JordanCornblog

I’m running too late this morning to even pretend to write anything worth reading here.  But can’t resist a few words about Allison Caldwell.

I did check out the letter to the editor referenced by AMR in her post yesterday.  Good old Allison Caldwell – a NH institution.  Homophobic, anti-semitic, racist, and vociferous to boot.

Reading his vitriol, I am always reminded of projection and sublimation and reaction formation and other tools of the wounded psyche.  (For his is clearly a seriously wounded psyche.)

These days, particularly with the virulently homophobic stuff – I tend to read it as the writer’s twisted way of coming out.  Kinda like Ted whatever-his-name-is (that evangelical preacher who was caught visiting the gay prostitute) and all those other rabidly anti-sin right-wingers who are later found to surreptitiously indulge in various forms of whatever it is that they so loudly decry.

The more poisoned the pen the more powerful and deeply buried the attraction, I’m thinking.

So foment away, Allison – you’re just showing us the shadow selves that you are struggling to suppress.

On a more uplifting note, tune in for UConn vs. Stanford on ESPN2 at 5:30PM (ET) as the top two teams in women’s b-ball face off for the first time this year.  Who’s your pick?  Mo, are you out there?  Would love to get your take on this one (we all know what Dewd thinks)!

All too often, I find myself chewing things over before making a final decision about where said ponderings will end up. Sometimes I spit them out to display my regurgitated mess for all to see or I’ll swallow them down and move on from it all.

In recent days, I’ve experienced a few situations where the “freedom of speech” term has been abused to the point where I can barely put it into my mouth. Needless to say, these events are not destined for digestion.

Let’s first discuss a man by the name of Allison Caldwell from Pembroke, NH. Mr. Caldwell, apparently, finds religious diversity to be rather offensive. In fact, he finds Jews to be downright despicable human beings. However, our precious freedom of speech allowed his letter sharing these hateful views to be printed for all to see.

Letters poured in from all walks of life in the Granite State, denouncing the publication’s decision to print the message. The Concord Monitor fiercely defended their position – recognizing that it was tasteless but falls within the acceptable guidelines to our 1st Amendment Right. I can respect their willingness to try to do “the right thing” even if it isn’t the popular thing. But, there is something “off” about posting a message that sends a blanket message of hate directed at a certain group of people.

My second experience was a first-hand one and came at my indoor soccer game this evening. As a fiercely competitive individual, I often get on the nerves of the referees. Tonight, we had a younger gentleman who, apparently, is at his wit ends with our team. He missed several obvious hand balls and I had no hesitation in calling him out on his missteps.

As the game wore on, he grew increasingly upset with my “helpful” suggestions and began ranting about how pathetic our team was. His anger grew when it became apparent that his “authority” was not going to shut me up. At the end of the game, he walked past me and shared a nice little comment with me. I’ll just say that one word rhymed with ducking and the second part sounds similar to bore.

This “man” felt such anger towards me and my commanding ways that he attacked me at the core of my being. He used violent, angry words to share his views. My fellow teammates asked me to let the matter go but, by principal, I cannot do this.

At what point do we draw the line for opinions and hateful words? What good can come from either of these two situations? What ever happened to “if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all”?

And, most importantly, when did acceptance and tolerance become endangered species?

The Senate is lumbering along and healthcare reform appears to be on track to be our Christmas gift this year.  Like many gifts from relatives we’ve lost touch with (aka our representatives in Congress), it’s a mixed bag.

I tend to agree with Paul Krugman that, as a first step, it’s very important and very meaningful.  However, as he notes, the whole process underscores some ways that the government itself seems to be heading toward (or pretty much embedded in) paralysis.

And the substance of the bill has been so nibbled at and tweaked and undermined, that much, much work lies ahead for Progressives.

One can hope that, as we move forward, the craven self-interest of GOP obstructionists and the Joe Liebermans of the world will lead to their defeat at the polls.

