Planning a Baseball Getaway

Sometime this spring I've got to travel to Manchester, New Hampshire for a business trip. So I was on the internet the other day looking at hotels and ran across one that seemed just perfect to me: the Hilton Garden Inn. The pictures tell the whole story:

The hotel is situated just beyond the left centerfield fence of MerchantsAuto.com Stadium, home of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the AA Eastern League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays.



I've been a fan of minor league baseball since going to see the Durham Bulls during my college days at UNC. Back then they were playing in the old Durham Stadium where the movie Bull Durham was filmed. In fact, I was in college and could have gone over to the ballpark to be an extra in the film. It's one of my great regrets that I didn't follow through on that opportunity. Anyway, the park was one of the more intimate ballparks I've ever visited. That's the real beauty of minor league baseball is that you're so close to the action.

If you interested in learning more about life in the minor leagues, I'd also recommend David Lamb's excellent book Stolen Season: A Journey through America and Baseball's Minor Leagues. The author took a year and drove all across the country visiting minor league ballparks. Sounds like a great summer vacation to me.

The GOP No Longer Represents Conservatives

If the Republican Party continues on its current path it will nominate either John McCain or (given a Super Tuesday miracle) Mitt Romney, who are not bona fide conservatives. In doing so, the GOP will demonstrate that it no longer represents conservatives and has placed a higher value on winning an election than standing by its principles.

The GOP didn't get to this point overnight. Part of the blame can be laid at the feet of President Bush who, in spite of his excellent nominations to the Supreme Court of Samuel Alito and John Roberts, his consistent pro-life stands, and his persistent prosecution of the war on terror has done little else to further conservative principles. Government programs have expanded dramatcially under this President's watch and spending has gone through the roof.

There's little reason to think that John McCain or Mitt Romney would govern much differently from President Bush. I think they both would stand frim on pro-life and terrorism issues and follow the President's lead. Beyond that, I don't expect that there would be much more we would see from their administration that would follow conservative principles.

However, I do not intend to sit on the sidelines come November. The stakes are far too high for conservatives to sit out this election. With the retirement of so many Republican congressmen this year it likely that both the House and Senate will not only remain in Democratic hands but their majorities in both houses will be much larger. It's safe to say that conservatives don't want to put either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama in the White House with a Democrat controlled Congress.

That's exactly why conservatives should stop whining about how McCain and Romney don't represent their values. More conservative candidates like Duncan Hunter, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo and even Mike Huckabee are being tossed aside in favor of more "electable" candidates. Conservatives have had their chance to select someone who reflects their values. Instead, they have decided to put winning above principles. Given the dynamics of this year's election that is understandable. But that's not necessarily the right thing to do.

If a Democrat wins the White House this year (and there is a good chance that will happen) perhaps Republicans will take a good hard look and see how abandoning their conservative principles led to their defeat. It's a lesson that they should have learned from the 2006 election.Until they do learn it, they shouldn't expect to win many more elections.

Six Lessons From Florida

Congratulations to Senator John McCain for his victory last night in the Florida Republican Primary. He has now emboldened his position as the front runner for the nomination. While he's not necessarily the person I would want as the nominee, I'll support him if he wins the nomination.

Looking over last night's results, I've observed six things that should be kept in mind as the process moves forward.

1. Polls are increasingly unreliable predictors of election outcomes.

First, we had the fiasco with polls in New Hampshire that predicted a victory for Barack Obama in the Democratic primary. Then in South Carolina, the polls correctly picked Obama as the winner but did not predict his blowout victory over Hillary Clinton. Yesterday, several polls had Mitt Romney winning the Republican primary. While polls are likely to still be around for some time it's clear they are no longer as reliable as they once were.

2. Military voters are an important part of the Republican coalition.

Military voters were a big part of Senator McCain's win in South Carolina and showed themselves to be a potent force yesterday in Florida. In a time of war, military voters are going to naturally gravitate towards the person that they believe is best equipped to lead the country. Military voters probably understand better than the average voter what it takes to be Commander-in-Chief. Because of the Republican party's position on the Global War of Terror they have developed a huge base of support among military voters. They will continue to be an important constituency for Republicans in the future.

