Often, I post blogs here, not because I know the answers, but because I am searching for them. Writing helps me collect my thoughts. Why I think about some of these things I have no idea. This is one of those times when my thoughts turn to thinking that "there must be something better than this."
A New National Spirit
This country's leadership needs a complete spirit overhaul. Liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat, it all needs an overhaul. Our leaders need to begin a new dialogue with the citizens of this country, and that dialogue needs to be heavy on words like "freedom", "liberty," and "opportunity." We also needs liberal use of words like "family," "community," "work," and "faith." Where did we so woefully lose sight of all these? We need to go back to our founding ideals and start over. Our leaders have largely abandoned the founding ideals of this country. The word "freedom" is only hauled out on Independence Day anymore, then is promptly stored away and locked up until Independence Day the following year. We have leaders in power now that are only interested in taking away our freedoms and increasing their own power. Business leaders who are only interested in lining their own pockets. Those businesses who treat their employees like family are few and far between anymore.
So how do we start? First, communicate with each other. This has really become a lost art as we have used social media to communicate at the expense of direct encounters. Too often, social media is used more to destroy others than to build each other up. Anecdotally, I do not know how many times I have seen highlighted articles headlined, "So and so destroys the other person's lies!" How is this helpful? It is not. We look to find fault in the other guy, and we never stop to examine our own. My guess is that if we talk to each other, we have a better understanding of each other's viewpoint. We do not have to agree, but we must learn to respectfully disagree and work from there. We must know that there is a middle ground that works. We might also learn a thing or two ourselves.
Sometimes I wonder if this wonderful technology is doing more harm than good. And trust me, the irony of typing this up on my laptop to be published on the Internet is not lost on me. I think the Internet is a great thing! The Internet has put me in touch with old friends, and I have made many wonderful new friends because of it. I can conveniently purchase many items from the comfort of home thanks to the Internet. But, too often, I am seeing it used to destroy people. To paint others unfairly, and to be highly judgmental. To say "I'm better than you." It is used to spread hate as well as love. The Internet is a tool that has the power to do so much good, yet so much evil too.
So, we are back to where do we start? It starts at home. Start with the family. Try to eat a home cooked meal together at the dinner table. I have been woefully inadequate myself in this. Communicate with your children. Tell them about your day and have them share something about their day. Emphasize the importance of education, laughter, family, and most of all, love. Tell your children that you love them. Let them know that you will still love them when they mess up. Read. Play. Pray. Teach your children that the best things in life are not things.
Set the example for your children. Be a friendly neighbor. Show compassion to those who need it. Teach your children and teach yourself that sometimes bad things happen to good people. And that is when we step in to help. Show the importance of volunteering.
I think if we start with these things, we will become better people, and we will become far more interesting people. Plus, I believe we will see a new national spirit!
P.S. The prescription for a New Economy will come in a later post.
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Thursday, March 27, 2014
The Death Knell of College Athletics?
Yesterday, the National Labor Relations Board, Region 13 in Chicago, ruled that football players at Northwestern University had the right to unionize. The NLRB ruled that the players were not "student-athletes" but instead were "employees" of the University. The end result of this ruling is that college athletics as we know it, including the NCAA Tournament, is done.
The immediate reaction from the NCAA, and all major conferences (and by extension, their member schools) was to condemn the ruling. Of course, the major fear is that the players will strike at some point, or the athletic department will lock out the athletes. There are certainly compelling arguments that the athletes are more like employees than students. They put in many hours during the week, sacrificing study time and class time in order to practice extensively, travel, and perform at a high level. Let's face it, many athletes' scholarship to the university is more often based on athletic performance than academic performance. Too many straight A students likely means an inferior performance on the field, as practice time gets sacrificed for studies. Coaches who graduate their kids, with many of them making superior grades, but lose on the field of competition will lose their jobs. Meanwhile, coaches who win, win, win and do a poor, poor job graduating kids and preparing them for life beyond college will make millions. Other goals for the college athletes' union are guaranteed medical expense coverage for sports-related injuries (especially concussions), and the freedom of the athlete to pursue commercial sponsorships, such as shoe endorsement deals.
