What It All Means? You know, the Grand Sweeping Conclusions?
Don't have any. But a few more thoughts are in order:
Is the job of an Attorney General to be the president's wingman? Eric Holder thought so, as did Loretta Lynch and Janet Reno, and they all acted accordingly. That was okay then. Apparently things have changed.
Eric Holder, you might remember, routinely ignored Congressional subpoenas. And apparently, that was okay, too. I'll be curious to see how that tactic goes over if the new Attorney General follows the same game plan next year.
The single biggest thing the next AG should do is make sure that the Janus decision is actually implemented. Someone I know exceptionally well is in AFSCME and, as a result, I see a fair amount of AFSCME materials. At least in Minnesota, AFSCME wiped its butt with the Janus decision. That has to change.
Generally speaking, Republicans in Minnesota have volunteers. The DFL has mercenaries. It's never going to be a fair fight under the current conditions.
If self-regard were hard currency, Jim Acosta would be wealthiest man in the world. If the White House were to freeze out CNN entirely from asking questions, that would be an issue. But I don't have a problem if they put Acosta in time-out. Sam Donaldson used to be obnoxious, but he never got physical with White House staffers.
Tony Evers is going to be a thoroughgoing train wreck. The key for Wisconsin Republicans will be to let him.
On balance, more bad news than good from election day, especially in Minnesota. Thoughts? Oh, I have a few:
This state is turning into Illinois, at least electorally. The metro area has gone decidedly to the left in the last 4-6 years and outstate is becoming more conservative with each passing cycle. Since the majority of the population is in the metro area, it's becoming awfully difficult for any Republican to win a statewide election. No one did yesterday.
Tim Walz is going to be a weak governor. He was a backbencher in Congress and nothing about his record suggests he has the sort of experience he'll need to be effective. But he did have the one thing that matters -- the letters DFL after his name. I like Jeff Johnson, but he didn't stand a chance.
Keith Ellison is an ethical dumpster fire and a guy who, to be frank, doesn't give a damn about the law. And he's our new Attorney General. This is really the most disappointing result of the evening. Doug Wardlow wouldn't have been my first choice to be the Republican standard-bearer, but he ran a good campaign. It wasn't enough.
The sneaky part of the evening in Minnesota is that the House flipped back to the DFL. That means a whole lotta grandstanding is coming up and not much is going to get done, because the Republicans will continue to hold the Senate.
Keeping with the demographic changes, they become most evident in the Congressional delegation. CD1 and CD8 turn red, while suburban CD2 and CD3 go blue. I'll spend more time on these results in a later post, but I'll say two things for now -- it's a shame Jason Lewis lost. He was actually trying to do some things to make life better. Angie Craig will feign bipartisanship, but opearationally she'll be Betty McCollum with a mostly surpressed hint of Tennessee twang. That seat could flip back in 2020 if a few things break correctly. As for Erik Paulsen, he got what he deserved. It looks like voters who could have helped him, especially 2nd Amendment supporters, sat on their hands, while the voters Paulsen was courting went with the empty suit DFLer Dean Phillips. This was totally predictable.
Over in Wisconsin, it looks like Scott Walker is out. Too bad -- he's the most innovative politician we've seen in the Upper Midwest in a long time. It's tough to win three terms. The good news, if it can be called good news, is that Tony Evers will be a trainwreck and the Republicans will retake the governorship in four years, after Evers spends four years mewling and whining and failing to repeal Act 10. People will get sick of his act quickly.
On the federal level, the House will be under the management of the California Democratic Party for the next two years. That's potentially a blessing in disguise, because Speaker Pelosi is going to be especially effective for the Republicans as she reminds America that she is an elderly and incoherent loon. And I'm eager for the electorate to see more of Maxine Waters on television, because she will be on all the time. I'm sure another Dem loon of the California variety, Peter Schiff, will try to hassle President Trump, but I would also guess that Trump will, before the new Congress is seated, declassify and release all the documents about Russiagate, which will effectively cut Schiff off at the knees. Also, expect a lot of braying about Trump's tax returns in the next two years.
