HELLO FROM EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN:

HELLO FROM EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN - merchants slogan: "We don't have it but we can get it for you."

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Cerebral Palsy Fund Raiser Turns Nasty -- Rather Be Waterboarding

A bit later today I hitch up the dogs, strap my guitar to the sled, and mush my way over to The View -- a bar overlooking beautiful Lake Wissota outside of Chippewa Falls. Am I playing in the bar? No -- I am second to the last act in a series of entertainers doing a fund raiser for cerebral palsy in a "heated tent" outside The View.

I am slated to to two sets between 6:PM and 7:30. Ah, another adventure!

_____________________________________________________________________

Arrived at the "heated" tent in time to begin my sets but the day had the word disaster pissed in the snow all over it. I hd just rally gotten started with my set (about 1/2 hour into it) when they blew a curcuit and the stage lights and my guitar amp went dead.

After much running about, the sound crew got things squared away and I went back to the task at hand. In the meantime, the wind, which was already making itself a reputation just outside the tent flaps, kicked it into high gear.

Then the generator that fired up the heaters went out and almost instantly the temperature in the tent plunged down near zero. all I know is that every time I sang into the mic, I blew a cloud of steam that fogged over my glasses entirely.

I continued to pound out my stuff, at one point losing the entire tuning to my guitar. Thankfully, 6PM arrived and it was time for the drawings.

After the drawings, I went back onstage and played for about 10 minutes when the powers that be came up and announced that the rest of the evening would have to be cancelled as they were getting nowhere in repairing the heaters.

The wind is still screaming outside my office door and it cuts like a knife on bare skin. Time to get to the house, draw a steamy bath and run the whirl pool to lala land.

______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

Former Attorney General Rumsfeldt's favorite bumper sticker: I"D RATHER BE WATERBOARDING"

Top Ten Reasons Mitt Romney Dropped Out Of The Presidential Race



Harsh midwest weather was murder on his split ends

Wants to devote more time to rap persona P. MItty

Polls show public doesn't want a president who looks like a casino greeter

Just couldn't compete with the Ron Paul juggernaut

Unveiling a new line of honey-roasted Romnuts

That bastard Zogby had it in for him

Apparently America is not ready for a white male president

No number 3 -- writer suffering from Mitt withdrawal

There was that little problem of nobody voting for him

Lost all of his money betting on the Patriots

_________________________________________________________________________________

Last night I finished reading Jim Brown's autobiography, "Out of Bounds". Jim is my all time hero as a full back, the very best football player I have had the pleasure to watch.

He was definitely "old school". He refused to step out of bounds, willingly took very hard hits to gain even a few more inches because he knew that was his job.

When I read it, I found myself shaking my head in the affirmative as the guys who tippy toe out of bounds to avoid being hit do not deserve my respect.

Case in point: Randy Moss -- I don't think I can ever remember a time when he was a Viking that he even ran routes through traffic across the middle. He was a down and out pass route runner who always stepped out of bounds to avoid being hit.

Mr. Brown and I share another opinion and that is that football has ceased to be a game and has become an "entertanment" with touch downs being "celebrated" with all kinds of idiotic displays.

There is only one after TD celebration I find acceptable -- the Lambeau Leap -- and only because it gives the fans a chance to be the show.

I remember some jive ass Black sports psychologist who gave an explanation of why Black football players celebrate when they score as having to do with understanding Black culture, the many years of slavery, the racism of this country, yada, yada, bullshit.

They do it for the same reason that is put forth in "White Men Can't Jump". It doesn't matter if you score, as long as you LOOK GOOD while you're doing it.

It doesn't belong in the game. It belittles it.

No comments: