My Life in a Stolen Moment

New Location!

2008-07-18T01:33:00.001-04:00

www.fullofrun.com

Now there is Another

2007-10-31T22:14:00.000-04:00

As the 1970's were drawing to a close, the world of Thoroughbred racing was on a high. First, it had seen Secretariat, with the body of Adonis and the strength of Hercules. Then came Seattle Slew, bestowed with the powers of Aeolus, god of the wind. The following year, with the courage and determination of Odysseus, Affirmed made his mark. Three Triple Crown winners in a span of 6 years. As if that was not enough, one more horse would come along and place his name in history along side these giants. His name was Spectacular Bid and, if not for one loose safety pin and a bad ride by his jockey, he would have been America's 12th Triple Crown winner.
"The Bid", as his fans call him, could do everything. He could run long, short, up front, from the back, and from the middle, breaking track records at 2, at 3, and at 4 years old at distances from 5 furlongs to a mile and a half. Not having won the Triple Crown might rob him of the historical notoriety of the others, but don't mention that to his trainer, Buddy Delp. "The greatest horse ever to look through a bridle" he proudly proclaimed. People of the day smirked, but as time passes, his comment seems less and less outrageous. In fact, there are those who believe Mr. Delp whole heartedly.
Now, there is another. There is a "do everything" horse with the looks and size of Secretariat, the blinding speed of Seattle Slew, the courage of Affirmed, and most impressively, the versatility of Spectacular Bid. His name is Curlin and he is the Champion of the World.
Unraced at two because of minor but nagging injuries, Curlin made his debut at Gulfstream Park the day before the Indianapolis Colts won the Super Bowl. It was also 7 days after Barbaro lost his battle to laminitis. In some undefinable way, I believe neither of those things to be coincidence. At any rate, his debut victory by 12+ lengths impressed everyone. My winter track is Gulfstream, so I was also fortunate enough to see it. However, one race does not a legend make.
After intense negotiations during the Super Bowl (presumably to "beat the crowd") Curlin's ownership changed and he was shipped to the training barn of Steve Assmussen in Louisiana. After his crushing debut victory, Curlin would race only Graded Stakes for the rest of the year.
Long story (appropriately) short, Curlin went from an unraced 3 year old to destroying a very, very talented field in the Breeder's Cup Classic in a nine month span. I do not have to look it up; I know it has never happened. It can't happen, yet it did. I saw it. I have to believe it.
As for comparing him to the Bid. Well he has won on the lead, come from one length back to win, three lengths back, five lengths back, and 10 and 13 lengths back. He equaled the track record in the Classic and equaled the stakes record in the Preakness, each time turning in blistering final fractions. He's won photo finishes, and he's routed his opposition by as many as 10 1/2 and 12 3/4 lengths. Oh, and did I mention that the Classic was run in a swamp? If that's not doing everything, then "everything" is much bigger than I think it is.
Now, the question that has to be answered is this: Should his owners retire him to stud and reap the estimated $20 million per year that he could command over the next 20 or so years, or do they race him as a 4 year old and see what a fully developed, mature Curlin can do? Perhaps luckily for racing, "deep" does not quite capture the essence of his owners' pockets. There is a good chance that they will keep him in training and bring him back next year. If there are typos in this articel, is is becasue mt fingers aer firmly crossed.
All through the recently completed season, no one doubted that Curlin was the most talented horse of the bunch. His lack of experience, the fact that others of his generation were also well above average, and oddly his size prevented most from declaring him "great" earlier in the year. After his tour de force in the Classic, his greatness is no longer questioned. Alas, we must wait for the answer to the breeding question before we can address the "how great" question fully.
It is often said of the truly greats in any discipline that "their only point of reference is themselves." That is true of Secretariat, Walter Payton, Wayne Gretsky, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Frank Lloyd Wright, Tiger Woods and Johnny Carson. Regarding Curlin, the things he has done have never been done, so I suppose that applies. However, he will be judged by the great equalizer that is history. He's made a little; here's hoping he makes a lot.
Assmussen's right hand man, Steve Blasi may have indicated the colt's possible future. "What I like about him is that he's just learning to run right now", he said AFTER Curlin's stylish vistory in the Classic.
Just now learning to run? If Curlin is allowed to make a bid at 4, I am sure it will be spectacular.

The Second Jewel

2006-05-16T23:11:00.000-04:00

This Saturday, it appears that as many as nine horses will face Barbaro in the Preakness Stakes and attempt to deny him of the second jewel in the Triple Crown. If one believes all the articles written this week, the only foe Barbaro has to worry about is Kentucky Derby morning line favorite and fourth place finisher, Brother Derek. History has a way of proving time and again that it is a mistake to so quickly narrow down a race to two horses, but for the sake of this article, we will do just that.
I thought by now that the camps would be well formed; that there would be those on the side of Barbaro ready to place his name next to Citation, Secretariat and Affirmed, and those against. The "againsts", I thought, would use words like "fluke" or "bounce" (refering to the tendency of many horses to run a decidedly bad race after running a decidedly good race). To my surprise, neither camp has formed to any sizable degree among national columnists. Headlines read things like "Barbaro's Triple Crown Still Iffy" or "If Spectacular Bid Can Fail, So Can Barbaro" or "Barbaro Still a Reasonable Bet-Against."
Words like "Iffy", "Can Fail", and "Reasonable" really don't say anything in my opinion. Of course Barbaro "can fail". I can't be sure that the starting bell in one of his next two races won't startle him so badly that he will have a heart attack and die right there on national TV. Sure the heart attack scenario is "iffy", but I am trying to be "reasonable".
But I digress. It seems that this is a race being boiled down to Barbaro v. Brother Derek.
In the Derby, Brother Derek had an absolutley horrible trip. He started from post 18, was caught wide around the first turn, was interfered with and blocked down the backstretch, was wide around the second turn, and came into the lane 9 wide. Amazingly, he still managed to very respectably dead heat for fourth. Barbaro, on the other hand, got what is known as a "dream trip". He raced in the clear the whole way, was never obstructed, had time to catch his breath down the backstretch, and kicked clear in the stretch to win by 6 1/2 lengths.
Many people have taken the postion that had Brother Derek had a better trip, and Barbaro encountered any trouble, the finish may have been much closer, if not reversed. Now, Brother Derek's performance in the face of all his trouble was the second most impressive run on Derby Day, but it was nowhere near as impresive as Barbaro's easy dispensing of the field. In my opinion, there are two main things being missed by the Brother Derek fans.
First, they are forgetting the axiom that "good horses make their own good trips." Barbaro did not luck into his good trip, and Brother Derek suffered no uncommon bad luck getting his poor one. Their position is like saying that the winner of the Indy 500 won from the Pole becasue he had the best starting position, while ignoring the fact that he had the best starting position because he had the fastest car. The fact is that Barbaro had a better trip becasue of his quick acceleration and bravery during the calvary charge into the first turn.
Secondly, because of the aforementioned trips, Barbaro was able to win "in hand". That is, jockey Edgar Prado had to ask Barbaro for very little effort. He never once hit Barbaro with the whip, and really only had to ask him to run once just before the top of the stretch (Barbaro responded by swooping past the competition and leaving them gasping for air). Brother Derek, while experiencing his Derby, had to exert massive amounts of energy just to finish fourth. So, on one hand, we have a horse that won by 6 1/2 lengths while going for an afternoon jog, and one who finished fourth after fighting for his life. Back in the barn, I can imagine Barbaro telling all his buddies "Well, that wasn't so bad," while Brother Derek might be saying, "I was lucky to make it alive...Man, I am TIRED."
So, going into this Saturday's Preakness, I guess we are to imagine a rematch between one horse who has just escaped from the most terrifying race of his life, and one horse who is waiting to truly be challenged. Barbaro may be challenged after all (I have said that it is foolish to boil down the race to only two horses), but I think Barbaro's challenge will come from elsewhere, possibly a horse that didn't run in the Derby at all. Barbaro, however, will prevail.
I am never afraid of being wrong. If I am wrong, but my logic is sound, I feel very confident that I will be back to wager another day. Having said that, I do not feel that I am wrong when I predict that Barbaro will win a thriller in the Preakness and then again astonish us with how easily he wins the Belmont.
After the Triple Crown of 2006, most writers will tell their kids about how thrilling it was to cover a Triple Crown winner. Those writers, however, will not tell their kids that they had used words like "iffy" while describing Barbaro. Just try to find writers who tried to convince us that Secretariat couldn't do it in 1973.

