Days Going By a Little Slower

Its been largely a quiet time for me totally for the last several days since returning from Castle Rock on FRI 2 January. Much of the time has been at home surfing the 'net, halfheartedly watching some TV, reading, and listening to music via the radio or CDs. I am getting plenty of sleep and feel quite rested after weeks of limited activity at best. I did go over to Todd's twice, once last Friday the 2nd to watch a very entertaining and satisfying Sugar Bowl won rather convincingly by Utah over Alabama; and then again Thursday night the 8th to watch the National Championship game won by Florida over Oklahoma. Other than that I have not done much. I got out twice for a meal, first at McDonalds and then today at Subway. I went over to the post office twice but there has not been much to pick up from the box that is worthwhile to consider. I am using the DVR to record any movie that I think I may be interested in, and in the last week I have watched the newest King Kong, the newest Pirates of the Caribbean, Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Flipper, Heavy Metal 2000, Overboard, and Beers for My Horses; I have Duets, The Doors, Hoosiers, and Ratatouille yet to watch.

The weather has been barely tolerable for the most part. Its been bouncing up and down both figuratively and literally. January is when the wind is at worst in these parts and this week has been rough. We had three straight days of brutal winds as the sustained wind was over 35 mph and gusts surpassed 85 mph. It finally diminished on Thursday evening briefly but it was back for the most part again Friday. Temps started out the week cool, then improved with Thursday climbing into the upper 50s before another cooldown on Friday. Snowfall has not happened now in three weeks and its looking real dry with no precip forecasted in the next several days. This is not unusual in this region as the flow is largely from the west and northwest which is largely dry with any moisture getting fully spent over the mountains and territory to the west and north. We will likely get occasionaly small snow events for the coming six weeks into late February before a springlike pattern usually sets in which means larger more wet snow events are more likely. But it could be dry and warm again in March and April more often than not as it has been in recent years. The historic norm of wet snowy Marches and Aprils has been strongly missing this decade, and I would not be surprised to see some days into the upper 60s and even above 70 in the next 60 days. Lets hope so. The wind will largely be constant for another 75 - 90 days, but as we get closer to the Equinox, the possibility of calmer days becomes more likely. Its getting to be about the time of the winter when one's thoughts turn towards dreaming of about being in a warmer sunny climate like an island in the Pacific or Caribbean, or in the warm desert sunshine of southern Arizona. And I definitely wish I could transport myself to a place like those for about two weeks right now.

Enough meterology talk. I am in a period of strong idleness and thats unlikely to change. I even have time to remove earhairs and nosehairs - I am that inactive largely. I do not see much promise on the job front as my sources for information that I utilize on the 'net and in print show virtually no possibilities. I am not motivated to do any cold calls with the weather so unfavorable, and I also believe cold calls are a total waste of time, energy, and gasoline nowadays. After about four months or so of going pretty good and then about six weeks of parttime to fulltime activity, the last month has been a complete shutdown. I am not complaining, but time is dragging somewhat now as compared to what my sensations were last summer into the autumn. I have the resources to ride this out for awhile, but it is not the preferred alternative. What it means is that my hopes of getting out of here are becoming increasingly likely to be delayed until next autumn rather than in the mid to late spring as I desire. I have about two months to ponder things until I have to start planning a decision. Lets hope that I am not forced into that and things turn favorable sooner than later.

Saturday I watched an excellent hockey game between the Colorado Avalanche and Pittsburgh Penguins that was competitive and won by the Avs 5-3. Later it was the NFL Divisional Playoffs with a good close game between Baltimore and Tennessee as the Ravens won on a last second field goal 13-10. I had hoped the Arizona Cardinals could keep it close in rainy Charlotte against the Panthers, but in a big surprise Arizona pounded Carolina 33-13. I pulled away from the game to watch an old classic Hitchcock thriller "Lifeboat" that came out almost 65 years ago. I had seen snippets of it when I was younger and had forgotten about it. I stayed home all day as the wind back in all its fury.

As usual, Sunday was quiet and peaceful for me as I enjoyed being at home until very late afternoon watching the two NFL divisional playoff games before going out to get the newspapers and having a taco. I recorded all my Sunday shows -- 60 Minutes, 24, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers and Sisters -- to watch later in the evening after I returned home. The weather was seasonably cold and windy as usual and there is a chance there could be a few snowflakes overnight.

I see the Wyoming Legislature adjourns Tuesday so I will put a list of legislature measures I favor in the next few days on my other blog. With the state seeing a dive in revenues like everywhere else, it is likely now is not the time for many of my proposals; but I hope to see them enacted in many states including this one in the coming years. This state is almost entirely dependent on revenue from coal extraction which means the clock is ticking with an end of this source within a generation with the jolting impact of sudden global warming looming within the coming years. This state has about a non-diversified economy as any in the nation so the future down the road is grim from an economic viewpoint. Once coal is longer permitted as an energy source, this state will have to be positioned to make the step into the new 21st century renewable energy economy, and I sense that will happen here with so many locals with their heads in the sand. Colorado is much better positioned for all the change that will occur starting around 2020 and only rapidly escalating in the coming years.

The upcoming week looks largely uneventful. Overall the weather forecast looks to be a little warmer than seasonable but nothing to get excited about as the wind promises be a sizeable presence. So far this season Cheyenne has only gotten about 50 % of its normal amount of snowfar thus far, and this week shows no forecast of any accumulation beyond maybe a dusting or so. I may get out and check an employment possibility, but it seems to be a long stretch at best if at all. Other than that, I will check the post office to see if that box from my sister M has made it here; have a couple of light meals or snacks in a place where I can sit in the afternoon sunshine while reading the paper; and hit the bookstore to browse whats there and enjoy some reading for an hour or two. Beyond that the week will be marked with some puttering around the place, watching NHL and Avalanche hockey on three to five occasions, and just relaxing and surfing the 'net while watching movies and television series that catch my interest.

Such is the life of unemployed 50+ years old bachelor in the depth of winter...

*****

Surfing Deer

Here is a recent story from The Billings Gazette about a whitetail buck deer caught on camera surfing on ice floes down the Yellowstone River near Miles City. The opportunistic critter was eventually successfully in crossing the partially frozen river.

http://billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/01/08/features/outdoors/18-icesurf.txt

*****

My Best Memories of 2008

2009 is in its early days, so its a good time to look back at some of the good memories of 2008. Overall 2008 was a positive year personally, with much fewer negatives and hardships compared to recent years.

1) The ability to visit and spend time with family. I was able to see two of my three sisters and their families while they visited in Denver or in Albuquerque over Thanksgiving. I visited with my youngest brother and his family on a number of occasions and spent better than two weeks of the year at their home. I talked on the phone on a number of lengthy occasions with the oldest of my sisters, as well as with my other sisters and brother.

2) My employment was overall good for the year. I did have some lean times in the second quarter of the year, and I did go into a layoff the second half of December; but overall it was my best working years since 2002.

3) I got to attend some sporting events in Denver -- about 3-4 Rockies' games and a Broncos' game.

4) I was able to save some money and make a significant step towards relocating back to Colorado in 2009, hopefully in the second quarter; and likely to Colorado Springs, although the timetable and destination have not been completely finalized at this point.

5) My work at the windows factory was physically demanding and resulted in some chronic injuries and pain usually, but I did get into better shape and lost about 15 -20 pounds while employed there. My health throughout the year as I moved into the 51st year of existence was overall more than satisfactory by quite a bit.

6) I made progress towards being the best I have been organized concerning my personal possessions in many years, and I believe I can near the optimum before I do relocate in the coming months.

7) I purchased about 8 -10 CDs during the year that were very satisfying.

8) My electronics all continued to work good through the year, as did The White Knight.

9) My friendships with Todd, Brant, and Matt were very fulfilling as we got to share in some good times together through the year.

