In Search of Thanksgiving

With November nearly done -- and Thanksgiving barely  finished -- I am struggling with my usual response to this time of year:  "I am thankful for the following..."

Still smarting from our election defeat, I find myself thinking about things differently.  The majority of time, I tell myself ... it could be worse.  You could be dying, your wife could be leaving you, or your two sons could be moving back in with you.  

And that thinking is right, it COULD be worse.

As Liz reminds me, I'm the eternal optimist, which is what makes this so tough.  Normally I need a day or two to get over the loss of the Packers or Badgers.  Pretty soon I'm right back in front of the television thinking last week's loss was a fluke.  We'll get 'em this time!  More times than not, I'm right.

So let's look at a few things and put them into perspective.


I still don't like the dark meat (it's nothing racial).

1.)  Obama's re-election means that Obama Care is going to be the law of the land.

With the Supreme Court allowing the take over of our healthcare system by government bureaucrats, and this fall's election signalling America's endorsement of such folly, be prepared for higher taxes, higher insurance premiums, less control over your care choices, and death panels.  Know someone in the business of selling health insurance?  Add them to the growing unemployed ranks.

I AM THANKFUL that I won't be sitting in front of business clients trying to explain why their premiums are going up 30% this year.  In the near future, my ex-clients will be on the phone talking to someone else who will piss them off and eventually pass the buck to their "supervisor," who will then promise to get back to them.  Right.

2.)  During a season of yuletide blessings, peace on earth and good will towards men, I find it ironic that the Freethinkers Society is having such a hard time with Christmas.  When the whole world is enjoying a season of lights, carols and the occasional eggnog, this atheist group has their Santa undies in a bundle over the busing of school children to see "A Charlie Brown Christmas" at a local Arkansas church.

Anne Orsi, spokesperson for the group, says the sponsored field trip made "some" parents uncomfortable because of the religious content of the program.  Makes me wonder if these parents turn the television off when CBS runs the special on television.  The late Charles Schultz must be rolling in his grave.

I AM THANKFUL that as a child, I faced no such hurdles in observing and celebrating Christmas. Religious displays on public property were a joy to visit -- providing assurance that someone greater than me was born in the city of Bethlehem.  I'm sure many of the displays were tradition and involved whole communities celebrating their similarities, not differences.

How long before they ban "Silent Night" from public airwaves?

3.)  The Land of Lincoln -- Illinois -- recently elected Jessie Jackson Jr., Democrat, to another term in Congress, despite a bipolar disorder, links to disgraced former Governor Rod Blagojevich, an affair that threatens his marriage and suspicious activities leading to a federal investigation into his political finances.

Before election day, a number of political observers said that the developments would have no impact on his re-election.   They were right.  Jackson, who was too sick to even campaign, was chosen by Illinois' Second Congressional District with more than 66% of the vote.  "Congressman Jackson is in a very safe congressional district," said DePaul University Law Professor, Len Cavise.  "Absent the most blatant kind of violation, I don't think (anything) would have much of an effect."

Update:  It was recently reported that Jackson would resign, citing a federal ethics investigation and poor health.  It is believed he swung a deal to avoid further investigation and potential prosecution.

I AM THANKFUL that the great state of Wisconsin has Republican Paul Ryan of Janesville.  The presidential campaign introduced many people to Ryan, who -- as the Chairman of the House Budget Committee -- has stood his ground on many conservative issues.   By challenging President Obama during the Obama Care health forum debate, people got to see  his  Midwestern principals on display.  .

Anyone who is viewed by Washington's left as "the evil genius, the cruel and mad budget cutter who threatens grandma's health care, granddad's retirement, and the entitlement state as we know it," gets my vote every time.

Apparently others feel the same way.  He was re-elected to his seventh term by a large margin (in a mostly Democratic district).


I'll take the white meat (just keep it moist).

1.)  The Wisconsin Badgers football team has had a really tough year.  How tough?  For the third time this year, they lost an overtime game.  Once to Michigan State, once to Ohio State, and last weekend to Penn State.  I don't know what effect losing in overtime does to a team's psyche, but I would imagine it's like reliving the election results of November 6th over and over.  And over.

I AM THANKFUL that the Badgers have Montee Ball who was voted the Big Ten's top running back for the second straight year.  As a first team all-conference pick by both coaches and the media, Ball set a NCAA record with his 79th TD.  He has rushed for 1,528 yards this year and 18 touchdowns.  Wisconsin now has the honor of having two of the greatest college running backs ever:  Montee ball with his 79 touchdowns and Ron Dayne with his 6,397 rushing yards.  If that doesn't help future recruiting, I don't know what could.

The Badgers also have the honor of going to the Big Ten Championship game again for the second year, playing Nebraska.  The first time this year the two teams played, Nebraska came from behind to win 30-27 in Lincoln, NE.  It was a game that featured a fast start by Wisconsin, followed by strong defense in the second half by Nebraska.  The winner will travel to the Rose Bowl to face the winner of the PAC 12 Championship Game.

Admittedly it's been a tough year for the 7-5 Badgers, but wouldn't it be great if they could play in Pasadena one more time?

2.)  The fickle voters of Wisconsin pulled a bit of a surprise with Republicans regaining control of the state Senate and state Assembly, when they picked up two Senate seats that were lost in last summer's recall election.  In typical fashion, Democrats blamed the re-districting efforts by the GOP for their surprise victory.  It's surprising, considering the cantankerous recall elections earlier in the year, and the decision to send Tammy Baldwin to the senate instead of Tommy Thompson.

I AM THANKFUL that Republicans gained influence in 60% of all states, where we can establish a firewall against President Obama and the rest of Washington.  In stark contrast to the Presidential outcome, voters put Republicans in control of local and state purse strings.  This is significant because Democrat-controlled states like California, Illinois and New York are spending themselves into bankruptcy.  If Republican-controlled states, like Wisconsin, can foster economic growth and job creation at the state level, perhaps we can give the electorate a clear choice in 2016.

Do the people of America want  more California/Illinois or more Wisconsin?  It may be the kind of test that finally fixes the problems coming out of Washington.  Perhaps the Rose Bowl (with Wisconsin playing the PAC 12 winner) will be a harbinger of things to come.

Rockwell's Thanksgiving

3.)  Finally, what would Thanksgiving be without family?  My wife and I were speaking recently about how much family means to us at Thanksgiving.  For her, it wouldn't be the holiday without sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, moms and dads.

This year marked the first Thanksgiving for Liz without either parent.  Her dad died almost 20 years ago, and her mother passed away this summer from cancer.  For some very good friends of ours, it was the first Thanksgiving without their son, who died in a car accident.

And it wasn't the same without them.

Many of us take for granted that we will always have family sitting around the table at Thanksgiving.  It seems like your sister will always be there with her green bean casserole, or your mom with the sweat potatoes topped with marshmallows.  And how many kinds of pie will there be?  Apple, pumpkin, banana cream and pecan?

I AM THANKFUL for our traditions -- like watching the Macy Thanksgiving Day Parade,  sitting down to some Detroit Lions football (maybe playing a little ourselves outside if it's warm enough), that afternoon nap, and perhaps best of all -- the leftover turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy.

When I worked at Gast Manufacturing in Benton Harbor, Michigan, the owner -- instead of sending Christmas cards -- would send Thanksgiving Day cards.  It was my job to work with an agency that created a new card every year.  We always focused on the customer, who was the most important part of his business.  It was his reason for going to work everyday.  And ultimately for it's success.

I think of those cards often.  Thanksgiving is about work, and reaping the benefits of that hard work.

Hopefully, this blog finds you thankful for many of your blessings.  Despite the election results, it could be worse.  If we do our best, love those around us, and treat our friends like family, we will truly be blessed.

Give thanks for that.

A Letter to My Sons

Dear Matt and Sean,

I'm sorry.

Today -- November 6, 2012 -- a majority of voters ended what it means to be an American.  Despite being a beacon of ethical individualism, a paragon of untethered capitalism and a benevolent force that withstood the evils of fascism, communism and radical Islam, America finally lost its standing as the western world's last example of a free society.

After more than 200 years, those who made America the land of the free, are no longer in the majority.

