Law & Disorder

Roger Clemens

Now that the Casey Anthony trial is over, it looks like the next big trial on the horizon is the trial of former Major League Baseball pitcher Roger Clemens. Clemens is charged with obstruction of Congress, perjury, and false statements in regards to testimony he gave to Congress regarding the use of performance enhancing drugs.

This could result in one of the most dramatic falls from grace ever from a professional athlete. Considering that the federal government don't like being lies to, Clemens could very well be facing time in prison.

It didn't have to be that way. Roger Clemens was a Hall of Fame pitcher before he (allegedly) injected his first steroid. He should have know that his then personal trainer, Brian McNamee is a questionable character. Alarm bells should have gone through his head when McNamee was saving syringes with Clemens's blod on it. Once caught, he came clean about it. Jason Giambi and Andy Pettitte came clean about their steroid use and saved themselves a lot of trouble. It bear repeating: the federal government do not like being lied to.

Only one person could have prevented the mess that Roger Clemens finds himself in. It's the man he sees when he's looking in the mirror.

Casey Anthony

That was a bitter pill for us to swallow. There was a lot of outrage when it was announced that Casey Anthony was found not guilty in the murder of her daughter Caylee. Facebook exploded in rage over the verdict. People questioning, myself included, how could the jury come to such a decision. All the holes in Casey Anthony's story, her questionable character, two things that there is no doubt about.

So I'll have to defer to the legal experts, and them seem to be almost unanimous in the opinion that the prosecution we're unable to prove guilt. That there was reasonable doubt. In doing so, the jury had to vote to acquit. I'm not a lawyer, so I'll have to agree with them, even though I hate to. Caylee Anthony is still dead and most likely, no one will be brought to justice for it.

Casey Anthony may have very well gotten away with murder. But once she's released, she'll no longer be receiving any legal penalties. But there's still ways to punish her. She'll be looking for book deals and movie deals. Do not buy any books and watch any movies associated with Casey Anthony. Your money will not find it's way into her pockets. Make sure she does not benefit from the crime in any way. Plus her life will still be far from easy. She's a pariah in her hometown.

The verdict was a bitter pill to swallow. But Casey Anthony will be swallowing plenty of bitter pills herself before it's over.

NBA Lockout

I'll be brief. Memo the the NBA owners and players: you are not the NFL. If we lose a season, not many people will miss you. In the fall, I need my football fix. While I like basketball, I usually don't go out the way to watch many basketball games. If there's no NBA season, I won't me missing the Tuesday night Atlanta Hawks - Milwaukee Bucks games.

Facebooking Politics

With the advance of social media, you knew that is was only a matter time before social media like Facebook and politics would intermingle. Once you sign on to Facebook, it's easy to find political pages. Pages that are put out by for are supportive of a particular politician. Or Facebook pages put out in favor or against a particular point of view. As a matter in Egypt, Facebook and Twitter were essential to the protesters who eventually forced Hosni Murbarak from power.

But you don't need to overthrow an existing government in order to use Facebook to make a difference politically. It can be used effectively to make a difference in local issues. Case in point, a recent article by the Fall River Herald News columnist Marc Monroe Dion. A recent article by Dion was about a policy change by Fall River Mayor Will Flanagan, which was caused partially cause by negative feedback on Facebook.

While Dion does not mention the Facebook page in question, it appears that the page is Fall River City Pride, as activity went on to that page was similar to what Dion described in his article. Fall River City Pride is a Facebook page where local politics and current events are discussed. The page,s moderator is an anonymous individual known only as FRCP. FRCP will often post a "Question of the Day" or "Breaking News". What usually follows is a vigorous and often a heated debate over the issues of the day. Picture a cyber version of a town hall or neighborhood association meeting.

In this case, FRCP posted braking news that the Flanagan administration posted a gag order over his department heads. It required them to send information requests to the Mayor's office instead of talking to the media or the public. As expected, the response was overwhelmingly negative. Making things worse for Flanagan was that his predecessor, Bob Corriea, insinuated a similar gag order. To put things in perspective to those who are unfamiliar with Fall River politics: Corriea was an unpopular Mayor, and made very few friends during his reign.

It should also be noted that Flanagan visited a few area restaurants that night and also heard negative feedback there. So that, combined with the Facebook posts, Flanagan reversed his gag order as quickly as he instituted it.

Will Flanagan deserves credit for quickly admitting be made a mistake and fixing the error. The moderator and contributors of Fall River City Pride also deserve credit in playing a role in a mayoral policy change. Many politicians fear talk radio, but new media has emerged to keep them in line: Facebook.

Whitey Bulger, Barney Frank and Ron Paul

Whitey Bulger

In my last blog I wrote about the long awaited capture of former Boston mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger. He, of course, was arrested after 16 years on the run. Much media attention have been put on Whitey Bulger over the years. People wondering about his where he was. The comparisons to his brother Billy Bulger, who at one time was a powerful politician in Massachusetts.

In some corners, there have been a fascination with mobsters. Hollywood has put out a lot of popular movies and television shows about mobsters. But in real life, mobsters like Whitey Bulger leaved behind a lot of death, bloodshed and hurt. The hurt going to the victims kin. This article in Fridays Boston Herald does a good job at illustrating the hurt that Bulger and his winter hill gang have done.

"I'd like to see him hanged," said Marion Hussey, who's daughter Deborah was strangled to death by Bulger and his henchman, Stephan "the Rifleman" Flemmi. Marion was the common law wife of Flemmi, until Deborah accused Flemmi of sexual molesting her when she was a girl. Sometime after, Flemmi lured Deborah to her mother's home where Bulger strangled her.

Deborah is one of 19 people who were believed to be killed at the hands of Bulger. Not all of them were seemingly as innocent as Deborah. Many of them were in or had connections to the criminal underworld. But they were still humans. They still had relationship with grieving family members who were left behind long after Bulger murdered them. Here's hoping the all of the voices of the victim's kin are heard.

Marijuana and the Political Odd Couple

They seem like the ultimate political odd couple. Reps. Barney Frank (D) of Massachusetts and Ron Paul (R) of Texas. Frank is one of the most outspoken liberals in the House of Representatives. Paul is one of the biggest advocates of small government and personal freedom. Paul is also running for the Republican nomination of the President of the United States. This week they introduced a bill that would take marijuana off the federal government's list of controlled substances and eliminate criminal penalty. The bill would leave marijuana enforcement and prosecution up to the states.

Ron Paul is one politician who I have a lot of respect for. More libertarian than conservative, he deserves credit of being consistent in his small government views (unlike many of his fellow Republicans who claim to be in favor of small government and personal freedom but are actually in favor of their own version of big government. One that is just as dangerous and restrictive on freedom as the most liberal of Democrats). I know Barney Frank well as he is one of my hometown's representatives in Congress. I have my fair share of differences with him as I find him to be too far to the left. That, and he comes on way too strong at times. But he also has an independent and has (dare I say it) a somewhat libertarian streak that makes me give him some grudging respect for him. For the second time in a number I find myself totally in favor of a Barney Fran initiative. First his efforts to legalize online poker and his criticism of the government crackdown of online poker (which caused a hopefully brief hiatus of my online poker career). Now this.

