Spring is Here

I was busy and forgot to post this earlier but... Spring is Here! Pitchers and catchers have reported for Spring Training. The first spring training game is about 11 days away. Can you feel the excitement!? I predict this year that the Yankees will take the wild card under a young but solid rotation. Joba will by year end be Mo's replacement as the best closer of the next generation. Girardi, while not as grandfatherly likeable as Torre, will do a superb job holding the team and all their ego's together. A-Rod will continue to be A-Rod, and Jeter will continue his path to Yankee sainthood.

No Guns For You

I see from the Rapid City Journal that the Senate has once again voted against a full debate on the campus gun bill. Can someone please explain to me why, if cities and counties by law are not allowed to pass ordinances restricting the possession of firearms, is the Board of Regents allowed to do so through administrative policy? To me there is a huge constitutional question that is being ignored here. The State, through the BOR, is taking direct action to infringe on a constitutionally protected right. I know of nowhere that the Constitution or the Legislature has given the BOR this authority. Could someone please point out to me where this authority comes from, because I'm apparently missing it? Freshmen and sophomores in college are required to live on campus except under special circumstances. This is not a situation where these young adults are choosing to live on campus and therefore choosing to give up their constitutional right. They are forced to live on campus and thereby forced to give up that right. If the Regents want to do this at least they should do it the right way; get the Legislature to add post secondary campuses to the statutory list that is already law.

Sex Arrest in Sioux Falls

The Sioux Falls Police Department started a new undercover program that sounds like it was modeled after NBC's To Catch a Predator series. Apparently last week was its first week of operation, and after only a few days of being online they were able to make their first arrest. KELO and the Argus both have stories on it. I have thought for a long time that we should be doing this in SD. In college, right at the beginning of the internet wave, everyone hung out in chat rooms. I heard some pretty disgusting things in there. This type of thing occurs in SD more often than people think, especially with the advent of MySpace and Facebook and whatnot.

Speaking of 80's nostalgia...

Here is the trailer for the new Indiana Jones movie. I see by the trailer that Harrison Ford isn't using a wheelchair, walker, or oxygen so this must be from the beginning of the movie. I think the movie ends with Indy searching for his missing teeth in a nursing home run by Nazi nurses. All kidding aside you know I'm going to see this movie. When I was growing up I wanted to be one of three people... Han Solo, the Bandit, or Indiana Jones.

Knight Rider

I was a huge fan of Knight Rider when I was a kid. I'm completely stoked to check out the new Knight Rider movie. It airs on NBC on Sunday night. KITT is now a Ford Mustang, which I don't mind at all. I've always liked the more muscular look of the Mustang over the Trans Am. I've heard that NBC has product placement deals with Ford and that's the cause of the change. Of course they don't make the Trans Am anymore either, but the body is still used in IROC racing so it wouldn't have been impossible to get something that looked close to the original. If the two hour movie does well I understand there are plans for a new series. I can't wait! I hope they bring super pursuit mode back as well. If Val Kilmer can voice KITT as well as the original this will be awesome. Now if only that A-Team movie will get off the drawing board I can wallow in even more 80's nostalgia bliss.

Jabba the Klaudt

Todd Epp at SDW has the link to Klaudt's sex offender registry webpage. Go visit Epp and check it out. Todd mentions that Klaudt isn't in Sioux Falls but is being housed in Springfield. I too am a little surprised by that. Is this some sort of special placement because of his size or notoriety? Are sex offenders considered less of a threat than other inmates and housed differently? I think the prison uses some sort of system to classify inmates based on their threat level. At least according to those prison documentary shows on cable thats what every other prison in the country does.

On a related note, Rusty at the Gribble Report broke the news that Jabba has appealed his conviction. Apparently Jabba isn't that sorry for what he did after all. It will be interesting to see what his lawyer raises for a reason to appeal.

NIU Shooting

I just want to say that my thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by the recent shooting at Northern Illinois University. Its a terrible tragedy and even more depressing when one realizes there is really nothing you can do to prevent something like this.

