Kankakee County Soldiers vs. Gary Splash, December 15, 2010

When I saw former Gary Steelheads Ryan Edwards and Kenyon Gamble in their pre-game warm-ups for the Soldiers, I assumed it was going to be a long night for the Splash. I was wrong (by the way, the South Shore Splash is now simply the GARY Splash). The Splash beat the snot out of the Soldiers, 105-91. I forgot Kenyon Gamble is tall, but is not a dominating player.

...but that's not what I want to rant about. My designated driver (not that I need a designated driver because it's not like I drink beer or something wink, wink) dropped me off at the Genesis Center early. There was a middle school basketball game going on before the Splash game. Apparently, this was a Splash sponsored event because there were Splash players checking tickets at the door and Splash players refereeing the game. What disappoints me is that BOTH middle school teams immediately got on their buses and left after their game. They didn't stay for the Splash vs. Soldiers game. If the Splash was allowing those schools to use that nice Genesis Center basketball court and arena while the Splash was footing the bill, then the schools could have been courteous enough to stick around. It doesn't matter that it was a school night. Those kids weren't going to go home and study anyway. I don't recall seeing a single bookbag on a kid as they left the building. However, I do recall seeing every kid carrying their game shoes in orange boxes because of the school's Nike contract. Mind you, this is the same school that is a billy goat's hair away from being shut down by the state because of poor academic progress. Maybe the kids could learn something if they broke from their routines of hopelessness and despair...but the adults are going to have to change THEIR attitudes. The kids can't do it alone. The adults could have said, "Have the buses pick us up at 9:30 instead of 6:00pm. We're staying for the game".

The schools won't work closely with local businesses (and this has been a problem since forever), but they'll bend over backward for ESPN.

http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/high-school/boys-basketball/article_bcad7dcb-e840-5c77-b118-1c13fb6be47c.html"

According to Rachel Margolis of ESPN, the network's first broadcast of a high school game occurred in December of 2002. The big-name player in that game was LeBron James, who played at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. That game was on ESPN2.

ESPN began a regular series of prep games in 2003, when three games were shown. In 2005, with ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU now in the mix, eight games were shown nationally a year.

By the way, Gary Lew Wallace Junior/High School is the other beforementioned school that bolted before the Splash game. The nationally broadcasted ESPN game involves the varsity high school team and I'll promise you no one will hesitate to stick around for ESPN on THIS school night.

Mind you, students at Gary Lew Wallace have some of the lowest test scores in the state. Also mind you, this national game is just for bragging rights. ESPN isn't going to do anything for Gary. A local business like the Splash (or Railcats baseball team, for that matter) CAN do something for Gary.

End of rant.

Gary's New Basketball Team: The Southshore Splash

My daughter called me from the Gary Genesis Center while I was doing homework for yet another college course I was taking. She asked me if I had my season tickets for the new basketball team yet. I asked, what basketball team? She went on to explain that she was at the Genesis Center covering the announcement of Gary's new fall/winter team for her television station. She also said the new team logo looked great and the presentation seemed professional.

I then asked, what league? That is very important because of the [i]joke[/i] minor league basketball leagues around. The IBL, she answered. Cool, the International Basketball League (IBL) is probably the only good minor league outside of the NBADL. I mean, this demonstrates how out of touch I am these days because I knew nothing...probably because I have been spending so much time bicycling around Chicago's beautiful lakefront instead of attending to more important matters. Thank goodness for a mild fall. I was sure to tell my daughter good looking out for me. She earned the cost of her tuition today...well, not really. She still needs to landscape my new yard or something when I move. Anything. Build me a stone patio maybe.

Yes, I can do season tickets on such short notice. The season starts only 1 1/2 months after this announcement. I have been looking for something to do this winter since the home team AAHL Chi-Town Shooters hockey franchise folded.

This unwritten baseball rule will not catch on

Through my associations, I know a lot of unwritten rules exist in professional baseball--like thou shall not dance to your theme music before entering the batter's box. Infractions of rules like this one will get a batter drilled in the back by a fastball, then the manager or coach that ordered the hit may later remind that same downed batter they still want him to speak at their youth camp during the off-season. The unwritten rules trump friendships.

