pretty decent. Perhaps the prescription should be "Take two ellipticals and call me in the morning!"

Kiss-Off Advice

A word of advice to all you ladies out there. Don't... and I mean DON'T sugar-coat your dis-interest in a guy with passe seventh-grade phrases. By this I mean, if you're not interested in a guy (or a girl, hey it's the 21st Century), don't say "I like you as a friend." Pure 100-percent horsesqueeze.

Besides, after spilling out your heart, guts and various other organs and being told that, do you REALLY want to stick around that person. Especially when every relationship they get into after that feels like a sucker punch to your gut?

Frankly, I prefer the more direct approach. "I'm not interested in you." It's final, direct, and it's less patronizing and insulting to the other person. And as for hurt feelings? It might sting me for a while, but it sure as Hell beats being patronized and having my intelligence insulted.

Anyway, that's my two cents on that.

And now, it's back to my ramen noodle soup (it's Ash Wednesday... no meat today!) Adios!

Don't Quit

When I do my workouts, I usually see this poem near the fitness desk at the Madison Community Center. It provides me a lot of inspiration... not only during my workout, but when things seem a little overwhelming in my life.

I thought I'd share it with you. Enjoy!

Don't Quit

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road your trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are High ,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with it's twists an turns,
As everyone of us must sometimes learn,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out,
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you can never tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem worst that you cannot quit.

--Unknown Author

Kinda gets you right here...

In the vein of "High Fidelity"... my top five songs that "Get You Right There."

5) "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"-Gordon Lightfoot

Based on the true story of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, Lightfoot composed this song after seeing a typo in a story commemorating the one-year anniversary of the sinking of the "Big Fitz". Some minor inaccuracies in the song, but it's a haunting melody that still raises the hair on my forearms.

4) "Lullaby"-Josh Groban

Can't hear this song without thinking of Zoey Jane.

3) "Amazing Grace"-Various

A great hymn, but when it's performed with bagpipes... well, start the waterworks, folks.

2) "The Great Beyond"-REM

When I eventually shuffle off this mortal coil (hopefully not for a LONG time), I want the folks planning my funeral/memorial/open bar to play this song. Great lyrics with a hint of what could coming in the next life.

"I'm breaking through/I'm bending spoons/I'm keeping flowers in full bloom/I'm looking for answers from the Great Beyond"

1) "Knocking on Heaven's Door"-Bob Dylan

Not the reggae-tinged hit by Eric Clapton, nor the crowd sing-along by 80's hair-band masters Guns n' Roses... the actual, honest-to-God version by Mr. Dylan himself. The version that appeared in the Sam Peckinpaugh film "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid."

The first time I heard the original, I was getting ready to broadcast a game in Belle Fourche. The oldies station out of Rapid City was playing and this song came up. I literally stopped in my tracks, closed my eyes, and hung on for consciousness as this song literally knocked the wind out of me. Amazing.


So... what songs have knocked you on your ass lately? Let me know!

Two women...

Two women I know celebrated birthdays today.

The first woman has been incredibly supportive of me in my life... I guess you could say she's been like a mother to me! ;) She's always been there for me, in both the good times and in the not-so-hot times. And on top of that, she's a great person to talk to.

The other "woman" was like a train-wreck in my life. Deceptive, manipulative, condescending, you name it. This "thing" jerked me around so many times emotionally that I now have a shell built up around my heart that may take a very long time to break down. I felt as though I was never good enough, smart enough, and she never did anything to counter those feelings. And then there's the whole wish of me to die in a fire thing.

So guess who I'm wishing happy birthday to today? And guess which one can burn in Hell?

Sports Talk with Jackrabit1*

*With apologies to the guys at "Sports Talk with Craig and John" at KWSN!

Realizing it's been a few weeks since I had a sports-related blogging, I figured I'd ponder a few pernicious points of ponderance (How's THAT for alliteration!)

1) State Legislature to force renewal of State/USD rivalry?

The mavens over at SDSUFans.com have been buzzing with the rumor that some of the State legislators are floating the idea of a bill to compel South Dakota's two Division-I schools to play each other every year in football and basketball. I don't know if this is true, per se, but if it is, there's a few legislators that really need to re-focus their priorities.

