The Spirit of the Game

It's agreed that little can be gained by debating the morality of Mr. Woods' extramarital dalliances, although it can be argued that to discuss the effects that these events have on the worlds of golf, sports, and popular culture, is of a different matter entirely.  That is the intention of this article.

All too often it seems we find (perhaps fairly or unfairly) our 'heroes' let us down, but for the many who golf, Eldrick has appeared to have fallen from an even greater height than most (for the record, I will no longer reference him as 'Tiger' as I believe its origin as a heroic nickname given by his father in honor of a military friend is one for which he no longer deserves.  His given name, Eldrick, or Mr. Woods will suit for me).  As easy as it might be to heap blame and shame, and follow those who will name names, I for one, will not join this game (OK, I admit to being a Theodore Geisel fan).  It is perhaps a more jagged dagger to simply witness the effects that Mr. Woods' decisions will have in relation to the sport for which so many play, enjoy, and follow.

The disappointment shared by people seems mixed both in its volume and direction.  One conclusion shared by Mr. Jack Nicklaus publicly was that this is a private family matter for Woods-Nordegren.  Fair enough, although surely Mr. Nicklaus is acutely aware that, as we speak, business decisions are being made that relate to the financial support of Mr. Woods and his family.  Granted, with proper management in place it would seem that Woods and his family should need not have concern for their financial legacy but the public damage brought about by the slow and painful removal of his prominence from products, events, and the sport of golf are an additional shame for which he should and must solely bear.

Many have already displayed the events following Kobe Bryant's extramarital story as a pattern for what will likely happen with Woods.  I sincerely hope this will not be the case.  There are various and sundry similarities certainly, but the fact remains that golf is a sport and profession that differs vastly from most any other (and for which Woods is most certainly aware) due to its core beliefs that are prominently written into its rules and for which the difference between other recent and infamous affairs by professional athletes becomes so illuminated. 


The Rules of Golf, from its very origins, display an inherent honesty, integrity, and fairness as the platform for manner of play.  It is often said that the Rules of Golf are also good rules for life and personally I find that to be accurate.  The very first paragraph by the Royal and Ancient of St. Andrews and the USGA, following the introduction to the Rules of Golf, sets one on the proper path and goes as follows: 

The Spirit of the Game
Golf is played, for the most part, without the supervision of a referee or umpire.  The game relies on the integrity of the individual to show consideration for other players and to abide by the Rules.  All players should conduct themselves in a disciplined manner, demonstrating courtesy and sportsmanship at all times, irrespective of how competitive they may be.
This is the spirit of the game of golf. 

So too may the spirit of the game of life.  To cheat or even attempt to skirt the rules of life should be as widely admonished and reviled as it is in golf.  Woods should expect little in the way of tolerance from the world of golf and its patrons and we in turn should show no leniency.  His penalty and sentence must be served for the good of all.  Woods knows the rules as well as anyone else and still elected to not apply the same integrity to his marriage and family as he has with the sport that has paid him ridiculous sums, in some cases to merely appear.

It is for this simple reason that any fan, company, or organization wishing to remove its support for Woods, can be assured that my full, unwaivering, and unabashed support, as a fan of golf and consumer of goods and services, will exist.  While that may seem a trifle in comparison to what legal or financial pitfalls await Mr. Woods, my integrity is of great value to me.  Moreso than Mr. Woods apparently.

PS: In acknowledgment of Woods' (and our) innate and imperfect humanness, and from one human being to another, my hope is that he will get good help in beginning to heal himself and his family.  Life does carry on and the extent of the damage is yet to be fully known, but should be worked through only with the caring and genuine aid of others trained to assist in matters such as these.

"I am not a role model"

In the wake of recent insinuations and allegations regarding Mr. Tiger Woods and his personal life, the "Where There's Smoke, There's Fire" crew have apparently been proven right.

I've recently recalled the Nike ad of the late 1980s in which 'Sir" Charles Barkley claimed "I am not a role model."  At the time I was a huge Philly 76ers fan (mainly because of my worship of Dr. J) and was both surprised and disappointed by the Sixers star forward's statement, as he seemed a perfect rags-to-riches, blue-collar candidate for hero worship.  It did cause a fair bit of discussion on the sports-related talk circuits as I recall.  Some argued 'yes' they are role models by virtue of their profession and privilege whether they like it or not, and others argued 'no' despite their self-promotion, professional athletes are still mere human beings.  In the end, as I recall, the general public was divided fairly evenly about this topic.

Now the squeekiest of clean athletes in recent times appears keen to apologize publicly for his "personal failings" which appear to be an obscured confession of what the media already appeared to surmise.

I am again surprised and disappointed at Tiger's apparent failings.  It makes me all the more certain now that Sir Charles was right - professional athletes are not role models.  As they are human, they are susceptible to many of the same issues dealt with by the general public and even issues about which the public doesn't have a clue.

It is often hoped by many that these people, who have extraordinary physical and mental talents, will somehow serve as a inspiration to the rest of us who would gladly exchange places with them, especially in regard to bank accounts.  We all seem to need some sort of guideline or example to follow to further our own lives.

To this I now must say, "bullshit".  Our lives belong to, and are the sole responsibility of us and no one else.  It is our own duty to be that example.

We all need to be our own heroes.  
We need to place high value and regard on the things that really matter in life - love, honesty, fairness, empathy.
We need to be the ones who try our best each and every day.

We need to discount the things which so often are promoted as valuable.  When Tiger's ability to hit a golf ball, or Britney's ability to sing and dance, or Robert Downey's ability to portray a fictional character is more highly valued than their ability to be the best father/mother/person they can, something is profoundly wrong.

I appeal to direct your hero worship to those who truly deserve it: those who work hard and with great personal sacrifice to provide for loved ones; those who've accomplished much with few resources; those who get up each day to help or protect others before themselves; those who place the good of the whole before the good of the individual; those who do what they can to make their own worlds better - little by precious little.
These are the true heroes of today and they are people you likely see everyday.

These are the people that deserve your ultimate respect and whom you should emulate.

These are the people who truly make a difference.

These are the people we should strive to be. 

Open Letter to Women: The effect of 'ouch' on the male psyche

Somebody just said it's been over a month since my last post.  

By golly, they're right.  I'll just have to come up with something interesting now won't I?  Hmmm let me seeee...  OK, Current Events will be the category...

I have a friend who is getting a very sensitive operation on his male appendages this week.  I don't find any humor in it whatsoever.  

OK, maybe a little, but I think the more important issue is to communicate with women how important this seemingly innocuous little procedure really is to the males of the species.

Women, if you've ever known a man who you think on occasion may lack the ability to be more sensitive and caring, you have a golden opportunity to lead by example when you find one that is having his Vas Deferens severed and clipped shut.  

Show him some gentle, unrestricted, and loving care that is so crucial to leaving one with a feeling that all will be well.  "But we already care for them in ways they can't seem to imagine."  Yes, we do know this despite rarely recognizing it.  

Believe me, we men know we have it good compared to women when it comes to bodily issues.  Please don't blame us for that.  We had as much to do with that fact as you do with causing the sun to rise every day.  I also believe that regarding our physical beings, we men are wired a bit differently so as to feel that we are powerful and nearly invincible (we hunt, we gather, you know the deal...) meaning we have relatively less regard for care and sympathy than women.  We seem to not desire or request assistance of any sort.

