Messed Up S.O.B.

I don't know if this John Mark Karr really did kill JonBenet Ramsey, but, if not, he sure is getting the attention that he wanted. You don't send emails to anyone about something like this unless you want the attention. Now comes word that he got to clean out the business class passengers on his flight home, as well as getting some complimentary alcohol. Let him stare at a blank wall and think about what he did. He's a disgusting pervert (regardless of the Ramsey case, he's got some other child porn issues) who the U.S. govt. probably spent our pretty penny on getting home. Absolutely assinine. Just hang him over there and get over it. I'm glad I could contribute to making his ride home as comfortable as possible. Hopefully he'll be a little liquered up for Bubba when he gets dropped off in his cell.

He still thinks he's important

The House's ole buddy dr deegan is back! Now, with the new Learning Community, he is trying to be the thorn in the side of the group and try to keep dissenting. Give it up. I'm not saying that the Learning Community is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but its a law, and while I support changing it/getting rid of it, I think that it is possible to still be cordial and productive while also trying to dissolve it. But, of course, deegan wants his name in the press, so he's being difficult and just being a jerk. I've talked to one of his employees, and they don't even agree with his separatist stance. Yet, I continue to give him time. JUST GO AWAY!

Abandoning Ship

The last few weeks here in husker Nation has been filled with the sudden fad of defecting out of the blue. First, the man whose name was on the list as the men's basketball coach, Barry Collier (I'm curious as to whether the job he did qualifies him as the coach) went back to his alma mater, Butler, to become AD. I don't believe anyone in Nebraska was begging him to stay, so he made a great choice. Now, Alec Maric has said he won't return. Wow. That's fine. While he wasn't the next Pat Ewing, the new coach, Doc Sadler, did go to the land Down Under to try to convince the Aussie to stay. I can't really say I blame him, since the recruiting process is pretty much over.
Not to be outdone, the football program lost quarterback Harrison Beck and running back Leon Jackson. Beck, whose momma would pick him #1 in any draft, left because he couldn't take having to work to be a starting quarterback. Leon Jackson, in a similar situation to Beck, left not really because he wasn't working, but because there is a legitimate talent log jam at the running back position. I don't blame him for wanting to transfer. It just goes to show that you can't have all of the talent in the world. And that you can always go home.

A Better Way to Execute

Abe doesn't want to stop those pushing the anti-death penalty agenda, so he offers an example comprimise that was presented to the nation a few years ago. This is one of the best posts I've read in a while. Well worth stopping over.

What Do You Mean I Didn't Win?

Channel 6's coverage of people trying to cash bogus lottery checks is rather disturbing. Not that people are trying to cash the checks, but I can't understand how these people get doped into this. The "You've Won the Lottery" junk mail has been going on forever! I would've thought this joke was over, but I guess if you can still get people to believe you, then keep it up! One check was from a guy who "won" the Spanish Lottery. I wonder if he thought maybe he had played the lottery and just forgot??? If it's too good to be true, it probably is. I would like to think if I got a one million dollar check in the mail, maybe I would ask the bank before looking stupid and trying to cash it. The best part of the story is the teller describing how people are in disbelief when their check is fake. Thankfully gullible isn't in the dictionary.

Blogger Bash

The idea has been posed to have a Nebraska bloggers get-together in the next coming weeks. While I won't be able to attend because of a meeting/wedding/tubing weekend, I did think this is a good idea for those of us who have Nebraska blogs. I will be looking forward to updates after that weekend.

Butt-Kissing on Display

Watching the new season of Rockstar:Supernova is about to make me puke. I love rock, and I used to really like this show. I don't like Dave Navarro as a host because he doesn't deserve to be there, but Brooke Burke makes up for him (which takes a lot). I highly respect the music of Tommy Lee, Jason Newsted, and Gilby Clarke. They are the three that keep me watching.
But tonight's episode, the second one of the week where someone gets eliminated, shows the reaction of the contestants to the criticism they received from the hosts. So tonight, the band called them on it at the beginning of the show, and they all ran with their tails between their legs. If you've got something to say to them, say it. If you aren't going to be ballsy enough to stand up to them, then keep your mouth shut.
Just had to get that off my chest.

