Big Daddy's Digest

How to change a headlight in 3+ hours

2011-12-17T23:39:00.007-04:00

After being pulled over by Lawrenceburg's finest last night for having the audacity to drive to work with a burned out headlamp, I resolved today to replace the bulb. It was an off day, and the December weather wasn't so terrible, so working on the car didn't seem especially scary for my non-mechanically inclined self. I needed to drop off my daughter at school for the pep band, so afterwards I made my trip to the auto parts store to procure the replacement. This was at 6 PM. Around 6:15 I arrived at the Harrison Advanced Auto, where the clerk promptly offered to help when I mentioned I needed a new low-beam. A couple of seconds later, he had looked up the part and within two minutes, I was on my way $15 poorer. I knew the fun was just beginning however, as this car was (relatively) new to me and I hadn't really done anything to it myself.

After arriving home, I got my meager basket of tools and got set up in the driveway, where the outdoor floodlights would provide enough light to do the chore. I got out the owner's manual the manufacturer provided with the vehicle, to see if there was any helpful information to be found. My previous experience told me not to expect too much, and I was not disappointed. Most of these books tell you nothing, other than to take the vehicle to the (fill in the blank) dealer for service. Not wanting to pay a hundred bucks to swap out a light bulb, I persevered. This particular vehicle has a four foot long cowling for which the only function I can ascertain is a dust cover for the radiator. Of course this piece is in the way from the headlamp assembly, or at least the brackets that hold it in place. It is held in place by a dozen screws, so I dutifully removed them, taking care not to misplace them (experience has taught me this lesson, like anything else I ever learned about working on cars, learned the hard way.)

After a few minutes I removed the giant dust cover, and loosened the bolts that held the brackets. But the headlamp assembly still didn't move, and the flood lamps didn't produce enough light under the hood to see what the obstruction was. Need a flashlight I guess. Twenty-five minutes and two phone calls later, I find out that the flashlight (the one that still works) is in the blasted car! Now I can see that nothing is obstructing the headlamp assembly. A little wiggle and the whole assembly turns, so now I can get to the actual bulb. Of course, the useless owner's manual doesn't tell me that the connectors are not pulled out like other vehicles I have had in the past; instead, the bulb is rotated to disconnect, then it just sits there with nothing holding it in. Luckily, I figured this out BEFORE I broke the connectors that didn't want to move (my Voyager wasn't so lucky.) Finally, the bulb is free! Now just put the new one in, and I am done.

This is where frustration sets in, as the new bulb, so thoughtfully provided by the helpful clerk, was NOT the right one. I purchased a H11, but the proper replacement is the H11B, which looks like the H11 but the base is different. Dead in the water, no other car here, got to reassemble the car and head back to the store. Closing in on 8 PM, got to call the store and make sure they are still open. Open until 9! OK, off I go again.

Now it is about 8:15, and I find out when I arrive that they don't have any H11B in stock, but they can get some tomorrow. Which would mean another trip. So I opt instead for the refund on the first bulb, and take my chances at the Auto Zone down the road. Apparently H11B is a popular replacement bulb in Harrison, because they don't have any at Auto Zone either, but they do have four in stock in Lawrenceburg. Back in the car.

Fifteen miles of driving later, I am at the Lawrenceburg Auto Zone, which does indeed have 4 in stock. $23 and I am out the door, and this isn't even a SilverStar bulb.

Now after 9 PM, I am back in the driveway, this time with the proper replacement bulb. The disassembly goes quicker this time since I had so recently done so before. The new bulb goes in without a hitch, and then all that remains is to put it back together. Of course, that too is easier said than done, because the lower bracket is bolted on through a recessed portion of the giant dust cover. I can't just drop in the bolt because, oh no, it falls off to the side underneath the cowling! Therefore, I must take the dust cover off again to retrieve the bolt. Not wanting to repeat this scenario, I find some needle-nosed pliers and replace the bolt in the manner one uses when playing the childhood game "Operation". This is successful and I finally finish the task at 9:53 PM, having only busted one knuckle and driven only 51 miles.

Now why is it I don't work on cars more often?

2010 comes to an end

2010-12-27T01:37:00.002-04:00

Another year gone by, this one was a rough one. I fear more rough ones are on the way. I don't think people realize yet that our economy can get worse, much worse. This country has had really tough times before, like the Civil War and the Great Depression, but most people alive now remember nothing but relative prosperity. When states and cities go bankrupt, hard choices will have to be made. We've been promised the world, but there is no way to pay for everything we've been promised. So get yourself ready now, while there is still time.

Grandchild is here; Megan gets gold

2010-02-28T08:57:00.004-04:00

Spending more time lately on facebook and less blogging. Noah arrived Feb. 18, 7lb 6oz, what a beautifual addition to our lives. Yesterday Megan got gold for the Indiana State competition for flute. we are some pround parents/ grandparents!

Welcoming in a new decade

2010-01-05T17:17:00.002-04:00

Having never really figured out what to call the last decade (the o's, the aughts, who knows) we made it to the tens (or is it teens? Someone will set me straight.) Didn't know if I would make it here with the cancer and whatnot, but by the grace of God I'm still among the living. Don't forget that every day could be your last so don't waste them.

