Absolutely RA-DICKULOUS!!!

     This is the last image an opposing batter sees before flailing and fluttering at one of the most wickedly ridiculous pitches major league baseball has ever seen.  Conventional knucklers like Niekro, Hough, Wakefield and the lot had great movement on a hard to hit pitch that came in at 60 to 70 miles per hour.  After a couple of innings it was possible to "catch up" to those knuckleballs, draw some walks, and get a few runs on the board.  There is nothing conventional, though, about this knuckleball pitcher that commands the mound for the New York Metropolitans.  This knuckleball pitcher, the one who wears #43, is the only pitcher who has ever been able to control the knuckleball.  Not only control it, but throw it harder and more consistent in the strike zone at speeds of up to 80 miles per hour.
     This knuckleballer is none other than R.A. Dickey.  The man who nearly drowned swimming across the Mississippi river.  The man who climbed Kilamanjaro.  The man who has found inner peace in the most unpeaceful pitch known to baseball.  R.A. has become one with the knuckler and there does not seem to be any way to stop him, let alone get consistent hits off of him.  R.A. sits amongst the best that are in the game today with a 12-1 record, 2.15 ERA, 116 strikeouts and a microscopic WHIP of 0.88.  What do these numbers mean?  That R.A. will most likely be starting the All-Star game for the NL and he is on a roll to possibly win 26 games this year.  Add this tremendous pitching and the fact that the Mets scrappy players are scoring runs for him and you have an almost impossible hill to climb for an opposing team not named the Yankees.

     R.A. has 2 one-hitters already this year, one of which should have been a no-no, with 2 complete games and a strikeout to walk ratio that is incredible at 116-25.  I've seen Wakefield and other knucklers over the years and never has one been so dominant over a 16 game stretch that Dickey is on.    Is it impossible to dream for a Mets fan that this may be the year that we have been waiting for since 2000?  Johann Santana has already given us the first no-no in the teams history and now Dickey seems as if this is the reincarnation of Seaver.  For a man with such a troubled past as Dickey has, he has seemingly come to grips with an area of his life that most will never figure out for themselves.  He has clearly taken his turmoil and found what will work for him and translated that into his professional career as a pitcher.
     Now Mets fans can only watch and wonder in amazement as hitters look absolutely dumbfounded and shake their head in amazement as they walk back to the dugout.  They are now victims to a pitch that is incredibly RA-DICKULOUS to hit and even harder to understand.  The Mets fans are enjoying this ride into the All-Star break relishing the fact that Dickey is one of their own and not the opponent.  Believe!! Mets fans.  This is going to be an Amazin' year as we watch this determined group of ballplayers led by the most dominant of knucklers the sport has ever seen.  

Arkansas...Do You Need a Change?

     The 2012 elections are coming up quick and all states have some serious soul searching to do due to the current situation in our political landscape.  While GOP and Democrats alike are arguing over the ACA(Obamacare), who is at fault over The Fast and the Furious fiasco, unemployment, and of course the usual, taxes, what are you doing Arkansas? Have you taken the time and actually read the law http://www.healthcare.gov/law/full/  that will shape the nations healthcare for generations to come?  Do you realize that although this law may not be perfect as a whole that it may be possible to put the right politicians in place that can mold this law into the great bill that it can be?  Have you finally had enough of the way republicans and democrats are becoming one and the same with every passing year?
     Do you, Arkansas, grasp the fact that the American people need to take back our country, but have been going about it in the wrong fashion?  For decades we have elected a POTUS based on the platform he has provided and promises he has not kept.  Well now is the time to change that path of destruction that has led to this sad predicament we reside in as citizens of what is supposed to be the greatest country in the world.  If you do not approve of the way that government is run, then educate yourself on the way your representatives are voting on your behalf.  if they are not voting in your best interest, then you need to eliminate the incumbents that are ignoring your wishes.
     All 435 seats in the US House of Representatives are up for re-election this November.  If you do not approve of how Congress has performed then as educated voters, we can make a difference.