Sometimes, the Best Horse DOES win

2006-05-07T22:07:00.000-04:00

At the end of 2005, Afleet Alex was chosen as the Eclipse-Winning Three-year-old for being the best of his age group. Unfortunately, he did not win the Kentucky Derby. That honor went to 50-1 shot Giacamo. In last year's Derby, nearly everyone agrees that the best horse did not win.
Not so in 2006.
Barbaro went to the post as the second betting choice in a very highly touted group of three-year-olds. Some experts even claimed that this was the most talented group to go to the post in the Derby in nearly 30 years. Noted TVG analyst and former Breeder's Cup winning trainer Frank Lyons even stated that he thought there may be as many as 8 horses in the field of Smarty Jones' caliber (dual Classic winner 2004). When it was all said and done, the headline in the Thoroughbred Times read, "What was all the fuss about?"
Clearly, the best horse had won.
Barbaro didn't just dominate, he embarassed. You can watch the replay yourself, but he easily rated a few lengths off of a very fast pace, roared past the leaders in the turn, and drew off in the stretch to win by 6 1/2 lengths. The embarassing part? Barbaro never broke out of his gallop. Nineteen horses were running for their lives, and Barbaro jogged away from them. It was stunning.
In sports, sometimes the biggest compliments come from your competitors. In the paddock, as they were saddling the horses before the race, three time Derby winning trainer Bob Baffert remarked to Barbaro's trainer Michael Matz, "I hope he's a turf (grass)horse." He also added, "He (Barbaro) looks like a man among boys."
Dan Hendricks, trainer of early favorite Brother Derek said after his horse dead-heated for 4th, "He lost a shoe. I think it cost us second." He wouldn't even speculate that he could have bested Barbaro.
Barbaro's 6 1/2 length victory is the largest since Assault won by 8 lenths on his way to winning the Triple Crown (by the way that was 60 years ago. Citation, Secretariat and Seattle Slew all won by smaller margins). Can Barbaro go on to such greatness? We will know for sure in 5 weeks.
Michael Matz has led a charmed life among charmed lives. An airplane crash survivor who saved three children and ran back into the flames to save a baby, a Silver Medalist in the Olympics chosen by his peers to carry the United States flag in the closing ceremonies, and a Kentucky Derby winning trainer, he is modest and, at times, eerily cool about things. He seems a genuinely nice guy whom I hope to meet someday (something I rarley say, as I really don't care for most people).
It will be intersting to see what kind of coverage this horse gets over the next two weeks. There will be those who want to crown him as the second coming of Secretariat, and those who look for chinks in his armor, hoping for the day he loses. Me? I will be relishing in the experience of seeing a horse, his jockey, his trainer, and his owner, try to accomplish the single most difficult thing in American sports, winning the Triple Crown.
If it truly was as easy as it appearred, and Barbaro stays healthy, that goal is certainly in their grasps. Perhaps in the Preakenss and Belmont, as in the Derby, the best horse will win.

So Long, Tookie

2005-12-12T23:59:00.000-05:00

Stanley "Tookie" Williams is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection within a few hours of this post. He has been on California's Death Row in San Quentin since being found guilty of a quadruple homicide comitted in 1979. He is also co-founder of the notorious L.A. gang, the Crips (think "Colors", Crips Vs. Bloods). In recent years, Williams has been authoring children's books, promoting an anti-gang message. It is because of this apparent change of heart, that liberals everywhere have been calling for clemency.
Liberals are a funny lot. They demand absolutley no consistency in their supposed "leadership", nor do they require a consistent moral code. They do, however, have an amazingly consistent record of always being on the wrong side of just about everything. Consider, for example, the people that the liberals have supported in recent years.
Nobel Prize-winning (yet murderous bigot) Yassir Arafat, America-hating John Kerry, war criminal Saddam Hussein, treason-spewing Cindy Sheehan, and now Tookie Wiiliams. It is very safe to say that one can determine a reasonable position on any issue by simply choosing the opposing veiwpoint of the predominant left. I mean, come on, if Jesse Jackson shows up in favor of ANYTHING, you can bet I am against it.

Treason's Greetings

2005-11-26T00:43:00.000-05:00

Part-time "Peace Mom" and full-time traitor Cindy Sheehan is at it again. She has shown up at the so-called "Camp Casey" to further aid and abet the murderous, bloodthirsty enemy in Iraq and around the world. Her most recent visit to Texas is meant to coincide with President Bush's visit to his Crawford ranch for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Speakng of giving thanks, I found the following list of things on Ann Coulter's Blog and thought it might make a good list of things to be thankful for:
"Saddam is on trial. His psychopath sons are dead. We've captured or killed scores of foreign terrorists in Baghdad. Rape rooms and torture chambers are back in R. Kelly's Miami Beach mansion where they belong. The Iraqi people have voted in two free, democratic elections this year. In a rash and unconsidered move, they even gave women the right to vote. Iraqis have ratified a constitution and will vote for a National Assembly next month. The long-suffering Kurds are free and no longer require 24/7 protection by U.S. fighter jets. Libya's Moammar Gadhafi has voluntarily dismantled his weapons of mass destruction, Syria has withdrawn from Lebanon, and the Palestinians are holding elections. (Last but certainly not least, the Marsh Arabs' wetlands ecosystem in central Iraq that Saddam drained is being restored, so even the Democrats' war goals in Iraq are being met.)"
Sheehan is not a "Peace Mom" at all. Like most Liberals she is merely a bigotted racist who believes that the life of her son should not have been given in a war that has "only" freed approximatley 40-60 million other mothers' sons and daughters. She is spitting on the brave sacifice of her son while claiming to do it in his name.
One more thing about Cindy Sheehan. She, like most Liberals, is totally driven by uncontrolled emotion while being 100% unaccountable to the facts.

Who Makes More Than Bill Gates?

2005-10-12T21:33:00.000-05:00

The nation’s leading sire is a 22 year old stallion named Storm Cat. Overbrook Farm just announced that for 2006 they will not raise his stud fee. It will remain at a cool half-mil. Yep, $500,000 if he impregnates your mare and she has a live foal (no guarantee that the live foal would ever actually see the track, or see anything for that matter. It makes no difference if the foal is blind, it just has to be alive at birth). Last year Storm Cat was bred to about 110 mares and about 100 gave birth. That’s $50 Million to you and me.
A horse named Cigar holds the North American record for on-the-track earnings at just under $10 Million. That’s his whole career. Storm Cat is knocking down (or knocking up, if you prefer) $50 Million per breeding season (which is really only about 5 months long in North America). That’s $10 Million a month to you and me.
Why would people pay that much for a chance to breed to Storm Cat? One of his son's, a yearling (one year old), recently sold at auction for $9.7 Million. Again, no guarantee that this horse will ever actually race. Even if he does, he'd have to be a record breaker just to reoup the initial investment. Future breeding is the obvious answer. And people think the gambling happens at the track...
Storm Cat comes by it honestly, though. His maternal grandfather was Secretariat, and his paternal grandfather was the great Northern Dancer. Perhaps the only breeding statistic more impressive than Storm Cat’s is Northern Dancer.
Late in his life, Northern Dancer was such a sought after stallion that his stud fee had NO stipulation for a live foal. In fact, there was no stipulation for a pregnancy at all. Ten minutes with the legendary Northern Dancer would cost the mare’s owner $1,000,000. That’s $100,000 per minute to you and me.

See Me, Feel Me

2005-10-10T23:20:00.000-05:00

It seems as though it has been forever since I have written. "Seems" is the wrong word, though. It HAS been forever.
I haven't wanted to write about Katrina. Like other times in my life, I get so disgusted with what I see that I don't even want to enter discussions about it. There is something far more important going on. My wife and I are expecting a baby.
There are times when we are able to lie in bed and listen to the hearbeat. Wonka, as we call the baby, has a very rapid and very strong heartbeat. Recently, we shared the couch and were able to simultaneously feel the baby move. I have no other way to describe it other than to list the things it made me forget and remember.
When the baby moved, I forgot:
...that gas is still nearly $3 per gallon.
...that I have to ever go to work again.
...that it took three plus years to get here.
...that Hillary honestly thinks she can be President, even though she has no qualifications and women will not vote for her.
...that I would ever have to get off that couch.
...that Cindy Sheehan is still out there spewing her treasonist poison.
...that Keith Moon died far to early.
When the baby moved, I remembered:
...that God has blessed me more than I could ever hope to imagine that I actually deserve.
...that I really need to get to work again.
...that it is just three short years until Hillary loses the election.
...that my wife is the single most interesting and attractive person on the planet.
...that this is America, and Wonka can literally do anything she/he wants; first woman on Mars, or Earth's best trash collector.
...that Keith Moon died far too early.

