Football 9/13
My Roughriders shellacked the Silver Knights 55-24 and had a RB break the single game rushing record set back in the 90’s. Next up: The Jamestown Greenview Rams. Home of former Tennessee Vol and New England Patriot Roland James. He was a hell of a hurdler back in the 70’s, but he won’t be playing friday. Riders by as many as they want.
Ohio State surprised me by blanking the “new in-state rival” Cincinnati. The go to Indiana to face the Hosers. Buckeyes 35, Candystripers 13.
The Pooh Bears lost to Big Red so they’ll be dropped from further discussion.
Saints take on the Rams and the officiating crew AGAIN. Rams by three. Hope they earn it this time.
Go figure
The average college degree costs almost three times more than it did when I graduated (1980.)
A happy meal costs 40% less.
One of these industries is subsidized by the government. The other isn’t.
Football predictions 9/6
Roughriders opened with a big win over an outmatched opponent last week. This week’s opponent Bishop Ready got a closer win over a better foe. Prediction: winner this week makes the playoffs. Loser might too, but I gotta write something!
Buckeyes will top the Bearcats by 21. Top four in the college ranks is still up in the air but I’ll go with Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Alabama, with Georgia looming.
Ohio Northern opens against the Big Red of Denison. Too bad D isn’t still running the single wing. Would make this watchable.
And finally we have the Saints hosting the rebuilding Texans. Saints by 5.
Kickoff
Tonight marks the kickoff of the 2019 Ohio high school football season. It also marks the first time in about 80 years the West Jefferson Roughriders have kicked off without John Kile as a fan. His older brothers played. His dad coached. His son was a scrub. His daughter was a cheerleader. And he was The Voice of the Roughriders for almost 50 years. The last game he attended was opening night 2018 when he and close friend John Baldwin inducted Dustin Blake (Mt. Union) into the WJHS Athletic Hall of Fame. A month later, on his birthday, he passed quietly.
This evening before the game his wife and children will drive down to the cemetary and place a bowl of brown and gold mums, decorated with a football, on his grave. We’ll probably play “On, West Jefferson” (Wisconsin stole it from us.) A little corny perhaps, but dad woulda liked that.
“Fixing” Congress
So far Democrat POTUS candidates have proposed, among other things, turning state and local election supervision over to the Federal government, lowering the voting age, allowing illegal immigrants the right to vote, giving the Federal government the power of redistricting, packing the SCOTUS and doing away with the Electoral College. MOST of these changes require Constitutional amendment. Let me make it a lot easier on them.
Simply repeal the Apportionment Act of 1911. This set the number of Representatives in the U.S. House to 435. The Reapportionment Act of 1929 eventually set up the current method of allocating seats following a census. I have no problem with keeping the Webster Method of reapportionment although revisiting Hamilton/Vinton methodology might be propitious. No Constitution amending needed.
Rough result per 2010 Census: Wyoming 578k people still merit one Representative. The U.S. Population of 308m would result in 547 Representatives. This means an additional 112 electoral votes. Even better? Madison proposed twelve amendments to the Constitution in 1789. Ten became the Bill of Rights. One became the 27th Amendment. The twelfth was a reapportionment amendment which would result in one seat per 50,000 people. This would result in over 10,000 in the House of Representatives. Was ONE state short of ratification in 1791. It’s still an open issue. Eleven states have ratified it. Only twenty-seven more need to. LET ‘ER RIP! Want every vote to count? This would go a long way towards that. And would make legislative capture a MUCH harder goal.
And what do I want in return? Repeal the 17th Amendment. BWAHAHAHAHA!
Is it just me
Or does it strike anyone else as a little odd that the same people who politicized the National Anthem at football games, and who politicized the US Women’s soccer team are now upset at the politicization of ballroom dancing?
You’re a Genius (another dumb sports analogy)
Your team has the ball, 3rd and 6 from their own 40. You know the PERFECT play to run to pick up the first down. And you’re a genius. Here’s why.
Either the coach CALLS your play or he doesn’t. Assume he does. Either it works, or it doesn’t. If it works, you’re a genius. If it DOESN’T it’s because it was poorly executed and you’re STILL a genius. Let’s assume the coach DOESN’T call your play. If the play he calls works, yours would’ve worked better, so you’re a genius. And if the play he called DOESN’T work, yours obviously would’ve, and you’re a genius.
Virtually every political decision made on the planet on a personal, partisan or bi-partisan level fits the same mold. And you’re a genius.
I’m sure they’re closing in on me even as I type
More rideshare stuff
Not EVEN going to get started with Cali (and Mayor Pete’s) proposals to kill off the gig economy. Y’all know I’m a supporter, so there’s that. This is my “busy season.” I have another gig from mid-August through Memorial Day but in the summer I drive. Quite a bit. In June I managed to crack my nut on five days work (from 8 or 9am until 3 or 4p,. then back out around 6 or 7, drive until target hit but NEVER past midnight, usually knocking off by 9.) The first three weeks of July were a struggle. Lost of nights I was out until 11 or 12 and I was driving every day. But THIS week the pendulum swung back and hopefully will stay put for another 3-4 weeks.
After a month or so many passengers name begin to look like a bad Scrabble rack.
Be prepared for OOO: Outrageous Olfactory Onslaught. Bathing in aftershave, or lotion, or hairspray. Or perhaps simply b.o. Or kitchen odors. Believe me, I’ve REEKED of that kitchen smell. I know it WELL.
Request ride. Get in car. Take ride. It’s simple. Actually had a woman stand five feet from my car (the ONLY one in the lot) and call, telling me she didn’t see me. Had another passenger stand outside my car for over four minutes talking on the phone. It’s just RUDE. Get in!! Talk while I drive. I’m good with that. But if I ain’t movin’ I ain’t makin’ money.
Pickup addresses will be wrong (about 5% in Uber, 65% in Lyft.) A lot of this stems from the limitations of GPS. Many addresses in apartment complexes all link to the main entrance or leasing office. Many other large properties (malls, churchs, schools, warehouses) all link to one corner of the property. That “point” will then give you directions to the nearest road, which may NOT be the proper entrance.These are all GPS “errors” and inherent in any developing system. But the USER errors? As Keb Mo sings, that’s a WHOLE nutha thing. I can’t read your mind. I don’t know that 3100 N High is a typo for 1300 N High. Or the E means W. Had a “passenger” send me to his place of employment instead of the restaurant where he had dined – 10 miles away. Check the app after your request to make sure you’ve entered (and it recognizes) the right location. If not – FIX IT! Correct the typo. Or move the pin. Yes, you can do that! Use your opposable thumbs.
Enjoy the rest of your summer. I know I will!
Checking the Fridge for Leftovers 