Remembering to Breathe

My wife and I were riding our bikes up the overpass that leads through the La Crosse marsh, and she was having trouble maintaining her momentum.

"Remember what Fred always says, " I yelled back to her.  "Breathe.  Exercise is easier if you remember to breathe."  The look on her face told me that she thought my idea of "help" was beyond being useful, maybe even bordering on stupid.  It wasn't the first time I used those words, and it wouldn't be the last.

 

Last weekend my wife and a friend from nearby Holmen, participated in the Danskin Triathlon series held in Pleasant Prairie, WI.  It was the fourth time Liz has participated in this female-only event, and it turned out to be one of her toughest to date.

Throughout this past summer training period, she had indicated that she was having a hard time getting motivated for this year's race.  In past years, she would swim her forty laps in the high school pool, get out of bed to bike 14 miles, and walk every day or so just to keep up with what was needed to compete in the Danskin Triathlon, now in its 20th year.

This year she missed more Sundays in the pool than ever before, and struggled with getting out of bed and onto her bike. She did, however try running a few laps with me in the morning, and committed to a 5K walk in the Festival Fitness event in May.

Ask any athlete what's the hardest part of playing football, tennis or basketball, and they will mention the training.  Playing the game is tough, but finding the motivation to run, lift weights and shoot/hit 200 shots during practice is especially difficult.  The great athletes not only find new ways to motivate themselves, but challenge themselves to get better year in and year out.

While Liz will never admit to be an athlete, I do remind her that of ALL the people who are 49 years old living in the Coulee region, she is probably in a small percentage who do any kind of exercise, much less train for a triathlon.  Every year we are reminded of heart disease, cancer and stroke, and it gets harder and harder to find time to do things that don't involve stressing out about work, watching television or checking our email messages.

One of the coolest parts of the triathlon is the effort made by the organizers to encourage participation from women of all ages and all abilities.  From "swim angels" who float along with swimmers who are not good swimmers to mentors who provide treatment, recovery and fitness support to cancer survivors (even running the final distance with them, letting them know they can finish).  The race allows people with a variety of athletic skills to participate (in the Elite wave, a woman in her twenties from Muskego, WI finished in one hour eight minutes while a 67 year old female from Milwaukee, WI finished the race in 3 hours 19 minutes).   Watching these women participate in the 1/2 mile swim, followed by 12 miles of biking, then ending with a 3 mile run brings new meaning to the word "effort," and gives me extra encouragement to run my measly eight to ten miles a week.

 

Liz and I have been biking, walking and exercising together for many years, even being so brave as to try Combat Endurance Training for more than two years. Combat endurance training was where we learned to drag each other through snow, heat and humidity (and occasional early, early mornings) to do sit ups, leg exercises, push ups and arm circles.  If ever there was a reason to back down from exercise that was it.

It was during combat endurance training that we met Fred Nicholas, a former karate class instructor who had suffered through two hip replacement surgeries.  He would always have useful information while leading us through the exercises -- among them his "remembering to breathe" comment.  He never missed an opportunity to remind us of how important oxygen was to your body's muscles and lungs when running or riding your bicycle.   And Fred's inspirational messages were a constant whenever we would train for her triathlon, much to her chagrin.

I've been trying -- unsuccessfully -- to get her to try riding her bike up the steep incline of Irish Hill, a twenty five minute climb to the beautiful ridges overlooking the La Crosse Coulee region.  It's a difficult climb that our son and I took earlier this summer.  Climbing hills has always been a tough go for her, but I'm confident that with her training (and ever-present Odgen determination) she could make it to the top.

Standing with our bikes at the base of that hill must feel something like the challenge she encounters as her feet enter the water of Lake Andrea.  With pop music blasting across the man-made lake, her heart pounding in anticipation of the start of the race, she gives her arms one last shake and dives into the turbulent and crowded water.  Months of training come rushing back, helping ease her through the water, one breast stroke after the other.

This is what it means to be 49 years old.  Despite a few gray hairs, a bad knee and increasing aches and pains, she refuses to let age control her life.  This is the age of making the most of what she has been given.  With her swim completed, she dries off, then climbs onto her bike and peddles her way out of the transition area.  With each rotation of the wheel, she accelerates past enthusiastic faces and hands, encouraging her to give it her best.  The hill before her is difficult, but it's nothing she hasn't encountered before.  Shifting into a lower gear, she climbs, quickly leaving all doubts behind.  It's the first of many climbs on her 12 mile trek...

Less than an hour later she is back, drinking from her water bottle and eating an energy bar.  The last and least favorite part of the triathlon is next, a three mile run to the finish line.  With rubber legs and hands numb from riding her bike, she sets off -- swaying left and right.  As she passes her husband, smiling with pride and ringing his cowbell, she hears him shout:  "... every three minutes.  And don't forget to breathe!" and she knows that she can finish the race.

Two hours, twelve minutes and fourteen seconds after she started, she does.

A Summer of Discontent

"So here we go with the letter
Well, can you fix it for me
Twenty-four hour drinking
To keep us all off the streets
So tonight you'll sleep softly in your bed
You could try anything
And no one would know apart from you and me
And you could stop anything
It starts with just one and turns to two, then three
We are the angry mob
We read the papers everyday
We like who we like, we hate who we hate
But we're also easily swayed


We are the angry mob."

-- Lyrics from Kaiser Chiefs' Angry Mob

They say that great storms start with trivial causes -- a drop in interests rates preceded the Great Depression of the 1930's, warm moist air colliding with cold northern storms initiated Hurricane Camille in 1969, and failure to stop Khalid Almihdhar from boarding American Airlines Flight #77 led to the partial destruction of the Pentagon and numerous deaths on September 11, 2001.

Lately, there is the phenomenon of random, racially-motivated violence by mostly young black males, and the growing popularity of flash mobs where a large group of young people descends on a store and loots it.  Recent examples can be found in Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington D.C..

What's going on, and is this the small cause that starts the great storm?

Photo courtesy of Pan-African Wire Service

An observation made by Walter Russell Mead on the American Interest blog points to the fragmenting of Black America into three groups:  1) successful African American elite like Oprah and President Obama who are doing fine; 2) mobile middle class blacks with college educations located in suburbs who are under serious economic stress from housing foreclosures and job loss; and 3) the urban black underclass living in the inner city suffering with appalling social conditions like unplanned pregnancy, low high school graduation rates, unemployment and high incarceration rates.

Compounding the problem for some middle and underclass blacks is the lack of a "moral foundation" -- found when parents (as in two:  mother and father) instruct their children on discipline, dress codes, curfews and respect.  Going to church was common place, as was the belief in God.

A few years ago, Bill Cosby drew the ire of black leaders when he criticized their "dirty laundry" including poor grammar, foul language, music and rude manners.  More recently, the mayor of Philadelphia, Mr. Nutter (a black Democrat), said, "Take those God-darn hoodies down, especially in the summer."  In an angry lecture aimed at black teens, he continued, "Pull up your pants and buy a belt 'cause no one wants to see your underwear or the crack of your butt.  If you walk into somebody's office with your hair uncombed and a pick in the back, and your shoes untied, and your pants half down, tattoos up and down your arms and on your neck, and you wonder why somebody won't hire you?  They don't hire you 'cause you look like you're crazy," the mayor said.  "You have damaged your own race."

In light of the recent riots, my sons have been debating the origins of morality.  It's an interesting discussion, leading to the following questions:  Is it that our society has given up on teaching right and wrong?  Has the abdication of God from schools and family life removed the concept of good and evil?  Have we lost the authority to prosecute crimes (small and large)?  Has the Great Society experiment of the recent past led to a "degeneracy without consequences?"   Perhaps.  


