This Day in History

This Day in History

On November 29:

1864 The Sand Creek Massacre occurred in Colorado when a militia, led by Colonel John Chivington, killed at least 400 peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians who had surrendered and had been given permission to camp.

1890 Navy defeated Army by a score of 24-0 in the first Army-Navy football game. The game was played at West Point, NY.

1947 The U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution that called for the division of Palestine between Arabs and Jews.

1963 President Johnson named a commission, headed by Earl Warren, to investigate the assassination of President Kennedy.

1971 I was born in Detroit, Michigan at 1:11pm

1981 Actress Natalie Wood drowned in a boating accident off Santa Catalina Island, CA, at the age 43.

1988 The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the rights of criminal defendants are not violated when police unintentionally fail to preserve potentially vital evidence.

1998 Swiss voters overwhelmingly rejected legalizing heroin and other narcotics.

Thanksgiving

My writing is always subjective, so if at times I get preachy, it is just my personality. I want to just briefly give thanks on this day for a few things, but more importantly I want to emphasize that no matter how bad our current situation is, or we perceive it to be, there are always many things to be thankful for, most of them I take for granted on a daily basis. Of course I am thankful for my friends and family, having a job, a home, and just to be alive. What opened my eyes today was a 30 minute special documentary on TV, thanking the troops and Veterans for their service. If I was only able to give thanks for one thing on this day, I would thank those that gave their lives, those that served, and all of their families. This thanks is extended to those that bravely served in wars before I was born. In my opinion we can never repay somebody that has given their life to fight for our freedom, regardless of if we believe in war or not. This thanks goes beyond politics, it is the ultimate sacrifice to serve in the way these heroes have, and many families have also lost their loved ones making the ultimate sacrifice. What i've always noticed when the families of heroes are interviewed, I never hear complaining about their loss, but I hear the voices of honor that let me know the definition of courage and true representation of strength. I am always humbled by these heroes and their families. There is no proper way to ever repay all of you, so I simply say "thank you" from my heart.

Podcast Use Rising but Increase is Small

Basically there was a very small poll conducted of about 950-1000 Americans. Findings were that new users downloaded a podcast or two but most people don't subscribe or listen regularly. Here is my take on it.....from a guy that loves his iPod.......most podcasts are fun and entertaining for the first few times you listen to them, then they become redundant or the content gets stale. Audio is a tough medium as it is, radio has been around forever, and still it is highly competitve. It usually takes a team of trained professionals to hold our interest for more than a few minutes or we simply listen to the radio because we are trapped in our cars for a set amount of time. Radio is live, podcasts are not, so unless you are listening to information that is not subject to current events this plays a factor in my opinion. The other observation I have made (and this is subject to my geographic location) most people have not adopted mp3 players as their 1st method of audio listening. My job is unique in that I can listen to audio 30-40 hrs. a week if I choose, but I can't find that much new interesting audio content each week. The vast percentage of co-workers at my company still listen to CDs or internet radio. It would seem most people prefer music over talk shows. I like a combo, but I am selective in my talk show tastes. With music you only invest 3 minutes on the average so you don't have to love a song to listen to it. As for talk shows, I am a big Art Bell fan. His show has a subscription fee (reasonable rate). I mention this for one reason, in the world of podcasting and online audio you get what you pay for. The bulk of podcasts are free, there are a few decent ones. The majority of podcasts however do not necessarily have a professional quality to them. Many are done on a low or no budget by some creative folks with a few mics and a computer, and if they are lucky a sponsor. I will mention a few decent free ones I have listened to in the past, and you can check them out on iTunes if you like. TWIT (This week in tech) from Leo LaPorte and the old crew from Tech TV, a good podcast if you are a techie. Leo also has his own podcast KFI Tech guy, which is geared more towards helping folks with technical issues or questions. NPR has a variety of good free material, but you can always just turn on a radio to listen to NPR. MLB puts out a good podcast during baseball season with different interviews of up and coming players or managers. The one podcast that almost actually hooked me into becoming a regular is called EscapePod. It is a sci-fi show that features a different story each episode. Some obviously better than others. The only thing that eventually caused me to quit listening to this podcast was the annoying voices of some of the readers. They had a different reader each week, but more often than not their voice got on my nerves. The content of the show was and is excellent, some of the best sci-fi writers out there contribute to this podcast (if you like that sort of thing). Well there is my 2 cents on podcasting. I'll provide you with a link to the original article that prompted this rambling.

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Michigan No. 2, But Not by Much Over USC

This seems fair to me, and as a Wolverine fan I am content with this decision. USC is being given the chance to control their own destiny and Michigan after losing by only three points retains their #2 rank. The following article will explain the BCS current rankings and possible scenarios for the championship game. Florida's coach is pretty pissed, and says if it ends up an OSU vs. Umich rematch then college football needs to go to a playoff system. Personally, I think before he has a hissy fit he should focus on winning his last 2 games. If he wins out they will easily jump Michigan in the polls. The odds of Michigan making it into a rematch game are slim. I would guess USC or Florida will win their final 2 games and then play for a championship.

Anyhow here is the article: read more

A Wolverine Tribute - Go Blue

In my own words I want to write about Bo Schembechler. I am a lifelong U of M fan. I am 35 years old. I have been a Wolverine fan since I could walk and talk. New years day meant one thing to me as a kid, it meant Bo taking the team to Pasadena to play in the Rose Bowl against the best team from the PAC 10. I watched #1 Anthony Carter catch touchdowns with Bo calling the shots on the sidelines. With Bo calling the shots I felt safe, we all did. I eventually got older and understood and appreciated football more, and Bo's coaching style of running the football, and winning the battle in the trenches with his offensive line became a glorious Saturday ritual I looked forward to seeing each week. I became spoiled. Bo demonstrated teamwork and excellence. He made it look easy when it wasn't. I took it for granted. We all have memories of the match ups against the Fighting Irish, Buckeyes, Spartans, Hawkeyes, Golden Gophers, Badgers, and the other Big Ten rivals. Bo was always there, the tough coach on the sidelines that always had my vote of confidence.