3. Personality matters more than policy positions.

Whether we like it or not, voters tend to gravitate for who they like and who they can trust mor than for what the person stands for. I suspect that much of Senator McCain's appeal is the fact that he is perceived as a straight talker who knows what he believes and stands up for his beliefs. He doesn't seem to change his opinions on issues based on which way the political winds are blowing. In a post-Clinton political era this is a hugh asset. I also think one of the reasons that Mitt Romney has not gained as much support is because he is perceived as someone who has changed positions on issues (most notably abortion) and is willing to say anything in order to get elected.

4. Electability becomes the primary issue.

As it becomes clearer who the Democratic nominee will be (and my guess right now is Hillary Clinton will win), Republicans are beginning to think about who is most likely to win the general election. Senator McCain matches up well against both of the possible Democratic nominees and is the one candidate that Democrats fear facing the most. Many Republicans realize that it's crucial that they don't allow the Democrats to win the White House and are willing to support the person who is most likely to win even if they disagree with him on key issues.

5. Money does not guarantee victory.

If this primary had been simply a matter of who had the most money, Mitt Romney would have won hands down because he has so much more to spend than anyone else in the race. As Mike Huckabee proved in Iowa and John McCain proved in New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Florida you can be outspent by huge margins and still win. Money is important but having the most money does not necessarily mean you'll automatically win. Winning depends more on how you campaign then how much you spend.

6. It's time for Mike Huckabee to withdraw.

It's hard for me to write this as Governor Huckabee is the person that I probably am most likely to vote for even though he doesn't stand a chance of winning the nomination. In many ways, I believe he's the best candidate and that the media have done such a hatchet job on his record and his positions that most voters don't realize what a sound conservative he is. But Huckabee has nothing to gain at this point and would only embarass himself further by staying in the race. I thiink he would be better off to withdraw now and save himself for another run at the presidency in the future. It would also demonstrate to voters that he's more willing to put party unity over personal gain.

There's still a long way to go in this race for the nomination. But the time is coming soon when Republicans have to come to grips with the fact that the man who will be their nominee may not be their first choice but he is going to be their choice and that they need to rally around him to help get him elected.

Picture of the Week

Feel free to insert your own caption for this one:



Actual roadsign in South Carolina.

Priceless.

Hat tip: Anne Schroeder

Stealing the Democratic Nomination?

Could Senator Hillary Clinton try to steal the Democratic Presidential nomination?
Sure, it may seem like a stretch but I wouldn't be surprised if there's a sudden call from the Clinton camp to have delegates from Florida and Michigan seated at the convention particularly if she wins big in today's Sunshine State primary.

But it's not beyond the realm of possibility at all to consider that Senator Clinton could win the nomination without receiving a majority of the delegates selected through the party's primaries and caucuses. That's because of a quirk in the Democratic Party known as the Superdelegate, who is an elected official or party member and is not tied to any particular state primary or caucus.

Though it is not widely reported in the media, Senator Clinton holds the lead for the nomination due to the advantage she has over Senator Barack Obama in the Superdelegate category. As of this writing, Mrs. Clinton leads 201-116 according to the Real Clear Politics delegate scoreboard with 114 left uncommitted. Senator Obama has won more delegates through the primaries and caucuses held to date by a margin of 63-46.

It would be ironic if Senator Clinton managed to secure the nomination without winning a majority of the delegates up for grabs during the primary season. Given how close the race for the Democratic nomination has been so far, it's also not beyond the realm of possibility. But we will hear anything about voter disenfranchisement like we have the last two election cycles from Democrats? Don't bet on it.

North or South?

I usually don't put a whole lot of stock in online quizzes but this one caught my attention: Yankee or Dixie?