Women, does this sound like any men you know?   Like EVERY man you've ever known perhaps?  Did you think that we learned this in some secret meeting in fourth grade while you were learning about various hormones and cycles?  Not hardly.

BUT, when happenstance produces a time that we are feeling vulnerable (due to some sort of injury, surgery, and pain, real or imagined), we are forced to reckon with the fact that we are rendered vulnerable and frankly, it can frighten us, even if only for a few moments.  It is no more apparent and lucid then, while still at a relatively physically strong, virile, and competent stage, the most sensitive and emblematic region of a male's body becomes a target for scalpels and stitchery.  

It is at times like these that you have a special and unique opportunity to pass along some of your wisdom.  

Be overtly but sincerely kind and caring.  Don't joke about it.  Don't cause it to be worse than it already is because you may not realize how vulnerable we are feeling, just as we can't really understand how difficult childbirth is.  We do get it - pregnancy is a major bodily trauma that lasts for months if not years.  We, as men, do understand, yet we can have no first-hand, direct brain-wired concept either.  A statistically miniscule number of men actually go through the pregnancy sympathy suit training but that seems quite far from what must be the actual truth.

So, for the man who has the vasectomy on his immediate horizon, please understand that I empathize with you.  I offer my sympathy and will endeavor to assist if called upon.  I'm also hoping that there is a minimum of one person, one special female in order of priority ahead of me who will serve as primary caregiver and nurturer-back-to-normal.  Nothing personal, you understand.

I'm hoping (and quite certain) she will be giving you the loving care and sensitive hospitality you will crave.  I share your pain(s) and your vulnerability... from a safe distance.  Sorry, just not wired that way.

>Hiccup<

My computer crashed 4 days ago and I got it back last night.

Pros = I lost nearly no data, I have a newfound respect for being a diligent backer-up, I can resume working, I can again enjoy some leisurely computing moments such as these, and I will not be trying to input some inane status update via my phone.

Cons = I have a newfound fear of this happening again with MUCH worse results, I've lost two days of work that I can't get back, I have to spend some time checking and verifying my backup system to be sure that when the worst happens, my contingencies will actually work.

All in all it could be much worse than what it was, but still a hassle and 4 days of worry about the results of the scanning, testing, and analysis of the hard drive and what the next step would be.

As a result of this little snafu (and oddly I admit), I also seem to feel the need to eat more salad, greens, veggies, etc. and layoff the excess calories no matter how delicious. Perhaps my subconscious is detecting a further reckoning with Karma on a grander scale than just experienced. Warning signs are all too often there, and all too often overlooked. I'd hate for this (relatively) minor incident to be enviable compared to some other near-future event...

Having said that, I've had cause (and time not being on the computer) to reflect on some things and hold the following truths to be self-evident:
> I believe the universe attempts to seek a balance.
> I believe in Karmic retribution.
> I believe that you better get busy livin' or get busy dyin'.
> I believe that what you give is what you get.
> I believe in doing unto to others as you'd have done to you.
> I believe laughter is the best medicine.
> I believe in love.

Sorry if this post appears a bit reflective or maudlin but when events conspire against the normal run of play, it makes you sit up and take notice, even briefly. As I said, the warning signs are all too often around us and all too often ignored. A little proaction doesn't hurt ever does it?

So, if you are reading this right now, you have been warned. Warned that there is a warning sign somewhere you're ignoring. Pick one of them, any one of them, evaluate the possible outcomes and take action to alleviate a bad thing before it happens. It may seem not the right time or possibly inconvenient at that moment, but just an ounce of prevention, people... an ounce of prevention...

I Got Nothin'

Sorry, but just posting for the sake of posting really. Haven't fallen off the Earth, haven't been incarcerated, just sayin' "Hi, I'm here, but I got nuthin". Guess that's neither good nor bad, so there you go.

I will say I wish I was going to LebowskiFest in Chicago this coming week...

See Ya 'Round!

DZ

End of another summer

For me, summer is not magical anymore. Ironically, I noticed this while watching our kids and friends' kids, with grouped effort and at great energy expense, joyfully make huge waves in their swimming pool. It took me back in time for a few moments...

I can say that during my childhood and even up into my early 20s, my body, mind, and soul appeared to be on that wonderful rhythm which followed the school calendar and late May through late August was 'Magical-Super-Fun-Summer-Time'. In my mind's eye, every day was perfect, filled with sun and warmth and leisure and fun. Make no mistake, I'm glad I at least have those memories and apparently have suppressed any rainy, complaint-filled days of boredom and discomfort there may have been.

Now, a full 20 years off of the school calendar, my body and soul have quite obviously taken leave of that very enjoyable and reliable cycle, my mind disconnected with everything altogether. Our kids have gone back to school as well this week and there was a lithe bit of fun during the first day of school. The few standout snapshots of this day for me were mainly three-fold and goes something like this:

The Prologue - Walking to the schoolyard, anticipation in the air, helping the kids find their teachers, kids and adult friends of ours who are teachers lamenting the start of another year (at which those of us schlubs who work year-round snickered).

Act 1. - A small group of parents (myself included) cheering and clapping for the lines of kids following their teachers into the school on the first day. I saw and meant this as encouragement to the kids and the teachers to help alleviate some of their anxiety for what lies ahead. Good on us.

The Epilogue - Draggy parents with empty coffee mugs slowly dispersing from the playground and back into the more rigid confines of the workaday world.

I enjoyed my childhood or at least I remember enjoying it. I enjoyed school and I enjoyed summer break. I'm happy our kids are experiencing it, but as for me, the first day of school just serves to remind me how much I miss it. I'm also a Leo so me and summer do go hand-in-hand.

At times like these, I feel disconnected from myself and i don't like it. Maybe I should have been a teacher after all...

Find your center.

Summer is winding down (although some may argue it never got started around here) and with it comes that time each year when we contract into our family and set about planning more structured time management. It's not easy because summer is (and should be, by my way of thinking) typified by free and easy times with significantly less regimentation. My lawn is a great example of that.

Now is the time for all good parents to begin the task of setting up the kids for one of the most exciting and anxiety-producing days of the year - (in doomlike voice) The First Day of School.

Thankfully many things have already begun without my knowledge or planning which is terrific for someone who rarely thinks anything major in our household cannot happen without my terrific influence and knowledge. Sad, but true. I am coming around though thanks to the great other in the house who sets about getting things done and not merely talking about them.

To achieve that centered feeling without creating a hysterical panic about the new schedule does require a bit of discipline and no procrastination. Little bits each day rather than a mass of chaos on the final days. This method is not in my nature apparently, but as I said, I am coming around... slowly. Today is Monday, and I am vowing to begin working toward a more regimented and consistent schedule both for myself and the kids.

Which means I must stop wasting my time blogging for now. Thanks for checking in and I'll see you down the road, more centered, more focused.

What? Why are you laughing at me like that?... (harumpf)

Quickie '3-hitter' list...

Quickie '3-hitter' list of things I like about my summer so far:
1. Not hot. 72, light breeze, and sun is perfect for me.
2. Vacation was great and the kids also seem to be having a good summer break - trying new activities and learning new things. (Thanks Lynners!)
3. Coaching the winning 2nd and 3rd grade girls' team in GYSO (soccer) league this summer. The kids went nuts when they won with a dramatic extra time goal in the final and repelled two shots to tie. I was thrilled. My wife said she's never seen me jump so high. I have to disagree, but the point being that I didn't even realize I had jumped. Nothing like a last-minute game-winning goal to spark a little pandemonium in the crowd.

