Where's Trilby Lundberg, NPR?

In 2008, the last time gasoline prices were this high, Trilby Lundberg was a near constant guest or source on National Public Radio (NPR)’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Ms. Lundberg is a consultant specializing in gasoline price predictions, she’s a peak oil prophet, and she’s still active. But I didn't recall hearing her name mentioned at all this year on NPR. A search of NPR’s archives shows the last time she appeared was July 2008. I wonder what happened in late 2008 to the present that would keep NPR from inviting Ms. Lundberg back to discuss gasoline prices? It was almost as if NPR decided that talking about gasoline prices was no longer interesting after 2008. Hmm.

Last Sunday to see this at the open of Sportscenter

Super Bowl XLV memories.

Indeed.

I used the word "indeed" 22 times in conversation today. Quite an accomplishment, no?

12 Resolutions for 2012

Here are my New Year Resolutions for 2012:

1. Volunteer more often. I am going to try and volunteer at least 4 times this year.
2. Travel to a foreign country. I am looking at you, Vancouver, British Columbia.
3. Travel to a state I have not yet been too. I have been to all but the following: Alaska, North Dakota, Arkansas, Louisiana, South Carolina, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, or Maine.
4. Eliminate the Puka Shells. They had kind of been a staple of my "look" since high school. I think it is time to move on.
5. Go fishing. An activity I liked a lot as a child, I probably haven't been fishing in 15 years.
6. Shoot a gun. I always wanted to go to a firing range and shoot a gun. Sounds like something I should at least try.
7. Brew some beer. I am going to brew a brown ale that is going to blow away all of the poseur craft brewmakers attempts at making the one and only.
8. Make the basement into usable space. Right now, it resembles our garage from a year prior, prior to organizing it. Let's take the same tact to the basement and make it a usable, functional part of the property.
9. Grow grapes. I have been wanting to put in some grapes along one of the sides of the house for a while now. In the words of Kevin Greene, "It. Is time."
10. Movie Night. I am thinking once per month, I take the misses out to see a flick.
11. Eat more carrots. I am going to make a conscious decision to attempt to eat a helluva lot a carrots. I like them. They are tasty raw and cooked. They go with everything. And I want to have a John Boehner hue to my skin.
12. Meet Aaron Rodgers. I think it is do-able. There are two golf tournaments in the area that he goes to.

Thoughts? What are your 12 for 2012?

What's the best college in the world?

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the NL Pennant...

On September 10, the St. Louis Cardinals had 350-to-1 odds to win the NL Pennant. So, I bet $40.00 on them.

What does this mean? Well, if the Brewers win the NL Pennant, my life-long goal of seeing the Brewers play in the World Series will be accomplished. And if they don't, I win $14,000.00.

Pretty nice scenario.

Milwaukee Brewers to Play for NL Pennant

... after a walk-off hit by none-other than Nyjer Morgan (a/k/a Tony Plush a/k/a Tony Clutch).

See the video on MLB.com, here.

UPDATE:

Here is Hall of Famer, Bob Uecker's call of the NLDS walk-off.

Milwaukee Brewers Win 2011 NL Central

It had been the single most enjoyable season, thus far, in this Brewers fan's life. And then last night happened.

The Brewers clinch the division on a late, 3-run HR by the Hebrew Hammer (oh-by-the-way, it was a no-doubter, smacking the bottom of the frame of the scoreboard in straight-away CF) followed by the Cubs beating the Cardinals and old-man La Russa on a 3-run HR by Soriano (also a no-doubter). Then it became pandemonium in Milwaukee.

You could see the stress of the season release from so many players as they celebrated. Those who played well and those who did not. Granted, I wasn't in the hip pocket of guys like McGehee, Fielder, Counsel, Braun, but from the images coming across the flat screen at Cheaters, I could see jubilent men-turned-into-boys. And I could sense relief.

Now that this goal has been accomplished, the team can rest and re-load for the next goal - the NL Pennant.  No, I do not know that the Brewers will be able to accomplish that goal. However, I give them a heckuva chance. Of the teams in the playoffs or nearing the playoffs, the Brewers (as remarkable as this may seem given their quality of play in September versus August) are going in as the hottest. Their big three (Gallardo, Greinke, Marcum) are pitching very well. Their back-end bullpen (Saito, Hawkins, Rodriguez, Axford) have been, in a word, unreal. And their stars (Braun, Fielder, Hart, and Weeks) are hot and itching for something special. So, whoever comes to Milwaukee better be ready for a team that is not just happy to be here, like they were in 2008.

And finally, the Brewers have a future. Yes, Fielder might be gone. He and Rodriguez could very well find solace together in the Big Apple again. So be it. That being said, there are more bats and arms waiting in the wings to re-stock this team. And the Brewers are relatively young when compared to their chief rivals in the division (Cardinals, Reds) and have a willingness to spend money when compared to their future rivals (Pirates). So, last night could be the start of something special - a 2-5 year run in the playoffs.

(Images from JSOnline.com).

NFL Turning Point Disappoints

I don't know about you, but I was REALLY excited when Versus (soon to be NBC Sports) announced it would have a new program debuting during the season called, "NFL Turning Point". From its title, explanation of the show's premise, and involvement of the NFL, NFL Films, and NBC, it lead me to believe it would be a cool combination of ESPN's NFL Match-Up (note - the single best analysis show out there, bar none [unsurprisingly, the least hyped/promoted show on ESPN's weekly scheduled]) meets NFL Network's  NFL Sound FX - meaning the intersection of beautiful footage and relevant/accurate gametime analysis.

So, what have we gotten the first two weeks so far? Basically, a repackaged NFL Sound FX. There is basically little to no analysis of the actual critical "turning points" of the games selected. Rather, just a voiceover talking about the difficulties a team was facing.

Really, what needed (and still needs, hint-hint FOX/CBS) to be done is someone needs to do an actual turning point show. Pick 2-3 of the best games from the week prior. Boil them down to one critical juncture - one play that turned the tide. Then, the show should interview the players/coaches involved in that play, show the film footage from multiple angles as to how the play worked. Show the film footage from any plays prior in the game that influenced the one critical play. Show footage from previous games that influenced the one critical play. Show footage from training camp, practice, and film study that influenced the one critical play. Now that would be an AWESOME show. And it would really demonstrate that football and the NFL is a game of inches.

From Instapundit - Remembering 9/11

Lee Harris’s Civilization And Its Enemies:

Forgetfulness occurs when those who have been long inured to civilized order can no longer remember a time in which they had to wonder whether their crops would grow to maturity without being stolen or their children sold into slavery by a victorious foe.

...

They forget that in time of danger, in the face of the Enemy, they must trust and confide in each other, or perish.

They forget, in short, that there has ever been a category of human experience called the Enemy. And that, before 9/11, was what had happened to us. The very concept of the Enemy had been banished from our moral and political vocabulary. An enemy was just a friend we hadn't done enough for -- yet. Or perhaps there had been a misunderstanding, or an oversight on our part -- something that we could correct. And this means that that our first task is that we must try to grasp what the concept of the Enemy really means.

The Enemy is someone who is willing to die in order to kill you. And while it is true that the Enemy always hates us for a reason -- it is his reason, and not ours.

Full post here.