Al Franken: The Biggest Hypocrite Ever?

In a visit to the StarTribune editorial board, Senator Al Franken states that the rhetoric needs to be tamped down. 

This is coming from a man that did nothing in his non-comedic life other than spew hate filled rhetoric.  This is coming from a man that used his (and others) abject and primal hatred of George Bush as the primary, and nearly exclusive, means to get elected.  This is coming from the author of such conciliatory and bridge-building works such as Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot. 

Sorry, Al.  Your entire radio and political career has been built on spewing hatred about your opponents.  It is the only reason you achieved the rank of Senator!  To encourage the discourse to tone down now smacks of insincerity, hollowness, opportunism, and hypocrisy.  

A Dog Named Blitz - Chapter Four, "Dog Training, Sir!" Part 4

For background on this serial, please click here. You can also start at the previous section

We made the necessary preparations for the trip to Iowa, and I was pleased to finally be able to do things like pack my own dog crate, make sure there was enough food and water, pack a dog first-aid kit, plus throw in some some dummies in case some spare training time appeared.  Oh, then there were the multiple collars and leads, some toys, and the requisite dog snacks.  And create pads.  And crate blanket.  By the time I got through loading all of my stuff into JT's rig, the vehicle resembled the Campet's on their inaugural ride to Beverly Hills. 

But a fit was made, and our next stop was to get Blitz from Terry's.  We swung into his place, and I unlocked the door and stepped into the kennel area to be greeted by over a dozen very excited gun dogs that were absolutely convinced that I was the guy that was going to let them out of their confinement and get them on birds.  Unfortunately for them, I was there for just one little yellow lab. 

Blitz met me at the front of her kennel door, where she was bounding up and down in an almost perfectly vertical movement.  It's not very often that one is met at eye level by their dog, but there she was, bouncing like a furry pogo stick.  I didn't even need to ask if she wanted to go - it was clear that we were both looking forward to this trip to Iowa.  While waiting for us, the guys had got out of the vehicle and let their dogs out to air one last time.  As I attached Blitz's lead and walked her out the door, I was instantly struck at her size relative to the other guys' dogs.  She was just 7 months old, and all of the rest of our party were full grown dogs.  I was faced with clear evidence on the differences between Blitz and the others, and wondered if my little dog was just too young for this.  I had seen her in the field successfully hunting, so I knew she could do it.  I also was too far in to back out.  The only path was forward, so we gathered up the jumble of dogs that were still busy greeting each other and sorting out order and made for the Hawkeye state. 

Our trip was uneventful, and we settled into our routine at our comfortable little hotel.  This time, though, I was on the hook for dog chores and making sure that my pal sleeping in the crate in the rig was comfortable and ready for her big day.  I relished every minute of it, especially making small talk with other hunters who were tending to their dogs in the parking lot as well.  It is amazing, but regardless social, political, economic, or any other difference you could mention, two hunting dog owners will always have something to discuss.  Name of the dog, lineage, hunting stories, questions, compliments - it all flows easily and warmly between two hunting dog owners.  And they're always conducted with smiles.  Most people love dogs, and most hunters really love dogs.  When two get together, it is always a warm conversation. 

Morning could not come fast enough for me.  While the rest of my crew rose late as a function of the previous nights' imbibing, I was up first and had aired and watered our entire dog crew.  Getting ready, taking in breakfast at the nearby Country Cake, driving to the field, and waiting until the opening minute seemed to take forever.  Finally the call was made to gear up and get ready, and I bolted from the vehicle to the back to gear up. 

Blitz was as hyped up as I've seen her, and I had to physically restrain her a the mouth of her crate as I attempted to get her electronic collar on her prior to her exiting the vehicle.  And attempted is the correct word.  The squirmy dog bobbed her head like Sugar Ray Leonard, and it seemed like every time I went to make a move to wrap the collar around her neck, I came up encircling nothing but air.  Ultimately Blitz made a wrong move, and I got her electronics around her.  Upon securing the collar I lifted my arms like a rodeo cowboy that had just roped a calf, and Blitz shot out of her crate in a flashing blonde blur. 

Finally, we were going to go on our first hunt together.   

Rest In Peace, Major Dick Winters

It was with deep sadness that I read the news of the passing of Major Dick Winters.  Major Winters was one of the inspirations for the book (and subsequent series) A Band of Brothers.  If you're unfamiliar with the story, I'd ask you to check out one of the links I've included here.  You will not walk away unchanged from the tale that will unfold. 

Winters was a hero of highest order - he conducted himself in combat  with bravery and skill that were remarkable, and he lead his men, and ultimately his company, in a way that inspired life-long loyalty.  But despite this lofty praise, here's what Winters himself had to say for his actions (turn your speakers up). 

