Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Guns
Newsweek says Hillary unsupported on new gun ban proposal. The NRA may be getting cocky on this, but they still pack a steel-jacketed punch.
My Sunday column
My baby girl turned 4 on Friday.
She is ecstatic. Me? Not so much.
Rowan seems to think she’s now old enough to drive a car and smoke cigars and get her own credit card.
Me? I want it all to just slow down.
I don’t want to lose the little girl who swells up with pride when she uses a new word for mommy and daddy.
I don’t want to lose the little girl who thinks the most fun thing in the world is to “rassle” — not wrestle — her old man on the bed, pounding each other with pillows.
I don’t want to lose the little girl who squeals with delight when Dad turns on a Tweety Bird and Sylvester cartoon, or dishes out popsicles or tells her a made-up-on-the-spot story about Lucy the Giraffe or the “Adventures of the Four Brave Girls.”
It’s going too fast.
A lot of dads have felt that way and most seem to have survived the inevitable transition. That should make me feel better. I guess.
Judge Jack Partain once told me what a thrill it was to have a baby girl. He was right. What he didn’t tell me is that there comes a day when maybe Dad is NOT the “Coolest Person in Town” anymore.
Another friend told me a story about taking his daughter to Georgia to begin her freshman year. It was smooth sailing all day, until he returned home and looked at his baby girl’s empty bedroom.
Boom.
The tears flowed.
I’ve still got some time left as the Coolest Person in Town. But the clock is ticking and I know it.
That said, I am the proudest father in the world.
Four years ago the doctor held a dangling, screaming, red-faced brat up and let me look her over.
I fell instantly, madly, head-over-heels in love with that bellowing creature.
“You’re not going to believe how beautiful she is,” I told my wife, barely able to speak.
Four years later, she still has that effect on me.
---
You should have received our annual Progress edition in your paper on Friday, At 72-pages, it will likely be the biggest special section we produce this year
Times are tough for a lot of our advertisers and this Progress is smaller than issues of the past. However, I still think there’s plenty of good reading in there.
In some ways we produced a more traditional Progress this year, focusing more on business, government and the economy than in the last few years.
We also asked several government, business and civic leaders to contribute guest columns. They came through and their efforts added immeasurably to the final product.
If you didn’t get a paper on Friday and would like to check out Progress, please come by our office on Thornton Avenue.
Issues are available for only 50 cents.
---
The Forum continues to draw a lot of interest from readers. People are not shy about flagging me down on the street and telling me what they think. I appreciate the input
Most folks seems to like the Forum, or at least most folks who speak up do.
I like it myself, though it is a very time-consuming and sometimes frustrating feature to put together every day.
The Forum offers an easy way for people to have their say on just about any matter they want to comment on. We’ve got a few common sense rules, but for the most part it’s a catch-as-catch-can proposition.
Some callers grow frustrated when their comments don’t get posted. Why isn’t everything published? Here are the top reasons:
1. Caller didn’t get to the point
2. Caller mumbled or was hard to understand.
3. Caller called repeatedly on the same day.
4. Caller was unacceptably rude or used offensive language.
5. I don’t like the cut of your jib.
OK, just kidding about No. 5.
Personally, I don’t care what your views are, where you are from, where you went to school, who you voted for, who you are related to or how much money you have in the bank.
Keep it clean. Stay on point.
See you in the funny papers.
Jimmy Espy is executive editor of The Daily Citizen.
She is ecstatic. Me? Not so much.
Rowan seems to think she’s now old enough to drive a car and smoke cigars and get her own credit card.
Me? I want it all to just slow down.
I don’t want to lose the little girl who swells up with pride when she uses a new word for mommy and daddy.
I don’t want to lose the little girl who thinks the most fun thing in the world is to “rassle” — not wrestle — her old man on the bed, pounding each other with pillows.
I don’t want to lose the little girl who squeals with delight when Dad turns on a Tweety Bird and Sylvester cartoon, or dishes out popsicles or tells her a made-up-on-the-spot story about Lucy the Giraffe or the “Adventures of the Four Brave Girls.”
It’s going too fast.
A lot of dads have felt that way and most seem to have survived the inevitable transition. That should make me feel better. I guess.
Judge Jack Partain once told me what a thrill it was to have a baby girl. He was right. What he didn’t tell me is that there comes a day when maybe Dad is NOT the “Coolest Person in Town” anymore.
Another friend told me a story about taking his daughter to Georgia to begin her freshman year. It was smooth sailing all day, until he returned home and looked at his baby girl’s empty bedroom.
Boom.
The tears flowed.
I’ve still got some time left as the Coolest Person in Town. But the clock is ticking and I know it.
That said, I am the proudest father in the world.
Four years ago the doctor held a dangling, screaming, red-faced brat up and let me look her over.
I fell instantly, madly, head-over-heels in love with that bellowing creature.
“You’re not going to believe how beautiful she is,” I told my wife, barely able to speak.
Four years later, she still has that effect on me.
---
You should have received our annual Progress edition in your paper on Friday, At 72-pages, it will likely be the biggest special section we produce this year
Times are tough for a lot of our advertisers and this Progress is smaller than issues of the past. However, I still think there’s plenty of good reading in there.
In some ways we produced a more traditional Progress this year, focusing more on business, government and the economy than in the last few years.
We also asked several government, business and civic leaders to contribute guest columns. They came through and their efforts added immeasurably to the final product.
If you didn’t get a paper on Friday and would like to check out Progress, please come by our office on Thornton Avenue.
Issues are available for only 50 cents.
---
The Forum continues to draw a lot of interest from readers. People are not shy about flagging me down on the street and telling me what they think. I appreciate the input
Most folks seems to like the Forum, or at least most folks who speak up do.
I like it myself, though it is a very time-consuming and sometimes frustrating feature to put together every day.
The Forum offers an easy way for people to have their say on just about any matter they want to comment on. We’ve got a few common sense rules, but for the most part it’s a catch-as-catch-can proposition.
Some callers grow frustrated when their comments don’t get posted. Why isn’t everything published? Here are the top reasons:
1. Caller didn’t get to the point
2. Caller mumbled or was hard to understand.
3. Caller called repeatedly on the same day.
4. Caller was unacceptably rude or used offensive language.
5. I don’t like the cut of your jib.
OK, just kidding about No. 5.
Personally, I don’t care what your views are, where you are from, where you went to school, who you voted for, who you are related to or how much money you have in the bank.
Keep it clean. Stay on point.
See you in the funny papers.
Jimmy Espy is executive editor of The Daily Citizen.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Your Sunday Free Tune
A weekend Double Whammy to get my off the couch and moving. Two guitar slingers for the ages.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Guns
Is the real Obama coming forward now? Despite his BS campaign talk otherwise, isn't this about what we expected from a liberal politician not known for bucking the company line?
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
My Sunday column
Early in his second term President Bush pushed Congress to deal with the issue of illegal immigration. Congress, including many in the president’s own party, pushed back. Nothing was accomplished.
Whatever you think of his specific proposals, Bush deserves credit for trying to deal with a contentious and complicated issue. Not so impressive was the way he chucked the hot potato.
Now, President Obama and his party are in control of Congress.
What should we expect?
Will the White House push hard for legislation on immigration?
I’m skeptical. The Democrats don’t want to give Republicans a powerful issue to use against them in the 2010 mid-term elections — the campaigning never really stops — and there are also fissures in the party on immigration. Obama may well support random measures and he will likely back off any active enforcement of immigration law, but there remains a likelihood that we will have to endure more of the status quo — a leaky border and growing resentment in illegal immigration hotbeds all over the country.
What should the president do?
Congress needs to acknowledge a decades-old, unofficial, open border policy. For years the United States engaged in a wink-wink, nudge-nudge scam. Massive illegal immigration was allowed, if not actively encouraged. U.S. businesses — like our own carpet industry — benefited handsomely.
Illegal aliens aren’t fools. Looking for a better life, millions came to the U.S. surreptitiously, knowing that once they got here they had a very good chance of staying for the long term.
They violated the law, but in this case the law was a bad joke, taken seriously by a handful of federal agents and hardly anyone else.
Now, many of those same illegal aliens have built good lives in this country. They work, raise their families and try to make the best life they can. People like that, whether they came here legally or not, make good citizens. And that should be the thrust of immigration policy. Let’s identify the good and honest and give them the opportunity to “get legal.” Call it amnesty if you want — though that word seems to send shivers down the backs of some — but the main goal is not to reward illegal aliens, it is to strengthen our country. The United States can’t have too many honest, hard-working citizens.
And what about the others, the not-so-honest and not-so-hard working?
Put them in jail or boot them. This isn’t a penal colony and we aren’t obligated, legally or morally, to accept any other nation’s criminal element. (Too bad we can’t ship some of our home-grown thugs out with them.)
