Merry Christmas

Now that we have a child, we are entitled to be late for things. Though I have vowed we eill do everything in our power to stop this from happening, it is inevitable that we will be late. Here is my first example.

Now that it is three days after Christmas, I am getting around to wishing people a Merry Christmas and also posting the inevitable cute baby pictures from Christmas.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and I wish all my Jewish friends a Happy Hanukkah (I am not late with that one yet!!)

It's A Girl!

Anna Elizabeth Temke was born Friday December 9th at 10:18 am.

Anna was 8 pounds 6 ounces and 21 inches long.

Both Anna and Melissa are doing fine. We hope to be home from the hospital Monday or Tuesday morning.

We look forward to introducing Anna to everyone!

Troubles in Harlem

This story should lead to some debate about the free market and possibly copyrights. This is from today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

It turns out that someone has decided to copy the Harlem Globetrotters and try to make a couple bucks off it. The Harlem Ambassadors (creative name...at least be from Queens or something) are complaing that the Globetrotters are taking away their business. If you want the entire story, check out the LINK.

Long story short, the Globetrotters have a clause in their contract with the venues they play at that forbids the venue from booking another basketball/entertainment related group for a set time (6-8 weeks) before and after the 'Trotters are there. Sounds fair in my book. Why let imitators come in right before they are there. It is supposedly common for special entertainment performances (circuses, etc.)

Here is my thought. How the hell can the Globetrotters be "taking away business" from a group that basically copied the Globetrotters? The Ambassadors have been around for only 8 years. The Globetrotters have been around forever. If anything this other group should be the ones being pursued. So it is fair to steal someone else's idea and then try to steal their business away from them?!? Come on...get real!

15:01?

It seems that Cindy Sheehan's time is up.

I am torn on how I feel about her, but this picture is priceless.

Badger Hoops...A Broken Record?

Again, the Wisconsin basketball team seems to be falling into the same season they have for the past couple of years. It starts with no national recognition/respect, and ends with them making a run in the NCAA's. Here is how I see it:

1. No preseason national respect.

2. A solid non-conference record against an average schedule. still on the outside of the top 25.

3. A good conference record...people start talking and they break into the bottom of the 25.

4. A finish in the top 3 in the conference and/or strong B10 tourney showing.

5. We think they should get a solid seed, but they get a 7 and play in Boise or Salt Lake City.

6. They lose to a very good team (Maryland, Kentucky, UNC, etc) in the ncaa's

Champions Times Two

Monday was a pretty good day for UW Athletics. Most people know that the men's basketball team won a tough game against Old Dominion to become the 2005 Paradise Jam Champions.

The lesser known championship won yesterday is much more prestigious. The men's cross country team brought home a NCAA Championship in a dominating effort. Three Badgers finished in the top 10, including the individual National Champion, Simon Bairu.

Congrats to both teams. GO RED!

My Favorite Season

After reading my last post, you should be well aware that we are in the first month of my favorite season, College Hoops. So far, it has not disappointed. Here is a quic run-down of what has happened that has made this season great so far.

The Badgers won a nail-biter in double overtime Saturday night. Wish it was on TV, but it was a great game to listen to. They play again Monday in the championship game of the Paradise Jam tournament, which is supposedly being broadcast on Fox Sports, but be sure to check your local listings.

Marquette lost in the Blue and Gold "Classic" Saturday night (at home!) to a team from Wintrhop that will probably surprise more people as the season goes along. On a side note, would this have been called "The Gold Classic" if the name change would have went through??

And finally, my faavorite team in the land further glorified the Sports Illustrated Jinx. My "beloved" Michigan State Spartans laid an egg at Hawaii, losing by 20 Sunday. Adding to the thrill was the fact that four Spartans suffered cramping during the game, including Paul Davis, who wanted to prove that his ability to cramp up in close games was not a flash in the pan.

Another very interesting week of hoops is on tap this week, as the tournaments in Maui and Alaska take place. I am VERY interested in the Maui Invitational this year. The teams in it include 6 teams who have won an NCAA title in the past 20 years (Arizona, Kansas, Michigan State, Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland), everyone's favorite mid-major (Gonzaga), and my new personal favorite team, Chaminade, who will become the second team from Hawaii this year to upset the Spartans!

Look for more College Hoops updates and commentary as the season goes along.

GO RED!

The Four (Or Two) Seasons

When we are all in school, we learn that the four seasons are spring, summer, fall (or autumn for those who try to sound high class) and winter. I have decided that these seasons are never correct, as it can be 90 degrees in April (definitely summer weather) and 35 degrees in September (definitely winter weather).

Therefore, I am proposing that there only be two seasons, and that they have nothing to do with the weather. Here they are:

The first season starts in April. To be specific, it starts on the first Monday in April. This season is called "Baseball". This season lasts unti mid-October, depending on how many games the World Series lasts.

The second season unofficially starts right after this, but doesn not officially start until the first weekend in November. This is my favorite season. This is called "College Hoops". This season lasts until the first Monday in April. Coincidentially, this is the exact same date that Baseball starts. How convenient.

Some people will try to tell you that there are other seasons out there, but don't believe the hype!

With this system, there is little debate to what season we are in, and we don't have to hear peole complain about how it is supposed to be warmer or colder than it really is. We have a roof over the baseball field (or not if it is nice out!) and a gym to watch hoops in. No need to complain!!

Playing the Waiting Game

I am sure that Grandma Temke (Rhoda) is happy about this, as she left for Hawaii yesterday, but we are now officially playing the waiting game.

Who knows how long this will go on, but I am sure that Melissa would vote for less waiting over more.

We will keep everyone posted. As far as we know, everything is well with baby Anna. According to the doctor, she is "a good size"...whatever that means!!

Back to the Original Intent

Though I have heard through the grapevine that there are a couple poor souls out there that actually read and enjoy my rants, I thought it was time to return this blog back to its original intent (at least for a little bit!). This being our baby.

Our house is slowly filling up with baby stuff. Mel claims that she is almost out of room. I just keep reminding her that there is even more stuff coming. With two showers down and one to go, there will definitely be more stuff making its way through the doors of our house.

