Year: 2009

61-year-old William Michael Grant Dies Trying to Retrieve Golf Ball

Posted on by TL

Okay, so I passed this up the first time I saw it and did not blog about it.   I thought, well, give the guy a break.

But then it came back today, this time in the Sun-Times:

A Texas golfer died after he fell over an embankment while trying to retrieve his golf ball.

Richardson police Sgt. Kevin Perlich says 61-year-old William Michael Grant was playing in a golf tournament Friday at Sherrill Park Golf Course when he overshot a green.

Police say Grant was trying to get his ball when witnesses saw him slip and fall about 10 feet. Perlich says it appears Grant broke his neck.

Rest in peace, Mr. Grant.  May you find greener courses, and hit many a hole in one.

Clausen Turns It On to Give Notre Dame 37-30 OT Win

Posted on by TL

This one was exciting enough to keep my Mom glued to the television set watching football for the first time ever, according to my Dad.  So, I’m pleased to offer Charlie Weis kudos for today’s win after bashing him because of the loss to Michigan.

Face it, Charlie, you could have a perfect record today if you had managed the clock better against Michigan.

But that’s water under the bridge.

I give Charlie Weis, Jimmy Clausen and Robert Hughes, yes, Robert Hughes, credit for today’s win against Washington.

Here’s the report from the Chicago Sun-Times (still the best sports paper in Chicago):

Jimmy Clausen floated a 12-yard pass into the end zone that Kyle Rudolph caught over cornerback Quinton Richardson with 80 seconds left and Hughes pushed a pile of defenders into the end zone for the 2-point conversion and a 30-27 lead.

Erik Folk kicked a 37-yard field goal with 6 seconds left to tie the game at 30 and force overtime. Notre Dame (4-1) improved to 8-0 against Washington (2-3).

It was the wildest finish yet in a season of them for the Irish.

Clausen was 23 of 31 passing for a career-high 422 yards, the fifth highest passing yardage in five seasons under coach Charlie Weis. He threw one interception. Golden Tate caught nine passes for a career-high 244 yards and a touchdown. He set up Hughes’ TD run with a 22-yard catch on the first play in overtime.

Four hundred and twenty-two yards? Jimmy, keep this up, and you’ll play on Sunday.

This was an impressive win.  Yes, it was enough to keep my mother glued to the TV.

Look, that is no small accomplishment.  Mom doesn’t waste her time watching football.  Living in Pittsburgh, of all places, Mom has kept her distance from the gridiron.

Until today.

Jimmy, don’t get all full of yourself.  The season ain’t over yet.   The goal, after all, is the national title.  Not just a bowl game.

Charlie, I still have my doubts about you.

But today was pretty.

So, today, I stood as the band played our Alma Mater after the game.

And I’m crossing my fingers for the USC game in two weeks.

And, remember, guys, you’re only as good as your last game.  Next game, you have to prove it all over again.

Today, go ahead, cheer, cheer, for old Notre Dame.

And wake up the echoes in two weeks when we face USC.

I Feel Better When I Hear Craig Ferguson Say, “It’s a great day for America, Everybody!”

Posted on by TL

Craig Ferguson’s producers evidently don’t allow us to embed all of their videos.

They should.  Craig, and CBS, would pick up thousands of viewers.

I wrote this just to say, “I Feel Better When I Hear Craig Ferguson Say, ‘It’s a great day for America, Everybody!’ ”

And I do feel better.  Craig saying those words has almost become liturgical for me.  It’s optimistic.  It’s worth staying up for.

It’s a great day for America, everybody!

Texans Fight for Gay Divorce

Posted on by TL

Now I’ve pretty much heard everything.

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

A Texas judge has cleared the way for two Dallas men to get a divorce, ruling that Texas’ ban on same-sex marriage violates the constitutional guarantee to equal protection under the law.

District Judge Tena Callahan’s ruled Thursday that the court “has jurisdiction to hear a suit for divorce filed by persons legally married in another jurisdiction.”

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has argued that because the state doesn’t recognize gay marriage, its courts can’t dissolve one through divorce. Voters approved a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in 2005.

Abbott says he’ll appeal the ruling.

You gotta love the law.  Now the haters are confounded.

Only in America.

I’m really intrigued by this ruling.  If the case proceeds, Texas will have to allow that these two men were legally married in another jurisdiction.

Ha.  Ha.

As Craig Ferguson says, “It’s a great day for America, everybody!”

14-year-old Boy Severely Beaten, Skull Fractured

Posted on by TL

From the Chicago Tribune:

A 14-year-old boy severely beaten in Chicago’s  Edgewater neighborhood was able to talk to detectives Thursday after undergoing surgery for a fractured skull, police said.

The boy, a freshman at Mather High School, was chased down the 6300 block of North Paulina Street on Wednesday evening by three males who beat him, police said. One hit him with a pipe, they said.

“The victim spoke briefly with detectives and was able to relay some details of the incident,” Police Officer Gabrielle Lesniak said. “His account is still a little shaky.”

The boy was in critical condition at Children’s Memorial Hospital but expected to live, police said. No one is in custody, but officers believe the beating is gang-related, Police Supt. Jody Weis said.

“That doesn’t take away from the violence that he faced,” said Weis, who indicated that police have identified members of a particular gang as the assailants.

Gangs.  This was all about gangs.  14-years-old.

Again, we need to stop and consider.  These are our children doing this.

Our children.