Meanwhile, in the Senate, the Republicans will have a stronger hand. The final numbers aren't in yet, but several key states flipped red, including Florida, North Dakota, Indiana, and Missouri. It looks like the Dems will flip Nevada, but that might be it, and at this point Montana looks to be a Republican pickup as well. And in Texas, Beto O'Rourke, the biggest fraud of all the frauds the Democrats ran in this cycle, can go have a seat next to Wendy Davis. I do wish John James had won in Michigan and that Karin Housley would have won here, but it wasn't meant to be.
Other than Walker's unfortunate defeat, the most consequential governor's election was in Florida, where Ron DeSantis held off straight-up socialist Andrew Gillum. Gillum is really a bad dude, but his charisma made him a formidable candidate. DeSantis isn't my favorite, but it was really important that he win, and he did.
We wrote about the ballot question in New Brighton last week. The city government has put out, at taxpayer expense, a voter guide that misrepresents the question. That's trouble enough. But worse, they had their propaganda posted at the early voting facility at City Hall ever since early voting began.
Several citizens noticed and brought in a lawyer, who wrote a cease and desist letter. The letter is shown below:
Election laws are fo suckas
As of yesterday, the city ignored this cease and desist letter. We'll be watching the polling places today in New Brighton to see if the city has once again put their propaganda up. If you want the corrupt regime at City Hall to get some oversight, be sure to vote Yes.
I don't trust polling much, because I suspect pollsters aren't having much luck getting people to answer their phones these days. We still have a landline phone and we never pick up a call from a number we don't recognize; while I'm almost certain someone has called us to find out how we feel in this household, the pollsters couldn't tell you. And that's what happens with many people.
So that means any predictions we make about the election are going to be wild guesses. But since it's the day before the election, here are my guesses:
Will the Democrats take the House of Representatives? Yes, but narrowly, and mostly because the courts in Pennsylvania redrew the congressional districts there in a way that grossly favored the Democrats. This will cause Trump some heartburn, to be sure, but some of the people who will become committee chairs are such loons (Maxine Waters? Really?) that it will be tough for the Dems to hold the House in the next cycle.
Will Scott Walker survive in Wisconsin? Yes, but barely.
Will Tim Walz win the governor's race in Minnesota? Yes, but I'm less convinced of that than I was a few weeks ago. Walz hasn't been very visible and when he has been, he's been shaky. Jeff Johnson has run a better campaign this time around, but I still don't think he'll be able to overcome the DFL machine.
Can Karin Housley win? Yes, but I don't think she will. But I am not confident in this prediction. And Tina Smith, if she wins in 2018, will have a big target on her back in 2020.
Will Doug Wardlow beat Keith Ellison? Yes, because the DFL machine won't get Ellison enough votes outside of Hennco and Ramco to get the job done. Ellison could also endanger Walz.
Who wins the Minnesota House? We've heard almost nothing about this; in my particular district, the DFL is running essentially unopposed. I think the House will stay with the Republicans, primarily because metro area district vote totals won't affect what happens in, say, Sleepy Eye.
Who wins the MN congressional races? Down the list of contested races:
CD1: The DFL and outside groups threw a lot of money behind Dan Feehan, but I think Jim Hagedorn wins.
CD2: Jason Lewis is probably going down, but Angie Craig is a fraud and deep down many of the voters in CD2 already know it. If she wins, she'll be vulnerable in 2020.
CD3: Dean Phillips is Stewart Mills with better press. In a more just world, he'd be crushed. But Erik Paulsen has run a terrible campaign and is probably out the door.
CD8: Pete Stauber wins easily. Joe Radinovich is an astonishingly poor candidate.
Could Collin Peterson go down in CD7? Dave Hughes has no money, but seeing Collin Peterson ads on metro television in the last week suggests Peterson is worried. I wouldn't bet my house on Hughes, but it would not surprise me if he retires Peterson.
Old dude, it is time for the fiercest rivalry in the NCAA. This weekend is the 130th Bronze Turkey Bowl between Knox College and Monmouth College. Knox is of course the superior school, while Monmouth fails in just about every way possible. Don't send your kids to Monmouth, it would be like paying to see Journey.
That is bad. I didn't realize it had come that.