One can hope.

On the actual Monday morning quarterbacking front, there were some big surprises in the NFL … and on the FFootball front.  We bid a sad good-bye to Flying Pigs – who put up a valiant effort but in the end couldn’t argue with the 43 points that Aaron Rodgers put up for the Seacoast Salukies.  Meanwhile, the battle between wannabees and the 2 Blitzen’ Babes will not be resolved until tonight.  In their effort to win, the Blitzen’ Babes cast aside all scruples and picked up a NY Giants receiver.  (Clearly, a moment of weakness for JordanCornblog.)

Okay – enough dawdling – time to start the day!

Oh, and Happy Solstice!

Remember that “LLC Tax” that I mentioned as a newish development here in NH?  Just another way to get money and pretend we don’t have actual TAXES here?  Well, here’s a quick update from an unnamed source … 😉

As it turns out that little tax is already in effect.  Done deal – without any public hearing and with very little review or vetting by legislators. The way the tax will work is that what an LLC takes (and what the state deems fair and reasonable) will be considered a “dividend” subject to a tax of 5%. Corporations are not subject to the same provisions.  And check this out … the fed tax rate on dividends for C corps is 20% while LLC partnerships associations are taxed at 35%. Oh, and one last bit of good news … the tax is effective January 1 2009. Yup, that’s 2009. Nicely done, NH!

Okay … I’m all ranted out for the time being and turning my attention to sports (a much more pleasant venue, overall, now that the Tiger Tempest has died down a bit).  Soooo … while I wait for the snow to start falling, here are a few tidbits …

I had been feeling a tad sorry for Cliff Lee, who indicated that he wanted to stay in Philly and was surprised at the Seattle deal.  Had also been very puzzled about why the Phillies would give up a chance to have two aces when it appeared they could have.  I appreciated reading this post on crashburnalley today – clears things up for me.  Sounds like Cliff made the same mistake that Johnny Damon did with the Yankees – overplaying his cards and losing out on his slot (if, indeed, he wanted it).  I am disappointed that Cliff seems to have been disingenuous in his subsequent comments, however.  Surprise?  It doesn’t sound like the trade should have come as a surprise … unless his agent wasn’t keeping him in the loop.

The USWNT wrapped up their training camp for 2009 with their eye on the 2011 World Cup.

The WPS Announced their home openers … with the Breakers opening up at Harvard Stadium against the Philadelphia Independence … bringing Heather Mitts and Amy Rodriguez back to Cambridge for the day.  I don’t know about you, but I fully expect A-rod to tear up the pitch on Sunday, April 18th … just to show Tony.

Christine Sinclair has been named Canada’s top female soccer player.  At 26, she’s got some very impressive stats!

Also this past year, Sinclair tied Andrea Neil’s Canadian mark for most career appearances (132) and passed Charmaine Hooper for most career starts (129). She’s Canada’s all-time goal scorer (99) and all-time leader in minutes played (11,706)

I was going to include something about healthcare compromises, but that would turn into a rant.  Instead – and with no attempt at logic, I randomly share this link offering info about sites where you can access free e-books for your Kindle.

With that, I am done.  I am happy to report that the snow has started.  Time for breakfast (and Go Eagles!)  😉

Posted via web from JordanCornblog on posterous

So that was a pretty un-holiday-ish rant yesterday, eh?

Clearly the holiday spirit continues to elude me. I could get going again, reading about the Copenhagen deal that Obama is lauding.  Seriously?  The AP has summarized the agreement, which, had it come about 8, 10, 15, 20 years ago MIGHT be a good start.  It’s awfully late for good starts, though.  This is discouraging, and it’s one of many areas where I agree with pundits (or at least one pundit – whose name I don’t recall) who want Obama to come out, WIELD POWER and LEAD.