One For the Troops

2005-08-14T23:00:00.000-05:00

Flacid Payne recently performed a benefit concert in Houston with 100% of the gate going directly towards buying what guitarist Johnny Firecracker called "goodies for the good guys."
Said Firecracker, "There are men and women around the world fighting baddies so that we don't have to face them at home. The least we can do is send them some toothpaste, some headphones for their I-Pods, and more than a few copies of FHM magazine (the one with Danica Patrick in it)."
Totally unannounced, the concert still drew several thousand fans, each of which were asked to pay "only what you think is fair" for the nearly three hour, high energy performance for which Flacid Payne has earned international renown. This was the first time since their debut album, "Cadaver Dogs", was released that the group took the stage knowing that they would not be paid. Fresh off the "Guns of Brixton" tour, and in anticipation of their latest studio album, "Pretending to be Hispanic", it was thought that Flacid Payne would be in full promotion mode. Quite the contrary was true.
Playing nothing from the "Hispanic" album, and barely touching any original material at all, Flacid Payne hit on all cylinders, masterfully mixing their Punk roots with traditional Rock, Blues, and R & B rhythms. Said one concert goer, "I have now seen every concert that will ever be performed."
Touching on such Rock classics as "Summertime Blues" and reaching into a bag of tricks with Lou Reed's "New York Conversation", this group of a different color constantly amazed.
Firecracker, who enigmatically claims to be part of another group, "Struggle Buggy," as a frustrated Punk known as "Sensible Don", was very sentimental about some of the ensemble. "I'm just a rythm guy. Our lead guitar player, who this week is called BF Mann, is the real musician. He's my brother-in-law, but I consider him family."
Firecracker, while handsome, has never been accused of seeing things like everybody else.
The focus of the evening was never taken off the troops, however, as the entire group seemed to be in uniform praise of the armed forces of the United States. BF Mann was heard to say, "The Libs accuse us of thinking that we are the police of the world. Well, that is precisely who we are. They are fond of quoting international law. International law is whatever the United States says it is, period." It should be noted that this quote was shouted directly from the stage between Green Day's "Nice Guys Finish Last" and the Firecracker original "Fuck the French".
Half-way through the concert, rumors began speading through the crowd that there was a special guest ready to take the stage. Claims as wild as Santana and as obscure as The Wipeout Gang spread like wildfire. What was generally accepted, though, was that there would be a special guest, and that they would appear soon. What "soon" means in a three hour concert is debatable, but the fans would not be disappointed.
This was not the kind of concert where people sat down, but still, the crowd seemed to come to its feet when none other than Chuck Berry took the stage. "There are pioneers," said Firecracker,"and there is Chuck Berry."
He seemed to be as in awe as the rest of the crowd. Berry performed what must have been a 12 minute intro to "Johnny B. Goode" before the members of Flacid Payne dared join in.
Berry, admittedly not a Punk, claimed to "have a right blast" with Flacid Payne. "These guys have it right," Berry said to the excited crowd.
As the evening wound down (if such a thing can be said of a Flacid Payne gig), and the group entered the frenzied "Listening to You", people seemed to realise that their admission price was not near enough. The official price, which was zero dollars a head, was soon eclipsed by the astounding $265 per person. There were those who paid nothing, and those who paid hundreds of dollars. The "only what you think is fair" idea really paid off, but not to the group. The troops reaped all the benefits.
BF Mann was adamant. "We can only do these things because men better than ourselves are willing to do those things. We can only pay them back for their sacrifice for freedom by simply being free."

1000 Words

2005-08-11T22:42:00.000-05:00

Business Meeting

2005-07-20T23:09:00.000-05:00

I went to a fairly important meeting today. Basically, this meeting was a planning session for what will happen to the area in which I work over the next two or so years. Being a business meeting, though, it certainly couldn't be that easy.
It started with my VP of operations announcing that he "wants to get a feel for the dynamic of the area." I took that to mean that he wanted me to tell him what is going on.
Then, the VP of Land Acquisition wanted to "realise the outcome potential." I took this to mean that she wanted me to tell her what I think I can sell the next couple of years (or as I was forced to say "fiscal years").
My VP of sales had to chime in with, "How do the numbers look from an asset allocation veiwpoint?" The answer was, "Yes, we can afford it."
My General Sales Manager admitted his approach, "I just ask Jim what he needs, then I do it." This vote of confidence pretty much made my day.
I understand that the people in the room have to talk that way. They have to answer to so many people simultaneously that a straight sentence is just out of the question. Politicians have it easy compared to these people. Voters are far more forgiving than shareholders.
I started imagining the voice-over thoughts that might be heard if this meeting was a sitcom. You know, the camera goes around the room to each person as the conversation goes on in the background. The voice-over is what each person is thinking.
VP of Operations-- "How can I use this meeting to make myself look good?"
VP of Land Acquisition-- "Wait for it...wait for the oportunity to show my Ivy League Degree...here it comes...'Psychographics!'...whew, that HAD to make me look good."
VP of Sales-- "Damn, this meeting is in my office...I hope it looks good."
General Sales Manager-- "Man, I'm glad I've got Jim to make me look good."
Me-- "That deaf, dumb and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball."

Only a Liberal Could Be Surprised

2005-07-16T00:49:00.000-05:00

In recent weeks, two announcements have been made. One, that there has been a sharp increase in tax revenue to the federal government, and two, that the federal deficit is falling sharply.
History shows us that, since taxes have existed, lower taxes increase revenue. The most striking example of this, of course, is Ronald Reagan's tax cuts of the 1980's. Those particular cuts sparked the greatest economic recovery in the history of mankind. Of course, the liberals of the times(John Kerry, "We cannot afford another four years of this man") predicted soup lines for the American public. The good news for them is that being a liberal means never having to say you were wrong.
Liberals say the cookiest things. They insisted that we could not afford the Bush tax cuts, yet revenue is increasing. They said that in the first 12 months of the Iraq war that we would lose 30,000 troops and that we would kill 100,000 innocent Iraqi's. They have always said that the only thing wrong with education is that we don't spend enough money (even though it is obvious that there is a direct relationship between the increases in spending and the drop in performance). But, hey, liberals never let the facts get in the way of their opinions.
It is fun to watch them try to explain this "unexpected" rise in revenue. Of course, they have a leg up because commentators like Brian Wilson use words like "unexpected". They are running around doing everything possible to deflect attention from something that any student of history could have seen coming.
It is no secret that liberalism drives me crazy. I simply cannot stand a position that requires no logic or accountability. As Ann Coulter has said, "It's really a wonder why the 'I heart partial birth abortion' t-shirts aren't selling any better."
Only a liberal could be surprised when history bears itself out as it always has, and only a liberal could be surprised to find themselves in the minority they always are.

Gotta Feeling Inside

2005-07-10T01:21:00.000-05:00

I learned a very valuable lesson not ten minutes ago; life changing really. I have searched for a lesson like this a very long time. Elusive as it has been, I have always known that this lesson was out there. This was knowledge to be known, a feeling to be felt.
I have learned to play "Can't Explain" on an electric guitar.
It is not a difficult song; four chords and only three occur often. As it was when I first heard "Can't Explain" on vinyl, playing it rang a resounding boom inside me. I have taken up guitar four times in my life, but I have only put it down three. I plan on keeping it at this number.
The first time was with a borrowed Epiphone accoustic. The instrument was way too gig for my seventh-grader hands, and my instructor had large and unrestrained breasts. Both of these things led to certain frustrations, and I soon quit.
In high school, I ordered an electric guitar from Sears. When it arrived, it was damaged. That was the second time I ever cursed in front of my mother, and the ONLY time I did it intentionally (Sears replaced the guitar). My spoiled, talentless neighbor got all the good stuff, a fancy amp, pedals of all kinds, a box with a nob on it, you name it. Talent or not, it sounded cool, and even after hours of practice, I sounded like a kid with a Sears guitar. I sold it to a friend in drafting class.
Later in life, I recieved an accoustic electric guitar as a gift (which I still have). I took instruction from a very talented musician, but he wanted me to learn all kinds of music theory, and I was soon frustrated again.
This past 4th of July, my brother-in-law, Brian, himself a guitarist, brought with him a Fender G-DEC and his guitar. The G-DEC (Guitar Digital Entertainment Center) is an amazing piece of equipment. It advertises "band included" and it is. With many, many setting and the ability to create your own, this is an endless supply of fun. With a stupidly low price, and an easy interface, the G-DEC is the perfect device to make practice fun, all the while actually PLAYING SONGS.
After all, I can play "Can't Explain"! That gives me a feeling inside, a certain kind, I feel hot and cold, yeah down to my soul, yeah....

