New Hampshire Jr Monarch Bantam AAA team goes to the New England Regional Championships

Please indulge me. My son is the goalie for the New Hampshire Jr Monarch Bantam AAA team and they made it to the New England Regional Tournament this past weekend. They came in 4th out of 10 teams from RI, CT, VT, NH, and ME. The Monarchs overall record was 1-2-1. Congratulations.

Irish Need Not Apply

I am sick and tired of hearing every minority group complain about how they were treated and expecting the US Government to apologize for their plight. Slavery and the Indian injustices happened many years ago. No one alive today had anything to do with it. Why should companies or governments be required to pay money to decendents of those people. The Irish had it as bad or worse than anyone when they came to America. They were treated worse than the slaves because the slaves were valuable property and the Irish were not.The Irish succeded and flourished because of hard work and determination. The Romans couldn't destroy them, the English couldn't destroy them and the Americans couldn't destroy them. They prospered despite that. Let that be a lesson to all other minorities. No one owes you anything. Go out and work for it! Erin Go Braugh! Happy St Patrick's Day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lz-yS_a-3k

Whose soldiers are chubby and unfit?

Germany! Now I understand why Jan Urlich had such a hard time showing up for the race season is shape like all the rest. It was not his fault. It's his heritage! It appears Germans prefer partying and a laid back lifestyle to hard work. Considering that, I think I might be German!!! :)

Daughter, 16, charged in murder of mother, brothers

I am sick to death hearing about stories like this. I blame today's children's lack of respect and blatant disregard for anyone else but themselves on parents who practiced "time outs" with their children. These parents didn't want to upset their children and promote a society of violence by spanking their children. Hello??? That is why they have no respect for anyone. Time outs never worked. We, as a society, have failed the latest generation by not instilling a healthy respect (& fear) of their parents.

Spankings work people. Now I am not advocating beating children unmercifully. However, a good attention getter such as a slap on the behind works wonders. I am a child of the sixties (when parents could hit their children without fear of some liberal calling the cops and reporting abuse) and grew up loving my parents and respecting society in general. I was spanked on occasion (although not as much as I probably deserved). After a couple of spankings, just the threat alone was enough to put me back on the straight and narrow path. Spare the rod, spoil the child!

Turkey in radical revision of Islamic texts

Turkey recently announced that it is preparing to reinterpret Islam. Much like Catholicism and Judaism, Islam was founded thousands of years ago through common ancestry. The teachings of all three are based on beliefs and superstitions of people who have no knowledge of what we know to be true today. To them, a Bic lighter, a commuter jet, a telephone and such would seem "miraculous" to them. I am not saying that the word of Allah, God, Jehovah, is wrong. The words still speak a truth to countless billions. The underlying words will still apply, however, the interpretations of those passages should not be based on beliefs of mortal men from ages past. All religion should change and grow with society. Perhaps if they did, we may truly have peace in this world.

God bless Turkey in taking this first step. May all religions follow their brave path.

UCI may shun Paris-Nice

In the ongoing fued between the UCI and ASO (race organizers of the Tour de France), UCI president Pat McQuaid has stated that the UCI may withdraw support for the storied Paris-Nice race, also run by ASO. This fued stems from ASO's refusal to invite defending Tour de France winner, Alberto Contrador and his Astana team.

For those of you who don't know, the Astana team has suffered many dopping allegations of it's riders for both the 2006 and 2007 race season. Although I do not aupport performance enhancing drugs in cycling, Astana is the same team in name only. At the end of 2007, Astana replaced team management and all riders suspected of dopping. It has instituted extremely tight doppiing controls and as such, is probably one of the cleanest teams in Europe.

So why is ASO banning them from their races? It is my opinion that ASO is tired of the domination of teams run by Johan Bruyneel, winners of the last 8 Tour de Frances. Could it be because there hasn't been a French winner since 1985? Your guess is as good as mine. Perhaps French racers are not good enough to compete as they once could. This is no reason to ban a past Tour de France champion. If this ban stands, the Tour will forever be sullied in the eyes of the world. Come on France. Wake up!

