Wisconsin Mass

Now it's time to throw the "Hail Mary!"

Our French Allies Again?

Reports have been made that the centre-right candidate for the French presidency, Nicolas Sarkozy, has an affinity for Franco-American relations. So much so that his Socialist opponent has accused him of wishing to replace British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, as Washington's "poodle". Funny how any cooperation with America always results in accusations of toadying.

Despite being tagged as being President Bush's new "yes man", Sarkozy has long been on record as being against the war in Iraq and against the execution of Saddam Hussein. He does however take a more balanced view regarding Israel as opposed to past French administration's blind allegiance to the Arab states.

Sarkozy still has to get past his Socialist opponent but he would definitely be a bridge to strengthen French-American ties which have long been strained. I can think back even to the Reagan years when America wanted to fly over French airspace to strike Libya with a squadron of F-111 bombers. The cheese eating surrender monkeys refused, opting instead to protect their relationship with the then-leading terrorist state. Things haven't gotten any better since then.

If Sarkozy (the son of a Hungarian immigrant) gains the French presidency, the U.S. will undoubtedly take steps towards solidifying relations. The next American President, Republican or Democrat, will need to take a new approach to the French but having someone in Paris who doesn't reactively oppose every American initiative would be nice.

Uh Oh, It's Kerry Sheets

Or is it Ben Prior? Or Ben Dover? Ugh. Ben Sheets is hurt again. Injured his groin. He's fragile enough to be a Cubs starter. I really don't know how a baseball player injures his groin. If you warm up properly, you shouldn't have any trouble. Yet, Sheets always finds away to get hurt.

Ironically, Sheets got hurt on the same day that the Cubs' Mark "The Porcelain Doll" Prior was shut down for the year. Unfortunately, Sheets' injury allowed the Cubs to salvage the final game of the series against the Brewers today. He had shut them down for three innings before coming out and his no-name replacement got lit up. But Milwaukee is still in first place. Hopefully, Sheets won't miss too much time. He's still the Brewers' ace at least he would be until the next injury.

When asked about the decision to shut Sheets down after three innings, Mark Maddux, the Brewers pitching coach commented that a groin isn't something you want to mess with. Really? I spent much of my single life doing just that.

For more on Sheets' injury, click here.

Brewers 5, Cubs 4 (12 Innings)

After trailing most of the game, the Brewers rallied for 2 runs to tie the score 4-4 in the 8th and then won on a Prince Fielder home run in the 12th inning. The Cubs threatened several times after the Brewers had tied the score but some timely fielding kept the game alive until Fielder could win it.

Because closer Francisco Cordero had been used extensively over the weekend, Derrick Turnbow, came on in the bottom of the 12th for the save. After giving up a bloop single to Derrick Lee to lead off, Turnbow popped up Aramis Ramirez, struck out Jacques Jones on a pitch in the dirt and got Mark DeLaRosa to strike out looking (on a questionable outside strike). It should be noted that the umpire had been giving the outside strike all night to both sides.

So, the first place Brewers take game one of the series and continue self-proclaimed Cy Young Candidate, Carlos Zambrano's, frustrating season. Although the "Big Z" pitched well, the bullpen's inability to hold the lead stole his chance for the win. My heart breaks.

There She Is, Miss America...Hands Up!

Miss America from 1944 apprehended a burglar at gun point. Confronting the criminal as he emerged from her barn, the criminal tried to escape in his car. Unfortunately for him, she drew her revolver and while bracing herself against her walker, shot out his tires.

For the full Yahoo! News story, click here.

My Brain Is Literally Gonna Fall Out of My Head

I absolutely can't stand the way that no one apparently knows what "literally" means. It's misused in a variety of forums but the most frequent offenders tend to be sports writers and/or broadcasters. A few weeks ago during a Chicago Bulls broadcast, Johnny "Red" Kerr announced that one of the players was "literally hacked to death" during a drive to the basket. Yet no one was thrown out of the game much less arrested.

Then in a review of the pros and cons of top wide receiver prospect, Calvin Johnson, of Georgia Tech, John Murphy of Yahoo! Sports reported that Johnson "literally exploded out of the gates" during his 40 yard dash at the NFL combines. Wow. That was really not widely reported. One would think that if the best athlete in the draft "literally exploded" it would have been given a couple of seconds on SportsCenter.