As Abraham Lincoln said in his Lyceum speech on January 27, 1838, "At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected?  I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us.  It cannot come from abroad.  If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher.  As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide."

Who would have thought one hundred-seventy-four years later, America would succumb to the temptations of Barrack Obama and the Democratic party's false promises of "hope and change", and a classless society? In fact, fifty-two percent of America put a president back into office despite a horrible economic record, a campaign based a "war on women" and a booming federal deficit.   And rejected a man who had provided balanced budgets, worked on a bipartisan basis while governor, and turned around failing business, including the 2002 Olympics.

I'm still asking myself "what's happened to the America I used to know?"

As a child of ten, I remember playing a game with my friends that involved a folded piece of paper that you moved with your fingers.  I don't remember what the game was called, but the folded triangles contained numbers, then colors, and finally words.  By picking certain combinations, you would be rewarded with the coolest car, a big house or lots of money to spend anyway you wanted.

 

In many ways it represented the dreams of a nation, who was finding its way through the Vietnam War, gender/race equality, and the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy.  But as a young boy, all I understood was the possibility that I would some day grow up to get married, find a good paying job, buy a cool car and own a home.  The American Dream was alive and well, despite the winds of unrest blowing through the storied halls of Congress.

Twenty years later, I was moving up in the world -- the girl of my dreams had said "yes," my first son had turned four, and we had just moved into our second home, nestled among the peach and apple orchards of southwestern Michigan.  I remember like it was yesterday:   the joy I felt as I lay in the grass of our backyard looking up to blue skies and drifting clouds.  My hopes were high, and our family's future looked bright.

President Reagan, who had led us out of the recession of Jimmy Carter's doing, had been replaced by another man of integrity and honor, President George H. Bush.  During those good years (the late 1980's), the United States was still a "shining city... a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, windswept, God-blessed and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace..."

More than 20 years later, I now feel foolish to think that such vision and faith in the human spirit would continue.  At some point during my lifetime, the citizens of this great country changed.  The American Dream -- getting an education, working hard and achieving success -- lost its appeal.  Those striving for prosperity became a pariah to those voting in elections.

We somehow lost our momentum through the Clinton and Bush presidencies -- but to be honest (in looking back) those winds of unrest had been gathering new focus and intent for years.  Traditional families lost their cohesion, God fell out of favor, love of country was replaced with love of self, and union influence dominated our educational and judicial institutions, as well as the workplace.

Equally damning was the emergence of the liberal media.  Early in the 20th century, the media was hard on both political parties, but with more and more liberal journalists gaining prominence in our media -- newspapers, television and magazines --  their passion for fact finding turned regularly into attacks on conservative ideals.  Watergate became the calling card for a new generation of "investigative journalists."  Within a single lifetime, mainstream journalism lost all pretense of unbiased reporting.  They have clearly put all their chips on the left, with no apologies.

Today, more youth get their news from Comedy Central and Saturday Night Live than ABC, NBC and CBS combined.  The internet, blogs and You Tube videos have expanded the aberration of what is broadcast on TV as mainstream news.

Many voters who elected Obama to a second term no longer read newspapers, or bother to research candidates' claims (immigrants even fight the need to learn our language).  This has led many youth to get their news through highly opinioned web sites and  late night appearances on liberal talk fests like David Letterman, Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Fallon (let's get our news with a dose of comedy).  Unfortunately, the ones being made to look foolish and dumb are usually the conservative choice.

The cover up this year from the major networks on important stories like Libya, Solyndra, and Fast and Furious was unparalleled and (as a fellow journalist) perhaps I'm more sensitive than most.  I know there's media bias on both sides, but how thin skinned is Obama that he has to complain when it's 6 to 1 in his favor?

So Matt and Sean, I want to apologize for what has happened to this once great nation on our watch.   One of the most important things parents can do for their children is provide a better future.  Perhaps that thinking is what misled us.  Perhaps your mom and I loved you so much that we forgot to teach you how hard it was to achieve success and to appreciate this great nation.  Rather than saving for your own car, we gave you one.  Going to college? -- let us pay for it.  Don't worry about a job, focus on doing well in school.

I don't know...

I'd like to think that we raised you to value family, honesty and hard work.  But somehow our society -- and I'm including my generation as well -- focused on the wrong things.

For generations, our forefather fought in wars, putting their country first.  With the perceived failures in Vietnam, the mandatory draft became a thing of the past .  Love of country and self sacrifice died as quickly as those brave souls who lost their lives in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Believe me when I say that I'm glad that you didn't have to fight in any wars -- but perhaps by doing so, your focus drifted to blaming America for those wars.  How could you not see that we were liberating Iraq from a bloodthirsty murderer who had beheaded mothers and fathers in front of their children, gassed thousands of Kurdish villagers, tortured hundreds of "conspirators" by gouging out eyes, chopping off limbs or executing others who displeased him simply because they would not allow him to take their virgin daughters?

Where did this idea that America was the bad guy come from?

Surprisingly, most of the criticism comes from within our borders.  Starting with our public schools.

Columbus's discovery of America is being re-written in history books, as is the treatment of Native Americans and their culture.   High schools and colleges focus on the bad behavior of a few soldiers who interrogate prisoners with water boarding to gain information that saves thousands of lives.  Candidate Romney was right when he said that President Obama took an apology tour, claiming America was to blame for everything from global warming to Middle East unrest.

The push in schools to allow our children to travel abroad encouraged your mom and me to send you to Europe, Asia and South America.  Perhaps somewhere along the way, you were allowed to think those countries were better.   As taught in school, these countries had many of the things missing in America -- economic and social fairness, equality for all.

The trouble is that none of these countries will ever be as good as America once was.  I've heard both of you come home from school saying communism was the fairest form of government, despite it's failure.  Every country that has tried communism, socialism and radical Islam has failed miserably.   Too bad schools don't see it that way.

Look at the current crises facing Great Britain and Europe.  Socialist doctrine reduced Great Britain from a super power to one that is a pale shade of what it once was.  Prime Minister Attlee embraced it, Churchill fought it to no avail, and Margaret Thatcher (at best) held it in check.  No one has been able to go back to the way it was.  Some countries are either over the edge (Greece), heading full speed toward the cliff (France) or suffering a slow death (Germany).  What makes anyone think America will be any different?

Apparently we either don't believe it will happen here or, worse, we don't care.

For many immigrants, America still represents that shining city President Reagan spoke about thirty-five years ago.  Unfortunately, more and more immigrants today are coming to our country uneducated and non-skilled, looking for government assistance.  The breakdown of this year's election indicated the majority of Latinos who voted for Obama didn't do it because of Republican anti-immigration policies -- they did it for the benefits promised by Democrats.

There are more elected minorities in the Republican Party than the Democrat Party.  Yet former Secretary of State Condi Rice,  Florida Senator Marco Rubio, governors Nikki Haley (South Carolina) and Susana Martinez (New Mexico) are made fun of by most of your friends.    If any of these politicians were Democrats, they would be loved and defended by the media and minority groups.  But no -- rather than applaud their struggles and success, they are called uncle toms and culturally incorrect.  No wonder I worry about your generation.

Matt and Sean, I wish you could have seen America through my eyes as a child.  The great things we did, the hope our country had for its future and its indispensable courage against impossible odds.  As a child, I saw us land on the moon...  Today, NASA is out of business.

We didn't make excuses or complain about what our neighbors had.  If nothing else, we sought out what they did and tried to do it ourselves.  It was a great time to grow up -- we were proud to be Americans.

America used to be about merit -- talent that should be allowed to rise and prosper.  It didn't pick winners based on race, sex or age.  There was no "war on women," "fair share," "one percent" or "affirmative action" needed to embraced this philosophy.  Teachers, students, laborers and business owners were all allowed to succeed.  And immigrants knocked on our borders to have a shot at it.

Somehow we've gotten away from it.  And I'm afraid there's no turning back.

Leftist Fatwas

The great Ronald Reagan once said, "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction."

He said, "We don't pass it on to our children in the bloodstream.  (Freedom) must be fought for, protected and handed off for them to do the same.  Or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children ... what it was once like in the United States."

Reagan -- Freedom Lover

Lately, I've been feeling life our freedoms are being assaulted like never before.  Not in the sense that another country has invaded our borders and is claiming our country for their own.  Rather our individual freedoms -- the right to choose to live our lives the way we want to -- are under constant assault with the left taking away things they don't like.