Roger Clemens

I watched some of the hearings today, and read other portions. Based on what I saw all I can say is... I don't know. I honestly don't know who was lying. At times Clemens seemed no more credible than McNamee. I am a fan of what Clemens achieved on the field, and I originally defended him. It saddens me now to realize that he may have lied to all of us and never once flinched about doing it.

Bear Butte

I see the bill that would have bought easements next to Bear Butte has been killed (of course with the number of zombie bills in this year's session it will probably be back). I was against this bill on the grounds that have been posted all over the net... I thought the State had no business spending money to buy easements based on what were essentially religious reasons. If certain people think the area should be protected on religious grounds then let them pool their money to buy the easements.

Dravland Got His Marching Orders

I just read this story posted on KELO. It didn't take Marion long to get the marching orders out to Dravland did it. I wonder how the Captains who wrote the two memos KELO got a hold of feel about their bosses characterization of what they said? Especially considering the memos were so similar they almost had to come from higher up the chain. It must be nice for the accidental Governor to be able to hide behind his cabinet members in times like this. I guess someone had to fall on their sword for this, but its too bad Dravland was forced to throw two of his own on theirs.

Highway Patrol

I haven't commented on this particular debate yet for one reason. I completely agree that the fat needs to be cut from the budget and from state government. However, I don't think it should be Governor or his glorified accountants that decide the HP is running inefficiently. I think Marion's true colors are starting to show through. This session started off with a lecture to the Legislature. "Don't you dare spend any more money than what I am asking for because times are tight. Oh yeah give me 10 million for a new energy loan program, but times are tight!" Next thing you know Abdallah and some others stand up and say they aren't going to go along with Smilin' Mike on the HP cuts. Suddenly the comments from the Gov's office on this whole deal took a rather icy turn. (Opie is definitely earning most of his money this session) Now we see that KELO has internal memo's regarding the highway patrol cuts. After reading the memo's I think Marion has some explaining to do. At the very least I don't think he has been entirely forthcoming about the effect these cuts are going to have. I think thats the nicest way you can put it. It will be interesting to see what the reaction is to these memos now that they are out in the open.

Legislature

I am troubled and upset. What has become of our Legislature? Yesterday they vote to ignore the Constitution of the State of South Dakota and allow the Regents to infringe on the rights of adult citizens of the State to keep and bear arms. Lets not forget our Constitution is pretty explicit about the right to bear arms... go read it yourself. There isn't alot of confusion over what that means. Yet for some reason the Regents retain super legislative authority to ignore the supreme law of our State. Today General PP brings to our attention HB 1237, an outright ban on smoking. I don't smoke, but I damn sure believe I should have the right to smoke if I want to. What about a good cigar or pipe? According to this I wouldn't be able to enjoy either of those in public. This is ridiculous. Is the ban on smoking in my home next? What follows that... drinking alcohol, eating candy or french fries? If they're going to consider nonsense like this our Legislature doesn't need more time each year, it needs less. What ever happened to all those good Republicans we're supposed to be sending in there? Did they all forget to show up the last couple of days?

forever adolescents

I ran across this story tonight talking about why more and more young men seem to be caught in a state of perpetual adolescence. One view presented is that it is marriage and kids that force men to grow up, however todays society allows young men to put off such a relationship until far into the distant future. The other view is that the marriage/family relationship in today's world carries enough negatives with it that young men are delaying it for as long as possible. I don't know what the answer is. I am a single male. On one hand I know that even though I am single I am much more mature than I was even a year or two ago. However, I also admit that there is a side of me that says since I'm not married I have a bit of a pass to act as immature as I want. I don't think I am avoiding marriage because of its negatives. However, I agree that some of the negatives of marriage have made me more discerning in who I enter into serious relationships with. When I read the story I instantly thought of Prof. Blanchard at South Dakota Politics. I seem to remember a class of his where we spent an entire semester discussing some of these same issues.

McCain

After the last two posts I feel like I should say something about Sen. McCain. I've read the text of his speech to CPAC today. I was impressed. It should be noted that I've never been a McCain fan. Too often I've felt that McCain has thumbed his nose at some of the things that are most important to me. Foremost among those issues is the rule of law and that I view any sort of amnesty to illegal immigrants an affront to the rule of law. After reading McCain's speech I am surprised to say that tonight he feels much more palatable to me. I can't yet say for sure that I will vote for him but with his speech he has taken big steps forward in my book.