I have to educate people. That's what Knoxers do. Not that I'm biased, of course.
Of course. By the way, how did Knox do against Beloit earlier this year?
We shall not speak of that. I never look back, it distracts from the now. That's my Mindset. By the way, what happened to the Mindset List?
We shall not speak of that.
So we both have something to avoid. But now, watch me work!
Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat (-8.5) vs. Illinois Fighting Illini. Have you seen Lovie Smith's luxurious beard? It's a sight to behold:
Woodland animals seek shelter there
So Lovie is clearly a humanitarian. But his Illini are an affront to humanity. Man, they stink! P.J. Fleck does not have a beard, but he's rowed his boat down to landlocked Champaign to get a win. I think the Gophers should win comfortably, as long as Lovie's beard doesn't distract them. Gophers 50, Illini 20. Lovie may need some help from Thurston Howell III pretty soon. The Illini are a train wreck and while the Gophers are having ups and downs, they'll squash the Illini. Gophers 28, Illini 14. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+28) vs. Beloved Wisconsin Badgers. The Badgers have been a disappointment this year, but they still are not out of the hunt for a Big Ten title. Many, many things have to happen, but if the Badgers take care of business, they have a chance. Rutgers is not very good at football. Even the Illini beat them. And so did Kansas. We aren't sure about Lakeland Dental Academy; my guess is that the Rutgers athletic department had the good sense not to schedule the Fighting Floss. Even Alabama is afraid to schedule Lakeland Dental Academy, but that's because Nick Saban isn't known for his consumption of Pepsodent. Badgers 70, Rutgers 10. Beating the spread, then? Yeah, I think they will. Rutgers is probably the worst D-1 school and while the Badgers are disappointing, they won't screw this one up. Badgers 38, Rutgers 7.
Monmouth Scots (NL) vs. Knox College Prairie Fire, Baby! This is, by far, the most important football game to be played on Saturday. At least in the Quad Cities/Peoria television market. If you have not spent time in the part of the country, you would struggle to appreciate the majesty of this rivalry, which features the serious scholars of Knox versus the drooling mouth-breathers of Monmouth. You already know who I'm going to pick. Knox 200, Monmouth -40. Based on what I know about this rivalry, I'm not certain that Knox has scored 200 points in the aggregate over the 130-year history of butt whipping they've suffered at the hands of those mouth-breathing Journey fans 12 miles to the west. I can report that I have seen Monmouth lose a football game; they lost at Beloit in 1981, my freshman year. Since then, well... let's just say Monmouth has been romping and stomping throughout the Midwest Conference. And since your beloved Prairie Fire has spent most of its history as a welcome mat, it hasn't been good. Maybe next year, Seabiscuit. Monmouth 49, Knox 24. Detroit LOLions (+8.5) vs. Minnesota Vikings. And now, time for a Very Special Comment. I promised you I would go after a local radio station last week. And it's true -- KTIS, you really need to play more Blue Oyster Cult. So what if it's not particularly Christian. Here's a start for your new playlist:
"We took you up and put you in the back seat/Dominance, submission, radios appear." What could be more wholesome. Obviously, I'm kidding. KTIS is just fine, as long as they lay off the Slayer. My real target is KFAN. I completely understand that they need to hype up the Vikings, but they really cost the Vikings last week. Whenever I listen to them, they portray the Vikings as an amazing team. It's true -- the Vikings aren't terrible. However, the rapture from Paul Allen is so over the top that the hosts that follow him are forced to clean up after him. I didn't get the sense that the Vikings treated the Saints with sufficient respect last week. And it cost them. Oh my, it cost them. Now come the Lions, the favorite team of KFAN personality Dan "Common Man" Cole. Last week, Common Man suggested this game would be for first place. As it happens, it won't be. It's high time KFAN decided to either be honest with its listeners or just drop the pretense and full-on cheerlead for the Vikings. Dominance, submission, radios appear. But not on the ol' Arbitron. Lions 31, Vikings 10. I guess I didn't see that parlay coming. Common Man Cole is more of an Al Stewart man, anyway. As for the game, I think the Vikings had better win. Lions are kinda meh. This is a chance for the Vikings to get well. Or not. Vikings 27, Lions 24. Bear Down Chicago Da Bearz Still Suck (-10) vs. Buffalo Bills. A certain California-based correspondent has informed us that da Bearz are back in first place. Not sure if he should call in to KFAN about it, but whatever. I think the Bears are one of the tougher outs in the NFC, but I'm not convinced they are elite just yet. My reason? The Bears are reliant on their running backs and their defense to keep them in games. Mitchell Trubisky has his moments, but he's still the weak sister quarterback in the division, to say nothing of a hypothetical playoff opponent. Lucky for Da Bearz that Buffalo is coming to town. They are likely to start Nathan Peterman, who is familiar to many Chicago-area fans as Jay Cutler's spiritual successor. This game is going to be hilarious. Nobody Circles the Wagons Like the Buffalo Bills 17, da Bearz 0. Ya know, I suspect you're wrong about that, young fella. Let's leave it at that. Bears 28, Bills 13.