For the record, I scored 97% Dixie. Not bad for a city boy....


Hat tip: Lorie Byrd

Ernie Harwell on Attitude

The Detroit Free Press marked legendary baseball broadcaster Ernie Harwell's 90th birthday (January 25th) with a great profile of the living legend. At one point, he's asked about attitude and he responded this way:

The greatest thing is my trust in God. I know that whatever happens is for the best, and I try not to worry about anything, because worrying is a sin and He's going to take care of me.

Hat tip: Tim Ellsworth

The Importance of the VP nod

Former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson surprised no one by withdrawing from the presidential race today. His third place finish in South Carolina last Saturday sealed his fate.

Now comes word via Fox News' Carl Cameron that Thompson's plan all along was to put himself in a position to be the Republican nominee's choice for vice-president. (Hat tip: My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy)

Thompson would make a terrific vice-president and would immediately shore up the Republican ticket and appeal to the base. The most logical person to pick him would be John McCain who needs the most help getting the conservative base behind his candidacy.

As Joe Carter pointed out in his post-SC primary analysis, Mike Huckabee would also make a great VP nominee also. Hopefully he'll also be smart enough to decline and make another run for the presidency in 2012.

Even Mitt Romney, who has yet to win a primary in a prominent, solidly Republican state, could benefit from having Thompson as his running mate to bolster his appeal among conservatives.
On the Democratic side, the VP sweepstakes will also be important but for much different reasons. Given the bitter divide between Barack Obama's and Hillary Clinton's campaigns it would make sense for the winner to offer the VP slot to the runner-up in order to heal divisions within the party. If they don't, the could end up resembling Republicans of 1976 and losing the White House again.

In most years, the VP nomination is almost an afterthought. This year, the person occupying the number two slot may be as important as who is number one.

Choosing a Leader

It's election season and in our household we're watching the news almost daily trying to decide where candidates stand and which person we will ultimately end up supporting. Not surprisingly, our kids have picked up on some of the things we've seen and heard and have been asking us tough questions about the candidates and the issues. In many ways, we're glad they are interested as it's important for them to understand the tremendous responsibility those of us who are able to vote have to choose carefully those who will lead us.

Rather than focus on the silly and superficial aspects of the campaigns (crying games, who's most charismatic, who's most "electable") we've been discussing issues: what we believe and how we both agree and disagree with each of the candidates.

Ultimately, our choices are not based on who is most likely to win or who seems most appealing to us. It's all about the deep convinctions that we hold and who most closely mirrors our beliefs. But there is more to it than that. Who holds the strongest convictions? Who is most likely to stand by their principles? Who is willing to do what is right even when it is unpopular?

Our children need to understand that we have a great freedom as Americans to elect our leaders. Our system works because we choose to allow it to work. But each one of us has a responsibility to carefully make choices when we step in the voting booth. When we fail to carefully choose who will lead us we get the incompetent leadership that we deserve.

When we go to vote in our state's primary in a couple of weeks, our children will step into the voting booth with us. They will get to witness our choices firsthand. We will discuss at length with them why we are choosing to vote for a particular candidate. We want them to understand that we take our responsibility as citizens and as voters seriously.

Before our children have the right and responsibilty of voting thrust upon them we will show them through our example how we decide who we will vote for and wrestle with the issues of the day. Our children need to understand what is at stake not just in the election of 2008 but in every election. Our investment in them today will make them far more responsible citizens as adults.

Why I Don't Play More Golf

It's because my golf game is a lot like Bertie Wooster's (Hugh Laurie in the clip below):




You can buy Jeeves and Wooster at the A&E shop.

DVD Review: Horatio Hornblower Collector's Edition

Long before he became known to American audiences as William Wilberforce (in Amazing Grace) or Reed Richards (in Fantastic Four), Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd made an indelible impression as Horatio Hornblower in the A&E movie series. For the first time, all eight movies are available on DVD in Horatio Hornblower Collector's Edition.