Healthcare reform is another such area.  Reform, as the days pass, is a term to be used more and more lightly, it seems, as insurance, pharmaceutical and other special interest groups gnaw and nibble away at the meaningful changes in the bill.

These situations seem reflective of our national lack of stomach (or backbone) when it comes to sacrificing current comfort for a more just and equitable system – or for a viable future.  Business interests are going to be avaricious and rapacious – I suppose there’s no getting around that.  But we voters need to see through it – and our politicians, pundits and media sources need to be less in their pockets.  It just ain’t that way now – and the consequences are frightening.

We can get whipped into a frenzy and happily invade another country for no good reason at all.  It seems that fear and anger are the only things that pull us out of complacency.  The GOP is marvelous at using that to further their ends.  And yet when real threats present themselves, we turn away … I dunno, maybe it’s too complicated or something.  Anyway, we take our eye off the ball, as the planet is destroyed and the likes of Lieberman (and on and on and on) gut healthcare reform in service of the powerful interests that profit from our broken system.

It’s the same here in NH … a State that stupidly prides itself on having “no taxes.”  It’s a sham, but we are very, very pleased with ourselves nonetheless.  Meanwhile the property taxes are killing people, the schools and infrastructure suffer, and we are nickle-and-dimed by hidden taxes (can you say car registration?  And how about the latest ploy?).

Then there’s the dredging up of Ken Starr, Monica Lewinsky, and all that good stuff.  I can’t help but think that, had it not been for that little pecadillo, Al Gore would have been elected President in 2000, steps would have been taken to address climate change … maybe 9/11 wouldn’t have happened … and on and on.

Dubya and Dick wouldn’t ever be on my mind.  Ahhhh.  Perhaps most notably, Joe Lieberman would have remained just the Democratic Senator from Connecticut – sans the opportunity to make his moralistic, ego-inflating pronouncements about old Bill that made him an interesting VP candidate for Al.  God, Bill – the impact of your appetites on history is mind boggling!

One bit of wonderful news in JordanCornblogLand … Villanova defeated Montana last night to take their first NCAA FCS title (that’s Football Championship Subdivision).  Yahoo!!

Okay – there is more wonderful news, too!  RPE comes home tonight for the holidays … the heat on the first floor appears to be working again … JBD has the lights on the tree … and New Orleans plays Dallas tonight in what should be a good game (and hopefully another win for the Saints).

And this morning I remember DaddyCornblog, who died 15 years ago today.  Hey, Dad, the Phillies made it to the World series again this year (after winning last year).  Better yet, your Iggles are doing great and look to be play-off bound … unlike in ’94, when they broke your heart (again).

Want to know what’s really evil?  It’s not the evil-doers so glibly labeled by the former administration.

No, the stench of rottenness is much closer by.  Festering right in our midst.

It’s the red-faced, doughy, satisfied, comfortable, familiar-looking guys like Dana Dykhouse.  Big GOP contributors who make their money by running businesses that continue to take advantage of desperate people.  Shame on you sir, as Keith Olbermann might say.  Shame on you.

So what, exactly, is his gig?  It’s First Premier Bank.  Get one of their credit cards when you are most in need and you’ll be paying as much as 79.9% interest.

I would be willing to bet my house (okay, make that my car-it’s winter in NH, after all) that this dude is a regular church-goer.  A good evangelical.  Someone who probably appreciates the views of Sarah Palin and feels that his good fortune has something to do with God smiling on him and blessing his enterprises.

But I want to know more about you, Dana.  What church do you go to?  What was your mama like?  Did your daddy ignore you so that you are simmering with anger deep down inside?  Did he hit you to keep you in line?  What makes you able to carry on, Dana Dykhouse .. making money by creating misery for the most vulnerable among us?

His world view is smooth and all-encompassing – like a thick glass enclosure.  No places where you might get uncomfortably snagged by reality.  Nope – his is a world view that admits no doubt.  That’s what I imagine about Dana Dykstra.