I know they mean "metaphorically" (even if they don't know it). I guess it's kind of funny to think of how the "literal" version of their metaphors would play out in real life but geez you'd think that a professional communicator would figure it out at some point.

American Superheroes

Just finished reading a review of Spider-Man 3 which has been released in Japan. The review finished by complaining of the gratuitous shot of Spidey in front of an American flag representing a return of the hero from his earlier dabbling in the forces of darkness to being on the side of all things that are good and right (read: American). Oh, horrors!

The article was then tagged with hundreds of comments about the reviewer's contempt for the showing of Old Glory. The majority of commentators noted that Spider-Man is an American superhero and if the rest of the world doesn't like it, don't see the movie. I couldn't agree more. One European complainer noted that James Bond doesn't pose with the Union Jack, although a spy posing with a flag would be seemingly counter-productive. Nevertheless, he is working for a British agency ostensibly to serve "Queen and Country" (and to bang his way through the world's female population and drive nifty Aston-Martins and Jaguars).

I remember when Superman stood for truth, justice and the American way. Even as recently as the 70s and early 80s, Christopher Reeves' Superman proudly waved the Stars and Stripes. Now, for some reason, American superheroes have been forced to give up their nationalities. What is next? Captain America recast as "Captain Multi-National Force"?

A flag is supposed to instill a sense of national pride. If certain citizens of the E.U. and United Kingdom don't understand that, then that's their problem. Go watch "Hot Fuzz" or "Mr. Bean".

Not Just Another Nappy Headed Ho

R.I.P. 1930 - 2007

When Hungarian Bunnies Attack

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary's busiest highway, connecting Budapest with the Austrian capital Vienna, was closed early on Monday after a truck carrying rabbits crashed, letting 5,000 of the animals loose on the road, police said. The M1 motorway was closed around 40 km (25 miles) west of Budapest and could remain closed for hours while police try to capture the escaped animals, highway police spokeswoman Viktoria Galik said.

"There are thousands of them on the road but they're not using their newfound freedom well; they're just sitting around, eating grass and enjoying the sun," Galik told Reuters.

From Yahoo! News UK & Ireland

Pray

Pray for the Virginia Tech victims and their families.

Same Ol' Cubs

Lou Piniella has already had his fill of Cubs' tradition. Bucky Katt could have told Lou all about that before he took the manager's job.

Misogyny Bears

Looks like someone is going to profit from Don Imus' stupidity. I mean, besides Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. Have we forgotten their anti-Semitism already? I'm thinking the teddy bear won't be showing up on shelves at Wal-Mart. Heck, it's white for crying out loud. Still misogenistic.

And I don't know why people think that boycotting record labels that promote rap artists who use the terms "h*" and "b*tch" and "n*gger" is going to have the same effect. Record labels don't have sponsors that will pull advertising dollars. They have the music buying public and the more an album is decried as wrong and immoral, the more it sells. It's like free advertising for them. Just ask Tipper Gore.

Bartering for Geeks

A recently removed post from Craig's List offered IT/Computer repair services for a "gentle feel of your boobs." He also says he's non-creepy. Suuuuuure!

Fechner Construction, Inc. Homes

While in Milwaukee for Easter weekend, Kerry and I also visited my dad's grave and laid a lily. We also went to a Menomonee Falls subdivision my dad built model homes in back in the late 1980s and early 90s. It was kind of difficult to find since I haven't looked for the subdivision in over 15 years. But after overshooting and doubling back, I recognized the subdivision name on a decorative entrance rock. The entrance now has a set of traffic control lights at the intersection with the main roadway that didn't used to be there. That's probably what though me off on the first pass by.

Above is the Bedford Cape. This home was a 2,900 square foot 4 bedroom design. It was one of my dad's larger models. Probably the largest that he had commercial success with. It's one of my favorite models because I sold it pretty much without even trying. One Sunday afternoon, a family came up from Palatine, Illinois looking for a house because the dad had been transferred. It was almost 5:00 p.m. and I had plans for the evening so I shot them a brouchure and told them I'd be around somewhere closing up. When I got back to the kitchen they were sitting down at the table and asked me if they could right a contract for the full listing price. Easiest money I ever made.