2009 Wrap-up

2009-12-31T15:40:00.002-04:00

List of the big things this year as I see them:
1. The arrival of socialism in America, courtesy of Barack Hussein Obama. Sure, we've bits and pieces of it for years, but now we have real socialists in charge in Washington. Predictably, they immediately went for an explosion in the size and scope of government, with the push for health care takeover, cap and trade energy taxes, card-check unionization, innumerable unaccountable "czars" making policy, and bloated (non)stimulus packages, to name but a few things.
2. The rise of the "tea parties" in response to all of the above. Truly from the grass roots, rallies from people who never protested anything before popped up all over the country. Attacks from the biased media only made the protesters angrier as regular people saw an establishment that just wanted the people to shut up and pay their taxes like good little sheep.
3. Unemployment at over 10% as the traditional manufacturing jobs go away for good. Employers here continue to be burdened with more and more onerous rules and regulations. Where are the incentives to hire more workers? Maybe if you need some "green" energy that isn't commercially viable.
4. Usain Bolt. Fastest human ever.
5. The fall of the great "tiger", just sordid. If you want to live like a lout, go ahead, nobody cares these days. Just don't get married and make a mockery of marriage, especially when your wife is a supermodel.
6. The treatment of Guantanamo detainees as common criminals with US constitutional rights instead of the terrorists/enemy combatants they are. This is has been going on quite awhile with the ACLU types, but now its government policy. September 10th thinking.
7. Climategate. If you don't know what it is you probably still think the polar bears are dying and the ice is melting. Please, please DO NOT let facts get in the way of your dogma. After all, we must save "our mother".
8. Bengals in the playoffs. Big around here, especially after the disaster of the 2008 season.
9. 25th anniversary. Also big around here. Nobody else probably cares, but this is my list, after all.
10. Be grandpa soon. Check back in 2010.

Hilarious video

2009-11-25T11:49:00.001-04:00

check out this.
If you haven't been following the broohaha over the climate change hacked emails, you might want to do a little research and this will make more sense.

Chinese school the West

2009-10-23T12:44:00.002-04:00

It is ironic that the Chicoms have to teach the rest of the western world that uncritical acceptance of environmental propaganda of global warming is against their own self-interest, considering the years of propaganda they fed to their own people. But modern-day China is the industrial powerhouse that the US was 60 years ago, and they would be foolish to give that up. check out this article on the topic.

Very interesting piece

2009-10-20T02:45:00.002-04:00

This opinion piece is very interesting, a viewpoint not often heard, which was actually published on the Cincinnati Enquirer website. So many people view birth control as a given and there is never even any debate about whether or not its even healthy or right.

Too important to ignore when Obama gets a Nobel (give me a break!)

2009-10-10T06:08:00.002-04:00

I, like half the rest of the world, heard the news of our glorious leader, the ONE, Barack Hussein Obama's winning of a Nobel Prize for Peace with incredulity. After all, I thought the wars were supposed to be over by now, so there really would be peace, which is what we were promised in the unending campaign that is now the election of a US President. Strangely enough though, the wars are NOT over, and pulling out of Afghanistan is not an option, even though its apparently a very difficult decision to send over the resources the ground commanders of that war believe we need to avoid mission failure. If we had spent half as much time studying the situation in Afghanistan as we did trying to get the 2016 Olympics into Chicago, maybe we might have figured out by now that more troops might be needed to do the job right. But ramming health care "reform" down our throats is more important, after all those troops fighting and dying are from mostly red states anyway so by definition unimportant to the military hating lefties. so if you think I am alone in my thoughts about this perhaps you should take a look at this.

This is a great story for football fans

2009-09-23T11:52:00.002-04:00

Check out this link about last weekend's game.

25th anniversary - night on the town

2009-08-05T00:55:00.002-04:00

Just a little celebration for the 25th anniversary, could it really have been so long? Went for a cruise on the Ohio on the BB riverboat. Twenty years since I had done it, Lisa never had. So even though it rained buckets today, the nights cruise was beautiful.

Megan makes a movie, daddy helps

2009-07-10T18:11:00.003-04:00

OK here it is and hope it works since this is my first time trying this. Try this link, its has the sound

I'm stoked

2009-06-15T15:14:00.003-04:00

We are getting a makeover at work, and it's a doozy! Check out this from the Enquirer. And this.

United Socialist States of America

2009-05-26T18:26:00.002-04:00

The President fires the CEO of GM. He declares new CAFE standards that used to have to be passed into law. He bypasses all the court protections of bond holders for Chrysler and bullys them into accepting 29 cents on the dollar for debt which used to be considered priority. He just decides Guantanamo must go so those terrorists will be placed in US Prisons, where they can recruit some more terrorist wanna-bees like the ones arrested last week in New York. When hes done with health care, no more private payers will exist, and the government will ration care any way it sees fit. Meanwhile, we are making big cuts in defense spending (what else can socialists think to cut) while North Korea is launching missiles and setting off nukes. Did our forebears fiht and die for this country so a bunch of Ivy Leaguers can come in and turn it into a socialist workers paradise? By the way, ask the USSR how that little experiment turned out. He is moving so fast in so many directions that 95% of the people can't even keep up, and there sure isn't any time to actually debate the merits of any of these actions. Welcome to Amerika, comrades.

Tax day is now Tea Party Day

2009-04-15T14:43:00.012-04:00

Just got back from the Cincinnati Tea Party, where several thousand people showed up to voice their displeasure at the current taxation and government spending policies by the current administration. Even though Obama was mentioned a lot, Bush got no praise ( he didn't deserve any anyhow.) The crowd was extremely nice and well-mannered, and if there were trouble makers there I didn't see or hear them. There were some great signs and I've posted some of them here.

I've seen the error of my ways

2009-04-01T15:32:00.002-04:00

All this this I've carping against Obama the Saviour, but now I can see the error of my thinking. After all, he is curing ALL the problems twenty years of Bush-Clinton-Bush couldn't touch. The mortgage mess will be fixed, car companies are being fixed, the global environment is being fixed, and all of this while I am getting a tax cut, and health care to boot! Why did I resist when resistance is futile?
Happy April 1st.

