The trek west has begun. After a fantastic visit with both sets of parents/in-laws, a very fun class reunion and a hilarious and (hopefully) profitable fantasy football draft, it's time to get back to Nevada. Fiona and I leave this morning for Mt. Rushmore, will reach western Wyoming by Thursday night, and will arrive home Friday evening.
I'll total up the gas and mileage numbers when we get there, just in case you're wondering how much damage we did to our vehicle, the environment and our bank account along the way.v
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Monday, August 6, 2007
The New Minnesota
Being a media wonk, I'm always fascinated by the way tragedies are covered by members of the fourth estate. So in the wake of the 35W bridge collapse, I wasn't shocked to read, watch, and hear about tales of heroic efforts of both rescue personnel and interested bystanders as they risked life and limb to save complete strangers from the wreckage.
After all, in this day and age, the media misses no opportunity to uncover feel-good stories (which have their place -- to a point, but of course the coverage always blows past that point in breathless manner within 48 hours). And maybe living out of the region for two years has given me a different perspective on the matter, but we Minnesotans do love to remind ourselves how "special" we are, how care for our neighbors and an appreciation of the common good is part of what makes Minnesota the envy of the other 49 hapless states in the union. I mean, to hear WCCO/the Strib/local blogs tell it, the average Minnesotan views climbing through twisted wreckage to save a complete stranger about as difficult a decision as letting your neighbor borrow a cup of sugar when he's baking a fresh batch of Tollhouse cookies.
I didn't expect, however, to hear such glowing reports of our trademark resolve and neighborliness from national outlets. But it was out there, from a variety of outlets, best exemplified by an editorial that ran in the Chicago Tribune (and, naturally, reprinted in the Strib, the better to stroke our egos). The gist of the article was delivered in the last sentence of the first paragraph: "Helping others in need is part of the Minnesota ethos, a culture constitutionally incapable of proclaiming, 'Me first.'"
We've loved to believe that of ourselves, going back at least as far as the Time Magazine cover of Gov. Wendell Anderson hoisting a fish from one of our 10,000 jewels that ran back in the early '70s, accompanied by the headline "The Good Life in Minnesota." And yeah, it's a great place to live. A great place to work. A great place to raise your kids. Minnesota will always be "home" to me and I will always love it.
But Time Magazine could just as easily run a cover photo of Gov. Tim Pawlenty hoisting a survivor from the Mississippi River with the headline "The Real Life in Minnesota." Because anybody who's being honest will admit that the "Minnesota ethos" as described by the Chicago Tribune is nothing but a memory. Minnesota's not a terrible place, it's just no longer worthy of its own massive self-regard. The Minnesota Miracle has become the Minnesota Myth.
It's been funny (and sad, and predictable) to read the typical right-wing screechers racing to defend Pawlenty and the GOP that's run Minnesota for the past decade or so. In their minds, to suggest that the bridge's collapse was somehow related to Pawlenty's transportation tax veto and the GOP's constant demonizing of any tax increase is akin to stating that T-Paw pulled out a submachine gun and personally executed the five victims (with eight more missing) of the bridge collapse.
Yes, it is fair to flesh out the links between the "no new taxes" mindset and the crumbling of America's infrastructure. It's fair to consider the culpability of politicians who eagerly aligned themselves with "taxpayer advocacy" groups like the Taxpayers League of Minnesota, knowing how that would play in the minds of potential voters who've been told over and over ad nauseum by the likes of Jason Lewis and Rush Limbaugh that government is evil and you're all being overtaxed.
But it's not fair to say Tim Pawlenty has blood on his hands, because we put him there. We elected the guy, twice, just as Americans elected George W. Bush twice. It's not the politicians' fault -- there was no bait and switch, at least in Pawlenty's case. We knew what we were getting, and that's apparently what we wanted.
So when a plurality of Minnesotans said "me first" and elected a politician because he wouldn't raise their taxes, we were merely following a national trend. It's interesting to hear friends of mine who grew up in other parts of the country tell me they were surprised to hear that Minnesota had a Republican governor and that a no-taxes mentality had swept through the Gopher State.
But Hubert Humphrey, Walter Mondale and Wendell Anderson are ghosts. That was the Old Minnesota. The New Minnesota has much more in common with the rest of the country than many of its residents (and expats) would care to admit. Keep that in mind the next time you read a glowing editorial from a national media outlet praising us for an image that's about as fresh as the Vikings' last Super Bowl appearance.
