Ace Wisdom

Our government officials in Washington are trying to balance our national budget. They have committees and elite economists working on the problem. Cutting “entitlement programs” is part of the cost cutting agenda. You know! Things like Social Security and Medicare are being considered because the programs can not be sustained. Wait, the mail just came and I have been informed my Social Security checks will increase 3.6% next year. Here is where the wondering comes in. If you are going to reduce Social Security because the costs are killing us, why would you increase the payout for next year? I guess I don’t understand. Don’t get me wrong. I can use the increased payout. I can use it better than our leaders in Washington..
I see that Muammar Gaddafi, the deposed Libyian leader was found in a drainage tile under a roadway and killed by rebels. As I recall, Saddam Hussein, the ousted dictator of Iraq was hunted down and eventually pulled out of a covered up hole in the ground on a farm. Both of these leaders were receiving billions (that is billions with a “b”) of dollars from oil reserves and should have amassed huge amounts of cash. With all that money, they couldn’t figure out a way to bribe someone to hide them. I could have figured something out. Both leaders were pulled like rats out of a hole and ended up dead. Just wondering why money didn’t buy them a safe harbor?
Grasshopper No. 4 and Grandson Dominic put a 6-0 record on the line last night in Sheboygan Youth football. The Raider Gold juggernaut took on another unbeaten team at North High School. Both teams scored 4 times, so it boiled down to who could make the most extra points after each touchdown. Sh–. The Golden Raiders lost 30-27. A valiant effort. A nail biter. I’m sure it will be a game filled with “what if we had done something different”. My advice is, “let it go”. It has been a great season. A fun season. A memorable season. A father got to coach a team, including his son, to an exciting conclusion. There is always next year. Ooops. Dominic moves on to High School next year so they can’t really wait for next year. From my distant perspective, it was a great season filled with dreams and expectations. It doesn’t get any better irrespective of the final record. Great Job!
There are two big games that face the same pressure as Grasshopper No. 4’s unbeaten team. The Packers go into Minnesota Sunday, also unbeaten (6-0). Be careful Packers. Minnesota isn’t as bad as it seems. The UW Badgers go to Michigan State sporting a 6-0 record. Michigan State plays dirty and rough. Look out Badgers! Maybe both teams should call Grasshopper No. 4 for advice.
Love,
Dad

Baseball was a big part of my childhood. The longer I study the history of the baseball, the better my perspective of my Dad’s involvement in the game and the reasons his life evolved as it did.
I have come to understand that in 1940 baseball was the only game in town. There was no NFL football. There was no NBA basketball. Television was not a viable source of communication. College sports were interesting, but mostly regional. Baseball was the one sport that dominated the national radio airwaves and promoted heros. Every little community in America could build a baseball diamond and encourage young people to get involved in baseball.
Sports Illustrated recently had an article featuring a young farmer named Jack Swift from North Carolina that aspired to be a baseball player in the early 1940’s. My Dad had the same dream, same time frame! Jack Swift got swept up by World War II. My Dad with 3 children (at the time) was pulled into World War II. When Swift got back from the War, he pursued a pitching career in North Carolina. My Dad had tried out for a major league team before World War II, so when he returned from “duty”, he had given up on baseball as a career. I am struck by the number of young men who had the baseball dream.
The reality of achieving a baseball career was really quite slim. Jack Swift had a “cannon for an arm” and kept trying for years to reach the major leagues. It meant playing “D” ball, Class “C” ball, moving up eventually to Triple A teams. The baseball system was designed to engage lots of talented players who would never hit the major leagues. Jack Swift won 30 games, an unbelieveable total of wins. He actually was a local hero, but he never made the major leagues. He “threw out his arm” by pitching double-headers (18 innings) and volunteering to pitch on short notice. He died at age 44 on his farm.
My Dad always bought baseball “stuff” from Joe Hauser’s Sport Shop in Sheboygan. Joe was a minor league baseball legend, having hit 62 home runs in one year, a record that topped Babe Ruth’s major league record and a record that stood for 40 years. As good a Joe was, he never made the major leagues.
The truth is, my Dad never had a realistic shot at the baseball career. I have come to understand that having a dream is very special and everybody needs to discover for themselves whether it is possible or not. Even when my Dad’s dream failed, I think he harbored a secondary dream that one of his kids might succeed at a baseball career. My Dad spent the rest of his life around baseball, either playing City baseball, coaching or attending baseball events.
For many years, baseball dominated the national sports landscape; 1958 changed all that. A football league called the NFL televised their championship game with Johnny Unitas slinging passes all over the field and Alan Ameche (Heisman trophy winner from Wisconsin) scoring the winning touchdown in overtime. Baseball had a rival: football.
TV has created heros in lots of sports and baseball does not occupy the lofty position that it once did. Alas, baseball is not the only game in town.
Love,
Dad

