Too little, too late?

Roger Clemens is expected to join the New York Yankees on Monday night in Chicago. Clemens is expected to pitch against the White Sox in his first start of the season which he, and millions of Yankees' fans around the globe, hopes will be a catalyst in turning around New York's season.

Nobody is hoping - and risking - more for a dramatic turnaround than Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner. "The Boss" is paying Roger Clemens just over $1M for every expected start during the regular season which would make the Rocket the highest paid player in baseball, on a pro-rated basis. If Clemens can't help the Yankees reach the post-season, that money will be utterly wasted.

One might ask - and I'm sure Steinbrenner is asking this himself - if the Yankees should even activate Roger Clemens from the minor leagues next week. Why wouldn't they? Well, consider the potential return on the investment the Yankees are making:

1) Roger Clemens will not produce additional ticket or concession revenue unless he helps the team make the playoffs. Yankee Stadium sells out every night, so having Roger Clemens on the mound does not increase the number of fans in the seats.

2) TV contracts and other revenue sources are largely pre-determined and will not significantly change as a result of Clemens' return for a single season. If the Rocket was expected to pitch for the Yankees for several season to come, this might be a factor to consider.

3) The Yankees will be forced to pay a substantial luxury tax as a result of adding Clemens' salary to their already bloated payroll. By paying Clemens to join the team, Steinbrenner and the Yankees are essentially subsidizing the payrolls of 4 or 5 other Major League ballclubs who may compete with the Yankees in future seasons.

4) When Clemens made his announcement and the Yankees agreed to this contract, New York was 5.5 games behind the Red Sox in the standings - a significant but tolerable deficit. As of today, the Yankees are an astounding 13.5 games behind the Red Sox and appear to be fading fast in the AL East and Wild Card standings. By the time Clemens makes his first start, it's conceivable that the Yankees could be 15 games out and in last place in the AL East.

5) If the Yankees call up Clemens, they are essentially locked in to paying him the full $21M and the entire luxury tax penalty associated with his additional salary. If they don't activate him from the minor leagues, they wouldn't have to pay him a penny and wouldn't have to pay the heavy luxury tax fine.

Though I doubt Steinbrenner and the Yankees would be willing to let Roger walk at this point - after all, Boston might pick him up and bury the Yankees for good - I do believe his return will prove to be too little help too late in the season. Not only will New York spend a shocking amount of money for an additional 10 to 12 wins this season, but they'll also help subsiduze other teams' future payrolls and will likely miss the playoffs for the first time in most of their fans' memory.

Is it too little, too late? Only time will tell, but Steinbrenner still has a few days to pull the plug on a $21M gamble with the odds stacked against him!

The Difference between Police and Pigs

This would be a novel approach to dealing with some of the misinformed nusiances on our streets each day. I must admit I like the way Australia and New Zealand generally deal with criminals!

A New Zealand man who called police officers 'pigs' has been ordered to spend a day at a pig farm.

The 22-year-old has also been ordered to write an essay about the difference between pigs and police officers.

The man was charged with using offensive language after he hurled abuse at police during a trip to Auckland.

Community Magistrate Robyn Paterson at Tauranga District Court ordered him to spend a day at a pig farm and present a short essay on his experiences, reports The Bay of Plenty Times.
According to the newspaper, he wrote: "I was very, very drunk. I have stopped drinking because of what happened. I have wasted the police's time and my time."

He maintained the word pig could be found in the Oxford dictionary and was often used to describe police.

But added he had learned 'that there is nothing at all in common with a pig and an officer'.

Hogzilla in Georgia

An 11-year old boy from Alabama shot and killed a 1,050 pound wild hog last week in the back woods of Georgia. The hog is unofficially the largest feral hog on the record books. The hog had to be weighed at a semi-truck weighing station, and the head will take more than a month to be prepared and mounted.



If you'd like to read more information about this story, check out the following link: Hogzilla Story on FoxNews


Just be glad this young man did a service to everyone and that this hog won't be rummaging through the garbage in your back yard anytime soon!

Amazing African Safari Footage

The following link takes you to a YouTube video that is just over 8 minutes long and is the most incredible footage I have ever seen of wild animals in Africa.

