It's Opening Day

I just saw two ESPN baseball analysts pick the Cubs to make the World Series. Not win, mind you. Just make it. It's going to be a long summer.

But, today is Opening Day! Woohooo!

UPDATE: Brewers 4, Cubs 3, in 10.

Yeah, But Have You Ever Had a Boxer's Fracture?

As noted Friday, I've officially been a parent for one year, and what I'm finding is that sometimes parents must go to great lengths to take a lesson in good behavior to a level where a young child can understand it. Where a child can say, "Wow, Dad! Now I get it. I'll never do that again."

As a one year old, Mr. O, on occasion, will let his anger get the best of him. He'll let out a yell at the cupboard door that won't open, throw himself down and bang his still-developing skull on the floor. I've told him many times that this is not a good idea and that people just don't deal with frustration in this way. I've even tried to reason with him, pointing out that the cause of the pain in the back of his head is due to his banging of said head on the tile floor.

Three weeks back, I was struggling to find a way to get through to him, so I decided to take that lesson in good behavior to the next level. For the good of my son and in no relation to the abysmal play of the Indiana basketball team in their season-closing loss to Penn State, I punched the arm of the couch. Hard. For effect.

Not being a doctor, I didn't know immediately how to diagnose the swelling, bruising, tingling and severe pain in my right hand. It wasn't until yesterday - yes, yesterday - when I spoke to an actual doctor, that I got the verdict. A Boxer's Fracture.

Now, until that diagnosis, my trip to the doc had been a tad embarrassing. Nurses laughed at me as the reason for my visit spread through the office.

My main nurse said, "I bet your wife thinks this is pretty funny." I replied, "Could that be because you can hear her laughing from 20 miles away?"

And, the doctor actually wrote "March Madness" in my file in the space left for "Reason for Injury."

About the only things that made it all worthwhile were the two words, Boxer's Fracture. I wanted to say to the doc, "Cut me, Mick. Cut me."

An object lesson in anger management that comes with a cool name, too. A twofer.

Plus, as Mr. O grows up, I'll have an 8 1/2 x 11 x-ray to use in showing him exactly what can happen when he loses his temper. I'll pull out that film and point to the hairline crack in my hand and say:

"Mr. O. A wise, wise man once wrote: In the clearing stands a boxer, and a fighter by his trade and he carries the reminders of ev'ry glove that laid him down and cut him till he cried out in his anger and his shame, 'I am leaving, I am leaving.' But the fighter still remains... Lie-la-lie."

Remember those words, son.
UPDATE: Not on the condition of my hand, but on the outpouring of concern from my family.

Mom delivered these to me today...about 30 years too late.

In case you can't tell from the picture, these are Styrofoam Incredible Hulk fists that "roarrrrrr" when you hit things.

They are larger than Mr. O's head, so I'll wait till later to pass these on to the next generation.

Hoosier Hysteria

Growing up a Hoosier, I know that Indiana has been routinely relegated to the backwaters of presidential election politics. It's always been a reliable Republican state in the general election, and the state's primary has always been so late in the season that it's never really mattered in selecting a nominee.

Until I moved to Michigan, I thought the only candidates who put up TV ads were people running for mayor.

Well, not since the days of Dan Quayle has the Hoosier State been at the center of a presidential race. Now, Clinton and Obama have landed.

After this experience, Indiana might lead the parade of states moving their primaries back to actually AVOID any campaigning.

Happy Birthday Mr. O

Mr. O turns 1 on Friday; and what a 1 it's been.

I could type for days with cliches about fatherhood and the way a child changes your life for the better, but at the same time I would never do it justice.

For those checking in here for the first, but hopefully not the last time, here's the report.

Mr. O is walking well, although he seems to struggle a bit right after he eats due to an apparent shift in his center of gravity.

He has two teeth pushing through his lower gums, ready to go to work any day.

He loves bananas and applesauce (his great-grandpa would be proud).

The pets, who have gotten together to dub themselves the Afterthoughts, could really take him or leave him, but I bet if you pushed them really hard they'd take him.

He loves books, especially the way they taste.

He has his father's belly and his mother's smile.

He has discovered a revolutionary teething remedy which involves packages of 5-year old Trader Joe's fruit leather his parents forgot they even had until he found them.

He's very popular at day care and at home with a happy disposition and playful way about him.

Life with Mr. O is good.