Based on C. S. Forrester's novels, the films trace the career of Horatio Hornblower, a young sailor in the British Navy who finds himself thrust into the middle of the battles of the Napoleonic War. The films, like the books, trace Hornblower's amazing career from Midshipman to Commander.

Although these were made-for-television films, each one reflects outstanding and lavish production values that leaves the viewer believing that they could have been major motion pictures. No expense was spared in the production of these films.

The casting of Gruffudd, who was largely unknown at the time, was nothing short of sheer genius. Gruffudd captures the essence of Hornblower's character: a young idealist who is very green and somewhat naive in the first movie and grows and matures over the course of the eight installments. Gruffudd portrays Hornblower as a true, if not somewhat flawed, hero. He is a hero to be admired but also to learn from. His strong sense of morals and duty are refreshing and greatly needed today.

The supporting cast is also outstanding and rounds out the wide array of characters that we grow attached to over the course of the films. Robert Lindsey, a legend from British stage and film, is Sir Edward Pellew, Hornblower's commander and mentor. Jamie Bamber (Band of Brothers) adds a wonderful dimension to the films as Hornblower's best friend and shipmate Archie Kennedy. Paul Copley (Matthews) and Sean Gilder (Styles) are two fellow crewmen who fight side-by-side with Hornblower and it is through them we see the growing respect that Hornblower receives from his fellow sailors through the progression of the story.

This DVD set is also jam-packed with bonus features including a behind-the-scenes featurette about the production of the film; an interview with Ioan Gruffudd; a profile of English warships; and much, much more.

We watched all eight films together as a family and thoroughly enjoyed them. There are some disturbing images (war footage) but the violence of the battles is not overly graphic. There is also brief language but overall they still make appropriate viewing for families with older children. In addition, the overall themes of duty and honor make these films must viewing.

Horatio Hornblower Collector's Edition is available from the A&E Store.

Benazir Bhutto Assassinated

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who recently returned to Pakistan to run for Prime Minister in next week's election, was assassinated this morning:

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan — Pakistan's paramilitary forces were on red alert Thursday following the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.

The former prime minister was murdered by an attacker who shot her in the neck and chest after a campaign rally and then blew himself up. Her death stoked new chaos across the nuclear-armed nation, an important U.S. ally in the war on terrorism.

At least 20 others were also killed in the homicide bombing that immediately followed Bhutto's shooting.

Bhutto's supporters erupted in anger and grief after her killing, attacking police and burning tires and election campaign posters in several cities. At the hospital where she died, some smashed glass and wailed, chanting slogans against President Pervez Musharraf.

Musharraf blamed Islamic extremists for Bhutto's death and said he would redouble his efforts to fight them.

"This is the work of those terrorists with whom we are engaged in war," he said in a nationally televised speech. "I have been saying that the nation faces the greatest threats from these terrorists. ... We will not rest until we eliminate these terrorists and root them out."

In the U.S., President Bush strongly condemned the attack "by murderous extremists who are trying to undermine Pakistan's democracy."

Terrorism, which had been downplayed as an issue in the current presidential campaign, has once again come to the forefront and candidates are naturally scrambling to respond.

But the bigger concern is what's next for Pakistan. Do elections go forward as planned or does President Musharraf declare a state of emergency again and postpone the elections? Given the fact that Pakistan is a nuclear nation, their stability is of prime importance if there is to be any hope of peace in the Middle East.

Benazir Bhutto will be remembered for her courage as she returned to Pakistan knowing there was a very good chance that she would be assassinated. She was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice - her life - in order to give her country a chance to move towards a more stable democracy. It will be up to President Musharraf and the other leaders of Pakistan to determine whether Ms. Bhutto's dream will become a reality.

Recent Reviews At Blogcritics

Here's a roundup of my recent reviews for Blogcritics:

DVD Review: National Treasure - Two-Disc Collectors Edition

The action-packed adventure is back with more bonus features to enhance the
viewing experience of this first-rate film.