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job?
Response	Gallup News Service (November 3-6, 2011)	Gallup News Service (December 15-18, 2011)	Gallup News Service (January 5-8, 2012)	Gallup News Service (February 2-5, 2012)	Average
Approve	13%	11%	13%	10%	11.75%
Disapprove	82%	86%	81%	86%	83.75%
No opinion	5%	3%	6%	4%	4.5%
Number polled	1,012	1,019	1,011	1,029	1,017.75
Margin of error	+/-4	+/-4%	+/-4%	+/-4%	4%

As you can see by the above Gallup poll, numbers for both republicans and democrats are in the tank.  The only way to change the direction of our government is to start voting from bottom to top.  The POTUS, being Obama, or possibly Romney, need the backing of the House and Senate in order to carry out their promises and be the leader they have set out to be.  No POTUS can survive as a lame duck and that is exactly what Obama has become. He has been fought tooth and nail and bashed on so many issues that there is no possibility of change.  Do yourself and the nation a favor and actually go to http://www.arkansashouse.org/members and research the representatives in your district that you live and make sure they are working FOR you, not for peronal gain.  Understand that by voting in your local, state and federal elections that change will eventually happen.
     Your state motto being Regnat Populus, The People Rule, is a very meaningful phrase to live up to.  Do you follow that motto?  Or do you blindly elect your leaders based on name recognition or simply party affiliation?  Maybe it is time to take back your government and let the fools who we have elected in the past know that we will not tolerate this pathetic display of infighting.  Register to vote at http://www.sos.arkansas.gov/elections/Pages/voterRegistration.aspx and let the people rule once again and do not let it be a #saddayforusa2012.  By educating yourself to the truth instead of what the politicians want you to believe as truth, you will give yourself, your neighbor, and your country the opportunity for true peace and prosperity.
http://portal.arkansas.gov/residents/Pages/residentsResources.aspx

Arizona 2012...Do You Need a Change?

   
     The House of Representatives elections for your great state of Arizona  is coming upon you very quickly.  This is the time of year that with the primaries coming up on August 28th and the elections close behind, many decisions must be made.  I applaud your voters for having a relatively new House of Representatives compared to the first two states I've researched.  No representative has been in office for more than seven years, and that is just a handful.  Most have only served one term and now is the time to look back at their voting past and decide if they have been doing the right thing by you, the constituents.
     You, as voters, decided to vote Republican across the board in the 2008 election in hopes of gaining an advantage to help your hopeful presidential candidate, John McCain.  Now another decision lies ahead.  Do you stay on your path of strictly republican voting and most likely lose with a candidate like Romney, or do you change your direction and put those in your House that will back the incumbent, Barack Obama.  Just know that no matter who is the POTUS, they need the support of the House and Senate in order to succeed.  Ditat Deus

Party		As of June 2012
	Democratic Party	19
	Republican Party	40
	Independent	1
Total		60

is your state motto, meaning "God Enriches."  Take a good look at both the democratic and republican parties and you might just see that neither will succeed the way the citizens of this nation need them to in this time of recession, high unemployment rates and gluttonous deficit.  God at this time needs to enrich yourselves, the citizens of the great state of Arizona, as well as all citizens of this country with wisdom and faith that the right people will one day come along to right the wrongs of our past.

   Right now, all we can do is hope and pray that all politicians will one day work together and eliminate party stipulations that hinder our growth and progress.  You, as citizens can go to http://www.azleg.gov/MemberRoster.asp?Body=H&SortBy=1 in order to view your representatives, their email addresses and other contact information and learn all that you can before casting your next vote.  Change is indeed needed in this country and only us, as voters can force that change.  Do not settle for the flawed promises of politicians and their political angles.  Hold your representatives accountable for your welfare and commit to replacing them if they are not up to your standards as individuals, lawmakers and leaders of your state and country.  Going to http://az.gov/government_votingelect.html you can register to vote, and find out all there is to know about the upcoming primaries, elections and individuals involved.
  Please Arizona, register to vote, then take your vote seriously.  If this country keeps voting in the wrong individuals, then no POTUS, GOP or Democrat, will have a chance to put his platform into action and make a viable change for our sake.  Do not allow this to be a #saddayforusa2012.  Use the resources provided and research the ones that truly run the government, while the POTUS gets all the credit or blame. If as citizens, we vote from bottom to top, and get each state in better shape and fiscally responsible, then the top, the federal government will eventually fall in line.  It is no longer viable to only be concerned with the POTUS.  For so long, we have been a people that have voted from top to bottom and look at the mess we have created.  The time for change is now and we must start with ourselves and within our state in order to achieve a more fluent federal government that holds to its promise of for the people, by the people.