@$#*, That Was a $^&@*#! Interesting Story

Mr. O doesn't talk yet, so the extent of his cursing and swearing has so far been limited to looks like this. Although, I guess since I don't have a clue what "dah, dah, dah" means, I may be very wrong about this.

Still, it would be an understatement to say my interest was piqued this morning when I heard, while giving Mr. O his breakfast, that NPR was going to air a story about children and swearing.

I had to hear this because of a recent story from a friend, who in the midst of a crisis which involved his child using dog poop as a palate cleanser, found his boy repeating the words Dad was screaming in germ-ridden horror.

So, I listened... to Mr. O's dismay. He yelled "dah, dah, dah" throughout. Hmmm.

And, what did I learn? Don't swear in front of your kids, but don't freak out when your kids do swear because that's just the way things go.

Hey, I heard it on NPR, so it must be true.

In all seriousness, it's a funny piece.

MEMO TO NPR: Maybe you should do a story about 33 year olds who still use $#@%& when signifying curse words for fear their mothers might read it and scold them.

Whoville is That Boy?

Many point to problems with putting your child in day care.

It's expensive. Others often spend more time with your child than you can. The child seems to pick up an awful lot of colds. It's expensive.

Can I add little pig tails in the hair of my one and only son to the list?

Look at him! He's clearly in shock.

Romney's Next Job?

Last week, in a Pundit Piece in the Michigan Information and Research Service (a daily, subscription-only newsletter that covers Michigan politics and government), I was asked the question:

Would Mitt Romney make a good running mate for John McCain?

My answer: "Romney would be a good choice for the McCain campaign. He has a strong background as an economic turnaround artist at a time when America needs one," Resch said. "He has executive experience to complement McCain's extensive legislative and national security experience. He won Michigan during the primary and this is a state that will be important in the fall.

"He's a tested and disciplined campaigner who understands the work required for a race like this. And, Romney is very well regarded among the conservative journalists, columnists and opinion leaders who communicate directly with GOP voters and who are the same people who are looking for some signals from McCain on the kind of people with whom he will fill his administration and the courts. For them, Romney would be a good signal to send."

At least one person agrees. This from Mark Hemingway on the Corner today:

"Well, it's unlikely that Mitt will flip Massachusetts to red, but in addition to having great fundraising network, and being ten years younger and a tireless campaigner, he brings one heck of a message. Romney's mastery of economic issues and rep as the business turnaround guy could prove highly valuable to McCain. (Not to mention the healing to party divisions it might prompt.)

"While McCain hogs the campaign trail spotlight, Romney could quietly barnstorm the most depressed areas of the country laying out a plan to tackle economic woes. His expert knowledge here and relentlessly upbeat demeanor would probably go over well. Further, his expertise means he could go out on the attack against the other candidate(s) on the issue with confidence and ease as the McCain camp needs him to."

Toot, toot... that's my horn you hear.

A Good Question

I'm pretty sure this is not a headline the Obama campaign wanted to wake up to this morning.

Obama's Test: Can a Liberal Be a Unifier?

The New York Times goes on to ask:

"At the core of Senator Barak Obama's presidential campaign is a promise that he can transcend the starkly red-and-blue politics of the last 15 years, end the partisan and ideological wars and build a new governing majority."

"But this promise leads, inevitably, to a question: Can such a majority be built and led by Mr. Obama, whose voting record was, by one ranking, the most liberal in the Senate last year?"

My guess is that he probably can, but only if voters allow him to be successful in making this a race about his personality and not his past performance.

To date, the Obama campaign has treated voters like a bunch of deep-pocketed venture capitalists.

He knows his views and his record won't seal the deal, and that's exactly why he isn't selling a record of past success, or even a detailed plan for future success. He's selling a "big idea" and the potential that the idea will make people rich - figuratively, of course.

The answer to the Times' question will come in whether voters demand more of Obama than the 30-second elevator pitch they've heard so far. With that demand comes the tough questions on his voting record and an examination of his views on the issues that so far he's tried so hard to avoid.

UPDATE: The Washington Post weighs in on the issue too.

And one more thing. This might not be the best explanation from the Obama campaign as to why his voting record is what it is.

"They also note that his "most liberal" ranking in the National Journal was slanted by the many votes he missed while campaigning."

It's About Time

Finally, in the wake of Spitzer, Kilpatrick and Foley, a politician we can be proud of.

Kevorkian Kicks Off Congressional Run

By DAVID EGGERT

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (AP) — Jack Kevorkian, the assisted-suicide advocate who served eight years in prison for second-degree murder, announced Monday he's running for Congress as an independent.

