Paul Newman, 1925 - 2008

Saturday brought sad news of the passing of the incomparably great actor and humanitarian Paul Newman at the age of 83 from cancer. One of my favorite actors, Newman had a long successful Academy Award winning career in film with roles that spanned over five decades. Newman served in the US Navy during World War II as a gunner. Later in his life Newman was an owner and enthusiast in motor sports. His greatest contributions were as a philanthropist, giving millions to charity and worthy causes for years. Newman was also a fervant political activist who worked for a variety of progressive causes. As I matured, I came to greatly respect Newman's work and enjoy his many films, often trying to attend their debuts in the theatre. Over his long career in film he is nearly unmatched in his craftsmanship and consummate expertise as an actor. Among his nearly 65 films that are most noteworthy are the Silver Chalice;The Long, Hot Summer; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; Exodus; The Hustler; Hud; Harper; Cool Hand Luke; Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid; WUSA; The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean; The Macksintosh Man; The Sting; The Towering Inferno; The Drowning Pool; Slapshot; Fort Apache the Bronx; Absence of Malice; The Verdict; The Color of Money; Fat Man and Little Boy; Blaze; Mr. and Mrs. Bridge; The Hudsucker Proxy; Nobody's Fool; Twilight; Message in a Bottle; Where the Money is; Road to Perdition; Our Town; and Empire Falls. My personal favorites are Slapshot; Road to Perdition; Cool Hand Luke; and Nobody's Fool. Newman played roles that were often described as being anti -heroes. He disdained the glitter and pomp of the Hollywood lifestyle and lived away from it in rural Connecticut. Newman is survived by his wife of over fifty years, actress Joanne Woodward; five daughters, and two grandchildren.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Newman
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http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/28/movies/28paul.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
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http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/28/movies/28newman.html
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http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-newman28-2008sep28,0,7543479.story

http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2008-09-27-newman-obit_N.htm
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http://www.holeinthewallcamps.org/

http://blogs.usatoday.com/entertainment/paul_newman/index.html

http://www.usatoday.com/life/2008-09-27-newman-timeline_N.htm
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*****

A Glorious Autumn Weekend

September 2008 is drawing to a close over the next few days and Mother Nature has given us across the Front Range region a long stretch of spectacular weather. It has been largely warm and sunny for the last two weeks and the forecast is for that to continue through the first weekend of October. I enjoyed my Saturday off after a long week of work that included about nine hours of overtime. I rested until about 12:30 and then headed over to Todd's to watch some football after picking up my weekly frozen cappucino latte at Dairy Queen and checking the mail. I was a little sore after working with my quadriceps tight and in pain after doing some squats to install window glass into frames as part of my work on Friday night/early Saturday morning. I stayed at Todd's until close to midnight,watching parts of many games and "dining" on pizza from Papa John's. After I got home, I surfed a little on the 'net and watched televison briefly before retiring around 1:30am.

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Sunday was a repeat of Saturday weatherwise and just a few degrees cooler under brilliant clear blue skies. The trees in the forest canapy are now turning colors and beginning to shed their leaves. I awoke around 11:30 am and then watched the Broncos' game which was a disappointing defeat to Kansas City. I then caught the end of the Marlins / Mets game which saw NY miss out again on the postseason by losing their finale for the second consecutive year. Around 3:30 I went out to get the Sunday papers. I enjoyed some ice cream at Baskin - Robbins while reading them. I then went up to Barnes & Noble and browsed for about 45 minutes before going over to Walmart to get some milk and bananas. Unfortunately they were out of bread which means I will have to pop in again midweek to get some as my supply will last only a few more days. On the way back home I made a pitstop at the recycling bins and got rid of all the newspapers and aluminum pop cans that have been cluttering the vehicle for many months. I will have to do a complete recycling mission before the cold weather firmly kicks in. Upon returning home, I largely did little and relaxed for a couple of hours watching 60 Minutes, a little of Sunday Night NFL, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers and Sisters. I then put up my three shelves that I have been procrastinating on for nearly four weeks and moved the items on them. I need to pick up a couple of sealable storage totes to put my towels and linens in so they do not get dusty. As the evening continued I watched my two other regular television shows, Baseball's Golden Age and Amazing Sports Stories. I finally tired around 2:30am and retired as another long workweek looms ahead.

