Where have all the candidates gone?

Column originally published Sept. 28, 2005

CLINTON - When election math is simple, it isn't any fun.

Let me put it this way: There are four seats open this fall on the Clinton City Council. And there are four people running for those four seats. In this case, four plus four equals no contested races.

And since the only non-incumbent running has already served almost five years on the council, there's not even one new face in the mix.

My frustration here is not meant as a personal indictment of any of the current council members. It's not their fault no one else is running.

However, I find it stunning that after the summer of our discontent over everything from the police facility vote to ongoing Vision Iowa projects and everything in between (large vehicle parking, handicap parking spaces, sewer fees and general property tax malaise) that when it came time for the complainers to put their own butts on the line, there were no takers.

Continue reading "Where have all the candidates gone?"

An awful lot to think about

Column originally published Sept. 21, 2005

Dear Mom:

I know there's been an awful lot to think about since your dad died on Friday. I've been thinking plenty myself, pretty much in circles, so I think writing is the best way to sort my brain out.

I can't begin to put myself in your shoes. I know things weren't always the best with him, but our family still has been much closer than many we've both encountered. And no matter what, I always knew how much he loved us. He even got good at saying it, something not everyone can accomplish.

Looking back at just the good times would be the easy way out, although there were plenty of good times. He always made sure the whole family was together around Christmas, always made a point of visiting us every summer, even though it meant traveling from Connecticut or Florida. He was generous, buying us everything from a toaster oven to a new bathroom. I'll never forget how his help allowed me to go to the college of my choice.

And there were so many moments that defined him in my eyes. The guy put the ruff in gruff, from swearing at the Atlanta Falcons during the NFL playoffs to just snarling at people because he thought it was fun. Eyes rolled plenty of times, of course, but it's still sad to know his distinctive voice is silenced forever.

Continue reading "An awful lot to think about "

Not from these parts

Our sports guys don't get to write sentences like this too much (or, really, ever):

(Libertyville quarterback Cameron Turner) the son of Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner, had also thrown an interception inside the Lake Forest 5 to sophomore linebacker Miles Smith, who’s the son of Bears head coach Lovie Smith.

That's from this Daily Herald story about the Wildcats' 32-13 win in a Friday night home game against the once-mighty Scouts.

Arrr... it drives me nuts

Sorry I've been lax lately.

Anyhow, these links were supposed to go up earlier.

Monday was the annual Talk Like A Pirate Day. It should need no further explanation.

On a related note, remember the guy who ran for student body President and North Carolina State as a pirate? Well, he won. And he's still in character, even as he presides over student senate meetings. Don't believe me? Click here for a story about the young man being rewarded for his "Pirattitude."

You also can check out other articles from the NCSU student paper, such as this piece about the Captain's plan to reward students who get As on tests, or this editorial about the Captain. I have to say, I think the editorial board of the Technician needs to loosen up a bit.

It is impossible to know precisely what was expected from Whil Piavis when he was elected student body president last semester. With his pirate persona and passionate scurvy crew, student voters may have seen Piavis as a man on a mission to buck the system. On the other hand, Piavis's election may have been representative of a general feeling amongst students that the student government is for the most part a joke.

Unfortunately for all of us, rather than implementing much needed positive changes in the SG or focusing on the few issues through which government can have a tangible positive effect on students as a whole, Piavis has been spending too much time promoting his self-described "pirattitude."

If NCSU is anything like Coe was (and I'm guessing there were a few common threads similar to those found at every college campus), Wolfpack students pretty much think student government is interesting only to those involved in student government. For everyone else, it was just a colossal waste of time. This coming from a guy who actively participated in campaigns to elect a dead baseball broadcaster and a professional wrestler to the student body presidency.

