Hungry?

OK, I know this is completely off topic, but I'm bored and well...its my blog. I was just looking through the pictures I have on my computer and came across this lovely meal I ate back in January. Doesn't it look good? It's the Thai Chicken Wrap from The Good Earth. Also, notice the lemonade in the upper right of the picture. You haven't lived until you've had the lemonade from the Good Earth. They do make you bend over for it though...$3.50! Dear God...I'm so hungry, and I won't be able to eat until after basketball! Ahhh! And they laughed at me when I took pictures of my food. "What will you ever do with that," they said. Came in useful today didn't it...didn't it!!

McCarville Projected as #1 Overall Pick in WNBA Draft

Everyone (ESPN) is projecting McCarville to go #1 to Charlotte, with the Linx selecting either Temeka Johnson or Kristin Haynie with the 11th pick. I don't know if anyone will really care about this, except 'Elbows' of course(his love for Janel is unmatched by any man), but I think it's 'cool'(for lack of a more sophisticated word in my vocabulary). You(we, I) won't have Janel McCarville to kick around anymore! And Gopher Women's Basketball will begin its inevitable slide next season. (I mean really...who are they going to rely on...April Calhoun?...please.)

Golden Gopher the Favorite to Go First (ESPN.com)

Klobuchar to Formally Announce Senate Candidacy Sunday

Amy Klobuchar is expected to announce that she is formally entering the 2006 Senate Race this Sunday from her mothers home in Plymouth. She had already raised $580,000 as of April 6th. Her closest competitor(as of now), Patty Wetterling, has raised $330,000 since Mark Dayton said he wouldn't seek re-election. Republican Mark Kennedy, the likely nominee, raised $550,000 in the same period.

Klobuchar Leads in Senate Fundraising

If my choice is between the worst speaker I've ever heard, Klobuchar, and the second worst speaker I've ever heard, Wetterling, then I guess I'll have to go with the 2nd worst. I think Wetterling has a good shot at beating Kennedy, and I think Klobuchar has NO chance. We'll see though. There will certainly be a few more candidates in the race shortly.

Jerry Janezich of Chisolm has talked about running. So has my personal favorite, Tom Rukavina, State Rep. from Virginia. I'll be supporting him if he runs. Then there's that bastard Mike Cerisi, who I clearly don't care for; although I think he'll probably get the nomination if he runs. But maybe I'm just being a pessimist. That would be different eh?

I'm sure I'll have much more on the Senate race as things develop...

Player Profile #6

Mike 'McSkinny' McInneshin

Position: Forward (3)
Other Nicknames: 'Fats Durston,' 'Mike'n'Ike,' 'Assclown'
In his own words: "as long as my nickname isn't 'assclown.'"
Favorite Team: Duke
Secret Crush: Mike Krzyz...Krzqvz...Kzzaa...Coach K (he likes his eyebrows...or something)
Interesting Fact: Apparently listens to more music than any other living human. Then assumes that others will want to know what he thinks of this obscure music, and proceeds to tell the world through this...'blog' thing...that he has. Damn bloggers! Get a life!
More in his own words: "the heaviest of our regulars, known as 'the fouling machine,'..."
Interesting fact in his own words: "I was a teamster for all of three days a couple summers ago."
League Background: Played with Triple A Ft. Wayne for a couple years before being called up to....oh wait, I'm looking at the wrong sheet here...um, yeah, I don't know.
Strength: Ability to shoot the ball from long range and take it to the hole...one of our best shooters when he's on, also has the ability to drive and score using that strange looking hook/scoop shot. Its very effective. - I should add that he has deceptive speed on the fast break as well.
Weakness: Stamina...has a tendency to let the game wear him out and prevent him from getting back on defense(offense as well).

Grades-
Offense: B+
Defense: B+
Rebounding: A-
Passing: A-
Hustle: C
Attitude: A

Overall Grade: B+

Player Profile #5

Ben 'Hands' Maegi
(co-written w/JP)

Position: Center (5)
About the Picture: Asked him to pose in a muumuu*, but he wouldn't go for it.
*-alternate spelling is mumu
High School: I’m pretty sure dinosaurs didn’t go to high school…
Interesting Fact: Those ankle braces he always wears actually keep his feet from falling off entirely (freak childhood farm accident…don’t ask…)
Source of his strength: ‘The orb’
You know he’s old because: No, it’s not the masters…or the wife…or the kids…or the job…it’s the fact that he remodeled his kitchen!
League Background: Ben's been around since the inception of Friday night basketball. A 'creator' if you will.
Strengths: Rebounding, rebounding, rebounding...fairly dominant on the offensive glass; very unselfish and great at setting picks for his teammates; formidable post presence on both ends of the court.
Weaknesses: Lack of touch around the basket; ‘putbacks’ can lack control; not the fastest guy on the court, but one can’t really fault him for that - since when is that usually the case with centers?