For now, the recruitment of athletes to a particular university's team could also change dramatically. This ruling, for now, is a huge possible win for private universities over public institutions. The NLRB does not have jurisdiction over public universities. Imagine a scenario where a highly sought after athlete is contemplating an offer from a public university and one from a private university. The public university's pitch is something like this, "You can come to our school, with our great coach and contend for conference and national titles year after year. We will help you academically with tutors as needed, and we will excuse you from practice if needed so that you tend to school work. We will practice 17 hours per week (or whatever the NCAA allows), and you will also have study hall time. You will be provided the cost of tuition, room, books, board and fees." The private institution's pitch goes like this, "When you come to our university, you will not be a student, you will be an employee. We will pay you $100,000 per year, and you are under no obligation to ever go to class since you are not a student. We will practice 3 hours per day, plus you will be expected to be in the weight room another two hours per day. You will play for Coach X, who has sent numerous players to the professional ranks. If you want to enroll in any classes, we have an agreement with the university, but you do that on your own time. You are here to play ball. All that is required of you is to pay your union dues to remain eligible and we'd encourage you to pay your taxes to keep the IRS off your butt. That is all." Perfectly legal under the NLRB's ruling. Which option do you think the kid will take? Of course, I would expect this loophole to close very quickly. Democrats would be all for welcoming in new union members and Republicans would have to grudgingly go along in support of their (oftentimes) alma mater.
At some point, this will ultimately lead to a break between a university and the athletic department. The athletic department's number one function will be to prepare its top athletes for professional careers. These people will never attend an actual class at the university. Instead, there will be some sort of agreement to allow the team to wear the name of the university in exchange for some kind of consideration. There will also need to be agreements on what to do about athletic facilities that sit on university property. Will the university sell the facilities to the athletic department? Will the athletic departments lease the facilities? Who will own the parking lots? Who will be responsible for maintenance? Who will be responsible for insurance payments? But I do ultimately believe that if this ruling stands, there will be a separation of the athletic department from the university. And that will hurt the honest student-athlete. And there are many student-athletes at any university, both in the minor, or non-revenue, sports and the major revenue producing sports. What happens to the softball player, the tennis player, or the swimmer? What happens to the student who truly wants an education, that comes under the supervision of a separate athletic department that is not interested in seeing that the athlete receives a solid college education? These are the people that yesterday's ruling will hurt.
Finally, what happens to the NCAA in this situation and most specifically, what happens to the NCAA Tournament? For one, the Tournament is too profitable to let sit idly by. This Tournament does cover the majority of the NCAA's budget. Remember, the football bowl games are not governed by the NCAA. With athletic departments free to pay players, and not having to worry about their academic eligibility, the enforcement arm of the NCAA (which is its primary purpose) will no longer be necessary, and this will free up athletic departments everywhere from having to continue their membership in the NCAA.
Reminds me of that old saying: Be careful what it is that you pray for. You might actually get it. Ultimately, I would like to see the NLRB's ruling overturned. There are better ways to address the athlete's grievances without destroying college athletics.
The immediate reaction from the NCAA, and all major conferences (and by extension, their member schools) was to condemn the ruling. Of course, the major fear is that the players will strike at some point, or the athletic department will lock out the athletes. There are certainly compelling arguments that the athletes are more like employees than students. They put in many hours during the week, sacrificing study time and class time in order to practice extensively, travel, and perform at a high level. Let's face it, many athletes' scholarship to the university is more often based on athletic performance than academic performance. Too many straight A students likely means an inferior performance on the field, as practice time gets sacrificed for studies. Coaches who graduate their kids, with many of them making superior grades, but lose on the field of competition will lose their jobs. Meanwhile, coaches who win, win, win and do a poor, poor job graduating kids and preparing them for life beyond college will make millions. Other goals for the college athletes' union are guaranteed medical expense coverage for sports-related injuries (especially concussions), and the freedom of the athlete to pursue commercial sponsorships, such as shoe endorsement deals.