The MLB All-Star Break

Tonight is the 77th Major League Baseball All-Star game, which brought up a couple thoughts about the league and the game.
Why in the world does the game have to "mean something?" It's an exhibition game. Someone is going to get a major injury and poop will hit the fan (not literally). Why can't the team who played the best during the year get home field advantage? I know. That's a crazy thought.
I hate Fox Sports. Tim McCarver is an idiot. My butt could do a better job of stating the obvious than Timmy Mc. I used to like Joe Buck, but Tim is starting to rub off on him. I HATE how they give half of the event tickets to stars from their shows. No other network does it nearly as often.
MLB gave Roberto Clemente the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award for his contribution to changing the game. There is no doubt that Roberto Clemente fits the criteria. My problem is, what the heck took so long? Rickey Henderson has won the award. Rickey will be the first to tell you how great Rickey is (was), but he did nothing for the sport the way Roberto Clemente did. First and foremost, few people can compare to Clemente's humanitarian side. It literally killed him (his planned crashed while delivering emergency supplies in Nicaragua). He was the first Hispanic elected to the Hall of Fame, and is widely regarded as the one who opened up the major leagues to other Latin players. So why in the world, when Roberto Clemente died 33 1/2 years ago, is he just now being recognized with this award? Whether this award is for on or off field achievement, there is no excuse for how long it has taken.
And, about the ceremony. In the middle of the game? As important as an event as this is, please don't interrupt the middle of a game for it. That's what the pre-game is for.
Turning the radio back up and the TV audio back down. Go American League! We want the Indians to have home field advantage in the World Series (yeah, cause I'm holding my breath for that!).

Lou on Ed

I'm not always a big fan of Lou Dobbs. To me, he's one of the new breed of editorial show hosts that began as news programs (see other idiots like Bill O'Reilly). While I rarely agree with him, he made some good points in an editorial post at CNN.com.
The whole gist of Mr. Dobbs' editorial was that schools are failing and that fact, one that is rarely mentioned by educational administrators or government officials, is going to be biting us in the butt as those people become part of the society. As a teacher, these kind of statistics and the placing of blame squarely on the teacher's shoulders always frustrates me (keep reading before you comment on my participating in TV news bashing), but I'm not so naive that I think our system is perfect.
My theory is that there are two factors that are contributing to the downslide of our academic system: the teachers and parents.
The old joke is that people go into teaching when they can't do anything else. That theory made me laugh, until I started hanging out with more teachers. I think that, unfortunately, there is some truth to that. One thing that I like from Dobbs' article is paying teachers more and holding them more accountable. I do not, in any way, shape or form, agree with merit pay, or paying for how well your students perform on tests. It's not hard to adjust test scores, whether you administer the test a little differently or you use an eraser in your grade book. Also, there is still some "good ole boy" systems in schools, and even more schools in which you get that administration job by kissing the right butt. Therefore, I guarantee that the merit pay will be criticized by all of us who give the students the grades they earned and don't sniff our boss' ass.
There are three kinds of parents: Those who have been snowballed to think that their child does no wrong, those that "get it" and realize their child is not a saint, and those that rarely realize they have a child. Each class I've had has a mixture of all three. The last group, those that don't realize they have a child, is the one I try to focus on to make sure they realize by the end of the year. But home life is the largest factor (yes, even more so than teaching) in how a child performs in school. Therefore, no matter what tricks I use to get a child to learn, it takes that much more to get it to stick if there isn't any reinforcement from home.
I will say that this is one of the few times that I've agreed with Dobbs and thought he had some good points. I used to watch him more until every time I turned on the TV it was something more about Mexico (you can only hear so much). To improve education, it doesn't take more testing, newer schools or prettier textbooks. It takes teachers being paid to be accountable and parents that realize they have kids that are not perfect, no matter how badly they want to live vicariously through them.