3 showers you ask? Why? Well, the girls on our swim team decided to throw a shower for us, disguised as a team meeting after a meet a couple weeks back. The girls all pitched in and bought us all kinds of stuff. The picture is from that shower, possibly the first ever held in the West Allis Central cafeteria. We thought a high school cafeteria was quite an interesting place to see a baby shower, but it was still great!

Hurricanes Get Me Fired Up!

I don't know what it is about hurricanes that get me so fired up, but it has happened again. This time it is the reaction to Hurricane Wilma. This article was linked to Drudge today. I don't know if I am just an ass or I should really feel sorry for these people.

Here is the LINK.

Here is my analysis of the story...

" Many Floridians were still struggling to find food, water, ice and gas on the third day of recovery from Wilma, waiting in line for hours _ sometimes in vain."

Should I feel sorry for these people. Sure it sucks that a hurricane just hit these people, but YOU KNEW IT WAS COMING. Why should you have to rely on other people to help you out all of a sudden?? Did you not see what happened in Mexico? Did you think you were going to have electricity and running water back the next day?

I think they should have had interviewed and profiled those who actually were prepared. Wait, they were too busy being prepared in their house, not waiting for and complaining about the government's reaction to this.

Governor Bush, though, is a man who gets it. Though he takes the blame, he does reply with this...

"People had ample time to prepare. It isn't that hard to get 72 hours worth of food and water," said Bush, repeating the advice that officials had given days before Wilma hit."

If they would have done this, they shouldn't have to be in these lines and at these distribution points. How about a little common sense here?

"Among the first in line Wednesday at Miami's Orange Bowl distribution site was Josephina Diaz, who said she arrived at 6 a.m. 'I don't have a choice,' she said. 'I have medicine and food I can't allow to spoil.'

Actually, you had a couple of choices. One, get the hell out of dodge. Two, prepare for a possibly deadly storm.

"'This is like the Third World,' said Claudia Shaw, who spent several hours in a gas line. 'We live in a state where we suffer from these storms every year. Where is the planning?'"

I couldn't say it any better. Why didn't YOU plan ahead? You expect the government to, but you can't? Go buy some water. Have an extra gas tank on hand in case you need gas. Go buy some dry ice to keep things cold. Or GET OUT OF TOWN!

What is it going to take to get people to evacuate when the suggestion is made to evacuate? Katrina obviously wasn't enough. Maybe more people need to die before people will actually decide that they should get out of the way of a deadly storm.

This would be like people in the midwest saying, "Oh, there is a tornado coming, but it is only a category 3 tornado so we aren't going to take cover. Let's go watch it from the yard!"

I just wonder where the common sense of some people is at times!

It was nice to see this tribute to American capitalism at the end of the article, though.

"At one gas station, a man went car-to-car selling fuel from a 10- gallon plastic tank. The price was $20 for about a gallon, and people happily paid."

If this man were to have owned a gas station and did this, he would have been hung by the media I am sure. But instead, we will look at him as a smart man. What is the difference? Both are trying to make a buck of the misfortunes of others.

Do People Really Believe This?

Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan is at it again. Today he is spreading a rumor that explosives, not Hurricane Katrina, broke New Orleans' dikes and flooded poor African American neighborhoods.

This sounds just about right. The government caused the damage and destruction that occurred after Hurricane Katrina hit.

I have nothing to say about this. I think silence says it all. Unbelievable!

How Dumb Do You Have To Be?

On Drudge today, I found a link to an article claiming that someone has got their hands on a tape of Britney Spears and her husband having sex.

LINK

All I can think is "Why the hell would you do this?" Are you oblivious to the other sex tapes that have got out and the media circus the ensued?

My thought on this is if you are stupid enough to do this, then have fun with the repercussions!

When will people learn?

Homosexuals, Women, and Leprechauns (?)

There must be nothing left to protest over in Iowa City. Especially since they are protesting the colors of the visitor's locker room these days.

For those who have never heard the story, legendary Iowa coach Hayden Fry was convinced that pink was a calming color. In order to gain an edge, he had the visitor's locker room painted pink. Sounds like a pretty funny idea, right?

Well, during the renovation of Kinnick Stadium in the off-season, the University of Iowa took Coach Fry's ideas a step further, adding pink lockers, carpeting, and even urinals to the locker room.

LINK

Now, students and professors are protesting that "the use of pink demeans women, perpetuates offensive stereotypes about women and homosexuality."

What is so offensive about women being represented by pink? When babies are born, they are generally dressed in pink if they are a girl. Trust me, our soon-to-be daughter's closed is loaded with pink stuff! What is stereotypical of that?

Also, where does it say thatpink represents homosexuals negatively? Carson Kressley from Queer Eye didn't seem to put off when he donned a pink Red Sox jersey on their show, did he?

The next thing we know, the homosexuals will be saying that rainbows are perpetuating a offensive stereotype about them. And imagine if the them and the leprechauns got together to fight against rainbows. The homosexuals would be saying that the rainbow projecting its image across the sky is a knock on them, while the leprechauns would be worried that rainbows are a negative stereotype due to the thoughts that they sit with the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and protect it. Now that would be a formidable duo...gays and leprechauns! What would happen if a leprechaun and a...NEVER MIND!

Isn't there a war somewhere that these people should be protesting? Stay out of sports!!

Three Cheers For Mediocrity

I know I shouldn't be commenting on this, as I am a frequent poster on the website I am going to mention and I am also as happy as the people I am about to mention, but I have to!

For those who are not baseball followers, the Milwaukee Brewers won last night, pushing their record to 79-78. This gives the team a winning record, and a possiblity at finishing with a winning record for the first time in 13 years.

After reading the posts made during (and especially after) yesterday's game on brewerfan.net, it is funny to see how ecstatic and excited Brewers fans are with being mediocre. Check out this link...especially page 10.

LINK

Just think what it will be like if this team can continue their push and maybe threaten to make the playoffs in the next couple years. It is going to be FUN!

Blame The Media

On Drudge this morning, the top story is about how the national news media and their overblown coverage of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

LINK

Here are the highlights for those who cannot read the whole article, from the L.A. Times:

• Many of the stories about murders, rapes, and the such have proven to be unsubstantiated. It is compared to a rumor passing through the halls of a high school.
• As always, all of the good things that were going on were ignored. Some examples are given in the article.
• Other stories that have proven to be false include: bodies stacked up in the basement of the Superdome; bodies in the cooler of the Convention Center; dead babies in garbage cans; sharks swimming through the flooded streets.