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*****

...And the Days Go By... I can feel 'em Flying like a Hand out the Window as the Cars go by...

Plenty of long hours and overtime marked this week of work that wrapped up on Saturday in the pre-dawn. The problem with such long hours is that is leaves one with no time for much of anything beyond sleep, eat breakfast, check the email, listen to the news, prepare for work, go to work, work, come home from work, take a shower, have a light meal, check the email and surf the net, and watch a few television shows, and go to bed. This is my schedule five days a week and it rather monotonous and overly routinized. This last week saw me work until 4am, 3:30am, 3 am, 2:30 am, and 1:30 am. By the time I can fall asleep it is usually after 5:30am. Thankfully it is now dark at that time as recent weeks have seen an obvious lengthening of night. This does help a little in getting me to fall asleep.

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Saturday morning I got home from work around 4am and drifted off to sleep once again sometime after 5:30 am. I arose around 1:15 pm. I had previously arranged to go over to Todd's to watch some football. I first stopped to get a frozen cappucino at Baskin Robbins, a tasty treat which also helps me become fully alert. Todd ordered some pizzas to eat and we watched some college football until about 7pm. I then went back home in the darkness amid a good driving thunderstorm which was somewhat surprising given we have reached the latter half of September. The remainder of the evening was quiet and relaxing as I surfed the 'net and watched a variety of television. As I had gotten a little less sleep the prior morning, I went to sleep around 1:30.

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Sunday was a day where I lacked any energy for much of the day. I languished about the place until after 7pm. I was so unmotivated that I never got the Sunday newspapers. When I finally got the oomph going, I went over to Walmart for the monthly grocery shopping. I found most everything I needed but they were out of bread which may force a return trip before weeks end unless Safeway has a good bread sale this week. After putting away the groceries, I had some meat loaf, mashed potatoes, and the remaining two slices of my Hawaiian bread for supper.

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I am thinking that for college football watching at Todd's next Saturday that I will pickup either some guacamole for nachos or get the big shrimp ring which I have not partaken of in several years. Pizza is great but a little variety is nice also. For the most part I do not do variety in my meals at home during the week. Breakfast is cereal with nonfat milk but I do have toasted frozen waffles about once every two weeks. And with colder weather nearing, oatmeal will be back as regular menu item as I will probably consume it about three days per week starting in later October. I am also planning on adding Cream of Wheat to my diet. I do not believe I have eaten this since sometime in the mid - 1970s. Lunch at work is pretty consistent: three sandwiches on wheat bread with either peanut butter and grape jam, or I have a lunch meat sandwich with that Carl's shaved sliced meat or some ham or turkey and mayonnaise; a couple of sandwich cookies; a banana; a cup of cinnamon applesauce, and a bottle of diet green iced tea with citrus flavoring. As the colder weather comes, I believe I will get some of those microwavable cans of Campbells soup to partake of as well. When I do get home from work, I am usually too tired to prepare anything difficult, so often I will either have some bread and oleo; or a can of pasta; or two burgers, chicken, or fish sandwiches; or some instant mashed potatoes; or a can of vegetables like spinach, carrots, corn, or a mixture; or a can of soup. Once in awhile I will make myself some tuna or hamburger helper, but usually this is too heavy for me to have so close to bedtime. Noodle and rice mixes are also an option I partake of at least once or more per month. I also think that with the colder weather I will start buying frozen pot pies and pizzas to bake in the oven for those late suppers as the heat generated from the oven will be helpful rather than detrimental as it would be in the warmer months. So it is a rather straightforward and standard fare I largely follow for the most part every week.

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Sunday evening wrapped up with some television watching. I caught the final inning of the final game ever at Yankee Stadium and there were some sentimental and thoughtful moments and words in the postgame. I then watched NFL highlights before switching over to watch Lost as that show is now in syndication which gives me an opportunity to see episodes I never saw when they were originally aired a couple of years back. I am also looking forward to the syndicated reruns of Boston Legal starting next weekend which are always thought provoking, entertaining, and wryly humorous. i wrapped up the evening doing some straightening up of the kitchen: putting away some pots and dishes; filling the recycling containers with the various containers that have accumulated in the last few weeks; shaking the rugs; sweeping the floor; and organizing the counters and shelves somewhat better. Right now the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom are pretty well organized while the office is still a major work in progress and the living room is about 65-35 good. I then watched my regular programs of Baseball's Golden Age and Amazing Sports Stories. I halfheartedly watched while I worked on my blogs and surfed before retiring around 3:30am.