Glorious Green Bay Packers (+5) vs. New England Cheaters. If you are not excited about this quarterback matchup, apparently you've been avoiding the ESPN hype (which, oddly enough, is even more than my usual level of HYYYYYYYPPPPPPE!) The Packers played well enough to win last week, before Ty Montgomery lost his freaking mind! Can the Packers go into Gillette Stadium and win? Yes. Packers 31, Patriots 28.
Speaking of creepy:
I would like to think the Packers can win. Aaron Rodgers won't be afraid of the Patriots. But I'm not sure they can fix their defense on the fly now that they've sent Ha Ha Clinton-Dix away. If this game were two weeks later, yeah. But there's too many moving parts in Green Bay at the moment. Better days are ahead, but for today... Patriots 31, Packers 28.
Oh, D of little faith! I still believe! Ben out!
No facts presented in this feature -- let's face it, in 2018 politics, facts are difficult to get. Opinions are everywhere, though. Here are mine:
I suspect the long knives will be out for Keith Ellison after this election. I've never thought he could win statewide office and his campaign for attorney general has demonstrated that nicely. The larger question is whether or not he'll hurt the other DFL candidates. Doug Wardlow could be a very useful fellow in the AG's office.
While it would be wonderful if Jeff Johnson could pull of the upset and win the governor's race, my guess is he falls short. Tim Walz is not a particularly strong candidate and nothing about him suggests he'll be any good at being a governor, but the DFL machine in the metro will likely be enough to get him elected.
You know what would give us a better Minnesota? The demise of Alliance for a Better Minnesota, that's what. Their latest attack ad, in which they exploit a handicapped young man, is beyond the pale. Every ad they run is filled with lies and yet somehow KSTP's "Truth Test" and WCCO's "Reality Check" never get around to vetting them. Wonder why that is? No, you don't, because you know the reason why already.
Lately some Wisconsin ads have been airing here. The Dem candidate for governor, Tony Evers, has the personality of lint and is frankly creepy, but he's running neck and neck with two-term Scott Walker, one of the most consequential politicians of his generation. I know that people get fatigued with politicians over time, but it's astonishing to me that Evers is even close.
Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith, and Tammy Baldwin are all up for election. They are all dismal, but all are likely to return to Washington. There's a chance that Karin Housley might beat Smith, who has never won a statewide election, but I'm not confident that Housley will get there.
We may flip four Congressional seats in Minnesota. It's almost certain that Pete Stauber is going to Washington in the 8th, and it's quite possible that Jim Hagedorn is finally going to get elected in the 1st. But it's also looking likely that Erik Paulsen is going down in the 3rd, and Jason Lewis will be fortunate if he is reelected in the 2nd. I knew Paulsen a little bit when we worked together at Target and he's a good guy, but he's run a poor campaign against Dean Phillips, who has more money than King Canute and came up with a good shtick. Lewis went to Washington and actually did some useful things, but his district is turning left and the odious Angie Craig has an excellent chance to beat Lewis. If Lewis loses, we'll miss him more than most people realize.
You may have noticed this, but in general in our politics these days, a call for civility is generally not about civility, but rather about silencing those who might oppose you.