I do not equate marijuana with other drugs on the government's list of controlled substances (cocaine, heroin, etc). I put it more on the level of alcohol and gambling. Most people can smoke marijuana and it'll cause no harm in their life. Is there a number of people who can become addicted to it and have it cause harm to their live? Yes, but it's in the minority. Some people do great harm to their lives through alcohol and gambling. Does it mean that we should shut down all bar rooms, liquor stores and casinos? No. Medical marijuana should also be available to people that need it. Why the federal government continues to fight medical marijuana makes no sense to me. I rather see government resources to to more important things than the continued criminalization marijuana.

"Criminally prosecuting adults for making the choice to smoke marijuana is a waste of law enforcement resources and an intrusion on personal freedom," said Frank.

"I do not advocate urging people to smoke marijuana, neither do I urge them to drink alcoholic beverages or smoke tobacco, but in none of theses cases do I think prohibition enforced by criminal sanctions is good public policy," Frank said.

I totally agree.

Justice Part 2

For those reading this blog for the first time., since this blog will be making it's debut on FRCP page, I pretty write about what's in the news or what's on my mind. Not just politics and current events, plus sports, pop culture, etc. Here are my thoughts for today.

Whitey Bulger

This one took a while. Like 16 years, but former Boston mob boss Whitey Bulger was finally captured along with his girlfriend Catherine Grieg. Bulger faces a laundry list of charges when he returns home including 19 counts of murder. Bulger and his Winter Hill Gang group of mobsters lead a reign of terror throughout Boston. The feds were about to close in on Bulger, but he was tipped off by corrupt retired FBI agent John Connolly that the FBI and Department of Justice was about to close in on him. Bulger and Grieg quickly left town.

What was a surprise was the location that Whitey Bulger was found. Thought by many to be overseas, Bulger was actually hiding away in Santa Monica, California. This case of course recieved much attention. He was on the FBI Ten Most Wanted List for a long time along with Osama bin-Laden. Something that attracted even more attention was the fact that Whitey Bulger's younger brother, Billy Bulger, was for a few years, one of the most powerful politicians in Massachusetts (who's political career was ofter marred with questions over ethics).

So there's no doubt that Bulger will finally face punishments for his sins. Including 19 murders, many of which were gruesome. I hope this brings some justice to the families of his victims. What I really wanted to know is where did he get his money from in order to be on the run for 16 years? Who (if anyone) funded him.?

Taunton Casanova

One of the funniest articles I read in the news as of late appeared in the online edition of my hometown paper the Fall River Herald News. The incident happened in Taunton, a city about 20 minutes north of Fall River. The Taunton police responded to a home expecting to find a gunshot victim. Instead, they found a man wearing boxer shorts. For discussion sakes, we'll call him Casanova. He called police that he needed to get his belongings from a nearby home of a woman who's house he was in earlier that night. We'll call her Juliette.

Casanova's and Juliette's stories differs at first. Casanova claims that he met Juliette at a bar. Juliet claims that she went to a concert with Casanova. It's after that where their stories agree with one another. Basically, the both of them got drunk and retired to her place. They were in the same bed until Juliette's other half came in and saw them in bed together.

Romeo must have been P.O.'ed because Casanova stormed out of the house. Without his shirt, pants, shoes and cell phone. He needed the police to get his belongings back.

So lesson learned for any Casanovas out there. If you meet a lady who might be interested for some late night extra curricular fun, it's a good idea to make sure she is single. It totally eliminate the chances of running into an angry boyfriend or husband. However, if it's something that you don't care about (Poets and Madmen does not condone sleeping with someone else's girlfriend. Just giving out some friendly advice) then make sure you do the following:

1. Be in good shape. Do some cardio at the gym. Because you might have to run as fast as you can.
2. Bring an extra set of clothes and hide an extra set of keys, just in case you leave your belongings behind.
3. As always, in the name of safe sex, wear a condom.

A public service announcement from Poets and Madmen. Those who wish to read the actual news article can do so by clicking here.

I'm Shipping Up to Boston

Bruins Win Stanley Cup

What a run that Boston sports have been going through. Since 2001 we've seen the Patriots, Red Sox and Celtics win championships. This week, the Bruins joined them by winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in 39 years. This team won in a similar matter to the other Boston sports teams. Through grit, determination and very hard work. Making less mistakes than your opponents. Like the 2004 Red Sox, they were on the ropes a few times and did not give up. Like the 2001 Patriots, they were going against an offensive juggernaut in the championship round and few people were picking them. But the Bruins shut down the Canucks offense in a similar matter the Patriots shut down the Rams offense in Super Bowl XXXVI.

When Zdeno Chara hoisted the Stanley Cup, it not only marked the Cup finally coming back to Boston. It made it that all four Boston based major professional sports teams have won titles in seven years. Nobody else have ever done that. Seven championships since 2001. This is a sharp contrast from what it was like previous to 2001. The Patriots were the laughing stock of the NFL. The Red Sox were a team that seemed curse. A team that had a knack to losing in the most painful way possible (Bucky Dent, Mookie Wilson, Aaron Boone). Even the Celtics, who won a few titles in the 1980's, suffered through a few lean years before re-emerging with the new big three and winning the long awaited 17'th banner.

The pre 2011 Bruins had a knack for Red Sox types looses in play off games. There was also a perception and ownership and management did not want to spend the money it would take to have a championship team. But a lot of that changed a few years back went Peter Chiarelli was hired to be the team general manager. He put together much the the team nucleus that enabled the 2011 Bruins to win the Stanley Cup. Much of the team is still very young, so the Bruins are in position to be contenders for years to come.

Vancouver Fans

OK, it's not easy to see your team lose in the championship games. But rioting is totally unnecessary. But that is what some Vancouver Canucks fans did this week after thier team lost in game seven of the Stanley Cup finals. Come on what is this? Doing a bad impersonation on soccer hooligans? This makes your team and your city look bad. Vancouver deserves better.

Anthony Weiner Update

In my last blog I wrote about the self inflicted woes of Anthony Weiner. Since then, things have gotten worse for him. Still in the headlines and the fodder of late night comedians, Weiner was iceasingly becoming more and more of a distraction to Congress and the details were becoming increasingly sordid. It got to the point that many of his fellow Democrats were calling him to resign. This past week, Weiner resigned from Congress. Though he'll be gone for a while, this might not necessarily be the end for Weiner. Eliot Spitzer is doing well these days.

Day of Portugal 5K

This past Sunday, is just missed returning to the sub 20 minute mark in 5Ks, running the Day of Portugal 5K in 20:01. In my best running shape in years, I hit a nice burst of energy around the half way mark that carried me to the finish. Fairhaven Road Race tomorrow. Doing the 5K.