Fall In Line

I wanted to post on this issue the other day but was delayed. Now, with Gov. Romney's withdrawal from the race it becomes an even more interesting topic. I believe the line I've heard goes something like "Democrats fall in love. Republicans fall in line." As I watched the Super Tuesday results come in I caught Haley Barbour's comments on Fox News. Gov. Barbour basically said that the a strongly contested primary was good for a party, but that it shouldn't last too long. Basically, after a time the party should fall in line behind one candidate and focus on defeating the Dems. I took Barbour's comments as a thinly veiled lecture to the effect of "this nonsense has gone on long enough now be good little foot soldiers and support who we tell you to." Frankly I was annoyed bordering on upset. Why should I just fall in line? I'm not defined by the initial that's written down on my voter registration card. I'm not going to lay down my deeply held beliefs simply to elect a Republican President and tell myself he's the least distasteful option.

Romney

First off let me say that Gov. Romney's announcement that he was suspending his campaign caught me completely by surprise. From what I've read on the national blogs and websites it appears that is the consensus reaction. I've seen Romney's speech described as "classy." I haven't seen how it was delivered but after reading the text of the speech I feel I have a new appreciation for the honor and dignity of the man that gave it. In a way I feel sorry for him that those who supported him at the end didn't have the foresight to show up for him in the beginning. I hope that Romney is given a prominent position in the party and I suspect this is not the last we have seen from him.

Live Blogging the Super Bowl

The Giants won the coin toss and elected to receive. After the kickoff Eli goes to work at about the Giant's 23 yard line. Not surprisingly the Giants start with two straight running plays followed by a pass to Burress on 3 and 6. Stick with what got you here I guess.

5:37. I have to say for being a Super Bowl rookie Eli doesn't look nervous at all. So far he has been forced into two 3rd and 6 situations and thrown out of both of them. I have a feeling if the Pats can't get into Eli's head this might have the making of an upset.

5:47. The Giants are definitely here to play. They took the opening kick and drove down the field. They converted four straight third downs, three of them with Eli's arm, and bled about 10 minutes off the clock. The only saving grace for the Pats is that they only gave up 3 points. The Giants did exactly what they needed to do, take the ball down the field into the red zone and get points. Now lets see what Brady can do with his opening drive.

I've noticed that Belichick is wearing a new bright red hoodie. I'm not a superstitious guy but maybe he should have stayed with the gray. If they lose this game I'm blaming it on the hoodie.

5:54. The Pats start their first drive with pretty decent field goal position. After holding the Giants to a field goal they have to score a touchdown here. Not surprisingly they also open with two straight running plays. Both teams got here on the strength of their running game at the end of the season. So far though it looks like Brady is not getting nearly as much time in the pocket as Eli.

5:59. So the Giants make the first mistake of the game. This is huge in the Super Bowl. The experts predicted they needed to play a perfect game anyway. Its early and this might get lost in the shuffle later on but keep it in mind if the Pats have a small lead in the 4th quarter.

End of the First Quarter: Pretty much what you would expect from two very good teams. Two long drives into the red zone. The Giants come up with 3 points and the Pats put 7 on the board with the first play of the second quarter.

6:11. Amani Toomer just made an amazing catch. Eli facing a blitz on third and long just heaves it down the field for 38 yards and Toomer tap dances along the sideline to make the reception. The replay shows Toomer might have gotten away with a little push off but still a great catch.

6:14. This is exactly what the Giants did not need... Eli throwing an interception in the red zone. The Giants had an impressive almost mechanical first drive. They make a costly defensive penalty that directly leads to the Pats first score. Now you have a delay of game penalty on Eli (which he has always had a problem with) and an interception. We'll have to see whether Eli folds under the increased pressure now or shrugs it off.

6:20. So to answer the interception the mighty Patriots... go three and out. You have to wonder how many mistakes the Giants offense can make that their defensive is going to be able to cover. The Patriots also need to find some way to get Brady just a little bit more time in the pocket.