I have lived in New Brighton for over 20 years now, and the oleaginous note from City Manager Dean Lotter that appeared in a taxpayer funded newsletter sent to all city residents over the summer was, well, stunning in its bad faith. Titled "The Efficiency of Civility," it was singularly lacking in civility and was a naked attack on a former member of the City Council, a turbulent priest. It's frankly jaw-dropping in its malice:
There is a place where civility has been improved and it’s due to you, the voters of New Brighton. Now having time to get familiar with new Councilmembers Emily Dunsworth and Graeme Allen and working with returning members of the Council, Mary Burg, Paul Jacobsen and Mayor Val Johnson, I am reminded and rejuvenated by how well opposing views can lead to better decisions when those differing views are handled professionally.
Set aside the propriety of using a taxpayer funded publication to bash one's political opponents, even though that's a crucial issue as well. The real issue is that Lotter's assertions are baked wind. As a practical matter, there aren't differing views these days in the New Brighton City Council, because anyone who might object to how Lotter runs things is effectively silenced. City Manager Lotter likes it that way:
Mayor Johnson and the rest of the current City Council have breathed a new air into the Council and staff relationship. Mayor Johnson and the City Council still ask probing questions and hold staff accountable, but they do so professionally. As a result, staff feels comfortable offering creative solutions to service or budget issues that oftentimes improve things and save money. This restored sense of civility means the City is not having meeting after meeting on the same topics repeatedly for the sake of a narrow political agenda.
The "narrow political agenda" Lotter references is trying to ensure that the city council doesn't just rubber stamp what the city manager wants. Whether Lotter wants to accept it or not, the former council members most responsible for challenging how New Brighton does business -- Gina Bauman, Sharon Doffing, and David Phillips, along with former mayor Dave Jacobsen -- had a constituency among the citizens of this community. All these individuals spoke for me and many of my neighbors. Did these individuals, especially Bauman, cause Lotter heartburn? I'm certain they did. Too bad.
The point of the referendum on the ballot is to ensure that those of us who prefer to have watchdogs on the council have a chance to consider their credentials. The current council members were elected to four-year terms and Mayor Johnson was elected to a two-year term. They were not elected for five years and three years. By eliminating the 2019 election, these individuals have extended their terms and denied the voters a chance to exert scrutiny and, potentially, oversight over the work of Lotter and the city staff.
A yes vote ensures that Lotter and his tame overseers receive the necessary scrutiny that voters by definition exercise. Voting no on the referendum rewards malfeasance and lets the current crew get by with having an extra year in office that they bestowed upon themselves. Under no circumstances should an election be taken away from voters.
Every move the New Brighton City Council has made regarding elections has been, in a word, disingenuous. No matter how the matter is framed, the real objective has always been the same -- maintain power for themselves and freeze out anyone who would challenge that power. Cancelling the 2019 election has never been about saving money; it's really about making sure that certain people in the city are denied a voice in government for as long as possible.
Gina Bauman was a member of the New Brighton City Council for two terms. Gina saw her role as being a watchdog and advocate for the taxpayers of the city. She had some success in her time on the council, most notably ensuring that local government assistance (LGA) money was returned to the taxpayers, not spent on pet projects. This was always a wise stance, because it is never a given that the city will get LGA money.
The rest of the council, and those within the city who preferred the status quo, always hated Bauman for her green eyeshade and her fearlessness. They tried to change the term of office in 2015 to shorten Bauman's term, but got swatted down by the courts. Badly. So when Bauman's term ended following the 2017 election, the council immediately moved to extend terms a year. This was never about saving money, but to prevent Bauman and others who share Bauman's views an opportunity to run against the current occupants of the office. Who will rid the City Council of these turbulent priests?
It's not about saving money, of course. The City Council loves spending money and, now that Bauman is out of the way, gets to spend even more. It's about avoiding accountability for as long as possible. A no vote on the initiative rewards the City Council. A yes vote keeps the day of reckoning where it should be.
Next: don't bother the City Manager. He's very important.
If the powers that be in New Brighton have their way and the 2019 city elections are cancelled, will that mean an end to off-year elections in New Brighton?