There is no doubt that illegal aliens create a burden on taxpayers. Health care, law enforcement and education are three areas where the impact is obvious. But there is no reason why that issue can’t be addressed in the context of overall social policy. Congress should make it clear that if you are in this country illegally, you will qualify for few if any federal benefits until you become a productive citizen. What’s done at the state level should be decided at the state level. If California wants to subsidize illegal aliens, that’s a decision for Californians to make. Georgians may feel differently.
Locally, taxpayers should not have to subsidize illegal aliens.
But the goal remains to get them legal and make them productive.
What should the U.S. do?
1. Take control of the border and shut down the flow of illegal aliens into the country until the system can be fixed.
2. Create a reasonable framework by which illegal aliens already here can become legal citizens. Take advantage of this wonderful human capital.
3. Move aggressively to weed out the criminals and slackers. Put them in jail or send them back to their home countries. Give ICE a job that matters and fund the department.
4. Revamp federal, state and local laws in regard to social service benefits, health care, education, etc. Paying your way is the right way, but then again that should apply to our homegrown deadbeats, too. The key on this point is that policy should be made at the local level. Different communities, different states may choose other options. The best ideas and strategies will eventually emerge.
Illegal immigration needs to be addressed by this administration. If President Obama were to make the right decisions on this issue — unavoidably angering his own party at times — it could be a monumental legacy and a blessing to us all.
Jimmy Espy is executive editor of The Daily Citizen.
Whatever you think of his specific proposals, Bush deserves credit for trying to deal with a contentious and complicated issue. Not so impressive was the way he chucked the hot potato.
Now, President Obama and his party are in control of Congress.
What should we expect?
Will the White House push hard for legislation on immigration?
I’m skeptical. The Democrats don’t want to give Republicans a powerful issue to use against them in the 2010 mid-term elections — the campaigning never really stops — and there are also fissures in the party on immigration. Obama may well support random measures and he will likely back off any active enforcement of immigration law, but there remains a likelihood that we will have to endure more of the status quo — a leaky border and growing resentment in illegal immigration hotbeds all over the country.
What should the president do?
Congress needs to acknowledge a decades-old, unofficial, open border policy. For years the United States engaged in a wink-wink, nudge-nudge scam. Massive illegal immigration was allowed, if not actively encouraged. U.S. businesses — like our own carpet industry — benefited handsomely.
Illegal aliens aren’t fools. Looking for a better life, millions came to the U.S. surreptitiously, knowing that once they got here they had a very good chance of staying for the long term.
They violated the law, but in this case the law was a bad joke, taken seriously by a handful of federal agents and hardly anyone else.
Now, many of those same illegal aliens have built good lives in this country. They work, raise their families and try to make the best life they can. People like that, whether they came here legally or not, make good citizens. And that should be the thrust of immigration policy. Let’s identify the good and honest and give them the opportunity to “get legal.” Call it amnesty if you want — though that word seems to send shivers down the backs of some — but the main goal is not to reward illegal aliens, it is to strengthen our country. The United States can’t have too many honest, hard-working citizens.
And what about the others, the not-so-honest and not-so-hard working?
Put them in jail or boot them. This isn’t a penal colony and we aren’t obligated, legally or morally, to accept any other nation’s criminal element. (Too bad we can’t ship some of our home-grown thugs out with them.)
There is no doubt that illegal aliens create a burden on taxpayers. Health care, law enforcement and education are three areas where the impact is obvious. But there is no reason why that issue can’t be addressed in the context of overall social policy. Congress should make it clear that if you are in this country illegally, you will qualify for few if any federal benefits until you become a productive citizen. What’s done at the state level should be decided at the state level. If California wants to subsidize illegal aliens, that’s a decision for Californians to make. Georgians may feel differently.
Locally, taxpayers should not have to subsidize illegal aliens.
But the goal remains to get them legal and make them productive.
What should the U.S. do?
1. Take control of the border and shut down the flow of illegal aliens into the country until the system can be fixed.
2. Create a reasonable framework by which illegal aliens already here can become legal citizens. Take advantage of this wonderful human capital.
3. Move aggressively to weed out the criminals and slackers. Put them in jail or send them back to their home countries. Give ICE a job that matters and fund the department.
4. Revamp federal, state and local laws in regard to social service benefits, health care, education, etc. Paying your way is the right way, but then again that should apply to our homegrown deadbeats, too. The key on this point is that policy should be made at the local level. Different communities, different states may choose other options. The best ideas and strategies will eventually emerge.
Illegal immigration needs to be addressed by this administration. If President Obama were to make the right decisions on this issue — unavoidably angering his own party at times — it could be a monumental legacy and a blessing to us all.
Jimmy Espy is executive editor of The Daily Citizen.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
There's a war on
Al Qaeda feels the deadly sting of Predator missiles. This story says Obama likely to continue ramped up strikes ordered by Bush.
PC Police
You think political correctness is a big deal here. Check out this story from Ireland. A close call for the gabby Christian chick.
Reds
Mr. Chavez meets Mr. Reality, but the moves he is making will do a lot of harm. A 20 percent hike in the minimum wage means jobs will be cut. Trimming govt. salaries, while a lovely thought, will have zero impact. When the bottom drops out, will this fool give up power?
Your Sunday free tune
How did I miss this? Nancy Griffith and the boys go for gold with "Desperadoes."
TV
The great animator Chuck Jones is the subject of a Tuesday night presentation on TCM. It's a new documentary and will be presented with many of his best shorts.
Football
Dalton's Jalen Fields may sign with Georgia today. I saw Jalen two years ago, watched him for about 10 plays and told the man next to me "that's a college football player." He had good size then and the frame to add more weight, which has happened. But the thing impressed me most was his quickness. Serious quicks.
Watching him play at DHS has been a little disappointing. The physical skills are obvious, obvious enough to have top college programs drooling. But Jalen's production rarely matches his ability. He doesn't make as many plays as you would expect. How much of that is system, I don't know.
Jalen's dad Patrick was a standout tailback at Southeast, a powerful, bruising runner who pounded opponents. He's also a smart man who has worked hard to keep his son focused.
That's bound to pay off.
I hope Jalen tears it up his senior year.
It's good to see a local kid with a chance to play at the SEC level.
Watching him play at DHS has been a little disappointing. The physical skills are obvious, obvious enough to have top college programs drooling. But Jalen's production rarely matches his ability. He doesn't make as many plays as you would expect. How much of that is system, I don't know.
Jalen's dad Patrick was a standout tailback at Southeast, a powerful, bruising runner who pounded opponents. He's also a smart man who has worked hard to keep his son focused.
That's bound to pay off.
I hope Jalen tears it up his senior year.
It's good to see a local kid with a chance to play at the SEC level.
Politics
I should have written this column first, but Michael Wolff beat me to it. The secret is out, Obama isn't real clever.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Books
Spytime by William F. Buckley
James Jesus Angleton ran the CIA's counter-intelligence operations from 1954-1975, wielding enormous influence on a wide range of U.S. policy. Angleton remains one of the controversial figures of the Cold War period, respected for his intellectual gifts and his superb understanding of tradecraft, while vilified for his paranoid and damaging decision making.
William F. Buckley, in one of his last novels, invents his own James Angleton, using him as a fulcrum to explain numerous international events of the 1960 and 1970s.
"Spytime" is an entertaining read. Buckley's knowledge of the era, particularly its political ebbs and flows, serves him well here. More importantly, his Angleton is a fascinating character, duplicitous, conniving, brilliant and yet ultimately overwhelmed by the complexities of the world in which he resides, the world of high level espionage.
Buckley's side characters are less entertaining and the plot never really kicks into high gear. An action thriller it is not.
But if you like a cerebral, measured look -- through fiction -- at one of the most interesting and influential figures of the post Cold War period, "Spytime" is time well spent.
James Jesus Angleton ran the CIA's counter-intelligence operations from 1954-1975, wielding enormous influence on a wide range of U.S. policy. Angleton remains one of the controversial figures of the Cold War period, respected for his intellectual gifts and his superb understanding of tradecraft, while vilified for his paranoid and damaging decision making.
William F. Buckley, in one of his last novels, invents his own James Angleton, using him as a fulcrum to explain numerous international events of the 1960 and 1970s.
"Spytime" is an entertaining read. Buckley's knowledge of the era, particularly its political ebbs and flows, serves him well here. More importantly, his Angleton is a fascinating character, duplicitous, conniving, brilliant and yet ultimately overwhelmed by the complexities of the world in which he resides, the world of high level espionage.
Buckley's side characters are less entertaining and the plot never really kicks into high gear. An action thriller it is not.
But if you like a cerebral, measured look -- through fiction -- at one of the most interesting and influential figures of the post Cold War period, "Spytime" is time well spent.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Politics
The not so great communicator? How could they not see this? Because they chose not to. During the election, Obama repeatedly stumbled when off the machine. More and more he resembles Bush, who at least had some good instincts. This isn't good.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
On the border
The Mexican truck spat will cost U.S. businesses. Obama's crew needs to make this right.