And the list of things that are bad for me, my family and our planet just keeps getting longer.  Whether it's drinking water out of plastic bottles, buying buttered popcorn in a movie theatre or washing my dirty clothes, liberals have a knack for messing with my life.

And it's not enough for them to wallow in their own Mother Earth, hippy commune world.  No, they have to make sure I'm banished to the same miserable fantasy land they live in.

They are not happy unless I am forced to give up many of the things I love.  (I take that back -- they're never happy.)  They are not as miserable (it's a temporary feeling, believe me) until the rest of us are just as miserable as they are.

I think with Obama in the White House, the leftists -- with their economic, religious and health fatwas -- have unloaded a world of hurt under the guise of "change we can believe in."

Top three things they won't leave alone:

Religion.  It's not enough for them to not believe -- no, they want to destroy the feeling of reverence, inspiration, and security we feel from attending church, observing Christian holidays and remembering that this country was founded on religious beliefs, as evidenced by "one nation under God."  They won't rest until they've relegated Christ to some dark corner in a church that has shrinking attendance.   Which is why I've never understood why so my churches lean to the left.

Some critics would say the religious right is no better.  Admittedly, there are a few people who feverishly crusade against sinners, but they are more more often some character in a Hollywood movie than reality.  I can only speak for myself, but I'm not going to push my religious beliefs on someone, unless they are looking for something I can give them.  And then it's usually just an invitation to attend church.  I don't demand that they change their lives, quit their jobs and forsake all worldly things.

For me religion allows me to recognize my position in the universe and lead a life I hope is a little better than one without God.  Unfortunately, the left thinks they know better.  Supporters of religion must be shown to be not merely mistaken, but morally lacking.  Politicians and televangelists are prime candidates.

"Hypocrites!" they cry.  "You claim you're better than gays, single mothers and wife cheaters -- but you're just as bad."  I've said it before, but I think the left just can't stomach someone telling them that they shouldn't do something. They lead a very selfish and self-centered life.  The concept of a supreme being -- God --  is unacceptable.  By tearing down religion they are able to maintain their "rightful place" in their lonely hierarchy.

And of course, the right is more than willing to fall on the sword.  For the left, it's far easier to live the perfect life when you have no morals, standards or limitations.

Health.  New York Mayor Bloomberg recently made news when he decided it was government's role to keep citizens healthy by prohibiting large sizes of soda and other sugary drinks at restaurants, delis, sports arenas and movie theaters.  Drinks would be limited to 16 ounces, which is considered a small serving at many fast-food joints.

This isn't Bloomberg's first assault on our freedoms.  In 2006 he banned restaurants from cooking with trans fats.  Other states have followed with a me too attitude.  The harmful effects of removing trans fats isn't limited to our health, however.  Suddenly, the health police (insert your local health department) seem to think it's their place to decide what's best for us mere citizens.

NBC recently ran a story critical of movie theatre snacks, like popcorn, candy and soda.  In typical leftist "crisis mode" fashion they proudly claimed the following:


AMC theaters are serving smaller sizes, but they still pack a wallop. A large popcorn has 1,030 calories and 57 grams of saturated fat -- the equivalent of a pound of baby back ribs topped with a scoop of Haagen-Daz ice cream, but with more fat.

At Cinemark, which pops its popcorn in heart-healthy canola oil, a large popcorn has 910 calories with 4 grams of saturated fat. "Though popping in canola gives this chain's popcorn far less saturated fat than its competitors, it's almost as high in calories and has the most sodium -- about twice as much as Regal or AMC," the Center for Science in the Public Interest said in a statement (don't you love that name?).

The giant sodas served at movies also take a toll, the study said. To name just one example, a 54 ounce large soda at Regal has 33 teaspoons of sugar. And an 8-ounce bag of Reese's Pieces contains 1,160 calories and 500 empty calories.

And don't forget about the candy. A 5-ounce bag of Twizzlers contains 15 teaspoons of sugar. A 7-ounce box of Nerds contains 46 teaspoons of sugar. And an 8-ounce bag of Reese's Pieces contains 1,160 calories and 35 grams of saturated fat.

"Sitting through a two-hour movie isn't exactly like climbing Mount Everest," said Jayne Hurley, senior nutritionist for the Center of Science in the Public Interest. "Why do theaters think they need to feed us like it is?"

Jeez, it must be fun going to the movies with a lib, huh?

Getting back to New York Mayor Bloomberg, Charlie Rose once asked him:  "What is it that drives you to impose this stuff on people?"

Bloomberg said "If government's purpose isn't to improve the health and longevity of its citizens, I don't know what its purpose is.  We certainly have an obligation to tell them what the best science and best medicine says is in their interests."

Ok... here I thought the job of government was to protect public safety, collect garbage, clear roads and fight wars.  So much for civil liberties.


Ecology.  Low flow toilets, laundry detergent, and light bulbs have been changed in the interest of the public good.  Unfortunately, like most things the left thinks are better for good ol' mother earth, none of them are any good at improving our lives.

I was meeting a client the other day and we were talking about his septic tank at home which was getting clogged and backing up.  The resulting mess needed to be cleaned up and there was no guarantee that the problem wouldn't come back with a few more flushes.  My client works for Coulee Region Mechanical which specializes in plumbing, so he knew a thing about the problem.

He said it was the low flow toilet (HET, which means high efficiency toilet) causing the problem.  Not enough water was getting into the pipes to properly flush the plumbing.  He's decided to just flush the toilet two or three times, hoping that it will do the job our "old" toilets used to do.  So much for efficiency and saving water.

When asked if he could buy a regular toilet, he said no.  Toilets from commercial manufacturers like American Standard and Kohler are all the same.  All capable of saving water, but not flushing properly.

Want to hear the sound of a thunderous whoosh! the next time you flush?  Can't do it.  The Energy Policy and Conservation Act mandates that toilets sold in the U.S. use no more than 1.6 gallons of water per flush, instead of the old standard of 3.2 gallons.


A few years ago, Time Magazine actually ran a story about illegal toilets that could be purchased in Canada that used twice the water.   Can you imagine?  Sneaking across the Canadian border with a toilet in your trunk?   Whatever happened to the good old days when you sneaked drugs and contraband across borders?

Laws were recently passed in seventeen states requiring dish and clothes detergent makers to reformulate their products to reduce what had been a crucial ingredient, phosphates, to just a trace.  While phosphates help clean clothing and dishes, they have long ended up in lakes and reservoirs, stimulating algae growth that deprives other plants and fish of oxygen.

So the resulting damage to our lakes and rivers means that we now have to put up with shirts, underwear and towels that look dull, lackluster and dungy.  They don't even smell the same.  And dishes that used to come out clean and spot-free now look like my front door -- which is streaked with dirty water marks from the lawn's water sprinkler.

Who's idea was this?

Consumer product reviews are blasting away at everything from detergents to washing machines and dishwashers that don't do the job.  One consumer said, "This is the worst product ever made for use as a dishwashing detergent!"  Another said, "It was horrible and I won't buy it again!"

While I agree with the problem phosphates create in our nearby Mississippi River, I can't believe the stupidity of passing a law that outlaws a critical cleaning ingredient without considering a viable replacement.  One that still cleans, would be nice.

And finally, energy-saving light bulbs.  The environmental crazies would have you believe that you are saving the planet by replacing burned-out incandescent light bulbs with new, compact florescent lighting.  Die-hard environmentalists actually believe that the earth will benefit from less urban smog, oil spills, acid rain and global warming.

Plus, they argue, you will cut your business and home energy bills if you use the new bulbs.  So what's not to like?

Well, like everything else on this list, we are not given a chance to choose which light bulb we want to use.  It's become law that we must use the new, energy-efficient light bulbs, despite recent studies that show the bulbs emit UV radiation and contain trace amounts of mercury, a toxic element.

Most of us are also aware of how difficult it is to dispose of these bulbs.  If they break (which is common in our household), instructions are to evacuate the home for 15 minutes until the harmful material dissipates.  I don't know about you, but how do we really know if it dissipates?  It could be in the carpet for all I know, waiting for me or our dog to roll around on it and pick up the harmful mercury particles.