As you watch the video, you'll see a surprise attack by a pride of lions on a herd of water buffalo, a surprise attack in the water, a tug-of-war, a brief victory by one side, and then an incredible heroic and "happy" ending to this story.

African Safari Footage

Enjoy the footage...I'm sure you've never seen anything like this before!

The Availability Effect

Start off by answering these few questions:

1) What color car is the most popular on the road? ...what's second?
2) What's the ratio of AIDS deaths to skin cancer deaths in the U.S.?
3) Which are more common in the United States: murders or suicides?
4) What percentage of U.S. troops in Iraq have been killed? ...wounded?
5) How many illegal immigrants successfully crossed our southern border today?

We often hear discussions about how biased the media is or how much media reports affect our perceptions of common events, but most people don't realize just how much their opinions are being shaped by the reports they read and those reports they don't read.

In psychology research, there is a cognitive phenomenon known as the availability effect that provides an unconscious bias in decision makers' opinion formulation process. Simply stated, the availability effect states that information that is easily accessible to our brains carries more weight in our decisions and judgments than information that is either absent or less salient. Thus, if you're walking down the street and you notice several red cars driving by, you're likely to think red cars are very prevalent on the road. (Silver or gray cars are almost twice as common as any other car in the U.S. The next most common colors are white, blue, and red.)

When we read articles or watch news clips in the media about news they choose to present, we're being exposed to information and being deprived of information at the same time. If the news program or television show chooses to talk about AIDS research and the terrible effects of this deadly disease, then we subconsciously assign more weight to the gravity of this problem than we do to other diseases - like skin cancer, asthma, or leukemia - that don't get as much airtime.

(In the United States, it's estimated that 40,000 people - mostly sexually active adults - contract AIDS and about 16,000 die from AIDS each year. More than 60,000 people develop skin cancer and 12,000 die from skin cancer each year in the U.S. More than 6,000 people die from asthma each year, and more than 22,000 people - mostly children - will die from leukemia in the U.S. this year.)

When you pick up the newspaper and read about violent crimes and murders, you're bound to think that they're commonplace, especially when compared to other causes of death such as suicides. (There are more than 500,000 cases of reported "attempted" suicides in the U.S. each year with more than 32,000 deaths from suicide - twice as high as the 16,000 murders in the U.S. each year.)

When you understand the availability effect and how it alters your judgments, it's easier to understand how much influence the media has over our perceptions and opinions regarding a war across the world. Though the daily bombardment we receive regarding the number of U.S. deaths in Iraq is harrowing and heartbreaking, it does not paint a very objective picture of the mortality rate for U.S. troops. It's estimated that the average number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq each year since the war has begun is under 800. (Please note that I'm not trivializing the number or value of lives lost in Iraq; I'm merely attempting to point out the effects of a cognitive limitation.) When you take that number as a percentage of U.S. troops who are serving in Iraq each year, the percentage of troops killed each year is less than one half of one percent. Those troops seriously injured each year is far greater (nearly 6,000 each year), but that number is still less than 4% of the troops in Iraq each year. -- What if the newspapers and TV outlets reported that more than 100,000 troops had successful and safe missions today in Iraq? What if the news reported on the tens of thousands of troops who have safe and happy interactions with grateful people of Iraq every day? The truth is that the news outlets don't care about the success stories and the safety of the vast majority of our troops because those stories wouldn't get on the front page.

Finally, another serious issue of which we hear very little centers on illegal immigration. Though the problem is often discussed in political forums, the staggering numbers are often difficult to understand. Best estimates put the number of illegal immigrants crossing the southern border each year at approximately 500,000. This means that there are nearly 1,400 people walking across the southern border every single day!

Our best estimates of the total number of illegal immigrants currently living in the U.S. is anywhere from 12 to 20 million people. Though that number may not sound too large in a country the size of the U.S., consider that only 2 of our 50 states - Texas and Calfiornia - have more than 20 million people living in them! Another disturbing way to look at that number is to think of the number of states that could be filled with illegal immigrants today. If we were to replace every person living in all of the following states with illegal immigrants, we still wouldn't have room for them all: Wyoming, Vermont, North Dakota, South Dakota, Alaska, Delaware, Montana, Rhode Island, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Maine, Idaho, Nebraska, West Virgina, New Mexico, and Nevada!