That's all for now. Less lag between posts in the future... I Promise!!

DZ

Vacation Notes

OK, last week was spent vacationing (to my extreme delight) with my wife and kids and I'd have to say it was darned near perfect. Weather, travel, lodging, events, eats, etc., all smoothly flowing and delightful.

Oh, except for automobile traveling which revealed some things I'd rather not have seen...

You guessed it - A Compendium of Car Travel Beefs...

Chief Beef #1. (and I DO mean the BIG #1 on the list) - On any multiple-laned roadway, please note (especially those from Ohio for some reason) that the leftmost lane is for passing ONLY. I know this is no uncommon bitch, but THE DAMNED RULE IS: S-T-A-Y T-O T-H-E F * - I-N-G RIGHT LANE until (and ONLY until) you MUST pass someone. Please note that this is quite different than "I will stay in the left lane because my cruise control is set 0.8 mph faster than the car to my right. I will move back over to the right when there is at least 100 yards of gap to get over - I don't care how much faster you are going when you encounter me in the leftmost lane."

At my peak frustration, (somewhere only a scant 3 hours and 12 minutes into the 17 hours of driving) I had visions of the great 80s arcade game Spyhunter, and equipping my vehicle thusly so as to dispatch of these road-offending and discourteous nitwits. Again, it's very simple - stay to the RIGHT until and only until you encounter and must pass a slower vehicle. You are not entitled to move to the left when there is traffic in those lanes. You will wait until such time as that traffic has cleared. This rule is applied to each and every successive move to the left and the Rule will also have you return to the right as the pass is complete. How about just stay in the right lane? That should be easy enough.

TK's Triple Entendre Plus...

Now I love a good double entendre as much as anyone, but I saw pic this on the Indycar.com website News page this morning and laughed... hard.


They even noted the double entendre on the website. I'm sure there are adults in that very newsroom (or wherever their news is made) having a good laugh at the pic and the triple entendre it carries. Without his expression, you could not have warped to the 3rd humor dimension. Now that I think about it, TK's car was on fire last week in Milwaukee which adds yet another dimension... WOW, quadruple entrendre! Love it!

I know it's an ad by 7-Eleven who is a sponsor of TK, but in a version for hetero-males, I'd have opted for driver Ana Beatriz. Oh, just happens I have a picture of me with her...


Look how thrilled she is (ha) to be taking a pic with some random dude with a fat head (me) at Indy during the rain delays of 2008. I can say she was very gracious and polite (and cute). I did my very best to be civil and polite as well but the beverage you may see in my hand was approximately #7 for the day already (no, it's not Fresca) and I am concerned I may have come off a bit too bold and informal in my approach to request a picture. Photo timestamp: Friday, May 23, 2008, 11:29:18AM. HEY, it's Indy weekend, don't judge.

It's Friday, enjoy yo'self! It's a celebration bitches!

Musings on Majestic Debauchery at Indy

It has taken nearly a week for my body to regulate itself from the majestic debauchery that was Thursday, May 21st through Monday, May 25th, 2009. Six and one half days to recover from four and one half days of fun. Regardless of economy, the brain continues to write checks the body can't cash.

This downward spiral - annual Indy debauchery - leading to premature aging - leading to lower tolerance for debauchery - leading to longer recovery time, means that logically this cycle cannot sustain itself without changing one or more of the variables. Aging sucks and nowhere is it more apparent in my life than during my 5 glorious days in Indy. I therefore conclude that I willingly accept this aging process and that the variables must change if I wish to continue. Play smarter, not harder.

I will say that with age (er, experience) does come some benefit.

This year, we became a Lot 3G sensation, not only as in years past simply for our infectious and mirthful comradeship, but for our sheer technical brilliance in fun-having. One member of our group funds his annual Indy trip in a most elegantly symmetrical way - he carves ice sculptures during the winter months for festivals and events and contests. In show of legendary Indy trip spirit, he arranged for two of his fellow ice-carving brethren to come down, gratis, and carve three blocks of ice into an Indycar, the Borg-Warner trophy (aka Vodka Luge), and of course a .95 scale Danica.

Campers and camp lot supervisory personnel came from far and wide to witness the greatest show of Indy 500 weekend artisanship Lot 3G may have ever had. Later, one particular carving became the centerpiece in the now legendary tale of Saturday night debauchery. Those present will regale this story for years. During the noise of chainsaws, heat of sun, and coolness of spraying ice, I sat back for a moment to absorb that evening in Indy with recollections of the roof tarring scene from Shawshank Redemption: (Red narrarating) "We sat and drank with the sun on our shoulders and felt like free men. Hell, we could have been tarring the roof of one of our own houses. We were the lords of all creation. As for Andy - he spent that break hunkered in the shade, a strange little smile on his face, watching us drink his beer... You could argue he'd done it to curry favor with the guards. Or, maybe make a few friends among us cons. Me, I think he did it just to feel normal again, if only for a short while."

And that's the beauty of my annual Indy weekend - my good, good friends and I, feeling normal again, if only for a short while...

An investigative crowd begins to gather once the noise begins...





A nearly complete Tony Kanaan Indycar with ICS logoed base...







Me fondling er, checking Danica for accuracy. When you tweak, you win...









Running the first (of many) shots through the Borg-Warner's internal spiral chilling tube. The chilled shot comes out the opening seen in the base.

Vibrating with Excitement...

OK kiddos, we are scant days away from departure to Indy for the most glorious day on an Indycar fan's calendar (No, not the mid-winter's magazine release of a scantily clad Danica in Florida), it's time for the Indy 500 y'all!

As a primer, I was fortunate to have some business connections that allowed me access this past Friday (Fast Friday II), to the stables of Andretti Green Racing. Yes, yes, you may kiss my freshly Sharpie'd Tony Kanaan autograph. In the hospitality suite, in the garages, and in the pits. And when I say 'in', I mean IN, like in the garage, standing by the tool cribs while they're working on Danica's and Tony's and Marco's and Hideki's cars, and IN the pits like walking up to the pit wall to take pics of cars. The only place we weren't allowed to go was the Pagoda Control Tower or beyond the pit wall.

Awesome.

For a kid whose longtime fascination with all things Indy 500, this was incredibly satisfying. A gorgeous sunny mid-70s May day gave me some much needed color and primed the juices for the Indy trip. I will now share some pics with you from this trip as well as a visual prediction of my Top 3 race finishers:

View from Hospitality Suites








#1 Indy Fan in Gasoline Alley











In Danica's Garage (standing around not getting an autograph)...









My Pick for 3rd Place Finisher (the Dark Horse - pun intended)









My Pick for 2nd Place Finisher











Me beside my pick for 2009 Indy 500 Winner (and my new bestest pal...)











Expect this will be my last post until after the race. Much to do in the coming days and I can't stop vibrating with anticipation for the extended weekend... I leave you now with a thought, a poem...

"With humility, we'll honor the fallen ones
With vigor and abandon, pursue mirth.
For on raceday, we join, united as one,
For the Greatest Spectacle on Earth."