After all, in this day and age, the media misses no opportunity to uncover feel-good stories (which have their place -- to a point, but of course the coverage always blows past that point in breathless manner within 48 hours). And maybe living out of the region for two years has given me a different perspective on the matter, but we Minnesotans do love to remind ourselves how "special" we are, how care for our neighbors and an appreciation of the common good is part of what makes Minnesota the envy of the other 49 hapless states in the union. I mean, to hear WCCO/the Strib/local blogs tell it, the average Minnesotan views climbing through twisted wreckage to save a complete stranger about as difficult a decision as letting your neighbor borrow a cup of sugar when he's baking a fresh batch of Tollhouse cookies.
I didn't expect, however, to hear such glowing reports of our trademark resolve and neighborliness from national outlets. But it was out there, from a variety of outlets, best exemplified by an editorial that ran in the Chicago Tribune (and, naturally, reprinted in the Strib, the better to stroke our egos). The gist of the article was delivered in the last sentence of the first paragraph: "Helping others in need is part of the Minnesota ethos, a culture constitutionally incapable of proclaiming, 'Me first.'"
We've loved to believe that of ourselves, going back at least as far as the Time Magazine cover of Gov. Wendell Anderson hoisting a fish from one of our 10,000 jewels that ran back in the early '70s, accompanied by the headline "The Good Life in Minnesota." And yeah, it's a great place to live. A great place to work. A great place to raise your kids. Minnesota will always be "home" to me and I will always love it.
But Time Magazine could just as easily run a cover photo of Gov. Tim Pawlenty hoisting a survivor from the Mississippi River with the headline "The Real Life in Minnesota." Because anybody who's being honest will admit that the "Minnesota ethos" as described by the Chicago Tribune is nothing but a memory. Minnesota's not a terrible place, it's just no longer worthy of its own massive self-regard. The Minnesota Miracle has become the Minnesota Myth.
It's been funny (and sad, and predictable) to read the typical right-wing screechers racing to defend Pawlenty and the GOP that's run Minnesota for the past decade or so. In their minds, to suggest that the bridge's collapse was somehow related to Pawlenty's transportation tax veto and the GOP's constant demonizing of any tax increase is akin to stating that T-Paw pulled out a submachine gun and personally executed the five victims (with eight more missing) of the bridge collapse.
Yes, it is fair to flesh out the links between the "no new taxes" mindset and the crumbling of America's infrastructure. It's fair to consider the culpability of politicians who eagerly aligned themselves with "taxpayer advocacy" groups like the Taxpayers League of Minnesota, knowing how that would play in the minds of potential voters who've been told over and over ad nauseum by the likes of Jason Lewis and Rush Limbaugh that government is evil and you're all being overtaxed.
But it's not fair to say Tim Pawlenty has blood on his hands, because we put him there. We elected the guy, twice, just as Americans elected George W. Bush twice. It's not the politicians' fault -- there was no bait and switch, at least in Pawlenty's case. We knew what we were getting, and that's apparently what we wanted.
So when a plurality of Minnesotans said "me first" and elected a politician because he wouldn't raise their taxes, we were merely following a national trend. It's interesting to hear friends of mine who grew up in other parts of the country tell me they were surprised to hear that Minnesota had a Republican governor and that a no-taxes mentality had swept through the Gopher State.
But Hubert Humphrey, Walter Mondale and Wendell Anderson are ghosts. That was the Old Minnesota. The New Minnesota has much more in common with the rest of the country than many of its residents (and expats) would care to admit. Keep that in mind the next time you read a glowing editorial from a national media outlet praising us for an image that's about as fresh as the Vikings' last Super Bowl appearance.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Large-minded ballplayers
If it's true that consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds, the Twins clubhouse must be a freakin' Mensa meeting. After reading what Johan Santana had to say about the Twins' inaction at the trading deadline, and his teammates' support for his attack on the Twins front office, I wanted to throw a brick through my laptop screen.
Because if you followed the team the past four months, you know the running theme for this season has been, "Don't break us up! Don't trade Torii! Give us a chance to show what we can do! We like the team we've got! We can beat the Tigers and Indians with this bunch, so keep us together!"
Then, the day after they decide to keep the team together (save for slap-hitting free-agent-to-be Luis Castillo), Santana and Hunter go all prima donna on the bit and whine about the front office not getting them any help. Wait, I thought you liked the team you've got? I thought all you wanted was a chance to show what you can do down the stretch?
