White Suburban Punk

Notre Dame loses at home to Navy, and still gets three votes in the AP poll.  Unbelievable.  They lost to Michigan, USC, and Navy, and barely beat Michigan State, Purdue, and Boston College.  Joke Heisman candidate Jimmy Clausen had one interception in the red zone, one fumble in the red zone, and was sacked on consecutive plays with his team down by a touchdown with less than two minutes left, the second resulting in a safety.  It would be absolutely pathetic if this guy is even invited to New York for the Heisman presentation.  Year after year, supposedly top 15 recruiting classes, and year after year, it’s nothing but excuses from the national media.  No heart.

The Patriots dispatched the Dolphins to set up the big showdown with Indy Sunday night, the fifth undefeated team on New England’s schedule.  They’re 3-2 in those games so far, with New Orleans still looming in two weeks.  I still haven’t heard anything from Joey Porter this week after he got manhandled by a rookie and didn’t show up on the stat line.  At all.  At least we won’t hear Dierdorf ripping on Randy Moss during the Indy game, despite, you know, the things he does on the field.

Wisconsin had a rather uninspired win at Indiana, 31-28, in a game they should’ve put away in the first half.  John Clay got hurt (concussion), but we finally got to see why the coaching staff is so high on Montee Ball, as they both ran for over 100 yards, Clay’s all in the first half.  Sitting at 7-2, and with Iowa’s loss, the Badgers actually have an outside shot at a share of the Big 10 title and/or an at large berth for a BCS bowl.  Saturday is the last home game of the year against hated Michigan.  There is so much that needs to be paid back to those arrogant bastards, but we can start with last year’s debacle in Ann Arbor and go from there.  Bielema should take a cue from Woody Hayes.  In the 1968 game against Michigan, with Ohio State up 42-14, the Buckeyes scored a late touchdown and Woody elected to go for two, which they got.  Asked after the game why he went for two after the last touchdown, Woody growled, “because they wouldn’t let us go for three.”  That’s the attitude the Badgers need to have.

Iowa’s fairy tale run finally ended (I picked it!) against Northwestern.  Now QB Ricky Stanzi is supposedly doubtful for their last two games, vs. Ohio State and Minnesota, so I would say that the Rose Bowl is doubtful now, too.

Larry Johnson released by the Chiefs.  It’s weird he went to Penn State.  I wonder how Joe Pa kept him from acting up, something nobody else has been able to do.

The great Joe Posnanski wrote a great article for SI about the Yankees here.  Actually, his blog posting may be better, and that’s here.

He breaks down the numbers, and here they are:
In 2002, the Yankees spent $17 million more in payroll than any other team.
In 2003, the Yankees spent $35 million more in payroll than any other team.
In 2004, the Yankees spent $57 million more in payroll than any other team.
In 2005, the Yankees spent $85 million more in payroll than any other team.
In 2006, the Yankees spent $74 million more in payroll than any other team.
In 2007, the Yankees spent $40 million more in payroll than any other team.
In 2008, the Yankees spent $72 million more in payroll than any other team.
In 2009, the Yankees spent $52 million more in payroll than any other team.

And the Red Sox have twice as many championships as the Yankees this century.  Now that’s quite an accomplishment.  Now word comes that the Yankees are supposedly interested in John Lackey.  I guess they have Matsui and Damon coming off the payroll, and maybe Pettite, but WTF?

The Sox traded for Jeremy Hermida, who I have always liked.  I’ve had him on fantasy teams twice, always for that unfulfilled potential.  It’s a good risk, a risk that a team like the Red Sox, with a top 5 payroll, have to take.  Not much risk-taking in the Bronx.  Meanwhile, the Sox declined the $6 million option on Alex Gonzalez, which is not surprising, and picked up the $7.1 million option on V-Mart, also not surprising.  I guess they’re going to look into bringing Gonzalez back for less money, especially now that JJ Hardy was traded to Minnesota by Milwaukee.  My eyes say that Gonzo really shored up the infield D last season, but apparently the defensive metrics say he wasn’t that good.  I know I had a lot more confidence with him out there than anyone else last year, that’s for sure.  He also showed some rare pop with the bat.

The GM meetings are coming up soon, so maybe there will be some hot stove action.  I don’t think there usually is, though.  Action comes later.