A lapdance and a trailer

I couldn't leave without commenting on this:
It seems that the debit cards that FEMA handed out to those displaced from Hurricanes Rita and Katrina have been used for everything from "a divorce lawyer" to "adult erotica products." Don't even tell me you are surprised. And you wonder why it takes so long to get aid to people who really need it? Its because some idiots work so hard to mess with the system. Whether its filing fake death certificates after 9/11 or giving the address of jail inmates to get a FEMA debit card, some morons will stop at nothing to rip off the government.
My two favorite quotes from the CNN story:
After ellaborating on some of the items that had been purchased FEMA "auditors concluded (many of those items) were 'not necessary to satisfy legitimate disaster needs.'" Well, a lapdance can be very relaxing..so I've heard :)
Also,

Spokesman Aaron Walker said FEMA has "revamped the registration process" and has a contract with a company that will verify immediately the identity and address of anyone for assistance.

"We are confident in the system we have in place at this point," Walker said. "We are prepared for the upcoming season."

Well, I would've hoped you had this system last year, but I guess we shouldn't ask for too much.
It does go on to say that about 1/2 of the money has been recovered, but still I would guess the strip club is the one out the money, not the person who saw the boobies. While I joke, it is ridiculous that people are this inconsiderate. This is why I am always very hesitant to donate to charities. I feel bad having those reservations, but this just reaffirms it.

Bit of a Break

The CWS is in town, and my summer job is at Rosenblatt, so I plan to be away for a while. Got to go hob-knob in the press box. Looking for something new? Go back to the archives and relive the early days.

Be Very, Very Quiet

Watching the President this morning. I know, we are all shocked. I've already watched SportsCenter, and I've still got coffee left.
Some first-time reporter just showed her stupidity/cahones. The first question she asked as a White House virgin was, "The Democrats think they can do a better job of running the country...do you expect to still have a majority in Congress after the elections?" (probably paraphrased). He, surprisingly, disagreed. I've never been a big Bush supporter...at all, actually. But she made me chuckle. I bet she thinks she's pretty cool now. Now he's on a big rant about how great the Iraq government is going to be. I keep hearing from the paper (couldn't find the link...didn't look all that hard) and from him that he wanted to "look the prime minister in the eye." That's great. I bet the prime minister feels more comfortable. I know we have troops there and I support them 100%, but I keep hearing him say all of this crap how they've killed al-Zarqawi, government installation. Now he's saying, after a reporter brought up his comments from the week before, that he "shouldn't have said that the tide was turning in Iraq, maybe that progress is being made."
Next question that I hear: "Was there concerns about the inner circle of the prime minister that caused you to only tell him 5 minutes ahead of time?" Duh. Its Iraq.
He's showing how tired he really is and his patience seems to be wearing thin.
That's enough for now. Time to go watch the grass grow.

A New Reign in KC

On Wednesday, the Kansas City Royals named Dayton Moore their new GM. While he won't take over until after the draft (June 6-7), there is renewed excitement in the kingdom. It has been said for years that former GM Allard Baird was the cause of the perpetually inept Royals. Between trading all of the young talent for next to nothing and inexplicable free agent signings, it is exciting to get a winner from a winning program. The Braves have won their division for the last 200 years (OK, I think 13, but its a lot).
While listening to the Big Sports 590 (Royals local flagship station), a reporter from the KC Star (names aren't important) also hinted that Omaha would be used for up-and-coming players instead of just rehab and aging veterans (i.e., maybe Alex Gordon will spend time with the O Royals! ). The Double A team in Wichita is supposedly loaded with young studs which is why they've had televised games on the local FSN TV channel the last two nights. Bringing those young studs to Omaha, coupled with the zany but effective "speciality" nights that the AAA club has promoted lately, could continue the rise in attendance at Rosenblatt (yes, attendance has been up...media coverage has been better, but the promotion of the O Royals has a ways to go...would be sped up with Gordon in town). With the core of the Omaha club coming back to town after stints in KC and the renewed hope because of the new GM, there could be a rejuvination of Royals support in the midwest. I don't expect season tickets to exponential increase, but right now, if revenue and interest isn't plummeting, its a good thing.

Memorial Day Rememberance

I wanted to take a moment to recognize all of the military who have given their lives or are serving our great nation around the world. What you do is too often taken for granted. Thank you.
Also on this Memorial Day, I would like to recognize my family members and friends that have been lost this year and in years past. You are all truly missed.

Jamestown is renewed

Just as the Brockmanites begin to reassemble, our leader has returned. Please check out the reasonable explaination for the sabbatical.
Welcome back Ted. Your people have missed you.