This all reminds me of the story that came out after 9-11 of the man who "rode" one of the towers down and walked away from ground zero with only scratches.

It seems that everyone wants the "scoop", but most do not want to wait to make sure their story is accurate.

The Next "Big One"

It seems that the damage from Hurricane Rita did not live up to the hype. This leads me to one quick thought...

What will happen next time?

Will people be willing to endure hours and hours of bumper-to-bumper traffic? Will people be willing to make plans to stay with friends and family? Will people be ready to put a hamper in their life?

It makes you wonder, now that we have seen a "false alarm". We will see how people react next time. Will the government be "crying wolf"? Who knows? I know I would be getting the hell out of Dodge every time...or not even live there to start with!!

Bush Bashers...Where Are You?

I have heard hints of it, but not an outright comment of it, but when are people going to accuse President Bush of having more interest in his home state, Texas, and Hurricane Rita, than the states affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Here are a couple reasons why he actually should, even though only the first one is the fact that he is from there:

1. He is from there, of course he is going to take an interest in it. You can't fault him for this, can you?

2. He wants to take in the response of government officials first hand. After the debacle of all forms of government after Katrina, you cannot fault him again.

3. This storm is headed directly toward more oil refineries. We saw what happened to gas prices after Katrina, I don't want to know what will happen if this storm makes a direct hit on the rest of them. He should take a direct interest in something that will directly affect our economy as well as one of the hottest issues according to the general public these days.

4. The man is doing his job. Inagine the public outcry if he wouldn't take a direct interest in this storm.

I guess to some people, the man can do nothing right, even when he does the right thing. I guess to all of those who are going to say "Where was he last time?", I say to you "He learned from a mistake. We all make mistakes."

Packer Nation Update

I have been wondering for a couple years now when it would all come tumbling down. It seems that the wheels on the Green Bay Packers' Bandwagon have started to wobble a little bit.

I thought people would wait until Brett Favre was gone until this happened, but my thoughts have been affirmed today. In the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Online today, there was a poll asking if the Packers would be able to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. As of 2:00pm Friday, the vote was 70%-30% that the Packers would lose...AT HOME!

And this from a poll in the home state of the team. I know that internet polls are by no means scientific and accurate, but you have to give the poll a little credence.

Here is a link to the poll.

Hit 'Em Where It Hurts

While reading this morning's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, I read of Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker's proposal to increase some fares on County buses.

After reading where the increases will come, I am in a state of disbelief.

Walker's plan calls for those who use weekly passes and other forms of pre-paid fare to pay more. This shocks me because these are the people who are keeping the system alive. They use it on a regular basis. Why should we be punishing those who are helping the system and/or trying to do what has been promoted for years...ride the bus?

Regular fares would remain the same, but weekly passes and student passes would increase in price, as would the ever-popluar Summerfest Shuttle ($6...getting to be a rip-off!)

I just don't get why we should stick it to those who are heeding the advice of leaders, who tell us to take the bus to avoid the Marquette Interchange construction, or for various other reasons.

And this guy wants to be our governor?!?

Here We Go Again

As I wondered out loud last week, I am again thinking about what is going to happen after Hurricane Rita hits the coast of Texas this weekend.

The commercials and telethons and star-studded events will ensue I am sure, but where is the money going to come from this time? Obviously the government will find a good chunk to give out again, as they should.

But what about donations and relief effort. So many people opened their hearts and wallets to those affected by Katrina that it is going to be hard for people to do it again. Think about it...you are a person that gave a good chunk of money out already. Where are you going to get money from this time? Especially with talk of higher gas prices.

Many people are already strapped for cash due to higher costs of living. Talk of hig gas prices, higher heating costs this winter, and the increased overall cost of living is going to have to take a toll soon. Will we see people spending less money this holiday season? Will travel over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend go down? Something has to give, and I don't quite know what it will be yet.

Personally, I see Melissa and I cutting costs around the holiday season. This is mainly due to the fact that our little girl will be with us by then, but also because it is one of our biggest "non-necessities" that we spend money on every year, besides going out and such, which will also probably decrease drastically in relation to our baby girl being born!!

Normalcy

I'm not talking about President Harding here. But I am talking about things getting back to normal...in New Orleans.

It appears that the Deja Vu Strip Club in the French Quarter re-opened for business last night. Here is my question...for who? Didn't the mayor just order the city re-evacuated? The only people there are military and police personnel, and don't they have things they should be doing, like helping in the efforts to make the city habitable again? Just wondering...

More Thoughts on Katrina

Two major things have come to my mind lately about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The first has to do with the panhandling that has become so mainstream in the past two weeks. Everyone expects you to give money. The NFL does. College football does, Noodles and COmpany does. Pick 'n' Save does. Even McDonald's does. Here is what I think. I give money to the victims of Hurricane Katrina every two weeks. It is disguised on my paystub as "Federal Taxes".

Now I know that this is a tragedy and that many people lost everything, but you can't expect people to give everywhere they go. All these people are lining up for our money. While we are opening our pockets to these people and their problems, I fear that we will be ignoring other people in need. This really hit me when I was in the drive-thru at McDonald's the other day. I saw that the little tray where you can leave your change for the Ronald McDonald House has been changed to Hurricane Katrina relief.

What about the poor kids and their families that Ronald and Co. have been helping for years? What are they supposed to do? What about the millions that should have been given to the MDA through the Labor Day telethon? What about non profit groups such as the United Way? These people do not get a cut of my tax dollars. I will continue to give to them. Now I have George Lopez behind me on TV asking for money on behalf of ESPN and the NFL.

We get the point. The way they run these commercials and PSA's, they are almost guilting people into giving. It reminds me of the WWII propaganda posters. "If you do not give to the Hurricane survivors, you are on "their" side." They should run commercials like this every March and April to guilt people into paying their taxes. Show our poor and homeless throughout the rest of the country and say "These people need your help. Please pay your taxes so that we can continue to run our Social Security system in our country. Without your dollars, what will happen to these people who have no other choice than to live the way they do?"