10) I got to enjoy many good sporting events, films, and other programs on radio and television throughout the year as well as some good books, periodicals, newspapers, and internet content.

*****

The Fifteen Overused Words of 2008

I would have to agree wholeheartedly with these 15 words being defined as being way overused this year. I am guilty as any for using some of these words too often -- such as bailout; but for the most part I did not use most of these often if at all in my everyday speech or in my writings on my various blogs.

1) maverick

2) Wall Street and/or Main Street

3) desperate search

4) monkey

5) carbon footprint or carbon offsetting

6) game-changing

7) green / going green

8) first dude

9) <3 (a heart emoticon; also :-) :-0

10) staycation

11) bailout

12) icon or iconic

13) not so much

14) winner of five nominations

15) it's that time of year again

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081230/ap_on_re_us/banned_words

http://www.squidoo.com/commonly-overused-words

http://www.lssu.edu/banished/current.php

*****

NFL Clubs to be on the Move in Coming Years

With news that developer Ed Roski is breaking ground on an 80,000 t0 90,000 seat stadium in the Los Angeles suburb of City of Industry with a planned completion by mid 2011, the recent stability of NFL franchises is likely to end after a quiet period this decade. Six NFL clubs already have or will have their stadium leases expire in the next few years. Each of these clubs are in situations which may result in as many as four, if not more, of the clubs relocating within the next five to six years.

The San Diego Chargers have already let their lease with the City and County of San Diego expire in 2007 for use of Qualcom Stadium and are arranging to stay in that facility on a year to year basis while the club looks for a suitable location for a new state of the art stadium. Currently it appears Chula Vista, a poorer suburb of San Diego located a few miles south, is the leading location for a new stadium for the Chargers. If negotiations and agreement on financial and other terms fail, the Chargers may yet return north adjacent to the city that was their home in their inaugural year of existence in 1960.

The San Francisco FortyNiners' lease with the city of San Francisco for playing in Candlestick Park (also known in recent years as 3Com Park and Monster Stadium) expired with the completion of the 49ers' season on Sunday 28 December. The Niners have a series of five year lease options that they may exercise; and they are probably likely to execute the first of those to keep them in Candlestick for the '09 - '13 seasons. But the 49ers are already working on plans for a replacement new stadium. Their first choice is south of San Francisco on the south end of the bay in Santa Clara, forty miles southeast of Candlestick where the club has its headquarters and practice facilities already. This option has emerged in light of a number of years of failure to have a new stadium erected in the area adjacent to Candlestick. Should efforts continue to fail to get a new state of the art structure constructed for the 49ers, it is becoming increasingly possible the club will leave the Bay Area and relocate, with the new stadium east of LA being built by Roski as their likely first choice should it still be available. But by 2012 or 2013 that option for the Niners may be gone, and they may have to look to other areas which perhaps may include Portland, Oregon, or Sacramento. The possibility of being a co-tenant in the new LA building would seem to be unlikely as it would result in adequate revenues. But with the Raiders likely to leave the Bay Area soon, it is strongly likely the Niners will get their new building in or adjacent to San Francisco so as to have politicians to avoid the embarrassment and shame of having both pro football teams leave their region as what happened to the south in the Los Angeles area in 1995.

The next club with their lease up is the Oakland Raiders. Al Davis' terms with the Oakland - Alameda County Coliseum end after the completion of the 2010 season, and it appears virtually certain the Raiders will be departing in short order soon after. The Raiders will probably consider Los Angeles, but observers feel Davis will look to move into virgin territory where he can get the best building possible in order to balloon the value of his club in the closing years of his life which will get his heirs the greatest return for selling the franchise upon his death in the next one to two decades. The locations reportedly under consideration include San Antonio, Salt Lake City, and Las Vegas. Other possibilities are Portland, Sacramento, and Birmingham. San Antonio would seem the best choice with a good facility (The Alamodome) ready for use which would be a considerable improvement over the Coliseum in Oakland that is strongly disdained by Davis for many reasons. South Texas is rabid for its own pro football team and would build Davis a new palace almost immediately after he relocates the Raiders to San Antonio. The club would probably retire the Raiders name and be renamed something along the lines such as the San Antonio Troopers or Sombreros. The other locations under consideration lack a current NFL quality facility which would need to be constructed before the Raiders complete their move. This is a scenario similar to what the Tennessee Titans followed as they played two seasons in Memphis before completing their move to Nashville. Of all the clubs that may possibly relocate, the Oakland Raiders are probably most likely to do so, and may be in a new city for the 2011 season. With the peril of the San Francisco FortyNiners also relocating, it is entirely possible the San Francisco Bay Area and Metropolitan area may be without professional football teams in the next few years, similar to what the Los Angeles area has endured for the last thirteen seasons and likely for at least a few more years.

The Minnesota Vikings lease to play in the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis expires after the completion of the 2011 season, and currently it appears unlikely a new building will be constructed any time soon in the Twin Cities area. Citizens and politicians were already averse to replacing the dome with a Taj Mahal for their beloved Vikings, and the ongoing economic downturn makes any possiblity seem very remote. Vikings owner Zigi Wilf very much wants to stay in Minneapolis, but it would appear an ugly war of threats and propoganda is likely to develop in the next few years between the NFL and Minnesota politicians. The scenario that may develop for the Vikings may be one of heartbreak, as the club very well could follow the example of the Baltimore Colts after the 1983 season and relocate suddenly to another city. The usual suspects of Los Angeles, Birmingham, Memphis, Toronto, Vancouver, Portland, and San Antonio would be considered, but in the end it seems likely that cooler heads will prevail and the Vikings will stay where they are as a new stadium, perhaps not as posh as the ownership yearns for, will get built in either Minneapolis or in the adjacent Twin Cities suburbs within the next five seasons or so.

The New Orleans Saints were on the edge of departing from the Riverboat City after the 2006 season, but Hurricane Katrina ended any plans of that as Saints ownership quickly agreed with federal, state, and local New Orleans officials and politicans that having them stay was essential in helping to restore and recover the city and surrounding region from the catastrophe. But Tom Bensen signed a lease only through the 2010 season. The Superdome has undergone significant improvements and upgrades since it was seriously damaged by the hurricane, but the city and region continues to struggle on many levels years after the catastrophe and the Saints are increasingly concerned about the New Orleans area being able to support the Saints to the extent required for an NFL club into the second decade of the 21st century. Barring some significant political giveaways, it appears the Saints will depart the Crescent City in 2011, with San Antonio their first choice if still available; but it appears their ultimate destination will be Los Angeles. Bensen has a number of businesses in the San Antonio area that makes that city enticing on a personal level, but the opportunity to be in the nation's second largest market with all the revenue potential is too much to say no to. The state of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans are already directly financially subsidizing the Saints, and any more monies from taxpayers to the Saints is all but impossible given Louisiana's particular economic troubles and the intensive problems and hardships still in place from Hurricane Katrina over three years later.

The final NFL club that has a lease that will expire in the next few years is the Buffalo Bills. Their agreement to play at Ralph Wilson Stadium in suburban Orchard Park expires following the 2012 season. The Bills have already contracted to play one regular game per season in the coming five years in the Rogers Centre (formerly The Skydome) in Toronto. Ralph Wilson is the club's original and only owner and he will turn 91 years of age in October 2009. Wilson has already declared the club will be sold upon his death, and given the long ongoing steep decay in all aspects of business and economy in the Buffalo and western New York region, it is likely the next owners will move to have the club depart from Buffalo in the coming years, most likely to Toronto on an increasing basis in a phased move over several years. It would seem likely the Bills will play a clear majority of their games in Canada within the next several years, with arrangements likely for one to two games still to be played in Orchard Park. This would be a similar arrangement to what the Green Bay Packers had with Milwaukee, as the Packers played two to three games annually in County Stadium from 1953 to 1994.