Dope
Is federal policy on pot about to change? This sounds good and smart but do they have the nerve to stick with it. Doubt consumes me.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
NFL Draft
This past week, for the first time since January, Mel Kiper Jr. came out with a new mock draft. And while he's content that much has stayed the same, some things haven't, and Kiper is ready to defend the movements, starting with:
Changes in the Top 5
Mel defends the fact that his top 5 really hasn't changed that dramatically. "I thought back on the 21st that St. Louis would take Andre Smith with the second pick, but they're still taking a tackle and it's going to be Jason Smith," he reasons.
Mel had Matthew Stafford at No. 1 overall and won't back down from that position, though with Jay Cutler drifting wildly in the wind, is Detroit a part of that conversation? Even if the Lions are, as Mel said last week, Cutler was "overhyped at the combine, he was overhyped at Senior Bowl week, he's been overhyped before he was drafted. The media, they love Jay Cutler." And Mel still loves Stafford, a guy he has said would be a No. 1 pick since he came out high school in Texas.
At No. 3, Mel previously believed that Kansas City would have to take the opportunity to take a quarterback, but "obviously, now that they have [Matt] Cassel, you take Aaron Curry there," he says. He reasons that Kansas City desperately needs an impact linebacker, and if you're a Chiefs fan (teaser alert!) he provides a nice comparison later on in this column.
At No. 4, the needs of the Seahawks have changed as well, with Kiper now saying he foresees the selection of Eugene Monroe by Seattle. "There's a number of different ways that they could go," says Mel, "but they got their defensive tackle, Colin ColeColin Cole, in free agency." That would eliminate the need to take BC's B.J. Raji at the fourth spot, and "they added [T.J.] Houshmandzadeh, so maybe they'll stay away from wide receiver," Kiper reasons.
"With Cleveland at No. 5, this is a defensive front that has to stop the run," says Kiper, "and I think B.J. Raji will allow that to happen. You're talking about arguably the most dominant college football player this year in a lot of games."
Receivers Hot at Nos. 6 & 7
Mel explains that it isn't necessarily that Michael Crabtree has fallen, but Seattle -- the most likely team to take him in the top 5 -- has filled a need for a No. 1 receiver. Having lost Carson Palmer's most frequent target, the Bengals find a new one. "I think you'll see Cincinnati take Crabtree at No. 6 and then Oakland take Maclin at No. 7," he says. While many consider Maclin a reach at No. 7, hey, Todd McShay agreed.
Nos. 8-10?
Mel likes teams drafting for need here. He doesn't believe Jacksonville is sold on David Garrard as a long-term option at quarterback, so the franchise needs to find an answer there. To do so, they'll select Mark Sanchez from USC.
"I then have Brian Orakpo to Green Bay at No. 9," says Kiper. With Green Bay going to a 3-4 defensive alignment, Orakpo could be a valuable asset as a pass-rusher who can also drop into coverage. Kiper then sees fellow defensive end Aaron Maybin from Penn State landing with the Niners as the 10th overall pick. The thing about the Top 10, however, is it's such an odd mix of talent and need, and not necessarily in that order. So Kiper was pressed on who would go first if pure talent was the issue.
The Best Players in the Draft, Period
While Kiper has had the Lions taking Stafford all along, and the Rams grabbing a tackle to replace Orlando Pace since day one, neither is the guy he considers the best pure player.
That would be Aaron Curry or Michael Crabtree.
"I think Aaron Curry and Michael Crabtree are the two best players," says Kiper. He considers it a matter of who can contribute from day one. "Curry is NFL-ready immediately, and even with Crabtree coming off the injury … three years down the road, if you were going to say who are going to be the best players, I would say it's going to be those guys."
Equality, Now!
Everybody always asks Mel not just what kind of a player a guy is, but who he's going to resemble. So we did a little chart off this year's players based on what Mel predicted this week. When asked who this year's draft prospects resemble, these are the comparisons that come to mind for Kiper.
Matthew Stafford = Bert Jones (Yeah, this guy.)
Michael Crabtree = Andre Johnson
Percy Harvin = Reggie Bush
Clay Matthews = Mike Vrabel
Alphonso Smith = Antoine Winfield
Aaron Curry = Keith Bulluck
Speaking of comparisons, Mel points out that they don't just work in terms of what kind of a player someone will be, but what evaluators see when they recall a recent draft. Which brings us to …
Joe Flacco, Part II.
One of Mel's more curious projections is that Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman will be off the board in the first round. That's because many other experts have dropped him completely from the picture. But Mel reminds us that people don't just see Freeman for what he is. They can see him for what someone else is and was during the regular season, namely, Joe Flacco.
"This is a copycat league. Teams see one quarterback who is 6-foot-6 throwing the ball all over the place, then [there's Freeman], a kid who is also 6-foot-6 throwing the ball all over the place," says Kiper. "And Flacco came out of I-AA…Freeman came out of a non-bowl team who fired its coach, didn't have great talent around him."
Kiper says we always bash good quarterbacks when they had great players around them, "but Josh didn't have anybody at all, so let's defend him, because the stats won't equal the ability."
Speaking of copycats, last year, after Miami's dalliance with the Wildcat formation turned into a full-on romantic comedy (hey, Ricky Williams is funny!), a number of other teams tried the Wildcat formation, something made popular at Arkansas when Felix Jones and Darren McFadden were in Houston Nutt's backfield.
Wildcats! (Minus Goldie Hawn)
This week on ESPN Radio, Todd McShay criticized West Virginia quarterback Pat White for not doing any kind of work as a wide receiver during his official pro day. McShay can see scouts souring on White and ignoring him (though not completely) come draft day. For a guy with stunning athleticism, White has become one of the more intriguing aspects of the draft. Where does he fit? Kiper says he can still land high. That's because he predicts the Wildcat offense is here for a while.
"I've talked to a lot of people over the past month on this guy, and I think he goes in the late second round," says Kiper. "He's a Wildcat quarterback and that's a perfect scenario for him. He could get six, seven, eight snaps a game in that capacity, then use him in the slot and as a return man … He's an Antwaan Randle El-type player."
Does this make Miami a potential port of call?
Fallen Stars
Mel has picked some guys like Freeman and White who could rise, but that means others must fall. These are five he says will lose a little coin on draft day.
1. Derrick Williams — With as many as six or seven solid underclassmen wide receivers in the mix, Kiper says this former likely second-rounder is now out of that picture, "especially after a less-than-stellar 40 time at the combine.
2. Chase Coffman — "With so many quality tight ends in the draft," Coffman has gotten "lost in the shuffle." Mel says he could land in the fourth round.
3. Andre Smith — "As opposed to the No. 2 pick, which I once thought possible," Smith's mix of screwups and added question marks makes Mel think he will fall to being the third tackle taken.
4. Michael Johnson — He's one of the better athletes in the draft, says Mel, "but he didn't perform anywhere near that level this [past] year.
5. William Moore — The Missouri safety once near the top of Mel's Big Board has dropped a lot, partly due to a foot injury that limited him all year. This is one of those cases where coming out a year early would have helped a lot. Still, "a potential steal in Round 2."
The Curious Case of Everette Brown
Each week so far in Tuesdays With Mel, we've pointed to a position ranking. This week, we're going to choose defensive end, because that's where one of Mel's most curious picks arises. To start, here is the current rankings board at defensive end, according to Kiper.
1. Brian Orakpo, Texas
2. Aaron Maybin, Penn State
3. Tyson Jackson, LSU
4. Robert Ayers, Tennessee
5. Everette Brown, Florida State
The curious case of Everette Brown starts here. That's because when we polled experts from across the board, Mel had Brown way down the list, all the way to the No. 30 pick overall. No other expert had Brown falling into the late teens. One had him as high as No. 5! So what gives?
"He's not at the level of Orakpo and Maybin," Mel writes in his analysis. But he "should draw mid-first-round consideration."
Well, first round is still first round. All in all, you're doing a heckuva job, Brownie.
T.O.'s Draft Effect?
To end on a more positive note, we should point to the story of Brandon Pettigrew, who Mel is convinced is a higher pick than any other expert would believe (no joke). And he claims T.O. is making an assist. This isn't the first time Owens has affected positive change, but we digress.
The Oklahoma State tight end, Mel feels, "is a guy a lot of teams are going to want in the late first round." And with Buffalo picking at No. 11, and now having a young quarterback (Trent Edwards) who clearly has a pair of serious deep threats in Owens and Lee Evans, Pettigrew could become the riser of the draft, "because Buffalo is going to need a good tight end" to balance the passing game and be an outlet for its emerging QB. If it makes sense to Mel, will it make sense to Buffalo? It's one to watch.
Quick Hits
• Longtime ESPN contributor Beano Cook believes that Mel is in the wrong profession. "If Mel can handle who's going to get drafted [in the first round], he should handle the financial bailout," suggests Cook. Beano thinks bankers are "dumb." You heard it here.