Last night during the Railcats last regular season home game, I learned a new unwritten baseball rule. Maybe this is only a minor league/independent league rule, but I DO NOT think it is going to catch on.

http://www.post-trib.com/sports/2669268,bbm-railcats-0903.article

...With two outs in that inning, things escalated. On the first pitch after Schaumburg manager Mike Busch made a mound visit to Aaron Guinn, the right-hander hit John Parham. And on the next pitch, Guinn hit Adam Klein. A furious Tagert hopped out of the dugout, with Busch appearing to tell him to go back. Guerrero had to restrain Tagert, as the dugouts emptied again after Tuesday's drama over a home-plate collision, before order was restored with no ejections.

Tagert said the Flyers were upset about comments fans in the stands were making during at-bats.
...

The comments fans made during at-bats upset the Schaumburg Flyers?!? That is why I do not think this unwritten rule will gain popularity. How does a manager control the comments of the fans?!? Manager Mike Busch told Manager Greg Tagert to control those M----- F-----'s. That is why he ordered the Gary Railcats players hit, he went on to say (I sit in the front row, so I hear it all at the ballpark). Of course, Greg Tagert threw his hands up and said What do you want ME to do about the fans??? They're going to say stuff. It got funnier after things calmed down, well maybe not for John Parham. Another fan, who sits next to the visiting dugout every game kept yelling They better not hit you (Parham) again or I'm running out on the field. You guessed it. It was all about rude fans. The next time at bat Parham got drilled in the back a second time to spite this noisy fan. You also guessed it, the fan hugged his seat and did not make the slighted move toward the field. Instead, the fan yelled Well, if it happens again I'm there for you Parham.

I do not care much for obnoxious fans either, but what can a person do? Heckling is a time-tradition part of baseball. This new unwritten rule does not have any legs. The offending pitcher and manager were tossed from the game, Parham probably wished they would have picked on someone else, and there are still plenty of talkative people in the stands that will never face an 88 mph fastball between the shoulder blades.

Brother, can you spare a dime? Part II

The Premier Basketball League (PBL). Also known as, The Strangest Minor League in the World is at it yet again. Apparently, newly appointed League President Andre Levingston needed some help (or supervision) so Anthony (Tony) Chase was appointed CEO and co-owner. Apparently, Tony Chase has as many problems paying bills as Andre Levingston. Apparently, only the Founder/co-owner Dr. Serverko Hrywnak has any real money.

http://www.kentucky.com/2010/01/08/1086832/bluegrass-stallions-basketball.html

...
Chase said he is behind in paying 25 percent of the Stallions' vendors but said he has the funds reserved to pay the Stallions' Horse Park bill, due Monday — about $3,000 for each of 10 games.

Chase said the team is leaving the Horse Park because the Stallions were going to have to spend an additional $13,000 to remove and later reinstall the basketball floor to accommodate another Horse Park event.
...

Let me get this straight. Someone signs a lease agreement with a horse park arena to play basketball then this same someone seems surprised when horse events are also held? Hmmmm. Chase also owned another under-performing minor league basketball team during the same period of time.

http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/below-rim

Tony Chase, the Lexington, Ky.-based owner of the American Basketball Association’s Music City Stars, issued a statement on the dismantling of the young franchise that read longer than the Stars’ season.

“We will spend the next few months determining what course, if any, will be taken in the future,” Chase began. “It is difficult at best to introduce a minor league sport into a community, much less attempting to do so following two attempts in the recent past.”

He went on to discuss how difficult it had been to get fans in the seats, adding that most of the attendance was the result of complimentary tickets.
...

Considering Mr. Chase's track record, he is a strange choice for CEO. However, this IS the strangest minor league in the world.