He’ll search the Bible to shore up his views on homosexuality and abortion.  Usury?  Not so much.

So there’s really no point in asking him questions like … “Have you no shame?  No core values?”  He would just look at you like you were crazy – a silly liberal asking impractical questions of a solid businessman and stalwart pillar of the community.

So I am left hoping that you have gout, Dana Dykstra, and bowel problems, and are unable to enjoy your food …  oh, and that you sleep very badly.  I hope your kids hate you.  And I sincerely hope that your wife keeps a bottle of Schnapps hidden somewhere in the house, embarrasses you at social events, and is impossible to please.

And what of the shareholders in First Premier Bank?  And what of Dana’s buddies at the Minnehaha Country Club (where Dana is – or was – the President).  It’s a drag that people of this ilk are pillars of ANY community.

So, yes, by all means, let’s protect our borders so that all those bad bogeymen (and women) that want to hurt us can’t get in … meanwhile, the smoothest and blandest of the evildoers sip martini’s and play golf in posh settings from Sioux Falls to Sarasota.

The strangest thing, to me, is that the people most hurt by these guys are the most likely to vote for the politicians who allow them to continue their evil ways.

The amount of dishonesty (and cognitive dissonance) that the citizens of America are able to tolerate is truly mind-boggling.

Posted via web from JordanCornblog on posterous

So, the Phillies got Roy and lost Cliff and some good prospects – most notably Kyle Drabek.  Is it a wash?  Hard to know.  I was sad to see Lee go.  But Halliday is a great catch.  Here’s crashburnalley on the deal:

So the Phillies may have Halladay, one of the best pitchers in baseball, until 2014. Of course, he’ll be 33 in May, so the Phillies aren’t paying for his prime years. However, he has shown no signs of slowing down with four consecutive seasons in which he’s thrown at least 220 innings and made 31 starts, and he’s finished in the top-five in AL Cy Young voting as well.

Aside from gaining Halladay and $6 million and relinquishing Cliff Lee, the Phillies have essentially swapped prospects. Destined for Toronto’s Minor League system are C Travis D’Arnaud, P Kyle Drabek, and OF Michael Taylor. In are P Phillippe Aumont, OF Tyson Gillies, and P Juan Ramirez from Seattle.

Meanwhile the Red Sox have signed John Lackey – adding to their already-strong rotation.

What is fascinating about the Halliday deal – and endears him to me TOTALLY – is that he apparaently gave up a LOT to be with the Phillies.  I would do the same … but it’s so NOT what you usually see, it boggles the mind:

Roy Halladay signed a contract extension today that will guarantee him $60 million over three years, with a vesting option that would pay him another $20 million if he pitches enough innings in the first three years of the deal.

That’s the story here: Not the first trade, not the second trade, and not the third trade. The story here is that one of the best players in baseball took somewhere between 35-50 percent of his market value to facilitate a trade, leaving somewhere between $60 and $100 million in guaranteed money on the table. This is a staggering upset, one for which there is virtually no comparison in baseball history.

It’s in the single digits outside and I’m thinking baseball … gotta be a connection there somewhere!

Other news?  Nothing grabs me.  Too much Tiger … although I do kind of enjoy seeing that his wife is probably filing for divorce AND also close to signing a deal with Puma (rival of Tiger’s Nike).   I predict an interesting Super Bowl ad … whaddya think?

Obama’s approval ratings are falling … mostly because people in this country don’t have the perspective to see that we are in a deep, deep hole … or the patience to realize that it takes time to dig out. Good grief, it hasn’t even been a year!

But no – we pound our little fists on the table, chanting that we want our Maypo NOW … and if the President can’t deliver NOW we are going to get testy and say we don’t like him.  We are such immature idiots.  (And, if course newspapers like the Wall Street Journal publish our silly opinions as if they carried meaning.)  What would we do without the latest polls?  How would we know what to think?

Very discouraging.