Other clubs that have been discussed as candidates for relocation include the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, and St Louis Rams; but these three clubs as well as all other NFL clubs have strong leases which will keep in them in their current cities until after 2025 at least.

After a decade of no relocations following the 1990s when four clubs (Raiders, Rams, Ravens, and Titans) relocated, it seems strongly probable a least two to four clubs will do so in the coming few to several years. And when these relocations do occur, it will stir enormous controversy and emotions from fans, followers, businesses, media, and politicians.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-dwyre30-2008dec30,0,7751424.column

*****

Christmas Week of Inactivity [UPDATED DAILY FROM THR 25 DEC to WED 1 JAN]

I will spend the week of Christmas to New Years Eve largely inactive and peacefully. I had earlier in December agreed to spend the week at my brother's home in Castle Rock to tend to his aged dog Dave while he, his wife, and daughters spend the holiday in MA with relatives. It will not be a time of excitement, but there was no chance my holiday week would be one of any excitement whatsoever had I stayed in Cheyenne. At least the weather has improved, albeit for just a short time. After a typical cold start to the week, Christmas Day and Friday the 26th were nice days, relatively speaking, as temps climbed into the mid to upper 40s with clear to partly cloudy skies and no precip. Two forecasted snow events that were supposed to occur on Tuesday and Friday turned out to be complete no-shows thankfully. The wind has been up at times, particularly overnight into both Thursday and Friday mornings. The ground throughout most places is bare of snow except where it is fully shaded, or where shovels and plows compacted and piled the snow. This is a sharp contrast to the Christmasses of recent years. 2005 was a warm and dry Xmas as the temperature climbed to 69 degrees. This year was not quite that good, but it was a significant improvement over '06 and '07 when snowfall was noteworthy and temps were quite cold.

After dropping the HBL family off at the airport Wednesday morning, I came back into the city and had a French toast breakfast with grapefruit juice at a Denny's in Aurora off of I-225 and Sixth Avenue. When I returned back to their place in CR, I took a nap for about three hours in the mid to late afternoon. I spent the evening there, opting not to go out. Thursday, Christmas Day was quiet. I went outside and watered about 8 -10 trees in the backyard, and will hit the rest in the next day or so. Around 3pm I went out to get a holiday meal, but there was absolutely nothing open in CR besides the Waffle House. I guess the IHOP in CR has closed up, so I ended up going north to Centennial to the nearest IHOP for a ham steak dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy with the California vegetables blend. For dessert I had a piece of pumpkin pie. I then spent the evening making a couple of phone calls to my sisters to wish them a Merry Christmas and enjoy conversation. I have hooked up my radios so I have been listening to some classic rock music, some jazz, Coast to Coast AM, and some sports talk. I am using my little TV to catch some late evening shows. The Sirius satellite radio is also of help as I will be able to listen to some of the bowl games without having to go out. That just what I did on both Wednesday and Friday nights with the Hawaii Bowl (easily won by Notre Dame over a quite overmatched Hawaii) and the Motor City Bowl (Florida Atlantic over Central Michigan 24-21).

Before calling it a night on Thursday I took out the trash which was quite minimal as the HBL household does an exceptional job in identifying waste for recycling and makes superb choices in purchasing to minimize packaging waste.

Dave the Dog is doing good, but he is largely nonenergetic and spends most of the time sleeping; I guess he sleeps about 18 hours per day at least. He gets his bone and medication in the morning; a bone in mid afternoon; and then his canned dog food mixed with some dry food before his evening medication. He is not very hungry as the dogfood in his bowl is only being partially eaten. The episodes of the medication delivery have gone okay, but one attempt on Thursday night with the pills was unsuccessful as the old boy was able to expel the pills after placement deep in his mouth. Practice will make perfect in this effort, so hopefully this will be a one time failure. When he is awake, he sometimes yearns for greater attention by yelping and whining, but these attempts are short-lived. I believe the old boy is satisfied to have a lot of quiet time with no children around keeping him from his rest.

Friday I went over to the McDonalds off of I-25 and Hwy 85 to get internet access. I was dismayed to see that they are hitting people up for $2.95 for two hours of access -- gouging the public. I have had no access to the internet for the last three days sinced I arrived Wednesday. If there is a network to access based out of my brother's home, I cannot find it and I suspect it is not active. There are a number of networks in his neighborhood that I am finding, but they are secure and cannot be accessed. However, when I returned back to his home Friday evening, I did find an unsecured network that I was able to hop on, and this post is being done utilizing that connection. But as I post at this moment around 10:40 pm MST, I am completely unsure to when this connection will cease as this network was not among the choices for access prior to this evening; it may be an individual that has just set up a new home wireless network or another visitor in the neighborhood like I am.

Saturday I plan to go out and perhaps catch a bowl game on television at a watering hole. On Sunday I definitely plan to spend a number of hours watching the last regular season Sunday of games. JDs Baitshop in Centennial is almost certainly my destination. I was a regular denizen there for games in '04, '05, and a couple of times in '06 for NFL Sundays. I get a seat that allows me to watch 4-5 games at once. This upcoming Sunday is one with a full schedule of 15 day games, and the last SNF game which features a winner take all match between the fading Broncos and their rivals, the surging Chargers. The outlook is bleak for Denver as they have collapsed almost to the point of a record breaking extent.

I ended being able to stay in on Saturday as the internet connection that was newly of avail continued. The day was a colder one than Friday but skies were crystal clear although there was an icy north wind. I went outside and finished watering HBL's trees, observing the water from the hose turning to ice in short order upon being released onto the ground. Dave was glad to have someone outside with him for a half-hour as he rolled in the remaining snow along the shaded fence line as the snow continues to rapidly disappear. I thought about going out to get a pizza, but I found some hot dogs in the freezer which will carry me over through the evening. I determined a sports bar nearby here in CR named the Fowl Line is a good bet to go watch NFL. For tonight I will listen to the Redwings / Avalanche game on the radio and finish up keeping track of the final of three college football bowl games also being broadcast.

Sunday was the warmest day in quite some time as the temps climbed into the mid 50s under mostly clear skies with light winds. After a hot shower, I went out around 1:30 pm to the local sportsbar to watch NFL for several hours. The Fowl Line is a rather so-so establishment that leaves much to be desired. It pales significantly in comparison to several other similar joints that I have been to in the Denver area as well as in Cheyenne. Like most Sundays there were some good results and then there were some bad. The good (actually fantastic and utterly marvelous) was to see the Dallass Cocaineboys got totally undressed, barbecued, and obliterated by the Eagles in an thoroughly enjoyable rout to witness. Other winners that were good to see were the Vikings, Dolphins, and Panthers. The bad was the hapless Detroit Lions who failed to win a single game this season finishing a record worst 0-16. I just do not know how this was possible. The pro game is set up for parity largely and every team should win a few games at worst. The good people of Michigan are having a horrible time beyond imagination with the economic collapse and looming bankrutcy of the automobile industry across the board in The Wolverine State; and to have their football team stink this terribly makes things even worse. Pity the fools -- just kidding -- one has to have feel for those citizens.

And then there was the ugly. And I mean ugly. The Denver Broncos got ran out of the stadium and then some in San Diego as the Chargers obliterated Denver to knock the Broncos out of the playoffs as Denver finished off the worst choke job in NFL history, blowing a three game lead in their division with three games left. At season's start I thought the Broncos would be around .500 and it turned out to be true. But it was an ugly team to watch much of the season, save the road games in OAK, CLE, ATL, and NYJ. They were fortunate early on to beat the Chargers the first time the two teams clashed in September (actually lucky beyond belief); and their wins over NORL, TB, and KC were unimpressive and also largely ones that also had a lot of luck involved.

