WHAT A JIMMY EAT WORLD IS

It's almost Jimmy Eat World time in the Valley. I have no idea what kind of band they are, but they are huge at the Phoenix Open (now called the FBR because of some corporate sponsorship--I think it's a bank, but I really don't know.) The same with the America West Arena where the Suns play. Now it's called US Airways Arena, soon to be called the Delta Arena, I suppose.

The TWA Dome in St. Louis became the Edward D. Jones Dome, etc., etc., all over the country. Corporate sponsorships pay the high salaries of sports stars today, and I have no problem with that. Except....

That drives up the cost of my airplane ticket and investment portfolio, and
That (long pause) is the only problem I have with it. Except....

Why can't corporate sponsorships do that with schools? Can you imagine in this day of accountability and testing and charter schools what a field is out there for corporations. Just envision J.P. Morgan High School in Marion, Illinois, having the best SAT scores in the southern part of the state. Or Verizon High in Chandler, Arizona, defeating QWest High at Mesa in a volleyball game. All the while, salaries of teachers escalating while improvements are made in the schools' buildings and library.

See what you started Jimmy Eat World.

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH SNOOP DOGGY DOG

My dog can beat up your dog. He protects me. I can talk to him when there's no one else in the world to listen to me.
Dogs are man's best friend for a reason. They are simply compatible to their owners.
And they can get along well in this world, unlike the Snoop. They also know when they die they go to heaven.

Rusty Garry was the meanest dog I ever knew. His owner Colleen lived up the street from me, her grandmother right next door. When Rusty would get loose, he'd run and try to find dogs to beat up. A big German Shep, he had no problem. So when he'd get loose, Colleen and I would go after him.

It never took long to find him: just wait till you heard a dog fight. And Rusty never lost, never even got a scratch on him. But it wouldn't make me feel to good to see a dog fight and Rusty shaking the heck out of a smaller dog. I'm sure he even killed some of them. He was viscious. But not to people. And he'd let you pull him out of a good fight. He never snapped at anyone that I ever saw, and I saw the worst of old Rust.

Gentle around people/hateful around dogs. He never saw a person he didn't like and a dog he didn't hate.

CARDINALS SIGN ELIOTT HEDIN

With a premium on starting pitching this off season, the St. Louis Cardinals signed MTV High grad Elliott Hedin (pictured left) to a one-year contract to fill one of the slots in the pitching rotation.

"I know Hedin's not a shoo-in to make the staff, but my hands are tied with this payroll thing," commented Walt Jocketty.
"Plus," Jocketty continued, "he's a heckuva hitter. One year in YMCA ball, he almost won the home run title simply by hitting hard ground balls passed the roped off area indicating home run."

Cardinal co-owner Bill DeWitt was pleased with the signing," What the hey. If he doesn't fit into our pitching rotation, I can use him in salary negotiations. He is an attorney, you know. Maybe he can give TRL somebody to talk to in the dugout when he's not on the hill."

Hedin was unavailable for comment. Something about, "Where is this Show Me place?"

IT WAS ONE OF THOSE NIGHTS

At my BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) class on Monday night I saw a young man who was in my discussion group last year. Our conversation went like this, started by me.
"How you doin'?" I haven't seen you all year."
"I haven't seen you either, but I think about you everyday."
Whoa, I thought. We weren't that close.
"That cross you gave me from Israel. I placed it on my computer where I can see it everyday when I get on the treadmill or sit at the computer."
Wow! When I was in Israel in March, I purchased about 50 small crosses made of olive wood. I gave them to my Sunday School class and BSF discussion group. They cost me 33 cents each.
"I have it sitting on its side. It reminds me that I have to lift up the cross everyday."
Wow! (I'm even getting goosebumps as I type this.) "Oh man, that's great," is all I could offer.
He talked about others in our group and about one guy who always wears as a necklace the cross I bought. He talked about making his into a necklace with a leather strap.
I tried to dissuade him. "Yours is great just the way it is."
We had a great discussion and lecture and worship hymns and prayers as usual on Monday night. But the highlight of my evening was the conversation with Brian. Who about this time of day should now be lifting up that cross.

...then the world turned completely upside down ...

I'm really not sure the exact date or time, but I'm certain the world has turned completely upside down. I think it happened overnight.

When I turned on the tv today after a morning of doing heavy retired type work: loading the washing mashine and dryer, taking out the trash, emptying the trash compactor which we have reduced to a catlog/paper shredder without shredding, cleaning the garage, I decided to take a break.

My tv comes on to KPHO, Channel 12 to Regis and Kelly. They are inviting people to send them their holiday cards with family pictures on them. Holiday cards? What happened to Christmas cards? When do people ever say, "I haven't shopped for or sent my holiday cards yet." And has anyone ever received a Kwanza or Jewish holiday card? And can't you celebrate Kwanza and Christmas?

I flip to some show where 4 ladies; scratch that--females-- talk. I think it's on ABC and I think Barbara Walters and Lisa Ling used to be on. Not today. Today viewers were stuck with Rosie O'Donnell who showed pictures of her daughter with an iguana on her head. "Thank gosh, she climbed down the tree without falling. Thank gosh, yeah, I almost slipped up." What? How can you thank gosh? And why would she not be thankful to God? Or can't she say that anymore on tv?

Enough of the talking head women shows. I flip to ESPN and see Micke Vick flipping off his hometown fans and cussing them in easy to lip read vulgarities. The reporters correctly show, with reverse angle, the crowd made up of many pre-teens nearby. Vick's comment," I'm anxious (sic) to go on and put this incident behind me." I would be,too. Couldn't we all say that when we commit errors of judgment? What a cop out from a publicist or agent. It reminds me of when Mark McGwire testified before Congress at the drug hearings and said," I'm not here to talk about the past."

Oh , my! Thank gosh we don't have some wild-eyed radical as Speaker of the House. We do? Oh, well. Now, where did I put my Holiday Card list of people to send to this Holiday Season?

I DON'T DRIVE A LOT ANYMORE

Actually I never did put a lot of miles on a car.My current car has 22,000 miles on it,a 2004. My wife's car, a 2000, also has 22,000. As a new driver, I remember thinking I would never tire of driving. And it's really not me. What I don't like about driving is the other guy.

When I see someone needing to change lanes, all he has to do is signal and I'll let him in. I'm actually happy to help him. We've all been in the wrong lane when we needed to change, and if there's a signal indicating a desire, then I'll gladly oblige. Without the signal though, you're fortunate if I let you in. But in today's world, it seems the signal doesn't matter. Even if it could result in a wreck, most of the drivers I encounter will leave you out there on your own. "I didn't tell you to be in that lane--you chose it--stay there or get hit."

A friend of mine blames it on New York City. No one has a car there, and when they retire in AZ, they are just learning to drive. And being typical New Yorkers, they're jerks; thus, they won't help you out. In fact they thrive on how many they cut off in a day. That's my friend's philosophy. The problem with that is I don't know too many New Yorkers who retire here. Most I know go to Florida.

I do know that it's not a good idea to honk, gesture, or blink lights at drivers out West. Probably anywhere anymore. Last week another friend of mine honked at a BMW getting out of a parking space. The driver, shaved head and earringed, got out of his car. For some reason so did my friend though he chose (wisely) to stand behind the open car door. The BMW driver popped him in the mouth with his left. He got back into his car and drove away without saying a word. My buddy's a big guy, strong but not imposing. He got his license plate, called the police, has three witnesses lined up, but he's still not sure what he's going to do.

My advice to him was to press charges before this guy strikes (literally) again. It'll probably be awhile before he honks at somebody though. But if he does, I know he'll stay inside his car.