Environmental lawyers freak out just thinking about lead paint and asbestos material, so do we really want to encourage more potential problems?

I also know that these bulbs are not good if you're turning the lights on or off on a regular basis.  It may be acceptable in the office, where the lights are on for 8 hours or longer.  But in my home, where my wife reminds me to turn off the lights, they are much less efficient than advertised.  And finally, at a cost of $3 to $5 per bulb, how long will it take for me to make up the extra cost, when lighting typically consumes only 5-8% of my total energy bill?

Despite the mercury controversy, my biggest gripe about the new light bulbs remain that we don't have a choice.  Someone in Washington D.C.  -- at the urging of environmental wackos -- has decided what's best for me and my family, and removed another freedom from our lives.

Unlike Senator Ted Kennedy, who made a stink on the building of windmills near his compound on Martha's Vineyard, I don't have a voice in my choice of energy, religion or what to eat.  It's time for us to remember Reagan's warning, and fight back.

It's now or never.

Unhealthy Options

As a working member of the health-care industry, I have always wondered why some doctors, hospitals and insurance executives agreed to support The Affordable Care Act.  Why sell your soul to the devil -- when it seemed like a perfect time to draw a line in the sand and say "NO MORE."  Time to push back against more mindless bureaucracy, mandated benefits and higher cost.

I should have know that the answer was the same as always -- money.  In particular, who gets what and how much?  Screw the patient, screw the employer and screw us the taxpayer.  Private profits and political power are as tempting today as they've ever been.  

 

Unfortunately for them, and more importantly us, The Affordable Care Act went on to become law. With their help, the bill passed by the slimmest of votes -- and as a result of the Supreme Court upholding it as such -- the way we buy, use and pay for our health care changed forever.

Recent emails -- uncovered by House Republicans, despite stonewalling by the Obama Administration -- indicate one of the biggest perpetrators was the pharmaceutical industry.  Drug companies, through their health-care reform lobby (PhRMA) were brought on board early.  In the spring of 2009, they met repeatedly with (Senate Finance Chairman) Max Baucus, (White House Chief of Staff) Jim Messina, (Energy and Commerce Chairman) Henry Waxman, and (Nebraska, D) Ben Nelson to work out favorable treatment for price controls and the removal of "drug re-importation language" being considered by (then candidate) Obama.  It was crony capitalism at its worst -- PhRMA understood that this new entitlement would be a windfall to the drug companies as taxpayers bought more and more of their products.

America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), a lobbying group for the health insurance industry, also got in on the bidding.  Thinking they would craft the legislation for bigger profits, they worked with Democrats to promote the new bill as a way to provide cheaper insurance for everyone.  They promised to squeeze $2 trillion in costs out of the system -- in large part by requiring 85% of premiums be associated with care, not administrative costs.  This led to basically eliminating insurance agents who sold insurance and a reduction in the number of people working at the home office (underwriting, customer service and marketing).  Health insurance "exchanges" are being set up by states (another government agency) to facilitate the sale of whatever health insurance comes out of The Affordable Health Act, starting in 2014.

AHIP believed that in return for its support, the industry would be able to set the terms of reform and be spared the government option (which would decimate the health insurance industry).  Despite opposition from many of their own trade groups, AHIP went ahead and backed The Affordable Care Act, with dreams of 30 million uninsured being forced to buy their insurance.

Another group that sold out was the American Association of Retired People (AARP), which -- despite calls from seniors running 14 to 1 against the new law -- announced in 2009 that they would support Obama's new health plan.

On the surface, AARP's backing of the healthcare bill was puzzling, as the bill was designed to cut an estimated $500 billion in benefits for seniors by forcing them from popular Medicare Advantage plans.  However, like PhRMA and AHIP, the answer lies in the financial windfall AARP got in return for their support.

Many people mistakenly believe that AARP is just an advocacy group for senior citizens.  Over the years, AARP has become a much bigger player as an insurance company, specializing in the sale of Medi-gap insurance policies, which supplement Medicare coverage.

In 2003, President Bush passed the Medicare Advantage program, which offered an alternative to Medi-gap policies offered by AARP (and others).  Through this new program, senior citizens got all the extra coverage they needed plus coordinated, well-managed care, usually by the same doctor.  And at a much lower cost.  The plans were so popular, that more than 10 million seniors went with Medicare Advantage plans.

So, AARP saw The Affordable Health Care Act as a way of forcing more seniors to buy their policies by supporting Obama's goal of eliminating subsides for the lower-cost Medicare Advantage plans.  Without the subsides, Medicare Advantage plans would no longer be as affordable (with luck, cease to exist) and seniors would be forced to buy AARP supplied plans, boosting their Medi-gap revenues, profits and more importantly, AARP executive salaries.

As a result, AARP has revealed themselves as a profit-motivated organization that put its own goals in front of the needs of its constituents.

Finally, the American Medical Association (AMA), which represents just 17% of American doctors, supported the new act despite the fact that a large majority of doctors opposed it.  Why?  Because in return for their support, the government would delay implementing something called ICD-10 diagnosis-coding.

Currently, physicians use ICD-9 codes to list patient diagnoses on claims, while hospitals use them for diagnoses and procedures.  Under ICD-9 there are 12,000 diagnoses being used.  ICD-10 would increase this number to more than 140,000 codes.  The thinking is that with more codes, doctors would be able to provide government with better information that could be used in managing health care payment.  Opponents, however, believe it will be used by Washington to micromanage and ration health care dollars.

Under AMA's cooperation, the new health care bill would delay implementation of the new ICD-10 codes to allow enough time for hospitals and doctors to upgrade practices and billing systems, saving them millions of dollars in the near term.  However, the bill only allows for a delay, not removal.  So, AMA succumbed to Washington's power for a few more years of ICD-9 coding without regard for the more damaging aspects of the law, including less pay for doctors and more interference by the Department of Health and Human Services in providing proper care to their patients.

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I mention all of the deals made by hospitals, drug companies, trade associations and doctors to point out the irony of them NOW WANTING TO GET OUT.  The bill, in its final form (which according to Obama is still being worked on) isn't what these groups thought they were getting.  The agreements reached in 2009 and 2010 are being modified (in some cases receiving outright denials that any agreement was ever made).

I'm sorry, but the bill is already beyond repair.

So the bill that was passed with the help of a powerful few -- despite the majority of America against it -- has now received the approval of the United States Supreme Court.  The Affordable Health Care Act, our nation's newest entitlement program, is here to stay despite the political rhetoric being used by Mitt Romney and the rest trying to fundraise off its survival.

Did these medical trade associations and CEOs really think Washington was going to play fair?  Come on -- since when?  I've always wondered how some of our brightest medical minds can be so naive and gullible.  I guess they think they're so smart that they can out-maneuver the politicians in Washington.

It didn't happen in 2010 and it won't happen now.  It's already too late for the taxpayers in America; it's about to become too late for the rest of them.

Voting Matters

One of the greatest things about America has always been its faith in its election process.  For as long as I've been alive (50+ years) I've always believed that the candidate getting the most votes won the election.

Unlike rigged elections in places like Cuba, Afghanistan, Kenya, Venezuela and many other middle east countries, America has - throughout most of our history- maintained the moral standards that have allowed for fair and trustworthy elections.  People still believe that the results given on election day are legitimate.

It seems, however, that recent elections (in my lifetime at least) have been getting closer and closer than ever.  And with all the things related to the internet and new ways of communicating today, more and more people are questioning some of the methods used on election day.  Most of the rumors you read about are proved wrong, but in this day and age where its easier than ever to take someone's identity, why is it so hard to believe that voter fraud could be perpetrated?  Maybe it's not as technically devious as the internet -- maybe it's good enough to just pay a bunch a people, put them on a bus and drop them off at a voting spot --  or felons and illegal aliens that find their way into a voting booth.  Stakes have never been higher, so why not safe guard against possible fraud and preserve the integrity of our elections?

Why not require voters to show an ID to safe guard our voting rights?

As sensible as that question is, it's tremendously offensive if you're a hard core liberal who feels certain rights are being infringed upon by requiring someone to how a picture ID.  Cries of "disenfranchisement" are shouted on cable news shows, opinion pages of today's remaining newspapers and by left-leaning non-profits and union organizations.