Weiner Gets Exposed

To my readers, my apologies for not blogging much as of late. My schedule has been insane. I've been working 50 hours a week at my day job plus whatever I've been putting in at the liquor store. I requested and will soon get less hours at the liquor store. I've been doing two jobs for a long time and I needed a break. So hopefully in a few weeks, my schedule will calm down and I can blog more often.

Politicians Behaving Badly

So a U.S. Congressman named Mr. Weiner gets in trouble when he gets caught sending lewd emails and pictures over the internet. No, this isn't a Saturday Night Live skit or a plot to a B-grade porno flick. This is real. After repeated denials, Rep. Anthony Weiner admitted to inappropriate relationships with women he met over the internet, none of who were his wife. he then apologized for lying about the "Weinergate" allegations. Even when it looked liked he got caught with his pants down, Weiner continued his denials to the bitter end, even claiming that his twitter account got hacked. Now he's just the latest in a long line of politicians who let their reputations get tarnished by sheer stupidity.

Of course no politician in recent memory has had a more dramatic fall from grace than John Edwards. Not long ago, he was a U.S. Senator and came close to being elected Vice-President. But as we know, Edwards got himself involved in scandals involving his extramarital affairs. Now he could be facing prison time over allegations that he used campaign funds to cover up his extramarital affairs. It's just not Democrats who are getting in trouble. The list of Republican sex scandals is big and growing all the time.

Lessons of the Weiner and Edwards messes: (1) never put anything over the internet you wouldn't want the public or your wife to see and (2) if you want a career in politics, it's not a good idea to take part in extramarital affairs. You would think highly educated men would be smarter. But as long as they are politicians, they will be plenty of writing material for blogs.

Stanley Cup Finals

It's not too often in New England that the Red Sox and the Yankees are in the back seat. But our attention there days are focused toward hockey as the Boston Bruins continue to play the Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup Finals. After a pair of tough losses on the first two games, the Bruins came out firing in game three in a 8 - 1 thrashing of the Canucks. Much of it came after the Bruins lost Nathan Horton due to a cheap shot by Aaron Rome.

So Boston Bruin fever is pretty much gripping New England these days. Also, with their biting and cheap shots, the Canucks are playing a good role as hockey villains. Either way, come 8 PM tonight, a lot of us will be glued to out TVs watching game four of the Stanley Cup Finals. I will be one of them. Go Bruins!

Armageddon It

Been very busy as of late. Working over 60 hours a week plus finals. But now that school is done for a few months, I should have time to blog more often.

Randy "Macho Man" Savage

I'll start of this blog on a sad note: the untimely passing of pro wrestling star Randy "Macho Man" Savage. In proof that you never know when your time will come, Savage apparently had a hear attack while driving, resulting in an automobile accident. He was 58 years old.

He is not the first wrestling star to die too young (Curt Henning, Rick Rude, etc.) But this one is the biggest loss of them all. While I no longer follow pro wrestling, I watched it at a regular basis in the 1980's and 1990's. He was one of the biggest stars of that era. First emerging in the WWF, he quickly became one of the biggest stars in the company. He would also wrestle for WCW and TNA. Lets us not forget about the Slim Jim commercials. What I most remember about him was what a great entertainer he was. Whether he was a face (good guy) of heel (bad guy) Savage always did a good job playing his role and performing in the ring. He will be missed. But there's no denying the Savage is one of the all time wrestling greats.


The Rapture That Did Not Happen

Back in January, I posted a blog on Poets and Madmen about end of the world predictions, past and present. I also spent a portion of the blog talking about the apocalyptic predictions for yesterday made by California based evangelist Harold Camping. Camping's prediction was two pronged. He predicted that the Rapture would occur on May 21, 2011 followed by Armageddon five months later on October 21. Well May 21 came and went and The Rapture did not happen.

I was confident that Camping's prediction would not come true. Why? The vast history of missed end of the world predictions. Also, Camping himself was responsible for one of those missed predictions, back in 1994. I wish I could bet on football games in the same way and matter I can predict the outcome of end of the world predictions.

I do consider myself to be a Christian. I very much believe in God. I even think that a Biblical type Apocalypse described in the Book of Revelations is possible. But I'm dismissive of those who claim to know the exact date of the end of the world. The Bible itself says no one knows the day or hour of the end of the world (Matthew 24: 35-36). That verse alone tells me that anyone who claims to know the exact day of Armageddon is probably a B.S. artist.

Then there's those who actually believed Camping's predictions. Some gathered outside of his Oakland headquarters of Family Radio International. Others drained their savings accounts. It'll be interesting to see how Camping explains away this. He blamed his missed 1994 prediction on a mathematical error. If there is a hell after you die, I'm sure there's a part of it reserved for charlatans like Harald Camping. But we are not done with end of the world predictions. More are on the way. December 21, 2012 is not too far away.

Justice Has Been Done

Been very busy lately, not much time to blog. But I wanted to comment on the killing of Osama bin-Laden and had a few comments over the weekend about Poets and Madmen. So here it is.

I guess it was only a matter of time. It just took a longer time than what we were hoping for. Nearly a decade after the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil, a group of Navy SEALS killed Osama bin-Laden, the mastermind of the 9-11 terrorist attacks.

It seems like every generation, there's an incident in which we remember where we were at at the time of the occurrence. Pearl Harbor and the JFK assassination to name a few. For our generation, the 9-11 attacks were one incident where we remember where we were at.

I was working at my day job. Tony, a co-worker of mine walked up to me and said "An airplane hit one of the World Trade Center Towers." I went to the radio at my work station and changed the station to WBZ, a Boston news station. By then the second tower was also hit by an airplane. Soon we heard that another plane hit the Pentagon and news of a fourth plane crash in Pennsylvania. Of course we remember seeing both of the World Trade Center towers collapsing. We also learned about the heroic actions of the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93 who attempted to regain control of the plane from the terrorists before the plane crashed in Pennslyvannia.

Wanting access to a place that had television, myself and another co-worker went to T.K O'Malley's, a nearby restaurant and sports bar. Instead of having sports on, all of the televisions were tuned in news reports of the attacks. I couldn't believe the images we were seeing on the television. Especially the footage of the planes crashing into the towers and the towers collapsing.

The 9-11 attacks lead to the war we are still fighting in Afghanistan. Still somehow bin-Laden still somehow evaded capture. Until now. Thought to be in a cave somewhere in Pakistan, bin-Laden was actually found in a million dollar compound in a densely populated area not too far from the capital of Pakistan.

I'm glad that this has happened. bin-Laden was a man who attacked us and caused much pain. He's responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent people. He's behind multiple terrorist attacks, not just 9-11. As it turned out, bin-Laden may have not been done since as his al-Qaeda terrorist network was apparently plotting to sabotage U.S. railroads. Some have voiced criticism for celebrating a man's death. But I can't blame anyone if they wanted to celebrate bin-Laden getting killed.

Both partisan Democrats and Republicans are trying to spin this to advance thier agenda (the 2012 election), but I don't want to go there. I have a lot of disagreements with President Barack Obama. But I also believe in giving credit where credit is due. Obama deserves credit for making the correct decision: the chance to capture/eliminate bin-Laden. Much credit also goes to the CIA and the Navy SEALS, for succeeding in a high risk mission.