Book Review: Monopoly - The World's Most Famous Game -- And How It Got That Way by
Philip Orbanes

A masterful tale with a special spotlight on the inventors, game publishers, and business executives who helped give Monopoly a unique place in our culture.

Book/Music Review: Clapton: The Autobiography and Complete Clapton

No doubt fans of Clapton will enjoy reading about the musical influences that shaped his career.

CD Review: Jars of Clay - Christmas Songs

After selling millions of albums, Jars of Clay finally records their own Christmas album. But will it be a holiday classic?

DVD Review: The Wild Wild West - Season Three

Secret agents James West and Artemus Gordon return for a whole new series of adventures in The Wild Wild West Season Three.

DVD Review: Biography - Jane Austen

Jane Austen is easily the most widely read and widely published author of all time. Her six novels (Emma, Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey and Sense and Sensibility) have sold hundreds of millions of copies and have been adapted for film and television numerous times. But who was the woman behind what have been called the greatest novels of all time?

We recently picked up the A&E Biography episode on Jane Austen in the hopes that we could find out more about her and what inspired her to write such marvelous stories. While the program did offer a little more insight into her life story, it really focused more on her novels that Austen herself.

Part of the reason that biographical information is so sketchy is that it was not until after her death in 1817 that Austen was identified as the author of her books. During her lifetime, writing was not seen as a fit occupation for a woman and so she published all of her books anonymously.

What little is known about Austen's personality is best reflected in her letters. But as the program points out, most of her letters were destroyed by her sister Cassandra. Still enough of them survived (and a few are excerpted during the program) that we get a sense of her wit and keen observations of society around her.

The program also touches on her two romances. While we were familiar with her relationship with Tom Lefroy (which is dealt with at length in the wonderful movie Becoming Jane) we were less familiar her second relationship that resulted in a marriage proposal from Harris Bigwither. He proposed to her in 1802 when she was 27. Although she initially accepted the offer she broke the engagement the next day after having second thoughts. She would never become involved in another romantic relationship again.

The program goes on to show the wide impact that Austen's novels have had and continue to have on readers all around the world. Nearly 200 years after her death, readers of all ages and backgrounds continue to enjoy her works. This episode of Biography shows that Austen continues to have an impact far beyond what she could have ever imagined.

Biography: Jane Austen is available on DVD from A&E Networks.

Huckabee Gets It Right With Christmas Ad

With the compressed primary season this year and the Iowa Caucuses on the heels of the holidays on January 3rd, there has definitely been a challenged to presidential candidates how to make their appeals to voters and still maintain the holiday spirit. Mike Huckabee gets it right by focusing on the true meaning of Christmas in his ad:

Homeschoolers Help Huckabee In Iowa

Homeschoolers in Iowa are one of the reasons Mike Huckabee is doing so well according to a front page story in today's Washington Post:

ELDORA, Iowa -- Julie Roe, an early believer in Mike Huckabee, worked with
what she had.

With no buttons, no yard signs and no glossy literature from his nearly invisible Iowa campaign, she took a pair of scissors and cut out a photograph of the former Arkansas governor. She pasted it on a piece of paper, scribbled down some of his positions, made copies and launched the Huckabee for President campaign in rural Hardin County.

Roe contacted friends in her home-schooling network and bought a newspaper advertisement for $38. She spread the word in the grocery store and the church foyer: "I would tell them about Mike Huckabee and they would say, 'Who's Mike Huckleberry?' I'd say, 'No, no, no, it's Huckabee.' "

Huckabee's name is no longer a mystery to Iowa's Republican voters, in large part because of an extensive network of home-schoolers like Roe who have helped lift his underfunded campaign from obscurity to the front of a crowded field. Opinion polls show that his haphazard approach is trumping the studied strategy of Mitt Romney, who invested millions only to be shunned by many religious conservatives such as Roe, who see the former Baptist preacher from Hope, Ark., as their champion.