About a dozen states (with Republican governors) have or are considering changing voter registration by requiring proof of identification.  Most are being fought feverishly in court.

So why is requiring a photo ID such a threat to Democrats?  Why do Democrats think it harms minorities and the elderly?

Again, common sense tells us that minorities and the elderly population are no different than the rest of us in terms of what they do.  They drive, they cash checks, buy alcohol and cigarettes, maybe get married and live in a house or apartment.

So they should have picture IDs.  What's the problem?

Polls indicate that most Republicans support the voter ID law.  Men and women support it.  Blacks support it.  Elderly support it.  So, if most  people support the concept of voter IDs,  why are judges around the country challenging the law?  Why is the Justice Department, led by Eric Holder, challenging the citizens of Florida, Ohio, Maine, Texas and North Carolina and questioning the constitutionality of the law?

The difference is that Democrats look at minorities and the elderly as being helpless.  Their mantra requires them to "defend the helpless, the poor, the downtrodden and the old" against the evil Republicans who are disenfranchising voters by rendering their vote mute.  I would think these people would be insulted by this type of pandering, but maybe they've become so dependent on government assistance that they are truly becoming "helpless."  I hope I'm wrong, but you start to wonder if they  think they'll lose their benefits if they start to rock the boat.

That's the "be nice... " answer to my question.

A less diplomatic answer is that Democrats are worried about losing their power.  Minorities are their power, their fuel that puts them in office and keeps them in power.  A recent example can be found in Florida where the Justice Department has ruled that the state cannot remove illegal voters by purging them from the voting list.  The warning from the Justice Department claimed the procedure violated the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which protects minorities.  Apparently illegal aliens, too.

Once again the Obama Administration is sticking its nose into state rights, by preventing Florida from trying to ensure a legitimate voter registration roll.  The Supreme Court just ruled that the Justice Department went too far by declaring Arizona can stop illegal immigrants if they suspect there is something wrong.  Stopping Florida's "voter scrub" is another attempt at drumming up Democratic support even if it means keeping illegal voters on board.

The whole idea that voter IDs are a burden is ridiculous.  The other day, I had to show my driver's license to get into the local YMCA to play racquetball.  No problem, I thought.  But apparently for some it's too much to expect that they have an ID to vote.

I'm sure you can add to the list, but isn't it interesting that you need an ID for:

Boarding a plane
Buying a car
Getting a passport
Getting a driver's license
Buying alcohol
Buying cigarettes
Applying for food stamps
Cashing a check
Renting an apartment (sometimes)
Purchase a firearm
Getting a marriage license

BUT NOT TO VOTE.

Most recently, House Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi claimed that the attempts by Republicans to hold Eric Holder in contempt over his involvement in "Operation Fast and Furious" was in response to voter suppression.  Pelosi, in a press briefing the other day linked the contempt charge by saying (incredulously) "They're going after Eric Holder because he is supporting measures to overturn these voter suppression initiatives in the states.  This is no accident.  it is no coincidence.  It is a plan on the part of Republics, to suppress voters."

Nancy Pelosi has said some dumb things before, but this one puts her WAY ahead!  What is she talking about?

We cannot challenge Holder (or Obama for that matter) without being accused of some racial bias towards them being black.  As a result, our attempts to make Eric Holder accountable come across as racist.  No reasonable man or woman should let Pelosi's mad ramblings confuse the issue.  The Democrats are unable to defend their position and are caught doing the very thing they claim to defend.  I call that hypocritical.

As an example, note the requirement of the Democratic Party  at the Massachusetts Democratic Convention being held last month.  As part of the convention, the pre- program mailed to attendees says "Registration and Credentials:  A PHOTO ID WILL BE REQUIRED TO ENTER THE MASS MUTUAL CENTER."  Add it to the list above, I guess, and let the crazies ramble on.

Enough with the tired excuses coming from Democrats about voter ID laws.  Be honest, you need every vote you can get to put your badass in office.  And you don't care if they're illegal, dead, in jail or living in another state.

It's time to require voter ID.

Doing It The Wisconsin Way

In last Friday's debate for Wisconsin's governor, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett kept calling Governor Walker a "rock star," claiming the governor's campaign was all about his rising popularity among the Republican Party.   Barrett repeatedly criticized Walker as a "rock star for the far right "who was spending more time fundraising throughout the U.S. than creating jobs for Wisconsin workers.

Well, after tonight's results, Governor Walker has every right to feel like a rock star.  His approach to solving Wisconsin's fiscal mess -- challenging public section unions and their "fiscal cancer" which had been devouring Wisconsin's state budget -- has resonated throughout the country as other states struggle to balance their own fiscal mess.

Governor Walker's medicine was to balance the budget by curtailing collective bargaining, asking state employees to pay more for their health care and pensions, and by giving schools and state agencies the freedom to openly negotiate their ever-increasing costs.

As a result, Walker becomes the first governor in history to survive a recall election, and provides damaging evidence that anti-union legislation is alive and well in Wisconsin.  There's little evidence that the rancorous and divisive positions taken by public employee unions will abate anytime soon, but nonetheless, I can't tell you how terrific it feels right now.

After months of chaos including vandalism, lies and union thuggery in Madison (which is what community organizers like Obama thrive on) I feel like the storm has passed and a nice cool breeze is blowing in.  I'm convinced that the people of Wisconsin were fed up with teachers complaining about having to pay a small part of their benefit costs, while so many others were paying double digit increases or losing their job entirely.

My wife and I walk by a house that is the poster child for everything I've hated about this recall.  Handmade signs calling for Walker's recall -- not one but three, even a UNION PROUD sign pasted to the front window -- , someone standing on the street corner by their house asking for recall signatures, and frequent trips to Madison and Riverside Park to protest Walker's attempts to balance the state budget.  It's been a struggle to walk pass those signs without wanting to knock some sense into them, but I realize you can't reason with a rabid dog.  And something tells me their passion hasn't gone away.  Chances are they will continue to smoke their pot and watch "Red Ed" Schultz and Rachel Maddow on MSNBC.

What's Walker's re-election mean?

Fortunately, the damage done to the union's monopoly will stand.  And hopefully spread as another two years goes by.  It's interesting to read in the Wall Street Journal that membership in the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), a union founded in Wisconsin in 1936, has declined in state from 62,818 in March 2011 to only 28,745 in February of this year.  Membership in the American Federation of Teachers has declined instate from 17,000 to 11,000.  I'm still looking for the membership numbers for the state's largest public-sector union, the NEA, but it's safe to say their numbers are down, as well.

In addition the state budget has been balanced.  The unemployment rate has been dropping and is now below the national average of 8.2%.  Property taxes are down, even if only a little.  Apparently, fraudulent sick leave policies -- which allow employees to call in sick and then work the next shift for overtime pay -- have been ended.  And the government has stopped forcibly collecting union dues from the paycheck's of state workers.

I've read a number of articles where school districts throughout the state are finally able to negotiate their healthcare benefits.  Instead of taking what the union representative offered, schools are choosing alternative health plans that are saving them millions.  In a few situations, schools remain with the union, but at a significantly lower cost.  Competition works in the private sector -- it's great to see that it works in the public sector, as well.

Last but not least, the myth that union bosses represent their member's interests has been exposed as a lie.  Now that union dues are voluntary, tens of thousands of union members have stopped paying them (as indicated above).  Because unions used this money to play a major role in national politics, the implications of this change could be significant.  Union bosses's bloated political action budgets aren't going to be as big as they were in the past.  And if Walker's success can be duplicated in other states, think of the damage this will inflict on future union influence on elections starting with this fall's presidential contest.

                                                 

 

Last night's result -- 53% for Walker / 46% for Barrett -- means that $60-$75 million dollars was spent for nothing.  There will be NO change in who's governor and it's still too early to say if anything will change in the State Senate.  The only people to benefit from the millions spent on this election were the television stations, radio stations and politicians.  Together they stroked the fires of fear and division with the hopes that voters would send them piles of money.  Leading up to June 5th, we were receiving five to six calls a day, asking for money, so we stopped answering the phone.