I know the War on Terrorism is far from over. But the world has one less evil individual and finally bin-Laden finally faced justice for the evil he has done.

Manny Being Manny

GE Tax Break

One news that made rounds this week that got my attention. I'm not the only one who noticed it, but more people should have seen this news item. It was revealed this week that General Electric paid no Federal Taxes in 2010.

The first thing I wanted to say was "Wow! How did they get such a nice tax break?" GE made $14.2 billion in profits in 2010 but did not have to pay a penny in Federal taxes. I work 55 hours a week and have a good percentage chopped of my paycheck a week for taxes. I make a fraction of what former GE CEO Jeffery Immelt made, now the chairperson of President Barack Obama's Economic Advisory Board.

The question can easily be answered. All the tax loopholes that corporations enjoy. Can you blame GE for taking advantage of the loopholes that is available to them? If anyone should bear the blame, it's Congress. They are the one's who make the tax loopholes possible. They are the one's who are giving GE the ammunition that GE is so happy to use.

So while the small businesses and the average citizen continues to get hit with taxes, multinational corporations like GE continue to enjoy a tax free existence.

Manny Ramirez

This past week came the most sudden and unusual sports retirements. For Boston Red Sox star Manny Ramirez retired from Major League Baseball. His current team, the Tampa Bay Rays didn't even find out about his retirement until they heard about it from Major League Baseball.

As it turns out, Manny Ramirez tested positive for drugs during spring training. He previously served a 50 game suspension from testing positive for performance enhancing drugs. As a second time offender, he faced a 100 game suspension, close to two-thirds of a season. Rather than go through that, Ramirez chose to retire.

So that ends the career of what was no doubt, one of the best right hand hitters ever. Now he won't be entering the Hall of Fame anytime soon. If ever. Mark McGwire never tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. Rafael Palmeiro tested positive once. Neither so far has come close to getting enough votes to get into the Hall of Fame. Ramirez tested positive twice.

Ramirez is indeed one of the best right handed hitter ever. But he could be very well remembered for steroids and for his occasionally childish behavior.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Working over 60 hours last week, plus all the other things in my life, not a lot of time to blog. A few thoughts.

Leo's Place/ Gambling

The main item making the local news this week was the raiding of a couple of Internet Cafe's in Fall River and Fairhaven. Both Internet Cafe's, called Leo's Place were owned by Leo Pelletier, a long time Fall River City Councilor.

An Internet Cafe is a place where someone can buy time on a computer on Internet in order to play sweepstakes games. Pelletier denies that the state's gambling laws were violated. Some local authorities seems to disagree. After complaints and an outgoing investigation by the state's Attorney General's office, state and local police raided both Internet Cafe's. Equipment was taken, making forcing Pelletier to close down his Internet Cafe's for the foreseeable future.

I'm not a lawyer. I don't know if Leo's Place violated the state's gambling laws. What went on in there sounded a lot like gambling. If there was gambling going on there, I don't care and I really don't think that state should get involved. Pelletier was operating a private enterprise and he had his fair share of paying customers.

Which brings us to the larger issue, gambling and casinos. Delaware has a casino and Massachusetts can't seem to get a casino bill passed. I find it rather interesting that state politicians oppose casino gambling, but have nothing against the lottery. Go to any local resturant and bar that has Keno and you see a lot of people (on occasion myself included) play the Keno ran by the Massachusetts State Lottery. More money that goes to the state. But they oppose private enterprise opening up gambling ventures. Things that make you go hmmmm. In the meantime, A lot of money is being spent in Connecticut that could be spent in Massachusetts.

In Other News

Later on today, I'll be running the Thomas Guinta 5K Road Race. It's ran in the memory of a Fall River police officer who dies in the line of duty. It's a well ran race, good course and a great post race meal and party.

In addition, I decided to enter a short story writing contest put on by The Writer magazine. After an endless amount of encouragement from family and friends, I decided to do submit some of my writing. The contest will be step one. I already got an idea on what I'll be submitting as a short story. Off I go.

Fall River's Population Decline

This past weekend, much of the talk in my hometown of Fall River has been the rapid population decline. The most recent census showed that in the past ten yeears, the population of Fall River has declined by 3,000, more than any town in the state. Once the news came, the debate came along on why it happened. It's really not rocket science. The mass exodus can be summed down to two reasons. Crime and lack of jobs.

For those who don't live in New England, Fall River is a working class city in southeastern Massachusetts. Mill buildings stand all over the city as relics of what used to be. Like many other blue collar manufacturing towns, Fall River has hit hard times in recent years. Double digit unemployment has been the norm here. Many of the jobs that was lost here are jobs that are going to places like China. Jobs that are never coming back.

Perhaps nothing in this city symbolizes the decline of jobs in this city than the old site of the Quaker Fabrics headquarters on Brayton Ave. Once filled with cars seven days a week, Quaker made a quick downward spiral till it went out of business, taking 2,00 jobs with it. More recently, A.J. Wright closed it Fall River Distribution Center, taking another 800 jobs.

The old mill buildings that once was on the Brayton Ave. Quaker site are now demolished to make way for a new shopping plaza. Target and Lowe's are two of the stores that are rumored to be moving in. While the jobs that they will provide is better than no jobs. But most of the jobs there won't have the pay and benefits that Quaker did. Fall River was teased again with the possibility about a casino coming to town. But the Governor and the State Legislature was unable to come with an agreement on a casino bill, denying a city some much needed jobs.

Crime is another part of this. It's sad on what parts of this city have become. We always had crime, but nothing like it was in recent years. Gangs, drugs, shootings. Our undermanned police department have a lot on their hands. They are neighborhoods that used to be part of my running routes that I don't go through anymore.

Why are people leaving? A hard working couple might want to raise their kids in the best environment possible? Upon hearing about a drive by shooting in the projects a few blocks away, they might want to look into moving to Somerset and Swansea. A young man wants to find a jobs in the field he went to college for. He put himself into debt to pay for his education. Unable to find a job in the Fall River area, he might look into moving to North Carolina or Florida.

Listen, I lived here all of my life and despite all of this problems, there's a lot of good about the city. Most of the people are friendly and there's lots to do here. Cape Cod, Boston, Newport, the forest and beaches are all short drives away. But I too in the past have thought about relocation for the reasons that I listed above.

I really hope the trend reverses itself. But if the jobs and crime situation continues to decline, then this city will continue to lose it's best and brightest people. It's too bad, because this city has so much potential.

"I focus on the pain, the only thing that's real."

Hurt by Johnny Cash and Nine Inch Nails

Nine Inch Nails are a industrial rock group that was most popular in the early to mid 1990's. The only official member of the group is Trent Reznor who writes and composes all of the material. A somewhat unique sound, Nine Inch Nails are one of my favorite groups from that era. One of their biggest hits is called "Hurt". Slower and more accessible that most of NIN material, "Hurt" received a lot of airplay on radio and on MTV. Perhaps the thing that most stand out about the song are it's haunting lyrics, which can be interpreted as being about drug addiction, depression or both. The title of this post is a line from the song.