Grades-
Offense: B
Defense: B
Rebounding: A
Passing: B+
Hustle: B
Attitude: B

Overall Grade: B+

An Uninvited Guest

Find out what would happen if Bush tried to sell his Social Security privatization plan on the open market...door to door.

Player Profile #4

Jason 'Sly' Butler

Position: Guard (1,2)
Hometown: Robbinsdale
High School: Robbinsdale Cooper
Often Mistaken for: Sylvester Stallone (in Rocky I only)
Favorite Cartoon: Transformers(more than meets the eye)
Could be a better player if: Got more than 2 hrs of sleep the night before.
Interesting Fact: Walked across Twin Lake to get to my house on many occasions in High School. (In the winter that is, he's not God...that I know of!) Sometimes he did it when the ice was not quite thick enough to support his weight, arriving at my house soaking wet and on the verge of hypothermia on one occasion.
League Background: Has been with us a long time. Again, can't really remeber when he started playing. Props for showing up so regularly considering he has to pay $8 every time.
Strength: He does multiple little things very well, for example...he rebounds exceptionally well for someone of his small stature. He also runs the floor every time there's a fast break, whether on offense or defense, and gets many of his points this way.
Weakness: Size and Ball-Handling...Its difficult for him to defend almost everyone we play with when they have large height and weight advantages. 'Sly' could be a much more effective offensive player if he was a better ball-handler. ...also, always requires rides home.

Grades-

Offense: B-
Defense: B- (simply because of his size)
Rebounding: A- (extra pts b/c of his size & fearlessness)
Passing: C+
Hustle: A
Attitude: A

Overall Grade: B

Player Profile #3

Andy “Nerves” Carhart

(Guest written by Josh Peterson)

Position: Guard (2)
Hometown: Robbinsdale
High School: Robbinsdale Cooper
Favorite Sport: Football
Interesting Fact: Would probably give his left leg for a date with a certain Gophers women’s basketball player.
Annoying Fact: Sometimes forgets that Friday night basketball is not Friday night social circle, which often causes much standing around on the court before the game can start while Andy is engaged in a gossip session with another player or two.
Random fact that makes Manute Bol cooler than Andy: When Manute first came to America, he had no idea how to use a microwave or an oven, so he cooked his food over his fireplace in his house. I don’t see Andy cooking any meals over the fireplace.
League Background/Attributes: As much of a regular as there is. Does a fantastic job of being responsible for all of the organization (that is, sending out the weekly emails). Has recently upgraded said emails by spicing them up with attempts at humor. Very often succeeds. Sometimes misses. Loves to play zone defense.
Strength: A true slasher, takes it to the hoop with the best of them, and can often score at will doing so and take over a game. Speed is a major asset - he is awesome on the fast break and is always willing to both push the ball up the court and to get back on defense to stop the break. When he’s on from the outside (and doesn’t let the trash talking get to him) his outside shot is a sure thing.
Weaknesses: Rebounding - due in part to his wiry frame and in part to lack of inside intensity and killer instinct, his willingness to body up and crash the boards is lacking. Can have a tendency to let opponents too easily get into his head and affect his shot. Is a better zone defender than man to man - can sometimes have a tendency to have trouble guarding the ‘give and go’ in a man to man setting.

Grades-

Offense: A
Defense: B-
Rebounding: C+
Passing: B-
Hustle: A
Attitude: No comment. This guy’s all over the map.

Overall Grade: B

Dems Attempt to Block Confirmation of Bolton as UN Ambassador Appears to Have Failed

Hopes that Rhode Island Republican Lincoln Chafee would join the Democrats and vote against Bolton now appear to be gone, as he stated yesterday that he intends to vote to confirm him. Bolton, a favorite of the hard-line conservative right(aka fascists) had said that "it wouldn't make a bit of difference" if the U.N. headquarters building lost 10 stories. And then there's my personal favorite..."There's very credible information that Mr. Bolton tried to have analysts -- intelligence analysts, in at least two cases -- removed from their jobs because he was going to state a position which was in contradiction to the information that the intelligence community believed was correct," Sen. Christopher Dodd told ABC.

Protest Photos

Democrats Seek to Block Nominee as UN Envoy (Reuters)
Rhode Island Moderate is the Man in the Middle (NY Times)
UN Nominee, Democrats Lock Horns On His Record (LA Times)
Senate Panel Grills Bolton Over Record (Reuters)

GradTRAC Vote Underway!

West Bank vote is tomorrow(Wed. 13th)-
8am-7pm
Carlson 1-114

Check out one of our own in the graphic above. He's in the lower left...and isn't he cute! Here's a bigger version...GradTRAC

Player Profile #2

Josh 'Pete' Peterson

Position: Forward (3)
Hometown: St. Paul, MN
High School: St. Paul Central
Favorite Sport: Basketball
Favorite Color: Who Cares!
Annoying Attributes: Keeps trying to hook me up with 'Olga' from his Russian class.
Interesting Fact: Obsessed with studying everything Russian..."He even owns a Babushka hat!"
League Background: A relative newcomer who has quickly become a fixture of Friday basketball. Probably our most stylish player, with shiny basketball shoes and a sweet black NBA headband. Likes to talk a little trash(one of our only trash talkers) and tries to get into the head of the shooter. Which sometimes works on the less mentally tough(ahem).
Strength: Plays big for his size..."when you're almost as skinny as me, you're in trouble. Would you just eat a little more and become an inside player, for the love of God!?"
Weakness: Going to Timberwolves games on basketball night..."Missing basketball to watch those losers is just unacceptable."