Two doors over was the Williamsburg II, a 2,500 square foot Victorian design with a great room concept. I don't have any fun stories about this house. Interestingly, it looks a bit like the Granger model that Kerry and I are building. But that's to be expected since they're both Victorian designs. At the time, I didn't appreciate the Williamsburg II. I understood its simplicity and functionality but didn't quite get the charm of its design. Especially with the nice front porch area (again, kind of like what Kerry and I chose). I guess dad knew what he was doing, huh?


On the corner down the way is the 2,020 square foot Westminster Royale. This was one of my dad's "Step Up" ranch designs for families that had out grown the smaller "New Edition" line of 3 bedroom 1,445 square foot ranches This too was a 3 bedroom, greatroom ranch (but with larger rooms, obviously). A sunroom was attached to the rear of the kitchen. A side view showing the sunroom is also shown here. This was always one of my favorite designs and worked extremely well with a deck.








Finally, about a block away was the Kensington I model. Similar to the Williamsburg in square footage (maybe a tad larger) but with a loft over the greatroom. I always thought it was an innovative design but I don't think my dad or I sold more than a couple of them.

Brings back memories, of course. But also kind of gave us an idea what a new subdivision like the one we're buying into can look like after 15 years.

I forgot about the Arlington model. It was 2 or 3 doors north of the Kensington but I totally forgot it was there until my sister mentioned it. So I didn't get a picture. Based on a Texas design, it was a big, freaking ranch. Almost 2,700 square feet. Huge basement. Too huge, actually. It required so much masonry that it simply wasn't something that would be very marketable. It pushed its price into the area where people would be looking for customized designs. I didn't care much for it because (a) I never sold one and (b) I've never been a big fan of the hip roof design.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone. No, no bunnies or eggs here. Not that I won't be eating chocolate ones for the next week or two.

Weekend was full of fun and adventure. We signed up with a real estate broker to sell the condo on Saturday. He bemoaned the condo market right now but did like the upgrades we put into the place. We then went to see Wicked in downtown Chicago at the Ford Oriental Theater. It was a very good show. It wasn't Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, but it was very enjoyable. Some catchy tunes but probably not a soundtrack that I'll run out and get.

We then drove up to Milwaukee Saturday evening. Stopped in Kenosha at The Chancery for dinner. I had the "Friday" fish fry which they now serve all week. It used to be all you can eat fish and fries but no longer. The breading isn't as good as it used to be either but it's still very good. Kerry had a good piece of tilapia and some onion cheezy soup. She thought it was good.

Sunday, we went to my Mom's (and her husband, Gerry's) non-denominational church's Easter service. I'm still not a big fan of the informal service structure and contemporary music. I still kind of think it's a "follow the bouncing ball" service. And one song had a refrain: "What a Savior!" And I couldn't but help think of Russian comedian Yakoff Smirnoff and his catch-phrase: "What a country."

We then went back to mom and Gerry's place and had a ham sandwich and fruit plate brunch before Kerry and I went down to Miller Park to watch the Brewers take on the Cubs. After dropping the first two games of the series, the Brewers got off to an early lead and then held on despite a Cubs rally in the 6th inning. The Brewers put the game away in the 8th to win 9-4 but the game was a lot closer than it needed to be.

Speaker Pelosi Visit Illegal?

Although she claims her visit to Syria actually helped President Bush and U.S. diplomacy, Speak of the House, Nancy Pelosi's, much-ballyhooed meeting with Syrian President may have violated federal law. In an April 6, 2007 article in the Wall Street Journal, former Acting Assistant Secretary of State (1984-5) and former ABA commitee on law and national security chairman, Robert F. Turner, writes that the Logan Act makes it a felony for any American, "without authority of the United States," to communicate with a foreign government in an effort to influence that government's behavior on any "disputes or controversies with the United States." Presumably, since Speaker Pelosi's visit was done against the administration's wishes, this would constitute a violation of the Logan Act.

For more on the Speaker's visit and its legality under the Logan Act, click here.

Draft Time

Yahoo! Sports has determined that the Green Bay Packers have needs at running back, cornerback, tight end, wide receiver and safety. They further make the following analysis of the Packers draft strategy:

RB: The Packers' staff is making more believers in the belief that it feels comfortable entering training camp with a combination of Vernand Morency as the potential starter, and Noah Herron and a draft choice battling for playing time. If that is the case, the Packers will likely pass on a first-round back and wait until later to draft someone, possibly Kenny Irons, Brandon Jackson or Chris Henry.