Using Your Head About Concussions

Concussions are nothing to take lightly. I suffered a mild concussion in August 2009 after I fell roller blading (and yes, I was wearing a helmet). Nothing like this has happened to me before and I would not wish it on my worst enemy. My speech and memory was affected for MONTHS afterward. I did not notice significant recovery until I returned to take college courses during Spring 2010 and was forced to concentrate. As of the writing of this blog, I still space out from time to time...which I do not think is normal. Well, it is not normal for me to space out as much.

http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/baseball/professional/minor/northern-league/article_12c7c75b-bb8e-5c5b-8bec-fef2f823f7f3.html?mode=story

RailCats using their noggins about closed-head injuries
By Hillary Smith hillary.smith@nwi.com Posted: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 10:00 pm

...
"After the first one, not only are you more susceptible, but they start to compound," said Townsend on Tuesday, in the clubhouse for the first time since he left Saturday's game against Lake County with nausea and dizziness.

"The more you get, the worse it gets, and that holds true. I didn't feel like I had hit my head that hard this last time. But the symptoms came back."
...

I did not feel I hit my head hard either. As a matter of fact, I did not think I hit my head at all until I later looked at the back of my helmet and noticed a grass stain. Maybe I did bump my head, I thought.

No nausea and no dizziness for me. I was fortunate. Tanner Townsend is a very good minor/independent league player (Gary Southshore Railcats), but if he has had multiple concussions (and he knows what I know) then it is probably time to hang-up the spikes. Permanent damage is too likely.

Bark in the Park

This was the first annual Bark in the Park promotion by the Gary Railcats Northern League team. It is a safe bet that I was the only guy to bring a little dog in a red dress to the ballpark. Coco is my daughter's doggy and she takes Coco everywhere. She wanted to bring Coco for a little fun at the ballpark herself. However my daughter had to work, so I was given the task of taking Coco for a ballgame.

Was I supposed to dress like my dog too? That lady has a black and white dog and she is wearing black and white shorts. Sorry, I stop at wearing a red dress.





Okay Coco. Just lay on my lap. The game is not that interesting anyway.

Minor league baseball, the rust belt, and the recession

Lake Michigan Shore magazine's July 2010 edition includes an article on three rust belt teams along the southern most shores of Lake Michigan: West Michigan Whitecaps, South Bend Silver Hawks, and Gary Southshore Railcats (the only independent league mentioned in detail).

http://visitshoremagazine.com/2/?p=13972

The recession has put a squeeze play on America, but no place has been hit as hard as the Rust Belt. Unemployment in Michigan reached 14.3 percent in January, the highest in the country.

But minor league baseball continues to prosper in Michigan, notably with the Midwest League’s West Michigan Whitecaps outside of Grand Rapids. On the Indiana side, the South Bend Silver Hawks are branching out into the community, and the most remarkable upswing can be found with the Northern League’s Gary SouthShore RailCats—a team that is defying odds with its spiffy downtown ballpark.

Baseball can thrive during bad times.

There were some interesting statistics in the article. I always knew (even before the ballpark was built) the highest percentage of fans at Railcats games would come from places other than Gary. However, I didn't know Gary residents were as high as the third largest percentage of fans at US Steel Yard either. I figured Gary residents were far lower down the totem pole in that department. Don't know why I figured that since I'm a Gary resident and practically live at the ballpark and know other Gary people that camp-out there as well.

A few other interesting statistics, while I knew the Railcats attendance went up last year I didn't know that during the same year 81% of all minor league attendance went down. Railcats attendance seems a little down this year (2010) though. Maybe bad economic times have taken hold. I seem to remember larger crowds on Fireworks Fridays.

Fwd: Wasp Spray

This is an example of one of those mass emails people like to forward to about fifteen of their email contacts. The woman who sent me this forwarded email is one of my cute MySpace and Facebook friends. Once upon a time we used to chat about where in Chicago to go on a date. Now I am reduced to one of the fifteen forwarded. My reply (and my replies to HER forwarded emails never receive a reply from her) follows.

Subject: Wasp Spray

I know some of you own GUNS, but this is something to think about...