Let it Be Known: The "Brockmanites" Live

There are a few of us in the Omaha-metro-area cyberspace who watch way too much TV. We criticize the media, of all types, for stupidity and ignorance. Why? Because we can. We pull no punches. We take no prisoners.
I propose that, from this day forward, we become known as the "Brockmanites."
I am the first to say I was not a regular commentor on the Omaha TV News Blog, our own Jamestown, which was established and lifted to notoriety by our namesake Ted Brockman. However, I feel like part of the family. Maybe a redneck second cousin, but we don't deal with particulars.
By the day, there are more places for the Brockmanites to gather. I will add more as they become available. We must unite, so that together, we may shout in unison, our researched, (most of the time) intelligent, (sometimes as intelligent as a 7th grader, as noted by one crabby blogger at the mother site) banter, in hopes of a change. We respect what Sean Wiede and the Reader does, but sometimes he's a little too mature and professional for us! So, for us true Brockmanites, we will continue to do what we do, because we can do it, in honor of the great Ted Brockman. Make Ted proud!

New additions to the links

I've added a couple new links to the sidebar to help feed my insatiable need to trash the Omaha media now that Omaha TV news has bit the dust. I will say, if you do want quality information about the Omaha media, please visit our new friends at the Reader's Media Notes. They are a reputable source for what's hip in Omaha. However, if you'd rather see the brutally honest, "high school" drama and bashing side of the Omaha media, we have a new outlet: Mocking Omaha. I'm hoping this one keeps up, but I'm also hoping it grows up. As I've already commented on the site, I hope "dude" isn't used frequently. I personally think having it on the top of your website drops the IQ of the site a couple dozen points. However, its got the childish ranting and complaining that I enjoy.
Another new blog that looks to be of some local media flavor is Omaha Media UCAP (I'll let you go there and figure out what UCAP means). For the first couple posts it seems promising, but we'll wait for a few weeks to make sure it sticks around.

Post-Election Thoughts

I didn't think Nebraskans had it in them.
Like the good American that I am, I didn't vote (we've moved within the last year and I refuse to go get a new driver's license since I got one a month before we moved, so I haven't registered either...I know, lazy). While I was pulling for Heineman, I really didn't think he had a chance. I took my fellow Nebraskans for fools, thinking they would be blinded by Dr. Tom's football championship rings. I tip my fez to all of you.
Regardless, Tom Osborne lost. I was disappointed to hear sports radio today spending the majority of their time on it. He lost. I don't care why. It's because people know that Governor Dave can do the job better than Dr. Tom. Get over it. If I want politics covered, I'll turn to a different station. I don't listen to Bill O'Reilly to find out why my Indians got swept by the god-awful Royals. Know your job. And do it.
On another note, all of you OPS worshipers who switched parties to vote for Osborne, I first chuckle, but then ponder what I would like you to do. The loyal Democrat in me says just stay Republican and leave us the heck alone. However, the gung-ho Democrat in me says bring all of your Republican friends onto the Hahn Bandwagon. There's plenty of room! Either way, take responsibility for what you did. I understand why, but that doesn't mean I agree with party switching.
Congrats to Pete Ricketts for purchasing his Senate Republican primary win. Don't mess with Ben.
In the next few months, I challenge us to take a strong look at our two choices for governor. I understand the uphill battle we Democrats are faced with. But it promises to be very interesting! As for now: Vote for Hahn!

Obama vists with NNN

The New Nebraska Network, one of our new favorite sites to visit here at the House, just entered rock start status by scoring an interview with Sen. Barack Obama (D.-Ill.) while Obama was in Omaha over the weekend. Because Obama is the new, young face of the Democratic Party, I'm doing my patriotic duty by linking the post.

An Institution Falls

Once one of our favorite blogs to curl up on the couch and read, it seems the Omaha TV News Blog has succumbed to the pressures of living annonymously. There has been a long-standing fight about who "Ted Brockman" really was, hiding behind his Anchorman pic. While controversial, it was a hit across Omaha. Now after a month and week without a new post, we're guessing they've decided to call it quits while they are ahead. Luckily, we don't have that option right now! So, until they get back on the wagon, we'll play Taps and take them off of the link board.