Wednesday, August 31, 2005

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!

Monday, August 29, 2005

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".

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

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??

Friday, August 19, 2005

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!

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

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!

Sunday, August 14, 2005

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!!)

Sunday, August 07, 2005

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.

Thursday, August 04, 2005

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?

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

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.