Spring Break

2009-03-23T01:50:00.002-04:00

Spring break is here...this year we aren't going anywhere far away. Just Coconut Joes on Tuesday. I'll try to get caught up on a few things I have let slide. My basketball picks are doing well if North Carolina wins out I got a real chance to win the bracket pool.
I haven't been making too many political comments lately, mostly because all the news is so depressing. I fear that our new administration is running this country straight into the ground. The level of spending and subsequent taxation required to pay for all this does nothing but saddle our kids with a debt so enormous that we will eventually return to serfdom, with only a few well connected people able to live a decent life by the standards we have come to expect here. People are cutting back and they probably should have a long time ago. Easy credit snared me and millions of others, but sooner or later the bill comes. We have not addressed the 50 trillion dollar time-bomb that is social security liabilities. We are talking about nationalized healthcare (again) that will ultimately end up rationing care. We have people seriously talking about a cap and trade program to address a non-existance carbon problem, that will drive up electric costs about 50%. He wants to make peace with Iran which can only be done by sacificing Isreal (as if they wouldn't defend themselves.) He's gonna give MORE benefits to illegal aliens here while the people who choose to follow the rules are still waiting to get in to the US. Were gonna buy him a new fleet of Marine One helicopters and keep fueling Nancy Pelosi's personal USAF jetliner (a 767 i believe). Meanwhile, we are gonna pay higher gas taxes and more for gas because (once again) no drilling is allowed anywhere (did anyone really think they were gonna let it happen anyway?) And oh yeah, those rules Clinton signed in the 90's for welfare reform, you remember, the ones that said you have to WORK? There gone, too. So lets bail out some more wealthy executives in the financial sector because its for our own good and we wouldn't want to cut off our nose to spite our face, as he said on 60 Minutes on Sunday.
Personally, I expect a disaster worse than any in our lifetime, and it will be sooner rather than later. Can government be contained? At least up to this point no one seems up to the task.

What a Super Bowl

2009-02-02T14:59:00.002-04:00

Two years in a row we have had great finishes to the Super Bowl. I thought the Cardinals would pull it off after the long TD in the fourth quarter, but the Steelers put together a game winner. A Bengals fan can't be too happy about a Steelers victory, but I can't complain about the quality or intensity of the game. Now comes the long off-season, where we can root for the Reds until they are out of it in July.

Sad news

2009-01-05T19:04:00.002-04:00

Today Devin Reid passed, so young, such a tragedy. Read about my cousin here .
And here, too.

Welcome 2009

2009-01-01T06:36:00.005-04:00

Yeah man!
I dare to to check out this video and tell me these guys don't ROCK!!! Hell, I thought they went away in the 80's, but here they are still crankin' em out! ( I love the little things I find out trying to update the track info on my Realplayer! )
Ok I know something that was released in 2006 doesnt exactly qualify as new but in the vast radio wasteland around here I had never heard this song until I stumbled across it on the net. I really don't like some radio exec deciding for me what tunes i will like and which ones I won't, and I sure don't want these musicians to starve to death while everyone steals their best tunes from limewire. So I think the fact that I found this myself shows that the net is the best way to get a little exposure and maybe sell a few things. I don't envy todays performers having to pretty much market themselves. So just support your local music by seeing the shows when you can, and if you like their stuff, buy a CD and don't be a cheapskate.

Good riddance, 2008. Welcome, 2009!

2008-12-31T16:20:00.002-04:00

What a bummer of a year this turned out to be. The major Presidential candidates had almost zero appeal, the economy tanks, and our so-called right-winger President injects enough cash into the banking system to make FDR blush. Personally I only lose about 40% of the 401k, it might have been more if I hadn't borrowed against it last year. Well, I'm retooling for 2009. Belt-tightening and refocusing. Learning from my past mistakes. Hope you will too.

Twitter= whats all the tweeting about?

2008-12-08T13:05:00.002-04:00

Today I trying to learn something new. I had hear about Twitter before, but my eyes just sort of glazed over the way they do when I think about the time Jessica spends on MySpace and Facebook. This looks a tool grownups can use too.

DTV

2008-11-24T20:11:00.003-04:00

Check out this

After the Palin Rally

2008-11-03T01:26:00.010-04:00

Some of our favorite pics:

Megan, Daniel, Lisa and I went to the Clermont County rally tonight for McCain-Palin. We got pretty close and the weather was nice as can be for an Ohio November. Megan especially was caught up in the excitement and was within inches of getting that handshake at the end. Yeah it was just like this!
Also some earlier pics we liked:

How about the debate

2008-10-04T05:44:00.002-04:00

All of those who have already drank from the Obama Kool-aid were saying what you might have guessed they'd say: she was ditzy, didn't answer the questions, they really hated the winking, they hate her, hate hate hate! They didn't notice all the crap coming out of Biden's mouth, because, after all, he is so smart and said it so well, with such conviction. So when he lied about how much we are spending on the war, or the laughable claim that the US and France kicked Hezbollah out of Lebannon, well the kool-aid drinkers didn't even notice. But real Americans not living on the coasts can tell who is being straight with them and who is full of it.

I've been saying this all along....

2008-09-19T14:11:00.005-04:00

It's the GOVERNMENT'S fault! I just haven't been saying it as well as this.
UPDATE: For a good explanation of this bailout problem from a non-economist point-of-view, go ahead and read this.

Pepsi..no coke

2008-08-18T04:13:00.002-04:00

Enjoy

Wayne's World, enjoy some more.

Summer's close to over?

2008-07-29T17:49:00.002-04:00

It's almost August, training camp has already begun, and the kids go back to school in two weeks! Seems like summer just started -- I only have made two trips to the pool for cripes sake!

Jessica's graduation

2008-06-30T17:43:00.003-04:00

Here are a few pics from graduation day

nother new pic

2008-05-26T01:33:00.002-05:00

I like this one too.

Vacation pics

2008-04-20T18:12:00.001-05:00

Some of my favs

What a great article

2008-03-02T01:50:00.002-05:00

From Newsweek even! A true giant of the twentieth century.