May The Power be with you this weekend and forever... Amen.

Dummies' Guide to the Indy 500

That once a year phenomenon is upon us! In addition to the very easy and clear rules set forth by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway found here, here are my tips to survive and thrive in Indy next weekend:

Camping/Thronging- If you’re camping around the track, or thronging along Georgetown on Saturday night, it WILL be noisy until 3:30am, dirty or very likely muddy with all manner of fluids, crowded, and any portocans within a 1 mile perimeter will be demand the utmost courage to use. If this isn't your scene or can't stomach the potential for people-watching (like 'waiting for the trainwreck'-type watching) that this has, don't bother.

Gear Selection- Standard issue would have you prepared for any weather from bright sun to pouring rain and any temps from 40 to 90 degrees. One crucial item is all too often overlooked however is the cooler. Until the UN demands an immediate halt to styrofoam cooler manufacturing worldwide, there will be two shirtless clowns toting a beer in one hand while sharing the load of an overloaded styro cooler with the other. Without fail, said cooler will break amidst the eager throngs walking on a crowded sidewalk to the track on raceday. Attempting this fool’s feat risks public humiliation, or worse, losing all of your beer before the race.

Eating- Under no circumstance, no matter how hungry, drunk, silly, or tough you think you may be, I advise VERY strongly against eating the Giant Turkey Leg. Trust me, personal reference on this one.

Race Watching- There will be ALL manner of people (some who appear to be circus folk, in some cases) in multitudinous amounts - everywhere. Understand that you WILL have someone annoying, obnoxious, hairy, sweaty, or any combination thereof sitting near you. If not, consider yourself lucky. Also count yourself lucky if the women’s breasts you see don’t remind you of the long-term effects of a sedentary lifestyle, a history of breastfeeding, or gravity.

Exiting- The worst of all traffic won't be found trying to get into the Speedway, but out from after the race. Be patient. Relax, because you're not going anywhere for a few hours anyhow. Spend a while in the stands after the race. Watch the winner go by in the pace car. Get some pictures of the Greatest Racecourse in the World. Get some pictures of that obnoxious guy near you that passed out and is sunburned beyond belief.

PS - Remember to enjoy yourself and that 350,000 others are trying to do the same. It's a big day, but one to remember always.

PPS Damn, I love Indy. It’s a beautiful thing.

Stuff those half my age don't know about.

I made an off-handed post similar to this once on Facebook and for some reason, and due to a recent special event (an 80s Prom at our local watering hole), I thought of it again for this blog.

A 21 year old's Compendium of Mysterious Terms...
Betamax, Intellivision, Leaded or Unleaded?, That's bogue", Commodore 64, Watergate, Love Canal, 3 Mile Island, "You Meathead!", Sea Monkeys, Pet Rock, Datsun, NOW, ERA, 'Ludes, Going to Betty Ford, Match Game, Pol Pot, Khmer Rouge, Ayatollah Khomeni, Khadafi, Sadat and Begin, AMC Gremlin, Rhodesia, Idi Amin, Billy Beer, Pele, Jonestown, Braniff, The Falklands,

annnnd there were only 4 channels on TV.

Dear 21-year-olds, please try to imagine a time when the things listed following were rare or didn't exist when I was your age: internet access, mobile phones, DVDs, CDs, portable computers, phones without cords, personal computers, cable TV, satellite TV or radio, and (gasp) credit cards.

I'd love to see the same list done for someone who is 84 or 63 to a 42 year old... I could probably do it with the help of the innernet and wikipedia... God bless the Innernet.

Greens, Yellows, and Reds for Indy Quals - Days 1 and 2

'Greens' (thumbs up), 'Yellows' - (thumbs sideways), and 'Reds' - (thumbs down) for the following events of note from Indy 500 qualifying - Days 1 and 2...

Firstly I must give a big, huge, Green Flag to Alex "Pink" Lloyd for not only his unabashed embracing of his sponsor's glowing pinkness (cue: 'Money' by Pink Floyd), but also his cannonball-cojones-run on Pole day that got him into the first 11. Nice job. I am even more impressed by his professionalism during his interviews, specifically with Jack Arute's odd (homophobic?) need to have him strike a manly pose in an effort to offset the femininity of the pinkness. I would certainly would like to see Alex in more races this season. Nothing but best of luck to you, Mr. Lloyd.

Speaking of TV coverage, another big Green flag to Versus and the crew working the qualifying weekend. Salient insight during the runs, terrific background on technical aspects, and awesome pit and garage coverage. I've been watching Indycar on TV for decades and this was the best I've seen. I learned more this weekend (thanks to the great work by Messrs Buhl and Beekhuis) about the technical parts through features and analysis than I have in a looong time. FINALLY the production and booth people appear to understand that we appreciate the finer and more technical details we've never seen before. We, the longtime fans (for whom I imagine Versus is attempting to cater to), all easily understand 'understeer' and 'downforce' and 'drafting' and 'rev limiters'. We finally get the more elaborate info we've craved for years and also the great insight by Mears, Mario, and Parnelli was delightful to this Indy fan. An example was Mario stating the worst winds for qualifying and why they effect the cars so adversely. I'd never heard that Turn 2 was notoriously a 'push' corner ever before. Love this stuff Versus, keep it coming!

A Green flag for Indycar's tech inspection crews. Keeping the letter of the law makes for a most even playing field, but also the manner with which it was done. As was noted on Versus, the great Tom Binford held as policy years ago the desire to help crews to comply rather than just be a penalization force. To me this is the proper way to enforce the rules. Good jobs also to; the Safety Crews who ably aid the drivers after a crash and clean up the track after messes, the Indycar Competition Director (Barnhart) for his efficient and fair play manner he uses in running the show, especially in the matter of Scott Sharp's run at the gun on Sunday and HVM as well for their fair play attitude. Big waving Greens all around.

Big Green Flag to Graham Rahal for his terrific miss of the wrecked and spinning John Andretti. I believe you couldn't pick a better line given the circumstances and the relative minimal damage to his #06 car is testament to his amazing vision and reaction. Ah, to be 20 years old again.

Yellows for John Andretti, Robert Doornbos, Alex Tagliani, and Mike Conway, for having the misfortune of not making the field on the first weekend mainly due to crashing the equipment. Pushing it to the limits is what has to happen during Indy quals and invariably some don't survive unscathed. I hope these respective programs will be able to mount up again next weekend as I consider all these drivers and teams Indy 500 quality.

Yellows to D&R Racing. I am rooting for these guys. They have four entries, one in the show, two wrecked machines, two drivers whose driving status is currently unknown due to injuries, and one car that is lacking speed to make the final cutoff at 33. Odds might state that one of the four wouldn't make the show. Now it's looking like only one will. I hope this won't be the case.

Green Flag to the qualifying format. Tension throughout all camps seemed more pronounced both days thus far and, with Versus' great coverage, I found it hard to turn away from the dramatic stories unfolding.

No Red Flags to date and I hope there won't be. Good stuff thus far...

Indy Magic 33 Ball - May 10th Edition

Big weekend of qualifying with Helio and Briscoe of Penske 1-2, Franchitti of Target/Ganassi fills out the front row. Alex "Pink" Lloyd bumped in the first 11 and Scott Sharp's Panther Patron car, scrambled through the tech inspection line before the gun sounded the end of Sunday's attempts, bumped into the 22nd slot yesterday.