There were an enormous number of Broncos' stinkers during this season: @ KC, v JAX, @ NENG, v Miami (the one game I attended in person), v OAK, @ CAR, and v BUF. But this finale was the worst and ugliest of them all for the '08 season. This club has a lot of work to do for any improvement to occur in '09. The collapse of the club in losing their final three games means Denver misses the playoffs for a third consecutive season, which is the first time this has happened since the three year absence from '80 to '82. There is little to believe at this moment that this current streak will be broken next season, which would take the club back to the long term ineptitude it had as it missed the playoffs all of the first 17 seasons of its existence ('60-'76).

Monday is forecast to get above 60 degrees but the wind is supposed to blow like the dickens. It supposed to be seasonal the next five to six days after that, but early forecasts are showing another Arctic Front is headed into the region on Monday 6 January to make everyone miserable yet again.

I took advantage of the nice weather (near 60 degrees and sunny with little wind) on Monday to do some things outside briefly. I watered some of HBL's trees that I had not yet tended to. I then had a sub sandwich at Subway before driving into Denver. I made a pitstop at Microcenter to look at some computers briefly before going over to the Colorado City Center off of Evans and Colorado to go to the movies. I watched the film "Marley and Me". It was quite superb and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a real tearjerker at times and the ending is rather difficult from an emotional viewpoint. I heartily recommend the picture to everyone, but be prepared to both laugh and cry. After the movie ended I returned back to CR and stopped at a local pizza joint "Stumpy's", to get a pie for my dinner. The rest of the evening was spent surfing the 'net; listening to the last two periods of the Predators / Avalanche game; catching the end of the Alamo Bowl on the Sirius radio; and watching a little TV on my mini set. Its kind of unsettling to know the mini set will not be able to be used any longer after mid February with the digital changeover unless I hook it up to a translator box. This will make the point of using the mini set somewhat impractical at times as I will have carry the set, the box, and an antenna and have access to electricity always to be able to have everything function. Quite the hassle which will reduce the few times I already use the mini set.

Tuesday I have to do some straightening up of this place as it will be less than a day before the HBL family returns home and I subsequently depart for home myself. I need to pick some various stuff up, wash dishes, sweep the floor, maybe do a load of laundry, and generally make the place presentable for he and his family to slide right back into after their travels.

Tuesday 30 December, the penultimate day of 2009, was largely a day of lethargy as I did next to nothing. I did not go anywhere at all, but did step out on a couple occasions as I walked over to the park a block away with Dave and turned back right away as so as not to get the old boy fatigued. It was a bright sunny day around 60 degrees again as the powerful windstorm that swept through the region overnight Monday well into late Tuesday morning virtually totally abated by 3;30 pm. The vent in the laundry room in the HBL family home always shakes and sounds like an eternally beating loud drum whenever the wind blows in CR. I also watered a few more of HBL's trees. I heard about the NFL Denver Broncos' firing of Mike Shanahan so I tuned into some talk radio from 4:30 until 6pm. I then listened to the Holiday Bowl from San Diego between Oregon and Oklahoma St which turned out to be an entertaining and competitive game, won by the Ducks 42-31 in a mild upset. While listening I got the kitchen floor thoroughly swept (no easy task with all the dog hair) and washed about ten or so dishes and utensils in the sink that had accumulated over the past several days. Supper consisted of some hot dogs and a can of beans.

I see gasoline is down to $1.17 per gallon in Wheatland; unfortunately it is at an evil Exxon station !

I was eager to listen to Coast to Coast AM starting at 11pm as Art Bell is back for a rare appearance in the first of two year ending shows that will focus on predictions and projections for the coming year (no predictions of assassinations, political wishes, or statements emanating out of drunken foolishness are allowed) as well as reflect back on what happened in '08 and how the predictions and forecasts mad last late December went for this year. It is rather amazing to think I have been at least a somewhat regular listener of this radio program for going on a decade now. I think my loyalty to this program has now been greater than when I used to listen to Larry King on the radio overnight in the early to mid 1980s.

Here are some of the predictions (!?!) for 2009 being made: (feel free to laugh, howl, or flatulate)

1) Aliens will land in spaceships at the Memphis TN airport.

2) A nuclear weapon being detonated will occur in the US.

3) New monarch on the throne of England.

4) Major earthquake in a West Coast city, possibly Seattle.

5) Rings for teleportation currently in Palmdale, CA will be used in '09.

6) Economic downturn will result in martial law being ordered in some cities.

7) The lack of solar activity (sunspots, solar wind) will become a serious growing concern.

It sounds as if I need to be at DIA around noon to get the credit for the pickup. I understand DL has to work WED night into THR morning overnight which will be challenging enough, let alone after a cross country flight with two feisty youngsters following a week dealing with inlaws and sleeping in a different bed at a lower elevation and in a different kind of climate. I expect the three who don't have to pull the graveyard to fall asleep dead tired into bed before the evening hits its midpoint on Wednesday. Dave will have some additional friendly company again after a weeks respite.

Wednesday arrived with news from HBL their flight was cancelled necessitating a delay and a rerouting. Thus I did not have to be at DIA until around 2:30pm. Sleep overnight into morning this day was unsatifactory as I failed to get much deep sleep and struggled through the day hoping things would go okay. But hopes for things remaining as scheduled quickly ended as their flight was nearly an hour late and there were other inconveniences and miscommunications that delayed us getting out of the airport zone until after 3:45 pm MST. By the time we all got back to CR it was after 4:30 and DL had to hurry off for her night of work in the Springs, leaving her no rest before her long shift. The evening was okay as I pushed the girls on their swings, was a presence as they did some color books and sticker books, and after a modest supper, read them a number of story books as they readied for bed following their baths. I went out and got HBL some milk, and I picked up a 12 pack of various flavors of Sam Adams beer to enjoy later in the evening. HBL and I had some good conversation before he called it a night around 12:15, and I followed about an hour later.

Thursday, New Years Day 2009 we went out to run some errands and have some fun with girls. We stopped at a park in Lone Tree and the girls enjoyed the playground, swings, and monkeybars. Later it was McDs where they went bonkers playing in the playcenter.

And Friday 2 January I headed home around 10:30 am to wrap a nice long week mostly filled with solitude but also with nice fun.

*****

A Very Quiet Week

I had my first full week of freedom from work since last New Years week. I mostly rested as a cold has me feeling crummy and somewhat listless. The weather was largely very poor -- either extremely cold or snowy or windy or, for the most part, all three. This made outdoors activities impossible. I did go out a couple of times for some light meals - once to McDonalds, once to Wendy's (the chili and baked potatoes are always good and tasty), and again on Friday night to The Little Bear Inn, a restaurant located north of town on the way to Chugwater where I had a steak for probably about the first time this year. The restaurant was offering a steak at half-price to anyone born in 1958, the year the restaurant started in business. I got myself a sirloin with a baked potato and it was fine. I do not get to eat steak except on extremely rare occasions and 2009 may be a year where I go without having one. I did not eat a steak in 2006, 2005, or 2004 as I recall with the exception perhaps of a steak taco at Taco Bell, which really does not count.

I did little else during this week but stay home and stay warm. I thought about going to the film The Day the Earth Stood Still that was released in the last couple of weeks, but I never did get to it. Instead, I watched some sports and some movies on the tele, and surfed the 'net. Mostly I rested and got plenty of sleep. I feel better physically as good as I have in quite some time with the chronic aches and pains that have beset me from the physical labor and being on my feet on hard surfaces for hours on end with few breaks, albeit the cold I have keeps me from being 100 %. I did go to the post office and got a Christmas card from my sister L and her family as well as a magazine called "Reminisce" that was enjoyable to read through.