If you don't have a gun, here's a more humane way to wreck some one's evil plans for you. Did you know this? I didn't. I never really thought of it before. I guess I can get rid of the baseball bat.

Wasp Spray - A friend who is a receptionist in a church in a high risk area was concerned about someone coming into the office on Monday to rob them when they were counting the collection. She asked the local police department about using pepper spray and they recommended to her that she get a can of wasp spray instead.

The wasp spray, they told her, can shoot up to twenty feet away and is a lot more accurate, while with the pepper spray, they have to get too close to you and could overpower you. The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until they get to the hospital for an antidote. She keeps a can on her desk in the office and it doesn't attract attention from people like a can of pepper spray would. She also keeps one nearby at home for home protection. Thought this was interesting and might be of use.

On the heels of a break in and beating that left an elderly woman in Toledo dead, self defense experts have a tip that could save your life.

Val Glinka teaches self-defense to students at Sylvania Southview High School . For decades, he's suggested putting a can of wasp and hornet spray near your door or bed.

Glinka says, "This is better than anything I can teach them."

Glinka considers it inexpensive, easy to find, and more effective than mace or pepper spray. The cans typically shoot 20 to 30 feet; so if someone tries to break into your home, Glinka says "spray the culprit in the eyes". It's a tip he's given to students for decades.

It's also one he wants everyone to hear. If you're looking for protection, Glinka says look to the spray. "That's going to give you a chance to call the police; maybe get out. Maybe even save a life."

Please share this with all the people who are precious to you!

Did you also know that wasp spray will kill a snake? And a mouse! It will! Good to know, huh? Goes without saying it will also kill a wasp.!!!!


............................................
Re: Fwd: Wasp Spray

Great idea with the wasp spray. If an intruder gets into my house then I can first spray them, get my gun while they're blinded, shoot 'em (for violating my domain), and get one of my many baseball bats at the ready if I only wound the intruder.

Mice??? Well, I have cats for that or sticky pads. I'm not ruining the vanish off my furniture just to spray a mouse. Great idea though.
Ken

Brother, can you spare a dime?

The strangest minor league in the world, the Premier Basketball League (PBL), is at it again. They have hired a new president.

Levingston unveiled as new PBL president
MATTHEW WUEST
METRO HALIFAX
June 09, 2010 1:26 a.m.

...
The Halifax Rainmen owner was officially unveiled as the PBL’s new president yesterday following the league’s annual meetings in Chicago and said he is “coming in shaking the rug” and that the league “can’t continue to do business as usual anymore.” Levingston, whose role with the Rainmen is expected to be unchanged, said his main focus is to have teams with more stable ownership.

“No longer are we looking for guys with an extra $100,000 thinking they can own a professional basketball team in our league,” Levingston said. “Those days are over. It has to be harder.

“We want solid ownership that will run business the way we want business run.”
...

What is so strange about hiring a new president?!? Well, the new president wants solid ownership that will run business the way WE want business run. The Problem is that Levingston is also a team owner; the owner of the Halifax Rainmen and...

Halifax Rainmen $376,000 in debt
The Halifax Chronicle Herald
January 2010

The Halifax Rainmen basketball team and owner Andre Levingston are facing a full-court press for about $376,000 in unpaid debt.

A Toronto finance company called 565819 Ontario Ltd. says in court documents the team and its owner received $55,000 on March 12, 2007, and $252,200 on April 27 of that year but have not repaid the loans in full.

The amount the team and its owner owed grew to about $383,000 because of missed monthly interest payments, but the total was reduced after a May 25 payment of $10,000, say court documents filed in Nova Scotia Supreme Court.
...

Instead of whittling the loan amount down since 2007, the amount of the team's start-up loan amount actually grew because of so many missed payments. Does this mean the league is no longer looking for owners like himself??? This is a very strange league indeed.

Me and Bike the Drive 2010

Chicago's annual Bike the Drive event is where busy Lake Shore Drive is closed to car traffic then turned over to bicycle traffic. Bike the Drive is also my ultimate machismo statement, I ride a bicycle faster than you. Yes, that means you too towing your four year old daughter behind your cruiser bike. Actually, I was more sociable this year. I spoke to riders along the route other than the usual, "I'm on your left" and made conversation during rest stops. This is the video I made at this year's event.