Townsend Bell is the newest Indy 500 entry, but his ride is with KV Racing and not with Vision as I'd guessed (half point). Rumor is that one or two more announcements may coming this week... stay tuned.

Predictions are so-so and after the qualifying of Day 1 and 2, I'll shorten the list to the entries that are not yet qualified with my predictions for qualifiers in bold. Indycar.com has a complete and current rundown of the qualified cars

INDY 500 ENTRY LIST: DRIVER TALLY = 33, TBA ENTRIES = 7, QUALIFIED = 22.
Entry# Team - Driver
#8/8t KV - tba (Townsend Bell, 5/8)
#13 - HVM - EJ Viso (13t to HVM #31, 4/27)
#17/17t RLR - tba
#19/19t Coyne - tba
#21/21t Vision - Ryan Hunter-Reay
#22/22t Vision/Herta - tba
#23/23t Dreyer/Reinbold - tba (Milka Duno, 4/22)
#24/24t Dreyer/Reinbold - Mike Conway
#25/25t Roth - tba
#34/34t Conquest - tba (Alex Tagliani, 5/4)
#36/36t Conquest - tba
#43/43t Dreyer/Reinbold/Petty - John Andretti
#48/48t Foyt - tba
#52/52t Roth - tba
#68 Fisher - tba
#91 Hemelgarn - tba (Buddy Lazier, 4/27)
#98/98t Curb/Agajanian/3G - Stanton Barrett
#00 HVM - (Nelson Phillipe, 4/27, from #13t)
#06/06t NHLR - Robert Doornbos

Highly Likely Group:
(confirmed 4-22-09 - #23/23t Dreyer and Reinbold - There's an experienced engineer already listed for this entry with no driver. My guess = Milka Duno or Buddy Rice.)
#22/22t Vision - We're just short of the magic 33 and I'm sure if we're within one or two drivers, this will be filled. My Guess = Townsend Bell or Tomas Scheckter. Vision and Bryan Herta announced that this entry will not be participating in this year's Indy 500.
(confirmed 5-4-09 - #34/34t Conquest - They're showing nobody in a seat yet, but they're surely not totally missing the biggest race of the year. My guess = Alex Tagliani

~~~~~BUMP LINE~~~~~

Likely Group, below bump line:
(confirmed 4-27-09 - #91 Hemelgarn - Ol' Ron will try it one more time with Buddy Lazier, but the magic won't be there as it was last year.)
#19/19t Dale Coyne - There are a group of very good and Indy-experienced drivers around during May and if all goes to plan with Wilson (no damaged chassis for the main entry or backup), this car will get a Sonny's BBQ sponsorship on Bump Day and make into the last two rows of the field. My guess = Roger Yasukawa.
#36/36t Conquest - See previous, fill-in-the-blank sponsor. My guess = Max Papis.
#25/25t Roth - Guy has 4 chassis just sitting around? He loves this race and will try to run if he can get some sponsors. If not, I still doubt he'll let them all sit idle. My guess = Marty Roth.

Unlikely Group:
#8/8t KV Racing - Maybe, if some big money falls out of the sky and lands in Vasser's lap. (confirmed 5-8, Herbalife with Townsend Bell for 2nd week program)
#17/17t Rahal Letterman - How long will this go on? The 1986 winner and the Indy native are owners with no money to race Indy? This reminds me of 1993 when Rahal got bumped with a weak Honda oops, Judd motor.
#48/48t Foyt - Only if a Luyendyk is on the bubble or there are 32 cars in the field on Bump Day. My guess = Jeff Simmons.

Very Unlikely Group:
#52/52t Roth - Nah. No chance.
#68 Fisher - This is an insurance entry only. Only a worst-case, last-ditch scenario for Sarah will see this chassis out of the garage.

My assumptions are that all of the 28 original entries will make the field. One caveat may be that Stanton Barrett won't make the field, bumped by the next one below cut line. Also, if Alex Lloyd can't keep his lone chassis off the wall for the entire month, he too may fail to qualify.

Pole Speed 228.165 (actual = 224.864)
Bump Speed 219.855

Rest In Peace Uncle Louie

A funeral is on my schedule for today.

My uncle, who meant a great deal to his family and friends, died this past Monday morning peacefully in his sleep after an illness of several months that gradually weakened him. He had just celebrated his 60th wedding anniversary with his wife Vivian on Friday the 1st of May.

I knew my Uncle Louie as a warm, kind, and loving uncle whose time spent with his family and friends was always filled with laughter and easy company. For many years he owned and operated a nice little Schwinn bicycle store for which I was the lucky groundbreaker and my family's construction company built. That great place from my childhood was always called 'the bike shop'. I hold great memories (sights, smells, feelings) of the bike shop and also their home on 8th Street which hosted many terrific family gatherings. I remember his laugh and smile. I will certainly miss him, his voice, his twinkling eyes, his humor, his manner.

The connection with my family and past he represents is nearly unparalleled for me. He and Aunt Viv always made sure that their childrens', nieces' and nephews' childhood was filled with joy. For this I am eternally grateful.

The way I can honor him best is really the only way and that is by striving to be as warm, kind, gentle, and loving as he. I don't think it is nearly as easy as it sounds because I know few who could compare. If it is hard, he sure made it look easy and that's why he will certainly will be missed.

Indy's Magic 33 Ball - May 4 Edition

OK, now it's getting scary. I'm right again and, just so you know, me being right three times in a row about anything borders on 'end of days' type stuff. Although, if you chronologically insert my pick for the Kentucky Derby from Saturday, I've already broken the string.

Back to my regurgitated Indy 500 Entry List to further display my Raymond Babbit-like intuition:

INDY 500 ENTRY LIST: DRIVER TALLY = 32, TBA ENTRIES = 9
Entry# Team - Driver
#2/2t Luczo Dragon - Raphael Matos
#3/3t Penske - Helio Castroneves
#4/4t Panther - Dan Wheldon
#5/5t KV - Mario Moraes
#6/6t Penske - Ryan Briscoe
#7/7t AGR - Danica Patrick
#8/8t KV - tba
#9/9t TCGR - Scott Dixon
#10/10t TCGR - Dario Franchitti
#11/11t AGR - Tony Kanaan
#12/12t Penske - Will Power
#13 - HVM - EJ Viso (13t to HVM #31, 4/27)
#14/14t Foyt - Vitor Meira
#15/15t KV - Paul Tracy
#16/16t Panther - Scott Sharp
#17/17t RLR - tba
#18/18t Coyne - Justin Wilson
#19/19t Coyne - tba
#20/20t Vision - Ed Carpenter
#21/21t Vision - Ryan Hunter-Reay
#22/22t Vision/Herta - tba
#23/23t Dreyer/Reinbold - tba (Milka Duno, 4/22)
#24/24t Dreyer/Reinbold - Mike Conway
#25/25t Roth - tba
#26/26t AGR - Marco Andretti
#27/27t AGR - Hideki Mutoh
#34/34t Conquest - tba (Alex Tagliani, 5/4)
#36/36t Conquest - tba
#41/41t Foyt - AJ Foyt IV
#43/43t Dreyer/Reinbold/Petty - John Andretti
#44/44t Dreyer/Reinbold/Kingdom - Davey Hamilton
#48/48t Foyt - tba
#52/52t Roth - tba
#67/67t Fisher - Sarah Fisher
#68 Fisher - tba
#91 Hemelgarn - tba (Buddy Lazier, 4/27)
#98/98t Curb/Agajanian/3G - Stanton Barrett
#99 Sam Schmidt/TCGR - Alex Lloyd
#00 HVM - (Nelson Phillipe, 4/27, from #13t)
#02/02t NHLR - Graham Rahal
#06/06t NHLR - Robert Doornbos

Highly Likely Group:
(confirmed 4-22-09 - #23/23t Dreyer and Reinbold - There's an experienced engineer already listed for this entry with no driver. My guess = Milka Duno or Buddy Rice.)
#22/22t Vision - We're just short of the magic 33 and I'm sure if we're within one or two drivers, this will be filled. My Guess = Townsend Bell or Tomas Scheckter
(confirmed 5-4-09 - #34/34t Conquest - They're showing nobody in a seat yet, but they're surely not totally missing the biggest race of the year. My guess = Alex Tagliani