When I was lucky enough to get tickets to see a game at the Bighouse, it was impossible for me to sing Hail to the Victors without a thought of Bo popping into my head. To me he always was the ultimate Victor.

Bo Schembechler's coaching achievements on the field speak for themselves. I won't rehash the statistics of all the victories. I would rather talk about the character of this amazing man. I don't recall Bo ever pointing fingers, I always recall Bo taking responsibilty for any loss, but when it came to success Bo was humble. He gave the credit to his players for the wins and the successes. If you ever get a chance to listen to any interviews with former U of M players, they all say the same thing. Bo was like a Father to his players. He cared about these guys, and was a teacher of excellence as much as he was a coach. He always stressed academics to his atheletes that played for him, and they all respected him.

Several weeks ago I listened to a radio interview with former Wolverine Dr. Billy Taylor. Dr. Taylor spoke of his battle with drugs after his college football career ended. He then went on to say he could always hear the words and teachings of Bo in the back of his mind, and it was a guiding force to get him back on the right track. I could hear the sincerity of Dr. Taylor's words in his voice. Bo was simply a great leader on and off the field. All around he was a man filled with greatness, and it spilled over to the players and the fans.

My sincerest condolences go out to Bo's family and friends. There is a giant empty place in all of our hearts because we know greatness and legends like Bo rarely ever enter our lives and make such an impact. We will miss you, but be certain we will never forget you. We will always be thankful for the memories you gave us, the excellence you demonstrated, the lives you touched. Thank you Bo.

I'll leave you with this quote from Reggie McKenzie, who played under Bo from 1969-71, ".....today the world seems so much sadder, and so much smaller."

Bo Schembechler - A Great Man

Michigan coaching legend Bo Schembechler has died after collapsing Friday morning, Detroit-area television station WXYZ reported. He was 77.

My personal thoughts: This info I found I the web: Schembechler had a heart attack on the eve of his first Rose Bowl in 1970 and another one in 1987. He has had two quadruple heart bypass operations.

Bo beat death many times........so I guess I foolishly believed he always would. It was his personality. One way or another Bo always found a way to win. I will miss him. I feel he was the greatest college football coach of all time tied with Joe Paterno for the # 1 spot on my all time greatest list. History will acknowledge his greatness. Bo was a victor and a champion in every sense of the word. It is a sad day in Ann Arbor, and across the country.

if you want to read more details

Election Summary

This article gives a good breakdown of the entire election.

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Rumsfeld yada yada yada

More on his resignation in case you want more quotes and blah blah blah.......

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Rumsfeld steps down

Rumsfeld steps down the day after the 2006 elections. They say something smells different in the White House. Perhaps it is better to step down then to face the trial that congress would put him through.

Here is something for you, it is from Fox news (the Republican owned media) it is dated Nov. 8th. and is completely wrong.

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, a key target of Iraq war critics, gave no indication Wednesday that he planned to step down in the wake of Democratic midterm election gains, his chief spokesman said.

Eric Ruff, the Pentagon press secretary, said he participated in meetings with Rumsfeld on Wednesday morning and heard no talk of changing war strategies or of Rumsfeld leaving his post. He said he did not know whether Rumsfeld has talked to President Bush about his future in light of the election results.

The focus of U.S. strategy for stabilizing Iraq remains the same, Ruff said: handing over more control to the Iraqi government and encouraging the leaders there to make political progress on reconciliation and resource sharing.

"They're moving and the (Iraqi) leadership is showing they are trying to get some things done," Ruff said.

• Click here to visit YOU DECIDE 2006, FOXNews.com's complete election center.

Asked whether the election results would lead to changes in the military's approach in Iraq, Ruff said Rumsfeld will continue to rely heavily on the advice of U.S. commanders in Iraq, while consulting with the Congress.

Election Results

Democratic landslide. Senate up for grabs.

Election Day 2006

I won't give you the lecture of who to vote for, just get out and vote today. No excuses. I voted. It was raining at my precinct and voter turn out was very low. I arrived at 11:45 am and was done by 12:00 noon. At least 5 minutes of that time was spent reading over my ballot before I began to fill it out. There was no line to wait in. Quite different from the 2004 election.

If you are interested in some local (Michigan) pre-election day polls and results I am providing a link to WXYZ election coverage.

2006 election day and more

Republicans Resigned to Idea of Big Losses

It's about time. Remember to vote on Tuesday November 7th.

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Repost from Feb. 2004

This is what I had to say about Mel Gibson and his father on Feb. 27th, 2004. The reason I am reposting it is because well, I told ya so. Furthermore I would question the sincerity of Mel's apology for his drunken racist tyrade. Like father like son.

Reposted:

Mel Gibson's daddy

Check this out. If Mel won't denounce his father's sick statements then he is most definitely not OK in my book. I don't care how senile his dad is. I don't care if his dad has 1 marble left rolling around in his head. If his son had any decency he'd set the record straight but what does he do instead, he makes propaganda and hypes it up as art, and cries boo hoo poor me the celebrity they won't leave me and my daddy alone. Nevermind that his daddy is a bigot. If his dad is really that senile then medicate him, and shut him up, and lock him away. Otherwise take responsibility for what he has said publicly.

Economic News

Here are some alarming numbers if you are interested in our so called "healthy" economy. Read this article and then be sure to go out and vote.

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Food-borne bacteria evolving

The first rule of public health is one most of us learn in kindergarten: Don't eat poop.

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