A True American Hero

2008-03-02T00:38:00.002-05:00

Notice I did not say native American. Just American.
Getting his just due, long overdue.

Some more pics

2008-02-24T22:14:00.005-05:00

On the homefront

2008-01-01T16:45:00.000-05:00

On a nice day

Look ma - a new xbox!!!

2008-01-01T16:43:00.000-05:00

rat-ta-too-eee!

2008-01-01T16:42:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year

2007-12-26T20:38:00.000-05:00

Now that Christmas is over, its time to wish all a happy new year. Plus I get to award the unmistakable RCI award winner in 2007 to football player (sorry, convict) Mike Vick who traded 200 million bucks and a promising career for some unsavory dogfights and prison garb. Say sorry if you want too, but I think your football playing days are over. You will be able to return to your low-life roots when you finally do get out of jail.

Depressing year

2007-10-28T04:39:00.000-05:00

Just more of the most depressing year.
More broke than ever, even with my biggest paychecks.
Kids mouthier than ever.
Wife in so much pain she can barely stand.
Weight at an all-time high.
Sleep fitful at best.
Extra job fell through the cracks.
Bengals struggling.
The specter of Clinton looming.
Congress trying to pass more amnesty for illegal aliens and free health care for people who make three times what I do, paid for by my tax dollars.
Social Security is still going broke and no one gives a crap.
I will retire with enough money to buy a loaf of bread.

Once again football is almost here!

2007-08-29T16:58:00.000-05:00

Larry Craig? So what...football season starts in a week!

Summertime blues

2007-07-21T16:53:00.000-05:00

The summertime blues have come again, but this time I've got a plan that just might work: More work! After a year the TSA has (finally) gotten back with me and I should be starting work at the Cincinnati/Northern KY airport soon, pending the results from a physical and the required drug test. Twenty hours per week that fits nicely into my schedule, maybe now I'll finally be able to catch up on all these crazy bills that just never seen to end.

Would you trust this man with your kids?

2007-06-20T15:59:00.000-05:00

Ok, I wouldn't either, except its me were talking about!
Since we are now in the heat of the summer, let me take you back just four short months ago, what it was like in my front yard. And feel the cool breeze.

Never more disgusted with GOP

2007-05-27T23:26:00.000-05:00

Despite all the time, treasure, and work to get GOP politicians in the White House and Congress, for six years they did nothing except what the Democrat minority would allow. Now that the Congress is lost, our fearless leader comes up with an immigration "plan" that Ted Kennedy is willing to sign on to. It sure is a great deal for illegal immigrants, and a good way to make regular taxpaying Americans pay for more goodies like subsidized college educations and free health care for people not even willing to follow the laws to come here legally. I didn't give them any money last year, I won't this year, and I don't foresee giving any more in the future. There are no candidates out there who are remotely interested in the things that are important to me.

Mentally still on vacation

2007-04-30T13:36:00.000-05:00

Been back for awhile, but I'm still in vacation mode.

Vacation soon, need it!

2007-03-19T00:48:00.000-05:00

Next Saturday, we'll be in Orlando for six days. Can't wait for some fun in the sun.
Too bad I wasn't able to make it to the "gathering of eagles" in DC on Saturday. As usual the mainstream news said nothing about the proud vets who showed to stand up against the idiocy of the Cindy Sheehan brigade. If you heard anything at all, it was that there was a "large antiwar protest" this weekend.
'

Shame

2007-02-19T06:09:00.000-05:00

You profess to "support" the troops, then you pull out the rug from under them. Your "support" only means bringing them home, so we can be attacked by terrorists here instead of there. Like Obama said, the lives already lost were "wasted", as if there were no point to any of our actions there. You may think of think of it as "support", but I'd prefer to call it by its real name: SEDITION.

Super Bowl Sunday

2007-02-04T02:51:00.000-05:00

I think 7 points is too many, but I do think the Colts will win.
As for President in '08, if we must have a woman leader, why can it not be someone like Lady Thatcher? The Republicans are in such bad shape I'm not sure anyone can run and win right now.

Happy New Year and congrats Colts

2007-01-22T07:57:00.000-05:00

The Super Bowl is now set, with the two best teams eleven weeks into the season coming out on top. Peyton Manning finally got the monkey off his back and won a "big one" against Tom Brady and the Pats, who put up their usual good showing. The Bears, after sleepwalking in December look to be for real again. This could really be a great Super Bowl and I'm looking forward to it.
As for politics, they all stink. No one looks to be deserving of a vote.

Bengals - Colts MONDAY Night Football!

2006-12-18T08:49:00.000-05:00

Tonight's the big night, the Bengals trying to avenge last year's costly defeat and fighting for the wild-card playoff spot. The Colts have wrapped up their division but want a first-round bye. So it's gonna be big. Can't wait.

Been neglecting

2006-11-28T13:48:00.000-05:00

Been neglecting the old blog. There will be lots to write about now that the GOP blew its chance to get things done. The best thing about the election is that gridlock is virtually assured, at least for two years, so things shouldn't totally collapse. Look for the Dems to find ways to tax the rich (i.e. anybody making above minimum wage), to cut and run in Iraq, and to investigate and prosecute as many conservatives as possible. Of course, any party with Alcee Hastings and William Jefferson shouldn't be slinging mud about ethics, but they will anyway. Why not, look at the free passes Ted Kennedy and Bill Clinton (still) get!

I Love This One Too - and Vote Tuesday!

2006-11-05T00:17:00.000-05:00

I like these pictures, too. I wonder if I can get Cheney to autograph my copy?
Hey, be sure to vote Nov. 7th. I am like many who have been very disappointed at the Republican Congress seemingly unable to pass any of the things we elected them to do in the first place. It does seem like its been downhill ever since the "Contract with America." But as badly as they have performed, a Democratic takeover would be far worse. Better to have a do-nothing Congress than one led by the likes of Pelosi, Conyers, or the ancient one Ted Kennedy (burp) I mean Robert KKK Byrd.