Coming off a heartbreaking (and possibly bank breaking) 1-1 tie at Lyon in the Champions League, Liverpool hosted barely-avoiding relegation Birmingham at Anfield Monday. Despite near total domination, the result was a 2-2 tie. Glenn Johnson, Albert Riera, and Steven Gerrard returned from injuries, while Fernando Torres is out again. Gerrard came on late in the first half for an injured (!) Riera. In fact, the injury looked pretty bad (hamstring). I personally don’t like Riera that much, anyway. David Ngog got a brilliant goal to open the scoring, and then Birmingham answered with two, the first off a free kick (Liverpool continues to struggle on set pieces) and the second on an incredible goal off a counter attack late in the first half. Possibly goal of the year. Liverpool poured it on in the second half and finally got awarded a penalty after an Ngog dive in the box. It really wasn’t THAT bad of a dive. Gerrard nailed the penalty, and hit the post with a header a few minutes later. Terrible result, though. And Yossi Benayoun also hurt his hamstring and left the game. Do the trainers on this team suck or is it really possible for a team to have this much bad luck? Anyway, Liverpool remain by far the most entertaining team in the Premiership, and possibly the world. They’re in seventh place and off for two weeks now for the players to join their national teams, and then will come back with Man City and Debrecen in the Champions League.

David Beckham has to miss national team duty for the MLS playoffs. Way to have a real league, MLS. Every other league in the world stops, except yours. And Landon Donovan and Tim Howard will also miss the US/Slovakia game Saturday because of the MLS. The US is currently ranked 11th, Slovakia 33rd (although they won their group and qualified for the World Cup).

This could be the greatest show ever created.

Monday, November 9 marks the 20^th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and with it, the end of the Cold War.  In the United States, this event is widely credited to President Ronald Reagan.  This represents a good time to examine the reasons for the end of the Cold War and Reagan’s legacy, 20 years after his term as president ended.

Reagan took over from Jimmy Carter at a time when the United States faced what has been termed a “crisis of confidence”, amid the Iranian Hostage Crisis and economic turmoil, including an oil crisis.  What led to the hostage crisis, and what did Reagan do about Middle East relations?

In 1952-53, Mohammed Mossadeq, the democratically elected prime minister of Iran, began the process of nationalization of the Anglo-Iranian oil company, a policy which had the full support of the Iranian people.  Democrat Harry Truman’s administration tried to help in negotiations between Britain and Iran, but as negotiations stalled, Republican Dwight Eisenhower replaced Truman.  In the spring and summer of 1953, the CIA helped organize a coup of Mossadeq from the US Embassy in Tehran.  Mossadeq was imprisoned and Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was installed.  The Shah attempted a rapid westernization of the country during a brutal reign marked by significant US support.  This continued until the Islamic Revolution of 1979, in which the Shah was removed and anti-American cleric Ayatollah Khomeini was installed as Supreme Leader.  The Iranian revolutionaries wanted the exiled Shah returned to the country to face trial and execution, while the Shah requested treatment for cancer in the US.  Carter agreed, but the Iranian revolutionaries used this to show that the Shah was a puppet of the US and thus provided justification for the storming of the American Embassy by radical students.  52 US diplomats were held hostage for 444 days, until they were finally released on January 20, 1981, Reagan’s inauguration day. 

Reagan took office during the first significant economic downturn in the US since World War II.  There was slow growth and high inflation, and from 1976 forward, US imports have always exceeded exports.  In addition, the oil shock of 1973 resulted in a 40% spike in gas prices, shortages, and long lines at gas stations.  Carter wanted to end “this intolerable dependence on foreign oil”, calling for conservation and a national effort to develop alternative energy sources. 

Reagan, however, promising a “morning in America”, promised to pare down bureaucracy, reduce federal spending, and cut taxes.  His answer to the oil crisis was “more domestic production of oil and gas”.  Think “drill baby, drill”.  In his inaugural address, he stated: “For decades, we have piled deficit upon deficit, mortgaging our future and our children’s future for the temporary convenience of the present.  To continue this long trend is to guarantee tremendous social, cultural, political, and economic upheavals.”

The results were far different from the rhetoric.  According to the US Dept of Commerce, Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2007, during the Carter years, the federal deficit averaged $54.5 billion annually, under Reagan, $210.6 billion.  Federal spending was $590.9 billion in 1980, $1.14 trillion in 1989.  The federal bureaucracy grew by nearly 5% with Reagan in the White House.  During Reagan’s presidency, oil consumed domestically that came from abroad increased from 37% to 41% (US Department of Energy).  Tax cuts and the largest increase to date in peacetime military spending are the real legacy; unambiguous global military supremacy became the goal.