National Registry

2005-07-07T23:27:00.000-05:00

I was watching a cable news show the other day (I don't remember the channel, but I remember being impressed with how fair and balanced they were).
Anyway, the topic was the recent recovery of the girl who had spent seven weeks with her captor after he had bludgeoned to death her mother, her mother's boyfriend, and her older brother. The recovered girl also had another brother who was still missing and feared dead.
It was one of those shows where they have guests from ostensibly oposing viewpoints. There was a woman, representing the liberal left, and a man representing the conservative right. Both of these people were radio talk show hosts in their respective markets. Everyone agreed that the events of the week were terrifying and horrific, so the questions were in the "what can we do differently" vein. The "suspect" had recently been released on $15,000 bail after being accused for the THIRD time of molestation. Oh, and he had spent 14 years in prison for raping a 14 year old boy (a crime that also involved torture).
The woman spoke first and lost me with her first comments.
"As a liberal Democrat, I believe in science..." [Conservatives, as we know, believe in magic and superstition.] "...no one is born a molester, they are made, early on. We need to understand this." [Hey, the 9/11 terrorists weren't born evil, we just need to understand them more. Maybe then we will understand why we deserved to be attacked.] "...no one chooses to be a molester, they become one after life experiences." [Apparently no man is born longing for younger boys, but they ARE born longing for men of their own age. Molesters are made, gays are born.]
After an agonizingly long time of this, the commentator finally turned to the conservative host and said, "You have proposed a national registry of child sex offenders. Conservative are not big on national [Federal] laws, what type of registry do you propose to keep track of these people?"
He answered in three words.
"Their grave markers."

Lesson (Re)Learned

2005-06-29T23:22:00.000-05:00

[NOTICE: Dear loyal readers (yes, both of you), I apologize for the recent drought of updates to My Life in a Stolen Moment. I have had a few personal events occur that have, frankly, left me devoid of ideas and/or motivation. All is corrected, however, and I shall return to my previous goal of twice weekly updates. Thank You.]

Recently, I learned a valuable lesson. Or, rather, I was reminded of a lesson that I myself have taught on several occasions. One should always be careful not to jump to judgement.
I recently judged comments by Woody Allen too quickly. While reading the Drudge Report (www.drudgereport.com), I read the following headline, " WOODY ALLEN: 'Nothing Pleases Me More than Being Thought of as a European Filmmaker'... ". I couldn't wait to read the article. Nothing would have pleased ME more that exposing yet another left-wing Hollywood-type for the filth they are. Instead, I found an article about a man who makes movies for the sake of art while foresaking the chase for the box office fortune.
Mr. Allen may be that left-winger for all I know, but you can't tell by the article in question. He simply refers to himself as a "European Filmaker" the way that Japanese-born Hiroyuki Sakai calls himself a "French Chef." That is, Woody Allen makes movies in a European style the way Sakai cooks in a French style.
Shame on Drudge for trying to make a reasonable comment seem controversial, and shame on me for letting it work, however briefly.

One of the Ones

2005-06-13T20:58:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, June 12th, at around 4:00 AM, less than 12 hours after Afleet Alex destroyed the field in the Belmont Stakes, running the final quarter mile faster than any horse since 1969 (which, of course, includes Secretariat in 1973), trainer Tim Ritchey went to see his star colt in his stall at Belmont Park. What he found there may best describe why Afleet Alex has become, and will always be remembered as, one of the ones.
Alex stood at the front of his stall, ears up, looking for Ritchey as he approached, as if to say, "Can I run some more today?" This after a gruelling Triple Crown campaign that capped a year of racing and training. Alex has trained like no other horse in a generation, and, so far, has run like no other horse in a generation.
Horseplayers will ask for a long time why Alex did not win the Triple Crown. I believe the answer is as simple as this: It is an extremely difficult thing to do. We have waited 26 years to make the ranks of Triple Crown winners an even dozen. Now, we wait some more.
We should not miss this jewel that is Afleet Alex, however. Alex is a great three-year-old, and unlike most horses in 20 or so years, he was a great two-year-old. I did not know until the post-race shows that there have only been two other horses win the Sanford Stakes and Hopeful Stakes as two-year-olds, and then go on to win the Belmont as a three-year-olds. Those two? Secretartiat and Affirmed. Now THAT is some serious company. Even among the ones, they are regarded as "ones", with Secretariat regarded by many (myself included) as the greatest thoroughbred of all time (the only true challenger to this opinion being a big red colt named Man O' War).
Alex has won graded stakes at distances from 5/8ths of a mile to 1 1/2 miles. He has won in the mud, in the sun, in the heat, and in the cold. He has run on several different tracks in front of small crowds and large crowds. He has run in the most difficult races his trainer could find, rather than avoiding stiff competition until the Kentucky Derby like most horses do. The results speak for themselves; 12 starts, 8 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third with all his on the board losses being one length or less. His only off the board finish came on a day when he was later discovered to have a lung infection. It does us good to remember that greatness does not require infallability.
So now we must see where Alex goes next. His owners, Cash is King Stable, insist that he will continue to run; that he will run as a four year old. This may prove to be difficult, though, because with Alex's breeding value hovering around 30-40 million dollars, the insurance on him alone will run 3-4 million dollars per year. Cash is King has said that they never got into racing to make money, which I believe, but I don't think they got in (or deserve) to go broke either.
Alex has already proven that he is one of the ones. I think that his career may know no limits should he keep running. If, however, he is forced by the breeders, the money, or injury into retirement, he has already proven that he keeps serious company like Secretariat and Affirmed.
Oh, by the way, as a winner of the Preakness and Belmont, but not the Kentucky Derby, Alex also joins another elite club. This one headed by a big red colt named Man O' War.
Serious company, indeed.

Belmont 137

2005-06-09T20:38:00.000-05:00

This Saturday is the 137th running of the Belmont Stakes (G1), the oldest and longest of the three jewels of racing's Triple Crown. Known as "The Test of the Champion," the Belmont is somewhat of an anachronism in modern racing. It is the only Grade 1 Stakes in North America contested at a mile and a half on dirt. In a time when breeders favor speed over stamina, the Belmont is aptly nicknamed.
Belmont Park itself is holy ground. Not only home to this great test, it is also the site of the single greatest performance in horse racing history; Secretariat's 1973 31 length victory in a mind numbing 2:24. Horses, as they say, are not supposed to be able to run that fast. There is a statue of Secretariat in Belmont's paddock as a tribute to this surreal achievement.
This Saturday presents a unique treat for horseplayers. We have the opportunity to see two Kentucky Derby winners in the same day. Not only will Giacomo be running in the featured Belmont, Funny Cide, the 2003 Derby winner, will be running in the ninth race, the Brooklyn Handicap (G2).
As if that isn't enough, the eight race, the Riva Ridge (G2), features Lost in the Fog. This three-year-old who bypassed the Triple Crown chase is 6 for 6, earning 6 consecutive triple digit Beyers, and winning by an astonishing total of 45 3/4 lengths. This 9+ length average margin of victory is partly why some people (perhaps justifiably so) believe the best three-year-old in the country is not even in the Belmont. The connections of Lost in the Fog have chosen to specialize in sprints with a great deal of success.
Enough about the day, what about the race? Well, here goes.

Eleven horses will go postward in the Belmont. Afleet Alex, fresh off of his breathtaking near-disaster win in the Preakness, and Giacomo, the Derby winner, will undoubtedly draw the most attention and the most money. There are, however, some interesting things happening in this race. Personally, like the Derby, I think the Belmont is a foolish race to bet on. I'll place my real money on $25,000 claimers at Churchill all summer, thank you, but I'll make some mythical wagers this Saturday just to keep things interesting.
First, the win ticket. Alfeet Alex is a true throwback to the days when horses were trained hard and expected to race hard. Alex gives his best every race, and his training regimen makes the modern thoroughbreds look like part-timers. That, and he is simply the fastest, most athletic, and smartest horse in the race. $20 to Win/Place on Afleet Alex.
I'll use Afleet Alex in an exacta over Reverberate. His father and half-brother both won Belmonts of their own, and he is progressing nicely. $5 exacta Afleet Alex over Reverberate.
Let's try a tri, shall we? How about Afleet Alex over Reverberate followed by a box of Chekhov and Giacomo. $1 trifecta Afleet Alex over Reverberate over Chekhov/Giacomo.
My famous Stone Cold Superfecta is next. $1 super Afleet Alex over Reverberate over Chekhov over Giacomo.
That is $48. Let's spend $2 more and make an even $50. How about a $1 exacta box Alfeet Alex boxed with the maiden Nolan's Cat? Ken and Sarah Ramsey are entering a horse who has never won a race in the "Test of a Champion"? It's worth two mythical dollars.