Grades-
Offense: B
Defense: B-
Rebounding: B
Passing: B+
Hustle: A-
Attitude: B+(too much trash talking)

Overall Grade: B+

Player Profile #1

Dave 'Elbows' LaVigne

Position: Forward (4)
Favorite Sport: Basketball
Favorite Team: The Golden 'She' Gophers
Reason for Living: Unknown
Interesting Fact: Not related to pop singer/songwriter Avril..."Though he does shoot like her."
League Background: Originates from the northland. If you're in need of a good laugh, ask him to say 'hockey.' Dave's been around for a while. I don't even remember when he started playing? I guess I would call him a regular then. Or maybe just old.
Strength: The mid-range jumper..."When he's on he's really on."
Weakness: Playing out of control..."'Elbows' can get a little wild when he gets frustrated. Tends to make wild drives to the bucket, often leaving a charge or 2 in his wake.(ahem) (Sorry man, but its my blog)

Grades-
Offense: B
Defense: B-
Rebounding: A-
*Hustle: B
*Passing: B
Attitude: B+

Overall Grade: B

*-I was guilted into bumping those grades up.

Wellstone Memorial Planned Near Eveleth Crash Site

Wellstone Action is planning a memorial and historic site in Eveleth, Minnesota, on the site of the plane crash that killed Paul and Sheila Wellstone. "The memorial will be a place of reflection and commemoration, where people can learn more about the Wellstone legacy and walk through interpretive trails.(Wellstone Action)."A site layout plan is available in pdf format: Site Layout Plan

Wellstone Memorial - How You Can Help

AWAW Gameday Recap

The Scenario: Coral Sea-"Scratch one flattop"
After a 6 hr. tutorial, complete with internet aid, we were able to learn enough of the naval rules to play a quick version of the Coral Sea scenario. It went something like this...

The Japanese invasion of Guadalcanal went unopposed by the American fleet, as the Americans decided to commit their entire fleet to intercepting the Japanese invasion task force and stopping the invasion of Port Moresby. This decision would prove costly for the American fleet. The full American task force intercepted the Japanese invasion task force en route to Port Moresby. However, a Japanese task force on patrol in the area intercepted the American carrier task force and completely surprised them. The Japanese launched an attack with thier elite naval air squadrons and caught the American fighters on deck. The attack sunk the USS Yorktown, eliminating half of the American air power, and allowing repeated attacks by Japanese fighters to virtually destroy the American task force. The Japanese invasion task force then proceeded to Port Moresby. With complete Japanese air superiority assured, the Japanese forces took Port Moresby without much trouble. The scenario was a decisive Japanese victory that left the Allied Commanders(Matt & Jay) befuddled, and the Japanese Commanders (Ben & Andy) with egos that can only be tempered by a defeat on the battlefield(or on the gameboard as the case may be).

Setup and ready to play. A very small scenario.

The naval clash begins.

The Pizza Arrives. (Galactic Pizza that is). Sweet cape!

Four minds at work. (Allies on the top, victorious Japanese on the bottom)

Robbinsdale Women's Clinic vs. Robbinsdale Women's Center

On the front page of the Robbinsdale Women's Clinic website this warning appears:

CAUTION:

We are NOT AFFILIATED WITH Robbinsdale Women's Center which is an organization not supportive of a woman's right to choose abortion. This organization's close location and use of a similar name to ours, sometimes causes confusion for our patients and referral sources.

The Robbinsdale Womens' Center name and location, set up across the street from the Robbinsdale Women's Clinic on West Broadway, were designed to confuse. The lies and deception continue when women mistakenly enter the Women's Center, according to complaints filed with the Attorney Generals Office.

"In trying to find the Robbinsdale Clinic, I mistakenly went into the women's clinic across the street. When I told them my name and appointment, they had me take a seat and had a counselor talk to me about anti-abortion. At which time I learned I didn't have an appointment there at all. They then said they did not know of this facility(the Womens Clinic)," said one complaint.

More than a street divides clinic, center (Pioneer Press)

Court Upholds GradTRAC Election!:
MN Court of Appeals Denies 11th Hour Delay and Throws Out Administration Case.

The election will be held as originally scheduled, April 11-15. That's this week folks! Voting on the Minneapolis campus is Wednesday the 13th through Friday the 15th.

Administration Delay Stopped (GradTRAC)

A Sophisticated Anti-Union Tactic Used on Campus Last Thursday