I am riding a mountain bike, the same mountain bike I use for commuting. I cannot keep up with hard charging riders on road bikes. The people passing me like I was standing still were riding road bikes or recumbent bikes. I am buying a good road bike in the upcoming months and my fangs will be out even further for next year's event.

The following is the video I made from Bike the Drive 2009. The video is over 36 minutes long and I sometimes watch it while I am on my stationary bike to simulate real conditions.


Ken Biking The Drive, 2009

MySpace Video

Floyd Landis: Is there any proof...anything?

If only one person on Earth needs to put up or shut up, then disgraced (and stripped of his 2006 Tour de France win) Floyd Landis is that person. His allegations about Lance Armstrong are obviously false and unfounded. How do I know his allegations are false and unfounded? I know because of the French. If the French could not find anything to discredit Armstrong's seven Tour de France wins, then Lance is clean. The French tried hard and are still trying overtime because Lance Armstrong is not done with the Tour de France yet. The French caught several big name cyclists doping during the Armstrong years, but none with the last name Armstrong. Are we to believe Lance Armstrong is too smart to be caught? Smarter than the French? Smarter than every athlete caught taking performance enhancing drugs (and there are a lot of cheaters being caught these days)? Or are we to believe Lance Armstrong used the same strength and determination when overcoming cancer to also overcome seven Tour de Frances? I prefer the latter.

Shouldn't the League Commissioner Present the Championship Trophy?

I have witnessed four Northern League championships settled at US Steel Yard in Gary and one CBA championship settled in Gary. All five times the league commissioner strolled out to the middle of the playing surface to present the championship trophy to the winning team. I have watched an AHL championship final on tv where the AHL commissioner presented the cup to the winning team. This YouTube video shows then IHL commissioner, Paul Pickard presenting the 2009 Turner Cup to the Fort Wayne Komets.

The league commissioner has also presented the winning team its championship trophy every time I have watched a major league championship final game.

The commissioner presents the winning team the championship trophy. That is universal protocol. However, the director of operations (third in the chain of command) presented the 2010 Premier Basketball League champions their trophy. Maybe the PBL commissioner was too busy that day. Maybe it does not matter who presents the trophy in the PBL. It does send a message to the rest of the organized sports world though. The message is we aren't organized and we don't care.

Owner of the Strangest Minor League Interviewed

Finally the owner of the strangest minor league (at least, the strangest minor league I ever saw), the Premier Basketball League (PBL), was interviewed with real questions. Dr. Severko Hrywnak, owner and C.E.O. of the PBL re-affirmed why I think the PBL is such a strange league, but he answered the questions rather honestly. I found his candor refreshing. Apparently Dr. Hrywnak is not a spin doctor.

Excerpts from the article:

...
Q: When do you think (the league can run without your money)?

Hrywnak: I wish I had that crystal ball. To run the league, it costs on the average about $1 million a year.

Q: What’s the goal, getting to the point where you aren’t the bank for the league and every owner has a stable operation?

Hrywnak: I’d like the team owners to be profitable, and I’d like, as an ownership group, that we’d all have a piece of the league and everyone can benefit.
...

Next blog: Shouldn't the League Commissioner Present the Championship Trophy?

China Stripped of Bronze Medal

Let this be a reminder to all, especially minor league sports that think they will save their leagues because mainland China is "flush with cash". No need looking to the far east for the next franchise opportunity. Mainland China is not a fair partner. In other words, the Chinese government cheats whether it is sports, business, or humanity in general.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100428/ap_on_sp_ol/oly_gym_underage_gymnast

Apparently, Dong (on the right) willingly admits her correct age. It is the Chinese system that plays fast and loose with the rules, not necessarily the Chinese people.

