Harvest the Day Lady Thunderbolts!

I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for the enjoyment you've given me during this basketball season. I log on to the Internet faithfully after every one of your games to read about them. Win or lose, it's been fun to watch your progress although I wish I could see you play in person.

As you prepare for districts and the state tournament I'd like to share a few thoughts and words of encouragement. First, you may be familiar with the phrase, "carpe diem" which loosely translated from Latin means "seize the day." This phrase was made popular in the late '80s when big-hair bands ruled, computers were used only by geeks that wore plastic pocket protectors, and Bush 41 was President. What you may not know is that a more accurate translation of carpe diem means to harvest the day. "Why should any of that matter to me" you may ask? Fair enough question.

Seizing is a far different concept than harvesting. Seizing means taking something, which may or may not belong to you, by force. Harvesting, by contrast, is the act or process of gathering a crop and implies that the fruits of labor have been earned.

Being Nebraskans, you can appreciate the fact that farmers don't plant seeds one day expecting to "seize" a harvest the next. They know there are many months of preparation, hard work, sweat, and even a little luck needed before any gain is realized. Even then there's no guarantee of a harvest. A flood or hailstorm could quickly erase all of their efforts, but the farmer knows that despite this fact, no harvest can be gained without the toil. The same holds true for your team. While you've put in the work knowing there's no guarantee of a harvest, you know in your hearts that victory is earned and not seized.

Recognize that all the weeks and months of preparation has brought you to this moment. All of the drills and punishing workouts, all of the sacrifices you've made to be a part of this team, are now ready to be harvested. Encourage each other and yourselves to cherish each moment as it comes.

Your ultimate success, your self-esteem, and your fulfillment will not be measured in wins and losses, but by your hard work, your dedication and desire, your commitment to each other, and your ability to live in the moment. Best of luck to you, have fun and harvest the day!

Knuckledraggers, Valentine's Day is Upon Us!

As a proud member of the male gender of the species Homo barbarius, I stand along with my barbarian brethren, and peer into the swirling abyss known as Valentine's Day. It's a date that causes even the bravest warrior to cower in fear. The female members of the species, Lovitus breakskullious, plot and plan for days, weeks and even months, preparing for Valentine's Day. They spend many hours dreaming how their beloved barbarian will shower them with gifts from far away places like Godivia and Zalestonia.

To be completely honest, we barbarians see no reason other than survival to recognize Valentine's Day. It certainly doesn't rank up there with truly revered days like Superbowl Sunday, the first day of the hunting or baseball seasons, or the NFL draft. However, even though our species is a loutish, knuckle-dragging sort, we're not completely stupid. We recognize that forgetting Valentine's Day is tantamount to sticking your head in a lion's mouth. We know that would hurt- a lot!

Thankfully, skilled merchants like Victoria's Secret, Pajamagram, Vermont Teddy Bears, and others, have created gift buying solutions that are so easy for us brutish warriors to execute that we barely have to lift a finger. Plus, it's a heckuva lot easier than dragging a Mastodon carcass halfway across a dry lake bed! Now that's work!

So, this message today is addressed to my fellow mouth-breathers: Fear not! There are many who would help you with your Valentine's Day gift. They can even make the card for you and say all kinds of things that no barbarian would ever say aloud. Heck, they'll even sign it for you- all you have to do is part with a few dollars (breakskullious uses the Benjamin as a benchmark- remember that!)

For those of you barbarians who are loath to part with your money, consider the following: breakskullians did not get their name by accident! Be forewarned.

Dubbya and Quayle

Since it is Dan Quayle's birthday (Feb.4th) let's pause for a moment and celebrate; and while we're at it, let's give thanks that Bush 41 didn't die while in office. Here are some classic Dan Quayle-isms to remember:

Dan on decision making-
"I have made good judgements in the past. I have made good judgements in the future."

Dan on the future-
"The future will be better tomorrow. "

Dan on the human mind-
"What a waste it is to lose one's mind. Or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is."

Dan on democracy-
I believe we are on an irreversible trend toward more freedom and democracy - but that could change.

Can you imagine having someone that inarticulate running the country? Can you imagine a leader that has no grasp of grammatical construction?

Listening to George Bush speak supports the hypothesis that we're now living in some bizarre parallel universe where Dan Quayle has morphed into the super elocutionist Bush43. Here are some classic quotes from GW to propagate that theory:

Dubbya on Social Security-

"For example, how benefits are calculate, for example, is on the table; whether or not benefits rise based upon wage increases or price increases. There's a series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And when you couple that, those different cost drivers, affecting those — changing those with personal accounts, the idea is to get what has been promised more likely to be — or closer delivered to what has been promised. Does that make any sense to you? It's kind of muddled." --explaining his plan to save Social Security, Tampa, Fla., Feb. 4, 2005

Dubbya on Leadership-

"See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda." --Greece, N.Y., May 24, 2005

Dubbya on Negotiating-

"I can press when there needs to be pressed; I can hold hands when there needs to be -- hold hands." --George W. Bush, on how he can contribute to the Middle East peace process, Washington, D.C., Jan. 4, 2008

Dubbya on military victory-

"I fully understand those who say you can't win this thing militarily. That's exactly what the United States military says, that you can't win this military." --George W. Bush, on the need for political progress in Iraq, Washington, D.C., Oct. 17, 2007

Dubby on Economic development-

"You know, when you give a man more money in his pocket -- in this case, a woman more money in her pocket to expand a business, it -- they build new buildings. And when somebody builds a new building somebody has got to come and build the building. And when the building expanded it prevented additional opportunities for people to work." --George W. Bush, Lancaster, Pa., Oct. 3, 2007

Scary isn't it? Makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck, doesn't it? Somehow we must find the portal back to our own reality.