For now, the recruitment of athletes to a particular university's team could also change dramatically. This ruling, for now, is a huge possible win for private universities over public institutions. The NLRB does not have jurisdiction over public universities. Imagine a scenario where a highly sought after athlete is contemplating an offer from a public university and one from a private university. The public university's pitch is something like this, "You can come to our school, with our great coach and contend for conference and national titles year after year. We will help you academically with tutors as needed, and we will excuse you from practice if needed so that you tend to school work. We will practice 17 hours per week (or whatever the NCAA allows), and you will also have study hall time. You will be provided the cost of tuition, room, books, board and fees." The private institution's pitch goes like this, "When you come to our university, you will not be a student, you will be an employee. We will pay you $100,000 per year, and you are under no obligation to ever go to class since you are not a student. We will practice 3 hours per day, plus you will be expected to be in the weight room another two hours per day. You will play for Coach X, who has sent numerous players to the professional ranks. If you want to enroll in any classes, we have an agreement with the university, but you do that on your own time. You are here to play ball. All that is required of you is to pay your union dues to remain eligible and we'd encourage you to pay your taxes to keep the IRS off your butt. That is all." Perfectly legal under the NLRB's ruling. Which option do you think the kid will take? Of course, I would expect this loophole to close very quickly. Democrats would be all for welcoming in new union members and Republicans would have to grudgingly go along in support of their (oftentimes) alma mater.
At some point, this will ultimately lead to a break between a university and the athletic department. The athletic department's number one function will be to prepare its top athletes for professional careers. These people will never attend an actual class at the university. Instead, there will be some sort of agreement to allow the team to wear the name of the university in exchange for some kind of consideration. There will also need to be agreements on what to do about athletic facilities that sit on university property. Will the university sell the facilities to the athletic department? Will the athletic departments lease the facilities? Who will own the parking lots? Who will be responsible for maintenance? Who will be responsible for insurance payments? But I do ultimately believe that if this ruling stands, there will be a separation of the athletic department from the university. And that will hurt the honest student-athlete. And there are many student-athletes at any university, both in the minor, or non-revenue, sports and the major revenue producing sports. What happens to the softball player, the tennis player, or the swimmer? What happens to the student who truly wants an education, that comes under the supervision of a separate athletic department that is not interested in seeing that the athlete receives a solid college education? These are the people that yesterday's ruling will hurt.
Finally, what happens to the NCAA in this situation and most specifically, what happens to the NCAA Tournament? For one, the Tournament is too profitable to let sit idly by. This Tournament does cover the majority of the NCAA's budget. Remember, the football bowl games are not governed by the NCAA. With athletic departments free to pay players, and not having to worry about their academic eligibility, the enforcement arm of the NCAA (which is its primary purpose) will no longer be necessary, and this will free up athletic departments everywhere from having to continue their membership in the NCAA.
Reminds me of that old saying: Be careful what it is that you pray for. You might actually get it. Ultimately, I would like to see the NLRB's ruling overturned. There are better ways to address the athlete's grievances without destroying college athletics.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Hosting the Perfect Super Bowl Party
I will be the first to admit that I am one of those dorks who watches the Super Bowl because I want to see a football game. This will be the last football game I see until late August (at the earliest), so I do want to enjoy it. I do not care one bit for the commercials. To me, commercials are the time to refresh your plate or use the bathroom. I do not care for the pregame either. I do not really need to know which celebrities are at the game. But, it is fun to get together with friends to watch the game. However, I am some combination of utterly amazed and stupefied at the same time when I see all the websites dedicated to helping one (primarily women) throw the perfect Super Bowl party. So here in this one space is my tribute to how men and women go about hosting the perfect Super Bowl party. And yes, I know this is very stereotypical. So shoot me, this is what this whole exercise is about!