Kevorkian, 79, is jumping into a competitive congressional race, challenging a Republican incumbent for a district in suburban Detroit.

"I'm not a politician," Kevorkian said, adding he is not tied to anybody or anything. "My mind is free. So I can say what I think."

Although he has been nicknamed "Dr. Death," Kevorkian didn't say much about assisted suicide at his news conference. He alluded to it, though, saying: "What I did was my right."

Fun with Bunnies

"So, how long did the judge say you had to wear this Scooter?"

"Is our bunnies learning?"

"I looked into the bunny's eyes and saw her soul."

"Hey, BOTUS rhymes with POTUS!"

"Pelosi, I can't believe you bet on Mt. Saint Mary's over North Carolina."

It's Over

On Friday night, Indiana's college basketball season mercifully came to an end. And it wasn't pretty.

Now a search for a new coach begins and the fickle and fragile emotions and reasonings of a group of young men will go a long way toward determining exactly who will be an Indiana Hoosier next season.

This season was a drama and a shame.

Leading this team when the season began was a skilled coach, a likable guy and in some cases, a father figure to the members of his team. He was also a cheater and a liar who put himself before the kids who revered him.

It was the first season I have ever experienced as a sports fan that actually made me sad. Of course, I've been upset when teams have lost before - I'm a Cubs fan for crying out loud - but this episode was depressing because it was needless, avoidable and ultimately hurt most the young players and their fans whose only fault was that they bought in to what their leader was selling.

The only really good news out of Friday night's season ending loss is that a search for a new coach for IU is now underway. With it, a chance to start new. That, and the first pitch of the Cubs season is just one week away.

Happy Easter

Thankfully, I was raised to recognize and celebrate the true meanings of our holidays.

Christmas... the birth of Christ.

Easter... the resurrection of Jesus.

New Years... going to bed early.

Mom and Dad will rest easy knowing their grandson is being raised in the same manner.

In all seriousness and sincerity, a blessed Easter to you.

Those Crazy Germans

A float in a recent German parade.

Ach!

(Thanks to Brewy for passing this picture along.)

Richardson for Richardson... I mean Obama

From today's NY Times:

Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, who sought to become the nation’s first Hispanic president this year, plans to endorse Senator Barak Obama for the Democratic nomination on Friday at a campaign event in Oregon, according to an Obama adviser.

Mr. Richardson, a former congressman and energy secretary in the Clinton administration, dropped out of the Democratic race in January after finishing behind Mr. Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton in the first nominating contests in Iowa and New Hampshire.

[Editor's note: He also finished behind just about everyone else in those contests too.]

This is a huge win for Obama. Richardson's ego alone is so large that it has a dozen delegates all by itself.

The Big Lie

The big lie about the dysfunctional Democratic presidential nominating process can be wrapped up nicely in this line from the Associated Press today.

Obama and several other Democratic candidates removed their name from the Michigan ballot as part of their pledge not to participate in the primary because of the rules violation.

Rules, schmules. Obama's move to remove his name had absolutely nothing to do with rules. Obama removed his name because he was pandering, pandering to voters in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Remember, at the time this all went down, Obama was so far behind Clinton in the polls he had to take a flier. He "took a stand" and "honored the historic role of Iowa and New Hampshire voters" by taking his name off the ballot in Michigan and refusing to campaign in the state. Clinton left her name on the ballot because again, she was so far ahead she could risk sticking it to the sensibilities of Iowans. Ooops.

Now, here they are. Stuck in a big mess. Goldilocks and the Pander Bear.

A question I'm not sure I want answered

What exactly does it mean when one has a dream where he is sitting in an exo-saucer?

I know, I know. For an 11 month old that question is a no-brainer.

For me, it's a little tougher.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhh

Be vewwwy, vewwwy quiet; I'm hunting wotini.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

Life with Mr. O makes for strange dog-bedfellows.

Spitzer - Simply Unbelievable

The story of Eliot Spitzer takes your breath away, not so much because of what he did but because it once again shows how some people can at the same time work so hard to achieve great success and be so careless and stupid in throwing that success away.

And it seems to be such a common story lately. Spitzer... Clemens... Sampson... Kilpatrick. I know I'm missing someone, or 20.

All people with enviable talent and skill and an uncommon drive for success. Also people who for reasons only they know - or maybe not - have thrown their careers and reputations away and hurt tremendously the people who love them.