Returning to the Middle East, Iraq invaded Iran in September, 1980.  There was a long history of border disputes, and Saddam Hussein feared a Shia insurgency among Iraq’s repressed Shia majority, influenced by the Iranian Revolution.  The Reagan administration provided intelligence, loan guarantees, and other support to Saddam, and the war lasted throughout Reagan’s presidency.  However, Reagan also took the other side, as the Iran Contra Affair exposed the White House for secretly and illegally providing weapons to Iran.  The war finally ended in 1988, and in 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait. 

Operation Desert Storm, under President George H.W. Bush, expelled Iraq from Kuwait and resulted in a permanent US military presence in the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia.  Many Muslims saw the US as an occupying force, which was especially offensive in Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest shrines.  This “offense” was answered in horrible fashion on September 11, 2001 in the United States.

On the Cold War front, as noted above, Reagan presided over the largest increase in peacetime military spending.  However, the Cold War did not end simply because of this buildup.  Mikhail Gorbachev took power in the Soviet Union in 1985, when Reagan was already a lame duck president.  If Gorbachev had wanted to continue the Cold War, he could have simply waited for the next president before giving in to the military buildup.  Reagan and Gorbachev signed several landmark weapons treaties, and in a 1988 speech to the United Nations, Gorbachev explicitly rejected the Brezhnev Doctrine, which the Soviets had used to justify military intervention in satellite countries.  He then announced unilateral measures to reduce Soviet armed forces and remove troops from Eastern Europe.  He realized he couldn’t continue to spend 20% of GDP and 40% of his budget for military spending. Reagan’s military buildup created incentives for Soviets to negotiate arms reductions, but they didn’t have to do it, and they didn’t have to go as far as they did.

Reagan’s other legacy that resounds today was his policy on Afghanistan.  The Soviets began their deployment of troops in 1979 under Leonid Brezhnev and completed their troop withdrawal in 1989 under Gorbachev.  The Reagan administration supported the Islamist extremists against the Soviet Union with billions in weapons and ammunition. The American taxpayer was a very significant factor in their victory.  According to the 9/11 Commission, “a decade of conflict in Afghanistan, from 1979 to 1989, gave Islamist extremists a rallying point and a training field.”  We no longer refer to them as “freedom fighters”, as Reagan did. 

The drum of Reagan’s legacy certainly beats loudly today.  The US is at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, relations with Iran are essentially nonexistent, and once again a president is calling for energy conservation and a national effort to develop alternative energy sources.

18-8 the last two weeks.

Arizona @ Chicago (-3)

The Cardinals seemed to be getting it going before last week’s inexplicable loss at home to Carolina.  The Bears are unbeaten at home.  Pick: Chicago

Baltimore (-3) @ Cincinnati

Ravens lost at home to Cinci in week 5, 17-14.  Cinci will make it a sweep.  Pick: Cincinnati

Houston @ Indianapolis (-9)

Colts offense should bounce back in a big way after struggling with San Francisco last week.  Pick: Indy

Kansas City @ Jacksonville (-6.5)

Upset special.  KC is coming off a bye and this is actually a winnable game for them.  Pick: KC

Green Bay (-10.5) @ Tampa Bay

The Pack will look to run it up on a bad team after last week’s debacle against The Gunslinger.  Pick: GB

Miami @ New England (-10.5)

The Patriots are kicking into gear, starting a huge 5 game stretch off the bye.  Pick: NE

Detroit @ Seattle (-10)

Ugly matchup.  Pick: Detroit

San Diego @ NY Giants (-3)

I’m going to keep running with the Giants losing streak until they actually win.  Pick: San Diego

Tennessee @ San Francisco (-5.5)

Shouldn’t this line be higher?  Pick: SF

Dallas @ Philadelphia (-3)

Philly fans get to take out their anger on a hated rival.  Pick: Philly

Pittsburgh (-3) @ Denver

Denver is the Iowa of the NFL, all smoke and mirrors.  Pick: Pittsburgh

I’m going to start picking all the top 25 games in college, as well as all the pro games, all against the spread.