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The final full week of September is now underway, and the changes brought in by Autumn are now clearlye evident. I see a lot of trees changing colors and it will not be long before the vast forest canapy starts to lose its leaves here in Cheyenne and elsewhere. We have been blessed with a nice run of warmer weather this last week as temps made it into the low to mid 70s everyday, and the forecast is for more of that all this upcoming week. Other than my perennial endless list of small projects and tasks around the place, I do not have anything I really need to do this upcoming week. I am considering going to Denver for the weekend on Saturday 4 October and Sunday 5 October to check into a few things and just escape Cheyenne for 36 hours. It would be nice if I could rendezvous with HBL and the girls for a lunch or dinner; or join Matt for a cold one at a sports bar. We will have to see if their schedules and obligations will allow for that. I will not make a decision about this probably for another nine or ten days.

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Its amazing to think that there are now but about 100 days left in 2008. Time flies when one is always is busy and the perception that time moves faster as one ages is always being reinforced in one's everyday life. So much to do, so much that one wants to do, and so little time it seems...

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*****

Summer's Final Weekend

Summer 2008 wraps up its official last full weekend, and after nearly two weeks of near record and often unseasonably cool, cloudy, and rainy weather, sunshine and blue skies were the order of the day for Saturday 13 September. I had a decent week at work and actually got home early on Friday night as production demands were only supple enough to keep us working until around 10:30pm. I got to bed relatively early (3am) compared to nights/mornings in the last two to three months and arose Saturday around 12 noon. After cereal for breakfast, I headed over to Todd's house which is about five miles N of my residence. His home is newly constructed and sparkling with exquisite designs and very nice furnishings. We watched some college football through the afternoon and on into the evening while another friend of his Greg prepared some homemade nachos that were quite tasty and filling. I hung around there until deep into the evening and returned home a little before midnight. I watched SNL on delay on my DVR and with the exception of the opening skit, the show stunk. I retired around 2am.
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Earlier I attempted to find out what the impact of Hurricane Ike had been on the oldest of my three younger sisters and her family who reside in the northwest part of the Houston metro area and a considerable distance away from the coast. I was anticipating grim news concerning the status of their property, but by Sunday evening I had received news that all was well for them considering the alternatives. Property damage was evidently limited, but they were without utilities and public services except for cellular phone service. MKW gets a few days off from her job due to the destruction and disorder in the area where they reside, and hopefully any hardships and sacrifices will be kept to a minimum. There are all sorts of stories both positive and tragic with a catastrophe of this magnitude, but this one story brought me a smile.
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Sunday was a cool day in the area as temps barely reached 60 degrees despite cloudless blue skies. There was also a relatively strong constant cool breeze, a small harbinger of what awaits us in the coming months. I stayed in until around 5:30pm watching NFL games that were pretty good and then some. The first game saw Carolina come back from a two touchdown deficit to overcome Chicago. The second game was one for the ages as Denver and San Diego went back and forth in a colossal memorable struggle won by the Broncos in the last minute on a daring and shocking two point conversion call by Shanahan to pull it out with the critical help of a couple of tough officiating breaks that went against San Diego. I then went over to Safeway to get some milk, bread, bananas, juice, and the newspapers. Upon completion I had dinner at Burger King using a two for one Whopper coupon and read those Sunday newspapers. I returned home around 7:15 and watched the Sunday night game won by the Steelers over the Browns in a rainstorm. Later in the evening I did a little straightening up as the work week nears and a schedule that will be back to five full days with overtime inevitably likely at least three nights this week after two weeks that went only four days.
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The weather is supposed to be splendid this upcoming week for the final full week of summer as temps here in Cheyenne may touch 80 degrees on Tuesday and Wednesday. I figure this must mean that next week will see our first snowfall and subfreezing temperatures as that is usually how things work around here in the Front Range region in mid to late September. Tonight marks the rise of the brightest moon of the year, the Harvest Moon; the full moon closest on the calendar to the autumnal equinox and another sure sign Autumn is about here...
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*****

30th Anniversary of Release of "Animal House"