Let's face it... South Dakota is facing a budget crisis that it hasn't seen since the Great Depression. Falling tax revenues, added strain on state resources (i.e. unemployment insurance), and these yahoos are plotzing because State and USD aren't playing each other in tiddlywinks? Government and Sports just don't mix... just ask anyone involved with the Congressional Steroid Hearings.


2) Scale back the playoffs.

The South Dakota High School Activities Association is looking at possibly doing away with the first round of the State Football Playoffs. The Association says that the current system is a burden on some schools who have to take time out to travel, as well as the non-competitiveness of most of the first-round games (which usually end on the "mercy rule").

Instead of cutting back on the number of rounds, per se, why not do away with an 11-man class and a 9-man Class. Right now, almost everyone and their grandma makes the playoffs for 11-AA and some of those teams couldn't even beat a nine-man intramural squad. So why not take the upper half of the 11 man teams (by population) and make that the new 11-A; the bottom half would be 11-B. Same for the nine-man schools.

Frankly, we need to get away from this touchy-feely "every body wins and no score is kept so we can boost our precious little darlings' self-esteem" crap in sports where everyone gets a chance and everyone gets a ribbon. Honestly, how in the HELL does that prepare someone for real life?

Frankly, it's best to say this... Life isn't always going to be fair. You're not always going to get what you want. The true test of your character is not how you deal with your success, but rather how you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and handle the disappointments. It's called "Real Life", folks. The sooner these kids realize that, the more mature and well-adjusted they'll be.

And on that vein...

3) 100-0.

I'm a competitor, I'll make no excuse for that. I like to win. I like to do well. But I've always believed in this following mantra...

"Win with humility. Lose with dignity. Do both with class."

Last week, the sports world was buzzing when Covenant High School in Dallas, Texas played Dallas Academy, a private school that works with students that have learning disabilities and deal with such issues as autism. Covenant won 100-0.

Blowouts are going to happen no matter what. That's a fact of life... just ask my old high school football teammates! But the Covenant coach should have realized he was playing a team that had no chance of even competing and should have adjusted accordingly. In other words, empty your bench, run four-corners offense to take time off the clock and not launch three-pointers to try and get 100 points.

But the "Coach" was unapologetic about his shameful behavior. He was fired. Good.

I think the guy must have been confused, though. Where it says "Do it with class," he must have read it as "Do it like an ass!"

A meeting of the minds... two nights only!

Well, blogging buddies... this might be a first. Two bloggers from the Lake Herman Accords will team up... to broadcast a basketball game!

My blogging compatriot Todd Epp from South Dakota Watch has graciously accepted my offer to provide color commentary for the Madison-Harrisburg boys and girls basketball games this Tuesday and Thursday. So some of my friends and fans (actually one fan... thanks, Mom!) are probably wondering "What the heck are you thinking?"

When I know myself, you'll be the first to know! :P

Actually, I'm always looking for something unusual. I've actually had non-broadcasters do color before in the booth, namely coaches and the like. And the fact that Todd is a former broadcaster will make for an interesting dynamic. We both are sports nuts and we're both passionate about our towns...

And the fact that he's liberal and I'm libertarian? Here's my two word reply... Big Deal!

While we're both political folks (no matter how hard I try NOT to be), the fact is there are things greater than politics... things like... Basketball. And if I can have Senator John Thune in the broadcast booth and not discuss politics for one iota, then I can certainly have a good couple of broadcasts with a fellow blogger and have a good time doing them. Besides, the only time I get nasty about sports is when I'm watching an SDSU football game... ex-siggy can attest to that! ;)

So Cory, Detroit, Sibby, Pat, write this down... Tuesday and Thursday... 7:10 pre-game, 7:30 tip-off... 1390 AM. Copies of the games will be made available for a nominal fee! LOL

A "Weighty" issue on my mind...

So far, so good... It's been 2 months since I reached my goal of 180 pounds. I gained about 8 of them back over the holidays, but I've shed about 4 of them so far. Losing the weight is easy... keeping it off isn't!