Alabama 2012...Do You Need a Change?

     After researching and looking at the numbers, I must say that even as a state as set in their ways as Alabama is, I was astounded by the results.  As we head into this election of 2012, we, as citizens, must realize that change will never come from the politicians themselves, but from the power of the people.  Our votes do have an impact on the direction of this country, contrary to popular belief.  By electing the same individuals, or different individuals with the same morals and principles as the last, we are merely repeating the definition of insanity.  We, as the people whom our politicians are supposed to  represent, need to take control back and let our elected officials be held accountable.

      Alabama is one of the good ole' boys of the south that takes great pride in who they are as a people.  The motto of your state says all that anyone needs to know about the state you call home.  Audemus jura nostra defendre clearly notes that "We Dare Defend Our Rights."  You live by this motto and forever will defend all that you hold dear.  Yet, for all that is within your borders, you remain a piece of the great American puzzle that needs your assistance.  The other residents of this amazing country need you to focus on this and all future elections for not only yourselves, but your neighbors and your countrymen.

     Do the great citizens of Alabama understand that this country as a whole needs change?  Do the great citizens of this state realize that it may not be left to the doings of the current POTUS, or the next, to shape and mold our country into the nation that we need to be?  Have you noticed that currently there are 49 out of your 105 representatives that have resided within your House for a decade or more?  20 of those House representatives have been in office for over two decades, while 10 of them have been voting on your behalf for more than 3 decades.  In order to change this nation and offer a chance to our next POTUS, being Obama or Romney, don't you think that the lawmakers and representatives that supposedly work for you are doing their job.  The Alabama state House of Representatives needs to be looked at by you, the people and questions need to be asked.

     Do your elected officials actually vote in your district the way that you, the citizen want them to vote?  Do these elected officials share the same moral and ethical values that you teach in your own home.  Are the incumbents in office running unopposed for various reasons(I will leave those reasons to your own devices)?  Have you, as voters, taken the time to research the representatives that are on the ballot, or are you voting on  name recognition alone?  Please Alabama, for your sake and the country as a whole, take the time to go to http://www.alabama.gov/portal/index.jsp and just take a few minutes to research your representatives.

    Through this site you can find out all information needed about your government, the upcoming elections, and your representatives in each district.  To register to vote you can just click this link http://www.alabama.gov/portal/secondary.jsp?id=votingElections and choose the register to vote option.  Remember, your vote does count and by allowing the same individuals to keep their seat in your house, you are not giving the POTUS the help needed to run this country effectively.  Help by voting out the incumbents that have been a burden on our society and allow the ones that are "in touch" with the people have an opportunity to work for you.  It may take an election or two, but by holding your lawmakers and representatives responsible, our government in not only our states will become more effective, but in the country as a whole.  Give our fine nation a chance to breathe again and do not let this just be another #saddayforusa2012.

Party		As of June 2012
	Democratic Party	40
	Republican Party	65
Total		105

     A full list of all representatives, their district, and even a phone number to reach them is shown here: http://www.alabama.gov/sliverheader/Welcome.do?url=http://www.legislature.state.al.us/house/house.html

Alaska, 2012...Do You Need a Change?