Consider that --

.  we don't need religion anymore because we have redefined sin

.  we don't criticize failure in our youth because of esteem issues

.  we don't penalize bad behavior or minimize consequences of wrong doing

.  we glorify bad behavior as is evident in much of today's pop culture

.  we have removed the stigma of divorce, abortion and unemployment 

Black community leaders (Jesse Jackson, Louis Farrakan, and Al Sharpton) are quick to say that the behavior being exhibited by these youth is the result of racism, discrimination and profiling.  In other words, it's not their fault.  Traditionally, they have called for more money and intervention to aid the black youth.  But I think whites and blacks are starting to see that spending more money on tradition liberal intervention programs doesn't work.

Louisa Gouliamaki / AFP / Getty Images

Other factors are contributing to the growing disenchantment of the racial/social divide in America, England, Greece, France and other parts of the world.  Immigration reform and an economic downturn are leading the way.


Violent protests in Europe by Muslim youth and here in the states by illegal immigrants have sparked retribution against a perceived reluctance to enforce basic laws. Governments have resisted -- and in some instances passed laws --protecting the rights of illegal immigrants to give birth, attend school, practice religion and gain employment at the expense of natural citizens.  As proof, today the Obama administration decided to stop deporting illegal immigrants on a case by case basis.  This sends a clear message that illegal activities will be tolerated and in some cases actually protected.

In many instances, law enforcement is afraid to act because of "perceived" racism and bias.  In France, disgruntled Muslim urbanites have resorted to violence (most recently in Grenoble, France on July 16) after police shoot or arrest a Muslim criminal.  As reported by Pajamas Media, violence occurred after a Muslim robbed a casino and opened fire as he tried to flee the police, who then shot and killed him. This upset the mostly Muslim urban community who live in poor, unassimilated neighborhoods.  The shooting was seen as an attack on Muslims, rather than an act of justice.  Shortly following a speech by an Islamic cleric at a ceremony for the robber, youth took to the streets where they burned more than 50 cars, burned stores and used baseball bats to take over buses.  When the police arrested one rioter, the protesters responded with more violence, using guns, stones and Molotov cocktails.  The violence lasted for 4 days.


The financial meltdown and massive spending by Europe, Greece, Italy, Spain and America to maintain their social programs are leaving many of them on the brink of bankruptcy.  To survive, politicians are being forced to put austerity programs into effect, angering a population of welfare addicts who depend on their government to provide almost everything -- from raising their families, providing free education, healthcare and pensions, and even jobs.  In America, we have struggled to simply reduce the amount of spending increases much less institute spending cuts to Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid.


This is a new reality for many people who have become accustomed to government checks and benefits -- and they are not happy.  In fact they are downright violent.  It is particularly true for society's youth, who by nature are idealistic and easily motivated by social media events. "Flash robbing" has occurred by using Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts to broadcast lawless activities before the police can step in and prevent theft, vandalism and beatings.  Different events are being coordinated in different parts of the city, then moved to another location before police can respond.  Almost all of these flash events have been black on white crime, putting additional pressure on black community leaders and law enforcement agencies to handle an explosive situation.


To understand the mindset of those rioting in France and London, and the recent "flash robbings" in America, consider this train of thought --

"I riot because I'm angry.  Anger envelopes me like a blanket every day of my life.  I'm angry because I'm poor, I've always been poor, and I know I will never be able to afford all those nice things people are supposed to have.  I'm angry because my life is shi- and I know it's always going to be shi-.  I'm angry because I know that there's no future for me.  No one will give me a decent job or a handout in life.  I will live in the same shi--y housing that my family has always lived in, drawing down the same shi--y benefits.  I'm angry because I live in poverty,crime, vandalism, gangs, garbage, grime and neglect.  Most days I take my anger out on myself.  I engage in a wide and creative array of self-destructive behavior.  But sometimes, like last night, I direct my anger outwards.  I let my rage take over, and for a brief moment, I feel a profound sense of release."


"I riot because it might allow me to loot a few shops.  I know I could never afford all those beautiful things everyone else seems to have, but in a riot, you can just take them.  I need some new trainers, a new phone, a laptop, clothes, money, games.  It's a consumer society, my friend.  We have all got to have these things, otherwise we won't be happy.  I just want to be happy."


Those quotes are fictitious (thank you Richard Jackson, professor at Aberstwyth University in England), but they point to the helplessness of the welfare mentality being fostered in our youth.  Without the proverbial teat to suck from, with no fear of retribution from police, and no enforcement of a moral code from parents, their response isn't all that unexpected, is it?

Will a summer of discontent breed a winter of anarchy?  Time will tell.

Lose a Battle, Win the War

I needed to take a Tylenol PM last night to ensure a restful night's sleep.

As if the big game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the St Louis Cardinals wasn't bad enough, I had to deal with the results of six recall elections, starting with Kapanke v.s. Shilling in La Crosse.  Since January, I've written a number of blogs concerning this recall effort, including the protests in Madison, WI and union efforts to prevent Governor Walker from balancing Wisconsin's state budget by curtailing state employee unions.

As I grabbed the morning edition of the La Crosse Tribune, I looked around the neighborhood, with its usual, quiet tranquility disturbed only by the distant sound of a dog barking at some early morning walker.  As I snapped the paper open, I discovered I had been holding my breath.  Exhaling, I read the headline:  "Shilling ousts Kapanke."

Looking at a large picture showing a smiling, victorious Shilling, my stomach sank and I thought, "Damn, what is it with this city?"  This mid-sized town, nestled on the banks of the Mississippi River voted for Obama in the last presidential election, followed by a 2:1 margin vote for Tom Barrett as Governor, followed by support for JoAnne Kloppenburg as State Supreme Court Justice, and now Jennifer Shilling as our new State Senator.  "I'm surrounded by people who are either extremely ignorant (or worse) socialists who believe they can keep taking from taxpayers to fund their social reform programs," I mumbled, heading into the house.

As it turns out, Republicans may have lost the battle in La Crosse, but won the war in Wisconsin as four of the six recalled senators won.  The bitter taste in my mouth wasn't as repugnant when I read that Republicans held onto control of the Wisconsin Senate, beating back their challengers despite millions of dollars spent by national labor groups.  (Supposedly the overall bill was over $28 million dollars, which is close to what was spent in the race for governor.)

So the conservative revolution will continue, and as Kapanke told his supporters late Tuesday, "I wanted to win this battle more than you know, but don't feel sorry for me.  From the beginning, I knew this was going to be a battle."  He continued, "I've never been in a campaign where I felt better about the message I was putting out there.  No need  to be sad.  Wisconsin is on the right track."

A good man who made the right vote to help balance our budget, has been replaced by Shilling, who claims to want balance in Madison.   Restoring political balance was the buzzword I heard more than once in ads, conversations and even in my office where,  just like the rest of La Crosse, I am out-numbered 2:1 by Democrats.

It's always amusing to hear the Democrats talk about balance and tolerance when they are out of office, because it's nowhere in their political vocabulary when they have majority rule.  But now, according to 94th Assembly man Steve Doyle, balance and compromise are good for getting things done.  Seriously?  One look at Washington should convince you that balance gets you no where.