~~~~~BUMP LINE~~~~~

Likely Group, below bump line:
(confirmed 4-27-09 - #91 Hemelgarn - Ol' Ron will try it one more time with Buddy Lazier, but the magic won't be there as it was last year.)
#19/19t Dale Coyne - There are a group of very good and Indy-experienced drivers around during May and if all goes to plan with Wilson (no damaged chassis for the main entry or backup), this car will get a Sonny's BBQ sponsorship on Bump Day and make into the last two rows of the field. My guess = Roger Yasukawa.
#36/36t Conquest - See previous, fill-in-the-blank sponsor. My guess = Max Papis.
#25/25t Roth - Guy has 4 chassis just sitting around? He loves this race and will try to run if he can get some sponsors. If not, I still doubt he'll let them all sit idle. My guess = Marty Roth.

Unlikely Group:
#8/8t KV Racing - Maybe, if some big money falls out of the sky and lands in Vasser's lap.
#17/17t Rahal Letterman - How long will this go on? The 1986 winner and the Indy native are owners with no money to race Indy? This reminds me of 1993 when Rahal got bumped with a weak Honda oops, Judd motor.
#48/48t Foyt - Only if a Luyendyk is on the bubble or there are 32 cars in the field on Bump Day. My guess = Jeff Simmons.

Very Unlikely Group:
#52/52t Roth - Nah. No chance.
#68 Fisher - This is an insurance entry only. Only a worst-case, last-ditch scenario for Sarah will see this chassis out of the garage.

My assumptions are that all of the 28 original entries will make the field. One caveat may be that Stanton Barrett won't make the field, bumped by the next one below cut line. Also, if Alex Lloyd can't keep his lone chassis off the wall for the entire month, he too may fail to qualify.

Pole Speed 228.165
Bump Speed 219.855

Indy's Magic 33, con't

Shuffle up and deal.
As the game for qualifications at Indy tightens, so does the focus on the 'who, what, when, how...'

Entries will be shuffled and changed, and deals made almost daily in the run-up to Indy and I'll attempt to keep you abreast of the changes by modifying the original IMS entry list and part of my original post as reference (and also to score my predictions for those twists and turns to Indy driver seats). My predictions from the original entry post of April 20 are shown below and those that have come to fruition will be highlighted in bold italics.

INDY 500 ENTRY LIST: DRIVER TALLY = 31, TBA ENTRIES = 10
Entry# Team - Driver
#2/2t Luczo Dragon - Raphael Matos
#3/3t Penske - Helio Castroneves
#4/4t Panther - Dan Wheldon
#5/5t KV - Mario Moraes
#6/6t Penske - Ryan Briscoe
#7/7t AGR - Danica Patrick
#8/8t KV - tba
#9/9t TCGR - Scott Dixon
#10/10t TCGR - Dario Franchitti
#11/11t AGR - Tony Kanaan
#12/12t Penske - Will Power
#13 - HVM - EJ Viso (13t to HVM #31 - 4/27)
#14/14t Foyt - Vitor Meira
#15/15t KV - Paul Tracy
#16/16t Panther - Scott Sharp
#17/17t RLR - tba
#18/18t Coyne - Justin Wilson
#19/19t Coyne - tba
#20/20t Vision - Ed Carpenter
#21/21t Vision - Ryan Hunter-Reay
#22/22t Vision/Herta - tba
#23/23t Dreyer/Reinbold - tba (Milka Duno - 4/22)
#24/24t Dreyer/Reinbold - Mike Conway
#25/25t Roth - tba
#26/26t AGR - Marco Andretti
#27/27t AGR - Hideki Mutoh
#31 HVM - Nelson Phillipe (confirmed 4-27, from #13t entry)
#34/34t Conquest - tba
#36/36t Conquest - tba
#41/41t Foyt - AJ Foyt IV
#43/43t Dreyer/Reinbold/Petty - John Andretti
#44/44t Dreyer/Reinbold/Kingdom - Davey Hamilton
#48/48t Foyt - tba
#52/52t Roth - tba
#67/67t Fisher - Sarah Fisher
#68 Fisher - tba
#91 Hemelgarn - tba (Buddy Lazier - 4/27)
#98/98t Curb/Agajanian/3G - Stanton Barrett
#99 Sam Schmidt/TCGR - Alex Lloyd
#02/02t NHLR - Graham Rahal
#06/06t NHLR - Robert Doornbos