Remember this: whenever you hear or read a news report, you're not only hearing what they choose to tell you, but you're not hearing what they choose not to tell you.

Helping the Spurs?

In what has to be one of the more ridiculous rulings in sports of late, the NBA doled out suspensions following a blatant attack of the Suns' Steve Nash by the Spurs' Robert Horry in the final meaningless seconds of Phoenix's hard-fought victory over the Spurs to even the series.

Horry, the third or fourth man off the bench for San Antonio, was suspended two playoff games for body-checking Nash into the scorer's table as the Suns evened the series and headed back to Phoenix with momentum. Though Horry's suspension seems light given the viciousness of the hit, it was the NBA's suspension of two other players and their decision not to suspend a third that was most surprising and disappointing.

Upon seeing their team's leader and most valuable player being knocked down with a forearm to the upper chest and neck area, Amare Stoudamire and Boris Diaw of the Suns jumped out of their seats on the bench and took several steps towards their teammate Nash before the Suns' assistant coaches physically restrained them and forced them back to the bench. The players were not involved in the hurtful play, they were not involved in the ensuing scuffle, and they were not involved in the remainder of the game. They were, however, both suspended for the pivotal Game 5 of the series played in Phoenix, which the Suns lost. The cause for their suspension? They stepped onto the basketball court.

On the other side of the court, the Spurs' Tim Duncan stepped onto the court earlier in the game during an altercation following a dunk by Franciso Elson, though in a less "aggressive" manner. The NBA chose not to suspend Duncan, and he subsequently helped the Spurs win Game 5 in Phoenix. (After all, who normally plays opposite Duncan? Stoudamire.)

The NBA has a rule that assigns a mandatory suspension to any bench players who step onto the court during a melee, and it appears the rule doesn't make room for the most important games - or players - of the season. (Unless of course your name is Tim Duncan.)

Stoudamire is the Suns' starting center who is critical to the team's success, and Boris Diaw is the first or second player off the bench each night. Horry's trading 2 games of his meaningless contributions to the Spurs for one crucial game of 2 of the Suns' top-6 players appears to have been a successful strategy to help the Spurs knock off the Suns and move on in the NBA playoffs. The Suns did lose the pivotal Game 5 at home - though it seemed clear watching the game that the Suns would have won if all suspended players were present - and the Spurs went on to win Game 6 in San Antonio to wrap up the series. Horry continues to play his few minutes in the next round of the playoffs, and Stoudamire and the Suns can only sit and wonder what could have been if not for a premeditated attack on Nash and a few misplaced steps by Stoudamire and Diaw.

The fact that the NBA chose not to suspend Duncan for standing up and stepping onto the court causes even the casual observer to question whether the NBA dealt out the suspensions in an equitable manner.

Ironically, Amare Stoudamire had mentioned to reporters earlier in the series that he felt the Spurs were a "dirty team". The Spurs scoffed at the accusations, but Horry's "dirty" shot on Steve Nash resounds louder than any verbal response the team could present.

If the NBA allows scrubs from the bench to attack the opposing team's star players with little or no consequence, then why not take a cheap shot at the other team's leaders and gamble that you might get a few starters resting on the bench to stand up and take a step or two towards suspension and a series' loss?!

Robert Horry took a cheap shot at Steve Nash, but he's a hero in San Antonio. Before a superstar gets seriously injured and more playoff series are jeopardized by senseless suspensions, this is one problem the NBA needs to address.

The Battle at the Border...

Those who think the problems with our borders are relatively harmless must not live anywhere near those borders. If you think the border issues center on innocent, hardworking people trying to find a better way of life in the United States, consider the following story from KOLD news in Tucson, Arizona which, unfortunately, is quite common in cities and towns near the border:

"Mexican border violence has been on the rise and Santa Cruz Sheriff Tony Estrada says more and more of it is spilling over into the United States.

This comes on the heals of a violent ambush in Nogales-Sonora Monday night that left two local police officers riddled with bullets.