A decade later, Johnny Cash was recording music and his producer suggested that he cover "Hurt". The result that came out was possibly the best cover tune ever. Recorded just after the death of his wife June, Cash himself was ailing and was a few months away from dying himself. What came out is the hurt and sorrow that Cash was feeling at the time. The video itself was also haunting, showing an aging Johnny Cash but also showing a younger Johnny and June Cash. One person who was moved by the Cash version of "Hurt" was Reznor himself who said "I pop the video in, and wow... Tears welling, silence, goose-bumps... Wow. [I felt like] I just lost my girlfriend, because that song isn't mine anymore... It really made me think about how powerful music is as a medium and art form. I wrote some words and music in my bedroom as a way of staying sane, about a bleak and desperate place I was in, totally isolated and alone. [Somehow] that winds up reinterpreted by a music legend from a radically different era/genre and still retains sincerity and meaning — different, but every bit as pure". (Alternative Press#194, September 2004.) I couldn't agree more. Those who want to see the Johnny Cash version of the song can click here.

Donald Trump and Obama Birth Certificate

In a recent blog here on Poets and Madmen, I talked about Donald Trump's plan to run for the Republican nomination for President. I speculated on how much of a sideshow it would be. Especially if God forbid, he'd get elected President. It didn't take me long to prove me right. As of late, Trump has brought up an old conspiracy theory surrounding Obama. He questioned Obama's citizenship.

This conspiracy theory is nothing new. The theory is that Obama was born out of the United States and therefore ineligible to become President of the United States. You expect to here this stuff from someone who broadcasts on shortwave radio. Not from someone who wants to become leader of the free world. Yet, this stuff was been coming out of Trump's mouth. Trump, most notable appeared on a recent episode of The View and demanded to see Obama's birth certificate.

Now I'm not a fan of Obama. But I can say with confidence that he was born in Hawaii. If he was not eligible to be President, he never would have received the Democratic nomination for President because Hillary Clinton or one of his other opponents would have found out about it. I wonder what is Trump thinking. If people think you are crazy, you will not be elected President. Just ask Ross Perot and Howard Dean. In the meantime, Trump looks like he'll provide me with a lot of writing material for my blog if he runs for President.

Big Brother and Old Man Winter Rears Their Ugly Heads

Big Brother

Two more examples of our freedoms being infringed upon. One was the decision of the City Council in my hometown of Fall River, MA to ban the sale of tobacco in stores that contain pharmacies. This includes drug stores and grocery stores that contain pharmacies. This is just another example of government going where it should not be going into. Leave it to the individual business owners to make the decisions. Plus they are more important stuff for the Fall River City Council to worry about. Crime. Double digit unemployment. Now there's talk about the state taking over our public school system.

In another matter, a Facebook friend of mine from California got a ticket for not wearing a seat belt while stopped at a red light. The police officer even did a u-turn in order to giver him a ticket. He's planning on appealing the ticket on constitutional grounds. Sounds like a violation of the Fourth Amendment to me.

I don't smoke. I wear my seat belt when I drive. But don't tell stores whether or not they can sell cigarettes. Don't tell bars and restaurants they must ban smoking in their establishments. Don't tell me I must wear a seat belt in the car that I own and is my private property. If I wanted a nanny state government to control and micromanage my life, I'd move to a Communist country. Get more cops on the street. Improve our education. But stay out of our personal lives. Thank you. In the meantime, stock up on the booze and Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream before they go after that.

Old Man Winter

With the way the winter of 2010-2011 is going, you know it's wasn't going to go away quickly. We were teased with some nice spring weather. But like an unwelcome house guest, old man winter is back. With some cold temperatures and an overnight snowstorm to boot. Nothing too big, just enough to be a nuisance. But I really can't complain. When I see what's going on in Japan, I feel guilty about my winter long complaining about the snow.

Dez Bryant

The funniest off the field news of an athlete I've heard in a long time was one involving Dallas Cowboys star Dez Bryant. Bryant was kicked out of a mall and given a criminal trespass warning after he became angry after off duty cops asked him to pull up his sagging pants. The NFL may be in a lock out, but certain players continue to make news.

Elizabeth Taylor

Hollywood lost an icon as Elizabeth Taylor died today. Long in declining health passed away at the age of 79. Much known for her many marriages, I'm sure people will remember her more her decade long acting career, successfully making a transition from childhood star to adult superstar. R.I.P. Liz Taylor.

Am I Older or Am I Wiser?

My Early St Patrick's Day

I couldn't help but wonder last week if I'm officially old. On St. Patrick's Day, I was home by 9:30. Normally in the past, I would live up to my 49% Irish blood. I would go to a local bar, either St. James, Belmont or Mickey Doyle's and consume my fair share of adult beverages. I just didn't feel like it this year. I'm sure a good time was had in all three establishments. I just chose to go home that day after leaving work. I felt much better on the morning March 18th than I had in previous years. I'm I getting older? Or wiser? Or both?

March Madness

It's that time of year again. March Madness, the NCAA Basketball Championships. Every year in which people fill out their brackets and hope for the best. Last year, my bracket was ripped up early when my pick Kansas fell in round 2. This year is looking a little better. While I lost some Elite 8's and lost a few Sweet 16's, all of my Final Four teams are still alive. My pick to win it all, Ohio State looked great as they bombed the usually respectable George Mason.

Commuter Rail in Fall River?

The people have waited for commuter rail in Fall River much like Linus in the Peanuts cartoons waiting for the Great Pumpkin. Both waiting in anticipation for it to come. Only for it once again not to show. Now the Patrick administration once again brought up commuter rail again for the South Coast. I'll believe it when it happens.

Japan

The news from Japan is absolutely heartbreaking. The most recent death toll I heard is 8,000. Stories of people searching for missing loved ones. Stories on entire villages getting wiped out. In addition they also have to deal with the nuclear crisis. While the nuclear crisis seems to be easing, a meltdown (or a potential meltdown) is the last thing the people of Japan needed.

Donald Trump for President?

Why not? Jesse Ventura got elected Governor of Minnesota. Arnold Schwarzenegger got elected Governor of California. Minnesotans were not done elected celebrities to office as they elected Al Frankin to the U.S. Senate. Linda McMahon almost got elected to the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. Of course leader of the free world is a totally different slice of pie. The thought of him getting elected is scary. There's not doubt he's a highly intelligent businessman. Still, if he's elected President, the White House will be a sideshow. It'll make the Bill Clinton years, and all of his bimbo eruptions, seem tame by comparison.

Tradgedy in Japan, Madness in Madison, Cluelessness in the NFL

Japan

First of all, I can't let this blog go on without mentioning the tragic turn of events in Japan. We all awoke today to news of an earthquake hitting Japan. At 8.9 magnitude, it's the fifth most powerful recorded since 1900. If that wasn't bad enough, a tsunami soon followed, devastating the Japanese coastline. It's looking more and more like this will be an horrific tragedy. As of this writing there are estimates of a death toll over 1,000. Not to mention entire villages destroyed. I complained all winter about the snow and the cold weather. Something like this makes you think a little. I extend my thoughts and prayers to the people of Japan.