(Meanwhile, on the other side of the continent, there is a three-year-old making only his second start, and his first of the year. The $4.5 million son of Fusaichi Pegasus, Fusaichi Samurai is returning to competiton after recovering from an injury. He will dominate the 6 furlong allowance race at Hollywood Park in which he is entered, and start people talking about the second half of the year in a whole new tone.)

Archie Bunker, 21st Century Style

2005-06-07T23:04:00.000-05:00

In the 1970's we were treated to what may have been the most well written sitcom ever. "All in the Family" was a brilliant example of satire. The things Archie would say were so far out that it showed the silliness of those who held such opinions. We would roar with laughter as he made broad, sweeping comments about blacks, Jews, Catholics, Poles and women (just to name a few). Stupidly outrageous comments like that are very effective at showing their folly.
Some 30 years later, I have come to realize that the most closed-minded, bigoted group in this country is not the Archie Bunker-esque right wingers, but rather the Liberal Left, headed by their chairman, Howard (the Duck) Dean.
Read Dean's comments about Republicans, but read them in Archie's voice, and imagine that he is talking about African Americans.
"They all behave the same. They all look the same."
This is how an "open-minded, inclusive, enlightened" Liberal sees the world. Like Bunker, Dean is comfortable in his bigotry. In fact, like Bunker, Dean doesn't see it as bigotry at all. He just sees it a good sense.
In 1992, Ross Perot was nearly tarred and feathered for addressing the NAACP as "you people". (No one at the time seemed to care that Perot just talked that way. He probably said "you people" when addressing his own family. The damage, however, was already done.)
"They all look the same," says Dean. Obviously he is referring to me, Arnold, Sean Hannity, and Ann Coulter. I mean, how can anyone be expected to tell us apart?
"They all behave the same," says Dean. I hope he is on to something here. I mean, he is if he means that we all love America, believe in individualism, and believe that there is potential for greatness in every American (even the Democrats. After all, "they" produced Zell Miller) .
I was going to write an earlier post referring to Dean's comments that America is safer with a Democrat in the White House rather than a Republican, but I have faith that Americans still remember the lesson taught us by Archie Bunker.
Stupidly outrageous comments like that are very effective at showing their folly.

A Short Note

2005-06-05T14:15:00.000-05:00

I don't want to go on about this, so I won't. I'll simply let the hypocrisy of the Left and their gang of accomplices in the media expose themselves.

If you expose the corruption of a sitting Republican President (W. Mark Felt, aka Deep Throat), you a lauded for your bravery, honesty and strength of your convictions.

If you expose the corruption of a sitting Democrat President (Linda Tripp), you are derided as a snake and suffer horrible accusations about your honesty. Further, you must endure an absolute onslaught of insults about your personal appearance, which has nothing to do with the matter at hand.

Dan Wheldon! Danica, Well Done!

2005-06-01T00:06:00.000-05:00

The 89th Indy 500 is in the books, and it was spectacular. As an attendee of some 25 renewals of the Memorial Day speed classic, I should know. The 2005 renewal was peppered with lead changes, pit drama, fuel management, and a 5' tall, 100 lb. cutie that has captured the attention of nearly everyone. But, as they say, first things first.
In his third try at the Brickyard, England's Dan Wheldon captured the Borg-Warner Trophy. He ran a flawless race and had the fastest car. This does not always happen simultaneously, and rarely results in an actual win. Winning the 500 is much more difficult than being the fastest or doing the best, it is a gargantuan task requiring a symphony of circumstances take place. Racing for the Andretti-Green Racing Team, Wheldon put everything together and came out on top, deservedly so. However, on June 6th the next Sports Illustrated will hit the newsstands with another 500 driver on the cover. The 4th place finishing Danica Patrick graces this cover.
Let me be clear about my opinion. Danica Patrick is the real deal. She is a racer who has paid her dues, racing in Europe in the Formula Ford Championships and racing in the World Karting League against the likes of Sam Hornish, two time IRL champ. Her resume stands up well against or surpasses most of the drivers she currently competes against. In the 500 she made rookie mistakes, stalling in the pits and actually crashing at one point, but battled back to take the lead, only to fade to fourth in deference to her fuel gauge. She deserved and won Rookie of the Year honors at the Victory Banquet.
The SI cover? Come on. Rookies can do well at Indy. Eight of them have won the darned thing. In fact, Helio Castroneves not only won as a rookie, he won as a sophomore. And, if not for the moving speed bump called A.J. Foyt IV, he would have won his third race, too. Now THAT'S cover material.
I hate to take anything away from Danica, but only as much as I hate to see her recieve more than she deserves. She didn't win the race, and she is not the first woman to compete. She is, however, the first "media friendly" woman to compete (read "media friendly" as "hot"). The media cannot get enough of her. The only thing that would make Katie Couric gush more would be if Danica was a French-born lesbian with a rainbow "Hillary '08" sticker on her Indy car.
I am proud of Danica. I am also proud of Dan Wheldon who has quietly won 4 of his first 5 starts in 2005. Perhaps it was he who gave Danica the highest compliment of anyone all month. When asked what he thought about having to pass her, a woman, to take the lead and win, he said,"I don't see her as a woman, I see her as a Rahal-Letterman (car owners) car that I am supposed to beat."
The American media could take a lesson from this Brit about equality. Someday I hope Danica makes the cover of SI because they see her as a great driver rather than a novelty in need of props.
From what I saw this month, it might not take very long.

Be Careful What You Ask For

2005-05-25T01:32:00.000-05:00

Hillary Clinton recently spoke at the commencement of an (surprise) all women's college and was rewarded with great applause after the following comments.
"You can't have democracy if half the population is left out." And, "You can't have democracy if half the population can decide how the other half lives."
Reading those comments, you'd get the impression that Mrs. Clinton is in favor of democracy. Thank God we don't live in a democracy, but rather a democratically elected representative republic, but that is for another post entirely.
In a democracy, it is entirely possible for just about half (more accurately half plus one) to decide everything for the other half (more accurately half minus one). As any reasonable person knows, that is a horrible model for government. In that model, women would not have the vote, civil rights laws would be non-existent, and Al Gore would be President. Alternatively, the death penalty would be valid in all states, abortion would be illegal in all states, and Bill Clinton would never have been President. Democracy, it seems, is a double edged sword. Thank God we don't live in one, but again, that is a different post.
What if less than half the population decides how the rest live? In other countries, Iraq for example, we call this "tyranny". In the Senate, Democrats call this a "judicial fillibuster".
What if less than 30% of the polulation decides how the rest lives? In other countries, Iraq for example, "et cetera". In the US, we call this "Nebraska".
The fine people of Nebraska voted 70%-30% to ratify a constitutional ammendment officially defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. It didn't take long, of course, for an activist judge to impose his own agenda and declare this ammendment unconstitutional.
So, Mrs. Clinton, if democracy is what you seek, start in Nebraska and work your way to the Senate. But then, you already started in Arkansas and worked your way to the Senate. Democracy, it seems, is far lower on your list of priorities than power, manipulation, and elitism.

"How Much the Best is HE ?!"