One of the officers died Thursday night. He was shot seven times. His partner was shot 15-times and is in critical condition in an Hermosillo Hospital.

Assailants opened fire with AK-47 assault rifles from a blue Ford Windstar and a white Chevrolet Cavalier that were parked on either side of the street.

Authorities say they suspect that Mexican drug smugglers are to blame."

As a result of the increased crime at the border, local police units are finding themselves without the manpower and equipment to handle the domestic issues - never mind dealing with drug smugglers and human trafickers using automatic weapons to kill police officers and Border Patrol agents.

Because of these most recent attacks and other similar attacks in the recent past, the Santa Cruz Sheriff's department has been reduced to 2/3 its original size and is struggling to put enough officers on the street to provide security to those American citizens in their protection. As a result, crime rates in Santa Cruz and other border areas are rising.

As I said before, this sort of news is commonplace in border areas, but you won't read about it on CNN.com or FoxNews.com, and you won't see any articles about it in your national papers. The problems with the border are real and they're becoming increasingly harmful.

So, the next time you think about the border as being an issue centering on innocent, hardworking people trying to provide a better life for their families - you're right. Those police officers and other law enforcement agents who are shot at, threatened, and often killed in the line of duty are innocent, they are hardworking, and they are trying to provide a better life for their families and yours. It's time America took notice of the real casualties of the battle at the border.

America's Approval Ratings...

I received this thought-provoking information in an e-mail attributed to Jay Leno, yes, that Jay Leno. I'm not sure if he really wrote this, but I enjoyed the perspective and hope you take some time to think about what he has to say...


"The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right?

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the president. In essence 2/3's of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.

So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What we are so unhappy about?'' Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job? Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state? Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter? I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss.

This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers. How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U. S. , yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks? The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?

Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad? Think about it...... are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the "Media" told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day. Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells , and when criticized, try to defend their actions by "justifying" them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O. J. Simpson to write a book about how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way...... Insane!

Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad. We are among the most blessed people on Earth and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative." "With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, "Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"

- Jay Leno

What it means to be an American...

It seems many of us who live in the United States have forgotten what it means to be an American. The United States of America has always brought people from around the globe into the world's most diverse, accepting, and unified country. As people become citizens of this great country, one privilege they are entitled to is the right to be called Americans. Some, however, choose not to be identified as Americans or choose only to be part-American in order to retain ties to former cultures and countries. In order to understand whether or not one should embrace the American name and the rights and privileges that are associated with living in this country, one must understand and appreciate the inclusive and encompassing nature of the designation.

Though this issue seems to be more prevalent in the United States today, this issue was also at the forefront of our leaders' minds 100 years ago. In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt spoke on the issues of immigration, acceptance, and patriotism. Though his words ring out from dusty books and historical records, they are just as pertinent today as they were a century ago. Here is what he had to say:

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin.

But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American. There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag. We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

As the country faces unprecedented division and in-fighting among political, religious, cultural, and racial groups, it seems that President Roosevelt's message could be declared anew to all those who are privileged to bear the title of American. After all, if you think you need to amend your title to recognize your individuality and your unique differences from your neighbors, then you may not truly know what it means to be an American in the first place.

Man of the Year Finalists

I thought these were comical pictures depicting three finalists for a mock "Man of the Year" award.


Fortunately for the women of the world, not all of us can live up to the high standards set by these amazing men - if that's what you'd call these guys.

Enjoy!


Finalist 1


Finalist 2

Finalist 3

Gentlemen, don't fret if you weren't a finalist this year. Draw inspiration from these examples of chivalry, and you might be one of the finalists in 2007!

Saved by Luck?

A man driving in the western United States lost control of his pickup truck and jumped a guard rail on a highway.The truck crossed the road into the other lane, crossed through the other lane, and jumped over some concrete barriers. The truck then flipped end-over-end over a drainage pipe and landed as you see in the picture below. (The red arrows show the path of the truck.)

Certainly there must have been Someone watching over him that morning as he survived the harrowing incident.