Egg on Kerry's face -- Priceless!

2006-11-01T15:12:00.000-05:00

This says it better than anyone else I've heard on the subject of John Kerry and his idiotic remarks about the education of our military.

Bengals Lay an Egg

2006-10-02T18:27:00.000-05:00

After weeks of hype the Bengals were humbled in a big way Sunday, getting smashed by New England. I should have known it was coming just from the Sports Illustrated cover jinx, but the fact is the Bengals injuries and suspensions have caught up with them, and the holes they created have now been exploited. Maybe the bye week will help with the healing.
By the way, congrats to the Reds. Even though they finished 80-82 which is the sixth straight losing season, they were in it all the way until Friday. And they did way better than the aforementioned SI said they would.

RCI Award Nominee - Jacques Chirac

2006-09-20T01:53:00.001-05:00

So Chirac isn't worried about Iran's nuclear program, at least not enough to support international sanctions. And why would he, since his buddies in France are making lots of money supplying the Iranians with nuclear technology. So what if they want to wipe Israel off the map.
For Rectal Cranial Inversion above and beyond the call of duty, Chirac receives a nomination for the RCI award.

Thoughts on 9-11

2006-09-12T20:43:00.000-05:00

Now that the fifth anniversary of the 9-11 attacks has come and gone, it brings about an opportunity to reflect where we were, where we are now, and where we are going. Firstly, I think Americans cannot bear the thought of a prolonged fight. That was true before 9-11-01 and I think it's still true. We want it all wrapped up nice and clean by the end of the hour show, so that we don't have to dwell on the details or stew too much on hard choices. This is a weakness the terrorists know about and have tried to exploit. Politicians are aware of it too, and unfortunately for us, try to use it for political advantage. We have to rely on our leadership to be adult, and it has been, many times, lacking.
So a short attention span and a lack of politicians with spine is a real handicap. Fortunately, we have tremendous resources and smarts to combat the bad guys and drive them into hiding. Since 9-11, we have gotten much better at "connecting the dots" and thus have prevented many attempts at terrorist acts. I think it's realistic to expect, however, that it's only a matter of time before someone else succeeds in attacking us. After all, when you are willing to die you become a much tougher opponent. The sooner we can get out of Iraq, or at least reduce our large numbers there, the sooner we can get more assets back into Afghanistan, where the fight never really stopped. Time is working against us because the Iraq situation has dragged on for so long, and the remnants of the Taliban continue to reorganize and get stronger.
But if we relent on that front then the terrorists will come here again.
Perhaps it will take another and yet another major attack on us, maybe a dirty bomb or anthrax attack, to get us to focus hard on this problem. We talk a lot about 9-11, but then elect people with weak records on defense and security. I don't want to hear any more about how America is at fault; evil ideology is at fault and evil people. And when it comes to standing up to those who would kill us, we must be just as ferocious. Our military is up to the task; the real question remains, are the rest of us?

Not much blogging lately, football's almost here!

2006-08-31T06:25:00.000-05:00

This week was busy, jammed-packed with fantasy football drafts, and Carson Palmer back in the fold on Monday.
Thank God for football because the other news is too bad to even contemplate. The saddest is Marcus Fiesel and the demons who were put in charge of his care.

Still missing

2006-08-23T00:49:00.000-05:00

We got to hear all about Jill Carroll, her book is coming out soon. So what about Steve Centanni? And what is reason to hold him? He's probably being ransomed, but to whom? If Fox News paid, wouldn't just be asking for more of the same? Maybe the family is wealthy enough to warrant interest from the kidnappers, but I'm sure he isn't making Katic Couric-type money.
As for the Bush Derangement Syndrome people who hate Bush above else, and by extension, anyone or any organization not from the left, and who therefore glad that something bad happened to Fox News, well, you deserve a thorough butt-kicking. Report to Big Daddy to receive your just due.

JonBenet's killer found?

2006-08-17T03:30:00.001-05:00

Lets hope so. Anybody who does this should fry. And I am against the death penalty. Even so, anyone that would dare do this kind of thing to a kid of mine better never hope I find out who he/she is, because I'd be all about an eye for an eye.

Wild Card Lead Keeps Baseball Exciting

2006-08-10T12:17:00.000-05:00

The Reds unexpected strong showing this year have got Cincinnati fans, normally used to gearing up for football by this time in the summer, glued to the TV to see if they can actually pull off an improbable playoff run. Once again, last night Ross provided a bottom of the ninth, come-from-behind win with a walk-off two-run homer against the division-leading Cardinals.

Not that we are not gearing up for football, go Bengals!

Don't forget our troops in harm's way and kudos to the law-enforcement types that foiled the terrorist airplane plot in London. Take that, Ned Lamont.

We are in trouble

2006-07-24T22:43:00.000-05:00

Why say this? Why be such a pessimist? History.
We live in a country where we can forget we are at war. We watch baseball instead. And basketball. And football. And American Idol.

Whole segments of the population totally avoid military service. Because its dangerous. This is nothing new, by the way -- just ask all the politicians that received deferments back in the days of Vietnam.

We choose not to face these things in the face of day-to-day living. Because reality can be brutal. And we don't like brutal. Abortion is brutal reality; let's not deal with it and instead hide behind words like "choice."

But eventually events catch up with us that shatter our perfect little world. Just ask those metro New Yorkers that worked in the World Trade Center. Evil is a part of man; it is a part of our world. We can deal with it or we can ignore it until it is too late. And we really like to ignore it.

Israel wakes up and smells the coffee; what about us?