It is hard to believe it has been thirty years now since Animal House was in moviehouses around the country creating hilarious laughter everywhere and inspiring roadtrips and toga parties. The film is timeless and a classic and always worth watching. It was and continues to be a significant cultural influence. There were lots of lines in the movie that are still remembered to this day. The music in the film was fantastic. And who can ever forget the awesome Shelly Dubinsky...
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http://www.acmewebpages.com/animal/trivia.htm
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http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077975/quotes
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Lampoon
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http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/patc/animalhouse/index.html
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http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077975/
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8psQi7ScQQ
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*****

Wonderful Sports Series

I have truly enjoyed the privilege of watching throughout the summer a regular one - half hour series on Fox Sports Net entitled "Baseball's Golden Age". The series started on Sunday 6 July and runs for thirteen weeks through 26 October. It's been an outstanding series with lots of history, exceptional photography and videography, and heartwarming stories. It really is a great show and does an outstanding job of taking one back to when baseball was a big part of America collectively and a pastime that touched lives in little and small ways every year before it became a big business, television rose as an entertainment alternative, and the National Football League took over center stage. I sincerely hope the series gets plenty of reruns in the coming years for many more people to take it in to appreciate and that it becomes available for purchase on DVD. This show has been followed by another exceptional program entitled "Amazing Sports Stories" which more often than not is as good as Baseball's Golden Age.
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http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/8261514/FSN-revisits-

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http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2008/07/fsns-great-summer-schedule-adds.html

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http://www.davidpietrusza.com/baseballs-golden-age.html

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http://www.strike3forums.com/forums/major-league-baseball-discussion/29444-baseball-s-golden-age-fsn.html

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http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6571787.html

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http://www.star-telegram.com/319/story/727092.html

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*****

New Years' First Weekend

The week after Labor Day really is the start of the New Year for all intents and purposes. Autumn arrives in at least some of the nation in a small way, football gets going, everybody that is going to go to school is enrolled and attending classes, and the days have become noticeably shorter. The weather in September and October (and in many places November) is the best of the entire year. Here in Cheyenne, autumn is here. This last week it was in the low to mid 60s (or less) for highs and nights are quite cool requiring the wearing of a coat after dark. Thankfully we get a little warmer week coming up with forecast highs in the low to mid 70s for most of the week ahead. The 90s are for sure done with and it is strongly doubtful we will even see an 80 degree day again for the remaining 115 days in 2008. Although I have yet to see any trees with their leaves changing colors, it can be expected to start in the next week to ten days and be in full force before the equinox. And snow is probably on the horizon within the next week to two weeks or so. But Indian summer along the Front Range is among the most splendid times of the year and truly worth experiencing and enjoying as much as possible such as going to parks or just sitting on the porch.

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I had a largely relaxing weekend. I did make it out Saturday to Advance Auto Parts to get a new gascap and air filter. Both those items should help out in improving the gas mileage in the White Knight. I popped into Walgreens but did not see anything that could be beneficial for my hands and wrists. I then got three of the 99 cents Arby Q sandwiches for supper. I watched some college football throughout the day and night while at home and some of the games were good.

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Sunday was a repeat of Saturday but by dusk the cloud ceiling had dropped and we were engulfed in thick fog with a light rain mist and temperatures around 40 degrees. Around 3pm Todd stopped by with his menagerie of dogs that he had been out walking. He stayed for about one - half hour. I then went out to do the tasks of checking my post office box, getting gasoline (we are down to less than $ 3.50 per gallon now), picking up the Sunday newspapers, and having a meal at Village Inn. I had a chicken fried steak skillet with scrambled eggs and a small stack of pancakes with grapefruit juice. I had not eaten at VI in about two years or so when I used to go to the one on East Hampden in SE Denver. Their menu has gotten quite pricey and most of the other diners were geezers. I won't be back anytime soon as Perkins and other restaurants seem to be a better value. Earlier I watched some of the Astros / Rockies and Angels / White Sox games. I watched hardly any of the opening Sunday of NFL games as the matchups we got on TV were less than compelling: SEA / BUF; NYJ / MIA; KC / NENG; and the Dallass Cocaineboys / CLE. As the season goes along, I will make it over to Shadows Sports Bar downtown to catch games not on local TV. Next Saturday I will watch college football at Todd's new home as he has his HDTV home theatre set up and he is fully moved in after getting out of his old home about a month ago.