But for the sake of argument, let's see what the Democrats want to get done:

.  "Stop the uncompromising extremism of the Republicans and tea party."
.  "Repudiate the far right legislators who have attacked hard working families."
.  "Recall the extremist Walker ASAP."
.  "Put an end to the voter intimidation tactics of the Republican party" (passage of the voter ID law, I'm guessing).
.  "Flush the tea party down the hole they climbed out of.  Their agenda is to destroy unions, the middle class and to protect the taxes of Grover Norquist and the Koch Brothers..." (Norquist and Koch Brothers are big supporters of the Republican party, favoring tax reform.)
.  "Reverse the recent decisions on collective bargaining, union membership, and the appropriate action of state government during a recalcitrant economic crisis."

Sounds like friendly compromise, doesn't it?

The radio in my kitchen is always set to WIZM, 1410 AM radio.  This morning, while I'm digesting a banana and the morning's news, Mike Hayes is leading a discussion centered around the election and what the results mean.  Both sides are claiming moral victory.  How the left can spin this into a victory is beyond me.  They are still in the minority and have two democrats still up for recall.  If both win, it means nothing changes; if they lose, it means we're back to where we started.  And nothing changes...

I know what it means to me.  That the budget repair bill (passed in Madison with the help of Senator Dan Kapanke) is going to continue.  As a result, 1) school districts throughout the state will have a fighting chance to be in better financial shape, 2) our state's own financial house will have a better outlook and bond rating, and 3) the conservative revolution will remove the automatic collection of union dues, meaning many rank and file members will opt out, further diminishing union power and benefiting Wisconsin taxpayers.

As I'm driving to work, I see fewer Kapanke yard signs than before.  My neighbor has taken her desk-sized sign down, and I'd imagine a number of other supporters wandered out after the evening news and retired the signs to their garage.  That's where my sign hangs -- next to the "Bush / Cheney" sign of 2004.

I can't help but think about the next big battle in the state of Wisconsin:  to recall Governor Walker.  The bitter battle in this state has been and will continue to be watched by the rest of the nation.  What happens in Wisconsin (fortunately) doesn't stay in Wisconsin.  The fight against public spending will continue beyond our borders into Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.  However, if things hold true, don't expect much Republican help from La Crosse.

Although I can always hope.

Football Is Back!

Take a deep breath, and try to relax...

With the end of a four month lock-out, the National Football League and its 32 teams are back.  Along with them is free agency, training camps and declarations of who is going to be the last team standing.

With the Green Bay Packers still enjoying the high of winning last season's Super Bowl, expectations are higher than ever, supported by a chorus of experts and sports prognosticators predicting 7:1 odds that they will repeat.  The team that they will play?  The New England Patriots, also at 7:1 odds.  As for the teams that have the longest shot to make it to the Super Bowl, how about Buffalo Bills or Carolina Panthers at 100:1 odds.  I'd like to add the Vikings, but that wouldn't be nice.

Super Bowl Bound

What can we expect from this year's team?  It's easy to think, with most of last year's team back -- and more importantly with Ryan Grant, Jermichael Finley and Morgan Burnett back from injuries last year -- that things will pick up right where they left off.  Unfortunately, history indicates it will be very tough to repeat.  In fact, the last team to repeat as Super Bowl winners was the New England Patriots who did it in 2005.  It's also a fact that no defending champ has even won a playoff game the following year since the Patriots -- again in 2005.

But hope springs eternal, and with the Packers loaded with a young, highly skilled team, there is no reason that they can't go a long way in 2011.  The additions of Randall Cobb, Derek Sherrod and D. J. Williams will provide missing parts or depth to a team that has little or no weaknesses.

I love how analysts get all excited about the Philadelphia Eagles (with the additions on defense of Rogers-Cromartie and Asumugha) or the Patriots (adding receiver Ochocinco and defensive tackle Haynesworth), yet every year they are wrong about who wins the division, much less gets into post season.  They are like team owners who become so focused on the shiny new additions that they fail to acknowledge the weakness (selfishness, egos, coaching, and most importantly the quarterback) that kept the team from getting anywhere last year.

Aaron Rogers continues to amaze me with his maturity, leadership and talent.  How absolutely LUCKY did we get when he fell to us a few years ago?  And then to give him enough time to learn the position before throwing him into the fire?  I've noticed that a number of teams this year (Vikings and Cincinnati) are choosing to sit their drafted quarterbacks so that they can learn the way Rogers did with the Packers.  The difference is that Rogers has #1 pick talent, whereas Dalton and Ponder won't ever be as good.  Baring an injury, I don't see how anyone stops the Packers on offense with Rogers throwing to Driver, Jennings, Finley and the others.

And if not by air, there's always the ground game with Ryan Grant, James Starks and rookie Alex Green running behind a much improved offensive line.  After last year, when it seemed like we NEVER had anyone that could run the ball, I'm really looking forward to this new three-headed attack.  Good luck, the rest of you in the Central (North) division.

Brats, beer and Badger football.

I'm also excited about the college game.  In particular the Badgers, who are coming off a trip to the Rose Bowl after winning the Big Ten last year.  New this year is the addition of the University of Nebraska, which gives the conference twelve teams and two divisions.  The winners of the two divisions -- Leaders and Legends -- will meet in the first Conference Championship game in Indianapolis, IN.

Wisconsin is in the Leaders Division along with Illinois, Indiana, Purdue, Penn State and Ohio State.  Michigan heads the Legends Division, along with Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska and Northwestern.

The addition of Nebraska to the Big Ten means that Wisconsin will be opening its conference season against them in Madison.  Many are predicting great things for the Badgers this year with the troubles that are brewing in Columbus.  The Ohio State, typically the powerhouse team of the conference, is in trouble with its tattoo scandal and quarterback, Terrelle Pryor -- leaving the door open for Wisconsin to take the division, possibly the conference and hopefully the national championship.  I know, I'm dreaming...

... but one of the reasons is the addition of quarterback Russell Wilson who transferred to Wisconsin after completing his senior year at North Carolina State.  Wilson, perhaps the greatest "free agent" pick-up in Wisconsin history, is the type of quarterback that NEVER picks us.  Wisconsin is known for their running backs and offensive linemen.  But a quarterback that can throw and run?  Are you kidding me?  Wilson once threw 379 attempts without an interception.  Equally impressive:  his 3,563 passing yards and 28 touchdowns not only led the ACC, but it would have led the Big Ten.

Wisconsin coach Brett Bielema (known as the "young turk") seems to be finding his groove, as he was recently named the best coach in the Big Ten.  It's paying off with the verbal commitments of four star offensive linemen Dan Voltz and Kyle Dodson, and California quarterback Bart Houston.  When I was going to Wisconsin, we wouldn't get a whiff, much less a commitment from these guys.  Things are certainly looking up for Bucky!

Football has always been NUMBER ONE around my house (followed closely by basketball), and it's hard to believe that this year will be as good as last year, when both the Badgers and the Packers did so well.  As a team sport, it requires all of the pieces and it's rare that all of those pieces fall into place.  Here's hoping that they do.

Not that I'm counting down the days, but it's twenty-nines days for the Badgers and thirty-five days for the Packers....

California, Trombones and Euchre

I was sitting in Valhalla in UW-La Crosse's Cartwright Center, waiting for the start of a concert with trombonist Wycliff Gordon at the La Crosse Jazz Orchestra's jazz festival, when I asked my wife a very important question.

"You see the trumpet player in the back row?  He graduated a year or two before me from Central High School.    Do I look as old as he does?"

The trumpet player I was referring to had an oblong head with thinning white hair, and his face looked tired, maybe from a full day of practice or maybe because La Crosse was in the midst of an unbearable heat wave that was sucking the life out of everyone in town.  He also happened to be one of my son's high school band instructors.