2006-07-14T05:06:00.000-05:00

Israel is finally figuring out that there can be no peace with people who are committed to seeing the end of the Jewish nation. All the hand-ringing and kumbaya-singing of those in the West who just want to get along just emboldens Hamas, Hezbollah, and the various other would-be Zaqarwis out there. These people have to be dealt with, because they won't just go away. Meanwhile, a very dangerous situation is unfolding before our eyes, and its easy to see how we could get drawn in to the conflict. Morally, we should but its questionable if there is sufficient political will to do so in an election year. And we haven't even talked about North Korea or Iran yet.

New blog!

2006-07-06T15:55:00.000-05:00

I have a new blog at townhall.com, called Pocket Rockets Cracked Again. I'll keep more personal stuff here and do more standing on a soapbox there. I'll put a link to it so you can see what I have got there.

It's July, the Reds are in first!

2006-07-01T06:05:00.000-05:00

Here's something that we haven't seen in many years in these parts. The Reds are in first in July! Last night I saw something I've never seen with my own eyes -- bottom of the ninth, two outs, down three runs -- walk-off grand slam game winner! If you can't get excited about that you're probably already dead. They may not be baseball's best team, but they have done far better than anyone expected (Sports Illustrated picked 'em dead last.) Two good teams in Cincinnati in the same year? Say it is so, Joe.

Zarqawi Dead; A Great Day for Humanity

2006-06-08T03:46:00.000-05:00

Great news today as Zarqawi is dead. Burn, baby burn.

Now this is the way to work the immigration problem

2006-06-06T03:09:00.000-05:00

One at a time, methodically. You don't have to get them all, just enough to get the word out that we are serious about our laws. Come here and work, rebuild your life. Just be legal. When a city councilman is a neighbor and he doesn't know about all the illegals in his own backyard, it shows just how much work there is to do. See this story in today's Cincinnati Enquirer.

In case you weren't paying attention

2006-05-20T05:46:00.000-05:00

In case you haven't been watching what's going on in the middle east, perhaps you should. Iran is proposing a new law to force Christians and Jews to dress conspicuously in public, so they could be identified on sight. One official in Isreal has already said that those who would make Jews wear the star would find themselves in a coffin.

Who's running the CIA anyway?

2006-05-10T02:31:00.000-05:00

From the looks of things, it wasn't the Director, Porter Goss. One analyst fired for leaking to the press, and suddenly he's gone. I guess the bureaucrats are still running things at CIA, bureaucrats that don't like Bush. Let's hope Hayden will clean house, but getting rid of entrenched bureaucracy is the hardest thing in government to do.

One of the best American sports stories ever

2006-04-27T13:50:00.000-05:00

It happened thirty years ago this week.
It wasn't about who won the game.
It was about respect.
See the details here.

Is Cincinnati going to blow up again?

2006-04-13T07:19:00.000-05:00

Five years after the riots from the Timothy thomas shooting, now another shooting. This one right outside city council, of a well known local black activist calling himself Kabaka. Thank God it wasn't the police who shot him, or the hell would have broken loose already. Look for the same people who did the boycott of Cincinnati to find some reason to blame the police. Downtown Cincinnati is becoming nearly as dangerous as Bagdhad.

Nuke Iran?

2006-04-11T05:40:00.000-05:00

We might have to. I have been saying for months that we will be shooting in Iran soon, because Isreal won't allow Iran to go forward and we will be stuck in the middle. If we tactically nuke weapons facilities, we may set them back and minimize civilian deaths. But it's going to get ugly, and gas is going to be a whole lot more expensive. If you don't yet own some gold, now is a good time to get some.

Check this out

2006-04-06T15:25:00.000-05:00

Check out this gem, it's a beaut.
Too bad DeLay threw in the towel, that will only embolden the Ronnie Earles of the world, who is the one who really should be indicted for prosecutorial misconduct.

Cha-ching

2006-04-02T10:55:00.000-05:00

Way to go Bruins!
By the way, if you get an invitationto a zombie party, I would respectfully decline.

Today's the day

2006-04-01T17:23:00.000-05:00

Back from Florida, tanned and rested, today will be the day I find out if I money in the basketball pool. Go Bruins!
Say, how about the protests right here in America, by illegals demanding their "rights" and waving flags from other countries? I say go back from whenceforth ye came and protest there. If you are here you should be here legally. Of course, we will always have illegals as long as we have people willing to pay them under the table.

Florida - virtual post card

2006-03-28T10:07:00.000-05:00

Here on my laptop in Destin, Florida. Catching some rays at the pool and the beach, ev en though it's not really hot enough yet to do a lot of swimming. The kids insure that every day I spend more than I planned on, but what else did I expect?

bracket crap

2006-03-22T17:48:00.000-05:00

As usual, my brackets are crap. At least UCLA is still in it, I've got them in the pool. Spring Break is a couple of days away, and I'm looking forward to some sun. So I hope the weather cooperates.

March madness

2006-03-16T15:23:00.000-05:00

Can't go without mentioning the NCAA tourney, the annual reason to take vacation days in the middle of March. I'm rooting for all underdogs, and also UCLA, my team in the pool. Just watched the Pacific - Boston College game, a great game that went to double-overime. It's no wonder this tournament is so popular.

Lack of blogging

2006-03-09T18:59:00.000-05:00

My blogs have dropped off the radar recently, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I have been pretty busy with my tax "consulting". Secondly, football season is over, and the mid-term elections are still far-off. Plus, my traffic is so slow, I really only need to update once in a while anyway.
It looks like the port deal is dead, which to me was a lot of blather about nothing. If we were really worried about port security we would be checking more than 4-6% of the incoming containers, and wouldn't have let the Chinese run the port at Long Beach. At least the sudden interest in the security of our ports may help to focus our efforts on better protecting our ports from attack. The real problem is the economic vulnerability, and the terrorists are smart enough to figure that out.
I will soon take my first-ever actual spring break trip, taking the kids to Destin, Florida the last week of this month. Even though its only going to be a four day stay, the hope is to recharge the batteries and get out in the sun a little bit after the long winter, which sounds really good after three days of rain.