How Men Host the Perfect Super Bowl Party
Really, it does not take much effort here. Us guys are pretty simple and easy to please. Just call up a few buddies a few days before kickoff. Here is our idea of the perfect Super Bowl party:
1. An awesome big screen TV, with 1080p resolution and 240Hz refresh rate. This is obviously top of the line stuff. This is just a suggestion, not mandatory, but it will not take much coaxing to get a few guys together if you have the awesome TV! It can make your whole Super Bowl party one to remember.
2. Beer and sodas. It does not matter what kind of beer or what kind of soda (as long as it is not diet soda).
3. Food A couple of pizzas, a couple of buckets of wings, and chips and dip. The dip could be Pace picante sauce or you could make a rotel tomato and Velveeta dip if you're going all out. And don't forget the ranch dressing if you're having wings. If you do not have ranch dressing, go to the grocery store and get a bottle.
4. A couple of nice couches would add a nice touch. If not, a few card table chairs will do.
5. A couple of extra items: perhaps you could have the guys bring over some money for all the side bets you'll make with each other. And make sure your toilets work!
How Women Host the Perfect Super Bowl Party
Guys, this could get painful to read. Be sure you have some time if you're going to read this! The ladies get into this whole party thing more than we do. And, I am not even sure they care that much about the game itself. I have also added, parenthetically, a man's commentary. Since I am single, I can say what all you married are thinking, but cannot say. Here is a woman's idea of the perfect Super Bowl party:
1. It starts with a theme (Huh??). Since it is the Super Bowl, we will want to have the proper theme. Are your guests all rooting for the same team? Then you can have a theme around either Seattle or Denver. Otherwise, if you have fans rooting for both teams, you will want to keep it to a simple generic football theme. You will need to know your theme because it leads right into point 2:
2. Colors. (What the hell?) If your guests are all rooting for the same team you can use that teams colors. Otherwise, you will want to mix and match the two teams colors (blue and green for Seattle, blue and orange for Denver). Or you may want to use a neutral color if you think these respective teams have hideous color combinations. You will need to know your colors fairly soon so that you can pick out matching plates, napkins and cups. Since a Super Bowl is a casual occasion, paper plates, napkins and cups are all appropriate and it makes for easy clean up afterwards! Having your colors picked out will also give you time to get your streamers and balloons all thought out before your big day. Also, you will want to find the proper matching online invitations that you can email to all your invited guests. Proper etiquette dictates that you should send out your invitations 13 days in advance, although 12 days should also give your guests plenty of time to make plans.
3. Food (finally the good stuff!). You will want to keep this simple so let's start with chips and dip. You will want to have a variety of dips, such as 7 layer dip, spinach/artichoke dip, homemade pico de gallo, homemade guacamole, and yes, even have the rotel tomato and velveeta cheese dip. That should keep it simple while giving your guests plenty of choices. You will also want to have a vegetable tray and a fruit tray for healthy alternatives to the chips and dip. While the vegetable dip will likely be ranch dressing (use buttermilk for the best homemade ranch dressing), you can use yogurt for the dip to your fruit tray. You can also use the Internet here to find some truly unique recipes to try with your guests. You can find plenty of healthy choices here so that while you eat, you are also maintaining a healthy diet. You can also try something a little different such as a potato bar at your party. Or set aside a couple bowls of M&M's in decorative bowls, each with the teams colors in M&M's (blue and green M&M's for Seattle or blue and orange M&M's for Denver!). Doing something truly different will add that little bit of festiveness to your party that your guests will talk about for a long time! You will want to give yourself several days to put together your Super Bowl party menu. (Do we really have to do all that??)