• The Super Bowl champs? "I think they're going to look for a corner like Darius Butler from UConn or a tackle like Eben Britton from Arizona."
• Shout out to UConn: "I think Connecticut, with Randy Edsel, is going to have four players selected in the first two rounds. When did you ever think Connecticut could have four players selected in the first two rounds?"
Wait, is this the NFL or the NBA draft?
Changes in the Top 5
Mel defends the fact that his top 5 really hasn't changed that dramatically. "I thought back on the 21st that St. Louis would take Andre Smith with the second pick, but they're still taking a tackle and it's going to be Jason Smith," he reasons.
Mel had Matthew Stafford at No. 1 overall and won't back down from that position, though with Jay Cutler drifting wildly in the wind, is Detroit a part of that conversation? Even if the Lions are, as Mel said last week, Cutler was "overhyped at the combine, he was overhyped at Senior Bowl week, he's been overhyped before he was drafted. The media, they love Jay Cutler." And Mel still loves Stafford, a guy he has said would be a No. 1 pick since he came out high school in Texas.
At No. 3, Mel previously believed that Kansas City would have to take the opportunity to take a quarterback, but "obviously, now that they have [Matt] Cassel, you take Aaron Curry there," he says. He reasons that Kansas City desperately needs an impact linebacker, and if you're a Chiefs fan (teaser alert!) he provides a nice comparison later on in this column.
At No. 4, the needs of the Seahawks have changed as well, with Kiper now saying he foresees the selection of Eugene Monroe by Seattle. "There's a number of different ways that they could go," says Mel, "but they got their defensive tackle, Colin ColeColin Cole, in free agency." That would eliminate the need to take BC's B.J. Raji at the fourth spot, and "they added [T.J.] Houshmandzadeh, so maybe they'll stay away from wide receiver," Kiper reasons.
"With Cleveland at No. 5, this is a defensive front that has to stop the run," says Kiper, "and I think B.J. Raji will allow that to happen. You're talking about arguably the most dominant college football player this year in a lot of games."
Receivers Hot at Nos. 6 & 7
Mel explains that it isn't necessarily that Michael Crabtree has fallen, but Seattle -- the most likely team to take him in the top 5 -- has filled a need for a No. 1 receiver. Having lost Carson Palmer's most frequent target, the Bengals find a new one. "I think you'll see Cincinnati take Crabtree at No. 6 and then Oakland take Maclin at No. 7," he says. While many consider Maclin a reach at No. 7, hey, Todd McShay agreed.
Nos. 8-10?
Mel likes teams drafting for need here. He doesn't believe Jacksonville is sold on David Garrard as a long-term option at quarterback, so the franchise needs to find an answer there. To do so, they'll select Mark Sanchez from USC.
"I then have Brian Orakpo to Green Bay at No. 9," says Kiper. With Green Bay going to a 3-4 defensive alignment, Orakpo could be a valuable asset as a pass-rusher who can also drop into coverage. Kiper then sees fellow defensive end Aaron Maybin from Penn State landing with the Niners as the 10th overall pick. The thing about the Top 10, however, is it's such an odd mix of talent and need, and not necessarily in that order. So Kiper was pressed on who would go first if pure talent was the issue.
The Best Players in the Draft, Period
While Kiper has had the Lions taking Stafford all along, and the Rams grabbing a tackle to replace Orlando Pace since day one, neither is the guy he considers the best pure player.
That would be Aaron Curry or Michael Crabtree.
"I think Aaron Curry and Michael Crabtree are the two best players," says Kiper. He considers it a matter of who can contribute from day one. "Curry is NFL-ready immediately, and even with Crabtree coming off the injury … three years down the road, if you were going to say who are going to be the best players, I would say it's going to be those guys."
Equality, Now!
Everybody always asks Mel not just what kind of a player a guy is, but who he's going to resemble. So we did a little chart off this year's players based on what Mel predicted this week. When asked who this year's draft prospects resemble, these are the comparisons that come to mind for Kiper.
Matthew Stafford = Bert Jones (Yeah, this guy.)
Michael Crabtree = Andre Johnson
Percy Harvin = Reggie Bush
Clay Matthews = Mike Vrabel
Alphonso Smith = Antoine Winfield
Aaron Curry = Keith Bulluck
Speaking of comparisons, Mel points out that they don't just work in terms of what kind of a player someone will be, but what evaluators see when they recall a recent draft. Which brings us to …
Joe Flacco, Part II.
One of Mel's more curious projections is that Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman will be off the board in the first round. That's because many other experts have dropped him completely from the picture. But Mel reminds us that people don't just see Freeman for what he is. They can see him for what someone else is and was during the regular season, namely, Joe Flacco.
"This is a copycat league. Teams see one quarterback who is 6-foot-6 throwing the ball all over the place, then [there's Freeman], a kid who is also 6-foot-6 throwing the ball all over the place," says Kiper. "And Flacco came out of I-AA…Freeman came out of a non-bowl team who fired its coach, didn't have great talent around him."
Kiper says we always bash good quarterbacks when they had great players around them, "but Josh didn't have anybody at all, so let's defend him, because the stats won't equal the ability."
Speaking of copycats, last year, after Miami's dalliance with the Wildcat formation turned into a full-on romantic comedy (hey, Ricky Williams is funny!), a number of other teams tried the Wildcat formation, something made popular at Arkansas when Felix Jones and Darren McFadden were in Houston Nutt's backfield.
Wildcats! (Minus Goldie Hawn)
This week on ESPN Radio, Todd McShay criticized West Virginia quarterback Pat White for not doing any kind of work as a wide receiver during his official pro day. McShay can see scouts souring on White and ignoring him (though not completely) come draft day. For a guy with stunning athleticism, White has become one of the more intriguing aspects of the draft. Where does he fit? Kiper says he can still land high. That's because he predicts the Wildcat offense is here for a while.
"I've talked to a lot of people over the past month on this guy, and I think he goes in the late second round," says Kiper. "He's a Wildcat quarterback and that's a perfect scenario for him. He could get six, seven, eight snaps a game in that capacity, then use him in the slot and as a return man … He's an Antwaan Randle El-type player."
Does this make Miami a potential port of call?
Fallen Stars
Mel has picked some guys like Freeman and White who could rise, but that means others must fall. These are five he says will lose a little coin on draft day.
1. Derrick Williams — With as many as six or seven solid underclassmen wide receivers in the mix, Kiper says this former likely second-rounder is now out of that picture, "especially after a less-than-stellar 40 time at the combine.
2. Chase Coffman — "With so many quality tight ends in the draft," Coffman has gotten "lost in the shuffle." Mel says he could land in the fourth round.
3. Andre Smith — "As opposed to the No. 2 pick, which I once thought possible," Smith's mix of screwups and added question marks makes Mel think he will fall to being the third tackle taken.
4. Michael Johnson — He's one of the better athletes in the draft, says Mel, "but he didn't perform anywhere near that level this [past] year.
5. William Moore — The Missouri safety once near the top of Mel's Big Board has dropped a lot, partly due to a foot injury that limited him all year. This is one of those cases where coming out a year early would have helped a lot. Still, "a potential steal in Round 2."
The Curious Case of Everette Brown
Each week so far in Tuesdays With Mel, we've pointed to a position ranking. This week, we're going to choose defensive end, because that's where one of Mel's most curious picks arises. To start, here is the current rankings board at defensive end, according to Kiper.
1. Brian Orakpo, Texas
2. Aaron Maybin, Penn State
3. Tyson Jackson, LSU
4. Robert Ayers, Tennessee
5. Everette Brown, Florida State
The curious case of Everette Brown starts here. That's because when we polled experts from across the board, Mel had Brown way down the list, all the way to the No. 30 pick overall. No other expert had Brown falling into the late teens. One had him as high as No. 5! So what gives?
"He's not at the level of Orakpo and Maybin," Mel writes in his analysis. But he "should draw mid-first-round consideration."
Well, first round is still first round. All in all, you're doing a heckuva job, Brownie.
T.O.'s Draft Effect?
To end on a more positive note, we should point to the story of Brandon Pettigrew, who Mel is convinced is a higher pick than any other expert would believe (no joke). And he claims T.O. is making an assist. This isn't the first time Owens has affected positive change, but we digress.
The Oklahoma State tight end, Mel feels, "is a guy a lot of teams are going to want in the late first round." And with Buffalo picking at No. 11, and now having a young quarterback (Trent Edwards) who clearly has a pair of serious deep threats in Owens and Lee Evans, Pettigrew could become the riser of the draft, "because Buffalo is going to need a good tight end" to balance the passing game and be an outlet for its emerging QB. If it makes sense to Mel, will it make sense to Buffalo? It's one to watch.