On to the second thing, does anyone in New Orleans know what the hell is going on? Now the mayor is stepping back on his order to let people back in to the city. And conveniently, he has yet another excuse. There is another storm on the way. Or maybe this guy realized that the city is in no condition to take people back yet. One hospital in the city of New Orleans open and you want to let hundreds of thousands of people back in with chain saws and other power tools. Come on! No clean running water and you want to let people back. Settle down! Take your time. Mardi Gras is not for many months. You all have plenty of time back then. You are not going to get brownie points for repopluation your city quicker Mr. Mayor. There are reasons that the colleges in the city cancelled their ENTIRE SEMESTER! Nice to see he has someone else besides himself to blame. When is this guy up for re-election?!?

The Police Blotter

I love this feature when it is put into newspapers for a couple reasons. First, it is funny to hear some of the stuff that people do. It is even funnier when it is someone you know. And it is yet funnier when it happens in your home town.

With that being said, here is an excerpt from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's police blotter in my home town of West Allis, WI (a suburb of Milwaukee for those who are unfamiliar).

************************************************************************************

Drunken driving

A 31-year-old West Allis man was arrested on allegations of drunken driving and disorderly conduct for splashing a law enforcement officer with urine from his property bag and swinging the bag at his face in the 11000 block of W. Lincoln Ave. Sept. 5.

************************************************************************************

You wonder if they used the urine to determine if he was actually drunk or not!!

This explains everything...and is so true. From The Onion.

President Bush Takes Blame for Katrina

OK...so he didn't take blame for the Hurricane happening (which it seems some people actually want him to do), but...

President Bush came out today and said that he is personally responsible for the Federal Government's poor reaction and performance after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. Many people are asking why he is coming out and doing this. I say why not?

Here is why I think this statement and subsequent public address Thursday night are good ideas:

• It is a sort of damage control. People will be less willing to blatantly point a finger at someone who has admitted they made a mistake. Any other time a public figure makes a mistake and acknowledges it publicly, they usually are not as hostile toward the person.
  
• What does he have to lose? He is not up for re-election. He does not seem to have any intent to stay in politics after his term is up. He is losing nothing (but maybe public support) by coming out and doing this. He's not going to lose his job, so why not take the bullet for the rest of the administration.
  
• It protects the party. Again, Bush is taking the bullet for the rest of the country's Republicans, especially in areas affected by the Hurricane. This could possibly take the anger people in the Gulf Coast are feeling away from locally elected politicians and send it toward President Bush.
  
• It makes the news talk about the Hurricane's aftermath and takes the media focus away from pertinent issues, such as the confirmation hearings of Chief Justice candidate John Roberts.
  
• And finally, there are no new television shows to pre-empt, so this is the best time to take the national airwaves over for a message of possible apology. Wait, doesn't the new Survivor start Thursday? Never mind...bad move! People need their Survivor and won't be happy id the President takes it away...or pushes it back. I better set my DVR for CBS all night!
  

When you take a step back and look at it, this is probably one of the best moves President Bush has made so far in his second term.

Drudge Strikes First Again

The Durdge Report beat everyone to the punch again today with breaking news.

Matt Drudge was the first to report that large parts of Los Angeles have just lost power. Before CNN, before Fox News, even before the LA Times. Nobody has details yet, but I'm sure they are on the way.

Another piece of proof that Drudge does have some value...for all those non-believers.

BUMP

I am writing this to direct everyone's attention to the post Melissa made over the weekend. Make sure to scroll down far enough to get to it. It is very important!

Way To Go Pat's Fans

This is from this morning's Drudge Report:

'THE BIG BOO' CROWD HISSES KANYE WEST
Fri Sep 09 2005 10:30:28 ET

The chart topping hip hop rapper star who used a network hurricane fundraiser to charge "George Bush doesn't care about black people" was loudly and lustily booed during last night's NFL kickoff show.

The appearance of Kanye West, who was beamed into the Boston stadium via remote from Los Angeles, received a strongly negative response from the crowd.

"The boos were thunderous and lasted for much of his number," reports the BOSTON GLOBE.

Developing...

Now if we can only get him off this benefit concert tonight. I am interested to see what kind of response he gets. Too bad I will be at Miller Park watching a dandy pitching match-up between the king of hard luck, Doug Davis, and the immortal Roger Clemens. Maybe I will DVR it to see what happens!

Improvement!

Well, the Greater Metro Conference swimming season got underway this week. My girls from West Allis had a tough challenge last night (which they all are!) against the Red Raiders of Wauwatosa East. Last year, we were defeated by a score of 115-71. It was our first dual meet and we knew that we were in for the long haul

This year, we brought a much improved team into East and gave them a little run. After two events, we were in the lead, helped by a 1-2 finish in the 200 Free! Before the diving break, we were only down by 4 points, which is an accomplishment in itself.

Then diving and the second half of the meet came. The divers are regrouping from the loss of their top two divers to graduation and injury, and the back half of our meet needs some work. This year, when the waves settled, the final score was 114-72...a one point improvement!

We CANNOT look at it this way though, as Tosa East also has a much improved team from last year. Looking at the times posted at this meet (the same place on the schedule), all times were MUCH better than the same time last year.

I am very proud of my girls! Though there is no rewards for losing a dual meet, but the over 70 personal best times and 3 individual winners is definitely movement in the right direction!

Move On

On my morning jog through the Drudge Report, I found this disheartening story about the political activist group "MoveOn". For those who don't know, these are the people who are pushing the liberal agenda to the people with no regard for costs or impacts on society.

This group is now trying to use the Hurricane to push their agenda. They are claiming that John Roberts' "record on civil rights ... is clearly not the direction our country needs to head now."

Not only that, but they are using images of the evacuees as proof of this.

Give tha damn people a break already. It's bad enough that the national news media has camersa and microphones in their face way too much, but now to politicize this whole debacle even more?

I think these people at MoveOn need to do exactly that...MOVE ON! It's pretty clear that the general public does not want to see the plight of the people of the Gulf Coast politicized anymore. It is also becoming clear that there is nothing politically wrong with John Roberts becoming a Supreme Court justice (unless something unreal pops up in the next week or so). MOVE ON to something else...like trying to win the 2008 election so we can stop listening to your whining and the right can blame your candidate for everything in the world that goes wrong.

WOW!

found this in another blog, written by the college basketball rpi guru, jerry palm.

Barbara Bush on NPR, after a tour of the Astrodome: "Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality. And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this is working very well for them."

are you kidding me? unreal!