Wisconsin Republicans vs. the Unions

Contrary to what some might think, I am not a Republican. Some people think that I am. Much of it stems on my support of Scott Brown in the most recent Massachusetts U.S. Senate election. Some of it holds from my opposition of things like high taxes and Obamacare. While if given a choice, I'll vote Republican about two-thirds of a time, I am indeed a registered independent and plan on staying that way for the foreseeable future.


There are rally things about both the far left and the far right that I'm not crazy about. One side wants to take away our guns and impose a Socialistic utopia. The other side wants to have a police state ran by religious fundamentalists. I guess if I fall into any category politically, I am a libertarian-moderate. Maybe right of center, but not Pat Robertson right.


Which brings us the the next topic, the madness in Wisconsin. As I said before, I wouldn't want to be a governor or mayor in these times. In this bad economy, we have less tax dollars filtering to our state governments. Which means less money for governments to spend on their programs. This filters down to the cities too. So because of the lack of money, governors and mayors have some tough and unpopular decisions to make.


Which brings us once again to Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker. Facing a huge budget deficit, Walker proposed a series of union concessions in a bill brought before the Wisconsin legislature. The one part that really got the state employee upset was a proposal to virtually end all of their union collective bargaining rights. So they were understandably upset. After much yelling and controversy, the Wisconsin Senate passed the bill.

I have my fair share of disagreements with labor unions. But they have a right to be upset with this one. I understand that Walker inherited a tough situation. I know him, and many of the other governors have some very tough decisions to make. But to violate the rights of the state employee union is where I part company. By the way, one should not be cheering when someone's rights and freedoms are violated. Down the road, you could be setting yourself up to have your rights violated. Scott Walker and the Wisconsin Republicans reminded me once again why I remain an independent.

NFL


Last and least, we'll go into the realm of the clueless, the broken off NFL labor negotiations. Earlier there was some hope that this might get resolved. But behold, the NFL and it's player's union could not decide on how to divide a 9 billion dollar pie, Simply pathetic. Millionaires and billionaires fighting over money their fans won't make in a lifetime. I hope they come to their senses. If not, expect court cases, posturing and quite possibly, a fall without football.

BYU Basketball Player Fouls Out

Normally, this time of year, sports radio is looking for topic matter. That time of year between football season and baseball season. When Boston sports talk station WEEI is talking about the potential Red Sox opening day line up despite the fact that spring training is barely under way. This week, a Mormon college is Utah was one of the top topics in sports talk radio.

Prior to this week, the Brigham Young University basketball team made some news in the sports pages. Currently the #3 NCAA basketball team in the country, BYU was a team though my many to be a contender for the national title. Then this week BYU suddenly made headlines for other reasons when suspended star player Brandon Davies for violation of the teams moral code. As a conditional to attend the school, BYU makes all of their students sign a document in which they pledge to adhere to the school's moral code. Their moral code is similar to the beliefs of the Mormon institution. No premarital sex. Abstinence from tobacco, alcohol and even caffeine. A dress code is also included in which students are told not to wear cut off shirts and mini-skirts. Davies got suspended from the basketball team when the school learned that he had sex with his girlfriend.

As expected, the reaction was mixed. Some supported the school while other question their reasoning. My take on it: I don't particularly agree with the BYU moral code, but I respect their right to enforce it. First of all, BYU is a private religious institution. Secondly, all of their students know what they are getting into when they choose to attend the college. All of their students sign the moral code. Davies himself had a few different colleges to attend, but chose BYU. BYU is also not the only university to have a moral code. Many military academies and religious colleges also have similar policies. BYU also deserves credit for enforcing their moral code universally , from star athletes on down. Davies was one of the better players on the basketball team. Without him, BYU titale hopes are suddenly in jeopardy (BYU lost to a mediocre New Mexico squad this week. Davies, to his credit took full responsibility for his actions).

Is the moral code at BYU outdate?. I believe so. But that's just me. Being a independent libertarian individual, I would have a hard time attending BYU because I would find their policy far to restrictive. But BYU was a long history and countless other students have thrived over there. If I was a senior in high school and had my fair share of scholarship offers, I would lean to a university that is less restrictive. Those who are interested in attending BYU should think about whether or not they can live under such a code. Something to think about before they make their plans to move to Provo, Utah.

The Right to Protest

Watching the news the past month of so, you have seen much protests. Whether is is in the United States or in the Middle East.It started out with a revolution in Tunisia. Soon after it spread to Egypt, causing the ouster of it's long time tyrant, Hosni Mubarak.

But as the Egyptian protesters were getting their way, it seems that all hell broke loose in some parts of America, mainly in the state of Wisconsin. I wouldn't want the job of Governor, Mayor or any other executive in this day and age. Even in good times you always have people gunning for you. Your job is even tougher when your serving in the worst economy since the Great Depression. Less jobs means less people working. Less people working means less tax money coming into the state. Less tax money means less money to pay for state services. Of course the cost of doing business never goes down. So with less money coming in, Governors and Mayors have some tough decisions to make.

Meet Scott Walker, the Governor of Wisconsin. New on the job, the State of Wisconsin is faced with record budget deficits. So Walker proposed a budget repair bill with some controversial parts. Parts of it call for Wisconsin state employees to contribute more in their pensions and their health insurance. As expected, the state employees unions voiced their opposition. But what really angered the state employees was a proposal that would virtually eliminate all collective bargaining rights for state employees. Since then, the unions have been on the streets of Madison.

As I stated, Walker has some tough decisions to make. That's part of his job. It's debatable whether or not employees should contribute more to their pensions and health insurance. But that is what negotiating is all about. He should have known he'd light a powder keg by any attempt to take away collective bargaining rights. I'm a non-union guy and disagree with a lot of union politics. But I understand why they are upset with parts of Walker's bill.

On the flip side, the Tea Party staged a counter protest in Madison. As usual, they protested the size and growth of government. The Tea Party first made themselves known when they were opposed by President Barack Obama's health care bill. They were very influential in the recent mid-term elections, helping a boatload of Republicans get elected. To this day, they remain a consistent voice in the opposition of big government.

Regardless of whether you're a union guy or a Tea Party guy, there's one cool thing about America (there's a lot of cool things about living in America but here's the number one thing): the right to protest. The right to free speech. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution. The Amendment that gives you a voice. You can protest in Wisconsin, Washington DC and all over American and not worry about getting shot at. Or killed. Or get arrested for speaking your mind. The same can't be said in many parts of the world.

Just ask the people of Libya. Fed up with the oppression and the policies of long time dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi, the people of Libya took to the streets and protested. Just like the unions and the Tea Party. They were welcomed with getting shot at and killed. Gaddafi's government hired mercenarys for the specific purpose of fighting the protesters. You see much of the same in places like Iran, China and Cuba.