I tell ya, if I were Terry Ryan, I'd have walked away from this a long time ago, not because Pohlad doesn't give him enough money to do his job, but because he's overseeing a clubhouse full of candy-assed babies who cry to the media when they don't get their way. (Granted, when I'm wearing my media hat it makes for good copy, but as an unabashed Twins fan, it wears thin. Real fast.)
It's as if Hunter and Santana were listening in, George Bush wiretap-style, as Ryan rebuffed team after team begging to ship their superstars to Minnesota in exchange for the Twins' rejects. I'm just guessing here, but if the Rockies had wanted to send Garrett Atkins to the Twins for Juan Rincon and Lew Ford (who can pack their bags for Rochester or Mexico right now, as far as I'm concerned), Ryan would have obliged. But the teams who were selling apparently wanted more than what the teams who were buying were willing to offer.
Example: the Twins were interested in pig-faced journeyman infielder Ty Wiggingon of the Devil Rays to fill their Punto-sized hole at 3B. But the Devil Rays reportedly were asking for Matt Garza in return. (See my post last month about Garza if you need to discern my feelings about that trade offer.) Garza for Wigginton has the potential of, say, Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas. And, if the Twins had traded Garza, it's even money that Santana, Hunter, et al, would have griped that the team was trading away its future, so why should they consider signing a long-term deal with them?
Unreal. Just come right out and admit you're looking for a way out of Minnesota and don't blame it on Terry Ryan and the rest of the front office, fellas. You only come across as ungrateful, spoiled multi-millionaires, and hey, you don't want to let the public in on that secret...
Because if you followed the team the past four months, you know the running theme for this season has been, "Don't break us up! Don't trade Torii! Give us a chance to show what we can do! We like the team we've got! We can beat the Tigers and Indians with this bunch, so keep us together!"
Then, the day after they decide to keep the team together (save for slap-hitting free-agent-to-be Luis Castillo), Santana and Hunter go all prima donna on the bit and whine about the front office not getting them any help. Wait, I thought you liked the team you've got? I thought all you wanted was a chance to show what you can do down the stretch?
I tell ya, if I were Terry Ryan, I'd have walked away from this a long time ago, not because Pohlad doesn't give him enough money to do his job, but because he's overseeing a clubhouse full of candy-assed babies who cry to the media when they don't get their way. (Granted, when I'm wearing my media hat it makes for good copy, but as an unabashed Twins fan, it wears thin. Real fast.)
It's as if Hunter and Santana were listening in, George Bush wiretap-style, as Ryan rebuffed team after team begging to ship their superstars to Minnesota in exchange for the Twins' rejects. I'm just guessing here, but if the Rockies had wanted to send Garrett Atkins to the Twins for Juan Rincon and Lew Ford (who can pack their bags for Rochester or Mexico right now, as far as I'm concerned), Ryan would have obliged. But the teams who were selling apparently wanted more than what the teams who were buying were willing to offer.
Example: the Twins were interested in pig-faced journeyman infielder Ty Wiggingon of the Devil Rays to fill their Punto-sized hole at 3B. But the Devil Rays reportedly were asking for Matt Garza in return. (See my post last month about Garza if you need to discern my feelings about that trade offer.) Garza for Wigginton has the potential of, say, Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas. And, if the Twins had traded Garza, it's even money that Santana, Hunter, et al, would have griped that the team was trading away its future, so why should they consider signing a long-term deal with them?Unreal. Just come right out and admit you're looking for a way out of Minnesota and don't blame it on Terry Ryan and the rest of the front office, fellas. You only come across as ungrateful, spoiled multi-millionaires, and hey, you don't want to let the public in on that secret...
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Vacation, all I ever wanted
Yes, it's tougher to get time to post when you're on vacation. I envisioned plenty of freedom to opine on world events over the past week, but up to 4 p.m. today I've been a single parent, and even with the grandparents spending copious time with the urchins, they've been keeping me busy.
That said, it's high time for the Wolves to complete the KG trade, high time for the Twins to either sign Torii Hunter or cut bait, and high time for Congress to start impeachment proceedings on our embattled Attorney General. The Bush administration has proved itself to be an absolute joke on so many levels -- Congress needs to act, like, yesterday.
I know, kind of a tame post, but with a 20-year high school reunion coming up this weekend, I'm sure there will be fodder for a much meatier discussion in the near future.