But the issue I seem to have deals more with my own self-perception. When I was 280 pounds, I had to make sure I would be able to move around in certain places, including booths at restaurants. So every time I go to sit down at a booth or move around a tight spot, I'm surprised at how easy I can navigate without sucking in my gut.

Yet the self-image still remains. I sit at home or at work and I still see myself as being 280. I used to use a lot of self-depreciating humor as a way breaking the tension. I still seem to use that, but it seems more like a crutch.

But the most obvious thing is when people, attractive women especially, tell me that I'm good-looking and "sexy". Usually when people have told me that in the past, my B.S. meter kicked in and I start to wonder what they wanted from me. In other words, I didn't feel they were honest, and I'm still a little skeptical

And to be honest, I STILL don't feel attractive. I don't know if it's simply a lack of confidence or perhaps all that self-depreciating humor finally ingrained itself after 20-odd years. I look in the mirror and I still see that gut hanging out over my belt, or as my dad calls it the "Dunlap Disease".... as in my gut "dun lap" over my belt!

I'm happy with everything else... that I don't run out of breath when I run up a flight of stairs... That I don't get heartburn in the middle of the night... and that I have more energy during the day. I guess this issue is just something I need to work through.

Get A Life!

I've been doing some thinking on our political state of mind...

The folks who think Bush should be tried for war crimes should get a life.

The folks who think Obama is the anti-Christ should get a life too.

And if you don't agree with me, you can kiss my ass... and then get a life.

Giving through the nose (or arm)...

I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.

-British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

As much as I love to gush about the generosity of the folks in Madison, it's sometimes easy to forget other area towns that also shine in their generosity.

Case in point, my hometown of Dell Rapids, where the community of 3200 people just had its 4000th donor give blood, since blood drives started there in 1976.

Bravo, Dell Rapids! Give yourselves a pat on the back... and grab an extra cookie and OJ! Now, if I could only do something about my fear of needles!

Lazy Sunday

Boy, for all the grousing I did for not having my cable TV til this week, I'm sure not watching a whole lot of it today!

Right now, I'm switching off between housework and chatting on Facebook and housework. Later, I'll head to the store to get some wild rice for the Pork Roast I'm cooking also do some laundry.

Just another lazy Sunday afternoon!

Bad economy=fatter wallet?

I just recently discovered Clark Howard, who has a new financial advice show on HLN (or Headline News for us Luddites). He has an interesting spin on our slumping economy... that we could benefit financially from this recession, as long as we don't lose our jobs!

Things that make you go... "WTF?"

I had to re-read this story to make sure this story in the Rapid City Journal was actually true...

Amazingly it is.

"If Spearfish High School became Sea Kitten High and everyone in town starts calling fish 'sea kittens,' fewer of these gentle animals would be violently killed for food, painfully hooked for 'sport,' or cruelly confined to aquariums," PETA's "Save the Sea Kittens" campaign coordinator Ashley Byrne said. "Schools strive for achievements in academics and sports, so why not add compassion to the list?"

"PETA petitions Spearfish school to change name to Sea Kitten High"-Rapid City Journal, January 7, 2009.

Some things in this world defy logic... this is one of those cases.

Resolutions

Since this is my first post of 2009 (and the first time I've gotten to a computer since my big move one floor down from my old place), I thought I'd start with some resolutions for the New Year.

1) To continue my healthy lifestyle and to work off the cookies, candy, and turkey I consumed over the holidays.

2) I will run a 5K race this year... I don't care about winning, I just want to NOT DIE!

3) I'll continue to save money in the hopes of having close to 10-thousand dollars in the bank... just a nice round number, what the heck.

4) To be more flexible in my life but also not get pushed around.

5) Laugh a little more.

6) Hear the words "Jessica" and "Nicci" without turning nauseous and throwing up.

7) Realize that not all women are heartless, soul-less she-things that either sleep around, set you up, and break your heart... or steal half your DVDs.

8) Help those that need it, criticize those that deserve it, make fun of those who are too full of themselves.

9) Stay up til 6 am a little more often, in bed no later than 1 am the rest of the time.

10) Enjoy life a little more and realize that it does not revolve around the radio station all the time.

Here's to a great 2009! May it be a helluva lot better than the old year!