Whether you belong to a union or a Tea Party member (OK I'm more of a Tea Party guy, but that's for another blog for another time) Poets and Madmen Blog respects and encourages the right to protest. The space will also stand against any attempt to curb free speech rights. Our forefathers made it the First Amendment for a reason.

Sex, Lies and Revolution

Rep. Christopher Lee


What was he thinking? That's the question I can't help asking about him. Christopher Lee was a Republican is the House of Representatives who was forced to resign after he was the latest high price person to be marred by a sex scandal. It was discovered that he has sent a shirtless photo of himself to a woman in a Craigslist advertisement - a woman that was not his wife. Lee is just another in a long long line of high profile individual to be caught up in in similar mess. Bill Clinton. Tiger Woods. Elliot Spitzer. The list goes on and on. When your in the public spotlight, people are always watching you. When you're in a position of power, like Lee was, they are always people looking to bring you down. So when you are sending shirtless photos of yourself over the internet, you are setting yourself up for trouble. Lee also did not do a good job covering himself up. He apparently used an email address containing his name. The question must be asked again. What was he thinking?

Egypt

Yesterday was a great day if you enjoy seeing the downfall of tyrants as Hosni Mubarak stepped down as President of Egypt after a 30 year reign. Cries for revolution and fights for freedom inspire me. Mubarak's Egypt was not as oppressive as countries like Iran and China. But he was not a civil libertarian either. Despite the recent protests, free speech was not tolerated. When he rose to power, he imposed a state of emergency, one that he never lifted. Much of Egypt lives under abject poverty. The people had enough and demanded his ouster. When the military gave the protesters no resistance, Mubarak's days were numbered. As a result, the world was one less dictator.

What will happen next remains to be seen. There is justified concern over the uncertainty. Some people like Noble Peace Prize winner Mohamed ElBaradei might be the next President of Egypt. Or at least be heavily involved in the new government. ElBaradei is someone who has long advocated democracy in Egypt. Either way, this reminds me a lot of the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe. I'm hoping recent events will bring us a free Egypt.

Ray Allen

When you are the best ever at something, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. It's not something done with talent alone. Boston Celtic star Ray Allen can not lay claim to be the best ever at something. He is now the NBA's all time greatest three point shooter. It's only fitting that he broke the record while playing against the Los Angeles. Even more fitting was that Reggie Miller, the man who previously held the record, was at the game working as a broadcaster. Congratulations to Ray Allen.

Cheesehead For a Day: Why I Want Green Bay to Win Super Bowl XLV

Normally I am a fan of the New England Patriots. They are my football team. They are the team that I cheer for. But for today, I am adopting the Green Bay Packers as my football team. They are the team that I want to win Super Bowl XLV tonight.

In a way, I always respected the Packers. Playing outdoors in the coldest of weather. Lead by a long line of tough guy players and coaches. They were the dominant team when the Super Bowl era began, winning the first two Super Bowls. They went into a decades long decline after Vince Lombardi left, but came back in the 1990's, beating the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI. The 1990's Packers teams were lead by Brett Favre, who (before he turned out to be an arrogant jerk) was one of my favorite football players.

Say what you want about Favre, but he played with a passion like few others did. He loved the game and made it more interesting (before he started acting like a jackass later on in his career). Favre and company was replaced by Aaron Rogers and another group of players who know how to play Packer football. Another notable current Packer is Clay Matthews Jr., a kick ass pass rusher. As a matter of fact, if the Patriots left Foxboro for St. Louis or Hartford, then I probably would have switched over to being a Packers fan.

On the flip side, we got the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Packers opponent in Super Bowl XLV. If bad guys wear black, this it's only fitting that Ben Roethlisberger became a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Questionable off field behavior surrounds Roethlisberger, most notable and disturbing, two sexual assault allegations. Granted, one is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. But a the very least, he is guilty of lewd behavior and some very bad decisions. At the very worst, Roethlisberger could very well be a rapist and a sexual predator.

Putting aside those allegations for a minute, even if he's innocent of the sexual assault allegations, there is evidence that Roethisberger is still not a good person. Last year Sports Illustrated published an unflattering article about Roethlisberger. It goes into detail how he treats people in general. Especially waitstaff and bartenders. A series of disrespectful and boorish behavior. If he's not a rapist, then there's is little doubt that he's a jerk.

Not all of the Steeler organization is bad. Their ownership, the Rooney family have brought class to the NFL for decades. The Steelers have a lot of players who play with a blue collar mentality. Too bad they are quarterbacked by Roethlisberger.

So while my heart bleeds Patriot blue, today I'll be a Cheesehead for one day. Go Packers!

Lights... Camera... Apocalypse

From Book of Matthew 24: 35-36."Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone." Matthew 24: 35-36.

Ever since they have been organized religion, they have been end of the world predictions. This website (a religious based one) lists end of the world predictions dating back to 44 A.D. Predictions that obviously did not come true. One of the more prominent ones was by William Miller who predicted that the end would come in 1843 or 1844. Some of his followers predicted a more exact date: October 22, 1844. When that date came and went, not only did Miller's followers (known as he Millerites) have to deal with disappointment. They also had to deal with grief and in case cases, violence from the public.

More recently we had to deal with a series of end of the world predictions from the years 1999-2000. American Evangelist Hal Lindsey was among many who predicted the end would come in 2000 (it should be noted he also predicted Christ's would return in 1988. Many other religious and New Age personalities echoed Lindsey's belief. Well It's 2011, I'm writing this and you're reading this. So I don't think I'm saying anything shocking by saying none of those predictions came true.

Now, with the Mayan calender due to end in 2012, we are once again being deluded with end of the world predictions. How the end of an ancient calender has to do with apocalypse I don't know. But a lot of people believe in it. But before we deal with 2012, we have to deal with this year, since there's some people who believe the end will come in 2011.

The most prominent of the 2011 apocalypse preachers come from Family Radio, a Christian radio network lead by Harold Camping. Camping is predicting that the Rapture will occur on May 21, 2011. Following the Rapture will be the apocalypse which will occur on October 21, 2011. It should be noted that Camping also predicted the end of the world would come in 1994. Of course, 1994 came and went without the apocalypse, but Camping's ministry lives on. His miss on 1994 has not discouraged him from making more predictions. If anything, Camping has become more bolder. In the past he said that the end might come in 1994. According to the Family Radio website Judgment Day will come on May 21, 2011 saying that the Bible guarantees it.

In the likely event that Camping's 2011 predictions are wrong, we'll have to deal with 2012. They are various beliefs on what will happen in 2012. The most common belief: a series of cataclysmic events will happen during the year. It will all lead to the apocalypse. The date that most are predicting: December 21, 2012. The date that the Mayan calender ends.

I was confident that the would wouldn't end in 1999 and 2000. I'm also confident that the world will not end in 2011 or 2012. Why? First of all, a vast history of missed predictions. Secondly, the Bible itself. The Bible clearly states that no one will know the exact day and hour. That leaves very little wiggle room.