"Ummm, yes?" she responded, then hesitated as she realized it was not the answer I was hoping for.

"What do you mean?  I still have a full head of hair and it's only beginning to gray on the sides!"  I couldn't believe it.  Just wait until she asks me if she looks good in those new pair of jeans.....

I was thinking of that exchange this morning as I was running around the Central High School track, preparing for my next Oktoberfest 5 Mile run.  As always, my mind wanders to things that have nothing to do with the monotony of running -- such as some of the fun things I used to do as a kid growing up in a river town on the Mighty Mississippi.

 

Which led into some fond memories of two classmates (who must also be looking old) that I have been lucky enough to know for most of my life.  Paul Mundinger and Doug Schoenfeld have been friends for almost four decades, which is a long time. Long enough to be apart of some of the most important events in my life, including middle and high school, some college, dating, marriage, employment, vacations and even three deaths.

Little did I know that the new kid in the neighborhood who was knocking on my door (wearing a Bart Starr football jersey) would some day stand in my wedding as best man.  I trusted Doug enough to travel 2,000 miles (to California and back) in a beaten down, cramped-for-space, Chevy Vega right out of high school.  Better yet, our parents trusted us  (yes, Paul, even my mom) enough to let three 18 year old boys drive halfway across the country through Nebraska,  Kansas, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California and back through Nevada, Utah, the Dakotas and Minnesota.  I spent hundreds of hours learning how to play euchre with these two guys, most often on the same team, but occasionally against.  I could be offered a number of choices, but I would still pick Doug in a game of two-on-two football against almost anyone.  Even though we'd be against all odds to win.  I guess you could say I have faith.

Faith has always had something to do with our friendship.  Paul is a senior pastor at a local church and Doug and I are pretty active in our respective churches.  Our common, Christian beliefs and understanding of where we stand in the universe keep us humble and true to our families, wives and children.

But I think we also have faith in each other to be there for each other when needed.  We have all lost our fathers, with Paul losing his when he was still in high school.  I was at his house when his father fell down the back steps after suffering a stroke.  I will never forget the shock and frustration his family felt as we waited helplessly for the ambulance to arrive.  I always looked at my own father differently after that, and was thankful for the extra years he and I had together.  My father passed away 10 years ago from complications of Parkinson's, and while it wasn't as traumatic, it was difficult to see him go.  While greeting people before the funeral, I was surprised to look up and see Paul standing there.  How the word had gotten to him I didn't know, but he had traveled some distance to offer his condolences.  And just this past year, Doug's father lost his battle against cancer.  In the year prior to his death, Doug had wanted to buy a boat to take his dad fishing and to spend more time with him on the river.  My best memories of his dad are from high school and years later at annual pig roasts held at Doug's house.  Whenever a smile was needed, Doug's dad was game.

Other events have kept us close through the years.  Including weddings, and perhaps more importantly the bachelor parties that preceded them.  In one memorable night (that still angers his wife), we had planned on spending a few hours on the river in a houseboat celebrating Doug's dying bachelorhood.  Shortly after beaching the boat on a sandbar, one of the summer's worse storms hit the area threatening to swamp the boat and those of us still aboard.  Perhaps distracted by the storm, we ran the boat's battery down so low that we couldn't get it started when it was time to head back.  After some creative mechanical maneuvers, we did get enough supplemental power to turn over the engine.  As a result, we didn't get back to the marina until close to four o'clock in the morning on the day of his wedding.  I believe the fire in his wife's eyes during the wedding is still smoldering to this day.

 

Through the years we've ridden motorcycles (I'm not sure if Paul's Honda qualifies), cars, and boats to destinations that have been long forgotten.  Perhaps some day we will add a plane to the list -- how does jumping from a plane to celebrate our 60th birthday sound, guys?   We've laid on a country road at two o'clock in the morning, staring at the stars, pondering what we will do after high school and whether we can get a date with that that buxom girl with frizzy hair.  I can remember a high school basketball game that Paul and I (as part of the pep band) were playing at.  I don't know whose idea it was, but Doug joined us -- "playing" an extra trombone even though he didn't know how to play a note.  You would have thought the band instructor would have wondered what Doug was doing there.  But I can't remember him saying a word.

Music was a big part of Paul's and my younger years.  We both played trombone (one of us better than the other).  It allowed us to share many hours playing in concert band, marching band and jazz band, culminating in the recording of two albums during our junior and senior years.  Paul continued playing in college, while I continued my search for the perfect rum and coke.  There are memories of our time in Madison, sitting at a State Street bar waiting for John Cougar (later Mellencamp) to perform only to find out an hour before the performance that the drummer had broken a leg or something, and the band wouldn't be playing.  I still laugh when I think about the day we walked into Metamorphosis Records in downtown La Crosse and had tee-shirts imprinted with our favorite drummer, "Neal Pert" from the greatest rock band ever -- Rush.  It wasn't until months later that we figured out that the correct spelling of his name was Peart.

Some of our best memories are on the Mississippi River.  During one stormy night, we were coming back to La Crosse through the upper locks and because of a faulty motor, we were almost smashed against the wall by the Mississippi Queen which was trying to tie up before going through the locks.  At the last minute, the motor fired up and we were able to pull away from the oncoming hull, as a driving rain poured down on us.  Our friends, watching from another boat, thought we were goners.

One of our favorite things to do on the river is take a friend's houseboat out for the night and play cards until we can't think straight any more.  Regardless of who wins (and we know who that is), we take time to relive Saturday nights in high school playing euchre.  Our wives love to shop, and will spend a weekend at the Mall of America finding the right pair of shoes.  But if you ask me, there aren't many things better in life than drinking beer and eating brats, beans and a salad while listening to Packer's preseason football while beached on a sandbar beneath a sky full of stars.

This year marks the first time when none of us have any children living at home, which has allowed us to spend more time together riding bikes along the muddy Root River in Minnesota, spending a weekend at a lake house while lightning etches the night sky with an approaching storm, or training for fitness events like the La Crosse Fitness Festival and Oktoberfest Maple Leaf 5K walks and runs.

You might wonder why I'm bothering to mention any of this in my blog, when our nation is faced with a debt crisis that threatens to bankrupt the greatest nation on earth.  Or when the world's last Super Power is engaged in far too many wars, and the prospects of world peace seem more impossible than ever before.  Or when Wisconsin is faced with recall elections from an angry group of union officials and teachers.

Perhaps, as I get older, the world looks a lot different than it did when Doug, Paul and I were three kids growing up in God's country, with nothing more to do than ride dirt bikes, play trombones in band and do floaters on the Mississippi.  And maybe it does my soul good to look back on those carefree days, and find a reason to believe that there are still many good things to appreciate.

Even if your wife thinks you're looking old.

Pay for Play

In June, 1965, the Fraternal Order of the Eagles donated a monument bearing the Ten Commandments in honor of the youth who helped fight one of the worse floods in La Crosse's long history.  The gift was placed in Cameron Park, which is a downtown park, surrounded by a bank, food coop, restaurant, bakery and, during the summer, a farmer's market.  The monument, which stands about 5 feet tall, is maintained by the Eagle's club and its members.  For most of my life, I didn't even know the monument existed, even though I walked through the park on various occasions.

Thou shall not display!