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I am taking Monday off from work partially as a break and also to be able to watch the two Monday Night football games. I also have to get out and get a haircut; stop at the newsstand; and perhaps even get an oil change at Walmart if time permits. Meanwhile tonight I will do some chores and tasks around the place including paperwork cleanup and filing and installing my shelves.

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With Monday off this will be another short week at work thankfully which will help in continuing the long slow reduction of pain in my fingers, hands, and wrists. They are improving and most days I wake up with little stiffness and atrophication. The job I am doing of handling the windows and wrapping them in a film wrap - applying piece of equipment is less stressful on the hands, wrists, fingers as most of the strength used to handle the products comes from in the arms, shoulders, backs, legs, hips, and elsewhere which results in soreness and stiffness there instead, but being that those are muscle strains and injuries results in them being able to be treated successfully with substances like Ben-gay and Icy Hot. Ah, the price of aging...

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*****

Don Haskins, 1930 - 2008

The world lost a giant of a man literally with the passing of legendary and history making college basketball coach Don "The Bear" Haskins, who won over 700 games in a 39 season career at the University of Texas-El Paso. Haskins is a Hall of Fame honoree for his contributions to the sport and world particularly in integrating the college basketball game and winning a national title in 1966 when the school was called Texas Western College, an accomplishment captured in the bestselling book and great recent film Glory Road. I remember Haskins for over a generation as a scowling bear of a coach prowling the sidelines whenever I would watch a game in which UTEP was a participant. His teams were always prepared, well coached, disciplined, and fundamentally sound. UTEP did not always have the best talent, but that did not stop Haskins from coaching numerous championship teams in the WAC and regularly having his teams in the NCAA tournament. Haskins' strategy and tactics of coaching always worked to the strengths and plusses possessed by his teams - some years they played a slow methodical style and other years they ran - but UTEP was always known for playing solid defense at both ends of the court.
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I was fortunate enough to witness many UTEP games in person: once on occasion at the Special Events Center in El Paso; on a number of occasions at University Arena (The Pit) in Albuquerque and the Arena - Auditorium in Laramie; and once each at Moby Arena in Fort Collins, the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, and McNichols Arena in Denver. Although Haskins had a drop off in his energy level and intensity in his later years on the bench, he was always capable of giving an errant referree an earful and staring down officials like Irv Brown who got on his bad side. He is survived by his lifelong wife Mary and three of his four sons.
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http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_10405771
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http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_10431648
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Haskins
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http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3574739
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*****

2008 College Football Outlook

College Football is been underway since last Thursday, 29 August. Here is a slightly belated look at what could and should happen across the nation. Most of the serious contenders are programs swimming in money with a long tradition of winning for the most part. Until college football institutes a playoff with 16 teams sometime in the future ( after 2019) , there is little hope for wunderkinds, underdogs, and Cinderellas to contend seriously for a championship nationally and only slightly more so on the conference level.
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Here is my outlook for the '08-09 season:
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ACC: Atlantic Division - Boston College; Coastal Division: Virginia Tech; Hokies win conference championship game.
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SEC: East - Florida; West - Auburn; Gators win conference championship game.
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BIG XII: South - Oklahoma; North - Missouri; Tigers win conference championship game.
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Big Ten: Ohio St edges Wisconsin for league title.
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Big East: West Virginia takes title again.
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Pacific Ten: Southern California wins again as they are nation's best team.
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MWC: BYU edges Utah to earn BCS slot.
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WAC: Fresno St finally wins a WAC title outright.
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CUSA: East Carolina edges Tulsa to win conference championship game.
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MAC: Bowling Green beats Central Michigan to win conference championship game.
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SBC: Florida Atlantic edges Arkansas St to win conference.
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Bowl Championship Series representatives (10 teams)
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Ohio St, Wisconsin, Florida, Auburn, Missouri, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Southern California, West Virginia, and Brigham Young.
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National Champs: Southern Cal over Missouri
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This season, due to time limitations for myself, will not have any weekly predictions and picks for college football games as I have done in past years.
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*****

2008-09 National Football League Outlook

The National Football League is back for its 89th season as the kickoff game occurred earlier Thursday 4 September between the defending champions New York Giants and the Washington Redskins to get things going. The National Football League has done the best job of all the four major sports in getting close to parity with the opportunity for every club to move into playoff contention in only a few years with the optimum management of personnel and coaching (Unless one is talking about the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals). There will probably be at least 3-4 different clubs in the playoffs as compared to last season, and it would not be surprising at all to see a Super Bowl winner that is a first timer or one that has not been there in many, many years.