End of First Half: After the Patriots 3 and out above, the teams trade a couple more 3rd and outs drives. The Giants almost lost a fumble and eventually had to punt. The Patriots punted after Brady got sacked twice. The Giants got the ball back and made some good progress before Manning got hit and coughed up the ball. On the next play Manning was nearly picked off on another long toss down the field. The Giants punted and the Pats started on their own 11 but with only 1:47 left on the clock they couldn't get the ball into scoring position. Brady was forced to fumble on the NE 49 with about 10 seconds left. An interesting stat for the half...Moss was thrown at 3 times the entire half with 1 reception. All three of those passes didn't come until the last drive of the half as the Pats were trying to score quick.

My thoughts on the first half... Both teams look pretty good and I think this game could easily come down to whoever has the ball last. The Giants have done what they needed to do on defense and held the highest scoring team in the history of the league to 7 points. However, Eli doesn't look as good as he has the rest of the playoffs. He's made some questionable long throws down the field. On the other hand the Patriots have to give Brady more time in the pocket. He is facing pressure on almost every play. The Patriots running game doesn't look like it will be able to carry the team this game, and the Pats are going to need that big play down the field to win. All in all its a much better game than a blowout heading into halftime. I still think the Pats are going to win. Besides, the leader going into halftime is like 34-7 all time in the Super Bowl.

Halftime show: The NFL key demographic is something like males between 16 and 39 or so. I like Tom Petty and I thought the show was good. You just knew he was going to play Free Fallin. However, some say that the NFL sooner or later is going half to start booking half time acts that reflect their key demographic and not the IPod playlists of their 50-something executives (Yes, I know Goodell is 48)

7:32. The Patriots got the ball first in the second half and did little with it. After picking up a few first downs the pressure from the Giants forced the Pats into 3rd and 5 that the Pats couldn't convert.

Hold your horses... Belichick challenges whether the Giants had 12 men on the field for the snap on the punt. The 5 yard penalty will be enough to give the Pats a first down. I don't have the numbers for Belichick's success rate on challenges but for some reason I remember them as not being very good. The Pats win the challenge and get the ball back... another thing to add to the list if the Giants lose.

So after the Pats get the ball back they run 6 or so plays and end up with 3rd and long. Brady takes the snap and gets sacked by Strahan forcing 4th and 13. The Patriots, in a move I don't agree with or understand, decide to go for it on 4th down. They could have kicked a 49 yard field goal that would have potentially pushed their lead to a full 7 points. Brady can't find a receiver and tosses the ball out of the back of the end zone. The Giants take over on downs and the Pats possibly leave three points on the field. In all fairness, Gostkowski's long for the season is 45 I think, so this might have been outside his range.

7:53. The Giants get the ball back but the Pats defense holds and the Giants are forced to punt.

The Patriots have the ball back and after being backed into their endzone are now making some good progress down the field. A 19 yard pass to Welker just put the Pats into Giants territory. Moss still only has one catch I believe. The question to me is whether Brady's frustration is going to continue to mount and throw him off his game in the closing minutes of the game.

End of third quarter. I simply cannot believe that the Patriots have been held to 7 points through three quarters of ball. I predicted this game would be somewhere around 38-31, or 31-24. Unless there is a huge fourth quarter out of both teams I was completely wrong.

8:13 pm. Well, the Giants just scored on an impressive drive down the field. They started on their own 20 and after seven plays now lead by 3. Remember that field goal the Pats didn't go for. Eli had some pretty good passes during the drive and is certainly getting more time to throw than Brady is.

Could it possibly be that the lowly Giants are going to come away as Super Bowl champs? I gotta say even I'm starting to believe at this point. Brady has no time to throw and when he does he has no open receivers. Manning looks very good at this point and the team is rolling. The Pats have to stop them here otherwise I'm afraid this game will be over.

So is this Brady's Super Bowl winning drive? so far the team seems to be moving well. A few good quick passes. Two of those passes are to Welker and I think if the Patriots win he is probably going to be the MVP if Brady doesn't get it. Right now the Pats are down inside the Giants 30... well make that the 20. Moss just caught a good ball over the middle. So we have to assume that the Pats are going to tie this game if not take the lead. What's amazing is this drive has been 8 passes and one run so far. I think the Giants D is gassed right now and they just can't hold anymore.