2005-05-22T22:25:00.000-05:00

That was the quote by the track announcer as Afleet Alex flew down the stretch on his way to victory in the 130th running of the Preakness Stakes. Afleet Alex was the best, beating a full field of 14 three-year-olds by 4 3/4 lengths in the fastest Preakness since 1998. All of that in itself sounds pretty cool and impressive, but is far, far less than half the story. Let's start with the easy stuff.
Last year, Smarty Jones was on a tear. He was the undefeated winner of the Kentucky Derby (the first such winner since the great Seattle Slew), and he approached the Preakness at the top of his form. He romped home to victory by a record 11+ lengths, and was being called the next this and the next that. But, if you read the first paragraph again, you see that Afleet Alex ran the fastest Preakness since 1998. A little research shows that Alex ran a faster Arkansas Derby as well. (He also ran a faster Kentucky Derby while running third, but Smarty practically had to swim the 1 1/4 miles last year, so I'll throw that one out.)
Winning and time are two things, but there is one more. I belong to a school of thought called "trip handicapping." Trip handicapping is a skill that is developed over time and, hopefully, gives the user the ability to understand the experience, or "trip", that a horse has during a given race. For example, a trip handicapper might mentally remember that a horse may have had to run wide around a turn while finishing third. This would tell him that this horse is likely to look worse on paper than he actually ran.
Believe me, Afleet Alex looks worse on paper than he actually ran.
Alex broke decently enough and, because he had speed horses to his inside, his jockey, Jeremy Rose, was able to angle over to the rail and save ground around the first turn. He continued down the back stretch 10 lengths from the lead and running comfortably. Entering the far turn, Alex was on the rail behind Illinois Derby winner Greely's Galaxy. As that foe failed to rally in mid-turn, Alex temporarily had his momentum interrupted (most horses throw in the towel at this point). Far into the turn, Greely's Galaxy went just enough wide for Alex to sneak through on the rail. "Sneak" is not the correct word here, think more like "rocket".
I started to chant "go...go" as Alex approached the leaders. He was absolutley flying to the front, was already in second, and was going to cruise past the leader when he had one of the great "did you see THAT?" moments in sports.
Scrappy T was in the lead and Alex was coming fast. Ramon Dominguez aboard Scrappy T noticed that his horse was losing focus, starting to look around. He wound up and hit Scrappy T once with a left handed whip. This caught the horse totally off guard and he reacted in a way that caught Dominguez equally off guard. While turning left for home, Scrappy bolted right. A very scary moment ensued as Alex was already there. Three strides later it was over.
The horses collided violently. Alex had the forward momentum and ran into the back of Scrappy. They clipped heels and Alex went to his knees. Rose, who later said, "I've got pretty good balance and fear makes you very strong," was able to grab Alex's mane and hang on. Alex's nose nearly hit the ground. But then, in a physics-defying demonstration of athelticism, Alex righted himself. He was on all four feet, but because he was still off-balance, he collided with Scrappy T again. Then, before you could say, "OH, NO!" Afleet Alex was flying again, charging home in a final 3/16th's of a mile in 19 seconds flat. Nineteen seconds is not a record, but it would be from a standing start, let alone a kneeling start.
Trip hadicappers will study this race for years. How fast would he have run if he didn't lose momentum in the turn, and then nearly lose his life entering the stretch? There's no way of knowing for sure, of course, which is what keeps this an art rather than a science. However, the benchmark of benchmarks is always a good place to start. In 1973, Secretariat ran the Preakness in a still-record 1:53 2/5 seconds. Alex ran 1:55. Using the rule of thumb that a fifth of a second equals one length, it can be roughly figured that Secretariat ran 8 lengths faster than Afleet Alex. Did Alex's trip cost him 8 lengths? No one knows, but losing by only 8 lengths to Big Red is worth writing home over, even if you didn't have a scary trip. Personally, I scored Alex's trouble at right about about 8 lengths. (This was before doing the historical check.)
How much the best? Tons.

2005-05-18T17:50:00.000-05:00

Have you ever gone into a restaurant, a cleaners, or any kind of shop and seen a Buddha statue? That happened to me recently, and strange as it sounds, I found it "spiritually insulting." In America people have the right to be of any faith they choose, and I would never in a million years argue that it should be any other way. Still, I felt odd seeing that statue.

There he sat, eyes closed and smiling , in the Lotus position, a look of absolute serenity on his face. I could not help but think of Jesus, eyes open, arms outstretched, nailed to a Roman cross, crying out to the God of the universe, His father, in a loud voice, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" I cannot concieve of the absolute terror that must have run through His mind, body and spirit as He experienced, however briefly, the total separation from God that is the price of sin. In that moment he bore the full weight of sin, all sin, that mankind can not hope to bear on his own without an atoning, perfect sacrifice.

Such is the state of mankind. Dead in his sin, he faces separation from the Father, and there is nothing he can do to bridge that gap. Luckily for man, that bridge has been built. When Jesus uttered, "It is finished," bowed his head and died, He built the bridge that enables man access to the Father and escape from eternal separation.

If you haven't already, won't you please ask Jesus into your heart? The gift of salvation is free, and He is just dying to give to you.

Feelgoodism

2005-05-16T10:59:00.000-05:00

Perhaps the best description of the differences between Conservatives and Liberals that I have heard is this:

Someone is drowning 100 feet from shore. A Conservative walks by and sees them. He throws out a 50 ft. rope and tells the person to swim half way to shore. He then pulls them the rest of the way in to safety.
Same scenario, except now a Liberal is walking by. He see the person drowning 100 feet from shore, so he throws out both ends of a 200 ft rope and walks on down the beach feeling good about himself.

I recently heard a news account that reminded me of that description. War-torn Sudan is a nasty place to be. There has been war there for over 5 decades and there are regions the size of France without a true government. We all know what happens when a region the size of France has no effective leadership. We only have to look to...well, France.

Anyway, there are many brave groups on the ground helping the refugees any way they can. Providing first aid, schooling, building "houses", ministering, etc. These people are literally in danger every day, and many have lost their lives serving their cause.

The UN is also "helping". There is a village on the UN charts into which they air-lift supplies. The problem is that the well in this village was damaged years ago and no one lives there any more. The UN has apparently ignored the requests of the people on the ground to adjust the shipment location.

I can hear the communication now.

"Air lift one making drop as scheduled, requesting orders for next mission."
"Air lift one, this is UN Command, please hurry back to base, Vlad needs more caviar and vodka, Jacques is in desperate need of cheese and wine, and we all have a full day of America bashing ahead of us."

Talk About the Weather

2005-05-10T22:10:00.000-05:00

The Derby looked at first like a random anomaly won by a 50-1 shot outrunning a 70-1 shot with the favorite finishing 7th. Sometimes that happens, although it is much less "anomalous" than most people think. I have always said that it is just as important to know why a race was lost as it is to know why it was won. We sometimes look the other way after a $100 winner because there can be so much we don't know, but in the Derby we know so much. How did Giacamo win? Was it a freakish anomaly? Probably not.
Giacamo fit a great number of historical "needs" of a Derby winner. He raced at 2, had more than 5 starts, ran in three preps as a 3-year-old, and had improving form. The one "biggie" that he did not have was a previous triple-digit Beyer figure. Because of this fact, and the fact that there were so many other entrants who fit all the "needs", Giacamo went to post ignored and at 50-1. How could this have happened? Looking back, I think it may not be that hard to see.
Giacamo is a West Coast horse with all of his previous starts coming at either Santa Anita or Hollywood Park. He had only one win, but his losses were not too bad, often coming with a reasonable excuse. Why, though, were all these races so slow? Lack of training.
Think back to the news reports from the West Coast last fall and winter. They experienced record rainfall for weeks and weeks. This disrupted the training of all the West Coast horses. They "fell behind the class". All winter long, the West Coast horses were maligned as being slow and talentless. Last Saturday, they claimed 4 of the top 6 finishing positions including the winner. It seemed that they had "caught up" during their spring training.
Those handicappers who were in tune to this subtlety of the game happily cashed a $102.60 ticket for a $2 wager.

Derby Dud?

2005-05-10T21:20:00.000-05:00

Well, the Derby came and went. Giacamo, the three-year-old son of the great Holy Bull, stormed home to win at an impossible 50-1, redeemed his father, gave journeyman jockey Mike Smith his first Derby win, and earned only the 131st blanket of roses ever given. Some, however, hated it.
Andy Beyer, a man whose handicapping prowess I greatly admire, published a column today titled "By any standard, this Derby was a dud." I disagree. By my standard, the Derby can't be a dud, it's the Derby. Perhaps Mr. Beyer thinks this Derby was a dud because his prediction that Bellamy Road would prove to be a freak was, in fact, a dud in itself. I like to think that he is a bigger man than to resent that the race was not predictable by his own "Beyer Speed Figures", so I'll go on thinking that he is. (Bellamy Road's career best Beyer of 120 not only dwarfed Giacamo's best of 98, it dwarfed everyone elses, too, proving yet again that there is no one "secret" to the races.)
Twelve years ago Mike Smith's heart was broken when his mount-of-a-lifetime, Holy Bull, could not handle a muddy Churchill Downs track and finished far back as the favorite. One year ago, Mike Smith rode a two-year-old son of Holy Bull, Giacamo, for the first time, saying on that day, "This is my Derby horse, he will redeem his father." Three days ago Mike Smith set an unofficial record for hugs recieved on Derby Day after riding Giacamo to a popular win over that same Churchill Downs strip.
There are a lot of words to use to describe this Derby, but "dud" is not one of them.