Highly Likely Group:
(confirmed 4-22-09 - #23/23t Dreyer and Reinbold - There's an experienced engineer already listed for this entry with no driver. My guess = Milka Duno or Buddy Rice.)
#22/22t Vision - We're just short of the magic 33 and I'm sure if we're within one or two drivers, this will be filled. My Guess = Townsend Bell or Tomas Scheckter
#34/34t Conquest - They're showing nobody in a seat yet, but they're surely not totally missing the biggest race of the year. My guess = Alex Tagliani
~~~~~BUMP LINE~~~~~

Likely Group, below bump line:
(confirmed 4-27-09 - #91 Hemelgarn - Ol' Ron will try it one more time with Buddy Lazier, but the magic won't be there as it was last year.)
#19/19t Dale Coyne - There are a group of very good and Indy-experienced drivers around during May and if all goes to plan with Wilson (no damaged chassis for the main entry or backup), this car will get a Sonny's BBQ sponsorship on Bump Day and make into the last two rows of the field. My guess = Roger Yasukawa.
#36/36t Conquest - See previous, fill-in-the-blank sponsor. My guess = Max Papis.
#25/25t Roth - Guy has 4 chassis just sitting around? He loves this race and will try to run if he can get some sponsors. If not, I still doubt he'll let them all sit idle. My guess = Marty Roth.

Unlikely Group:
#8/8t KV Racing - Maybe, if some big money falls out of the sky and lands in Vasser's lap.
#17/17t Rahal Letterman - How long will this go on? The 1986 winner and the Indy native are owners with no money to race Indy? This reminds me of 1993 when Rahal got bumped with a weak Honda oops, Judd motor.
#48/48t Foyt - Only if a Luyendyk is on the bubble or there are 32 cars in the field on Bump Day. My guess = Jeff Simmons.

Very Unlikely Group:
#52/52t Roth - Nah. No chance.
#68 Fisher - This is an insurance entry only. Only a worst-case, last-ditch scenario for Sarah will see this chassis out of the garage.

My assumptions are that all of the 28 original entries will make the field. One caveat may be that Stanton Barrett won't make the field, bumped by one of the few below cut line. Also, if Alex Lloyd can't keep his lone chassis off the wall for the entire month, he too may fail to qualify.

Pole Speed 228.165
Bump Speed 219.855

Milka's Back! (as is her front, and the rest :)

Milka Duno, whom I'll describe as Venezuelan Indycar hotness (and also oft dubbed 'moving chicane'), has been inserted into the #23/23t Dreyer and Reinbold entry for the Kansas race and quite likely Indy 500. Not much of a surprise really, but I will accept a half-point for getting this one right in my previous predictions.

Milka is known off the track for her abbreviated past in sports-car racing, multiple Masters degrees including engineering, connections to CITGO - the Venezuelan government's oil company, and for her... uh, invitingly ample physical attributes which often make hetero-males quickly take notice. On the track, many would consider her under-qualified, useless eye-candy, and even dangerous to others' (ahem) equipment.

I can only let history judge at this point and I'd have to say that the numbers show that no matter the shape of the terrain (road or oval course), she's off the 'race pace' by a noticable margin. I cannot attribute this to lesser equipment or team as other drivers who've filled in on the road/street tracks in the #23 have been more competitive in the same chassis.

I understand that a significant part of this autosport business is entertainment, meaning only a part is racing in its purest form. I don't mind her being part of the Indycar equation because I don't subscribe to the illusion that any major form of autosport in the world today is more about the racing and less about the entertainment. The ALMS is far closer in my opinion than even Formula 1. I see the ALMS as the closest thing we have to racing laboratories that will actually be translated into modern passenger cars, but that is a subject (read - argument) for another time.

Milka's participation in Indycar can be boiled down into a binary decision as a 'Yes' because I believe that to date, her positives outweigh her negatives. Positives being; a personality that brings fans from sources that were not interested in Indycar before, a sexy facade that garners attention and conversation, a racing pedigree that creates conversation amongst longtime fans of Indycar, and the almighty sponsor dollar into a team and sport that can use every bit of cash it can. Her negatives; subpar racing skills, semi-present on-track 'influence' (see moving chicane) of racing product (although it can be argued quite well that she is no different than many, many other slower drivers of the past).

On the whole, I'd rather she be here than not. I assume her colleagues would disagree, and thus ever shall be the dichotomy between pure racing and racing as entertainment. As a fan and race-watcher, I'll settle for the current condition of racing as entertainment.


PS Based on some of the images found for this post (like the one seen above), I wonder if something like this Indycar styling may be closer to truth in advertising...

'til next time...

Indy's Magic 33 Ball

No, not Mattel's latest prognostication toy, but the annual gala racing event which highlights my year, The Indy 500. The Magic 33 refers to the number of drivers on the starting grid each year (save for a few oddities like 1911 through 1933, 1979, and 1997).

The timing of the 2009 entry list release was perfect yesterday as I could print it, take it with me to lunch, and pour over. To date there are 28 drivers listed with their chassis entries, and no less than 12 available entries to be filled with drivers for a minimum total of potential entries to 40. During my nice, quiet lunch, I did a quick rundown and here's my (purely speculative, somewhat informed) analysis of the open entries/seats which I break down into 4 groups; Highly Likely, Likely, Unlikely, Very Unlikely,

Highly Likely group brings total to 31.
#22/22t Vision - We're 5 short of the magic 33 and I'm sure if we're within one or two drivers, this will be filled. My Guess = Townsend Bell or Tomas Scheckter
#34/34t Conquest - They're showing nobody in a seat yet, but they're surely not totally missing the biggest race of the year. My guess = Alex Tagliani
#23/23t Dreyer and Reinbold - There's an experienced engineer already listed for this entry with no driver. My guess = Milka Duno or Buddy Rice.

Likely group brings total to 35.
#19/19t Dale Coyne - There are a group of very good and Indy-experienced drivers around during May and if all goes to plan with Wilson (no damaged chassis for the main entry or backup), this car will get a Sonny's BBQ sponsorship on Bump Day and make into the last two rows of the field. My guess = Roger Yasukawa.
#36/36t Conquest - See previous entry, fill-in-the-blank with sponsor. My guess = Max Papis.
BUMP LINE
#25/25t Roth - Guy has 4 chassis just sitting around? He loves this race and will drive if he can. If not, I doubt he'll let them all sit idle. My guess = Marty Roth.
#91 Hemelgarn - Ol' Ron will try it one more time with Buddy Lazier, but the magic won't be there as it was last year.

Unlikely group.
#8/8t KV Racing - Maybe, if some big money falls out of the sky and lands in Vasser's lap.
#17/17t Rahal Letterman - How long will this go on? The 1986 winner and the Indy native with no money to race Indy? This reminds me of 1993 when Rahal got bumped with a weak Honda oops, Judd motor.
#48/48t Foyt - Only if a Luyendyk in on the bubble or there are 32 cars in the field on Bump Day. My guess = Jeff Simmons.

Very Unlikely group.
#52/52t Roth - Nah. No chance.
#68 Fisher - This is an insurance entry only. Only a worst-case, last-ditch scenario for Sarah will see this chassis out of the garage.

My assumptions are that all of the 28 entries will make the field. One caveat may be that Stanton Barrett won't make the field, bumped by one of the few below cut line. Also, if Alex Lloyd can't keep his lone chassis off the wall for the entire month, he may fail to qualify.

Can't wait to see how this all develops. It's not just the race for fans like myself, it's truly a month-long drama I enjoy every year and Bump Day will have it's share of drama.

Pole Speed 228.165
Bump Speed 219.855

Getting it right.

In a TV interview, I once heard Jerry Lee Lewis speak of the very entertaining movie about his life, (Great Balls of Fire) saying in his Memphian-southern drawl, "the only thing they got right was gettin' it wrong". I've always loved that quote and thought about it again when I read the headline for this CNN Columbine follow-up story. My concerns become elevated when time reveals truth more accurately where early speculation and rumor become accepted as fact. The 'facts' surrounding the invasion of Iraq, or the bombing of Oklahoma City are other potent examples.

Being married to a photojournalist, I met and moved within other journalists and have gained some insight into the journalistic world. Journalism at it's best and most pure is quite different than what all too frequently passes for it today. In my opinion, reportage should be neutral, concise, timely but above ALL else, accurate. Accuracy, to me, is the key to the finest in journalism.

The older I get, the less time I have for conjecture and rumor. I border on abhorrence of heresay. It all too often 'gets it wrong' and at its worst I believe, creates the ability for seeds of injustice to grow. There are numerous examples of reportage getting it wrong in the rush for 'the scoop' or headline or to satisfy 'the masses'. Such is that business nowadays, but they are all too eagerly serving the whims of a 'now'-centered culture.