Quick Hits
• Longtime ESPN contributor Beano Cook believes that Mel is in the wrong profession. "If Mel can handle who's going to get drafted [in the first round], he should handle the financial bailout," suggests Cook. Beano thinks bankers are "dumb." You heard it here.
• The Super Bowl champs? "I think they're going to look for a corner like Darius Butler from UConn or a tackle like Eben Britton from Arizona."
• Shout out to UConn: "I think Connecticut, with Randy Edsel, is going to have four players selected in the first two rounds. When did you ever think Connecticut could have four players selected in the first two rounds?"
Wait, is this the NFL or the NBA draft?
Monday, March 16, 2009
Politics
Remember when Obama was telling Congress not to junk up his legislation with any messy oversight rules? Well, that Obama has been replaced by Outraged Obama who wants more oversight.
Is it possible they are screwing things up initially so the President can act all pious later on as he "fixes" these problems -- counting on the Dominant Media's unwillingness to call him on it?
Nah, they're just screwing up a lot.
Is it possible they are screwing things up initially so the President can act all pious later on as he "fixes" these problems -- counting on the Dominant Media's unwillingness to call him on it?
Nah, they're just screwing up a lot.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Movies
A great interview with Jeff Burr, who grew up in Dalton and still eats lunch at the Oakwood on occasion. Jeff is a great guy and fine, underrated filmmaker. The interview is very revealing of the film business.
A funny column by Mark Williams
I was in a meeting with a guy the other day and he said somebody had been “outplaced.” I asked him what the hell that meant, and he said, “Well, there was a re-organization, and she was impacted.
I said, “Are you saying she was fired?” He looked at me for a moment, then said with some discomfort, “Yes. She’s no longer with us.”
Whoa, wait a second. She’s dead? No, no, he said. She has moved on to another opportunity. Oh, I said, so she quit. Well, he said, not voluntarily. How can you quit if it’s not voluntarily?
Bottom line, she was fired. A lot of people are getting fired these days. I’ve been fired a few times in life, and it’s not a pleasant thing.
Why is it so hard for people to say, “You’re fired”? In sports, when a coach is fired, they always say, “We decided to go in a different direction.” In business, it’s often “Your services are no longer needed.” At least they don’t add, “But I’d still like to be friends.”
People can fire you in different ways. When I got fired from this great big bank with a red-white-and-blue logo, my boss came into my office, sat down and said, “Mark, there is no longer a place for you in public relations.”
Well, OK, I said, that’s cool. So where do I work now? Can I be one of the people who counts the money? Can I be a security guard? I always wanted to have a job where I could carry a gun and shoot people.
It turns out, she wasn’t really there to tell me that I was getting a cool new job, because she just sat there and repeated impassively that there was no place for me and refused to make eye contact. Then we had the following conversation
Me: So what does this mean?
Soulless Corporate Idiot: You know what it means.
Me: No, I don’t.
Soulless Corporate Idiot: I believe you do.
Me (feigning shock): Are you saying that I’ve been fired?
Soulless Corporate Idiot: There’s no place for you in the organization.
Me: Come on, I’m getting fired. You can say it.
Soulless Corporate Idiot: I have to go.
It felt more like being dumped by a girlfriend than being fired. You know, how they tell you that it’s just not working out, and it’s not you, it’s them, and they think you’re a great guy, when what they really mean is, “I’ve started seeing a guy who drives a nicer car than you do.” Not that this ever happened to me.
Anyway, that particular bank has gone in the crapper ever since they fired me, so there’s a lesson learned. I was also fired by a grocery store chain once, and it’s since gone out of business. I was also let go by a PR agency that is also no longer in operation. I hope my current employer thinks long and hard about this if they ever decide I need to be outplaced.
I said, “Are you saying she was fired?” He looked at me for a moment, then said with some discomfort, “Yes. She’s no longer with us.”
Whoa, wait a second. She’s dead? No, no, he said. She has moved on to another opportunity. Oh, I said, so she quit. Well, he said, not voluntarily. How can you quit if it’s not voluntarily?
Bottom line, she was fired. A lot of people are getting fired these days. I’ve been fired a few times in life, and it’s not a pleasant thing.
Why is it so hard for people to say, “You’re fired”? In sports, when a coach is fired, they always say, “We decided to go in a different direction.” In business, it’s often “Your services are no longer needed.” At least they don’t add, “But I’d still like to be friends.”
People can fire you in different ways. When I got fired from this great big bank with a red-white-and-blue logo, my boss came into my office, sat down and said, “Mark, there is no longer a place for you in public relations.”
Well, OK, I said, that’s cool. So where do I work now? Can I be one of the people who counts the money? Can I be a security guard? I always wanted to have a job where I could carry a gun and shoot people.
It turns out, she wasn’t really there to tell me that I was getting a cool new job, because she just sat there and repeated impassively that there was no place for me and refused to make eye contact. Then we had the following conversation
Me: So what does this mean?
Soulless Corporate Idiot: You know what it means.
Me: No, I don’t.
Soulless Corporate Idiot: I believe you do.
Me (feigning shock): Are you saying that I’ve been fired?
Soulless Corporate Idiot: There’s no place for you in the organization.
Me: Come on, I’m getting fired. You can say it.
Soulless Corporate Idiot: I have to go.
It felt more like being dumped by a girlfriend than being fired. You know, how they tell you that it’s just not working out, and it’s not you, it’s them, and they think you’re a great guy, when what they really mean is, “I’ve started seeing a guy who drives a nicer car than you do.” Not that this ever happened to me.
Anyway, that particular bank has gone in the crapper ever since they fired me, so there’s a lesson learned. I was also fired by a grocery store chain once, and it’s since gone out of business. I was also let go by a PR agency that is also no longer in operation. I hope my current employer thinks long and hard about this if they ever decide I need to be outplaced.
Guns
The boyos are killing folks again and the Northern Ireland government has disarmed their likely targets.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
My Sunday column
I never ate a cookie from the Davis Bake Shop or munched on a Chow Burger from Chow Time. According to readers, my life is poorer for it.
Last week’s column about “places we miss” brought a great response.
Let’s reminisce ...
Numerous callers spoke glowingly of that “little corner of heaven” in Bry-Man’s Plaza called the Davis Bake Shop. Susan lauded the “wonderful brownies.” Other callers/writers bragged about the cakes, the cookies and the aroma.
The U.S. Cafe had a lot of happy customers. It was fondly remembered by many callers.
David Chance misses “the old Cream-O” and the hamburger steaks at the Chat and Chow.
I’m really sorry I never got to board The Shrimp Boat on Emory, across from the Green Spot. My caller said the seafood was excellent and the restaurant was built in the shape of a boat, which you entered by gang plank. When my co-worker Wes Chance didn’t remember this one, I thought maybe someone was pulling my lariat. But other locals verified its existence.
David called in to lament the too-early demise of a Miami-based chain called Lum’s. “Hot dogs steamed in beer and and beer served in chilled mugs.” As Grandpa Jones used to get ‘em to say, “Yum, yum!”
Several callers sang the praises of the old Cherokee Drive-In. It was “a good place for courting your husband-to-be,” one said.
The chow burger at Chow Time also seems to have been a favorite. Apparently it was also “a good place to see everybody’s car.”
Rodney McConkey, who I assume is a fellow Summer-ville transplant, scolded me for not mentioning Troy’s Drive-In and Toles Drive-In in our hometown. At 47. I may be just under the age to have enjoyed those establishments, but my older and bulkier family members still speak fondly of them. I do feel bad about not mentioning the A&W Drive-In at Trion, where I ate the best chili dogs ever made.
A little closer to home, my mom worked at a fine restaurant in Pennville (between Trion and Sumerville) called The Round Table. The owner was a good guy and ran a super restaurant. He would drive to South Georgia to buy fresh seafood and his fried shrimp was as good as any you overpaid for on the coast.
The A&W in Dalton also had its fans. That root beer is hard to forget.
Restaurants weren’t the only businesses to be missed.
The C&M Grocery in Dawnville was one caller’s favorite spot.
“My kids loved that store.” she said. “The owners were James and Louise Jones and they had the best hand-dipped ice cream.”
Fraker’s Hardware and McLellan’s 5 & 10 were cited by Dr. Ellen Thompson, who also put in a good word for the Davis Bake Shop (that name again!).
Jane Harrell (and Superman) wants to know what happened to all the pay telephone booths?
Several folks, including Brian Jones, mentioned Jimmy’s, the popular restaurant and bar, that closed a few years ago.
Richard Edwards had his favorites, including the Star Cafe (“just across the tracks”), Bob’s Waffle Shop (for breakfast) and Owens’s Pharmacy for the “cherry Cokes and slaw dogs.” Richard also saluted Camp and Duffy’s Sausage, which he says discriminating Daltonians insisted on.
The Mitchells said Papa John’s Seafood on Glenwood had “the best fried shrimp in town.” They also liked Chow Time and the Davis Bakery.