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My outlook on the divisions of both conferences:

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AFC EAST

1) New England: solid, could make it a fifth SB appearance in eight years.

2) New York: Favre not enough but they will be better with around 7 victories.
3) Buffalo: a possible sleeper team to make playoffs but still much to prove.

4) Miami: the Fish (actually mammals) are rotten and will still stink.

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AFC SOUTH

1) Indianapolis: Colts hang on to division barely in their swan song.
2) Jacksonville: Solid everywhere, just need to put and keep it all together.

3) Houston: Solid dark horse that could go deep into the playoffs.

4) Tennessee: Vince Young sucks and the Titans will be down this year.

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AFC NORTH

1) Pittsburgh: Steelers win playing tough and hard and look superb again.

2) Cleveland: Can they take the next step ? Close but no cigar again.

3) Cincinnati: Not a team but a collection of hot dog individuals dooms the Bengals

4) Baltimore: Rebuilding and will stuggle.

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AFC WEST

1) San Diego: The best team in the AFC and a favorite to win it all.

2) Denver: Will all the young players deliver ? Sometimes, yes; sometimes, no...

3) Oakland: Mediocrity and haplessness the order of the season for the East Bay.

4) Kansas City: The worst team in the AFC, may only win one game.

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NFC WEST:

1) Seattle: Best of a so-so bunch in the league's worst division top to bottom.

2) Arizona: If things go right, Cardinals win division and more.

3) San Francisco: Another long year for the Niners as the glorious past seems far away.

4) St Louis: Rams will be better but nowhere near playoff contention.

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NFC NORTH:

1) Minnesota: Vikings have it all except top notch QB which may come through the season.

2) Green Bay: Rodgers will keep the Pack playing winning football all season.

3) Chicago: Bears a sleeper team to make playoffs depending on QB play.

4) Detroit: Another woeful year for the eternally hapless Lions.

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NFC SOUTH:

1) New Orleans: Best team on paper in the NFC; has all the weapons to go all the way.

2) Tampa Bay: Decent team that will contend for playoff slot.

3) Carolina: Another sleeper team that could emerge and make the playoffs.

4) Atlanta: Worst team in the league and may win only one game all season.

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NFC EAST:

1) Philadelphia: Andy Reid is the best coach in NFL and Eagles soar again this year.

2) New York: Giants drop a notch but still solid and in contention.

3) Dallas: A step down this year with 'boys set to underachieve under egomaniacal Jones.

4) Washington: Not nearly good enough in probably the best division in the league.

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Wild cards: Tampa Bay, Green Bay, Jacksonville, Houston

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Super Bowl: Minnesota defeats Jacksonville.

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This season, due to time limitations for myself, will not have any weekly predictions and picks for NFL football games as I have done in past years.

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*****

Labor Day 2008

While this holiday has all but lost its real meaning for Americans across the nation, the news about the state of the workplace and the labor movement has never been more grim. Negative developments of the last 30 years and more due to an ineffective and corrupt government as well as merciless, soulless, and greedy corporations has left the American workforce in tatters with serious social issues and vast community problems. This report sums up pretty well the situation as it stands. I consider myself among the unfortunate; I may have a good paying job relative to my recent experiences, but it is totally inappropriate and wrong for me with my education, intellect, experiences, and wisdom. Doing painful hard physical labor at age 50 is not where I wanted to be; I should have been employed in the public sector as an administrator, manager, or some kind of bureaucrat long ago, but it appears those dreams and opportunities have passed. I simply was never given an opportunity to do just that and I was often in survival mode most months and years just to make ends meet which kept me from completely focusing on securing such employment. I am unsure what my occupational future holds as physical labor of any sort for me must end within the next few years and I am totally not cut out to be any kind of a sales person or representative, hustling products or services for cash from others for a soulless immoral greedy corporation that cares nothing for its workers -- been there, done that. Hopefully some alternative emerges that turns out to be a godsend that will compensate me more than adequately and also fills my self esteem and intellectual needs. Obviously the same holds true for millions of others like me across the nation -- what a striking indictment about the inefficiency, immorality, and ineptitude of our nation and economy.
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26485812
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http://www.stateofworkingamerica.org/
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http://www.opednews.com/articles/Labor-Pains-The-Mass-medi-by-Brasch-080901-906.html
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http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/97489/
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*****

September List of Holidays

Here is the monthly list of eccentric and unusual holidays for the month of September. The days I am looking forward to are the 5th, 7th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 18th, 19th, and 20th. Days that are a little troubling or disturbing possibly are the 2nd, 5th, 11th, 13th, 19th, 23rd, 27th, 28th, and 30th.