When Grasshopper No.2 was going to UW in Madison in the early 1980’s, the “Bucky Wagon” always made a grand entrance before the football game from the tunnel at the north end of Camp Randall stadium. It was a bright red 1932 American LaFrance fire truck donated by some wealthy alumni. The cheerleaders would cling to the fire truck as it made it’s entrance and the whole stadium would come alive.
In recent years there has been no fire truck. I don’t know if it fell in to dis-repair or the “green junkies” protested the gas burning engine. I have heard that the Bucky Wagon is back. It has been restored by Pierce Manufacturing in Appleton including an electric power plant that will propel it 40 miles on a single battery charge. Camp Randall already rocks on a football weekend. The fire truck will add to the excitement.
My dilemma is that there is an “occupy Wall Street” protest in New York this weekend. I need to choose between flying out to New York for the protest or driving over to Madison for the Indiana football game. Let me see! New York or Madison? Hmmmm! I’ll let you know my decision.
A Reporter in Sheboygan phoned me personally last night to let me know that Grasshopper No.4 and son won their Youth Football game in the rain, 40-12. There was a reference to “kicking ass”. I think there are two games to go and the Raider Gold is undefeated. Now the pressure begins to build. Can the team finish unbeaten? Can they win the championship? My advice is to stay grounded. Take one game at a time. Keep the players focused. I’ll bet that advice has never been given before.
My challenge for next week is to solve my “motion sensing light” in the back yard. The light is supposed to activate when a person walks at night along the back of the house. It is an excellent security device. The damn light goes on constantly probably activated by our large bunny rabbit population. I temporarily put a piece of cardboard in front of the electric eye with a piece of duct tape. The idea was to disable the device until I could figure out a way to keep it from being super sensitive. Even with the electric eye covered, the light still activates (but not as much). What the hell? I will solve the problem!
Go Packers, Brewers, and Badgers. All play big games again this weekend. Does it get any better?
Love,
Dad

Your Mom and I spent the weekend in sunny Minneapolis. It was in the mid-80’s every day. We expected to see lots of vibrant tree colors during our journey but most foilage was “past peak”.
I can report that Grasshopper No.5 is sassy as always. I was given the burdensome task of carrying a “warm hug” from Grasshopper No.3 all the way to downtown Minneapolis. It weighed heavily on me. I finally conveyed the hug to No.5. I was free at last. Wouldn’t you know No.5 gave me a hug to bring back to No.3. It strikes me that I should get out of the middle and sibblings should hug each other. How about that?
Minneapolis has always has something going on. Last Saturday night was the annual Zombie Bar Crawl. Normal people dress up like Zombies and prowl the downtown streets frequenting the bars. I expected to be frightened but all the Zombies must have gone home early. Up to 700 people sign up to be Zombies. I know lots of people who could go as they are. No costumes required
During our next visit to Minneapolis, No.5 has agreed to make breakfast using some of the terrific recipes she has accumulated. It is a date.
I understand that Grasshopper No.4 and Grandson Dominic “kicked ass” and beat one of the top Sheboygan youth football teams 26-20. When you win by 6, that isn’t exactly kicking butt. 59-0 is kicking butt.
Some friends I see everyday were attending their only daughter’s wedding last weekend at the Heidel House in Green Lake. It was not a large wedding but a really nice setting. The mother of the bride contacted poison ivy several days before the wedding and incurred big red blotches all over her arms, neck and even on the face. I can’t imagine how ackward it would feel to have one of the biggest days in my life affected by poison ivy. Apparently everybody endured. The marriage took place. Believe me when I say the memories will be forever. 20 years from now it will be funny. I bet the Mother of the Bride is looking forward to those wedding pictures.
We are headed for Madison Saturday. The UW football game kicks off at 11:00 AM. I love early games. It is homecoming which I guess means students have a bigger reason to drink. It should be fun.
Enjoy the weather.
Love,
Dad