I spoke to a client this morning who had breakfast with a Democrat who was saying that Republicans (specifically from out-of-state) bought this election.  "I guess money speaks," he was saying.  Well, if it wasn't for the protesters who stormed Madison in February and made a major issue out of this, none of this would have happened.  So the burden lies squarely on their shoulders.  And how hypocritical is it of them to say money bought this election?  President Obama has been fundraising ever since he took office in 2008.  There's no questions money was spent in this state, but with good reason.  People wouldn't have been contributing money if they didn't believe passionately about the cause -- when attacked, we attack back!.

The good thing to come out of this is that it has put Walker and Wisconsin into the national spotlight, given the Republicans a road map for fighting unions in Ohio, Florida, Texas and North Carolina, and shown that character counts.  Walker didn't cave in on his conservative principles.  He didn't compromise on his agenda, didn't reach across the aisle, and didn't apologize for changing the way things are done.

Walker said he was going to change things in Wisconsin, and he did.  Changing a progressive state like Wisconsin which has voted Democrat in each presidential election since 1988, isn't easy.  But unlike Obama, who couldn't admit to the change he wants, people liked what Walker brought to Wisconsin, and he raised millions of dollars (and gained voters because of it).  One poll I saw had over 33% of union households voting for Walker.

That's why Walker won -- he didn't leave the state when it came time to vote, and he stuck to his principles when the union thugs brought out the big guns.

Last night, the left-leaning media (is that redundant?) was having a hard time reporting the election results.  Early in the evening, they were calling it 50/50, and too close to call.  At best they were indicating Walker was barely surviving the recall attempt.  Surviving?  Most of us were expecting a close fight, a late night and maybe even a recount before knowing the results.  As it turned out, we knew the results before 10:00 CST.  That doesn't sound like survival to me.  Sounds like Walker kicked some ass.

Nonetheless, the folks at CBS, ABC, NBC and cable outlets spun the news of Walker's victory as being secondary to the fact that Obama had actually had a good night.  Exit polling showed many of the people voting for Walker would still vote for Obama by 8-9 points.  I've always said that this recall was about Wisconsin politics, not necessarily national (meaning Obama).  The people of Wisconsin (Democrats, Independents and Republicans)  DIDN'T like what the Democrats were doing to Walker.

I'm convinced the media over-reached early on by claiming this was going to be a referendum of Obama's presidency.   As more and more polls indicated Walker was going to win, they more they backed off, saying politics is local.

I also think Obama is going to have trouble in Wisconsin this fall -- only because the president didn't support the unions, and didn't show them the respect they think they deserve.  Obama's biggest supporters have always been the unions. The fact he didn't fight hard for them is going to come back to haunt him.  When it come time to push out the vote and call in a favor, I don't know if they're going to be there.  In Obama's mind, he is always the biggest person in the room -- not the unions, not the teachers, not the state workers, not the media.  He should know better though, 'cause that's not the Chicago way.

                                          

 

What I take from last night's election is this:  unions and their influence on elections is fading.  With the last three elections in Wisconsin -- Walker's win  in 2008, Supreme Court Justice Prosser's win in 2010 and Walker's win again last night -- the left fired everything they had at our conservative agenda.  And failed.

Walker may speak about mending fences and bringing both parties together, but if last night is indicative of anything it's that he doesn't have to back down anymore.

Let the Democrats come on bended knee.  Let the Democrats support Walker's way of balancing the budget and cutting taxes.  Let the Democrats realize that unions controlling our failing education system doesn't work anymore.  Let the teachers and state workers have a voice with less influence from union bosses when it comes to paying for benefits and pensions.  And let the losers from last night who proclaimed "Democracy is dead!" go back to Michigan were they have an audience.  Let other states facing the same budget difficulties learn from Scott Walker that you don't have to be afraid of unions any more.

Because the union way is no longer the Wisconsin way.

If Scott Walker was a rock star before, he's a superstar now.  FORWARD WISCONSIN!

Jedi Master from Ashwaubenon?

On April 26th, the Green Bay Packers, winners of 13 World Championship games, participated in the 77th annual NFL Draft.  As before, the Packers' draft was led by GM Ted Thompson, who some are calling a jedi master based on his ability to work the draft and negotiate with other teams-- picking quality players and moving up or down based on the team's need.

This year, Thompson sought defensive help to bolster a team that finished dead last in 2011 on defense (total yards allowed).  There were many reasons for this dramatic flop -- chief among them was no ability to rush the quarterback, and too many plays where the Packer's backfield gave up big play completions.

A typical third down would go like this (3rd and 8 from the Packers' 42):  the Packers send three rushers to sack the quarterback, but get no pressure.  Given the time, the other team's quarterback sits in the pocket and tosses a 12-yard completion for another first down.

For this year's draft, Thompson drafted five defensive players, ranging from a couple of interior linemen to an outside linebacker and corner back.  Despite Thompson's denial, it certainly looked like his goal was to pick defensive players who would help on that side of the ball.  It wasn't until the seventh round that he picked someone on offense.

What all of this tells me is that Thompson thinks the Packers are close to winning another Super Bowl -- with Aaron Rodgers leading the pack, throwing to the league's best wide receivers and tight ends.  Last year's offensive was formidable, finishing third in the league at 6,848 total yards.  By passing for 334 yards and rushing for 132 yards per game, the Packers were able to overcome defensive lapses and late game collapses.  It allowed the team to win 15 games, a feat accomplished by only a handful of teams, including the Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New England Patriots.  Unfortunately, it did nothing to help them in their post season loss to the New York Giants, falling 37-20 to the eventual world champions.

A loss is a loss, even if your regular season record is 15-1.

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The early years of Ted Thompson as general manager of the Green Bay Packers were marked by the departure of high priced free agents like Marco Rivera, Mike Wahle and Darren Sharper.  Not wanting to spend money on aging free agents, Thompson let many good players walk.  Initially, the Packers were unable to replace the lost talent and finished 2005 with a record of 4-12.  Thompson did, however, spend his first draft pick on a quarterback named Aaron Rodgers, who had fallen to them late in the first round.  It was a pick that was questioned by many draft experts, because Favre was still doing well as the team's quarterback.  The following January, Thompson decided to fire head coach Mike Sherman and replace him with Mike McCarthy.

In no time, he had gone from the GM of a division-winning, 13-3 team to one with a losing record, a new coach, a fading quarterback and a town restless with a decade-old Super Bowl trophy.  Thompson realized that the Packers' previous success could not be maintained through older, high-priced players.  The reshaping of the Packers was just beginning.

Instead of jumping into the free agent frenzy, he stock piled his draft choices, often trading down to acquire more picks.  In 2006 and 2007, he had 12 and 11 draft picks, among them were defensive linebacker A. J. Hawk and wide receiver Greg Jennings.  Free agent signings included Charles Woodson, Ryan Grant and Ryan Pickett (all considered low priced and even risky, as was the case with Woodson who did not want to play in Green Bay).  By the end of 2007, the Packers were back in the NFC Conference Championship game against the N.Y Giants, and Thompson was voted Sporting News Executive of the Year.

Just when the team looked like it was heading in the right direction, Brett Favre left the Packers in 2008 (after retiring); many people put the blame on Ted Thompson for the struggles the team quickly endured.  Despite coming within a game of the Super Bowl, many fans gave the credit to Favre and Coach McCarthy.  Thompson's reputation for fairly conservative draft picks, a reluctance to trade up to get key players, and refusal to go after high priced free agents led a lot of Packer faithful to hate the man whose job it was to build a championship team.

Despite the constant fan criticism (including a website dedicated to getting him fired), Thompson stuck to his plan.  The Packers became a talented -- but young -- team with tremendous upside, led by an improving quarterback who refused to live under the shadow of Favre.  As additional draft pieces were added, the Packer's record continued to improve, ultimately  leading to playoff wins, then a trip to the Super Bowl.  In February of 2011, the team claimed their fourth Super Bowl trophy, defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Unlike many past winners, the Packers had built their championship team through Thompson's smart draft choices and home grown talent.  The team remains one of the youngest teams in the league and has a terrific chance of multiple Super Bowl wins in the years to come.

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It's too early to tell whether Ted Thompson has  hit the mark with this year's picks.  Clearly, the need was for help on the defensive side of the ball.