In 2002, a group known as the Freedom from Religion Foundation filed a lawsuit against the City of La Crosse, claiming the monument violated the First Amendment establishment clause separating church and state.  In their lawsuit, the non-profit atheist/humanist organization from Madison, WI demanded that the city remove the monument which was causing "sleeplessness, visible discomfort, and modified behavior"  in the listed plaintiffs.

After months of debate, and after causing far more discomfort in the majority of La Crosse residents who objected to the assault on their beloved monument, a judge allowed the Ten Commandments to remain in the park after it was sold back to the Fraternal Order of the Eagles.  (To this day, I'm thrilled that members of the Food Co Op must shield their eyes as they leave the grocery store, hoping to avoid contact with the "vile" monument.)

Similar disputes have become commonplace around the country as these "civil liberty" groups pursue a leftist agenda that includes censoring prayer and recognition of God in public places, fighting illegal immigration reform, defending racial discrimination and promoting free speech for porno- graphers, same-sex marriage advocates and terrorist organizations.  In every instance, the leftist organization sues for legal expenses to pay for the time and damages brought forward in their lawsuit.  It seems to me to be an incredibly easy way to make a living:  find a supposed Constitutional violation that is strongly opposed by the majority of people, threaten to take them to court if it's not changed, and then collect a hefty paycheck when a carefully chosen, liberal judge finds in favor of the leftist organization.

Groups like the Freedom From Religion, the ACLU, the Center for Constitutional Rights and others unfortunately cause far more harm to the moral fabric of our society and founders of this great country than just the millions they win in their bogus court cases.  I've searched the internet for a few of the more aggregious attacks on our Constitution and list them here for your torment:

.  The ACLU demanded $2.3 million in fees for challenging a law AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.  The city of Hazelton, Pennsylvania had passed an ordinance which prohibited landlords to rent to illegal aliens, fined businesses who hired illegal aliens, and required government documents  to be in English only.  The ACLU persuaded a federal court judge to declare this ordinance to be unconstitutional, even though other courts had upheld earlier laws.  The Mayor of Hazelton had this to say about the case which is currently in appeal.  "This demand illustrates the circus the ACLU brought to this case.  They had 20 attorneys sitting in the courtroom at a time, 16 of them doing nothing but running up the bill."  To say nothing about the illegal aliens who were in our country breaking the law.

.  The ACLU often argues IN FAVOR OF PORNOGRAPHY before courts and administrative boards.  They recently forced a Nampa, Idaho public library to return two books to the shelves that many parents found offensive:  The Joy of Sex and The Joy of Gay Sex.  With very graphic illustrations and photos of sexual activities found in chapters entitled "Daddy/Son Fantasies," Exhibitionism and Voyeurism," "Sex With Animals," and "Tearooms and Back Rooms," parents fought in court for over two years to keep the books out of the reach of young children, but to no avail.  Bryan Fischer, one of the parents asking to get the books removed, said, "It's an abysmal state of affairs when a single letter from cultural thugs can undo two years of patient and pain-staking work."

.  In 1999, the ACLU developed a hatred for all things related to the BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA, a charitable organization for teenagers, after they enforced its policy against having openly homosexual Scout leaders.  The civil liberties group filed a lawsuit to prohibit the Boy Scouts from using an Army base in Virginia for a quadrennial gathering known as the Boy Scout Jamboree.  Even though the Boy Scouts had been using this government property for over 70 years for similar events, the ACLU claimed that the Scout's oath of "duty to God," violated the First Amendment's establishment clause.  Therefore, the government should not be sponsoring this event for the Boy Scouts.  A federal district court originally ruled for the ACLU, but the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit eventually overturned the ruling.

.  In 2008, the Freedom From Religion Foundation sued President George W. Bush, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino and others associated with the NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER.   The administration argued FFRF had no legal standing to sue and that the tradition of the National Day of Prayer dated back to 1775.  Nonetheless, on April 15, 2010 senior federal District Judge Barbara Crabb ruled the 236 year old tradition to be unconstitutional.  She sited, "It is because the nature of prayer is so personal and can have such a powerful effect on a community that the government may not use its authority to try to influence any individual's decision whether and when to pray."  She added, "The same law that prohibits the government from declaring a National Day of Prayer also prohibits it from declaring a National Day of Blasphemy."  Her decision is currently under appeal.

.  Since 9/11, the Center for Constitutional Rights has challenged a number of cases involving the Bush and Obama administration's DETENTION AND INTERROGATION PRACTICES of detainees in Guantanamo Bay.  In 2010, the CFCR brought a lawsuit (pro bono) which seeks to remove reputed al-Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki from the U.S. targeted killing list.  For those who don't know, Anwar al-Awlaki is an extremist Muslim cleric who corresponded with Major Nidal Hasan prior to the Fort Hood shootings and whose teachings may have inspired both the "underwear bomber" and Times Square bombing suspect.  Repeatedly al-Awlaki has called for the killing and assassination of American soldiers and officials throughout America and the world.  The CFCR case has been criticized by many supporters of the organization who ask how it can "stand silently next to an advocate of American assassinations.  The Centre for the Study of Human Rights at the London School of Economics and Political Science recently stated, "Does a highly respected organization, founded in the midst of historic struggles for civil rights and racial justice, now wish to be perceived by some as al-Qaida's legal team?"  Apparently the answer is yes.

As an adult with children about to enter the harsh realities of the real world, I can appreciate the value of having someone protect our rights under the U.S. Constitution.  But it seems to me that too many far left groups -- under the guise of protecting civil rights -- are removing many conventional, traditional and dogmatic institutions in favor of "protecting" chaos, anarchy, disorder and lawless behavior.

Isn't it time to push back against these assaults on our national freedoms?  At the minimum, we need to have the ability to charge these bogus leftist groups for court fees and damages if they lose a court case.  That will make them think twice before defending the rights of illegal immigrants, sexual deviants and atheists/freethinkers.

If not, it is clear that these groups will continue to hamper our rights, while maintaining their tradition of playing for pay.

Total Recall: Taming of the Union Shrew

In the La Crosse area, the "Recall Election of 2011" begins next week with the primary contest between Jennifer (Jen to her friends) Shilling and James Smith, a protest candidate supported by Republicans.  The winner takes on (the Prince of Darkness) Senator Dan Kapanke, a two-term Republican and local businessman.

Why the recall?

Just in case you've been under a rock somewhere, the recall effort is in response to Democrats who are fighting mad at the Republican-controlled legislature in Madison for passing a budget repair bill that includes changes to collective bargaining by public employee unions.  As a result, they want to throw out anyone responsible for voting for it, which by the way, balances the Wisconsin state budget.

Here's what the union-backed Democrats are mad about:

.  employees must pay at least 12.6% of the average cost of annual health insurance premiums
.  5.8 % of employee salaries goes toward their pension plans.

Changes to their collective bargaining include:
.  total wage increases for union members cannot exceed inflation
.  contracts are limited to one year
.  employee units are required to take annual votes to remain certification as a union
.  employers are prohibited from collecting union dues
.  employee units are not required to pay union dues

In addition, the repair bill prevents limited term employees from being eligible for health care and pension benefits.  It also allows appointing agencies to terminate any employee who is absent for 3 days without approval, or who participates in an organized effort to stop or slow work during a state of emergency.  Finally, the bill restructures Wisconsin's debt, increases revenue to Medicaid to cover a $153 million deficit and $22 million to address state prison budget shortfalls.

What did he do wrong?

Sounds pretty heartless and devastating, doesn't it?  Seriously, these people need to get a real job, then they might have something to complain about.