Rest in peace, Dick Winters.  You've earned your peace, and the undying gratitude of your country.

Making Political Hay Out of Arizona Killings

I'm simply agahst at those that are bending over backward to link the actions of a deranged madman to a political movement, viewpoint, and in some instances, personalities.  I have a lot of thoughts on the matter, but Glenn Harlan Reynolds of the Wall Street Journal. does it far better than I.  Instead of a link, I'm serving up his entire post:

Shortly after November's electoral defeat for the Democrats, pollster Mark Penn appeared on Chris Matthews's TV show and remarked that what President Obama needed to reconnect with the American people was another Oklahoma City bombing. To judge from the reaction to Saturday's tragic shootings in Arizona, many on the left (and in the press) agree, and for a while hoped that Jared Lee Loughner's killing spree might fill the bill.With only the barest outline of events available, pundits and reporters seemed to agree that the massacre had to be the fault of the tea party movement in general, and of Sarah Palin in particular. Why? Because they had created, in New York Times columnist Paul Krugman's words, a "climate of hate."

The critics were a bit short on particulars as to what that meant. Mrs. Palin has used some martial metaphors—"lock and load"—and talked about "targeting" opponents. But as media writer Howard Kurtz noted in The Daily Beast, such metaphors are common in politics. Palin critic Markos Moulitsas, on his Daily Kos blog, had even included Rep. Gabrielle Giffords's district on a list of congressional districts "bullseyed" for primary challenges. When Democrats use language like this—or even harsher language like Mr. Obama's famous remark, in Philadelphia during the 2008 campaign, "If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun"—it's just evidence of high spirits, apparently. But if Republicans do it, it somehow creates a climate of hate.

There's a climate of hate out there, all right, but it doesn't derive from the innocuous use of political clichés. And former Gov. Palin and the tea party movement are more the targets than the source.

American journalists know how to be exquisitely sensitive when they want to be. As the Washington Examiner's Byron York pointed out on Sunday, after Major Nidal Hasan shot up Fort Hood while shouting "Allahu Akhbar!" the press was full of cautions about not drawing premature conclusions about a connection to Islamist terrorism. "Where," asked Mr. York, "was that caution after the shootings in Arizona?"

Set aside as inconvenient, apparently. There was no waiting for the facts on Saturday. Likewise, last May New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and CBS anchor Katie Couric speculated, without any evidence, that the Times Square bomber might be a tea partier upset with the ObamaCare bill.

So as the usual talking heads begin their "have you no decency?" routine aimed at talk radio and Republican politicians, perhaps we should turn the question around. Where is the decency in blood libel?

To paraphrase Justice Cardozo ("proof of negligence in the air, so to speak, will not do"), there is no such thing as responsibility in the air. Those who try to connect Sarah Palin and other political figures with whom they disagree to the shootings in Arizona use attacks on "rhetoric" and a "climate of hate" to obscure their own dishonesty in trying to imply responsibility where none exists. But the dishonesty remains.

To be clear, if you're using this event to criticize the "rhetoric" of Mrs. Palin or others with whom you disagree, then you're either: (a) asserting a connection between the "rhetoric" and the shooting, which based on evidence to date would be what we call a vicious lie; or (b) you're not, in which case you're just seizing on a tragedy to try to score unrelated political points, which is contemptible. Which is it?

I understand the desperation that Democrats must feel after taking a historic beating in the midterm elections and seeing the popularity of ObamaCare plummet while voters flee the party in droves. But those who purport to care about the health of our political community demonstrate precious little actual concern for America's political well-being when they seize on any pretext, however flimsy, to call their political opponents accomplices to murder.

Where is the decency in that?

Minnesota Sports Fan in Green Bay - Not as Bad as it Seems

It has been tough moving from Minnesota to Wisconsin for a number of reasons, but one of the largest could have been the impact to my sports allegiances.  As a reader of this space you know I'm a Twins enthusiast, a long-suffering Vikings fan, and a frustrated Wild fan.  The pathetic Gophers football team?  Don't ask. 

Upon arriving at Green Bay, it has become clear that this entire universe revolves around the Packers.  And why not?  This town is only 105,000 strong, and for it to have a major sports franchise, let alone an NFL team, is something that has no equal anywhere else, nor will it be replicated.  Beyond the civic pride the team instills, it also drives the local economy in tangible ways that are completely unseen in larger locales.  Hence, part of the reason for the passion around the team is that its success puts food on the table.  Literally. 

Pretty much the only other sports option in the area are the Badgers, Brewers, and Bucks, and other than the Badgers, there's not too much to get excited about there.   Hence, as a sports fan with long-standing affinity with certain Minnesota teams, I felt the move to this area would cause hardship for following my teams on TV.  I'm happy to report that I've been mistaken about that: 

Minnesota Vikings - As in MN, the Green Bay market knows there are a number of transplanted Minnesota folks in the area, so if the Pack and the Vikes are not playing at the same time, odds are that we'll get picked for the Vikings feed.  It helped that Favre was there last year, and hopefully that won't impact the number of games they show.  So with that, the Vikings' nationally televised games, and the games directly against the Packers, I get to see about 90% of the Vikings games. 