What is intriguing is how Thompson moved up two times to acquire a player he wanted.  By negotiating trades with New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals, the Packers chose Jerel Worthy from Michigan State and Casey Hayward From Vanderbilt.  By giving up later round picks, Thompson was able to draft twice in the second round and snare talented players that will immediately improve our defense.

The selection of Worthy and first round pick, Nick Perry from University of Southern California, is designed to put more speed and muscle into the backfield of opposing teams.  Perry will line up opposite Clay Matthews to give the Packers a dual pass rush designed to sack the quarterback.  Teams will no longer be able to focus on Matthews, who saw his sack production drop from the year before.  Backfield help in the safety and corner back position should force opposing quarterbacks to hang onto the ball until Matthews and company arrive.

A number of draft experts gave Thompson and the Packers an "A" grade in this year's draft.  I've always been skeptical about grades so early in a player's tenure in the NFL, but if coaching can get our first or second round picks to play to their ability, we will have once again have drafted better than any other team in the NFC, if not the entire NFL.

Going into the new season, the Packers are a 7-1 odds favorite to win the Super Bowl again.  With an improved defense, I'm confident they will once again be a force going into the 2012 season.

Black Leather and Fishnet

Their website calls their rock performances "a bombastic celebration of arena rock."

After standing 20 feet from the edge of last night's performance by HairBall, I'd have to agree.  It was one of the more declamatory exhibits of 80's and 90's glam rock that I've seen in many years.  Good thing no one on stage or in the audience was taking themselves too seriously.  Then again how can you when you're wearing fishnet stockings and black leather?

My wife and I, along with another couple, went to the WORLD'S LARGEST OFFICE PARTY 2012 at the La Crosse Center last night to enjoy some raucous music, rowdy bar-like behavior and a few adult beverages.

Having never been to WLOP before, I didn't really know what to expect.  But anytime you put radio station personnel in charge of a party you should expect something out of the ordinary.  Like a variety and drag show, and for those with a strong arm -- dunk a calendar girl.  Young girls with tight jeans and tattoos were having a good time, as was the guy wearing a tee shirt that proudly advertised "Poopies Grub n' Pub Bikers Bar" in Savannah, IL. (Doug and I will have to drive down some day and visit).

Radio stations and their sponsors are always crazy.  Every time I've been to one to work Kiwanis Radio Days I've encountered someone different - think crazy Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe and the pompous Gil Chesterton from the show "Frazier."

It's been a l-o-n-g time since Liz and I have been downtown to the bars, and despite enjoying the show last night, I can't say I miss any of it.  Too many drunks, sweaty bodies, bad breath and loud music that I don't like.  Fortunately, the music last night was from two bands that make the rounds in La Crosse during Oktoberfest -- Brat Pack Radio and HairBall.  It's a little weird to think that I still like the music from 30 years ago -- Journey, Van Halen, Kansas, Rush and Bon Jovi.  But it's even weirder that a lot of other people do too.

Maybe it's an indictment of what we hear today.  Rap and pop music suck.

I still don't get rappers like Kanye West, Snoop Dogg and Eminem.  They are super popular with teenagers, but do people really like what they have to say?  Or is it cool to hate women, be a bad ass/get shot by rival gang members and say f*ck and b*itch a lot?  And if they weren't singing about having sex in church or doing it with other women, would anybody really care about Madonna or Lady Gaga?  KISS did the makeup bit much better than Lady Gaga, so I don't see that attraction either.  But of course, I'm over 50, so I can't relate to today's kind of music, or the reasons why people like it.

Give me the simplicity of "Working Man" by Rush, "Anyway You Want It" by Journey or "Everybody Wants Some!" by Van Halen.  Too heavy?  How about "Bohemian Rhapsody" or "Stairway to Heaven?"  I don't even have to tell you who wrote/sang those songs -- everybody knows.  And I still like the occasional rock ballad from albums like Dog and Butterfly by Heart or Queen's A Night At The Opera.   Those were songs that made you sneak out to your parent's car so you could crank it up and rock.

Living in La Crosse, I never had much of a chance to see the big groups live.  My friends and I would drive to Madison or Minneapolis to watch the popular groups (and that wasn't until I was in college).  If we did get a band to La Crosse, it was before they became popular or had any big hit songs.

It was also a time before YouTube and DVDs, so there was no way of seeing your favorite rock stars in concert unless you went to their live performances.  And there was no way to listen to their music, unless you bought their records.  I remember staying up late on Friday nights to watch In Concert.  If you were lucky, you got to see a three minute performance by Ziggy Stardust or the Doobie Brothers singing "China Grove."

I used to go to a place called Metamorphosis to buy my records (one of my first purchases was REO Speedwagon's  Riding The Storm Out in 1973).  The place was full of concert posters, tee shirts, water bongs, roach clips, pipes and cigarette papers.  As a matter of fact, the place always smelled like pot when you walked into the place.  The store attendant was some long hair dude who sat behind the counter and played guitar or harmonica.  It was also a good place to screen print tee shirts with your favorite band or rock star.  My friends and I were dumb enough to walk around with shirts that had "Neil Pert" screen printed on it, until we figured out that he spelled his last name "Peart."

My first concert as a teenager was KISS (at the old Mary E Sawyer Auditorium) and I thought it was the greatest thing ever.  The next day, I couldn't stop talking about KISS's Gene Simmons  breathing fire and throwing up blood, surrounded by clouds of threatening smoke.  To a 16-year-old boy, seeing his first rock concert -- it was unlike anything I'd ever seen.  When his fingers pounded on his bass, it was so loud, the notes literally moved my clothes.  The fiery stage explosions were so powerful, I was worried the heat would set my hair on fire.  And the thunderous drum solo felt like being hit by a train roaring down the tracks behind my house.  It was pure, absolute rock and roll -- and in your face.

I think I kept their concert tour book for years after that show.  Tucked it away where no one could find it, because, at the time, KISS wasn't a popular band.  Actually they confused and worried some people, with their name often thought to mean something else, like Knights in Satan's Service.  It wasn't until their song  "Rock and Roll All Nite," from Dressed To Kill, that they had a song people started to listen to.  My friends still don't think they're very good musicians, but I don't care, because they were my first concert experience and you never forget your first time...

It's been downhill ever since.

That's not to say I haven't enjoyed concerts since.  There were a couple of shows in La Crosse that featured some of the biggest names in rock before they got popular.  Twin bills featuring Cheap Trick and Heart (sometime around 1980), another with Journey and Van Halen (1978), and one of my favorites, Kansas and Queen (1975).  And best of all, you could get up close to the stage if you stood for the whole concert.  I always wanted to get a guitar pick from Paul Stanley or a drum stick from Neil Peart, but never did.  And, of course, I never wanted the concert to end.  Two encores were the minimum -- I was disappointed if they came out for only one.  And is there a better sight than to see an auditorium lit up by 3,000 lighters?  Today they use cell phones, but somehow it just doesn't seem the same without a burning flame.

                                        *                                *                               *

So the WLOP concert with HairBall starts at 9:00 with all of the usual fun -- pitch blackness with the restless crowd anticipating a good time.  The small, colored lights from the amps and speakers on stage are the only things visible as a roadie leads the band on stage with a flash light.  Standing before their microphones, each band member is silhouetted against a backdrop of speakers stacked ten feet high.  As the curtain covering the drum set is slowly raised, the crowd begins to clap and raise their voices.

 

Suddenly, we're under way, with flames shooting from the floor and loud explosions erupting from both sides of the stage. As I watched, Peggy, who was standing  five feet in front of me, backed up a few steps.  Jumping from a riser and running to the front of the stage was David Lee Roth, singing the opening words from "Jump."  With his long blonde hair, a red bandanna, white spandex and over-sized sunglasses, the singer leaps into the air, kicking his legs out while punching the air.  His stage persona has you thinking "that really does look like the guy from Van Halen!"

After a few more songs, David Lee Roth is replaced by KISS's Gene Simmons who brings his demon ax guitar and fire breathing to center stage.  Then Axle Rose from Guns and Roses, Dee Snider from Twisted Sister, Prince and Bon Jovi.  Each lead singer is supported by the same terrific band -- a guitar player (wearing fish netting under black pants with holes in them), a bass player (clad in hip-hugging, laced-up black leather) and a drummer (encased behind cymbals, twin bass drums, snare drums and assorted toms).  The band plays to the audience, with screaming solos, flips, slides and chosen encounters with female audience members.