The Strangest Minor League in the World

What makes the Premier Basketball League (PBL) so strange? It is not because the league is disorganized. Lots of minor leagues are disorganized. It is not because member teams have come and gone (sometimes during the season). Lots of minor leagues have teams come and go. It is not because this league has a tendency of issuing rambling sour grapes type press releases. http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3982349 Lots of minor leagues have trouble grasping the concept of the proper press release. The PBL is strange because it is disorganized, teams come and go, they issue WTF type press releases, AND the owner (yes, this league has an owner) apparently has tons of money to correct those problems. Yet this league plods along on its current course.

I Fought My Credit Card Company and Finally Won!

I was late paying my credit card bill in October 2009 by one day. I have not been late paying for a few years running. A $39 late fee appeared on my next statement. I did not like it and I thought it was nitpicking because of one lousy day, but I was late after all. January 2010 statement and my interest rate was hiked an additional 14%. My jaw nearly dropped to the floor.

What's going on? Why did my APR go through the roof all of a sudden? My questions were directed toward the customer service representative. She told me it was because I was late in October. I was frustrated and she was frustrated as well. Apparently, her training was limited to offering cash rewards to customers.

My credit card company was obviously trying to beat the February 22, 2010 deadline where banks could no longer raise interest rates unexpectedly on late payments less than 60 days. I made sure to remind them of this as often as I could.

The bank finally caved-in in April and returned my APR to original pre-January 2010 levels. I am a cardholder in good standings and I bugged them every chance I got. This large multi-national bank realized they were being excessive. Well, the customer service manager blamed it on the software. It's all automated. It wasn't our decision Yeah right. It was their decision to program the software though.

Add Derrick Coleman to the List

My ex-wife, ABA/NBA basketball standout George Gervin, and Derrick Coleman are all cousins. They all are either from Detroit or have lots of relatives in Detroit. Apparently, they all should be avoided when it comes to money matters. Well, I did not know about Derrick's issues until reading this:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Derrick-Coleman-is-almost-5-million-in-debt;_ylt=AhWQjcENG1V0bmaRl4ovyUEYc8UF?urn=nba,233379

Coleman's biggest debt comes from a $1.3 million lawsuit brought against him by Comerica Bank and a $1 million real estate loan from Thornburg Mortgage Home Loans. He also owes $50,000 to NBA Hall of Famer, and current Detroit mayor, Dave Bing.

I will not elaborate on my ex's inability to manage money. I will only say that I am happier now than ever in my adult life. Nor will I elaborate on George's family fundraising while I was married to my ex, only to say that my ex could not afford the family reunion money at the time (or any other time, for that matter).

Derrick Coleman? I am hoping money, or the lack thereof, has nothing to do with genes.

Tiger Woods' Return After the Sex Scandal

Is it my imagination or did Tiger Woods pump a lot more iron after the sex scandal?

Tiger Woods in his first tournament after the scandal.
Tiger Woods during the 2009 season before the scandal.
It was my imagination. Tiger Woods is an athletic specimen regardless and I hope he kicks the snot out of the golf world after his personal affairs were dragged in front of the public.

Butler's ride ends as Duke wins 61-59

Butler has a young team. If they ever learn to shoot jump shots, then they may be unstoppable in the future.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100406/ap_on_sp_co_ne/bkc_ncaa_championship_butler

Butler, however, puts the "old" in old school. With 4,200 students, it was the smallest school to play for the title since the field was expanded to 64 in 1985 and fourth-smallest overall. Forget state-of-the-art facilities. The Bulldogs play in an 82-year-old gym, the barn-like Hinkle Fieldhouse. Practice there, too — at 6:30 a.m., no less. There are no athletic dorms and, yes, those were some of the Butler players spotted in the classroom Monday morning.

I can vouch for the small size of the campus and the lack of athletic dorms. We ran across a player in the dorm lobby on one of those moving-in days for my college kid. "Hey! You've got a great game. By the way, hold that door open for me and could you hand me that lamp cord I'm dragging? Thanks."