So does this sound like something worthy of recalls?  Typically, recalls are designed to remove people from office who had engaged in unacceptable behavior, not just because you disagree with their vote.  Recalls are not very common in Wisconsin.  In fact, there have only been four attempted recalls in our state's history.  Recalls were in 1932, 1990, 1996 and 2003 (two of which failed).  So it's really historic that there are nine recalls on this summer's docket.  And there's already efforts being made to recall Governor Walker later next year.

The answer to my earlier question -- why the recalls? -- is because public employee unions, specifically their powerful leaders and tag-along members, have much to lose if they are removed from the bargaining table.  Through union-negotiated contracts, they have used our children and schools to pad their pockets with nice working conditions, pay and benefits.  When challenged, they threatened to remove athletic and music programs because they didn't have the money.  Seriously -- we all know that the majority of school cost is in benefits, not extra-curricular programs!  Teachers claimed they were getting paid less than their private sector counterparts, despite many in my son's school earning more than $67,000 for nine months of work.  "Save the children!" they cried, all the while taking more taxpayer money for special education, more teachers, longer vacations, and low out-of-pocket health insurance.

While schools have benefited mightily from collective bargaining, other public employees have done quite well through contracts that encourage waste, fraud, and union abuse.  For example, union contracts have allowed some city employees to benefit from higher salaries through overtime, sick days and vacation pay (a Madison bus driver earned over $159,000 due to a clause in his contract that awarded him overtime pay).  In another example, a Wausau, WI school was forced to hire a paid, union crossing guard when it was discovered that an 86-year-old volunteer crossing guard didn't have proper liability insurance.  To hell with school budgets, they need to follow union orders.

Common in all collective bargaining contracts is the control by unions to set the pay, working conditions, alternative choices and cost for health care and pensions.  These monopolies have allowed unions to benefit through higher cost and control of the bargaining process.

And they protect themselves by electing powerful union bosses and school board members who support existing collective bargaining contracts.  Not only do they get to make the rules, they also get to vote on them.  And until Governor Walker and Republicans like Kapanke put their foot down on reckless spending -- unions got their way.  And like all bullies, when they were threatened, they got in our face and shouted us down to put things back in order.

Photo courtesy of Huffington Post

One of the reasons Democrats are so eager to have these recalls is because they are afraid Walker's plan could be successful.

An example of this is what's happened in the Kaukauna Area School District.  Unlike many school districts who scrambled to extend existing union contracts, the Kaukauna school board waited.  As a result, they have been able to renegotiate contracts (without fear of union threats) resulting in higher contribution rates to pension and benefit packages.  Immediately, the district had enough cash to reduce class size and provide merit pay to teachers.  What was projected as a $400,000 budget shortfall before Walker's budget bill passed, has turned into a $1.5 million surplus overnight.

Another example of the savings now available to state jurisdictions can be found in the city of Racine, Wisconsin.  County officials, unfettered by union claims of jurisdiction over certain menial-labor tasks, have put jail inmates to work performing landscaping and maintenance.  Since they don't have to pay high-earning union employees to do the work, the county now has new ways to save money.  (Six months earlier, a similar effort was crushed by a judge who ruled in favor of union complaints that having inmates work around the county courthouse violated a union contract.)

A final example is in the Hartland-Lakeside School district, which for years was required to purchase health insurance for their employees through the (Wisconsin Education Association) WEA Trust.  The WEA Trust was charging the school district significantly higher rates than available through the open market.  Changing to a different insurance company,however, was prohibited by the union leaders, because then the WEA Trust would lose the money that came with the insurance.  Governor Walker's law (removing collective bargaining) has changed that.  So now, freed from the expensive WEA Trust deal, the school district has changed insurers -- resulting in savings of about $690,000 in 2011-2012.

The new law also has the potential to improve labor discussions between teachers, city employees and public employee administrators.  When it comes time to sit down at the table to discuss contracts, administrators will now be able to openly discuss benefits and merit pay with all employees, not just a small group of teachers and union directors, who controlled what their members could and could not hear, much less decide.

It is truly amazing that some many people don't see the benefits of what is happening in Wisconsin.  National organizations supporting these unions are putting everything they have into making sure it's portrayed as bad for the working, middle-class family.  When in reality it's the best thing to happen since many of them got their first public employee paycheck.

That's why these recall elections are so important.  If the public employee unions bosses and their whiny, controlling members are successful in getting their people back in Madison, the union gravy train will continue down the tracks.  Leading us and future generations over the cliff to financial bankruptcy.

The recall battle begins on July 12th.

On Graduations and Beyond

Earlier this month, my youngest son graduated from high school and is now planning on attending college this fall.  It is a seminal moment in life -- both as a parent AND as a young adult who is eager to leave the high school scene behind.

 

It has been too many years for me to remember much of my graduation from high school.  It's a terrible thing to lose memories of sitting on a hard folding chair for 2 hours while classmates and teachers talk about the last thing you want to hear:  more school.  I was trying earlier this summer to remember who our class president was, and came up empty.  Fortunately I received an invitation to our 35th class reunion next year, so maybe I'll find out then.

I actually have more memories of graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison -- one of which has me sitting on my Suzuki motorcycle, black gown flowing in the wind, while I hold onto a cowboy hat with one hand, a beer in the other.  Perhaps college had more meaning for me and the end of school (getting a job) signified more than the passage from high school to college.

Regardless, the past month has been spent planning and attending graduation parties, Sean's graduation and his orientation to college.  It has given me time to reflect on a number of things, among them --

Attending a graduation party is a lot more fun than hosting one.  Sitting down with a plate full of good food and a cold beer is just the way to spend an hour or two in early June.  Taking vacation days off to clean the garage, setting up tables and chairs, buying food and drinks and selecting pictures of your graduate's lifetime is not.  It's always rewarding to have the party and see everyone's reaction -- but ask my wife -- it's a lot of work and something I'm glad only comes around once every so many years.


Pulled pork is way over-rated.  Every party we went to (save one) served pulled pork.  The exception was bratwursts and hot dogs.  It got so bad that my wife decided to change our choice of food from pulled pork to beef and chicken tacos.  Is there a book on graduation parties that says you have to serve the same thing?  Trust me when I say that I like barbecue pork and all, but it'll be awhile before you see me eating at Famous Dave's restaurant. 


Where do I put all this food?  One of the hardest things to know is how many people are going to show up?  And those who do show up -- are they going to eat or not?  After filling up at other parties, chances are they won't be eating much this time around.  As a result, we had people showing up (after their own party) with left over food and desserts.  We gave as much away as we could, and still had a lot left over.  I'm still eating potato chips and drinking soda and beer.

"What did they just say?"  There were three class speakers at my son's graduation, all girls.  They were well prepared, looking sharp with their gold cords and maroon gowns, and eager to expound upon the meaning of their time at Central High School.  All three were Summa Cum Laude and well adorned with scholarships, class awards and offers to some of the best colleges around.  Somehow I was expecting to hear them say something worthy of all the accolades, but as soon as they were done, I looked at my wife and thought, "What did they just say?"  At the least, analogies to Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer, Hemingway's In Our Time, or  Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land would have been appropriate.  I honestly think I could have said something more memorable and relatable....

That familiar tune.  Graduation ceremonies are exciting and boring at the same time (after your son/daughter has walked across the stage, you can't wait for it to be over).  After 12 years of elementary, middle and high school, the energy level of the students and their guests is sky high.  The song "Pomp and Circumstance"  manages to evoke a number of emotions, including happiness, relief and triumph.  For me however, it is also tinged with a bit of nostalgia, as graduating seniors move beyond their first days of school, backpacks and parent/teacher conferences.  Did you know that the name of the song comes from a line in Act III of Shakespeare's "Orthello"?  And that there are actually five different "Pomp and Circumstances" marches?