8:42 pm. There it is... Brady to Moss for a touchdown. Moss may not have contributed much but he may have just caught the ball that gives himself and his team a ring. I am now convinced that Brady is one of the best of all time. He threw his team down the field with the cool and calm the likes Montana used to show.

Now its Eli's turn. He has 2:42 left to play and three time outs. Can he lead the Giants down the field and score a touchdown? This is where we see just what Eli is made of.

The Giants have kind of stalled out and are facing 4th and 1. The Giants go for it and convert. Now 1:28 left on the clock. Eli takes off running for 5 yds. Now Eli almost throws an interception. On 3rd and 5 Eli almost gets sacked but escapes and airs the ball down the field complete to Tyree. 59 seconds are left on the clock and the Giants are on the NE 24.

1 and 10 and Eli gets sacked. The Giants use their last timeout with 51 seconds left on the clock. 2nd and 11 at the NE 25. Eli gets pressured again and tosses the ball out incomplete. 3rd and 11 with 45 seconds on the clock. Eli completes the pass to the Smith right at the first down mark. 1st and 10 on the NE 14 with 39 seconds left.

8:57 pm. Manning tosses it to Burress alone in the end zone for the score! No flags and the Giants take a 3 point lead. Remember that field goal the Patriots didn't go for earlier?

Brady is going to get the ball back with about 27 seconds and two timeouts. Can they get into field goal range in that time?

Brady couldn't get it done. Congratulations to the New York Giants! Their defense should be the MVP of the game. They managed to do what no other team this year could... shut down not only Moss, but Brady and Welker and Maroney and Faulk and Stallworth.

Spring is almost here

While almost all of the attention today is going to be focused on the Super Bowl, it should be mentioned that my traditional start of spring is almost here. MLB spring training starts in 10 days and about 23 hours. Will the Mets now be the team to beat in the National League? Will the Cubs continue to tease their fans and disappoint in the end? Will the Yankees even make the playoffs on the shoulders of their barely out of diapers rotation and new manager Joe Girardi? Will the Red Sox continue morphing into the most annoying team in Baseball? I love the NFL, but a close second is MLB.

Art Monk

Another NFL story for you... Congratulations are in order for Art Monk. The Redskins receiver has finally been selected to the NFL Hall of Fame. Its about time. Anyone who is a fan of the sport will tell you that Monk is one of the best that has ever played the WR position. Its a shame that it took eight years for him to be selected to Hall, but he finally made it. Congrats!

Specter Continued

I'm watching ESPN getting ready for the game and they are talking about the invitation to the Commissioner to speak before Congress. I actually just heard Chris Mortensen say that the basis for the Judiciary committee's jurisdiction to call the NFL before them is that people who bet on the games involving the Patriots and their opponents MAY have been defrauded by the Patriots' actions. What a stretch! What about all the other teams over the history of the league that have taped their opponents or tried to steal signals and all those defrauded bettors? Apparently Congress has solved all the more important problems in this country.

Silly Specter

Sen. Arlen Specter has called Commission Goddell before Congress to answer why the NFL destroyed the tapes the Patriots turned over to the league during spygate. If you don't know what spygate is you aren't a sports fan and probably not paying much attention to this post anyway. Apparently Sen. Specter doesn't think he has received enough face time with the cameras. I am at a loss as to why Sen. Specter thinks Congress has the authority to step into what is essentially a league matter that has already been dealt with within the league. No law has been broken and unlike performance enhancing drugs its unlikely that Belichick's taping of the NY Jets is going to lead to scores of young players videotaping their opponents. To me Sen. Specter is just being silly.

State GOP

PP links this story at The Gribble Report regarding the State GOP. Rusty argues that new blood is needed at the state party otherwise we are going to continue to have our backsides handed to us. While I agree to a certain extent with what he has to say, I think he is missing one important aspect. When John Thune first ran against Tim Johnson he created an enormous amount of enthusiasm among young Republicans in this state. This enthusiasm fueled the amazing effectiveness of the Victory program. It can't be denied that the enthusiasm people had for Thune, and the future of the party at that time, also bled into the state races and the state GOP. Now it seems that enthusiasm, so evident a relatively short time ago, has disappeared. I'm sure the GOP's recent performance in the state elections is in part caused by the complacency that a party in power for so long naturally develops. I think part of the blame also falls at the Governor's feet. He is a horrible leader, and has done nothing to cultivate any sort of enthusiasm within the state party. However, in my opinion, a part of it is also the fact that there is no candidate for Republicans to get excited about and get behind. I don't think its any coincidence that the Dem resurgence in SD is occurring during Stephanie's ascendancy.