Butler University, Hinkle Fieldhouse, and The Final Four

Remember my college kid...again? The undergrad school she graduated from was Butler University. That means I am familiar with the Butler campus. Unfortunately I am not very familiar with Hinkle Fieldhouse, Butler's home venue (The Dawg Pound). The only time I've been inside was for graduation...and happy I was that day. No more lugging college person type belongings up and down I-65.

Since I have only been in Hinkle for graduation ceremonies, then I only have graduation pictures. Never attended a basketball game there, not even when I was a high school student and when state high school finals were held there (like in the movie Hoosiers).

Butler is in the Horizon League. There was a big push a few years back to have the Horizon League tournament held in Gary, Indiana since so many Horizon League teams (like Valparaiso University, Loyola University, UIC, and Butler) are close to Gary. That push was made when Gary had a CBA professional basketball team. That push may have been reduced to a nudge with Butler's recent success in the Final Four and the Gary team closing up shop. However, the Horizon League's baseball tournament WILL be held in Gary this spring (spring 2010) at US SteelYard. This time I will leave with something other than graduation photos.

Don't Local Celebrities Make Big Money?

Remember my college kid? The one who has been in the marketplace a few years now? She is a local television news reporter. How ironic.
http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-surprisingly_underpaid_celebrities_and_other_high_profile_people-1190

Local news anchors
Since they often become local "celebrities," many people assume their favorite news anchors earn an enviable salary. That's often not true, especially in small markets. Entry-level news anchors earn approximately $27,000 a year upon entering the profession, and can earn as little as $30,000 after 5 years of service.

The beat reporters make enough less. My daughter could not shop Wal*Mart in her central Indiana market without someone stopping her for an autograph. What the autograph seekers did not realize is that she was shopping Wal*Mart for a reason. She is in a larger market now, northwest Indiana, which also covers south Chicago. However, the pay is almost the same as before. She makes ends meet by living at home with her mom.

This is what four years undergraduate and one year graduate school buys you if you are not doing the news in a huge market. Home with mom where you started.

Moving Your Kid to and from College

My college kid has graduated and has been working in the marketplace for a few years now, but there was a time when I was Super Mover Dad.

Freshman year:
Never mind that you've been there and done this. It all doesn't matter because your kid apparently knows more about college life than you will ever know, but I digress. This blog is really about the physical act of moving junk from home to dorm and from dorm back home. Bringing the stuff (in two packed SUV's) to campus for the first time is a pain of course. Things have to be hauled up elevators to an unfamiliar (and super small) dorm room. These new and somewhat cheesy things that you have shared the last two hours with on the highway have to be assembled next. The entire day is shot. Not to mention the scrapes and bruises that weren't there this morning.

If bringing the stuff is a pain, then bringing the stuff back home for the summer is double the pain. First, nothing is packed. Everything is still plugged-in, food is still in the refrigerator, and dirty clothes are everywhere. "You DID know you were moving today, didn't you?" I just had to ask sarcastically. So you help unplug all the electrics, defrost the fridge, and put the clothes in Hefty bags. Takes you hours to pack. Takes you hours to get the stuff into the SUV's because this time, the stuff doesn't seem to fit quite as well. Hmmmmm. What's up with that? The drive home was interesting to say the least. Rear view mirrors were useless (WAY too much clutter this time) and visions of the opening credits to the Beverly Hillbillies danced through my head.

Sunrise to sunset worth of back breaking labor. Another day shot. Another move coming at the end of summer.

Sophomore year:
Oh HECK no! Didn't we just haul this stuff back home a few months ago? It's time to hit the highway with a bunch of college student stuff again?!? A bunch of "Girly college student stuff". Lady bug this and that, Hello Kitty all the rest and isn't that a Hello Kitty television set? That thing is heavy...and it's pink. It's not even the third week of August yet. My incidental bruises from the last move are still fresh. Well, I hope the tires don't go flat from all the extra weight.