That said, it's high time for the Wolves to complete the KG trade, high time for the Twins to either sign Torii Hunter or cut bait, and high time for Congress to start impeachment proceedings on our embattled Attorney General. The Bush administration has proved itself to be an absolute joke on so many levels -- Congress needs to act, like, yesterday.
I know, kind of a tame post, but with a 20-year high school reunion coming up this weekend, I'm sure there will be fodder for a much meatier discussion in the near future.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Halfway home and we'll be there by mornin'
Actually, we're more like two-thirds of the way home, and we'll be there by evenin', like Wednesday evening. For those who don't know, I'm driving with Fiona and Nora back to Minnesota for a little beat-the-heat and see-the-grandparents vacation. Kris is in Denmark visiting her best friend, Randi, and will join us in Minnesota next week.
Right now, I'm enjoying the free wi-fi at the Comfort Inn in Lexington, Neb. We left Henderson on Monday at 2:30 p.m. and made it as far as Eagle, Colo., over the next 11 hours. We'd hoped to stay in Grand Junction, but every hotel between there and Eagle was booked, so three weary travelers happly took refuge at an AmericInn, despite the branch's corny corporate name.
The kids have been great, and the Highlander has been getting awesome mileage -- anywhere from 23 to 26 mpg, which you can't beat with a stick for an SUV. We'll arrive at my parents' house in New Ulm on Wednesday night, and will visit Park Rapids and the Twin Cities before it's all said and done in mid-August. Hope to see some of you along the way!
(By the way, can anybody name the song from which the title of this post was derived?)
Right now, I'm enjoying the free wi-fi at the Comfort Inn in Lexington, Neb. We left Henderson on Monday at 2:30 p.m. and made it as far as Eagle, Colo., over the next 11 hours. We'd hoped to stay in Grand Junction, but every hotel between there and Eagle was booked, so three weary travelers happly took refuge at an AmericInn, despite the branch's corny corporate name.
The kids have been great, and the Highlander has been getting awesome mileage -- anywhere from 23 to 26 mpg, which you can't beat with a stick for an SUV. We'll arrive at my parents' house in New Ulm on Wednesday night, and will visit Park Rapids and the Twin Cities before it's all said and done in mid-August. Hope to see some of you along the way!
(By the way, can anybody name the song from which the title of this post was derived?)
Monday, July 23, 2007
Gone but not forgotten
I hate to speak ill of the dead. I don't even get into death pools, despite my affinity for fantasy sports and recreational wagering, because I believe it's bad karma to celebrate anyone's death.
So far be it for me to dance on Tammy Faye Messner's grave. I loathe what the woman, and her creepy ex-husband Jim Baker, stood for. Their list of crimes against humanity are too long to list here, but as the great Bono once said, "The God I believe in isn't short of cash, mister!"
But Tammy Faye's passing causes me to ask this simple question: Did God give her cancer as payback for fleecing the public in His name? I only ask this because so many of her kind -- like the late Jerry Falwell and the increasingly senile Pat Robertson -- are so fond of the concept of divine retribution. Remember when AIDS was God's punishment for the hedonistic behavior of the gay community? How about when God sent the al-Qaeda attackers to punish our tolerant society on 9-11? And who could forget God's fury raining down on the sinful citizens of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina?
Yes, these arguments all were voiced by right-wing Christians (and I use that term advisedly) to help "explain" these monumental tragedies. So, why aren't these same religious leaders pointing a bony finger of shame at Tammy Faye?
Could it be hypocrisy? Nah, those guys are many things, but they couldn't be hypocrites.
Could they?
So far be it for me to dance on Tammy Faye Messner's grave. I loathe what the woman, and her creepy ex-husband Jim Baker, stood for. Their list of crimes against humanity are too long to list here, but as the great Bono once said, "The God I believe in isn't short of cash, mister!"But Tammy Faye's passing causes me to ask this simple question: Did God give her cancer as payback for fleecing the public in His name? I only ask this because so many of her kind -- like the late Jerry Falwell and the increasingly senile Pat Robertson -- are so fond of the concept of divine retribution. Remember when AIDS was God's punishment for the hedonistic behavior of the gay community? How about when God sent the al-Qaeda attackers to punish our tolerant society on 9-11? And who could forget God's fury raining down on the sinful citizens of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina?
Yes, these arguments all were voiced by right-wing Christians (and I use that term advisedly) to help "explain" these monumental tragedies. So, why aren't these same religious leaders pointing a bony finger of shame at Tammy Faye?