Imagine waking up or coming to and realizing that your truck was out of control, crossing over into another lane of traffic, jumping a guard rail, and then careening end-over-end over a storm drainage pipe!

How fortunate the man is to have survived this accident. I'm sure he and his family were grateful for the divine hand that certainly saved his life.

If you're not so certain that there was some divine intervention in saving this man's life, take a look at the second picture below and imagine the second wave of gratitude this man must have felt when he realized how "lucky" he really was.

Considering a Life of Crime?

I know life can be tough and some have thoughts of living a life of crime to try and get an "easy" score of some quick cash. Before you quit your minimum-wage day job and embark on a crime spree knocking over liquor stores, consider the following gentleman's issues:

Robber's School of Hard Knocks

You just might reconsider attending this guy's school of hard knocks and stick to your day job!

$1M Appearance Fee...

The New York Yankees have had a tough beginning to the Major League Baseball season. Their struggles have been largely due to an injury-plagued starting rotation and a fatigued and largely ineffective bullpen. With a brief announcement on Sunday afternoon, things are beginning to look up for the Pinstripes. In what many - including me - predicted well before the season began, Roger Clemens has signed a one-year contract to return to the Bronx for one last fling.


The announcement was made during the 7th-inning stretch of Sunday's game against the Mariners. Using the stadium's public address system, Clemens announced to the fans in attendance, "Well, they came and got me out of Texas and I can tell you it's a privilege to be back. I'll be talking to y'all soon." With that, the hopes of Yankees fans around the globe were immediately resurrected.


Notice however, that I didn't say the hopes of the Yankees' themselves were immediately revived. With Clemens' return comes a steep pricetag and lofty expectations. His contract is valued at just about $28 million dollars this season, but Clemens will only earn about $18.5 million because of his late arrival on the Yankees' roster. Still, with only 5 months remaining in the season and an expected 20 starts for Clemens, the current legend and future Hall of Fame pitcher will earn approximately $1M each time he steps to the pitching mound this season - a pretty steep show-up fee. With the Yankees currently sitting near the bottom of the American League standings, the Rocket's return will have to make a significant impact to push this team into the postseason.


By locking up $18.5M for the remainder of this year on Roger Clemens, the Yankees may have taken themselves out of the running for mid-season trade possibilities for high-priced superstars who may be available if their current teams are out of contention early.


Ironically, the Yankees won today's game against the Mariners due to outstanding pitching from a young (and very inexpensive) starter and a suddenly revitalized bullpen. Though nobody believes the Yankees could have contended with their current pitching woes, it's not a sure bet that their million-dollar showup fee each time Clemens takes the mound will pay off in the end. Only time will tell, but there's one 45-year old Texan who's certain to win this year, regardless of where the Yankees wind up.

A Simple,Thank You!

This is a story I recently received by e-mail:

Last week, while traveling to Chicago on business, I noticed a Marine sergeant traveling with a folded flag, but did not put two and two together. After we boarded our flight, I turned to the sergeant, who'd been invited to sit in First Class (across from me), and inquired if he was heading home. "No", he responded.

Heading out I asked? "No. I'm escorting a soldier home."

Going to pick him up? "No. He is with me right now. He was killed in Iraq. I'm taking him home to his family."

The realization of what he had been asked to do hit me like a punch to the gut. It was an honor for him. He told me that, although he didn't know the soldier, he had delivered the news of his passing to the soldier's family and felt as if he knew them after many conversations in so few days. I turned back to him, extended my hand, and said, Thank you. Thank you for doing what you do so my family and I can do what we do.

Upon landing in Chicago the pilot stopped short of the gate and made the following announcement over the intercom. "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to note that we have had the honor of having Sergeant Steeley of the United States Marine Corps join us on this flight. He is escorting a fallen comrade back home to his family. I ask that you please remain in your seats when we open the forward door to allow Sergeant Steeley to deplane and receive his fellow soldier. We will then turn off the seat belt sign."


Without a sound, all went as requested. I noticed the sergeant saluting the casket as it was brought off the plane, and his action made me realize that I am proud to be an American. So here's a public Thank You to our military Men and Women for what you do so we can live the way we do.

signed: Stuart Margel -- Washington, D.C.