While early attention focused on Romney and other better-known and better-funded opponents, home-schoolers rallied to Huckabee's cause, attracted by his faith, his politics and his decision to appoint a home-school proponent to the Arkansas board of education. They tapped a web of community and church
groups that share common conservative interests, blasting them with e-mails and
passing along the word about Huckabee in social settings.

It was the endorsement by prominent national home-school advocate Michael Farris that helped propel Huckabee to a surprising second-place finish in the Iowa straw poll in August. And it was the twin sons of a home-school advocate in Oregon who helped put Huckabee in touch with television tough guy Chuck Norris, who appeared alongside him in an attention-getting TV spot and on the campaign trail.

Home-schoolers could also prove to be a powerful force on caucus night. By one estimate, about 9,000 Iowa children are home-schooled. Their parents could form a sizable portion of the 80,000 or so Republicans expected to show up on Jan. 3.

Huckabee's apparent success has been a surprise to many and there's no doubt from this article that homeschoolers are an integral part of his success not so much because of their educational choices but because they rely so much on word-of mouth to share information. Whether this campaign tactic leads to success on January 3rd remains to be seen. But if it does, it could fundamentally change poitical campaigns to focus more on word-of mouth communication than more traditional forms of political advertising.

Hugh Laurie Sings.....Again!

I've previously written on Hugh Laurie's amazing muscial talents. In fact, he's part of a band along with several other actors called Band From TV. But one of my favorite performances is this one from Jeeves and Wooster.

Jeeves (Stephen Fry) is preparing dinner for Bertie Wooster's (Hugh Laurie) prospective in-laws. Meanwhile, Bertie is trying his hand at Cab Calloway's "Minnie the Moocher" and the resulting conversation is quite hilarious.




You can buy Jeeves and Wooster at the A&E Store.

Less is More

Every year I welcome and dread the Christmas season. I welcome it because of what it means and the joy that it brings to my family. I dread it because of the logistics involved in the shopping and decorating to get ready for what seems to often be an all too brief celebration.

Most years we've tried to provide an abundance of gifts for our girls. When they were younger, it seemed like the more presents they had the happier they would be on Christmas morning. But this year is going to be different. This is partly due to money (being broke tends to put a crimp in your Christmas spending) but more importantly because we wanted to de-emphasize the focus on material things. As my wife and I talked about ideas and discussed our plans for gifts for the girls we decided to be intentional about doing less for them (and for each other) while focusing on getting things for them that they wanted the most. In doing so, our hope is that they will enjoy and treasure what they receive more since what they get should be more special to them and much more desirable.

Perhaps it is because I grew up as a kid who was always showered with gifts at Christmas both by my parents and grandparents that I feel this way. I couldn't tell you right now of one special Christmas gift I received as a child. I don't have a particular favorite (although one or two memorable gifts do come to mind because they were unusual) in the way that most people can probably identify a special gift.

Hopefully my daughters will understand that their mother and I have made sacrifices this year to provide them with something special. My hope is that they will also see that Christmas has less to do with the material gifts that we receive but the special gift that God gave us in His Son. It's my hope that your Christmas will be special this year, too.

Editor's note: As a child, I was blessed with an abundance of wonderful Christmas memories. My mother, especially, took great pains to ensure that Christmas was the most festive and joyful time of the year. This post should in no way reflect unfavorably on those special childhood Christmases. My hope is that while our family Christmases are less abundant in gifts that the joy may be equal.

As my mother always reminded me, above all, Christmas is about the hope of Christ and sharing the season with the ones we love.

Remembering Pearl Harbor

Today is the anniversary of Pearl Harbor, one of the most devastating attacks ever on the United States. The survivors of the attack are slowly disappearing but at least a few of those left continue to serve this country by volunteering at the USS Arizona Memorial. Be sure to read the whole thing.

Hat tip: Instapundit

Prince Caspian

The trailer is now available.

The movie opens May 16, 2008.

Hat tip: Tim Ellsworth