Kohawk update

All right, this isn't a Web link, but I'd though you'd like to know how one of my favorite Lousianans is doing after Hurrican Katrina. I'm not sure how long ago this e-mail was sent, because I came across it in a forward:

Andy and I are safe at my mom's house in Alexandria, LA. If anyone needs to contact me they can call (e-mail Scott if you really need the number, link is at right). Feel free to forward this as needed. I know people are starting to get antsy. We were able to get out and are just figuring out what's next. For today, I'm going to volunteer at the shelters. Can't sit by and watch the government drop the ball....have to do something. But tell everyone who asks that we've heard that we still have a house and that we are as well as can be expected. We are the lucky ones and I hope for those still struggling to get out. I pray for a miracle. If we have not hope...

joy begnaud jaeger

And that's what I know for now.

Evan's link of the week

Well, if you like Asian guys using visual techniques to apply Matrix-like effects to ping-pong, then this is the link for you. And if you don't, then what the hell are you doing here in the first place?

Searching for the truth

The Sports Guy (see link at right) is hands down my favorite net-based columnist. And this tidbit from today's column is a prime example of why:

...the studio guys on every network needed to calm down last week. I know the upset victory gave everyone in New Orleans a tiny boost, and it was a beautiful thing, but that's all it was -- a tiny, temporary boost -- and yet some announcers made it seem like a huge victory for everyone back home. Not to be harsh, but do you really think there was a city worker dragging water-logged corpses into a truck who stopped for a second and said, 'Hey, did anyone catch a score of the Saints game?' It just seems like we overrate the impact of sports sometimes, and this was one of those times.

As usual, couldn't have said it better myself.

Aging process happens faster than expected

Column originally published Sept. 14, 2005

CLINTON - That's it, I am officially old.

Maybe it's the car loan, the mortgage, the wife, the baby, the full-time job -- whatever it is, I'm old.

As I read the story on Tuesday's front page about students and parents challenging the Clinton High School policy that bars non-high school students from attending school dances -- well, I'm ashamed to admit this, but I kind of sided with the principal.

Take this quote from CHS junior Lindsey Pardee: "I don't see why it's the school board's decision or the principal's who we can bring to a dance and who we can't."

Somewhere in the not-so-distant past, my first thought would have been how cool it was that someone Lindsey's age took the time to go to a school board meeting, step up to the microphone and tell the powers that be what she really thought.

Instead, I said to myself, "Since the principal is accountable for what happens, it pretty much is her decision who can or can't go to a dance."

How the mighty have fallen.

Continue reading "Aging process happens faster than expected"

What does Hurricane Katrina mean to us?

Column originally published Sept. 7, 2005

NEW ORLEANS -- This is different, isn't it, from Sept. 11?

After all, 9-11-01 immediately galvanized our nation, and Hurricane Katrina is still slow in doing that, with many people simply preferring not to think about the horrors being experienced by countless thousands of Americans in the south.

This is not to discredit all those who have done and are doing whatever they can to help. God bless those people for their efforts.

But really, it's different, isn't it?

Continue reading "What does Hurricane Katrina mean to us?"

The magical Midwest

All right, I'm not sure how exciting this will be to any of you, but I came across it and I thought I'd pass it along.

Alan Solomon, the travel (and other stuff) writer for the Chicago Tribune, spent the last 13 weeks writing up classic Midwest tourist destinations. You can find a list of all of them here if you'd like. For a quicker reference, here's a list of three places, two I've been to a handful of times, one of which I have plenty of experience with:

■ Galena, Ill.: Just minutes away from my dad's hometown of Elizabeth, Ill., where I was Saturday afternoon and will be again today, Galena is, well, according to Solomon:

Walk along Main Street in the early morning, any morning, when the crowds aren't there—and let yourself be enveloped by the place. Walk up the hill to Bench Street and Prospect Street, and take your time. There's nothing like it anywhere in the Midwest.

■ Minneapolis and the Mall of America:I first experienced The Mall while on a college tour in 2000. I visited two more times about this time last year when we were in the Cities for Nick & Alexis' wedding. That was also my first real experience with the Cities themselves, including some of the things Solomon mentions. And...

■ The Amana Colonies: Less than an hour from Cedar Rapids, I've never truly "done" the Amanas, but have eaten there a handful of times (including a special trip during college graduation weekend) and visited the shops maybe twice. But the write up is very faithful to the experience as I remember it.