I do not expect much on the job front to emerge until after New Years week. I am largely unoptimistic about anything developing soon. I will get an unemployment check in the coming weeks but it will only be for $143 per weekas the system works in a way not crediting me for my earnings during the third quarter of 2008 which were much greater than what I earned in the prior five quarters in 2007 into 2008. $572 a month will only pay my rent and electric/heat bill and leave very little for anything else.

Saturday I stayed in all day. Breakfast was a couple of bowls of Quaker Oat Squares cereal. It was mostly sunny but very cold with the Arctic Cold Wave back again for an unwelcome encore, although this edition was not as extreme as the one earlier this week. The high temperature stayed in the low teens and it is not expected to get below zero as the wind is belowing ferociously unlike the arctic wave of last week when it was largely calm. The forecast is not positive for the coming days, but at least it will break freezing a couple of times in the coming week and the sun is supposed to be out more often than not.

I watched the first of the many bowl games that will be played in the coming weeks. 34 games are slated for a twenty day period starting today through Thursday 8 January. Most of the games will be okay but nothing noteworthy. The first two today were very good as Wake Forest outlasted Navy in the inaugural Congresssional Bowl from Washington DC; and in the New Mexico Bowl from Albuquerque, Colorado St rallied from being down to overcome Fresno St in a game that was rather entertaining. The late afternoon St Petersburg Bowl was a blowout for South Florida over Memphis, and I am hopeful the Las Vegas Bowl between Arizona and Brigham Young turns out to be close. I also checked in on some college hoops from the MWC as San Diego St and Utah were winners while BYU lost to Arizona St as a last second winning shot by the Cougars was just an instant too late.

As the evening went along, I watched the bowl game as Arizona played well and defeated the Cougars 31-21. And it was most excellent to see the Dallass Cocaineboys go down to defeat yet again which all but ends their playoff aspirations as well as provides a fitting end to that colossus of evil, Texas Stadium.

It was nice to get a text message from my sister M. Later in the evening I talked on the phone with brother HBL for about an hour and watched halfheartedly some rerun movies. I finally went to bed around 4am.

Sunday was a bitterly cold day again with the high temperature struggling to make it to a balmy 21 degrees, but the northwest winds were brutal, pushing the wind chill values to well below zero for the most part. I stayed in and watched the early NFL game between Arizona and New England in blizzard bound Massachusetts until halftime, as the desert birds were annihilated in the outside winter elements. I made it outside around 12:30 to get the Sunday newspaper, and then went over to Shadows to watch the games not being telecast locally which were much better and competitive for the most part. I stayed at the sportsbar until after 5pm following the Broncos lackluster showing and defeat to the Buffalo Bills, the first time Denver has lost a home game to the Bills in over 41 years. I briefly went outside during the early 4th quarter to help a guy jump his truck but we were unsuccessful.

On the way home I made a pitstop at Safeway for the one box of hamburger helper I neglected to get while briefly at Walmart on Friday night. I see gasoline prices are holding steady around $1.30 per gallon which is the least expensive in the nation at this time. I spent the evening watching SNF between Carolina and New York; the New Orleans Bowl between Southern Mississippii and Troy; and the film "Sahara". I had some peach pie for supper as well and did some planning for the upcoming week which will include an eight day stint in Castle Rock to tend to Dave the Dog while my brother and his family travel back east for Christmas.

The evening was quiet otherwise as I enjoyed the solitude and surfed the 'net before retiring around 2am.

....

*****

Telling It Like It Is

..From writer Mark Hasuik in his column for The Vancouver Courier on Friday 19 December:

NBA: A Ghetto Gutter Run by Money Grubbers

Mark Hasiuk, Vancouver Courier

Published: Friday, December 19, 2008

Last week, in an interview with ESPN's Bill Simmons, National Basketball Association (NBA) commissioner David Stern made the following admission: "I wish we hadn't had the Vancouver experience," he said. "Great city, and we disappointed them and we disappointed ourselves."

Stern, of course, was referring to the Vancouver Grizzlies basketball franchise, which floundered at GM Place for six seasons before limping off to Memphis in 2001. He regrets not investing more NBA dollars selling basketball to Vancouver sports fans, who are more familiar with slapshots and bodychecks than slamdunks and bounce passes.

Whatever. The Grizzlies sucked. They drafted terrible players, hired terrible coaches and compiled a dreadful 101-359 win/loss record in front of sparse crowds. No amount of advertising could disguise the team's poor performance, which was a key factor in the Grizzlies exodus.

But something else soured local basketball fans, whether they knew or not.

The NBA is America at its worst.

The once proud league, which peaked 20 years ago during the Bird/Magic/Jordan era, has morphed into a reality TV show, where money and image trump teamwork and athletic achievement. Players like Allen Iverson--perhaps the greatest basketball talent of his generation--spend more energy producing sneaker commercials than winning basketball games. NBA players wear saggy shorts, roll in posses and cuss on camera. Television ratings have dropped steadily since 1996. Basketball icons such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the late Red Auerbach have denounced today's players, calling them "thugs" and "bums."

How'd this happen? Who's to blame?

Basketball traditionalists (older white guys) blame the overwhelming influence of hip hop culture in the NBA. But they're wrong.

Hip hop, a cultural movement spawned in 1970s New York, has been dead for years.

It sold its soul to corporate sleaze merchants, who repackage black music for a white suburban consumer base.

Nope, the remnants of hip hop--flamboyant chauvinism, jailhouse lingo, black ink tattoos--didn't kill the NBA. It was New York lawyers like Stern, who cashed in on the athletic ability of young black men while ignoring the social realities of basketball in America.

According to a New York Times report, more than 75 per cent of black American children are born out of wedlock. Most NBA players hail from poor neighbourhoods--and despite token college careers--graduate from broken public school systems. They are often ill-equipped to handle multi-million-dollar contracts, or the expectations of a community desperate for positive male role models. To be fair, the NBA, like other professional sports leagues, is a business. And it's not responsible for the endemic problems of black America. But considering basketball's influence on black popular culture, the NBA has a responsibility to produce a "positive" product, not the ghetto garbage we see today.

Ironically, the greed of Stern and his gang of crafty owners (ubiquitous Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban currently faces insider trading charges) may ultimately rescue the NBA from the gutter. In effort to boost sagging ticket sales and television revenue, the NBA enacted several decrees aimed at polishing its image. The league has issued a "business casual" dress code targeting jewelry, indoor sunglasses and other "thug culture" artifacts. It's established an entry-level age limit of 19 years old, and players are issued "sensitivity" training if they step out of line.

So that's what we're missing, now that the Grizzlies are gone.

This week, hype in Vancouver surrounding Trevor Linden's jersey retirement reached embarrassing levels of idolatry. Linden was a slightly above average player in a town devoid of hockey superstars. But as his jersey was hoisted to the rafters Wednesday night, I couldn't help feel proud that someone like Linden--and his limited statistical success--garnered such public adoration from his adopted city.

Stern can keep his basketball franchise. His NBA cabal doesn't belong around here.

www.markhasiuk.com

*

Much of what Hasiuk observes is also very true throughout most of college basketball, and is strongly present in high school basketball. The sport of basketball is largely morally corrupt and without heart and soul.

*****

Arctic Cold Sets Records

It was certainly a record breaking cold wave that roared in Saturday night as these numbers show. Thankfully the worst is over as it will simply now only be only extremely cold and very cold over the coming days, and the forecast now is saying we may get above freezing briefly later this week. And while it is super cold, the really nice thing is that the wind has all but stopped blowing. Something small to be grateful for.

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
925 AM MST MON DEC 15 2008

...THE RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE WAS SET AT THE CHEYENNE AIRPORT...

THE LOW TEMPERATURE OF 13 BELOW ZERO WAS SET THIS MORNING...ON
MONDAY DECEMBER 15 2008 AT THE CHEYENNE AIRPORT. THE OLD RECORD LOW OF 9
BELOW ZERO WAS SET IN 1884.