Vanderbilt @ #1 Florida (-32.5)

Vandy sucks and was blown out at home by Georgia Tech last week, while Florida appears to be rolling now after blowing out Georgia.  Pick: Florida

UCF @ #2 Texas (-35)

Way to schedule those tough out of conference games, Mack Brown.  Texas essentially plays 2 competitive games a year.  Pick: Texas

#9 LSU @ #3 Alabama (-9)

The marquee game of the week.  ‘Bama’s offense has struggled lately.  Pick: LSU

UConn @ #4 Cincinnati (-17)

Poor UConn is reeling and Cinci continues to roll even without Tony Pike.  Pick: UConn

#5 Boise State (-20) @ Lousiana Tech

Boise State thinks they need to impress with blowouts.  Pick: Boise State

#6 TCU (-24) @ San Diego State

See above.  Pick: TCU

#7 Oregon (-4.5) @ Stanford

Oregon is obviously really good and they shouldn’t have a letdown after last week’s crushing of Southern Cal.  Pick: Oregon

Northwestern @ #8 Iowa (-17.5)

Iowa continued the miraculous smoke and mirrors routine last week.  It finally ends Saturday.  Upset special.  Pick: Northwestern

Wake Forest @ #10 Georgia Tech (-15.5)

I’m still just not impressed with Georgia Tech.  Pick: Wake

#15 Ohio State @ #11 Penn State (-4)

Terrelle Pryor will continue his regression.  Pick: Penn State

#12 USC (-11.5) @ Arizona State

ASU almost beat Cal last week, but USC should have a lot to prove.  Pick: USC

#13 Houston (-3) @ Tulsa

Should be an entertaining shootout.  Pick: Houston

Syracuse @ #14 Pitt (-19)

I haven’t been very impressed with Pitt, either.  They haven’t played a top 25 team this season, but Notre Dame, West Virginia, and Cincinnati are up next.  Trap game?  Pick: Syracuse

Virginia @ #16 Miami (-13)

Al Groh is coaching for his job.  Pick: Virginia

New Mexico @ #17 Utah (-27)

New Mexico is awful, Utah needs a blowout.  Pick: Utah

#18 Oklahoma State (-7.5) @ Iowa State

OSU was embarrassed last week by Texas.  Bounce back blowout.  Pick: OSU

Navy @ #19 Notre Dame (-11)

Remember when people used to say that Notre Dame played a tough schedule?  Wasn’t true then, isn’t true now.  Pick: ND

#20 Oklahoma (-6.5) @ Nebraska

The Big 12 sucks.  Pick: Oklahoma

Washington State @ #21 Arizona (-30.5)

Wazzu may be the worst team in Division 1, but Arizona just doesn’t blow teams out.  Their largest margin of victory was 17 against Northern Arizona.  Pick: Wazzu

#22 Virginia Tech (12.5) @ East Carolina

This game was played last night, VT winning 16-3.  To show my integrity, I had picked East Carolina.  Lost by half a point.  Pick: East Carolina

Oregon State @ #23 Cal (-6)

OSU may win this outright.  You never know what you’ll get week-to-week from Cal.  Pick: OSU

#24 Wisconsin (-11) @ Indiana

Indiana has had some heartbreakers this year, but Bret Bielema always kills the Hoosiers.  Pick: Wisconsin

#25 BYU (-13) @ Wyoming

BYU needs a blowout, Wyoming is not that good.  Pick: BYU

Maybe I should stop trying to pick college games.  All are against the spread, but I went 1-5 2 weeks ago and 2-9 this past weekend.  It seems that some years I’m uncannily tuned in to the college game and some years I’m, well, I’m not tuned in whatsoever.  There were some harsh losses last week, though.  I picked Indiana +17.5 against Iowa and they lost by 18.  Houston -7.5 against Southern Miss and they won by 7.  And Oregon State -8.5 against UCLA and they won by 7.  The pro picks have gone fairly well, though, 9-4 against the spread both weeks.  I’ll keep trying.

Rajon Rondo signed at 5 year, $55 million contract extension.  Great signing by Danny Ainge, I actually thought Rondo could get more money.  He’s still not in the top 5 highest paid point guards in the league.  If Ainge had let him go to restricted free agency, who knows what would’ve happened?  One of the teams that didn’t get Lebron, Dwayne Wade, or Chris Bosh probably would’ve dumped a plate full of cash on Rondo’s lap and the C’s wouldn’t be willing/able to match.