My father always consulted that, in construction, doing it right the first time is always the fastest way because to not, one must then undo the incorrect way, and then do it again, the correct way. Such as it is with a great many things in life and journalism is no different. What concerns me is that nearly two full generations of 'me-mine-now' may not understand this and especially with reportage in the technological age.

Things like Blogging, Texting, and Twittering, as I see them, are set to irreversibly change the world of journalism. Every one of us with a mobile phone or device may all become journalists to a degree. Twitter is fine example of it. To pull from an aggregate of information coming from 100 people at one event rather than 1 has the potential for more broad and, I'd argue better, coverage. Unfortunately the limitations are equally expounded depending on the ability of the submitter of information.

My hope would be that even if 40% of those 100 fictional people are so biased, skewed, or set to report opinion rather than fact, we still gain the greater and clearer picture of the remaining 60 people, provided we can sift the information accurately. My arguement supporting this model would state that with more eyes reporting the events, we can more quickly sift because of the numerous vantage points for reporting and identifying the commonalities found in all of the stories. This is where I see the current news sources fit in. The sifters of immediate and expansive information sources.

Where one traditional reporting model may have a reporter speak to 4 to 10 people and form a story based on that information, in this age of instant communications, the influx of information can be greatly expanded, allowing for a more broad and accurate picture from the start. I hope this is what we'll see. It is my opinion that the news agencies who don't see this potential and use it will do so at their own peril.

The Challenger Within

Easter Sunday.

Masters Sunday.

Having played golf since the age of 8, I typically pause on a day like Masters Sunday to think of how much sports, and in particular golf, has meant to me. The sport of golf and my participation in it is as close to a second nature as there is for me. I've been golfing so long, I barely remember a time when I didn't. Masters Sunday typically gives me a chance to recount great moments and players of Masters past and also allows a moment to reflect on my own fleeting moments of brightness and gloom. This one was no different.

One thing that I find fascinating is that no matter the era, location, sport, or circumstance, the result will always, always be determined not by the best physically or most lucky, but by the one who can overcome the battle within their own mind. To overcome self-doubt and ignore the demons, to belay insecurity and the question of worth. To calm the mind and exhibit the greatness that lies within. There are very few places this is more apparent for a golfer than on Sunday at the Masters.

One of the most coveted championships for generations in all of sports, there are few equal events with the richness of history, legend, recognition and circumstance than the Masters. That greatness is also what provides the gristmill heft that can grind so deeply a contenders' psyche.

In life, we dare, we risk, we desire, we fail. We rise again and again and again to best our greatest foe - the challenger within. It seems no one can challenge us as capably or directly as we challenge ourselves, for no one knows us as well as we know ourselves. Such it is with me and golf and life.

Golf has taught me more about desire, effort, failure, and success than I've found anywhere else. It is one place for me where memories live, for better or worse, and keep adding to the color of my life. Many have said that golf is one of the greatest metaphors for life. I find also that life is a great metaphor for golf. Golf is and life is. What we do is up to us. Along failures we'll find successes. Moments of great agony will reveal the depth of our character time and time again. Golf has plenty of them as does life.

Let our response to these all too frequent moments reveal the best in our character. Let our innate goodness outshine the gloom of failures and misfortune. Let us be human and, in our humanness, find the divine.

Best Beer Ads now and forever.

This is a companion post to one I've made other places that celebrates the terrific TV ad series by documentarian Errol Morris for Miller Beer circa 1998-2005. Simply enjoyable and very effective ads that combine artistic cinematography with excellent copy and voice-over. Below is a fairly representative sample of the 80-odd ads done. If you weren't a Miller beer fan before, you may find it hard to not find yourself wanting one just little bit...



Cheers, DZ

Fatalistic Endeavours

(music director, cue - Hurt, sung by Johnny Cash)

"I hurt myself last night, just to see if I could feel"...
No, I'm not suffering through a severe drug addiction to which the lyrics refer, and by no means am I trying to compare my latest incident with the severity of struggling with drug addiction, but by just muddling through the semi-mundane task of changing a light bulb, I hurt myself last night.

This is no ordinary bulb mind you. It's the one, single bulb in the house that requires bravery, faith, and aplomb. It's the one in the ceiling above the open stairway from the first to second floor. I hurt myself last night by managing to fall off the ladder. The results of my fall were spectacularly slight in regard to my physical injuries. I like to think it's because, at the moment when I realized i was going to fall, I attempted to jump backwards from the ladder back to the relative safety of the stair landing, just a couple of feet below my feet. The mental damage has yet to be fully assessed.

"What have I become?"...
Aplomb - Physical requirements are relatively small; set up ladder, climb ladder, remove old bulb, install new bulb, climb down ladder, consider celebratory beer. Growing up in a construction family, this is hardly uncharted territory.
Faith - The only significant variable (myself aside) in this scenario is the ladder's strength and capability. 350 pounds? I've yet to shed my 'winter coat', but I'm well under 60% of the ladder's load rating.
Bravery - To attempt this little feat, I will need to bravely conquer my fear of falling. Not fear of heights, but falling. Getting up in the air takes a little getting used to if you don't do it regularly, but I'm far from out of the realm of my experience here.

"Beneath the stains of time, the feelings disappear"...
After returning to upright following my failed attempt, I can say my confidence was well shook. I've never recognized those feelings in my physical self before. As a boy who grew up playing all kinds of sports, I feel I am acutely aware of the level of confidence in my physical skills and body control. My brain knows I can easily do this task, yet I managed to fall and injure myself. My psyche was in sudden conflict with the pain reports flooding in from various areas of my body. I seriously cannot believe what just happened.

What was the variable, the intangible, that conspired against me? My own lack of care apparently. The ladder I used was the telescoping kind which, when extended, relies on each segment to be fully locked out to become a solid climbing platform. At the time, I even noted some uneasiness (6th sense type of warning) despite having used this ladder several times with no ill effect.

Believing in my careful set-up, I apparently managed to have one segment not fully locked out. When loading it as I climbed up to the 6th rung, it began to telescope back into the next lower segment, albeit just a slight bobble/slide down of about 2 inches, but knowing how this ladder works, I knew the next motion would be a continued collapse of the lower segments and major injuries immediately following.

Projecting imminent failure of support, I immediately bailed off the ladder, with one foot slipping on the rung I attempted to jump from, throwing me off-balance and my left arm striking the square stair landing corner post directly on the funny bone nerve. Assorted bodily contacts with said ladder, railing, wall, who knows what else later, I ultimately grounded myself on the stair landing. I had fallen only approximately 24 inches, but the the instant pain and numbness shooting up my left arm from elbow to fingertips lead me to believe that I had broken something.

As is always wise during any type of fall, I fought the instinct to 'pop up' as if nothing happened. I lay there for a moment while my kids rushed from their second floor rooms to discover me face-up and grimacing on the landing. I assessed my left arm and quickly found it to be nothing worse than a hard, hard contact of the largest unprotected nerve in the human body, with the efficiently strong and equally sharp Oak stair rail post cap.

My injuries are slight, although still felt today and likely on through the weekend. But as I lay on the floor for that 20 seconds or so. I felt like an old, old man. 'Old' like coming to the realization that I may not be totally capable of doing everything I could do 20 years ago. 10 years ago. 5 years. 2 years. In that moment I felt inescapably 'over the hill'.

"If I could start again, a million miles away, I would keep myself, I would find a way"...
Now, a full 16 hours later, I am disappointed, hurt, thankful, regretful, sorry, resigned, angry, frustrated, and enlightened, all at the same time. Is this the seminal feeling of growing older and doing the inevitable 'downhill slide'? I don't like it. Not one... single... bit. I am now fearing an aging process that I will fight rather than embrace. I don't like this feeling and I don't like aging,

Goddamnitall.