The UW Badger football team destroyed Nebraska last Saturday night. Camp Randall was rocking. Badger fans were in red and Nebraska had encouraged their supporters to wear black so they could be easily identified.
Fans had been warned to allow an extra 30 minutes for the security search upon entering the stadium. It wasn’t a problem.
Grasshopper No.3 and No.4 joined your Mom and I. We all wore sweatshirts and windbreakers because of the cool night. Either the seats are too narrow or we had too much clothing but seating conditions were tight. Of course my losing 40 an extra pounds never entered my mind.
ESPN featured the game on their telecasts with Lee Corso and his sidekick Herbstreet (?). Corso was asked to make his pick for the game: Wisconsin or Nebraska. Corso threw down an ear of corn (Nebraska’s nickname is the cornhuskers) signifying Nebraska was his pick. Needless to say he was booed.
ESPN has identified the student section “jump around” at the end of the third quarter as the event that makes Wisconsin special. Of course the students unleash all their energy by bouncing up and down to the tune “Jump Around”. The jump around is nice but what about the UW band’s pre-game run on. Or the half time band presentation. Or the 5th quarter featuring the band in a festive mood.
I am always amazed as the student section shows off the reason they have gone to an instituion of higher learning. Half the students shout out to the other half, “eat cow dung” while the other half of students retorts with “have intercourse with yourself”. It goes something like that! It is a proud moment as I sit with my Grandsons and they listen to the verbal exchange. Then a Grandson will ask “what are they saying Grandpa”? Magnificent moment.
Wisconsin won big time. 48-23. The Badgers have a 5-0 record and are rated No.4 in the national polls.
My only regret is that I let a situation get away where I could have insured my financial security. Rumor had tickets being scalped for up to $4000 each. Imagine if I had sold my tickets. I could have been on a yacht in the Bahamas. I could have owned my own south sea island. I could have flown to Paris, France for breakfast on an outdoor patio. You get the idea. I gave up the riches to see Wisconsin play football with my family. All together now: Oooooh!
Love,
Dad

I remember several years ago ESPN network experimented by using Rush Limbaugh as a commentator for NFL weekly programs. He was free to add his “colorful” insights about players and team matchups. That lasted less than a month. Rush ventured into mentioning Donovan McNabb, a very good black quarterback with Philadelphia. He said Donovan was held up by the league as a “black success”. Limbaugh was fired for venturing into the “black arena”. So much for free speech. The last time I looked, the NFL is 80% black. It was a political issue and the minority right wanted Limbaugh gone.
Last night, Hank Williams Jr. always sings the introduction to Monday night NFL football. ESPN did not allow Williams to do the intro because he had made a political comment about Obama. Obama has been playing golf with the House Leader, John Boehner. They are strange “bedfellows”. They are polar opposites. Hank Williams compared Obama/Boehner to Hitler golfing with free world Israel leader Netanyahu. Oops. We have a verbal link of Obama to the most hated leader ever. Williams picked the wrong comparison to make his point; but trust me ESPN will fire Williams. It is a political issue and the minority right will want Williams gone.
Public TV is doing a special on “Prohibition”. The 10% of the population (the Women’s Anti-Saloon League and the Women’s temperance Union) pulled off a protest coup. They got our Congressional leaders to pass an amendent banning booze. This was 1920. The minority right changed 13 years of American history. America was dry for 13 years. In the meantime, the law forced cheating, stealing and mobsters like Al Capone to became “kings”. Eventually the 90% of the population got their rights back, but it is amazing what the minority could do even 100 years ago.
History is full of situations where good people fail to act when minority factions disrupt our society. The result is usually bad.
The lesson, Grasshoppers, is “don’t let your rights slip away because you were afraid to fight for what you believe”.
Love,
Dad

I don’t know if there is such a thing as a perfect “sports storm” but this weekend includes the championship exploits of the Milwaukee Brewers, the Wisconsin Badgers and the Green Bay Packers.
The Milwaukee Brewers are beginning the playoff series potentially leading to the World Series. They have the personnel that could pull off a miracle. You will be able to watch incredible baseball this weekend.
The Badger football team welcomes Nebraska to Camp Randall Saturday night. Barry Alvarez calls the game the most anticipated UW football game ever! Of course Barry having played at Nebraska might have something to do with his enthusiasm. The Badgers are ranked #7 nationally. Nebraska is ranked #8. ESPN is featuring the game. The Badgers may have the best “balanced” team in recent history. Red will be the color of the day (both team have “red” as featured colors). For football, it doesn’t get any better.
The Packers play Sunday at home. The Pack is 3 wins, 0 losses. They look to keep their win streak in tact. As Super Bowl champions, the Pack is off to a good start. You could be witnessing another championship run.
So there you have it. The Brewers, Badgers and Packers. Oh my! Brewers, Badgers and Packers. Oh my!
You can watch championship sports all weekend. The only dilemma will be Sunday afternoon because the Packers and Brewers begin at the same time 3:15 PM.
By golly, it is the perfect sports storm!
Love,
Dad