The Hell You Say

NEWSFLASH: There are two Supreme Court justice vacancies. Chief Justice William Rehnquist died and he needs to be replaced.

It was nice to see that most major news outlets today still had this as their 4th or 5th story.

Also, the confirmation hearings for John Roberts are starting...for those who care about the long-term effects of the government on our lives.

More on Kanye West

I found this while trolling the AP wire this morning. This is Kanye West in reference to his appearance at the upcoming "NFL Kickoff" celebration.

"I don't want to detract from the show at all, because it's entertainment, and a lot of times, in a time of need, we need entertainment to lift people's spirits," West said Tuesday at a news conference to promote Thursday's free concert at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't part of Friday's benefit "entertainment"? There was music there, wasn't thre? Wasn't it a time of need last Friday? Didn't people's spirits need to be lifted on Friday?

How can he go out and make ridiculous comments one day and claim that they are unnecessary a few days later at a "similar" event...a concert that was part "entertainment"?

The guy needs to put his foot in his mouth very soon!

Why So Political?

One of the great things about teaching high schoolers is that you can have somewhat logical conversations with them. Today in class we were discussing the many different ways the government affects their lives, even though most of them are not 18 and cannot vote yet.

One thing that came up was the Hurricane, as it seems to come up in any conversation if you talk to someone long enough. This leads me to my next point about high schoolers...they cannot think for themselves sometimes. They were all trying to convince me that the lack of support after the flooding was the President's fault. I would think this is because of how politicized this event has become in the media...especially in the cable news channels.

I know it is an unfair comparison, but I try to compare the public's reaction to 9/11 to this, and I don't remember nearly as much (if any at first) political talk about the event. They both happened about the same time after an election, but if you watch CNN you would think that Citizens for Responsible Government was leading a recall against the President.

After 9/11 it seems that the country united as one, even the staunch Republicans and Democrats...remember all the politicians on the stairs of the Capitol (I think) singing together? Where is all the non-partisan singing after a natural disaster (something we couldn't really control) hits that will likely cause more deaths than 9/11?

Everyone is WAY too quick to lay blame on this one. The time for that will come, but only after we know all the facts. We should really be worried about cleaning up the city and getting everyone possible back on their feet rather than polarizing ourselves even further along partisan lines.

It's bad enough that we have prominent African Americans going on national TV during a benefit concert claiming that President Bush "hates" African Americans. He can't be serious, can he? Not only is that a ridiculous comment in itself, but it sets a great example for our naive youth to follow ("Kanye West hates the President, so maybe I should too!") Do we really need every talking head on cable news claiming that "so-and-so" is the person to blame? And I wonder why so many of my students are blind liberals. They really are quite impressionable. Here is an example...

Sample Conversation Between Myself and a Student:

This conversation starts as we are discussing something where the President comes up in the conversation.

Student: The President sucks.
Me: Why?
S: Because he is a fag.
Me: Really? I thought he was married and had kids?
S: No, he is stupid.
Me: How do you know that?
S: 'Cause he sounds stupid.
Me: Can you prove he is stupid?
S: No.
Me: Then how can you say he is stupid if you can't back it up?
S: Because.

That is generally when I give up...or at least wait until we talk about political ideology in class. They take a quiz and many of them end up being way more moderate or conservative than their talk would show.

The life of a teacher I guess. At least I can have somewhat logical conversations with them!

Anyways...we all need to calm down and take a step back. The way we are going right now, it feels like we are on the verge of another Civil War. They say history repeats itself...this time it will be about politics rather than states' rights and slavery.

More Impact From Katrina

Like most of us, I have been on Katrina Overload. Watching TV, reading stories on the internet, etc. about the devastation and the aftermath of it. Since much of my life revloves around sports, I have found yet another link to it. This has to do with Tulane University.

The school announced over the weekend that it will not be open for a fall semester, but that its sports teams will compete. I though about how this would work, only to realize that their student-athletes will be taking classes at other institutions. It got me thinking about what a nightmare this would be. I have enough problems coaching at one school and teaching at another.

I read into this story further and came to find what a logisitcal mess every business along the Gulf coast must be. Not only are people trying to pick up the pieces of their personal lives from the storm, but their employer comes into it. I was reading on the Tulame site all the problems with distributing paychecks and receiving information about medical benefits.

The problems there only seem to compound, especially for business owners and managers of businesses. They have at least twice as much to worry about...amazing!

I think this lessens the problem we have about practice being at 3:15 and Melissa having a meeting until 3:45!

Can Offense Win Championships?

One of the things you will hear coaches in nearly every sport say is that defense win championships. If that is the case, the Badger football team isn't going to win too much this year. The Wisconsin defense looked anemic, especially in the first half, but thankfully the Badger running game is still one of the best in the country.

Here are my quick thoughts of today's game:

• The uni's scared me right from the start. For those who remember, the last time the Badgers wore alternate uniforms, they got smoked in their season opener versus Colorado on national TV, at home, and at night! When it was 20-7, I was really worried.

• Brian Calhoun started slow, but then turned it on. He seemed to be tentative hitting the holes in the first half, but once he got comfortable he showed the talents that have been touted since his transfer was announced.

• The secondary is really missing Scott Starks and Jim Leonhard. Hopefully someone steps up VERY soon and can fill those holes, because the Badger secondary was burned all day long. i don't want to see what experienced Big Ten QB's will do against this D.

• The improvements at Camp Randall looked very nice. A couple new video boards and some new seating, but it just didn't look like Camp Randall on TV. I'm sure it will grow on me, especially since everything I have heard about the renovation is nothing but glowing. I need to get there very soon!

• I had the game on in the car for a little and I remembered how much I like Matt Lepay. He is a great announcer for both football and basketball, which is something to say. He is almost as ingrained in my mind with Badger sports as Bob Uecker is with the Brewers. Let's hope Lepay stays around that long...I don't know why he wouldn't.
  

I'm sure I could go on for a while, but I am tired, so I am going to sleep! Great start to the college football season, and the Badger's season. I am getting a little more optimistic about the season, but I will not be convinced until we see what happens against Michigan

Blame Bush For Gas?

While surfing the internet today, I found this comment on another person's blog. The poster is saying the President is to blame for the high gas prices...though the hurricane has "some" effect.