And, as a little bonus (although you'd have found it yourself anyway if you clicked on the first link), click here for Solomon's take on Lake Geneva, where my parents went on their honeymoon. I've been there a few times on church retreats and should possibly consider bringing my own lovely wife there at some point.

Wise Words

NFL.com's Greeg Easterboork, who writes Tuesday Morning Quarterback and a host of other things for other people, included this tidbit in his column from a few weeks ago.

And Crank Up the Air Conditioner As You Drive Around Trying to Save on Gasoline
With fuel prices rising, last week the American Automobile Association advised motorists to "shop with their steering wheel" by driving around and looking for the cheapest gas. This is terrible advice. If the pump price is $3 a gallon, a car that gets 20 MPG consumes 15 cents' worth of gasoline each mile. Motor more than a couple miles looking for the cheapest gas and you've already spent your savings -- considering filling stations know each other's prices and usually post rates only a few cents different from the next guy's. And gasoline is hardly the only expense of operating a vehicle. Cars, pickup trucks and SUVs cost on average about 40 cents per mile to operate, when fuel, maintenance, repairs, insurance and depreciation are taken into account. (The estimate comes from the Internal Revenue Service, which allows a deduction of 40.5 cents per mile for business or charitable use of personal vehicles) So if you drive five miles to "shop with your steering wheel," you've just spent $2 -- and you're not likely to find a station where a fill-up is $2 cheaper.

With fuel prices rising, last week the American Automobile Association advised motorists to 'shop with their steering wheel' by driving around and looking for the cheapest gas. This is terrible advice. If the pump price is $3 a gallon, a car that gets 20 MPG consumes 15 cents' worth of gasoline each mile. Motor more than a couple miles looking for the cheapest gas and you've already spent your savings -- considering filling stations know each other's prices and usually post rates only a few cents different from the next guy's. And gasoline is hardly the only expense of operating a vehicle. Cars, pickup trucks and SUVs cost on average about 40 cents per mile to operate, when fuel, maintenance, repairs, insurance and depreciation are taken into account. (The estimate comes from the Internal Revenue Service, which allows a deduction of 40.5 cents per mile for business or charitable use of personal vehicles) So if you drive five miles to 'shop with your steering wheel,' you've just spent $2 -- and you're not likely to find a station where a fill-up is $2 cheaper.

I've been trying to tell people I know this for years, but no one seems to believe me. Also, that 40.5 cents the IRS recommends? We get 22 cents per mile at my office.

Anyhow, I read TMQ as much for the non-football stuff as I do for the actual football insight, which is always a cut above the rest.

The futility of fighting nature

The Chicago Tribune, in closing out an editorial in today's paper, wrote this:

The purpose of flood plains is to flood. New Orleans is exhibit A of that immutable rule of nature, and no amount of resources poured into rebuilding the city as it was will change that.

I'm not going to make a value judgment on the notion of whether or not to rebuild New Orleans. And I'm not going to go full on into even looking at both sides, because I think I may write my column about this on Monday, and I want to make sure I get it absolutely right in my brain before I start typing (contrast entries must be published by Sept. 30). But here's my initial, cursory, scratching the surface take on the whole thing:

I live on the banks of the Mississippi River (literally about a 30 minute walk). Typical spring flooding would not harm my home. And when the town flooded (most notably in 1965), I'm pretty sure my little lot on Melrose Court stayed in decent shape (since none of our 70-year-old woodwork seems to be rotted out). But after we built the levee, we taunted the river.

People forget that when the levee breaks (no song reference intended), the result won't just be a flood like our grandfathers remember from the 30s. The result will be devastating because of how different the river is from what it actually is supposed to be.

If I don't stop now, I'll write for hours, and I'm supposed to be doing laundry and washing bottles. But let's leave it at this: While I'm not walking around in a daze like I did for a week after Sept. 11, 2001, I do much more connected to the issue than I did the terrorist attacks. When I lived in Independence, I had no worries that a plane would crash into our tallest (four-story) building. But now, I do very much realize that a disaster like this could easily affect me in the exact same way.