Winter Olympics

2006-02-13T19:34:00.000-05:00

Am I the only one who doesn't get particularly excited over the winter olympics? Hours of figure skating, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, and curling just doesn't do it for me. I kind of like the speed skating and hockey, but I'd just as soon watch 24 and catch the highlights on sportscenter. Ok, I know they have more athleticism in their pinky fingers than I have in my entire body, but when it comes to watching sports on TV, give me football or March madness.

Super Bowl

2006-02-04T16:14:00.000-05:00

The Super Bowl has arrived, an unofficial national holiday. Think about it, its easier to publically celebrate the playing of a game than it is to publically celebrate Christmas or Easter.
I can't bring myself to root for either team, so I'm going to bet the under and root for that.

Tax Time

2006-01-27T18:57:00.000-05:00

Busy with taxes. Mine, yours, whomever.

The new season of "24"

2006-01-19T06:30:00.000-05:00

I've been hearing a lot of buzz about the Fox show "24" at work and flipping through the blogs. This show is great entertainment, just like an old western, where all the bad guys ultimately get what they got coming to them. Last season was the first I watched, since I don't make it a habit to watch a lot of new TV. For the most part, I find new shows lame and not fit for family viewing, especially the so-called comedies. And while this show also has stuff I wouldn't recommend to kids, there's something deliciously politically incorrect about skirting all the rules to get the terrorists. Anyone who has ever worked for the government knows about all the rules and restraints placed on you from all the layers or bureauacracy.

Man, Do I Stink

2006-01-15T15:22:00.000-05:00

I am the worst in terms of picking playoff winners. I was sure Indy would win easily, but I guess I should've known better by how well the Steelers handled my Bengals last week. Its a really good thing I don't actually bet the games, because I woulda went broke. Maybe the Bears will do something and kick a lot of field goals. Fantasy football players have a sickness, I'm convinced.

Alito through the worst of it

2006-01-12T15:47:00.000-05:00

Supreme Court Justice nominee Samuel Alito has finished his interrogation by the Senate Judiciary Committee, and will be confirmed soon. The Senate Democrats did not disappoint, with yet another disgusting display of partisanship. The thought of the idiot Durbin and the drunken Kennedy sitting in judgment of someone like Alito is frankly nauseating. It's no matter, because of the fact that the Dems keep sending guys like this to Congress, which is the reason they've become and will continue to be the minority party.

Bengals Fans Hopes Sink With the Loss of Palmer

2006-01-08T21:33:00.000-05:00

After many years of waiting for a playoff game, Cincinnati fans hopes of a post-season run were cut short when Carson Palmer was injured on his first throw of the game. Both the receiver and thrower were hurt on the play, and though the Bengals held a lead through halftime, they could not overcome the loss of their franchise player and eventually fell to the hated Steelers.
Well, as they say, there's always next year.

Playoff Week; Excitement Building

2006-01-05T16:58:00.000-05:00

It's finally here, my Bengals are in a playoff game, against the hated division rival Steelers. Pep rallies and smack talk. All the things that make football a party.
By the way, congrats to the Longhorns, what a great victory over USC!

Romance on TV

2006-01-02T19:29:00.000-05:00

I've been watching Ohio State and Notre Dame play today, and I've seen ABC run a bunch of ads for new "romantic" comedies like "Emilys Reasons Why Not", "Crumbs", and "Jake in Progress". These shows purportedly "put the fun" back in romance, but, from what I can tell from the promos, all they really do is trivialize real romance and reduce it to the glorification of casual sex. I mean, what is so funny about "I nailed a chick in the freezer, I win" which was in one of the promos for "Crumbs"? Is it really smart to offend that portion of America with any remaining morals by producing such shows? Whats worse, they are aggressively promoting them with the sleazy inuendo during "family" programming (if your family likes to watch football games.)
I submit that the real romance was shown during halftime, when Faith Jarvis, in a fund-raising promotion from Tostitos for the USO, was surprised by the appearance of her boyfriend, 1LT Ray Vera, who had just got off a plane from Iraq, and proposed to her on the spot. All this, of course, on national television. And lets not forget the girlfriend of Ohio State's AJ Hawk is the sister of Notre Dame's Brady Quinn, a story which got a lot of play during the game itself. Should the executives suffering from rectal cranial inversion at ABC recover long enough to see that the real romance was at the Fiesta Bowl and not from imaginary characters that think "monagamy is overrated".

Happy New Year!

2006-01-01T06:24:00.000-05:00

It's a new year, and hopefully we'll make it better than the last. I will make the blog better, get my health better, get in better shape, and get my mind ready for new challenges.
I'm going to start a new award for this blog only, the RCI award (short for rectal cranial inversion.) It will be given for substantial rectal cranial invertedness during 2005, and ordinary inversion just isn't enough. If you have some nominations, leave a comment.

Big Daddy's Top Ten List for 2005

2005-12-27T02:07:00.000-05:00

This is the time of the year when everybody does a top ten list, so I will do one too. Remember, this is the world according to Big Daddy.

10. Aftermath of the tsunami. Yeah, I know it actually occured 12/26/04, but the aftermath lasted well into 2005. When mother nature kills more people than atomic bombs, it brings man's arrogance into focus, because the power of the natural world is beyond our imagination.

9. Saddam on trial. He gassed his own people. He started wars. He thumbed his nose at the world. He hid in the spider hole. Now, he will get his, and from the Iraqi people.

8. Bengals make the playoffs. For the first time in 15 years, Bengals fans can cheer their team in the playoffs. At home, even!