Let's Make a Deal

2005-05-02T10:58:00.000-05:00

There is a famous story about how the Europeans bought the island of Manhattan for a handful of beads. The Native Americans they were dealing with simply did not understand the concept of ownership and of relative value. Apparently, the "relative value" concept is still lost on some.
Representative Dave Crooks D-Washington, IN (where I also live) recently voted against the DST bill that passed the House and Senate. Now, while I disagree with the vote, he is certainly allowed to vote that way. In fact, he never even indicated that he would vote for it. He was against it from the start, which again, he is certainly entitled to be.
However, after the vote, he made a comment that made the front page of the local newspaper. The paper had asked for a comment from all the local politicos about DST. He said,
"It's abortion, it's gay marriage, it's guns...all rolled into one."
What? Say that again.
"It's abortion, it's gay marriage, it's guns...all rolled into one."
Sound to me like someone is out of his tiny little mind. THAT is his sense of perspective? His understanding of relative value?
I can't wait for the day that Liberals finally leave my guns alone. And I am so very tired of them trying to REdefine the God authored concept of a male-female marriage. But, in a sense of fairness, just so Mr. Crooks doesn't think I am asking for too much all at once, I offer the following proposition:
I will gladly forfeit my beloved extra hour of sunlight in the evenings if the Dems will stop endorsing Government protected wholesale slaughter of innocent babies.
Heck, I'll even throw in some nice, shiny beads.

Excuse Me, Do You Have the Time Zone?

2005-04-29T23:08:00.000-05:00

(Long, relieved sigh)
Daylight Savings Time has finally passed in Indiana. Not at all surprisingly, this pro-business piece of legislation was fought tooth and nail by the backward, uneducated, small minded and otherwise Democrat members of the legislature. If this passage does no other good than to remove the stigma that Indiana is stuck in the pre-middle ages, then it will have already been worth it. The problem that most Dems have with it, obviously, is that it doesn't cost anything.
I honestly think that this is a sensible thing to do. Once people understand that we aren't actually legislating more daylight into a given day, the benefits become obvious. Most Hoosier dollars are spent and made with organizations in the Eastern Time Zone; that is, New York, Cincinnati, Louisville, Atlanta, Michigan and all of Florida. There are, of course, counties that deal with Chicago and other parts of Illinois, but they are already in the Central Time Zone and are not affected by this passage. Besides, aren't most Hoosiers mostly concerned how this change affects TV shows? When I was a kid, early season Monday Night Football came on so late that I could only watch Howard Cossell's Halftime Highlights before I had to go to bed. This was particularly painful to me, because my favorite part of MNF was "You make the call" which was a third-quarter staple.
These days I have a DVR and can stay up as late as I please, so the TV question is moot. I am prepared to admit that, beside the well-documented advantages of DST for Indiana in the Eastern Time Zone, I have selfish reasons to be in favor of DST. I want the sun to set later in my day, period.
I often decide where I stand on issues based upon well thought-out logic. There are advantages and disadvantages to most things, and when I weigh what might be best for the most people as a whole, I land on one side or the other. Not so with DST. I am concerned only with how it affects me. I know this because the idea of Indiana being in the Central Time Zone and observing DST still makes more sense than not observing at all, but I am adamantly opposed to that. Why? Because the sun would set sooner in MY day.
I am only concerned with living as far west as I possibly can and still being in the Eastern Time Zone (and having DST). I look forward to the long walks with my dog in the 9:45 PM twilight.

I Hope I Die Before I etc.

2005-04-27T23:11:00.000-05:00

In the quasi-documentary "The Kids Are Alright", Pete Townsend is talking about the idea of letting people down by changing the way you do things, changing your act, as it were. His comment:
"It's not just letting people down. It's 'You've gotta go on, man. Otherwise, all these kids, they'll be finished! They'll have nothing to live for. That's Rock-n-Roll'."
As much as the eighteen-year-old that still lives inside me hates to admit. I have many things to live for besides Rock-n-Roll. Sometimes, though, that eighteen-year-old surfaces and can find no earthly topic more important to discuss than the irony that Keith Moon's weakness as a drummer was actually keeping time.
With that in mind, I asked my younger self to come up with a short list of favorite Rock lyrics. These are, by no means, the best lyrics, just my favorites. I fully understand that most lyrics are just lyrics and not a reflection of real life. After all, how many of us actually believe that Mick Jagger could get no satisfaction?
Anyway, in no particular order, save the last:
The Who-My Generation
"I hope I die before I get old"
The Clash-Death or Glory
"Every cheap hood make a bargain with the world
Winds up making payments on a sofa or a girl."
Thin Lizzy-The Boys Are Back in Town
"If that chick don't want to know, forget her."
The Rolling Stones-(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
"He can't be a man 'cause he doesn't smoke,
The same cigarettes as me."
Nirvana-Smells Like Teen Spirit
"I feel stupid and contagious."

And, finally, my favorite. It comes from somewhat of a surprising source. It's the kind of thing I'd expect to hear at the Las Vegas County Jail murmured by some guy waking up in the drunk tank on a Monday morning....
Robert Palmer-Simply Irresistible
"She's so fine, there's no tellin' where the money went."

Is He (a)Fleet Enough?

2005-04-25T13:00:00.000-05:00

I've got a lot to look forward to the next twelve days. Not only is the Kentucky Derby coming up on May 7th, but I get to spend the entire Derby weekend with some of my favorite people on the planet.
I have been posting for some time in some forums at Thoroughbred Times and Bloodhorse Magazine, but I have now stopped posting and reading other posts there. Nothing against the sites, they are top shelf, but the forums are not for me.
Horseracing types like myself tend to be ego driven in some aspects of our sport and hopeless romantics in others. At any small time track in any state, or at racing's Mecca, Churchill Downs in Louisville, we try to predict the outcome of races being run by flesh and blood beasts with flesh and blood pilots. When we get it right, we feel like geniuses, and when we get it wrong...well, there's a horse running tomorrow in the 8th that I have my eye on. The way in which we undertake this nearly impossible task tells the world about our personalities, our philosophies, and our overall happiness.
In the forums, players are always trying to justify their choice in a race by degrading and minimizing the competition. It gets so ugly that it is no longer fun. Of course I have my favorites in various races, but I love racing and all the horses running. I look at it like this:
If I pick a horse and spend all my time telling everyone how all the others are crappy, then even if I win, all I can claim is that my horse beat a bunch of crappy horses. And, should I lose, I have to admit my horse got beaten by crappy horses.
On May 7th, the Kentucky Derby will pit 20 of the Nation's best three-year-olds against each other in the biggest race of their young careers. Each starter is fulfilling a dream dreamt by the breeders of some 50,000 horses foaled in 2002. There are no slouches here. You can't buy your way in, you have to earn it on the track. Of all these promising three-year-olds, there are three that I really like, and one that I am bonkers over. His name is Afleet Alex.
This regally bred son of Northern Fleet is also the great, great, great grandson of the legendary Bold Ruler. Bold Ruler was a champion on the track and sired the great Secretariat. His bloodline also produced Seattle Slew.
But, just as you can't buy your way in, you aren't born in either. There are no passes for racing royalty. Afleet Alex has proven himself on the track to be, in my opinion, the top of the tops.
He has raced 9 times. He has 6 wins and 2 seconds. His only off the board finish came when (after the race) it was discovered that he had a lung infection and could not breathe properly. In his next start, his final Derby prep, he rebounded with a decisive win in the Arkansas Derby.
Two things I particularly like are his brains and his work ethic. He is described as "fiercely intelligent" and works out twice daily instead of the usual once every couple of days that is so common. Alex's trainer, Tim Ritchey, says he works so much because it keeps him from being bored, and it keeps him happy. A happy horse can be counted upon to always run his best.
So, I am not going to knock the other 19 horses in the Derby. They are all great. I am simply going to root for Afleet Alex, a smart, happy horse with a love for peppermints.
www.afleetalex.com

"Benedicto!"