Ron and Judy Parker stumped me with Harold’s Taco Hacienda, which they say served “the best deep-fried chocolate burrito” ever. Rudolph’s Pizza got their thumbs up, as did Chow Time.
Teresa Hambright seconded that plug for Rudolph’s Pizza, as did several other callers.
James Busie was a fan of Kenny Rogers Roasters and joined me in my admiration for Po Folks, particularly the all-you-can-eat country fried steak and gravy. He also spoke well of the old Yellow Deli on Selvedge Street. The hippie-dippy ennui charmed him and the banana milk was outstanding. Another caller seconded the high marks for the Yellow Deli.
One other thing I miss from back in the day was that big, old green house that used to be across the street from The Daily Citizen office on Thornton. When I was a poor sports writer here in the 1980s, I told myself I would come back one day, that I would be rich and that I would buy that house. Well, 20 years later I’m definitely not rich and a bank bought that cool crib and tore it down. But the part about coming back came true and for that I am glad.
Jimmy Espy is executive editor of The Daily Citizen. He blogs at Espysoutpost.blogspot.com
Last week’s column about “places we miss” brought a great response.
Let’s reminisce ...
Numerous callers spoke glowingly of that “little corner of heaven” in Bry-Man’s Plaza called the Davis Bake Shop. Susan lauded the “wonderful brownies.” Other callers/writers bragged about the cakes, the cookies and the aroma.
The U.S. Cafe had a lot of happy customers. It was fondly remembered by many callers.
David Chance misses “the old Cream-O” and the hamburger steaks at the Chat and Chow.
I’m really sorry I never got to board The Shrimp Boat on Emory, across from the Green Spot. My caller said the seafood was excellent and the restaurant was built in the shape of a boat, which you entered by gang plank. When my co-worker Wes Chance didn’t remember this one, I thought maybe someone was pulling my lariat. But other locals verified its existence.
David called in to lament the too-early demise of a Miami-based chain called Lum’s. “Hot dogs steamed in beer and and beer served in chilled mugs.” As Grandpa Jones used to get ‘em to say, “Yum, yum!”
Several callers sang the praises of the old Cherokee Drive-In. It was “a good place for courting your husband-to-be,” one said.
The chow burger at Chow Time also seems to have been a favorite. Apparently it was also “a good place to see everybody’s car.”
Rodney McConkey, who I assume is a fellow Summer-ville transplant, scolded me for not mentioning Troy’s Drive-In and Toles Drive-In in our hometown. At 47. I may be just under the age to have enjoyed those establishments, but my older and bulkier family members still speak fondly of them. I do feel bad about not mentioning the A&W Drive-In at Trion, where I ate the best chili dogs ever made.
A little closer to home, my mom worked at a fine restaurant in Pennville (between Trion and Sumerville) called The Round Table. The owner was a good guy and ran a super restaurant. He would drive to South Georgia to buy fresh seafood and his fried shrimp was as good as any you overpaid for on the coast.
The A&W in Dalton also had its fans. That root beer is hard to forget.
Restaurants weren’t the only businesses to be missed.
The C&M Grocery in Dawnville was one caller’s favorite spot.
“My kids loved that store.” she said. “The owners were James and Louise Jones and they had the best hand-dipped ice cream.”
Fraker’s Hardware and McLellan’s 5 & 10 were cited by Dr. Ellen Thompson, who also put in a good word for the Davis Bake Shop (that name again!).
Jane Harrell (and Superman) wants to know what happened to all the pay telephone booths?
Several folks, including Brian Jones, mentioned Jimmy’s, the popular restaurant and bar, that closed a few years ago.
Richard Edwards had his favorites, including the Star Cafe (“just across the tracks”), Bob’s Waffle Shop (for breakfast) and Owens’s Pharmacy for the “cherry Cokes and slaw dogs.” Richard also saluted Camp and Duffy’s Sausage, which he says discriminating Daltonians insisted on.
The Mitchells said Papa John’s Seafood on Glenwood had “the best fried shrimp in town.” They also liked Chow Time and the Davis Bakery.
Ron and Judy Parker stumped me with Harold’s Taco Hacienda, which they say served “the best deep-fried chocolate burrito” ever. Rudolph’s Pizza got their thumbs up, as did Chow Time.
Teresa Hambright seconded that plug for Rudolph’s Pizza, as did several other callers.
James Busie was a fan of Kenny Rogers Roasters and joined me in my admiration for Po Folks, particularly the all-you-can-eat country fried steak and gravy. He also spoke well of the old Yellow Deli on Selvedge Street. The hippie-dippy ennui charmed him and the banana milk was outstanding. Another caller seconded the high marks for the Yellow Deli.
One other thing I miss from back in the day was that big, old green house that used to be across the street from The Daily Citizen office on Thornton. When I was a poor sports writer here in the 1980s, I told myself I would come back one day, that I would be rich and that I would buy that house. Well, 20 years later I’m definitely not rich and a bank bought that cool crib and tore it down. But the part about coming back came true and for that I am glad.
Jimmy Espy is executive editor of The Daily Citizen. He blogs at Espysoutpost.blogspot.com
Venezuela
Highway song. Chavez government takes control of roads, rail, airports. Something bad is coming.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Politics
Camille Paglia blames Obama's staff. Sounds like a cop out to me. The Prez hasn't exactly shined in his non-scripted moments.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Movies
I like Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute. His work on The Office is almost always dead on. That happens, in part, because the writers and director of that show work together to show off the character.
Too bad the makers of "The Rocker" didn't do the same.
Rainn plays Robert "Fish" Fishman, one-time member of an emerging 1980s hair band. Fish gets dumped from the band and spends years in a series of dead end jobs, bemoaning his fate. His old band mates go on to stardom.
Cut to today and Fish's nephew's request to play drums in his band at the prom.
Of course, lightning strikes and soon the band is on the way to stardom. Or is it? (Sure it is.)
Wilson's a gifted comic actor but "Fish" is written as a one-joke character and by the 20 minute mark Wilson had ground that joke to dust.
Emma Stone is charming as Amelia and Jason Sudeikis (from SNL) has some funny bits.
But it's Wilson's show all the way and it just doesn't work as more than a mild time waster.
Too bad the makers of "The Rocker" didn't do the same.
Rainn plays Robert "Fish" Fishman, one-time member of an emerging 1980s hair band. Fish gets dumped from the band and spends years in a series of dead end jobs, bemoaning his fate. His old band mates go on to stardom.
Cut to today and Fish's nephew's request to play drums in his band at the prom.
Of course, lightning strikes and soon the band is on the way to stardom. Or is it? (Sure it is.)
Wilson's a gifted comic actor but "Fish" is written as a one-joke character and by the 20 minute mark Wilson had ground that joke to dust.
Emma Stone is charming as Amelia and Jason Sudeikis (from SNL) has some funny bits.
But it's Wilson's show all the way and it just doesn't work as more than a mild time waster.
Your Sunday free tune
I was going to go upbeat but this Barry McGuire classic is what I came up with. Instead.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
My Sunday column
Wandering around the Internet this week I came across a lighthearted photo feature called Places We Miss Most (www.walletpop.com/ specials/places-we-miss-most).
The feature listed 29 beloved businesses that no longer exist. Most I was familiar with (Bennigan’s, Steak and Ale). Some (Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor and Restaurant) were complete mysteries A few I adored.
Po Folks.
Remember when there was one of those marvelous “real country cooking” restaurants on Walnut Avenue, near the current site of O’Charley’s.
In the late 1980s I went there with former Daily Citizen managing editor Terry Smith.
I can’t prove it, but I suspect it was that visit from us that did in the franchise. On that crisp Sunday afternoon we set the world tag team record for fried chicken consumption.
Of course we both paid the gastronomical price the next day at work, for which Terry held me completely to blame. Yup, I had held that 240-pound Vietnam veteran down and forced those gravy biscuits down his throat!
Burger Chef.
I had my first Burger Chef meal in Wheeling, W.Va.,when I was a young’n visiting relatives. It was quite the revelation for a tow-headed country boy.
Apparently I was not the only one so affected.
Daily Citizen staffer Jamie Jones sings the praises of the downtown Dalton Burger Chef, once a mere block from this newspaper office. “Best hamburger in town” confirms another Daltonian, May Englebert.
Jamie also recalls his glory days at Bry-Man’s Plaza, when a Saturday afternoon with buddies consisted of too many hours blasting Space Invaders at Funway, scarfing pizza at Godfather’s and slurping ice cream at Kay’s Kastle for dessert.
None of those fine establishments survive here today.
(Another Daily Citizen staffer bemoans the passing of Paper Dolls, but he asked me not use his name.)
I had my own doomed favorites in Summerville.
McGinnis Drug and Jackson Drug were across the street from each other.
Jackson Drug had a great comic book stand and one Tuesday a month all the new Marvel comics would magically appear. At the time they were only a quarter apiece, so a begged dollar and three hard-earned pennies netted me four comics.