Gopher Basketball - The Big Ten Network is huge here, and thankfully the Gophers have been on a lot.  Between that, ESPN, and the nationally televised games, We're getting about 90% of these games as well. 

Minnesota Wild - Fox Sports Wisconsin picks up the feed from Fox Sports North for about half of the televised games.  With other cable televised games, and the games on NBC, I get to see about half of the games.  It will be interesting to see what happens if the team makes the playoffs, as they'll have to compete against the Bucks and Brewers for air time. 

Minnesota Twins - this was my biggest worry, as both my wife and I spend every summer night at home with this team.  There isn't a good TV outlet at all, save the rare nationally televised game.  Fortunately there is MLBTV.com, which carries every game.  I just need to hook up the laptop to the big screen, bring up the site, and presto - every Twins game. 

While it's not necessarily convenient to be a Minnesota sports fan in Green Bay, it can certainly be accomplished without too much hardship.

Bert Blyleven Curves His Way to the Hall of Fame

Twins fandom breathed a sigh of relief as Bert Blyleven finally received his call from Cooperstown and will be joining baseball's Hall of Fame. 

Baseball statistics geeks can build compelling cases both for and against his inclusion, hence his 14 year wait during his period of eligibility.  I won't wade into that pool - there are a ton of other sites that will offer you that kind of breakdown. 

Personally, I feel he should be in, if for no other reason than his stats were compiled while never being a power pitcher.  Unlike those five (yes, there are only five) pitchers that have compiled more strikeouts - Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, and Steve Carlton - Bert got it done without a blazing fastball.  Bert's strength, throughout his 22 year career, was a knee-buckling, 12 to 6, fool-making curve ball.  It was one that was fearlessly, confidently, and successfully thrown during both full and hitter's counts, in clutch situations, and basically anytime. 

Sure, when waited upon and when the pitch hung, Bert got tattooed.    But he was also a gamer, an innings machine, a big game pitcher (postseason ERA of 2.47) and a substantive clubhouse asset.  Plainly, the Twins would have had zero chance at a World Series in 1987 without his presence. 

Call it what you will - the deuce, the yacker, the dark one, the bender, Uncle Charley, the hook - for 22 years Bert rode it to great success on the diamond.  And today, he finally rides it into Cooperstown.  Congratulations.

Body of Christ, Snack Chip, Same Same...

This ad is getting a lot of play on line right now, and it seems to have come at an interesting time for me.  I got into a really heavy conversation about my Catholic faith last week, and the ad touches on concepts that were raised - e.g. how little the Church has changed and how it is hemorrhaging attendees because it is out of touch.  Hence, perhaps some Doritos instead of the body of Christ would end the slide in church attendance.  After all, we're there for us, not God. 

So am I outraged by this?  No, wrong word.  This is yet another example of how Christians in general, and Catholics in particular, are free game in the secular mass media and arts.  Be it something as vile as Piss Christ or something as tongue-in-cheek as this ad, it all does the same thing.  Of anything, I feel hurt and sadness - like watching someone say something horrible to your mom or dad. 

Two final points:

• I find it interesting that nobody has the guts to do anything like this with the Muslim religion.  It seems that the precious freedom of speech can only be practiced when it is offending those that won't ultimately seek you out and decapitate you. 
• As an usher at church for 15 years, I had the honor of occasionally serving communion to some elderly folks in the back of church that weren't able to queue up and go themselves.  Those moments remain my episodes in church where I felt closest to God. And when I handed off the Host to these elderly folks, at the end of their lives, stating "The body of Christ," the eyes that met mine weren't upset that what I was handing them was not Doritos.      

Big Brother Now Riding Shotgun

I just found an article on the new Allstate program to electronically monitor drivers in order to provide them with a "discount."  You can read the article by clicking here. 

This type of technology has existed for a while, and I wondered why it took so long in coming.  In fact, given the GPS capabilities inherent in most smart phones, one could argue that it is already rolling around in your car. 

Call me paranoid, but this creeps me out.  What if Allstate chooses to not settle claims from accidents involving one of their clients who was speeding?  What if the government moves to mandate this technology for all cars because it "saves lives?" 

With my long trips back and forth to Minnesota, I've often pondered how long it would be that I'd actually be able to set my cruise control to 8 MPH higher than the posted speed, and to occasionally drive faster than that.  I knew a day would be coming that would take all of that away.  I'm just surprised that the day appears to be coming so soon.