For the Month of September:
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Classical Music Month
Hispanic Heritage Month
Fall Hat Month
International Square Dancing Month
National Blueberry Popsicle Month
National Courtesy Month
National Piano Month
Chicken Month
Baby Safety Month
Little League Month
Honey Month
Self Improvement Month
Better Breakfast Month
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1 Emma M. Nutt Day, the first woman telephone operator
1 Labor Day - first Monday of month
2 VJ Day - Surrender ceremony aboard the USS Missouri formally ends WWII
2 National Beheading Day
3 Skyscraper Day
4 Newspaper Carrier Day
5 Be Late for Something Day
5 Cheese Pizza Day
6 Fight Procrastination Day
6 Read a Book Day
7 Grandparent's Day - first Sunday after Labor Day
7 Neither Rain nor Snow Day
8 International Literacy Day
8 National Date Nut Bread Day - or December 22!?
8 Pardon Day
9 Teddy Bear Day
10 Sewing Machine Day
10 Swap Ideas Day
11 Make Your Bed Day
11 No News is Good News Day
12 Chocolate Milk Shake Day
12 National Video Games Day - also see Video Games Day in July
13 Chinese Moon Festival 15th day of 8th Lunar month
13 Defy Superstition Day
13 Fortune Cookie Day
13 National Peanut Day
13 Positive Thinking Day
13 Uncle Sam Day - his image was first used in 1813
14 National Cream-Filled Donut Day
14 National Pet Memorial Day -second Sunday in September
15 Make a Hat Day
15 Felt Hat Day - On this day, men traditionally put away their felt hats.
16 Collect Rocks Day
16 Step Family Day
16 Mayflower Day
16 Mexican Independence Day
16 National Play Doh Day
16 Working Parents Day
17 National Apple Dumpling Day
17 Citizenship Day
17 Constitution Day
18 National Cheeseburger Day
19 International Talk Like A Pirate Day
19 National Butterscotch Pudding Day
19 POW/MIA Recognition Day - Third Friday of September
20 National Punch Day
20 Oktoberfest, begins, date varies
21 International Peace Day
21 Miniature Golf Day
21 National Women's Friendship Day - third Sunday in September
21 World Gratitude Day
22 Business Women's Day
22 Elephant Appreciation Day
23 Checkers Day
23 Dog in Politics Day
24 National Cherries Jubilee Day
25 National Comic Book Day
26 Johnny Appleseed Day
26 Native American Day - fourth Friday of the month
27 Crush a Can Day
27 International Rabbit Day - Fourth Saturday in September
28 Ask a Stupid Question Day (one of my favorite days)
28 National Good Neighbor Day - Always September 28, previously the 4th Sunday in month
29 Confucius Day - Try your luck. Get a Fortune Cookie.
30 National Mud Pack Day
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Major League Baseball at the Labor Day Pole

We have reached the final month and final four weeks of the Major League Baseball regular season. Virtually all the pretenders have been pared from the ranks of the contenders and some key results await in these closing weeks. The biggest surprises have been the Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, Florida Marlins, and St Louis Cardinals, while the biggest disappointments are the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and Colorado Rockies. Here is my outlook for each division going down the stretch.

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AL EAST

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Tampa Bay is enjoying a fantastic season and it does not look as if it will end in the regular season. The young Rays are clicking on all cylinders despite some injuries and are headed to an AL East title. They do have six games remaining with Boston that will be the final determination on who wins it. The Redsox could still overcome Tampa, but it appears the Rays are too much particularly when it comes to starting pitching. New York is a significant underachiever and is doomed to miss the postseason for the first time since 1993. Toronto is playing much better as of late, but it is not anywhere near enough. Baltimore will play spoiler down the stretch as the Orioles will finish a much better record than what was anticipated at the beginning of the season.