      As promised in my last blog, I am on a mission to educate voters as to the need for change in this country.  Everyone seems, as always, to be caught up on only the election of the next POTUS, without giving that POTUS the necessary aid he may need to help this country prosper.  It lies within the lawmakers and representatives that stand behind or against the principles, values and direction of the POTUS that will lead this country for the next four years.  Do not be mistaken, it is not the POTUS that is in control of our government and our future in this great country.  It is not the POTUS that can lead us out of, or deeper into, this recession.  That discretion lies within the representatives and lawmakers that oversee our districts and vote, supposedly how we want them to vote, and give or reject the leadership of the next POTUS.  Do you want a change?  Then you must educate yourself and make your vote count.
     In Alaska, there are forty districts comprising at this point of about one hundred individuals that will be heading into the August 28th primaries to determine the candidates for the republican and democratic parties.  Alaska, since 1996 has seen the republican party as the majority within their House of Representatives.  There are questions that an individual must answer for themselves before going to the polls and counting their vote.  Does the representative that I will be voting for share my core beliefs and values?  Have I taken the time to research the candidates that are running for my district and understand how they will vote in my favor?  Has the incumbent in my district voted the way that serves my best interest as a citizen?  These are just a few questions that are imperative to answer before you cast your ballot in your August primary and in the November election.
     Did you know that Republican Don Young is running in 2012 for his twenty-first two year term as the sole representative in the U.S. House of Representatives for your great state of Alaska? Have you taken the time to research and find out just how he is representing your state for the past forty years?  It is incredible to think that the people of the state of Alaska have just been electing an individual based on a name alone.  You, as citizens can go to http://donyoung.house.gov/VoteRecord/ to find out just how your state representative is voting on your behalf in regards to matters all across the U.S.  It is not so much as to see a name that is recognizable on the ballot, but to never investigate how their vote will affect you is deplorable.  You, as a citizen, can go to http://house.legis.state.ak.us/ to view every representative currently in legislature and get a bio of their history.  Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click several different links that will show you recent bills, how they were voted on by your representatives and any other information you may want to find out.

     Alaska's state motto is North to the Future and represents your beautiful state as a land of promise. Take a good hard look at your representatives this year and determine how they can best serve yourself as well as your POTUS.  Will they afford Obama or Romney the respect that they deserve as POTUS. Will they help instead of hinder the direction our great leader wants to advance our country?  And most of all, will they represent you and your needs when it matters most, in this most dire of times for Americans as we stare at a bloated deficit, record high unemployment rates, a questionable at best health care system, and of course, the forever rising taxes.  Do not let this just be another #saddayforusa2012.  Take your stand and vote out all out of touch incumbents and let the newcomers understand that their complacency will not be tolerated.  Register to vote at http://www.elections.alaska.gov/vi_vr_how.php  Alaska, and live up to your motto of a land of promise. Click on a name below to find the link for your districts representatives:

The following candidates won election on November 2, 2010:

1. Alan Austerman
2. Alan S. Dick
3. Anna Fairclough
4. Berta Gardner
5. Beth Kerttula
6. Bill Stoltze
7. Bill Thomas (Alaska)
8. Bob Herron
9. Bob Lynn
10. Bob Miller
11. Bryce Edgmon
12. Carl Gatto
13. Cathy Munoz
14. Charisse Millett
15. Chris Tuck
16. Craig Johnson, Alaska Representative
17. Dan Saddler
18. David Guttenberg
19. Eric A. Feige
20. Kurt Olson
21. Kyle Johansen
22. Lance Pruitt
23. Les Gara
24. Lindsey Holmes
25. Mark Neuman
26. Max Gruenberg
27. Mia Costello
28. Mike Chenault
29. Mike Doogan
30. Mike Hawker
31. Neal Foster
32. Paul Seaton
33. Peggy Wilson
34. Pete Petersen
35. Reggie Joule
36. Scott Kawasaki
37. Sharon Cissna
38. Steve M. Thompson
39. Tammie Wilson
40. Wes Keller

#saddayforusa2012...or can change happen?

     In the coming months, there are going to be many decisions made as to the direction this country needs to head in order to solve our many issues.  On the table are the usual debates as to healthcare, economy, jobs and taxes and americans will be hard pressed to actually find a solution within any presidential candidate.  In fact, if you look back over just the past fifty years, no matter who resides in the oval office, GOP or Democrat, all of our problems have never been solved.  You can never please every person that lives in our great country...it is impossible.  But how do we go about making feasible changes that can allow the rich, middle, and poor classes get the most out of our politicians that "serve" their constituents?
     The answer can only lie in the education of voters to understand that while having a POTUS that is respectable, knowledgeable, hard-working, truthful and caring for the citizens, even the most powerful man in the world has checks and balances.  The POTUS needs to balance his ideals and political ambitions alongside other men and women that don't necessarily share the same direction that he wants to take the country.  Our POTUS, no matter what party he belongs to, simply needs help.  That is where the citizens, you and me, need to educate ourselves about the men and women who belong to our House of Representatives.  These 435 seats must be filled on November 6th. These 435 seats vote in all districts of every state, for you, the citizen of that district.  So many of these seats have been filled by the same representatives for two or more decades without reproach.
     These are the very same men and women who will tell you, the citizen, that they know what is best for your district and state as a whole.  These are the very same individuals that challenge most presidents and the changes they want to make, based on the premise that it is what you, the constituent want.  These representatives are out of touch and bow only to the wealthy and their donations(bribes).  Education is the only way to change the direction of this country.  If you are sick of how your state and country are run, there is only one way to change.  Register to vote and make that vote count.  Possibly the only way to start a change in this great country is to vote out ALL incumbents and start fresh with those men and women who are not out of touch with society.
     In the upcoming two months, I will be previewing all states and their representative elections and showing guides on what to look for and how to educate yourself for the most important election in recent history.  Not the presidential election itself, but the ballots that need to be cast in order for the president, be it Obama or Romney, to have a chance at making change for all people of the nation.  Just remember that your vote does count, if you use it wisely.  Do not let this be a #saddayforusa2012.  Help our country prosper instead of continuing this tailspin we have been in for nearly a decade.