$

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
711 PM MST SUN DEC 14 2008

...THE RECORD LOW HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS SET AT THE CHEYENNE AIRPORT...

THE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 1 DEGREE ABOVE ZERO TODAY...SUNDAY DECEMBER 14 2008...SETS A
NEW RECORD LOW HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE DAY. THE OLD RECORD OF 11
WAS SET IN 1926.

$

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY
102 AM MST MON DEC 15 2008

...RECORD LOWS FALL AT CASPER AND ROCK SPRINGS WYOMING...

THE RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE OF -18 DEGREES WAS SET AT CASPER
YESTERDAY, SUNDAY MORNING...DECEMBER 14TH. THIS BROKE THE OLD RECORD OF -9
DEGREES SET BACK IN 1967.

THE RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE OF -10 DEGREES WAS SET AT ROCK SPRINGS
YESTERDAY, SUNDAY MORNING...DECEMBER 14TH. THIS BROKE THE OLD RECORD OF -3 THAT
WAS SET BACK IN 1987.

$

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
642 AM MST MON DEC 15 2008

...NEW RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES IN DENVER FOR DECEMBER 14TH AND 15TH...

THE LOW TEMPERATURE AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON SUNDAY DECEMBER 14TH
DROPPED TO -18 DEGREES AT 635 PM AND NEVER DROPPED BELOW -18 PRIOR TO MIDNIGHT.
SO THAT ESTABLISHES A NEW RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE FOR DECEMBER 14TH
BREAKING THE OLD RECORD OF -14 DEGREES SET IN 1901.

THEN ON MONDAY DECEMBER 15TH...THE LOW TEMPERATURE BOTTOMED OUT AT -19 DEGREES
AT 231 AM.  THIS IS A NEW RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE FOR DECEMBER 15TH
BREAKING THE OLD RECORD OF -6 SET IN 1951.

$

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
414 AM MST MON DEC 15 2008

...RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE SET AT BILLINGS MT...

A RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE OF -18 DEGREES WAS SET AT BILLINGS MT
YESTERDAY, SUNDAY 14 DECEMBER. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF -13 SET IN 1945. IN
ADDITION THE HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR SUNDAY DECEMBER 14 WAS ONLY -8 DEGREES. THIS
SETS A RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE FOR THE DATE. THE OLD RECORD
WAS 4 DEGREES SET IN 1948.

$

RECORD EVENT REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
409 AM MST MON DEC 15 2008

...RECORD TEMPERATURES SET AT SHERIDAN WY...

A RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE OF -16 DEGREES WAS SET AT SHERIDAN WY
YESTERDAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF -13 SET IN 1940. IN
ADDITION THE HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR DECEMBER 14 ONLY REACHED 9
DEGREES BELOW ZERO. THIS SETS A RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE FOR THE
DATE. THE OLD RECORD WAS 9 DEGREES SET IN 1975.

$$

	Record Report
Statement as of 8:07 PM EST on December 15, 2008 ...Record Cool Maximum Temperatures For Dec 15 In North Central And Southwest Montana... Location new record old record year set Dillon Airport -12 12 1967 Great Falls -9 -4 1979 Helena -2 0 1899 Cut Bank -11 -9 1979 Wisdom -8 -5 1967 Havre -13 -8 1924 Townsend -5 7 1951 Boulder -9 11 1967 Valier -7 -5 1951 Choteau -8 -7 1933 White Sulphur Sprs -14 12 1967 Belgrade field -5 3 1967 Shelby -7 -2 1951 Lewistown -11 -2 1897 Harlem -12 -1 1951 ... Record low temperatures for Dec 15 in north central and southwest Montana... Location new record old record year set Dillon Airport -27 -13 1964 Havre -33 -28 1964 White Sulphur State Pk -29 -27 1964 Lewistown -29 tied -29 1964 Harlem -31 -27 1964 The coldest temperature reported in the area was -38f... north of Havre... .near the international border.

$$

Meanwhile the temperature rose to a record breaking 81 degrees in Wichita Falls, TX.
And Childress, TX, saw a record high of 76 before the front arrived, plunging
temperatures by over 50 degrees in a matter of hours during Sunday 14 December.

Ah the thrills and hardship of winter across The Plains. Someday, perhaps sooner than
I realize, I will be living in a place where I will not have to deal with this ever
again.

*****

"Wormer Dropped The Big One"

As I and many others await an impactful Arctic Blizzard within hours, I guess its only appropriate the week wraps up with another hammer blow. The bad news I was expecting did come this week as I got word on Thursday I was laid off from my work. I had hoped it might not come until next week or even after the first of the year, but I could see it was inevitable from what I was witnessing in the factory itself as well as the larger news from the outside world. The factory laid off 75 workers in November and I was part of a 40 person layoff which reduces staffing to only about 35 -40 people in the factory side with another 10 or so in the administrative side. So about 70 % or so of the employees have been let go in the last six weeks. I have my doubts seriously about getting called back anytime soon given the huge numbers of workers that have cleared out and the continuing strongly negative economic news regularly. I did apply for unemployment and can expect a check sometime during the week of Christmas and weekly afterwords, but I do not know yet now how much it will be for. I have a parttime job I may be able to fall back on at The Wrangler, but I will not follow up on it until I get an idea of what my UI benefits will be and how much working a job for 8 - 12 hours a week at best will be a factor. Until then, I am just relaxing at home and looking at hunkering down for the next several days with this monstrous Arctic Blizzard about to arrive and besiege us with subzero cold, ferocious north winds, and some yet to be determined amount of snow.

Prior to getting the word on the layoff, this week was not filled with full workdays. I did get a full day on Monday, but Tuesday was one with no work; Wednesday was only a five hour day; and Thursday was only three hours before being sent off for a final time. If I do get called back, I believe it will not be until at least March, probably April.

With so much free time suddenly, I basically relaxed. I was fighting a cold for much of the week, but it eased by Friday. But I got out and spent some time perusing some books and periodicals at the two local bookstores / newsstands. On Friday I took a day trip to Denver, leaving Cheyenne around 1pm. I stopped at the Newsland in Federal Heights. There used to be five Newsland locations in the Denver area, but this site at 92nd and Federal is the sole survivor, and I anticipate it will be gone by the end of 2009 or so with the changing habits of readers, the relative remoteness of this remaining location, the presence of the internet to empower consumers to get their reading materials from, and last but certainly not least, the economic downturn and collapse. Its too bad as the store always had a selection of periodicals and even books that were not available at other retailers and booksellers.

After spending about 45 minutes there, I made my way south along Federal Blvd into NW Denver. It was the first time I had driven this long stretch of road in 3-4 years and some changes had occurred, but some of the more unsightly problems and eyesores remain unfortunately. I then went down Speer to the south and east by downtown into the Cherry Creek area battling sluggish traffic. I made my way south along Colorado Blvd to El Cheapo Discs, a used CD store next to where I used to work at a now defunct Radio Shack. I spent about 45 minutes browsing through the merchandise and made a few selections until my friend Matt joined me. We then went to a Sweet Tomatoes restaurant for a healthy dinner and conversation. Then I made the trip home with an arrival back around 10pm.

Saturday was a quiet day at home for the most part. I did go out and check my mail and pick up an inexpensive ($6) pepperoni pizza at Blackjack. But mostly I rested and halfheartedly watched some college football (Richmond / Northern Iowa) and basketball (Mississippi / New Mexico & Utah / Oklahoma) on the tube. I guess this will be the centerpiece of the daily repetoire for the coming several days with the brutal weather looming, and probably beyond as well.