4. Drinks (how hard can this be, right?) Of course, you will want to have plenty of drinks on hand to satisfy those thirsty guests. You will want to have plenty of beer on hand, and here you can add your own unique flavor. You can serve that really unique local brew to your guests, or the one with a truly one of a kind name. Your guests are sure to get a kick out of trying something new and you are helping a small local brewer as opposed to the big national brands. Plus, you will need to have a couple bottles each of red wine and white wine. You will also want plenty of soda on hand for the kids or for your guests who would prefer soda. You will need lots of diet soda for your girlfriends who want to limit their calorie intake and do not forget the bottled water.
5. Seating Make sure you have plenty of seating for your guests. If needed, a few extra card table chairs around the TV is a perfectly acceptable arrangement. After all, you will want to have plenty of seating for your guests! This will be especially true when the commercials come on. After all, who doesn't watch the commercials during the Super Bowl? (Me! That's who!). Of course you will want to be able to discuss your favorite commercials in detail with the other ladies in the office on Monday morning!!
6. Housecleaning Nothing can ruin your perfect Super Bowl party like a dirty house, especially the bathrooms (and I was thinking nothing could ruin it like over-the-top planning!). The day of the game, you will want to go around to all the bathrooms and make sure each is spotlessly clean. It would also be a nice touch to add a basket of some unique soaps, still in the packaging of course, and some decorative towels. Just make sure to wash your hands at least a dozen times after you are done. (Nothing like a little overkill to add to the drama!)
7. Look fabulous for your guests! Nothing tops off the perfect Super Bowl party quite like looking your very best and coming across to your guests like it was all very easy. Your guests will marvel at how easily you pulled this off and soon you will be counted to throw the Super Bowl party each year! How fun!!
Guys are you as completely dazed and confused as I am? And what about that awesome TV?? Don't you need that too? Did you just read that and realize that your own "honey do" list just grew exponentially? I realize that about 80% of this is completely unnecessary. After all, how many of our guy friends would walk away from our Super Bowl party and comment, "Boy, that Lou really knows how to decorate his house for a party!"
But, if your wife (or your girlfriend) is one to throw such a party, be sure to thank her afterwards. It will mean a lot to her that you realized her efforts and took the time to acknowledge it. And, in the end, you may realize how truly blessed you really are.
How Men Host the Perfect Super Bowl Party
Really, it does not take much effort here. Us guys are pretty simple and easy to please. Just call up a few buddies a few days before kickoff. Here is our idea of the perfect Super Bowl party:
1. An awesome big screen TV, with 1080p resolution and 240Hz refresh rate. This is obviously top of the line stuff. This is just a suggestion, not mandatory, but it will not take much coaxing to get a few guys together if you have the awesome TV! It can make your whole Super Bowl party one to remember.
2. Beer and sodas. It does not matter what kind of beer or what kind of soda (as long as it is not diet soda).
3. Food A couple of pizzas, a couple of buckets of wings, and chips and dip. The dip could be Pace picante sauce or you could make a rotel tomato and Velveeta dip if you're going all out. And don't forget the ranch dressing if you're having wings. If you do not have ranch dressing, go to the grocery store and get a bottle.
4. A couple of nice couches would add a nice touch. If not, a few card table chairs will do.
5. A couple of extra items: perhaps you could have the guys bring over some money for all the side bets you'll make with each other. And make sure your toilets work!
How Women Host the Perfect Super Bowl Party
Guys, this could get painful to read. Be sure you have some time if you're going to read this! The ladies get into this whole party thing more than we do. And, I am not even sure they care that much about the game itself. I have also added, parenthetically, a man's commentary. Since I am single, I can say what all you married are thinking, but cannot say. Here is a woman's idea of the perfect Super Bowl party:
1. It starts with a theme (Huh??). Since it is the Super Bowl, we will want to have the proper theme. Are your guests all rooting for the same team? Then you can have a theme around either Seattle or Denver. Otherwise, if you have fans rooting for both teams, you will want to keep it to a simple generic football theme. You will need to know your theme because it leads right into point 2:
2. Colors. (What the hell?) If your guests are all rooting for the same team you can use that teams colors. Otherwise, you will want to mix and match the two teams colors (blue and green for Seattle, blue and orange for Denver). Or you may want to use a neutral color if you think these respective teams have hideous color combinations. You will need to know your colors fairly soon so that you can pick out matching plates, napkins and cups. Since a Super Bowl is a casual occasion, paper plates, napkins and cups are all appropriate and it makes for easy clean up afterwards! Having your colors picked out will also give you time to get your streamers and balloons all thought out before your big day. Also, you will want to find the proper matching online invitations that you can email to all your invited guests. Proper etiquette dictates that you should send out your invitations 13 days in advance, although 12 days should also give your guests plenty of time to make plans.