Zombie Menace

I see the guys at SDP are doing their civic duty by reminding all of us that the zombie threat is still out there. I recently read World War Z by Max Brooks and found it to be not only an excellent read but also a handy roadmap for surviving the zombie plague. I recommend it to everyone. As far as surviving a zombie invasion, I guess I have better than even odds which is about anyone could ask for when facing the undead.

64%

War Pron

The Navy's new railgun. Yeah... that sound you heard... that was my O-face. Excuse me while I go change my shorts.

Presidential Politics

I have to say that I am not at all excited about the remaining GOP candidates for President. All of them make me feel like I just kissed my sister. McCain supports amnesty and will apparently not support conservative judges like Alito. Romney has changed positions on issues more times than John Kerry. Mike Huckabee strikes me as a televangelist invoking the name of his god while trying to reach into my pocket. Ron Paul is well... Ron Paul. At this point I don't know if I want any of them to win the nomination. Is it possible for the GOP to get a do over on this whole election thing? I will say this... not since Reagan have I heard a politician that can invoke as much feeling from his listeners as Obama can. I don't know if any GOP candidate would be able to beat him in a general election.

Thune For President

The Hog House has linked an interesting article regarding favorite sons and an unlikely twist to the current presidential campaign. It makes for interesting reading so stop over and give it a glance.

Super Bowl

So... I have examined all the usual sources and considered this game from every conceivable angle, and I have come to the same conclusion I had a week ago. I predict the Patriots to beat the Giants but I think the Giants will cover the spread.

What's for dinner?

MMMM...Yummy!!

SB 160

For some reason SB 160 bothers me. Do I need to know that when my 45 year old neighbor was 18 he got convicted of assaulting someone? Do I need to know that the same neighbor's now 25 year old son had a drug problem when he was 18-19? The information is already available to the public, it just requires actually going to the clerk of courts and requesting it. This bill in my opinion only serves to satisfy our human desire for gossip. Perhaps there is a need to know if your new neighbor is a multiple times violent felon, but I don't think you need to ruin a man's life or career because he made some stupid choices a decade or two ago. At some point serving your debt to society has to actually mean that the debt is served not that it's a life sentence.

Naughty Lawmakers

Related to my previous post... General PP makes an excellent point.

Bleeders and Spenders

I see Smilin Mike has found a new catch phrase. I watched his press conference last night and I think he defined "bleeders" three or four times. He had a look on his face that reminded me of a small child that has just told his first joke. Maybe he is going to run for Senate. He certainly has the sound bite politics of Washington down. I wonder at what point did this State and especially the Legislature cede all authority to the Governor? Marion seems supremely pissed that the Legislature would even dare challenge his budget proposal. Its funny... when the Gov. wants to spend on extra programs it comes from the reserves. When the Legislature wants to spend more money Marion demands they find new revenue streams (TAXES for those who don't understand the code words). The Governor is elected to run the executive branch of state government. The Legislature is elected to represent the people of the State of South Dakota. Who do you think should have the ultimate authority of preparing the budget?

Session

If the entire budget process hinges on the 4th quarter numbers that aren't available until mid-end of February why don't we start session a month later? The biggest problem everyone seems to have is that the appropriations process is so rushed at the end of Session. If we have more time between when the 4th quarter numbers come out and the end of Session couldn't we have a more thorough discussion on how we appropriate our money. I personally would also extend the Session to say 50 days and set different time tables for different parts of the appropriation bill. For example the transportation budget comes out a week after the 4th quarter numbers come in etc etc. There simply needs to be more time and more transparency in the budget process.

Gone For a Bit

So I started the blog and then took a long absence. I apologize, but I'm not going to say it won't happen again.