As the late afternoon and evening continued, I got some pictures from my sister M of her Christmas decorations in and out of her home. I also got a phone call from my brother H and we had a nice broad conversation. I watched the Heisman Trophy Award ceremony, the movie "Fargo", the newly colorized presentation of the 50th anniversary of the 1958 NFL title game between the Colts and Giants that included a lot of rich and insight commentary and memories from participants in and witnesses to the game; the Portland St / Brigham Young game, and the movie "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy".

I also got a little work organizing paperwork and materials on the desk in my office, and that job is now about 95 % complete and organized. Its something I will be working on in the coming weeks with the new amount of inactivity that awaits me.

Sunday turned out to be bitterly cold, but skies were crystal blue clear and the wind was calm. We barely got a dusting of snow fortunately so this weather turned out to be far from being blizzard thankfully. But temperatures barely reached zero after a very cold night as the front came in on Saturday night around 7pm to 8pm as the mercury dropped by 35 to 40 degrees in a little more than an hour or two. Sunday night will be coldest night with temps falling to near 20 below zero before the winds come up and shift resulting in a "warming" to above zero. But this entire week is forecast to be very cold as 32 degrees will not be seen for the next several days. Snow is also forecast to fall for at least 50 % of the coming days in the next week or so. When it is this cold the atmosphere cannot simply hold any moisture whatsoever for even a minimum length of time. Thus we are in the heart of winter, but unfortunately the equinox is yet to occur.
That does not bode well in the short term.

I arose around 9:30 am, had some oatmeal for breakfast, and watched some NFL until around 2:15pm when I ventured out. The White Knight was a frozen rock and lumbered hesitantly down the street once I got it moving. I picked up the Sunday newspapers and made it over to the Shadows sports bar in downtown in the old train depot building. I had not been in here since last spring. There were only about 10-15 people there so I had plenty of room to spread out the papers and read while keeping an eye on the four late NFL games, one of which featured the Steelers and Ravens which was why I ventured out as that game was not telecast locally. Once again, for about the fifth time this season, the Steelers pulled out a last minute victory over Baltimore. I had a burger, a pop, and a bowl of carmel vanilla ice cream which felt good for my dry sore throat. I returned home after sundown obviously but the Ford ran a little better having its fluids thawed out just about 2 1/2 hours earlier.

Sunday evening I relaxed at home: I clipped coupons, did the puzzles in the papers, watched 60 Minutes ( a couple of alarming reports in the program) and kept an eye on the Giants / Cocaineboys game. With my other Sunday programs on hiatus for the holidays, I tuned in to watch a report on CNN about the rapidly deteriorating environment and natural world. I later caught the news and watched a couple of old movies halfheartedly before calling it a night.

.....

*****

Recession Starting to Take Toll on Sports

It is inevitable that the extent of the economic downturn being experienced across the US would impact sports, both professional and amateur. In the last few days, reports are emerging of where sports may suffer, or even be eliminated or die. In college sports, it has been discussed that San Diego State University drop its football program as the State of California is in dire financial straits with the wolves already through the door. Governor Schwarzenegger has already told universities and colleges throughout California they must make severe cuts, and he has suggested sports as an area for doing just that, among others. The loss of the San Diego State football program would be a serious blow to the Mountain West Conference.

It would not be surprising to see a number of athletic programs on the university and college level around the nation be eliminated or de-emphasized with a reduction in expenses, scholarships, and prominence. This may not be such a bad thing given the over emphasis of college athletics at the expense of more worthy and merited pursuits on the academic side as well as with the recent pronouncement that getting a postsecondary education is increasingly becoming out of reach for most Americans. There are 119 schools participating in Division 1 -Football Bowl Series - level football, and at least two dozen to thirty of them are already in peril of not being able to continue due to inadequate attendance, revenues, and support. The economic collapse may knock a number of them into being eliminated or downscaled to a Div FCS or Division II level program which requires far less money to operate.

On the professional side, today we saw the declaration of bankruptcy of the Tribune Company, at least somewhat due to the ineptitude, arrogance, and greed of one Samuel Zell. The Tribune Media Corporation is the parent company of the Chicago Cubs. This financial vice-grip will result in the Cubs being less aggressive in improving their club and being more financially sensible. Too bad the same won't be happening to the Yankees and Dodgers.

Plenty of MLB clubs have already frozen their ticket prices and are showing a concern about a likely downturn in attendance, sponsorships, and revenues from media. '09 may see a different kind of year than most clubs have experienced since the boom in new costly luxury suite and box laden stadiums began in the late '80s and early '90s. A lot of those fancy and expensive seats and suites are going to be empty and vacant more often that not this upcoming season, and the same will be true with the "cheap seats" with unemployment rising and the public acting extremely cautious towards discretionary and unnecessary expenses.

The National Hockey League is feeling the impact of the economic crisis acutely, and the financial well being and very existence of several clubs appears to be of a concern. The Phoenix Coyotes made a ridiculous decision in 2003 to build an arena in a distant suburb far away from downtown and adjacent areas where fan interest would be its greatest, and that choice is now having repurcussions. It would not be surprising to see the Coyotes go bankrupt and be seized by the league, with a relocation to another city (Seattle, Portland, Toronto, Houston, Kansas City ?) occuring before summer. Other clubs in serious peril include the (Miami) Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Atlanta Thrashers, (Raleigh) Carolina Hurricanes, New York Islanders, St Louis Blues, and Columbus Blue Jackets. Circumstances like what is facing the Coyotes could happen, very quickly and suddenly, for one and likely more of these clubs. It is not inconceivable to have the NHL go through a contraction, dropping from the 30 clubs now to perhaps as few as 24. In the serious downturn of the mid 70s, the NHL saw the loss of two franchises in Cleveland and San Francisco.

The National Basketball Association is in similar straits to the NHL, and while the league and its clubs are keeping quiet about their circumstances, a similar scenario to what is being seen in the NHL is very likely with perhaps as many as 4-6 clubs being forced into bankruptcy in short order and becoming defunct, shrinking the league. Clubs that may be facing that scenario include Charlotte, Memphis, Denver, Utah, Toronto, Milwaukee, Sacramento, the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix, Cleveland, and New Jersey. The league is already on shaky ground with a pronounced downturn in fan support and interest in the last few years, and this economic collapse is probably going to be the straw that breaks the camel's back for several fragile clubs.

The National Football League seemingly has enough resources and strength to withstand this economic downturn, but a scenario that becomes close to worst case may eventually imperil some clubs in the league, and the looming labor battle could result in a shutdown of the league within the next few years could be deadly for some clubs if the stoppage is prolonged, as is currently feared by some. The NFL did announce a staff cutback of about 150 jobs or more than 10 % of its employees on Tuesday 9 December, and some see this as a sure sign the economy is in the worst state possible.

One professional league has already been claimed by the economic collapse --the Major Indoor Lacrosse League . And it now appears another is going to go by the wayside as well. The nearly 25 year old Arena Football League is reportedly going to call it quits officially within a matter of days.

The four major professional team sports leagues currently have a total of 122 clubs. It would not be shocking to see that number pared by 20 % or more within the next 6 - 10 years.

*****

My View on the 2009 Nominees for the MLB Hall of Fame

There are 23 former players on the Hall of Fame ballot for voters to consider for election this year. Thirteen are holdovers, which is a record low, from last year, and there are ten newcomers in their first year of eligibility and consideration. Here is whom I would vote for selection and enshrinement in the Hall and some brief comments I have towards each candidate.

Harold Baines: 3rd year on ballot; YES -- his numbers and longevity are of merit for election.

Jay Bell: 1st year on ballot; NO -- very good fielder, but an average hitter at best for the most part.

Bert Blyleven: 12th year on ballot; YES -- solid consistent numbers over a lengthy career.

David Cone: 1st year on ballot; NO -- borderline with his numbers, may yet get in.

Andre Dawson: 8th year on ballot; YES -- absolutely with impressive consistent career numbers.

Ron Gant: 1st year on ballot; NO -- nothing noteworthy for consideration.