The supposed contenders with the Patriots for the AFC East crown are a joke.  Buffalo gets blown out by Houston, and Miami somehow beat the Jets.  Again.  Yet the Jets continue to talk.  Rex Ryan claimed that his team outplayed the Dolphins, but still lost.  Special teams don’t count?  They sure do on the scoreboard.  Miami, meanwhile, had 52 yards rushing and 52 yards passing for the game and their hero of the game, Ted Ginn, was called an embarrassment and a coward by a former Dolphin earlier in the week.  Patriots are 5-2, Jets 4-4, Dolphins 3-4.  In the AFC, Indy is 7-0, Denver 6-1, and New England, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh are 5-2.

It’s good to see that Florida head coach Urban Meyer came down hard on his player for the cowardly eye gouge on Saturday.  Suspended for the first half of the Vanderbilt game.  That’s sending a message.  And the guy who did it wears a face shield!

Wisconsin blew out Purdue, 37-0 Saturday at Camp Randall.  Purdue played horribly, with tons of dropped passes.  But when that happens, they should be shut out, and they were.  In fact, Purdue’s QB was 5-23 for 59 yards and a pick, so it wasn’t just the dropped passes.  Purdue had 141 total yards for the game; Wisconsin had 150 in the first quarter.  Nuf ced.  Next up: at Indiana Saturday.  They’ll probably still be reeling from their choke job against Iowa.  Wisconsin is now ranked 22 in the coaches poll and 24 in the AP.

One other note: former Badger and current Houston Texan Owen Daniels tore his ACL in the Buffalo game and is out for the year.

Liverpool lost to Fulham 3-1 in the Premiership over the weekend.  That’s 7 losses in the last 8 games in all competitions.  Rumors are that Fernando Torres’ injury is more serious than they’re letting on.  They’ve got a must-win at Lyon in the Champions League Wednesday and then another must-win Monday against Birmingham at Anfield, televised on ESPN2.  I guess they’re all must-wins now.  Chelsea plays Manyoo at Stamford Bridge Sunday.

It was nice to see that the Phillies held on last night to force game 6, but I’m not too optimistic.  I really don’t want them to do it against Pedro, though.

Wisconsin hockey kicked the living crap out of UNH, 4-1 and 6-1.  Not a nice homecoming for Blake Kessel.

Mt. Garfield (4,500 feet) via Garfield Trail and Garfield Ridge Trail

10 miles/3,000 feet.  5 hours.

November 2, 2009

The trailhead is reached from the west end of Gale River Loop Road, off US 3.  The usual route, from the east end of Gale River Loop Road, is closed due to bridge washouts in 2008.  From I-93, exit 35, follow US 3 5.1 miles to Gale River Loop Road on the right (Trudeau Road is opposite on the left).  There is a small sign for the Gale River Trail at the turn.  Take the left fork at 0.6 and turn right at 1.2 (sign).  The trailhead for the Gale River Trail is 0.4 on the left, and then the Garfield Trail parking area is 1.6 miles further down the road, on the left.

The trail begins at the parking lot, climbing an embankment and following the top of the north bank of the South Branch of the Gale River through the woods.  At 0.7, the trail descends slightly and swings to the right toward the river and then meets the old fire tower access road and turns left on it.  It then climbs slowly away from the river, heading generally south.  The trail crosses the Thompson and Spruce Brooks and a snowmobile trail and then recrosses Spruce Brook at 1.2.  It is a bit tricky to find the trail after this second crossing of Spruce Brook.  Follow the tributary brook and cross it, and the access road/trail continues on the left side of this tributary brook.

The wide trail continues through the woods with good footing, climbing moderately until it crosses a ridge at a former fire area known as Burnt Knoll at 2.8.  There is an excellent birch forest in the formerly burned area. 

The trail descends slightly at Burnt Knoll, and then resumes the moderate ascent by several long, sweeping switchbacks.  The trail narrows at this point and soon reaches a blowdown patch at 4.1.  From here, it is a relatively easy ascent around the east side of the cone of Mt. Garfield to the junction with the Garfield Ridge Trail at 4.8.

The Garfield Ridge Campsite is 0.2 down the Garfield Ridge Trail to the left, while the summit of Mt. Garfield is 0.2 of steep, rocky climb to the right.  The true summit is a quick scramble over the rocks to the site of the old fire tower.  The views are magnificent in all directions, from the Franconia Ridge, across the Pemi Wilderness, and to the north.

Mt. Garfield is an awesome mountain, and the views are some of the best in the Whites.  The climb is actually relatively easy, despite being considered strenuous.  The trail is excellent, with very good footing, and not too wet.  The last 0.2 to the summit isn’t even very icy for this time of year.  I highly recommend this hike.