2005-04-20T00:25:00.000-05:00

The smoke appeared black at first. Slowly, it lightened in color until it was obviously white. Still, it wasn't until the bells began to toll that the crowd allowed itself to celebrate. Soon, "Habemus papam!"
"We have a pope!"
Shouts, applause, tears and laughter followed. Chants of "Benedicto! Benedicto!" filled St. Peter's as the faithful celebrated the rise to the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI.
I monitored most of this on the internet from my office. I read what I could, being kept abreats of the goings on by news outlets and other bloggers. It wasn't until my drive home that I was able to listen to news reports of this new beginning for Catholics worldwide. Not surprisingly, NPR presented reports obviously slanted to the left. It was one particular interview, with an American woman living in Rome, that bothered me . She identified herself as a Catholic American who had lived in Rome for 22 years. Her comment:
"They [the college of Cardinals] could not have picked a more right wing pope. My heart sank when they announced his name."
Heart sank? This from a self-identified Catholic? I believe that within this comment is one of the fundamental problems facing Catholics, and Christians in general, worldwide.
Here is the scenario. The college of Cardinals has just finished a time of meditation, fast, and prayer. They have, above all else, prayed for guidance from the Holy Spirit. Then, they elected a pope who, by definition, is guided by the same Holy Spirit. Apparently, this "Catholic American" believes that the Holy Spirit has gotten it wrong. The Holy Spirit, one in being with the Father, has made a mistake. I believe this is one unhappy woman.
A man in whom I place a tremendous amount of respect (something I do not do lightly), recently taught a lesson in which he descibed the unhappiness that we encounter when we try to live our lives contrary to answered prayer. We pray daily for God to show us His will so that we may follow it, and when he does, we sometimes say, "Really? Are you sure?" When God's will is contrary to our own, we suffer most when we insist upon following what we had hoped He would say.
We do this all the time. We run our marriages, our finances, even raise our children contrary to God's will and then complain when we divorce, go broke, and have troubled children. A fundamental truth that is so often overlooked is that God wants us to be happy, prosperous and have a happy, prosperous family.
If we were to buy a product, read the owner's manual, and then do everything contrary to its content, we would feel foolish if we complained about that product's failure. Amazingly, we do this all the time with our own lives.
We can all take a lesson from the Italians chanting "Benedicto!" When God's will is fulfilled, we should be happy, even if it appears to be in conflict with our own.

I've Gotta Piss Like a Racehorse!

2005-04-15T22:43:00.000-05:00

I don't mean to be overly vulgar with the title of this post, but really, haven't we all heard (or said) the above sentence before? Ever wonder where it came from? Is it because racehorses are high strung, ready to go and dancing eagerly? Not entirely.
Racehorses are often given a drug called Lasix. This helps with their breathing by constricting the blood vessels in their lungs, preventing what is called "bleeding". Lasix is also a diuretic, which means it makes them "make water". So, racehorses truly are urinating like mad on race day.
This is just one of the many common sayings that are directly attributable to "The Sport of Kings." Horse racing was once the most popular sport on the planet, and because of this, many "usages" made it into the daily language, and some are still there today.
Ask someone in Chicago what, "That'll get his goat" means, and you are likely to hear the story of how the Cubs curse came to be. The truth, however, comes from racing. Horses are very much creatures of habit, and they do not react well to change. They are also social mammals, and require interaction with other mammals. To this day, trainers "pair" their horses with either other horses, or goats, to keep them company. A competing, less scrupulous trainer might kidnap this companion animal thereby "getting his goat." The racehorse, missing his partner, would invariably run a sub-par race that day.
"Come on slowpoke, get the lead out!" The "lead" in this saying is, quite literally, lead. In the early days, like today, the jockey's saddle would be weighted with lead to make the "carrying" weight the same (or different in the interest of parity) on all the horses in a given race. Lacking foresight, the stewards of the day only weighed these saddles prior to the race, and not after. Therefore, a jockey might try to lighten his mount's load by "getting the lead out" during a race. These days weigh-ins occur before and after a race, not that a jockey's integrity could ever be impuned.
When an election is close these days, we often hear, "This is turning into a horse race." And, "The candidates are neck and neck." And, "The candidates are in the home stretch, but this one is too close to call, we may have a photo finish." After all, "They are in a virtual dead heat."
My all time favorite example of horse racing lingo entering our everyday speech came from the actual name of a horse. The great Man O' War was beaten in only one of his 22 races. So dominating was this champion that it was inconceivable that he could ever lose. If he ever were to lose, it would be a moment not soon forgotten, if ever. Well, he did lose...only once...to a horse named "Upset". During the time immediately following this race, when ever a seemingly unbeatable team, horse, politician or the like was beaten, the papers would exclaim, "The winner pulled an Upset." After time, the uppercase U was lowered, and the word "upset" came to be used whenever a favored party lost anything.
I hope I have held your attention "wire to wire" (starting gates are a new invention, races used to actually start and end at a wire). I tried to get your attention "right out of the gate." And now, as this post comes "down to the wire," I'll finish ahead of my deadline "by a nose".

Why Aren't We Dancing in the Streets?

2005-04-14T14:51:00.000-05:00

Apparently everything in the U.S. is just peachy. Apparently all the major problems have been solved. The economy is perfect, crime no longer exists, Social Security is as healthy as ever, the people are satisfied with the tax code, the war is over and everyone is home, and the immigration problem has ceased to exist.
How do I know these things? Well isn't it obvious? Everything is so harmoious that the lawmakers have turned to the last remaining blight on our society.
Inefficient ceiling fans.
Yep, everything else must be fine if our wise leadership has determined this to be our new priority. According to the AP, congressional Democrats want a Federal standard for the efficiency of ceiling fans. Who among us hasn't looked at our fans and said, "Sure it matches the room, sure the lighting is beautiful, but OH MARTHA isn't there something the Federal government can do to make it more efficient?"
I may run out and buy some of the affordable fans that are on the market now so that I can be grandfathered into my inefficiency. As we know, as soon as there is a Federal standard, the prices will rise, selection to the consumer will be limited, sales will plummet, factories will close, jobs will go over seas, and the Democrats will blame tax cuts for the rich.

Adios Juan Pablo II

2005-04-13T22:28:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,
It has been most of a week since the world lost (and Heaven gained) Pope John Paul II. I figured it may well be time I weighed in with my observations to this point. In fact, I am considering starting an online blog so that those of you who listen to my imaginary radio show can read my imaginary newspaper column as well. Let me know what you think.

I do not consider myself a Roman Catholic. However, I do have 12 solid years of Catholic education, so I feel qualified to address the topic. The Church has lost its shepherd, God's representative on Earth.
(Consider this: It can be assumed that each of the approximately 265 Pontiffs knew their predicessor personally. Therefore each Pope is only about 265 people removed from Jesus Christ himself. And, if you know a Priest, or know someone who knows a Preist, it can be assumed that he knows a Bishop, who knows an Archbishop, who knows the Pope. So, you see, nearly every human on the face of the Earth is less that 300 people removed from Christ. That won't save your soul, but it is striking.)
Watching these events unfold, and remembering the Reagan funeral from last year, has reminded me of what an extraordinary decade the 1980's were. Pope John Paul II and Ronald Reagan were truly giants on the world stage. There is simply no one alive today, with the possible exeption of Margaret Thatcher, who comes close to these men in terms of stature. These two men lead the world through the defeat of Communism. One in a secular fashion, the other spiritually.
Liberals have spent the past 17 years after Reagan left office trying to demonize him. The modern history books make Mikel Gorbechev the hero of the fall of the Soviet Union, and paint Reagan as a dunce who caused undue panic through his military build-up and took food out of the mouths of children to make the rich richer. The truth is, the Soviet Union collapsed under the weight of the economic and military might of the United States and under the spiritual weight of a smallish, energetic Pope who stared them down as much as anyone. It is widely believed that the KGB ordered the "hit" on the Pontiff in 1981.
The news coverage of the Pope's passing has been quite interesting. The stupid quote of the week goes to (surprise) CNN, where an anchor covering the Vatican was heard to say, "You get the sense that this would be happening wether we (CNN) were here or not." See the CNN world view? They are not only covering news, but they are relied upon by us, the stupid masses, to determine what is important and what isn't. They are unable to concieve of the fact that there are BILLIONS of Christians out here who don't really need them at all.
The second stupid comment is shared by almost every news outlet around the planet. It goes like this, "The next Pope will have the task of making the Church relevant in the modern world." Relevant? The media's idea of relevant is for the Church to share their humanist world view. (Note a recent USA Today poll that shows most Americans seem to want women Priests) Well, guess what. The Church does not make policy based upon whim, opinion, or polls. The Catholic Chuch is not the Clinton Adminstration.
Speaking of Bill Clinton, he was recently heard to say regarding John Paul II, "He's like most of us- he may have a mixed legacy." I'll ingore the fact that it is lunacy for Bill Clinton to compare himself to the Pope the same way I ignored the lunacy of him comparing himself to Abraham Lincoln. (Ever notice that when Liberals want to make themselves look good they compare themselves to popular Conservative types? But I digress....) "Mixed Legacy"? Apparently the former President views John Paul II's stands against adultery, homosexuality, euthanasia, materialism and other immoralities as some kind of a "black mark" on his Papacy. Rubbish.
John Paul II's Papacy is an unqualified success, the stuff of legend. Under his watch the Church grew to an unprecedented size (despite it's "irrelevance"). There is no doubt that he will one day be Sainted by the Church he served, the same way that Ronald Reagan will be "sainted" in this country. Pope John Paul II will be counted among the greatest Popes of all time, and Reagan will be counted and counted and counted after he appears on US currency.