Mark Grace: 1st year on ballot: YES -- did just enough to merit selection over his career.

Rickey Henderson: 1st year on ballot; YES -- as outstanding a candidate as could be.

Tommy John: 15th (final) year on ballot: YES --deserves entry but probably not anytime soon.

Don Mattingly: 9th year on ballot: NO -- not as qualified as Grace by any measure.

Mark McGwire: 3rd year on ballot; NO* -- steroids connection will keep him out for years to come.

Jack Morris: 10th year on ballot; YES -- solid numbers and was a clutch performer through his career.

Dale Murphy: 11th year on ballot; YES -- good solid numbers plus intangibles merit selection.

Jesse Orosco: 1st year on ballot; NO -- good numbers and longevity may get him in down the road away.

Dave Parker: 13th year on ballot; NO -- average numbers comparatively and cocaine scandal will always keep him out.

Dan Plesac: 1st year on ballot; NO -- better than average numbers may not be enough for him to ever gain entry.

Tim Raines: 2nd year on ballot; NO** -- eventually will get in, but he will wait for a number of years for entry.

Jim Rice: 15th (final) year on ballot; YES --as qualified as many already in with his consistent solid career numbers.

Lee Smith: 7th year on ballot; YES -- one of the best relief pitchers ever in the history of the game.

Alan Trammell: 8th year on ballot; YES -- did just enough throughout his career as 2B to merit entry.

Greg Vaughn: 1st year on ballot; NO -- clearly did not do enough in any way.

Mo Vaughn: 1st year on ballot; NO -- steroids and too short a career doom him to never getting in.

Matt Williams: 1st year on ballot, YES -- solid steady career with very good numbers. He will get chosen in the coming years.

*I think McGwire should be in the HoF at some point, but I will wait for nine more years before voting for his induction.

**Like McGwire, Raines made some questionable at best personal choices while a player, deciding to use cocaine while in position of being a role model for millions of youth globally and then being convicted of this as a federal crime in a federal court. I will wait seven more years before voting for him for induction.

I predict Henderson, Rice, and Dawson will get selected this year. The results of the ballot election will be announced on either Tuesday 6 January or Wednesday 7 January at Noon EST. Other candidates that may get chosen include Blyleven and Grace. It is also very likely the Veterans Committee will make some selections for either or both pre-1943 and post-1943 players and others with an announcement to be made on Monday 8 December.

The '10 ballot includes Barry Larkin, Edgar Martinez, and Fred McGriff whom should get elected. In 2011, the ballot will include Jeff Bagwell and John Franco.

And of course it is also long past time to discuss Pete Rose. His accomplishments as a player make him superbly worthy for enshrinement in spite of his deep transgressions as a manager. At some point he should be made eligible for election, perhaps in 2015 or sooner, or after a new commissioner takes office. If Rose has his eligibility reinstated at some point in the future, the same step must be taken simultaneously or previously for "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, who also should be in the Hall for his accomplishments as a player as history and research has largely exhonerated him of any participation in the 1919 Black Sox Scandal posthumously.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball_Hall_of_Fame_balloting,_2009

http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers/vetcom.jsp

http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers/bbwaa.jsp

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/87941-mlb-hall-of-fame-2009-whos-in-whos-not

http://www.hofmag.com/content/view/1313/190/

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3737005

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Breaking-down-your-2009-Hall-of-Fame-ballot?urn=mlb,125820

*****

Winter Comes Strong to The Front Range

My week was one with a lot of activity, but overall it declined from start to end. The week saw me start with the closing days of my vacation, as I wrapped up the holiday visiting with my inlaws and making the return trip back to Colorado and Wyoming. After a one night delay due to a localized blizzard, I made it back home around dusk on Monday. Tuesday through Thursday were days at work, and winter was back in harshly starting Wednesday. Snow fell Wednesday through early Friday with about 7-8" of total accumulation and bitterly cold temperatures on both Thursday and Friday mornings with low temps sinking below zero. I had to run a couple of errands after work on Tuesday and Wednesday - post office, bank, and grocery store - but was able to come home directly after work Thursday and not have to go back out into the cold wintry night. Friday was a day off from work as the production demands continue to diminish. The possibility of a layoff still looms. I just do not know if and when it will happen, but it would not be surprising to me to get the word at any point in the coming weeks. I hope it does not happen until January, and if it does happen, it only lasts for a few weeks to a month at the most. But there just is simply no telling about anything.

With the bad weather and short week, I did little else. Wednesday evening saw me go to bed around 7pm and get a great nights sleep until 5:30 am Thursday. Thursday evening I watched the good TV shows I regularly watch on that night plus some of the Raiders / Chargers game and the Avalanche / Predators contest. Friday afternoon I went and had pizza buffet at Godfathers around noon for the first time since last March. I ate a lot and therefore did not have to eat anything else the rest of the day. I spent the rest of Friday at home doing little but resting, watching the MAC Championship game between Ball St and Buffalo, and the Avalanche / Stars contest.

Saturday I slept in a little later waking up around 9am. I had oatmeal for breakfast again and has some hot chocolate. I stayed home all day and never ventured out (although I looked out the window a couple of times and saw seemingly no snow is melting -- GRRR !) which is something I like to do at least once every two weeks. Solitude is glorious. This is the last Saturday of college football for this year so the day was spent enjoying all or parts of several games: Army / Navy; Pittsburgh / Connecticut; East Carolina / Tulsa (CUSA championship); Boston College / Virginia Tech (ACC championship); Washington / California; Weber St / Montana (FCS playoff quarterfinal); Alabama / Florida (SEC championship); Southern California / U C L A; South Florida / West Virginia; Arizona St / Arizona; Oklahoma / Missouri (Big 12 championship); and Cincinnati / Hawaii. Some of the games were competitive and entertaining, while others were bland or routs. Typical of most Saturdays. Besides watching these games I also balanced my checkbook, surfed the 'net, worked on my blogs, and put some CDs on the player to listen as I turned the tv volume down for a time.

Around 7pm I got motivated to prepare myself a meal, so I cooked some ground beef in the microwave while boiling some macaroni noodles on the stove top. After the meat was done, I heated up a jar full of Ragu pasta sauce in a bowl, and then combined all that plus some mushrooms, onions, garlic, and italian seasoning for what turned out to be a mighty tasty tomato macaroni casserole. The quantity is enough that it will give me three to four meals for the coming nights. As the evening continued I could hear through the vents the wind was picking up, but it was nowhere near what I thought it would be.

Sunday was a nice day of relaxation. I spent the late morning and afternoon watching NFL at home, and saw three great games. Around 5:30 I went out to do a grocery run and was happy to see a vast majority of the snow melted during the day as the temperature reached 59 degrees rather surprisingly. Another case of the warm before the storm as snow is expected to begin again on Monday afternoon and be a bother for a day to two. I went to Albertsons briefly and got some milk, bread, bananas, applesauce, a cherry pie, and the Sunday papers. I was only out about 35 minutes. When I returned home I watched 60 Minutes, parts of the Sunday night NFL, Desperate Housewives, parts of the Canucks / Avalanche game, Brothers and Sisters and the late local news on channel 9 KUSA. For supper I had some more of my tomato mac casserole which tasted even better a day older. I got the papers read quickly and got the coupons clipped and the ads set aside to study. With an early am wakeup looming, I retired to bed around midnight.

The week ahead will feature work as usual, but I suspect I probably will not be working on Friday again. The things I need to do this week is largely trivial: pay some monthly bills, shake some rugs, clean the bathroom, and vaccuum the carpet. If I do not end up workiing Friday and the weather is good, I may go down to Denver for the day and maybe even stay overnight if I get so inclined. I will just have to see how it is later this week. Otherwise its work and back home for the most part in the coming four days...

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