3. Food (finally the good stuff!). You will want to keep this simple so let's start with chips and dip. You will want to have a variety of dips, such as 7 layer dip, spinach/artichoke dip, homemade pico de gallo, homemade guacamole, and yes, even have the rotel tomato and velveeta cheese dip. That should keep it simple while giving your guests plenty of choices. You will also want to have a vegetable tray and a fruit tray for healthy alternatives to the chips and dip. While the vegetable dip will likely be ranch dressing (use buttermilk for the best homemade ranch dressing), you can use yogurt for the dip to your fruit tray. You can also use the Internet here to find some truly unique recipes to try with your guests. You can find plenty of healthy choices here so that while you eat, you are also maintaining a healthy diet. You can also try something a little different such as a potato bar at your party. Or set aside a couple bowls of M&M's in decorative bowls, each with the teams colors in M&M's (blue and green M&M's for Seattle or blue and orange M&M's for Denver!). Doing something truly different will add that little bit of festiveness to your party that your guests will talk about for a long time! You will want to give yourself several days to put together your Super Bowl party menu. (Do we really have to do all that??)
4. Drinks (how hard can this be, right?) Of course, you will want to have plenty of drinks on hand to satisfy those thirsty guests. You will want to have plenty of beer on hand, and here you can add your own unique flavor. You can serve that really unique local brew to your guests, or the one with a truly one of a kind name. Your guests are sure to get a kick out of trying something new and you are helping a small local brewer as opposed to the big national brands. Plus, you will need to have a couple bottles each of red wine and white wine. You will also want plenty of soda on hand for the kids or for your guests who would prefer soda. You will need lots of diet soda for your girlfriends who want to limit their calorie intake and do not forget the bottled water.
5. Seating Make sure you have plenty of seating for your guests. If needed, a few extra card table chairs around the TV is a perfectly acceptable arrangement. After all, you will want to have plenty of seating for your guests! This will be especially true when the commercials come on. After all, who doesn't watch the commercials during the Super Bowl? (Me! That's who!). Of course you will want to be able to discuss your favorite commercials in detail with the other ladies in the office on Monday morning!!
6. Housecleaning Nothing can ruin your perfect Super Bowl party like a dirty house, especially the bathrooms (and I was thinking nothing could ruin it like over-the-top planning!). The day of the game, you will want to go around to all the bathrooms and make sure each is spotlessly clean. It would also be a nice touch to add a basket of some unique soaps, still in the packaging of course, and some decorative towels. Just make sure to wash your hands at least a dozen times after you are done. (Nothing like a little overkill to add to the drama!)
7. Look fabulous for your guests! Nothing tops off the perfect Super Bowl party quite like looking your very best and coming across to your guests like it was all very easy. Your guests will marvel at how easily you pulled this off and soon you will be counted to throw the Super Bowl party each year! How fun!!
Guys are you as completely dazed and confused as I am? And what about that awesome TV?? Don't you need that too? Did you just read that and realize that your own "honey do" list just grew exponentially? I realize that about 80% of this is completely unnecessary. After all, how many of our guy friends would walk away from our Super Bowl party and comment, "Boy, that Lou really knows how to decorate his house for a party!"
But, if your wife (or your girlfriend) is one to throw such a party, be sure to thank her afterwards. It will mean a lot to her that you realized her efforts and took the time to acknowledge it. And, in the end, you may realize how truly blessed you really are.
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