Scot smashes world cycle record

And I think that the 100 mile Centuries I do are long rides. This guy rode around the world in 195 days.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7245381.stm

Winning the hearts & minds

The US went into Iraq to help the Iraqi people. We destryoed their country and now wonder why the population is trying to kill our soldiers. What's the old military saying "We had to destroy the village in order to save it!" This is how the US should be helping Iraq. Why is it that these acts of kindness have to be done through individuals and not the government?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/02/13/iraq.wheelchairs/index.html

Huckabee keeps on running, but why?

Don't get me wrong. I am all for the underdog. It's no coincidence, just look at my avatar on my profile. Yup, that's Underdog alright. What I can't understand is why Mike Huckabee keeps running in the Republican Primary race. He really has no chance of defeating Senator John McCain. Just think of the millions of dollars in advertising and general campaign expenses he is racking up. He should put that to better use. Maybe feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, increasing the literacy rate. He is from Arkansas after all! Mike, do the honorable thing and bow out! Oh, and could you come to New Hampshire and pick up all your political signs your supporters have have littered the highway with?

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/election2008/story/27578.html

High school calls all 2,550 students to detention

After reading this article, I couldn't help remembering my high school days at Coyle Cassidy HS, a Catholic school in Taunton, Mass. For those of you who are not familiar with Catholic school, think discipline. I spent many an afternoon wasting away the hours after school for some nefarious infraction such as not having my top button done, talking in class, chewing gum or some other such nonsense. There was nothing worse than sitting in Home Room before classes started listening to the morning annoucements with the Vice Principal reading the names of those who had to report to detention. Many was the time the announcements would finish and I would think that I was safe, only to hear my name read over the intercom as an after thought. Thank God I was never caught for any of the real infractions I was guilty of. ...but don't tell my children!!!

http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2008-02-12-fla-students_N.htm?se=yahoorefer

Deep freeze hits U.S. northeast

Somehow the weather in New Hampshire, although cold, rainy and icy, just doesn't seem so bad when you realize that International Falls, MN, now know as the Icebox of the Nation, hit -40 degrees!! Is that Celsius or Fahrenheit you might ask? Well, at that temperature it is the same for either.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/weather/02/11/minnesota.cold.ap/index.html

Clemens says he got B-12 shots; ex-trainer claims steroids

It is about time that the world wake up and smell the roses and investigate sports other than cycling for perfomance enhancing drugs. With the money involved at these levels, and the performance expectations of these athletes, I would be very surprised if there wasn't drug use.

Barry Bonds was one of the biggest users and should not be credited with the home run record. Roger Clemmons would not have gotten so many Cy Young awards without a little juice. If he is found to lie under oath, he should receive the stiffest penalty under the law. These athletes, whether they like it or not, serve as role models for our kids. They MUST be held to a higher level. I think the punishments should be at least as severe as those in cycling. It's the least they can do!



http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/13/steroids.baseball/index.html

Crowded out of half my airline seat

I recently saw this article on CNN's website. I have encountered this situation many times. I fly up and down the eatern seaboard for my job. Airline travel is difficult and stressful enough without having to feel crowded in your seat for long periods of time.

I am sorry that fate, genetics or too many trips to McDonalds have made some passengers too large to fit in the seat, but that is not my fault. I should not be held responsible by being forced to contort myself in order to accomodate some extra large individual. They absolutely should have to purchase an additional seat!!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/traveltips/02/08/airline.seat/index.html

Iraqi women must cover hair, skip blush -- or die

The sign in the city center warns women that they'd better adhere to Muslim teachings or face the penalty. And all around the Iraqi city of Basra, women are showing up dead -- many beaten and beheaded. Some have been strangled to death, their faces disfigured; others beheaded. All bear signs of torture.

This is why the US should just stay out of the mideast. We, as a country, will never be able to effect change when people in these countries value life so cheaply. You can not reason with anyone who's beleif in their religion is so litteral that they would kill a woman for wearing make-up. I say the US just stay home and let the rest of the world go to hell!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/02/08/iraq.women/index.html

Police to present alleged kidney ring mastermind

And all this time you thought it was an Urban Legend!!!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/02/08/kidney.arrest/index.html