McGinnis Drug didn’t have comics, but they had something almost as wondrous, an ice cream fountain. Just like one in a Tab Hunter movie.
Both these superb establishments have since been crushed by the steamroller of modern commerce, in this case a chain pharmacy, which has neither comics nor an ice cream fountain.
For years Summervillians were denied the pleasure(?) of mass market fast food chains. One of the first to finally roll into town was Jack’s.
Good stuff.
The Big Jack burger was a quality slab of meat and they made a mean shake.
Eventually Jack’s failed and reopened as a Dairy Queen. (A Dairy King had already tanked in another location, as had a Maryland Fried Chicken.)
Dairy Queen sold a lot of ice cream, but not much else and eventually succumbed. The building now houses an insurance company. Can’t imagine they make a good milk shake.
Although I am not a native Daltonian I joined with many of you in mourning the loss of Lizzi’s Deli last year. The wings were terrific and once, many years ago, I may have had a beer or two in there.
Anyhow, what do you think? What local businesses — culinary and non-culinary — do you miss? Hundreds have come and gone, but which ones stir your memory and bring a smile to your face?
Call me at 706-272-7735 and leave your name and the name of the late, lamented business you still miss. Or e-mail me at jimmyespy@daltoncitizen.
Just don’t talk too much about Lizzi’s, that one makes me cry.
Jimmy Espy is executive editor of The Daily Citizen. He blogs at Espysoutpost .blogspot.com
The feature listed 29 beloved businesses that no longer exist. Most I was familiar with (Bennigan’s, Steak and Ale). Some (Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor and Restaurant) were complete mysteries A few I adored.
Po Folks.
Remember when there was one of those marvelous “real country cooking” restaurants on Walnut Avenue, near the current site of O’Charley’s.
In the late 1980s I went there with former Daily Citizen managing editor Terry Smith.
I can’t prove it, but I suspect it was that visit from us that did in the franchise. On that crisp Sunday afternoon we set the world tag team record for fried chicken consumption.
Of course we both paid the gastronomical price the next day at work, for which Terry held me completely to blame. Yup, I had held that 240-pound Vietnam veteran down and forced those gravy biscuits down his throat!
Burger Chef.
I had my first Burger Chef meal in Wheeling, W.Va.,when I was a young’n visiting relatives. It was quite the revelation for a tow-headed country boy.
Apparently I was not the only one so affected.
Daily Citizen staffer Jamie Jones sings the praises of the downtown Dalton Burger Chef, once a mere block from this newspaper office. “Best hamburger in town” confirms another Daltonian, May Englebert.
Jamie also recalls his glory days at Bry-Man’s Plaza, when a Saturday afternoon with buddies consisted of too many hours blasting Space Invaders at Funway, scarfing pizza at Godfather’s and slurping ice cream at Kay’s Kastle for dessert.
None of those fine establishments survive here today.
(Another Daily Citizen staffer bemoans the passing of Paper Dolls, but he asked me not use his name.)
I had my own doomed favorites in Summerville.
McGinnis Drug and Jackson Drug were across the street from each other.
Jackson Drug had a great comic book stand and one Tuesday a month all the new Marvel comics would magically appear. At the time they were only a quarter apiece, so a begged dollar and three hard-earned pennies netted me four comics.
McGinnis Drug didn’t have comics, but they had something almost as wondrous, an ice cream fountain. Just like one in a Tab Hunter movie.
Both these superb establishments have since been crushed by the steamroller of modern commerce, in this case a chain pharmacy, which has neither comics nor an ice cream fountain.
For years Summervillians were denied the pleasure(?) of mass market fast food chains. One of the first to finally roll into town was Jack’s.
Good stuff.
The Big Jack burger was a quality slab of meat and they made a mean shake.
Eventually Jack’s failed and reopened as a Dairy Queen. (A Dairy King had already tanked in another location, as had a Maryland Fried Chicken.)
Dairy Queen sold a lot of ice cream, but not much else and eventually succumbed. The building now houses an insurance company. Can’t imagine they make a good milk shake.
Although I am not a native Daltonian I joined with many of you in mourning the loss of Lizzi’s Deli last year. The wings were terrific and once, many years ago, I may have had a beer or two in there.
Anyhow, what do you think? What local businesses — culinary and non-culinary — do you miss? Hundreds have come and gone, but which ones stir your memory and bring a smile to your face?
Call me at 706-272-7735 and leave your name and the name of the late, lamented business you still miss. Or e-mail me at jimmyespy@daltoncitizen.
Just don’t talk too much about Lizzi’s, that one makes me cry.
Jimmy Espy is executive editor of The Daily Citizen. He blogs at Espysoutpost .blogspot.com
On the border
The LA Times says border crossings have plummeted as economy weakens. Kind of flies in the face of the idea that illegals come here to get on welfare.
Books
I probably won't renew my Newsweek subscription this year. The magazine's relentless efforts for the Obama campaign were just too much. But I will miss the occasional good piece like this look back at John Cheever. (They did still work in a glowing graph on Obama in a story about a mobile Korean restaurant in California.)
Friday, March 6, 2009
My Dalton Magazine column
As a kid I saw Patton whup Rommel (the “ magnificent b-----d”), Atlanta fall to Sherman (a not so magnificent b-----d) and Hugh O’Brian lasso an ostrich from the back of a moving truck.
At the movies.
I’m not sure what the first movie I saw at a theater was, but my best guess is “Africa Texas Style,” a less-than-classic feature with the underrated O’Brian playing a cowboy transplanted to the African veldt. Leonard Maltin and Roger Ebert may not think much of it, but a five-year-old Jimmy Espy was downright thrilled by all the action. Making it even better was the fact that I saw this picture at a drive in. When you’re five, there’s not much cooler than sitting with your dad in a drive in watching ostriches being lassoed.
Patton came to the old Tooga Theater in Summerville when I was nine. Daddy took me to that one, too. A veteran of the Korean War, he and I shared an interest in all things military. I twisted and turned in my seat as those German tanks and infantry advanced into the teeth of old Blood and Guts' masterfully laid trap. The Germans were repulsed. I was fascinated.
Rhett and Scarlett rolled out nationwide again in 1968. We saw it at the Tooga and to this day one of the most powerful film images I’ve seen is when the crane-mounted camera pulls back to reveal a train yard covered in wounded Confederate soldiers and a battle flag rippling in the wind.
Four decades after te fact and these movies are still burned into my brain.
---
I’m a movie bum. I’ll watch just about anything.
Horror? Check.
Science fiction? Check.
Westerns? Check.
Crime? Check.
Comedies? Check.
Musicals? Check (if Gene Kelly is in it).
At, 47 my love for movies is unabated.
I watch several a week and would see more if Grown Up Life did not intrude. A man DOES have to sleep sometime.
I watch a lot of movies on TV, either the pay movie channels or on Turner Classic Movies, where they know how to treat a classic film lover.
The only channel with commercials that I’ll regularly watch a movie on is the Sci Fi Channel, where the parade of “big bug movies” seems endless. (If my wife walks in and I’ve got the TV on Sci Fi she’ll disdainfully ask me, “So, what’s in this one? Giant spiders or giant cockroaches?”)
Three years ago I found movie heaven. It’s called Netflix.
For a reasonable price they’ll mail you movies to watch. It’s a ridiculously easy system. But the best things about it is they have thousands and thousands of movies to choose from. They’ve got the blockbusters, same as everybody. But the real treasure is the cult films, the oddities and the almost-impossible-to-find films gathered from all over the world.
Netflix is great. So Is Turner Classic.
But as wonderful as they are, nothing touches seeing a film in a darkened theater, with an appreciative audience and a lap full of overpriced junk food (preferably popcorn and Milk Duds.)
I’m not the only one who feels that way, based on the stir that Dalton’s new Carmike 12 Cinemas has created.
The brand spanking new movie palace has been packing ‘em in since its January opening.
Good for them.
The company’s commitment to this area, despite lean economic times, is refreshing.
If you want to learn more about the new Carmike12, check out Mark Hannah’s story on page 10.
Mark, who has written, produced and directed films, knows the ground well. Growing up in Dalton, he haunted every local theater in sight, soaking up his own celluloid memories.
Jimmy Espy is editor of dalton magazine and executive editor of North Georgia Newspaper Group.
At the movies.
I’m not sure what the first movie I saw at a theater was, but my best guess is “Africa Texas Style,” a less-than-classic feature with the underrated O’Brian playing a cowboy transplanted to the African veldt. Leonard Maltin and Roger Ebert may not think much of it, but a five-year-old Jimmy Espy was downright thrilled by all the action. Making it even better was the fact that I saw this picture at a drive in. When you’re five, there’s not much cooler than sitting with your dad in a drive in watching ostriches being lassoed.