Will the world end? Yes, when the sun die dies some 5 billion years from now. Is a apocalypse described in the Book of Revelations possible? Despite my skepticism of people like Camping, i do believe in God and the Bible. But a series of events has to happen before the end comes. Most predominately, the rise of the anti-Christ, who will claim to be God and demand people got "the Mark of the Beast as an oath of loyalty to him. Many of the world leaders and politicians may have god sized egos, but as far as I know, none of them have claimed to be God. As far is I know, neither Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin or Sarah Palin has plans to have the number 666 affixed to our foreheads.

I'm confident that we'll all be around on January 1, 2013. I'll probably be at the gym dealing with the New Year's resolution crowd. In the mean time, they'll be a lot of people left to explain why their predictions did not come true.

Winter of My Discontent

I know that part of living in New England is the cold and snowy winters. But this winter has been particularly bad with one snowstorm after another. Storms that are not measuring in inches but in feet. Since about the start of January, southern New England has been stuck in a pattern in which we get hit by a storm every three or four days.

It's to a point in which most of the city and towns have exhausted their snow removal budgets. Another problem is where to put the snow. With temperatures rarely rising above freezing, not much of the snow is melting.So when we get hit with another storm (many places around here in yesterday's storm got another foot) it only adds to what's already on the ground.

Such is the case with my hometown of Fall River Massachusetts. They are literally running out of places to put the snow. In the old days, they would put it in the Taunton River. Which is already polluted. Thanks to the Al Gore green crowd, that option is out the window. They were putting the snow in closed down school yards. But many of them are full. So instead, they have been dumping it onto the runways of a closed down airport. So now they are talking about another major storm next week. More on that later.

On a personal level, this winter has just plain sucked. I'm an outdoors warm weather person. I don't mind an occasional snowstorm. But one after another is just driving me up the wall. Running on a treadmill loses it's charm after a while. Three major snowstorms within a span of a month and now one is coming possibly next week. This one already has a name:the Groundhog Day Storm. Yet another possible major dumping of snow. Here's hoping the Groundhog Day Storm is the biggest much ado about nothing since the Y2K bug. But with the way this winter has gone, you can never count out any forecast of major snow.

Like everything else, this too will pass. Spring will be here soon. But for now, this is the winter of my discontent.

The Biggest Loser in a NFL Work Stoppage

A while back I was listening to sports talk radio. The hosts were doing an interview with former Baltimore Ravens head coach Brian Billick. He had a most interesting take. When asked about who'll be the biggest loser in a NFL work stoppage, he did not mention the owners or the players. He said that the biggest losers would be those who work at games.

When you think about it, Billick's answer made a lot of sense. Those who would be most affected by a NFL work stoppage is those who can't least afford to lose the money they earn by working at NFL games. Billionaire owners and millionaire players will take a hit. But nothing compared to those who work at NFL games.

A perfect view of the NFL economy can be found on Route 1 in Foxboro, MA, the long time home of the New England Patriots. It was their home when they played in Foxboro Stadium, a glorified high school stadium. It's still their home in the new state of the art Gillette Stadium. When you enter the stadium, you will see people taking the tickets from the fans. Inside the stadium, you will see people working the concession stands. Throughout the game, you will see ushers and security guards as they deal with rowdy and drunk fans. Long after the game, there's a crew, cleaning up the stadium and the parking lots. Up and down Route 1, you see many restaurants and bars. Businesses that prosper on NFL Sundays. All across America, there's numerous other bars and restaurants who make a lot of money and NFL Sundays. Including bartenders and wait staff who use the money they make on Sundays to pay their bills This is the working class of the NFL economy. They make a fraction of what the players and owners make.

Some of them might be a factory worker who takes a second job on Sundays. Others might be a single mother pouring beers for football fans. Perhaps some might be a laid off factory worker who's just glad he found a job picking up litter in the stadium parking lot. Across America, there's 31 other Route 1's in places like Green Bay and Pittsburgh. 31 other towns full of people who will be drastically affected if there's a NFL lock out later this year.

Of course, if there's a NFL work stoppage, it'll won't be the first time a major sports league was shut down because of a work stoppage. The World Series was able to play through two world wars and the Great Depression. But a World Series was canceled because of a player's strike. The NHL lost an entire season because of a lock out by the owners. Now this. I'll spare you the boring details. Basically, the NFL owners have long been unhappy with this current collective bargaining agreement which is due to expire in March. They want to reduce the percentage of revenue they reserve for players salaries. The player's union of course object to this. So there is a general belief the the owners will lock out the players if a new CBA is not agreed to.

No one wants to hear billionaire owners and millionaire players fighting over money. Especially in this grim economy. I also find no credibility in either side crying poverty. I'm not an expert in business or economics. But if pro sports was a money losing venture, you wouldn't be seeing business tycoons spending millions of dollars to buy franchises. You wouldn't be seeing the networks bid barrels of money for the rights to broadcast games. The players would be working the the fields in which they went to college for. They wouldn't be playing football if they weren't getting paid well.

Either way, both sides are going to make a lot of money. So please spare us the crying poverty propaganda. Meet somewhere in the middle and sign a new CBA. While your driving around in your Bentleys and charging people $50 to park in the stadium lot, think about the working class of the NFL. The coming lock out will hurt them much more than it'll hurt you.

The Milk and Bread Brigade

They don't come out often. Only during the winter months. How often they come out depends on the severity of the winter. If it's a snowy winter, they come out a lot. If it's a mild one, not nearly as often. The timing of when they come out is predictable. When there's a snowstorm in the forecast. When that happens, they leave the safety of their homes to invade supermarkets. Who are they? There are the Milk and Bread Brigade.

They are a paranoid bunch. They don't believe the world will end in 2012. They think Armageddon will come with the next snowstorm. They are more fearful of old man winter than they are of the coming of the Anti-Christ. When snow comes, they most go to the supermarket to get some milk and bread. It's wasn't always that way.

Here in New England, the Milk and Bread Brigade was formed on February 6, 1978. If that date sounds familiar, it's the date of the Blizzard of '78, a once in a lifetime snow event. The Boston-Providence areas was buried in over two feet of snow. Yours truly spent a good portion of that day stranded in a school bus. The region was crippled for days.

The only thing that the Milk and Bread Brigade seem to believe that every major snowstorm is a potential Blizzard of '78 Part II. I got my first experience with the Brigade as an employee for the Valueland Supermarket in Fall River, MA. When one day I showed up to work and dealt with a seemingly endless line of customers. As a said, the Blizzard of '78 is a once in a lifetime occurrence. We've had other blizzards since then. Life usually returned back to normal within 24 hours.

One thing, if the world is coming to an end, there's a good chance we'll lose electrical power at some point. Which means no more refrigeration. Wouldn't you be better off buying bottled water instead of milk, which goes bad? Why only bread? How about some rice, potatoes and other non-perishables? Just making a suggestion in case of my skepticism of the coming Apocalypse is wrong. Either way, it's still only January. Chances are they'll be forecasts of a few more snowstorms. Maybe even another blizzard. When that happens, expect the Milk and Bread Brigade to make their return trip to a supermarket near you. Don't say I didn't warn you.