 

Yeah!  I'm done!.  With the end of graduation, comes the relief in knowing that you have made it into the adult world.  While this is exciting, it can also be pretty intimidating and stressful.  So while you have the chance, enjoy an American tradition and get an ice cream cone or pick up a gallon of ice cream.  Few things make you feel like a kid -- with no worries -- like a scoop of Mackinaw Island Fudge in a waffle cone.




You expect me to live here?  When visiting prospective colleges, we also took a tour of the campus, including the dorms.  Inevitably we got the grand tour of the newest, nicest and largest dorm which had room to sleep, study and eat with magnificent views of Lake Michigan and tree-lined boulevards leading to the football stadium.  Reality sinks in on moving day when you try to cram two beds, a couch, a small refrigerator, TV, stereo, computers, 2 desks, 2 dressers and clothing into a 13 X 20 foot living space.  Thank goodness it's a coed dorm where women outnumber the men 2:1!


On your mark, get set, go!  Your son has spent the morning scouring the course catalog, meeting with a freshman adviser and preparing for 15 credit hours spread between lectures and labs.  All that you need is an open spot on Tuesday afternoon at 1:10 for that science lab.  Unfortunately when you get to class registration, you are told that the class just filled up and the only other Biology 207 lab is in the middle of your Macro Economics 110 class on Wednesday.  What do you do?  Back to the drawing board (and your adviser).

As I mentioned earlier, I don't remember much about my high school graduation or my first year of college.  I'm not sure if it's a coping mechanism that was implanted years ago to ease the pain or if it's something less sinister.  But I've always felt like one of the biggest joys of having children is being able to feel like a kid again.  Watching Disney's "The Little Mermaid," coaching baseball, building a medieval fort using pop-sickle sticks, and helping with math problems are things I'll always cherish doing with my two sons.

I can now add another graduation and college song to that list.


Eau Claire college dear, 
Hail to thee our Alma Mater.
Strong through every year,
carry high the Blue and Gold!
U – Rah – Rah
Aim for excellence.
Give the best that you have in you.
Go Blugolds, fight to win, for fame and victory!
B – L – U – G – O – L – D – S, BLUGOLDS!

Great Music and Movies but Stupid Politics

I can remember the first time I heard my mother-in-law say, "I won't go to any movie with Barbara Streisand because she's a liberal."

At the time I thought, that's stupid because she's been in some terrific movies, like "Funny Girl" and "The Way We Were."  Her singing was even better, with her "A Christmas Album" one of my holiday favorites over the years.   She is one of a few entertainers who has won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and Tony award.  I really can't think of someone with a better singing voice, especially in light of the musical crap we have on the radio today.

But a funny thing happened through the years.  When she wasn't acting or singing, she was actively politicking for the environment and various Democrats, including Bill Clinton, Al Gore and Barrack Obama.  With less singing and more politics, I grew more and more tired of her critical attacks on things I hold true.

Hollywood -- What Are They Smoking?

Streisand once said, "The Democrats have always been the party of working people and minorities.  I've always identified with the minorities."

Seriously?  Someone who is worth between $300-$600 million can identify with a migrant worker making between $6 - $15 dollars an hour?  A few years ago, she was quick to sue a photographer for alleged violation of privacy over a photo of her bluff-top Malibu estate (worth about $15 million).  What are the odds that she would welcome illegal aliens through her front gates so she can relate to them better?

The problem with people like Streisand is that they think they are better than the rest of us when it comes to the economy, environment and world peace.  And smarter, more compassionate and with a better understanding of how the rest of the world acts (France comes to mind).  Despite their hypocritical actions (massive stage shows requiring 50 gas guzzling semi trucks to transport everything needed) and lifestyles (drugs, private jets and numerous homes), they say "Do as I say, not as I do."

Will Ferrell, the not so funny-man from "Saturday Night Live!" was recently involved in a PSA video that supported the passage of Obamacare by making fun of big health insurance companies who were reaping huge profits from existing health insurance premiums and coverage. Television actors and actresses from "Scrubs," "Mad Men," and "Reno 911!" tried to make fun of insurance executives who were opposed to President Obama's socialistic healthcare grab.  Instead of being funny, the video is like so many of these celebrity group think PSAs --  boring, overly long and completely wrong on the issue.  The irony is that actors and musicians are some of the most over paid people in the world.  Will Ferrell,  has absolutely NO RIGHT to complain about insurance executive salaries when he gets paid $20 million dollars each for cellulite trash like "Bewitched" and "Talladega Nights."

What was the harm?

Another fine example is the rush to defend movie director Roman Polanski, who was finally arrested on charges of drugging and raping a 13-year-old child after 32 years in exile.  The tragedy isn't just in the crime, but in Hollywood's defense of this pedophile.   Here is what Polanski said after committing the crime and fleeing the country:  "If I had killed somebody, it wouldn't have had so much appeal to the press, you see?  But f---ing you see, and the young girls.  Judges want to f-- young girls, juries want to f--- young girls, everyone want to f--- young girls!"  Pretty disgusting huh?

So what do people like Whoopi Goldberg, Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese do?  Sign their names to a petition demanding that Polanski be freed.  Whoopi Goldberg went so far as to say "I know it wasn't rape-rape.  It was something else but I don't believe it was rape-rape.  He went to jail and when they let him out he was like 'You know what, this guy's going to give me a hundred years in jail.  I'm not staying,' so that's why he left."  What comedic rock did she crawl out form under?  There is no defense from the left for this kind of self-important crap. They feel that they are above the law and can judge their own actions for what they are.

Hollywood is home to another political tourist who tells us how to live our lives -- Sean Penn.  I don't know if there is another actor who is so polar opposite to everything good in America.  Fortunately, it helps to picture him as Jeff Spicoli -- the surfing, pot smoking Valley Guy loser in "Fast Times At Ridgemont High" -- and completely dismiss everything coming out of his mouth.

Penn prides himself as a peace activist, having criticized President Bush for his involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.  He is a staunch supporter of President Obama, even though the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have spread into Libya and beyond.  Of particular embarrassment to this country are his visits with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a dictator and socialist who is sympathetic to Libya's murderous Muammar Ghadafi and Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.  Penn, who espouses free speech (his free speech) should ask Chavez about Venezuela's crack down on private property, free speech and civil rights.

What does it say about these publicity whores who are so quick to let the press know about the thousands donated or their time spent adopting poor children from Africa?  Wouldn't it be so much better if Tim Robbins, Madonna, Susan Sarandon and Angelina Jolie just donated their time and money without letting Hollywood Reporter and Entertainment Tonight know about it?  A number of big names (usually in business) are involved in charity events that go unreported, yet their efforts raise millions for health issues, education and other charities.  Being quiet about it doesn't make it less effective or meaningful.

Television networks have an orgasm when celebrities go on air to provide their opinions on world dictators (why can't we be more like Chavez and Castro), natural disasters (Katrina) and endangered animals cute enough to get their attention (have you seen the Red Panda). Who was the last rock star to go on Good Morning America complaining about this administration's destruction of American jobs?