Editor Commentary: Huh? Vernand Morency had some flashes of being a decent running back as Ahman Green's back up but as the primary back? There will probably be much hand wringing if the Packers pass on Marshawn Lynch of Cal should he fall this far. And I will run amok down the streets of Green Bay if Adrian Peterson of Oklaholma is available and they don't snatch him. I doubt Peterson will fall that far however. I wouldn't even mind seeing a trade up if they can make a run at him.

CB: This position needs to be addressed so that they can line up better against three- to four-wide receiver sets. They have two good starters and are hopeful that '06 fourth-rounder Will Blackmon will develop. The Packers can afford to take someone in the second or third round because they would prefer a defender along the lines of Michael Coe, Tarell Brown, David Irons or C.J. Gaddis.

Editor Commentary: Still paying the price of the Ahmad Carroll debacle.

TE: With Bubba Franks slowing down and David Martin departing via free agency, the time has come to find a pass-catching threat down the middle that can help spread the field for Donald Driver and Greg Jennings. If they do not have a chance at Greg Olsen in the first round, they could opt for players like Ben Patrick, Clark Harris or Martrez Milner between rounds 3 and 4.

Editor Commentary: If Peterson and Lynch aren't around in the 1st round and Olsen is, that might not be a bad thought. Otherwise, you have to wait a couple of rounds for the next group of TEs.

WR: Outside of Driver and Jennings, the team has no real depth at this position although former undrafted free agent Ruvell Martin shows signs of being a capable reserve when healthy. The Packers would like to find someone that is more of the physical, possession type, and could also opt to add a second receiver that could add some punch to their return game later in the draft.

Editor Commentary: Is Koren Robinson (assuming he's sober and out of trouble) still in the mix? Even Yahoo didn't seem impressed enough with the WRs after Georgia Tech's Calvin Johnson to mention any of them by name. No way do the Packers have a shot at Johnson.

S: They added veteran Marquand Manuel a year ago via free agency, but he did not produce nearly enough big plays. Nick Collins continues to grow, but finding a prospect with better range, speed and ball skills to challenge Manuel for playing time would improve the pass-coverage ability of the entire secondary.

Editor Commentary: Not a huge concern at this point although Manuel was a bit of a disappointment.

Final Commentary: What, no plan for the post-Favre era yet?

Overall pick/round: 16 (1), 47 (2), 78 (3), 112 (4), 157 (5), 193 (6), 228 (7), 235 (7), 243 (7)

Drive Thru Dilemmas

Is it just me? It seems that with greater and greater frequency, when I go through the drive through of a fast food joint (usually the Mickey D's by my work), they screw up my order. Today, they forgot to give me my M & M McFlurry. Last time, they forgot to give me one of the medium fries I ordered (I also get food for others in the office). And don't even get me started on their inability to give me BBQ sauce when I order McNuggets.

So now, I have to sit and wait at the window while I carefully review each bag of food. Of course, when I do check, they might actually have the order right, then all the time I'm inspecting the bags the person in the window is staring at me like I'm some kind of ***-hole for not trusting him or her. Naturally, if I leave without checking, I'll be missing some portion of my meal or someone else's meal.

It's a very difficult life that I lead.

Romanian News

The European Commission is concerned about Romania's political instability that is slowing down judiciary and anti-corruption reforms, Brussels media said. Romanian Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu has fired government ministers who support Romanian President Traian Basescu, thus ending a center-right coalition after months of political disputes between the two men that has nearly paralyzed the country, the EU Observer said Tuesday.

On Monday, Tariceanu announced the list of his reshuffled Cabinet, made up of his Liberal party and members of an allied ethnic-Hungarian party. No member of Basescu's Democratic party or its supporters were included in the reshuffled government, which still has to be approved by parliament, where the parties are almost evenly split.

Romanian Justice Minister Monica Macovei was among those fired by Tariceanu. Brussels officials consider her as a leading reformer who helped Romania join the European Union on Jan. 1. EU officials will be visiting Romania probably later this month to check out what progress has been made in fighting organized crime and corruption. If not satisfied with results, Brussels may impose sanctions against the Romanian government, the report said.

Play Ball

As the baseball season gets ready for its first pitch, the big question is, "Will Tony LaRussa hear chants of 'D.U.I.! D.U.I.!' in every stadium in which the Cardinals play?" I mean besides Wrigley?

See the LaRussa's Smoking Gun DUI report here.