After an hour, the excitement continues as more people continue to squeeze to the front of the stage bumping bodies, beers and iPhones along the way...

For anyone who loves rock and roll, Hair Ball provides the perfect tonic for those who love the glory days of arena rock.  Loud, rebellious, and over the top.  How else would you describe a song like Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It?"

"We've got the right to choose and
there ain't no way we'll lose it
this is our life, this is our song
we'll fight the powers that be just
don't pick our destiny 'cause
you don't know us, you don't belong."

"Oh, we're not gonna take it
no, we're not gonna take it
oh, we're not gonna take it anymore!"

Surviving The Blue Danube

A drop of sweat began at my temple, slid down my cheek before curving under my chin and disappearing inside my collar.

"I am so hot..." I muttered as we sliced through the crowd, spun to the right and collided with a man who was whirling past a collection of suits and dresses bouncing in amused denial.  "Quick, let's head to the fan by the window."  

 

As the music progressed, I followed Liz to the side of the floor.  Bodies continued to dart past, with silky flashes of cardinal red, white, cobalt blue and plum.  Black fabric whipped to the left and then right.  Together they created a dizzying sight -- a revelry of sound, color and laughter.

The orchestra presented the final few bars of "The Beautiful Blue Danube," which had been playing for 10 minutes.  With a bright-sounding flourish and the familiar pounding of the final eighth notes, the audience erupted with applause and cheers.

 

This weekend marked the annual presentation of the renowned Viennese Ball, held on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.  Liz and I were in attendance, along with friends Ben and Heather from the Moonlight Dance Club in La Crosse.

After passing on the event last year, we were excited to spend the night and give it a try.

For the past thirty-eight years, the university has assembled an amazing collection of singers, musicians and dancers to celebrate the culture, history and music of 19th century Vienna.  It promised the opportunity to dance waltzes and polkas from the Strauss Era in Vienna (1800's and into the 1900's), known as a golden age of romance and elegance.

It was a chance to dress in a formal tuxedo (me) and ball gown (Liz), eat a few tortes, drink some Gewurztraminer Riesling, and dance the night away to the sounds of "The Beautiful Blue Danube,"  "Emperor Waltz," "Serenade in Blue," "Cotton Tail " and "Thunder and Lightning Polka."

As a dancing event, it's the second largest Viennese ball in the world, next to the original in Vienna, Austria.


                                                   

My mind was a jumble, as Kellen Burgos, our dance instructor continued.   

"The Viennese Waltz is a classic, with quick rotating steps done to fast 3/4 time waltz music.  The main difference between the American Waltz and Viennese Waltz is speed."  He added, "The Viennese Waltz can be up to four times faster than the slow version.  A true Viennese waltz consists only of turns..."

My mind started to panic as I tried to grasp the significance of doing something I was terrible at, only four times faster.  "Is it too late to back out of this?" I mumbled.

"What was that?" Kellen asked.

"I think I'm having trouble backing out of the second turn," I lied, and smiled.

"Ok, let's try it again.  Now watch."  He grabbed his wife, Kathy, and gracefully maneuvered her through the steps -- turning toward his right (1, 2, 3), then to the left (1, 2, 3), interspersed with non-rotating change steps between the direction of his rotation.  It looked beautiful, graceful, fun -- and next to impossible.

It was the Friday night before the Viennese Ball in Eau Claire, and Liz and I had decided to get a quick lesson in the waltz to prepare ourselves for the big event.  It was beginning to look like an impossible task.  Despite the odds, I placed my right hand behind her shoulders, arched back slightly and stepped to my left.  And...



                                                     

 

Modeled on the historic New Year's Eve Kaiser Ball, the Viennese Ball had transformed the Davies Center on the Eau Claire campus.  Included was the cabaret-style Blue Danube Inn, Bosendorfer Salon, the festive Zum Goldenen Lowel Festsaal room, the park-like Liedergarten and a club venue called the Rathskeller.

The ball showcased the University Symphony Orchestra, who would perform the evening's waltzes and polkas; Jazz Ensemble I, who would perform music from America's Big Band Era; and the Dorkf Kapelle (Village Band), which would play traditional ethnic music from the German-speaking countries.

As we arrived, the building was packed with young and old -- I saw a line of guys wearing black tailcoat tuxedos, a band member wearing German lederhosen, someone wearing a Scottish kilt, and in true Viennese tradition, someone wearing a Civil War uniform.  The ladies were beautiful in their formal floor-length gowns, some with wide hoops and elegant white gloves.  Jewelry sparkles, from simple earrings to expensive diamond tiaras.

Between dances we sampled tortes, kasekuchen, Bavarian pretzels, rindfleisch baguettes,  pork schnitzel.  Beverages included German and Austrian wines, as well as full bodied beers from Germany.   Capping the evening off was a katerfruhstuck -- a tom cat breakfast with omelets, smoked ham, eggs, potatoes and apple wood bacon.

 Ich wunsche Ihnen Gesundheit und Freude (to your health and happiness)!




                                                


The Dorf Kappelle leader's hoarse voice easily carried across the throng of bodies, despite the lateness of the hour.  Standing in front of the collection of brass and woodwind instruments on stage, he shouted, "Ein prosit!  Ein prosit der Gemutlichkeit!  Eins, zwei, drei, g'suffa!  Zicke, zacke, zicke, zacke!"


The crowd roared back, "Hoi, hoi, hoi!" and I grabbed Liz's hand and dashed to the center of the room.  As the music began, we leaned back and spun around the room, kicking our legs and feet in our best effort to polka.  We were miles from the bleachers of Michigan's football stadium, and months removed from our very own Oktoberfest in La Crosse -- but we danced away to the festive sounds of the tuba, button accordion and trombone.

 

Laughing, I thought to myself that this isn't that different from the waltz.  Yet it felt comfortable and relaxed.  Instead of the frenzied take-off and colliding bodies in the Grand Ballroom,  everyone seemed to sense each other here and managed to sing and dance in unison.  Tux jackets and shoes were removed without any sense of inappropriate behavior or traditional decorum.   

But the evening wasn't over.  

And Liz and I weren't finished with our waltz.  We headed back toward the ceremonial room to eat then try the Viennese waltz a few more times.

It was approaching 12:45 a.m. by the time we approached the dance floor again.  My jacket was back on, but Liz had blisters on her feet and decided to try the final few dances without her shoes. 

The dance floor was much cooler and less congested as we stood facing each other.  I smiled, despite the fatigue of dancing throughout the evening, knowing that it had been a fun night, one I would remember for a long time.  The lighting in the room was dim, providing cover for the few bodies that were darting back and forth to the second playing of "The Beautiful Blue Danube." 

As we started our right turn, followed by a left turn, Kellen's words from Friday night came back to me.  We continued around the floor, unexpectedly finding a rhythm that matched the swelling notes of Strauss' masterpiece.  Right turn, left turn, intermixed with the change steps in the direction of my leading foot.  Repeat performance, then a quick stop to collect our thoughts.  Before I knew it the song had reached its conclusion and I felt the faintest stirrings of what it must feel like to dance the Viennese waltz without the confusion I had felt earlier in the night.  

That's not to say that we made no mistakes.  Far from it, but I can honestly say that I felt that we were making progress.  And for us, that was success, and another reason to dance out the last song of the night.  

As we decided to switch to the American dance version of the waltz, we were surprised to find a mass of young students sprinting around the outer lane of the dance floor.  They were laughing, jumping and running to the sounds of "The Radetsky March," which unlike the seriousness of most of Strauss's waltzes, was jubilant, playful and hopeful.

Much like the feeling I had as I swept Liz up in my arms and spun into another cycle of alternating spins and steps.


                                              

"Donau so blau,  (Dabube so blue,)
so schön und blau,  (so bright and blue,)
durch Tal und Au  (through vale and field)
wogst ruhig du hin,  (you flow so calm,)
dich grüßt unser Wien,  (our Vienna greets you,)   
dein silbernes Band  (your silver stream)

knüpft Land an Land,  (through all the lands) 

und fröhliche Herzen schlagen  (you merry the heart)
an deinem schönen Strand."  (with your beautiful shores.)