It won't. School board elections and other off-year elections will continue to take place. The city will still have to help conduct these elections.
Because they can. No one currently in city government is willing to question the propriety of using taxpayer funds -- remember, any revenue a government entity has comes from taxes and fees it charges citizens -- to get what they want. They call this civility.
Was there ever an outcry about the horrible inconvenience of off-year elections among the citizenry of New Brighton?
Of course not. But that's never been the issue. The whole point of the exercise has always been about maintaining power for the current council.
The crap stain who shot up a Pittsburgh synagogue over the weekend killed 11 people. One of those individuals was a 97-year old woman. I oppose the death penalty, but man, if I ever wanted to make an exception to my opposition, it would be for this guy. What a sack of crap.
We've spent a fair amount of time over the years discussing the stupidity and cupidity of the local government in New Brighton, Minnesota. I've lived in New Brighton for 21 years. For much of this time, the levers of power have been in the hands of the very old guard within the city, especially longtime former mayors Bob Benke and his pal, Steve Larson. While both Benke and Larson aren't particularly visible these days, their successors have continued to treat city government as a fiefdom. The city employees like the arrangement just fine, because it means they aren't ever challenged on their decisions. The city manager, Dean Lotter, especially likes it, because he has no use for oversight or accountability.
Following the city council election in 2017, the outgoing city council, for the second time, changed the election laws for the benefit of those who would remain in office. Ordinance 857 cancelled the 2019 election, thus extending the terms of the mayor and all members of the city council by one year. The mayor, who is elected to a 2-year term, now would serve three years, while the city council members, elected to a 4-year term, would get 5 years in office.
This is wrong on its face; if politicians can extend their own terms and get by with it, the opportunity to hold them accountable is fundamentally reduced. By repealing Ordinance 857, the citizens of New Brighton would not lose a vote. We're going to spend the next few days discussing all of this in greater detail.
Old dude, thankfully I was not feeling enough HYYYYYYYYYYPPPEEEE! to oversleep based on the ballgame last night.
That baseball game went way past my bedtime. Good lord, 18 innings.
And there was a lot of confusion, too, Old Dude. Check this one out!
Sandy Koufax, the Science Guy
How dumb is that?
At least they didn't post their picture of Bob Gibson:
Or is that Ferguson Jenkins?
Oh, goodness. Thankfully we're here to talk about football. It is time to pick some games, and time to watch me work!
Beloved Wisconsin Badgers (-3.5) vs. Northwestern Wildcats. This game is going to be a difficult test for the Badgers. Evanston is no easy place to play, and now we learn that Alex Hornibrook will be sitting out the game because of a concussion and Jack Coan, who has never started a game, takes the reins. There is a subset of Badgers fans that really does not like Hornibrook, so now they get to see what life is like without him. I expect this game to be close, but Wisconsin will escape. Badgers 24, Wildcats 17. This Northwestern team is hard to read. They've won some impressive games, but barely got out of Rutgers with a win last week. This is not as talented a crew as Pat Fitzgerald has typically fielded, but they are gamers, and Ryan Field has been a house of horrors for the Badgers over the last 20 years. I think Bucky wins, but it's a nailbiter. Badgers 28, Northwestern 24. New Orleans Saints (-2) vs. Minnesota Vikings. This football game is going to be very interesting. I like to remind Vikings fans that they came oh-so-close to another playoff flameout against the Saints, until Stefon Diggs bailed them out. Local media seem to think the Vikings will play the Lions for first place in the division in a couple of weeks. That is a dangerous idea, because the Saints are a very good football team and should command full respect. Saints 56, Vikings 42. Take the over, then? I agree, the Saints are dangerous. The Vikings have been better lately, but they have a lot of key injuries on defense. Drew Brees will find the substitutes and exploit them mercilessly. Kirk Cousins had better be good, or this could get ugly. Saints 38, Vikings 28. Glorious Green Bay Packers (+9) vs. Los Angeles "Greatest Show on Turf" Those quote marks were intentional, by the way. I think the Rams are, like the Saints, a very good football team. However, the Los Angeles Coliseum will have plenty of Green and Gold in the stands. Everyone is counting the Packers out and that confuses me. The Packers have the better quarterback and are fully healthy and coming off a bye week. The Packers also do their best work when no one gives them a chance. Make no mistake, the Packers will have to play a perfect game to win. Packers 35, Rams 20. That's bold. But it gets the first "uh, no" of the season. I think the Packers are going to be competitive, but I don't see them having the quickness on defense to defend the whole field. The Rams dictate that, which is why they are so strong. If the Packers can slow down Todd Gurley, they have a chance. No one has done that yet. Rams 35, Packers 31. New York J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS (+8) vs. Bear Down Chicago da Bearz Still Suck. Our favorite Bears fan Gino has a good chance to be happy this week. Da Bearz have been the surprise team of the year for me and they are the one team that the Vikings should be worried about, aside from their friends to the east. The Jets are scuffling these days and a trip to Soldier Field will not help them. Da Bearz 100, J-E-T-S 0.