David Letterman Admits Affairs with Female Staffers; Targeted by Alleged Extortionist

Posted on by TL

Here’s the scoop from the Chicago Tribune:

David Letterman acknowledged on Thursday’s show that he had sexual relationships with female employees and that someone tried to extort $2 million from him over the affairs.

During the taping of his CBS late-night show in New York, Letterman discussed receiving a threat to either pay $2 million or risk the relationships being made public.

In a release from the show’s production company, Letterman said he referred the matter to the Manhattan district attorney’s office and that an investigation ended in an arrest Thursday. Letterman did not identify the person he said was arrested.

As part of the investigation, Letterman said he issued a “phony” $2 million check to the individual and the arrest followed — along with testimony by Letterman.

This one really didn’t take me by surprise.  I really don’t have much to say.

It’s Thursday night, and I’m watching his opening monologue now.  He sounds fine.  I suspect we’ll hear more than we care to about all of this in the days and weeks ahead.

Pittsburgh Penguins Receive Stanley Cup Rings

Posted on by TL

Just look at all that gold.

Yes, that one ring could probably bail you out of your credit card debt.

Well, congratulations to the Pittsburgh Penguins who received their Stanley Cup rings last night.

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

The Penguins presented their championship rings in numerical order at a private dinner last night, which meant that captain Sidney Crosby had to wait and wait and wait for the serious bling that was to come. It was, of course, worth the time to place an ornament with the heft of a rock on his finger.

Crosby showed off the white and yellow gold band decorated with 167 diamonds, which was enough ice to replicate the surface at Mellon Arena.

“It’s a pretty nice ring,” Crosby said with classic understatement.

Rings were made for 52 players, coaches, staff and executives, and most were presented in person at a dinner at LeMont Restaurant on Mount Washington. The ceremony was held three days before the Penguins begin defense of their title, which team officials hoped would mark the end of the celebration and get the players in the proper frame of mind to begin another title journey.

Ironic that after four months on the ice, you get rewarded with more ice.

(Thanks to James Mendez for that last line.)

Go Pens!  The quest to defend the Cup begins Friday in Pittsburgh.

Sydney Crosby’s Groin Ready for Home Opener

Posted on by TL

Sorry, Syd.  Had to write that headline after reading this from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Center Sidney Crosby participated in the Penguins’ practice at Southpointe today with no apparent problem, and seems increasingly optimistic about playing in their season-opener Friday night against the New York Rangers at Mellon Arena.

Crosby said the injured groin he has been nursing for about a week “feels pretty good,” and that, “as long as everything stays the way it is, it should be good to go.”

I was even happier to read the team received their rings.

Memorial for Derrion Albert Goes All Wrong…

Posted on by TL

I can’t even imagine the emotions….

From the  Chicago Sun-Times:

About 250 neighbors, Fenger graduates and self-proclaimed community activists angrily shouted at each other during a boiling protest of street violence during the vigil called in response to the Thursday mob beating that took Derrion’s life.

One neighborhood activist who called herself, “Queen Sister,” chanted through a bull horn and led a group of people to the school’s front door demanding to be let in before being turned away. Some people stood nose-to-nose arguing over whether the gathering should be in memory of Derrion or a protest of the violence that killed him. Chicago police were there to calm the crowd.

“Our community has been reduced to nothing more than a killing field,” Queen Sister said.

Fenger graduate Charles Barkley, 18, said “Our community needs to be saved. … We need to reach out to our youth and let them know the right way to go. All this gang banging, there ain’t no reason for it.”

Earlier this afternoon, three teenagers were ordered held without bail for the vicious beating death of Derrion, who was 16.

Four teens now have been charged.

Enough is enough.

We need to take a good, hard look at how this happened in the first place.

It was about gangs.  And this honor student was pulled in, and he lost his life.  And at least four teens have lost the rest of their lives as well.

This cannot happen again. Ever.

Would Senator Schumer Consider Thomas Paine an Unpaid Journalist?

Posted on by TL

Disturbing news for bloggers out of Washington, D.C. today.

Okay, so why is today any different from any other day?

From Andrew LaVallee at the Wall Street Journal:

A recent amendment to the federal shield bill being considered in the Senate will exclude non-”salaried” journalists and bloggers from the proposed law’s protections.

The law, called the Free Flow of Information Act, is intended to prevent journalists from being forced to divulge confidential sources, except in cases such as witnessing crimes or acts of terrorism. The amendment, introduced by Sen. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) last week, limits the definition of a journalist to one who “obtains the information sought while working as a salaried employee of, or independent contractor for, an entity–

a. that disseminates information by print, broadcast, cable, satellite, mechanical, photographic, electronic, or other means; and

b. that—

1. publishes a newspaper, book, magazine, or other periodical;

2. operates a radio or television broadcast station, network, cable system, or satellite carrier, or a channel or programming service for any such station, network, system, or carrier;

3. operates a programming service; or

4. operates a news agency or wire service.”

As an unpaid blogger — according to this definition — let me say this: government should not have the right to define what is and is not “the press.”  If a resident of any town wants to sit down with a word processing program and print the news on 8.5″ x 11″ and become the next town crier, how can Washington say this journalistic neophyte is not legit?

The government cannot do this.  The government must not take this step.  Schumer is wrong. If this amendment does pass, the Supremes would be well advised to declare it unconstitutional.

Why?  Consider this…

What would Chuck Schumer have done with Thomas Paine? Would Schumer first have to consider if Paine was paid for Common Sense?  Would he conclude that Paine was just an independent blogger, you know, throwing his opinion around?

Would Chuck Schumer be the guy turning Thomas Paine over to the British?

You gotta wonder.