Title IX and its Rhetorical Farce

     In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act, which eliminated segregation and discrimination in many areas of life, although mainly intended for African-Americans in this country.  Titles IV and VII are inherently known for their failure to address sex discrimination in the academic environment, even though Title VII did add ‘sex’ to its vernacular when discriminated against in the workplace.  These two provisions and their possible oversight of sex discrimination in schools led to the passing of The Higher Education Act of 1972: most notably Section 1681.  The general wording of what came to be known as Title IX leaves no doubt that Congress was aiming to prevent sex discrimination and exclusion of women within any institution that receives Federal financial aid.  The Title IX provision was a vague outlet that gave women the opportunity for acceptance and equal rights in all aspects of their education.  Section 1681 of the Educational Amendments is a law that has been carefully, and expertly, interpreted by women, even though it does not promote gender equality in any sport, let alone college sports; in reality, nothing is farther than the truth.
     Where the Civil Rights Act of 1964 failed to desegregate the sexes, the Title IX provision accomplishes this goal by clearly (or maybe not so clearly) stating, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." ).  This simply worded law, so generally applied to education, has, because of two words, changed the landscape of women’s intercollegiate sports.  ‘Program or activity’, as clarified in Section 1687, incurs all operations of colleges, universities, and other institutions, and reiterates compliance with Section 1681.  The law aimed to end sex discrimination in college admissions and academic subjects, yet actually defined sports as a sex-specific activity, without naming the term.  It is in this interpretation that all colleges and universities must offer equal sports options for women that are in proportion with enrollment in the school and men’s programs.

      The words, educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance, turned out to be the proverbial goose that laid the golden egg for women’s sports across the nation.  Congress left that opening to interpret at a later time if the situation were to arise, as in athletics.  Fortunately for women, they not only challenged, but won the right to include sports as part of Title IX when the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, in 1975, put regulations into law to expand Section 1681 in regards to athletics and their departments.  

     Title IX advocates never considered the questions and issues that would arise from the possibility of women’s sports interpreted as an educational program or activity.  While no language in the original Section 1681 declares gender equality in college sports specifically, Title IX has become a useful tool towards securing equal rights for women to have the same opportunities as men in all areas of education.  The rhetorical farce that was the issue of sports in the 1970’s clearly did not want to change the landscape of its college athletic programs, therefore, when Title IX was pushed into law, sports was not mentioned in the text.  Yet, for those two simple words, women had the ability to interpret and present their version of what the law did not intend to promote; gender equality in college sports.  It was merely up to women to broaden the scope of language, define its meaning, and fight for inclusion into an arena that was once closed because of sex.  

     Forty years later, the arguments over whether college sports have improved because of Title IX can 

forever be debated.  It is a known fact that men’s collegiate football carries most of the financial 

responsibility for college athletic departments.  Women’s basketball has made strides into supporting their 

athletic programs, but it is still not enough.  College sports would have thrived with or without Title IX and its later regulations on sex equality in sports.  Yes, the women’s softball, soccer, and basketball teams have produced some of the best players in the world in their respective sports, but it can never be proven if women’s inclusion in college sports via Title IX has made college athletics any better.  This remains an individual assessment based on personal views of those who want to challenge the question. But applause is necessary for those women who had the foresight to not only challenge the law and its hidden meaning, but to manipulate it and utilize it for generations to come.