Patton came to the old Tooga Theater in Summerville when I was nine. Daddy took me to that one, too. A veteran of the Korean War, he and I shared an interest in all things military. I twisted and turned in my seat as those German tanks and infantry advanced into the teeth of old Blood and Guts' masterfully laid trap. The Germans were repulsed. I was fascinated.
Rhett and Scarlett rolled out nationwide again in 1968. We saw it at the Tooga and to this day one of the most powerful film images I’ve seen is when the crane-mounted camera pulls back to reveal a train yard covered in wounded Confederate soldiers and a battle flag rippling in the wind.
Four decades after te fact and these movies are still burned into my brain.
---
I’m a movie bum. I’ll watch just about anything.
Horror? Check.
Science fiction? Check.
Westerns? Check.
Crime? Check.
Comedies? Check.
Musicals? Check (if Gene Kelly is in it).
At, 47 my love for movies is unabated.
I watch several a week and would see more if Grown Up Life did not intrude. A man DOES have to sleep sometime.
I watch a lot of movies on TV, either the pay movie channels or on Turner Classic Movies, where they know how to treat a classic film lover.
The only channel with commercials that I’ll regularly watch a movie on is the Sci Fi Channel, where the parade of “big bug movies” seems endless. (If my wife walks in and I’ve got the TV on Sci Fi she’ll disdainfully ask me, “So, what’s in this one? Giant spiders or giant cockroaches?”)
Three years ago I found movie heaven. It’s called Netflix.
For a reasonable price they’ll mail you movies to watch. It’s a ridiculously easy system. But the best things about it is they have thousands and thousands of movies to choose from. They’ve got the blockbusters, same as everybody. But the real treasure is the cult films, the oddities and the almost-impossible-to-find films gathered from all over the world.
Netflix is great. So Is Turner Classic.
But as wonderful as they are, nothing touches seeing a film in a darkened theater, with an appreciative audience and a lap full of overpriced junk food (preferably popcorn and Milk Duds.)
I’m not the only one who feels that way, based on the stir that Dalton’s new Carmike 12 Cinemas has created.
The brand spanking new movie palace has been packing ‘em in since its January opening.
Good for them.
The company’s commitment to this area, despite lean economic times, is refreshing.
If you want to learn more about the new Carmike12, check out Mark Hannah’s story on page 10.
Mark, who has written, produced and directed films, knows the ground well. Growing up in Dalton, he haunted every local theater in sight, soaking up his own celluloid memories.
Jimmy Espy is editor of dalton magazine and executive editor of North Georgia Newspaper Group.
NFL
Terrell Owens can still play. But that wasn't enough to keep the star wide receiver in Dallas, though the owner, Jerry Jones, often seemed close to filing adoption papers on him.
Critics have said that Owens' production has declined, but if you watched the Dallas offense last year there did seem to be a concerted effort to get the ball to other people, like TE Jason Witten. Marion Barber wasn't as effective in 20o8, but he isn't getting cut.
Owens got the axe because his very presence was slitting the organization, both players, coaches and management. Surely even Jones understood that in the end. Owens could still help the team on the field, even if Roy Williams emerged as the top wide receiver, but the trade off was too expensive. Getting rid of him now allows the team to start reshaping for 2010 when offensive coordinator Jason Garrett takes over. Garrett certainly wouldn't want to inherit that mess.
Has Jerry wrote off 2009?
No, but yesterday he made a move to benefit the team over the next five years. Oh yeah, Torry Holt wants out in St. Louis. You listening Jerry?
Critics have said that Owens' production has declined, but if you watched the Dallas offense last year there did seem to be a concerted effort to get the ball to other people, like TE Jason Witten. Marion Barber wasn't as effective in 20o8, but he isn't getting cut.
Owens got the axe because his very presence was slitting the organization, both players, coaches and management. Surely even Jones understood that in the end. Owens could still help the team on the field, even if Roy Williams emerged as the top wide receiver, but the trade off was too expensive. Getting rid of him now allows the team to start reshaping for 2010 when offensive coordinator Jason Garrett takes over. Garrett certainly wouldn't want to inherit that mess.
Has Jerry wrote off 2009?
No, but yesterday he made a move to benefit the team over the next five years. Oh yeah, Torry Holt wants out in St. Louis. You listening Jerry?
Politics
The corruption busters don't seem so interested in busting corruption these days. That idiot Murtha gets a free pass.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Movies
"Quarantine," which is based on a Spanish movie "REC," considered to be a very good little horror film. "Quarantine" isn't outstanding, but it's true to its mission statement — "Put a group of largely indifferent characters in an old building and sic a nest of zombies on 'em."
Jennifer Carpenter, who is very good in the "Dexter" series, spends the last third of the movie screaming her head off as she and a dwindling number of survivors race frantically from room-to-room trying to escape their "sealed off" apartment building.
There's a lot of good stuff here. The makeup and special effects are well done and the caught on film by a participant gimmick — made popular by the "Blair Witch Project" — actually makes some sense. What's more, it works.
The furious pace of events keeps most of the characters from being more than cardboard cutouts, but in the end this picture really is about running around in the dark with a nasty critter in hot pursuit.
On that level, it works well.
I look forward to seeing the European version this year.
Jennifer Carpenter, who is very good in the "Dexter" series, spends the last third of the movie screaming her head off as she and a dwindling number of survivors race frantically from room-to-room trying to escape their "sealed off" apartment building.
There's a lot of good stuff here. The makeup and special effects are well done and the caught on film by a participant gimmick — made popular by the "Blair Witch Project" — actually makes some sense. What's more, it works.
The furious pace of events keeps most of the characters from being more than cardboard cutouts, but in the end this picture really is about running around in the dark with a nasty critter in hot pursuit.
On that level, it works well.
I look forward to seeing the European version this year.
Politics Georgia
What is it with politicians and their taxes? I can't understand why the public is so cynical about politicians.
Hitchens vs. the Jihad
Our ol' pal Chris Hitchens brings our attention to a nice bit of U.N. anti-freedom thuggery served up to make the world's Jihadis happy ... or a little less murderous.
Politics
I knew this sounded like crap when he said it. Obama called on his phony health care numbers by ABC. (It must have killed them to do it.)
Media
These are the guys who own WGOW, the lefty-lite talk radio station out of Chattanooga. I love their local sports show from 4-7 (except when those dang Vols and Lady Vols intrude.
The Reds
In Venezuela you are seeing a textbook collapse of a third world socialist country. Read this story. Sound familiar. Chavez has been buying off the poor vote to stay in power but it's setting harder as market realities come crashing down. Quotas, price limits, etc. -- all guaranteed to worsen the food supply situation. If you really think it is about feeding the poor, then its impossible to understand Chavez's stupidity. If you look at it as another state-created disaster being used to strengthen his power, then it all makes perfect sense. It makes perfect sense.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Comics
During a weekend trip to Northeast Georgia with four old buddies I finished "Watchmen" by Alan Moore (writer) and Dave Gibbons (artist). I like the graphic novel format and loved Moore's "From Hell" series. "Watchmen" has been described as the ultimate graphic novel and of course the movie is debuting this weekend.
Unfortunately, I was not overwhelmed by the book. I liked it. Moore is an imaginative, daring writer and artist Gibbons is a terrific penciller.
My biggest complaint is that no one in this story seems to ever shut up. There is tons of yak yak yak and not enough action.
Moore uses the superhero comics format and an alternate universe Earth to explore some interesting historical and moral issues, but for me it was too much of a not-always-good thing.
Moore's series stretched over 12 comic book issues and the sheer length of the story is a grind at some points, though a major sub-plot involving a grim and gory "pirate tale" is a welcome relief.
"Watchmen" is a very entertaining, challenging read but for my money "From Hell" is Moore at his best.
Unfortunately, I was not overwhelmed by the book. I liked it. Moore is an imaginative, daring writer and artist Gibbons is a terrific penciller.
My biggest complaint is that no one in this story seems to ever shut up. There is tons of yak yak yak and not enough action.
Moore uses the superhero comics format and an alternate universe Earth to explore some interesting historical and moral issues, but for me it was too much of a not-always-good thing.
Moore's series stretched over 12 comic book issues and the sheer length of the story is a grind at some points, though a major sub-plot involving a grim and gory "pirate tale" is a welcome relief.
"Watchmen" is a very entertaining, challenging read but for my money "From Hell" is Moore at his best.
Newspaperin'
Ace sports writer Marty Kirkland, who introduced me to that fine TV show The Wire, further depressed me by forwarding this piece by David Simon. I suspect he's not a real popular fellow at the Baltimore Sun editorial meetings.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Politics
Cry me a river. David Brooks finally realizes that Obama isn't a darker, taller version of Harry Truman.
Music
100 Greatest singer-songwriter records. Some good stuff on here but Astral Weeks is an all time piece of garbage. And no James McMurtry? Nancy Griffith?
Sunday, March 1, 2009
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