Good, we can have two "uh, no" comments in the same post! That's progress. Don't get me wrong -- I think the Bears will win, but it's not going to be a rout. The one thing to watch -- Khalil Mack is already starting to wear down. The Bears are a good defense, but if he fades any more, they'll be in a posture where they need to do their best Air Coryell imitation. And the Bears have never mastered that feat. Bears 28, Jets 20.
Next week, I have words for a local radio station. Stay tuned. Ben out!
I gotta fly solo because D is out on assignment at this point of the day. Don't worry, he will be back tomorrow. The Big Ten office moved this Gopher game against Indiana to tonight for reasons unknown to man. I'm a traditional guy when it comes to college football, and like games on Saturday unless it is the first week of the season or Thanksgiving weekend. Watch me work.
Indiana Wants Me, Lord I Can't Go Back There (-2) vs. Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat. First of all, I owe you guys the video:
Don't worry about R. Dean, because the game is outside the state lines of Indiana. In fact, he had a much better trip to Indiana compared to A School in Columbus last week. The Gophers got waxed pretty good in Lincoln last week, and it is anyone's guess at who will be playing quarterback tonight. Indiana is a team that would be better served in the West, but is a solid team most years and seem to be getting their type of kids. I don't think P.J. Fleck is worth the price of admission for the Gophers, because he focuses too much on the cutesy metaphors instead of doing his job and coaching his kids. Fleck is a product of our society where having a big personality can substitute for results, and at some point the Gophers have to ask themselves is it worth being known for playing good football or selling stupid shirts with rowing metaphors on them. Hoosiers 30, Row Row Row Your Boat Elitely 0.
D and I will be back with more football discussion, and I can promise you that I have some more hot takes. Ben out!
About 20 years ago now, my old boss and I came up with the idea of Imaginary Hazard Day. It is always "celebrated" on October 26, for no apparent reason other than that was the day we came up with it. Every year, we urge everyone to take all unnecessary precautions.
As it happens, this year Imaginary Hazard day falls a few days after someone (singular or plural, as yet undetermined) sent a series of devices that may (or may not, and likely not) be bombs to some of our favorite portside politicians.
I don't know the whole thing is a legitimate terrorist activity, or a false flag, or something else. I do know this -- if these bombs were really a danger, we'd have never seen one of them. The bomb squads would have detonated all of them to prevent danger, mayhem, whatever. We have seen pictures of the bombs, though, pulled right out of the envelopes in which they arrived:
Blowed up real good
So, if there was a real threat, we do we have this image? Frankly, the device looks more like a Pez dispenser than a bomb. If this were an actual explosive device, it would have been removed immediately from the place it was delivered and no one would have opened the package. So what's really happening? It's a question well worth asking on Imaginary Hazard Day.
I don't have a lot to say about Trump going to Mosinee -- to a large extent, a Trump rally is the same no matter where it is -- but I do find it amusing. I grew up in a town with a lot of paper mills. They can be foul-smelling places. Mosinee is about 90 miles northwest of my home town and it has the reputation of being the town with the nastiest smelling paper mill of them all. I pass through there on my way home and it can be just awful. For his sake, I hope the wind was strong and out of the west yesterday.