May arrives. Oh heck no! No way. Nada. Didn't we just do something like this in August? Hauling clothes, pink televisions, and cheesy dorm furniture up and down the highway is for the birds. Never again. That is my vow. Never again, at least until SOMEONE graduates. We can put the stuff into the truck, but the truck goes no further than a storage facility near campus. Yeah, that's a plan. Doesn't eliminate moving completely, but this storage facility near campus thing may have potential. Hmmmmm.

Junior year:
Not much to blog about. Moving back to school is going to be a piece of cake this time. No loading up the SUV at home and strolling down the highway. All the cheesy furniture is there already. All that needs to be done is get the stuff out of storage and assemble a few items bought over the summer. Piece of cake. Once at the destination, everything is taken back to the cramped dorm room. Cheesy furniture in place--great! Assembly of the new items begins (a computer desk and chair, I think). Assembly is going well too because the instructions weren't too confusing. Assembly is going well until 2pm. Sorry about that! Gotta get back home because the baseball team (Gary Southshore Railcats) is in town and I have season tickets. Game time is 6pm and I DON'T want to miss the national anthem. Here, take this screwdriver, I said as I wiped my hands clean. The instructions are simple (well, not really). You're just going to leave like POOF, you're outta here? She asked. Don't you love me? Without breaking stride on my way to the elevator, Sure I love you. Love those season tickets too. ....Call you when I get home. Maybe I'll call from the ballpark, I'm thinking.

Late March. School's not out yet, but I've been saving my money. Here's your car--enjoy! A green Dodge Neon (okay, well I didn't have to save too much money...and how was I supposed to know Dodge Neons are notorious for engine oil problems???). May arrives. School's out, but I'M out of the moving business. My college student can cram all that stuff into her Dodge Neon and make as many trips as necessary to get it all into storage. Life is good and baseball season begins soon.

After Graduation:
Rented a big U-Haul and moved her to Springfield, IL for grad school. A grad school program where they guaranteed a job upon completion. Upon completion the following year there was no job to be found...What? What? Did we actually say JOB?!?...so I rented another big U-Haul and brought her back home. Found a job 80 miles from home later that summer, so I rented yet another big U-Haul and dropped her stuff-off for good (I think). All this was done between baseball games. Whew!

The green Dodge Neon is history, by the way. Something about leaking oil and the car was green, but her sorority colors are red and white. What type of car does she drive now? A red Ford Focus with white trim, of course.

I Don't Get It: Part II

I often say that I'm starting to understand women because of my experience and advanced age. Now I'm not understanding my own gender, maybe BECAUSE of experience and advanced age. I don't get it. A guy marries a swimsuit model after knowing her for two days (obviously for the huge breast implants). He later gets upset because the woman makes fun of him in public...I mean duh. He married a swinsuit model after only knowing her for two days. Sounds like grounds for making fun of a guy to me. The straw that broke the camel's back was the woman spending hours in a bathroom on the phone. So he murdered her and mutilated her corpse. Huh???
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090824/en_nm/us_model_murder_7
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Story?id=8374131&page=1



It MUST be my advanced age because I'll never understand the logic to commit a crime like this. I understand the part about a man's penis doing all his thinking, but this...???

I Don't Get It: Part I (The Steve McNair Murder/Suicide)

Memories are beginning to fade, but I still seem to think about this incident (if only for a few moments) everyday.

I don't get it...and it's not because Sahel Kazemi shot him, then shot herself. I don't get why Steve McNair was fooling around with 20-year old Sahel Kazemi in the first place. He was married with teenage kids. He had lots of life experience. She was practically a teenager herself with almost no life experience.



...and what's up with the para-sailing vacation??? This was totally over her understanding. She thought Steve McNair loved her. She thought wrong if she thought McNair was going to leave his wife for her. Although, I feel he should have left his wife. Why put your wife through that sort of crap? Leave her. Maybe that would have saved his life.



...and what's up with Steve McNair sharing a condo with one of his friends??? The scene of the crime. This place was obviously a pad to take chicks. This incident was so wrong on so many levels. I'm finding that it's difficult to understand my own gender. I'm finding penises are getting too many guys in trouble...and apparently others are being hurt as well.