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AL CENTRAL

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Chicago and Minnesota have been in a tight race for the AL Central flag for much of the season, but it looks like the remaining schedule favors the Twins to win it. Minnesota has been much better than expected with unanticipated improved pitching and a full team contribution day in and day out all season. The quiet professional experienced leadership of Manager Ron Gardenhire is also an important key to the Twins' success. Chicago has the firepower and fire with testy manager Ozzie Guillen, but the Chisox are up against a tough schedule down the stretch and are a step behind the Twins in the pithcing department. Detroit has been a major letdown with poor pitching and key underperformances by offensive players. Cleveland has had a season long hangover from blowing their 3-1 lead in the '07 ALCS to Boston and never got it going. Kansas City has been painfully encumbered by an anemic offense which doomed them to yet another losing season in the cellar.

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AL WEST

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The Anaheim Angels have played well and consistent all season and have ran away with the AL West pennant since before the All - Star break. On paper and on the field, the Angels are baseball's best team and have plenty of veteran experience and leadership which should be enough to carry them to the World Series. Texas has played about as expected with all their pitching deficiencies. Early on a contender with the Angels, Oakland collapsed after the Blanton and Hardin trades and spiraled down towards a sub-.450 season. Seattle, an expected contender, was nowhere as good on the field as on paper and may yet lose 100 games, although the Mariners are starting to play better with more young players getting playing time in recent weeks.

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NL EAST

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The managerial change the Mets made going with Jerry Manuel has paid dividends as New York has asserted itself into the race after early dalliances. New York has significant relief pitching problems which will be their ultimate undoing. Philadelphia will win the East in spite of their poor starting pitching and inconsistent offense. Florida has surprisingly stayed close in the race until the last ten days as the heat and fatigue has finally done in the young Marlins. Atlanta was expected to contend but suffered several major injuries especially with their starting pitching and never was able to establish any consistency. Washington has been in the tank all year with an atrocious offense and pitching that leaves much to be desired.

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NL CENTRAL

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Chicago has been the class of the division for almost the entire season, but as September arrives, cracks can be seen in the Cubs machine and concern is legitimate on whether the Northsiders can hang on to win and outlast the streaking Brewers. Chicago is all but a postseason certainty at this time unless spoilers Houston and St Louis do lethal damage to the Chicagoans' hopes. Milwaukee has been a team on fire the last few weeks and have the momentum to overcome the Cubs and take the NL Central flag. The Brewers have the easier schedule in the last month and play Chicago six times which may get them their winning margin. St Louis has stayed close for most of the season but is fading. The Cardinals ondoing is an inept bullpen and flagging starting pitching. Houston has been inconsistent with long periods both good and bad but may have reached a level where they may overcome St Louis and finish third in the division with 85 wins. Cincinnati was viewed as a dark horse at the beginning of the season, but the Reds have played poorly in all aspects of the game for much of the season. And, sadly, Pittsburgh is headed for yet another last place finish and their record breaking 16th consecutive losing season as the Pirates' pitching has been an unmitigated disaster throughout the season and through the roster.

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NL WEST

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This is clearly baseball's worst division by a long mark, as all five clubs have played poorly most of the season and underperformed with the possible exception of the Giants. Arizona got off to a 28-16 start and has limped through the rest of the season barely above .500 with serious offensive shortcomings and bullpen deficiencies. But they will hang on to take the NL West flag again. Los Angeles on paper should be the best team in the league, but the Dodgers have played poorly in most every aspect of the game for long stretches of the season and have clearly underperformed and failed to meet even the minimum of expectations as injuries have exacerabated the circumstances. Colorado has had its fair spell of injuries as well, and Rockies' pitching has been largely inconsistent and poor much of the year with poor clutch hitting a serious negative factor as well. San Francisco has played about as what was expected, but the Giants have failed to take advantage of the downfall of their four division rivals as the Giant offense has been often pathetic and pitching has been erratic. San Diego is the NL version of Cleveland as the Padres have been a season long funk after blowing a certain postseason appearance the last weekend of the '07 season. The Padres have lots of injuries, but they have clearly stunk it up with pitching, offense, and defense for long stretches throughout the season.

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With four weeks to go, my AL picks are Tampa Bay, Minnesota, and Anaheim, with Boston as the wild card. In the NL, I am going with Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and Arizona, with Chicago as the wild card. The Brewers play the Phillies in the NLCS and the Rays take on the Angels in the ALCS. I am going with a Milwaukee and Anaheim World Series with the Angels winning it all.

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