Hmm...last time I checked gas (and I drive by about 5 stations on my way to work), the price on Monday morning was in the high $2.70's on the South Side of Milwaukee. Today, gas was up to $3.25. The 55 cent difference was "some effect" and we should blame the President for the rest??

As I see it, it is as easy as simple supply and demand. The supply of American produced oil is low. The demand for oil in America is high. If you were a supplier of oil, wouldn't you charge the highest price you possibly could in order to make the most profit possible. I know I would...regardless of what the President was doing.

It's kind of like the black market...or scalping tickets. If tickets are around, scalpers do not make money. If tickets are scarce, scalpers make good money. Very rarely do the people selling the tickets change their price depending on who they are selling to (unless they are from Chicago!).

As long as people stay dependent on automobiles (I know I will be) the price of gas will continue to increase until the equilibrium point is reached when producers of oil are not moving their supply enough to make a profit. I don't believe that "magic price" where people will stop driving even exists...especially since many people said that "magic price" was $2.50 or even $3.00. And I don't know of too many people who decided to take the bus or bike to work this week! The price of gas will continue to increase until the equilibrium point is reached when producers of oil are not moving their supply enough to make a profit.

Also, if the President is to blame for the high price of gasoline, then why have prices for gas in Europe been so high (still much higher than gas here today!) for years. President Bush is not in charge of Europe also, is he?

Here are the gas average gas prices in Europe as of mid-August...

Netherlands $6.77
Norway $6.56
Denmark $6.29
Belgium $6.02
UK $6.02

Wisconsin 8/05 $2. 70's
Wisconsin 9/05 $3.20's

He is our President people! As much as I agree with him in some areas, and disagree with him in others, he is still the elected leader of our country (don't even start talking about "stealing" elections!) Face the facts, or at least follow through with your empty promises to "move to Canada if Bush is re-elected". In other words, "Take off...eh!"

Say It Ain't So

I was just crushed while reading the on-line version of The Daily Cardinal.

It seems that the "Virgin Vault" is going to be de-virgin-ized. The famed Liz Waters dormitory will be going co-ed starting in the 2006-07 school year. What is a guy to do now that there is no mystique behind the Vault.

I Spoke Too Soon

Seems that I need to bite my tongue...but note that it is NBC putting the event on.

(from jsonline.com)

ANOTHER TELETHON: On a weekend known for JerryLewis' Muscular Dystrophy Association fund-raiser, NBC has quickly put together "A Concert for Hurricane Relief," airing at 7 p.m. Friday on NBC, MSNBC and CNBC.

Tim McGraw, Harry Connick Jr. and Wynton Marsalis, who have ties to the ravaged area, are scheduled to perform.

Will Brett Favre be there? Leave it to Wisconsin media to add him to any news story!

NCAA...Where Are You?

Heard a quote from the Tulane coach discussing the evacuation of his team in preparation for the forthcoming hurricane. The coach was making pleas for help from people. His team was forced to leave without gathering their belongings. He claims that his players and staff have no clothes and no toiletries.

When will the NCAA come out and say that we can't help these people because it would be considered "special benefits" for student-athletes?!?

Or are they still too worried about making sure that Florida State University, the University of North Dakota, and the University of Utah have the blessing of their respective American Indian tribes to use the names and likenesses they do?

The Down Side of Being the Richest Country in the World

This one will be short and sweet...

Where is all the international support for the hundreds that died and the hundreds of thousands that have lost their homes and livelihoods due to a natural disaster when it happens in the richest country in the world?

Where are the blockbuster "concert events"?

Where are the commercials with phone numbers to pledge money to help "all those who lost everything"?

Hell...even people here are more interested in how much it is going to cost to fill up their gas tanks!

I know it just happened, but I distinctly remember a very quick international response to the Asian tsunami. I will be patiently waiting for all of this to happen...especially from other countries in the world.

Stock Up While You Can

Nothing like being welcomed back to your job with the news that the price of health care is going up. It turns out that the MPS School Board's plan for our contract (the 2003-2005 contract that has already expired by the way) is asking us to foot some of the bill for health care.

While I know that the rest of the free world pays for a piece of their health care, I just find this whole situation odd for many reasons...here are a couple.

1) How can it take 2 years to reach an agreement? The working public is lucky that teachers are not legally allowed to strike because any other organized group would have walked after about 6 hours after their contract expiring (if not less!)

2) We are once again working without a contract. Maybe we can negotiate to change the health care plan to one that is more equitable for educators and their salaries.

3) When being briefed about the changes, I found the following change to be the most entertaining (from www.mtea.org)

Other Changes in HMO:

• Include mail-order pharmacy benefit
• Increase mental health and AODA benefits in HMO
  • 45 days inpatient
  • 45 days outpatient
• Expand access to national provider network in HMO
• Eliminate coverage for sexual and erectile dysfunction medication

We all better stock up before the deal goes in to place Nov. 1!

Take a Walk in My Shoes (or sandals!)

When I was younger I remember reading about how much Lou Holtz, then the football coach at Notre Dame, walked during an average game. I believe after all was said and done, Coach Holtz walked about 10 miles up and down the sidelines and over the course of a game day.

I decided I would try this last night at our first dual swim meet. I put on a step meter right when I walked into the pool to see how much I walked during the entire afternoon, from setting up, to warm-ups, to the meet, to tearing down the meet.

The verdict...just over 17,000 steps (or jumps up and down or other crazy stuff I was doing during the meet last night!). Here is my math...correct me if I am wrong.

My average stride is about 2 feet. I take the 17,000 steps and multiply by 2 feet a step. That becomes 34,000 feet. Divide that number by 5,280 to come up with about 3.2 miles. Add that on to the about 10,000 I took at school, and that becomes a total of just over 5 miles in a day!

For those who are interested, my girls put up a good fight, but got beat by Greendale Martin Luther, despite winning 5 of the 8 individual events. Relays and depth were out downfalls last night. We will see them again and hopefully get them next time!

Overkill

Here is yet another example of Marquette University trying to "involve the students" after their P.R. blunder earlier this year.

The MU administration announced today they are planning on unveiling a new mascot and want the students' help in picking the mascot.

Come on...its a mascot, and if it's not some sort of warrior, I'm sure most people really won't care. Look at these mascots, what is different with them? I feel like playing the Photo Hunt game at the bar with these mascots to find the minute differences between the two choices.