7. 25th High School Reunion. Because I made it. And I don't get out much!

6. My oldest daughter learns to drive. Most tangible evidence yet that I'm getting old.

5. Elections in Afghanistan and Iraq. Despite the naysayers, the military was able to help these countries pull it off. If we are going to stop terrorists, one of the things we'll need to do is make their homelands better places, so maybe they won't want to die so badly.

4. Earthquake in Pakistan. Fifty thousand dead? Think of it, thats an entire small city, just gone. Never mind a million left homeless.

3. Hurricanes. Wilma, Rita, and the big monster Katrina. Biloxi devasted. Gulfport devasted. New Orleans, spared the worst, only to flood when the levee broke.

2. The passing of Pope John Paul. Arguably the most beloved and important figure of the last half of the twentieth century, and the only pope many people ever knew. His leadership and influence will be felt for many many years.

1. Renal cell carcinoma. When you get something like this, other things don't seem quite so important. So far, God has blessed me with a complete recovery. Being faced with your own mortality makes one feel an extra sense of gratitude for every day God gives us.

He's Got Big Shoes to Fill

2005-12-24T23:23:00.000-05:00

It's easy to spend a lot of time complaining about whats bad in the world, but hard to do something about it. As we enjoy this Christmas, remember this man in our prayers to help him be a spiritual leader in the world.

Been so busy

2005-12-22T19:52:00.000-05:00

Been so busy this week, haven't had a lot of time to post. Check out Powerline's posting on the NSA spying non-controversy. A sad day for Tony Dungy with his son's death. Say a prayer.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus!

2005-12-19T19:27:00.000-05:00

And last night, he was visiting Cincinnati! It been such a long wait, it's time to celebrate!

Will today be the day?

2005-12-18T06:04:00.000-05:00

Is today finally, after 15 years, going to be the day the Bengals clinch a berth in the playoffs? A win at struggling Detroit will do it. Many other important things are going on, I'm travelling to my sisters for a big family Christmas get-together, I've lost 32 pounds on the diet in the last month, but Bengals fanatics, long suffering as we are, can't wait for the playoff reward for the new-found success in Cincinnati. So the so-called important stuff will have to wait one more day. Who Dey!

Patriot Act Almost Done; NSA spying

2005-12-16T19:08:00.000-05:00

Today comes the defeat in the Senate of the Patriot Act, attacked by some as giving the government too much power (as if it didn't have enough already.) I think making use of the same tools we've used against the mafia for years makes sense to use against terror cells already in the US, but oversight is a real problem. My friend Matt has expressed his concern about the government abusing its power against the citizenry, and I think he probably would not be in favor of the Patriot Act. My libertarian leanings make me lukewarm at best towards this, but I do believe the government has an obligation to try and find these guys using the smartest means we can muster. Also today, word of NSA spying on domestic terror suspects without warrants was leaked (by the CIA, who else) to the NY Times. I think they will run with this like the Abu Ghraib thing, until we are sick of hearing about it. I'd like to know how a leak of this sort is not worse than the Valerie Plame so-called covert agent outing.

You go girl!

2005-12-14T18:52:00.000-05:00

This 77 year old lady speaks with more common sense than a whole bucketful of ACLU lawyers and so-called mainsteam media types. Follow this link and download the file to see her, in her own words. Anyone who really supports our troops overseas will get this.

Bye Bye Tookie

2005-12-12T16:06:00.000-05:00

So Arnold has denied clemency for Tookie Williams. It's real hard to bring myself to feel sorry for this cold-blooded killer, even though I'm opposed to the death penalty. Don't take that to mean I'm somehow soft on criminals; I all for putting guys like this on a chain gang in a Northern Alaska gulag. I just don't think we accomplish much by bringing ourselves down to the level of the killer. Instead, I will try to do the Christian thing and pray for his soul and the souls of the people he slaughtered. If I can bring myself to do it.

Jeckyl & Hyde Brownies Show Up and Play Tough

2005-12-11T16:47:00.000-05:00

Cleveland and Charlie Frye showed up today and gave the Bengals all they wanted. If this was any year from 1991-2004, Cincy would've figured a way to bungle the game. Even though Carson and Chad didn't play their best, the team managed to hold it together and eek out a win. I think Cleveland is going in the right direction, as they have shown flashes of brilliance occasionally this year. The problem has been that they will come back and lay an egg the next week.

How about "Lost" -- anybody like that show? I like the character development.

Welcome! Open Comments

2005-12-10T17:53:00.000-05:00

Thanks for visiting. Feel free to comment or let me in on some juicy secrets.

Did you hear?

2005-12-10T15:42:00.000-05:00

Say, did you hear about this? Wouldn't be suprised if you didn't. How about this? All I hear everyday is the never-ending complaining about the evil bushies, the "illegal" war and the "mounting" casualties. For some good perspective, consider this.
Evil is real.
It must be opposed.
Go see the movie, its so superior to anything else out right now it makes you wonder why some of the moviemakers even try. They cannot hope to compete with the intellectual firepower of C. S. Lewis.

Update: A great review of the movie here.

Looks like good news on the SCOTUS case on the Solomon Amendment

2005-12-06T14:02:00.000-05:00

Still recovering from possibly the most boring game ever on Monday Night Football, but today comes some good news from the Supreme Court, as the justices appeared to back up Congress, who tried to prevent federally-funded universities (practically all of them) from banning military recruiters. More proof that the elitists running these schools don't know anything about the military and don't care. Frankly, most of them hate all things military and look down their noses at those dumb red-staters that make up the greatest fighting force the world has ever known.

Bengals, Steelers Part Duex

2005-12-04T07:18:00.000-05:00

Big Big game for Bengals faithful. Win today an its up two games with four remaining. Playoff anticipation is growing, I needn't remind you how long its been since that happened!