We know what Willie's smoking

One final example of musicians and actors acting stupid are benefit concerts.  Every year it seems like we have a natural disaster or disenfranchised group needing money.  Ever since Woodstock, I think people have been looking for a reason to listen to some good music while getting stoned and drunk.  Living in Wisconsin, you would think I'd be more sympathetic to farmers, but I'm not.  Farm Aid, which was started in 1985 by John Mellencamp and Willie Nelson to raise money for farming families, recently celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary.

Organizers of these concerts, claim success in drawing attention to AIDS, flood victims and other human right issues.  While that may be the case, I can't help think their motive is to cut a record that promotes their self indulgent music, record companies and organizations.  Some of the more notable benefit events include The Concert for Bangladesh (1971), The Secret Policeman's Ball (1979), The No Nukes concerts (1979), Live Aid (1985), Self Aid (1986), Conspiracy of Hope Tour (1986), Human Rights Now (1988), Live Earth (2007) and Billion Hands Concert (2008).  Can you tell me who benefited the most-- the musicians or the cause?

I leave you with the following quote from a CNN interview with Matthew Bodine, an actor who has been in a few good movies.  Here's what he had to say about Osama Bin Laden before a group of our elite Seals put a bullet in his head (thank God), "Imagine if someone were to really sit down with Osama Bin Laden and say, "Listen, man, what is it that you're so angry at me about that you're willing to have people strap bombs to themselves, or get inside of airplanes and fly them into buildings?"  That would be the miracle if we can get, sit down and talk to our enemies and have a fine way for them to hear us."

'Nuff said.

Labor Pains: A Conflict of Interest

I've never been a fan of unions.

Which would seem to put me at odds with a lot of people:  actors, airline pilots, contractors, engineers, hotel employees,  government, restaurant workers, musicians, nurses, teachers, bus and taxi drivers, plumbers, electricians and the television industry -- to name a few.

Fortunately, I don't know too many successful actors, musicians or television stars.  But it can be a problem when I sit down for parent/teacher conferences or have a meal with my brother, who is the transit manager for the city of La Crosse.

My first job out of college was with the Department of Natural Resources, which put me into the ranks of Wisconsin's public employee union.  Fortunately, it was a temporary job and six months later I was breathing in the freedom of a private industry job.  Six months isn't enough time to get familiar with a job, much less any of the complexities of being a part of the State of Wisconsin employee collective.

But I do remember feeling like it didn't really matter what I did at my job -- how well, how quickly, or how much -- I had the protection of being one of many working effortlessly for the DNR.


Today,  unions (public and private) are making news.  Big news.  And not the kind they want.  Despite their stranglehold in education, government and manufacturing, unions make up less than 11% of today's workforce, and are quickly becoming less relevant than at anytime in the last 60 years.  After peaking in 1970, the private sector union membership has fallen steadily, led by dramatic losses in the automotive and manufacturing industry.  Some of it is just a numbers game, with more and more manufacturing going overseas -- where unions have less influence.  But there's more to it than just a shift of jobs out of this country.

That's because unions are now losing approval in states that can no longer tolerate intrusive union rules, the threat of costly work stoppages, lawsuits and worker benefits that are far above average.  Unions are focused on their own self-preservation and wealth, not their workers and -- in more and more cases -- not taxpayers with nothing left to give. This conflict of interest -- putting union interests before state budgets or corporate profits-- has always been there, but the recent U.S. economic downturn has lifted the veil on recent state employee union contracts and forced-union agreements.

I site the followiing -

1)  States like Wisconsin (with a Republican governor and majorities in both state houses) can no longer pay for the exorbitant  health and pension benefits that have been a key component of public employee jobs.   The rising cost of providing excellent health care, while requiring little payment from employees, has put unsustainable pressure on budgets.  With no more money coming from Washington, states are having to cut benefits or default.  Wisconsin has chosen to remove collective bargaining from contract negotiations to balance their budget, but the fierce backlash from unions has put this strategy in doubt.

The battle has been bloody, as challenges to the State Supreme Court and recall elections of nine key senators move toward a mid-summer conclusion.  In my hometown of La Crosse, signs for a replacement candidate (Schilling) have sprung up early and often.  Republicans, hoping to force recall candidates to spend union money in primary contest, have encouraged fake Democrat candidates to run in opposition.  Ads, paid for by unions, are pushing bilge about helping working families and keeping worker rights, but the ads ignore the immediate need to balance the state budget.  To his credit, Governor Walker has stuck to his guns and is pushing his conservative agenda in Madison.

Can the government tell Boeing where it can operate?

Indiana, Ohio and other states are following Wisconsin's lead by challenging long-standing agreements with their own state employees.

2)  In the private sector, Boeing Company has been fighting a complaint from the National Labor relations Board (NLRB) claiming Boeing illegally punished its Machinists union by building an assembly line for its 787 Dreamliner jet in South Carolina, instead of Washington state.  The poison apple was that the new plant in South Carolina was non-union, thereby violating its forced-union agreement.

This particular case is a big deal in the battle between forced-union states and right-to-work states.  (To explain the difference, states that have a right to work law provide employees the right to decide for themselves whether or not to join a union or financially support a union.)  Are labor unions, with the help of our government (NLRB), going to be able to tell business (and its employees) where it can and cannot operate a plant within the U.S.?

Today there are 22 right-to-work states and 28 union-shop states.  Over the past 10 years, the right-to-work states (such as Texas, Georgia and Tennessee) have grown faster in nearly every economic respect than their union-shop counterparts (like New York, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania).  See the chart below.


So are unions an endangered species?  If they are, it's more like the polar bear, than the Alabama beach mouse because unions are fighting mad.  For example --

. "Card Check" remains a serious threat.  As part of the "Employee Free Choice Act" unions have been pushing for Congress to change the rules for how workers can organize.  If ever there was a chance for this law to pass, it was during the 111th Congress, with Democrats holding super majorities in the House and Senate.  But it did not pass.  And now that Republicans have reclaimed the House, AFL-CIO, SEIU and the Change to Win Coalition are pushing harder than ever to find the votes.

. Big labor unions, fearing loss of power, political influence and money, are spending millions on elections and encouraging aggressive protests throughout the country.   As Mr. Mahlon Mitchell, president of the Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin, put it recently to a crowd of protesters in Madison, WI:   "This is not just about union rights, it's about worker's rights, it's about the middle class.  This has galvanized the people who were sitting on the sidelines and not involved in politics.  They realize now that the attack is on me."  He continued, "We cannot stop this fight.  We have to have sustainability; we have to make our voices heard.  Our resolve has to be stronger, out pain has to run deeper, our passion has to last longer."

. The Boeing case is showing the extent unions will go to to prevent businesses from building union-free plants.    The National Labor Relations Board, a powerful force in Washington, is preparing for a lengthy and politically charged legal battle which will make life difficult for Boeing.  As is so often the case, lawyers can drag litigation on for years adding millions of dollars to the cost.  The judge on the case, Judge Anderson, stressed at a recent hearing that if the battle goes all the way to the Supreme Court, "I'll be retired or dead."

. Washington's remains in the pocket of big labor, as was shown with the bailout of General Motors and Chrysler to the tune of over $24 billion taxpayer dollars.

Without a doubt, unions are suffering labor pains.  The bad economy is laying bare their heavy-handed tactics and intimidations.  The real pain, however, remains with the American worker.  Despite their 60's style rhetoric, the disconnect between unions and most employees remains bigger than ever.

Let's hope that teachers and government workers -- without the protective illusion of collective bargaining -- will begin to see the benefits of individual effort.  Perhaps, greater take-home pay (no union dues) and being rewarded for hard work will be the silver bullet that ends union influence in states throughout the country.