"Oooh, the one on the left has more definition around the eyes! Wait, the one on the right has more feathers!"

Seriously, listen up Marquette Big-Wigs...YOU BLEW IT! Just cut your losses and give the people what they want. If you do, you might end up on the NCAA's list of "hostile and abusive team names".

A Long Winter?

I always hate to be a pessimist, but I have a feeling that the sports world in Wisconsin will be going into hibernation very soon.

Right now, the Brewers are showing some signs of life, but I fear they are a little too late to really make a splash in the Wild Card race. Very nice to see the improvement though. Let's hope this will carry over to next season...especially at the ticket office.

With baseball season hitting the stretch run, this means that football is right around the corner. Unfortunately, the prognosticators are calling for sub-par seasons from both the Packers and the Badgers. I tend to agree with them. I think the Packers will have to ride their offense if they want to make the playoffs and I think the Wisconsin vs. Hawaii game in Hawaii will have bowl implications.

But...prognosticators have been known to be wrong before. Remember Craig James saying that the 1998 Wisconsin team was the worst team to ever play in the Rose Bowl. What did they do...turned around and beat UCLA, one of the best teams in the country that year.

As for the Bucks, I really think they are a wild card this year. If the team can mesh and if Andrew Bogut can produce as a rookie, they could make a strong push for the playoffs.

Let's hope for the best...if not we always have the Hot Stove League to look forward to.

For those who know me, you are probably realizing that I left out any talk of the Badger Basketball team. Don't fret, I will have lots to say about them in the coming weeks. They have to reload after the loss of 5 seniors, but I am always optimistic about the Bagder hoops team. We all know what happened the last time the Final Four was played in Indianapolis.

NCAA vs. MLB

For the past few years, I always thought of the NCAA as one of the most ridiculous institutions in all of organized sports. I will offer you a couple examples of why.

1) The Tennessee basketball team was sanctioned for using a "personalized recruiting aid" when a graduate assistant put a small sign in the locker room welcoming the player to the campus. How this is in the same boat as putting the player's name and picture on the scoreboard (which is what the NCAA was targeting among other things) is beyond me?

2) The NCAA halted a push by Georgia football fans to fly an opponent's father home from Iraq to watch his son play. Georgia fans heard about a Boise State player whose father is working in Iraq to help build the Iraqi police force. Fans thought it would be a great gesture to pay for a flight home and make him their guest for the weekend. The NCAA claimed that this was a violation of the rule that does not allow "extra benefits and expenses for student athletes and their families.".

Doesn't the NCAA have better things to do, like investigate the Connecticut basketball players accused of selling laptop computers that were stolen from UConn dorms? They could also be putting their resources into solving the mockery that is the Division I-A football system. Why does EVERY OTHER SPORT have a tournament of some sort, even I-AA football?

Now...the Florida Marlins have joined the ranks of the NCAA for foolishness. The Marlins suspended a batboy for taking a dare from ex-Marlin Brad Penny that he could not drink (and keep down) a gallon of milk in one hour. He did not succeed (I have read that he both threw up and that he did not finish the gallon but kept it down). Maybe that is why he was suspended.

Don't these people have better things to do than deal with these miniscule occurrences??

A Sign?

Melissa realized today that my poker chips were in my trunk as well when my car was stolen. I am starting to wonder if this was all a sign.

I should stop playing poker and devote more time to golf?? The problem with this is that i generally win money when playing poker, but spend way too much when I golf.

Speaking of golf, congratulations go out to my mom who shot an 82 at the Brodlands on Thursday night, getting recognition in the Journal Sentinel with an "Honor Score". My gift to her? She gets to help us paint our bedroom! Thanks again and congratulations on doing something I will probably never do...get a golf score in the paper!

If I Could Be a Criminal For a Day...

I promised some details about yesterday's car theft, and here they come.

First off, it was more than likely stolen by kids, since the driver and passenger seats were up about as far as they could go. The mirrors were also tilted about as far down as humanly possible. The theives had time to change the radio station to Kiss...something my car was rarely (if ever) subjected to. With all this being said, it was nice to see that the seat back was cranked back so that the "South Side Lean" was in full effect.

As for what was stolen...this just gets funnier and funnier by the moment.

Some CD's were stolen, no big deal since most of them were burned. Note that the Prince "Musicology" CD and the Elton John "Greatest Hits" CD were spared.

There was a silver dollar and a random quarter in the center console...just for the heck of it. Both of these were swiped, but the change drawer (though it only had about $3-4 in it) was also spared.

In the back seat was a box with paperwork (sign-up forms, schedules, physical forms, etc) for my swimming team...gone! Maybe they will try out for the team, especially since the thieves found a use for a set of girls swimming suits that were on loan from Walter's Swim in Brookfield.

The trunk just keeps baffling me. As I have stated before, my golf clubs were NOT taken. It is a set of Ping Eye II irons as well as a set of Ping ISI Titanium Woods, a Ping Zing 2 Lob Wedge, and a Scotty Cameron putter. The estimated retail value of these clubs is well over $1,000 and could have ben sold on e-bay for plenty!

Here is what was stolen. My mom's air matress and inflator (sorry...should have given it back weeks ago!), a cooler filled with water and Gatorade (one Gatorade was found in the back seat!), a Nike Golf shoe bag...but not the shoes, a Pick 'n Save bag with a bunch of small bags of sunflower seeds, a winter car kit (had things you might need if you got stuck somewhere in the winter), and a couple of fold-up lawn chairs.

Also spared from the trunk were by baseball cleats, my golf shoes, and a couple of random blankets, as well as my winter snow brush (why couldn't that get taken...I need a new one!)

Now that I think about it, I believe they stole my jumper cables...which are definitely more valuable and worthwile than a set of silly golf clubs!

Eureka

I have had my faith in the Milwaukee Police Department restored. I got a call at 8:15 this morning saying that my stolen car was recovered. Minimal damage and minimal theft.

Biggest laugher of the whole thing...my golf clubs were NOT stolen! $1,500 in clubs not taken. I will be posting more interesting facts about the car theft later today (if i get time). Some of the things are outright hilaroius!

Be on the Lookout

Another interesting day in the life of the Temke's. Long story short, I got my car stolen from the parking lot at work today. For those who don't know, I work at Wilson Park on 20th and Howard (nowhere is safe anymore!)