Could it be hypocrisy? Nah, those guys are many things, but they couldn't be hypocrites.
Could they?
Thursday, July 19, 2007
James Loney, Professional Hitter
I teased a profile of a second member of the What The Hell Am I Still Doing In Triple-A? Club, and maybe I'm just trying to forget the Twins' dismal offensive performance as they were swept by the Tigers, but I'm following through on my promise.
If you don't follow the National League closely, you might not know about Dodgers' first baseman James Loney. And if you don't, shame on you.
Mr. Loney first caught my eye last year, when he was starring for my hometown Las Vegas 51's, the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. All Loney did last year was lead all of professional baseball with a .380 batting average. When the Dodgers finally called him up in late July, he helped spark the team on its stretch drive to win the NL West by hitting .323 with four homers and 17 RBIs in just 62 at-bats. Nine of those RBIs came in one game at Colorado, when he homered twice and tied a 56-year-old record held by Gil Hodges with all those ribbies. And in his lone playoff game, he went 3-for-4 with three RBIs as the Dodgers lost game 3 of a sweep at the hands of the Mets.
You'd think that might be enough to make the Dodgers' brass sit up and take notice, but instead, they sent him back to Las Vegas to start the 2007 season. Why? Well, otherwise smart people make stupid decisions all the time, but the Dodgers wanted to go with the brittle Nomar Garciaparra at first base, leaving no room for Loney in the DH-less National League.
When Loney came back to Sin City, he didn't exactly tear up the Pacific Coast League, hitting just .279 with one home run in 233 at-bats. But like Matt Garza of the Twins (see below), Loney knew he was playing one level below where he belonged, and punched his card in the What The Hell Am I Still Doing In Triple-A? Club.
And when the Dodgers finally recalled him in early June, despite his performance in Las Vegas this year, he predictably went on a tear. After tonight's 3-for-5, he's now hitting .374 with three home runs and 18 RBIs in 107 at-bats. With Nomar back at third base, Loney's free to put his stamp on the club at first base, and he's done just that. He's had a four-hit game, four three-hit games, and put together an eight-game stretch in late June in which he went 17-for-31 with 10 RBIs.
You stat geeks can rest assured, those are not empty numbers. He's got 11 walks and only 14 strikeouts, and an OPS hovering around 1.000. Simply put, the man's getting it done -- just like he did late last summer (whenever he got the chance), and just like he should have been doing all season at Chavez Ravine.
If you don't follow the National League closely, you might not know about Dodgers' first baseman James Loney. And if you don't, shame on you.Mr. Loney first caught my eye last year, when he was starring for my hometown Las Vegas 51's, the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. All Loney did last year was lead all of professional baseball with a .380 batting average. When the Dodgers finally called him up in late July, he helped spark the team on its stretch drive to win the NL West by hitting .323 with four homers and 17 RBIs in just 62 at-bats. Nine of those RBIs came in one game at Colorado, when he homered twice and tied a 56-year-old record held by Gil Hodges with all those ribbies. And in his lone playoff game, he went 3-for-4 with three RBIs as the Dodgers lost game 3 of a sweep at the hands of the Mets.
You'd think that might be enough to make the Dodgers' brass sit up and take notice, but instead, they sent him back to Las Vegas to start the 2007 season. Why? Well, otherwise smart people make stupid decisions all the time, but the Dodgers wanted to go with the brittle Nomar Garciaparra at first base, leaving no room for Loney in the DH-less National League.
When Loney came back to Sin City, he didn't exactly tear up the Pacific Coast League, hitting just .279 with one home run in 233 at-bats. But like Matt Garza of the Twins (see below), Loney knew he was playing one level below where he belonged, and punched his card in the What The Hell Am I Still Doing In Triple-A? Club.
And when the Dodgers finally recalled him in early June, despite his performance in Las Vegas this year, he predictably went on a tear. After tonight's 3-for-5, he's now hitting .374 with three home runs and 18 RBIs in 107 at-bats. With Nomar back at third base, Loney's free to put his stamp on the club at first base, and he's done just that. He's had a four-hit game, four three-hit games, and put together an eight-game stretch in late June in which he went 17-for-31 with 10 RBIs.
You stat geeks can rest assured, those are not empty numbers. He's got 11 walks and only 14 strikeouts, and an OPS hovering around 1.000. Simply put, the man's getting it done -- just like he did late last summer (whenever he got the chance), and just like he should have been doing all season at Chavez Ravine.
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