If anyone happens to see my car being driven around, let the proper authorities know...one of those being me!

It turns out that we may get a mini-van sooner than expected! Wh at can you do? Makes you wonder about people sometimes!

Another Near Miss

Melissa went in to the doctor again Friday. Again, our child was being uncooperative and stubborn (this better end SOON!). Throughout the ultrasound exam, the nurse was doing her best to determine the gender of our baby. It seemed hopeless as the baby was sitting on its feet...not the best position for determining if there is anything between the baby's legs or not.

After taking the measurements she needed, the nurse poked around for a couple extra minutes. Just as she was about to give up, she let out an "ohhh!". She then starting showing us the following on the screen. "Here's a leg, and here's another. And between them, there is nothing to be seen. I think you are having a girl." The nurse initially told us she was 80% sure we were having a girl.

After some more investigating, the nurse strengthened her stance, since she couldn't see "a little turtle with its head poking out" as would be seen if the baby was a boy. As we left, she went out on a limb and said she was "quite sure" we were having a girl.

This means two things...first, we have to pick out a name (since we only had boy's names picked out so far!) and second, let the shopping begin (I can imagine the new grandma's did not have to wait to hear this!!)

Another Man Down

For the second time in less than a month, another of my "boys" got married. This time it was my buddy Jeff from college. Though it should have happened years ago (him and his wife Karin starting dating BEFORE WE DID!) we are genuinely happy for them.

It was a great night, with the reception taking place on a boat on Lake Minnetonka, MN. More details and picture will follow (I think they will be MUCH tamer than the other pictures!). We wish Jeff and Karin well and hope they enjoy their Honeymoon in Hawaii (how can you not?)

Swim "Season" Starting

Besides the fact that I just realized I made an alliterative title to this post, we are starting to get excited about the "season" starting (I say it that way because any sport that starts almost a month before school starts should be considered more than a season).

As much as I discussed earlier how swimming signals the end of summer, we are genuinely excited for swim to start. Melissa noted at the Informational Meeting Thursday night that she forgot how loud girls are. She has been in pseudo-seclusion in the house for much of the summer (beating the heat!) and hasn't been exposed to that much noise in quite a while.

Clawing for Something

As I was making my daily surf through the Drudge Report, the headline was talking about how the New York Times was looking into the history of Supreme Court Justice nominee John Robert's children.

It turns out that the children were adopted as infants from Latin America, and the NYT is looking for something to nail this guy with. Since they haven't been successful with anything else so far, they figure why not go after the man's family.

Are they hoping to find out that he smuggled them up through Central America like a kilo of blow? Maybe they didn't pay import taxes on them? Come on...give the man a break. If it seems like there is nothing wrong with the guy, maybe there actually isn't.

And a side note, when Roberts was announced as the nominee, did anyone else instantly think "Kennedy" when they saw how the kids were dressed, especially Jack (nevermind the name. Who actually dresses their kids like this?

Are These Guys Role Models?

Some years back, Charles Barkley stated "I am not a role model". Over the past days and months, I wondered who else could fit into this category.

Unfortunately, the first inductee to my mind was Rafael Palmeiro. The guy is having a great season (at least news wise) by reaching the "immortal" milestone of 3,000 hits. Nothing like following that up with a positive piss test.

The guy went in front of Congress and swore up and down (and on the Bible...or whatever religious text he may have chose) he "never did steroids". Now he suddenly tests positive for steroids and his tune is changed to something like "I have never intentionally taken steroids." What does that mean? Here's a thought...

"How did that needle get into my ass? I didn't mean for that needle to get plunged into my ass. How odd!"

It is all kind of sad. In my youth I looked up to athletes as role models. These guys seemed like they lived the life everyone wanted...playing a child's game as an adult and making a living doing it. I will not wax philosophical here and talk about how players are different "these days", since Raffy was a guy I remember from my childhood. I will say that it puts a big blow in the credibility of not only baseball, but sports in general. Its a good thing we have politicians to look up to, isn't it? They are people we should look up to!

My final thoughts on this (and others...don't even get me started on Mark McGwire) is if any of these guys get into the Hall Of Fame, they better get their shovels out and put Joe Jackson in right with them.

Summer is Over??

My third job is starting to kick in this coming week. Along with my "real" job of teaching and lifeguarding, I also coach the West Allis Wave Swimming team. This is a combination of the West Allis Central and Nathan Hale High School teams.

Meetings are starting this week, with practice set to start in 8 days...it make sme wonder whatever happened to summer. School goes WAY too long and ends WAY too early. Oh well, it is a fun job and I am looking forward to doing it.

We also have a winner in the swimsuit competition. Here it is...

Wave Suits

These are the suits that we have looked at. For those who may be wondering why I have pictures of women's swimsuits on my weblog...remember that I coach a girls swimming team. These are the suits we are deciding on for this year.

Are these REALLY our friends??

This is what happens to everyday people at a wedding...

Wedding Pictures

Mel and Brian

The whole Wedding Party at Washington Park.

Jenny and Jeremy Nichols

Mel and Brian one more time.

If anyone is looking for more pictures, let me know...I might have some good ones!

Just trying to post pictures. This is us from our trip to Florida in December.

I will post some pictures of us all dressed up from this weekend. Melissa will be thrilled!!

Baby Temke Uncooperative!

Melissa went to the doctor Monday afternoon. We were hoping to find out the "gender" of the baby (remember, it is not "sex"...that is something else!)

Unfortunately, the baby was not in a good enough position to determine what we are having. We think it may have been done out of spite, as the ultrasound technician was less then pleasant to deal with. Therefore, all shopping plans for the baby must be put on hold. You're welcome!

We go back in the first week of August for another ultrasound. Hopefully we will find out at that time.

Otherwise, all is going well here. Melissa feels generally good and we will soon be working on putting together baby's room. We bought furniture, so now we need to pick out paint colors and paint before we go to get the furniture.

Welcome

I am creating this for two main reasosns.

The first is to have a place to put all of the randon thoughts I have about pretty much anything.

The second is to have a place to keep family and friends updated into our adventure into parenthood.

If you know of anyone that this site may interest, please let them know. If you ever have comments, thoughts, etc., feel free to make them!

I hope you enjoy!