My View

Some random thoughts from a warped and fevered mind...

There is much political debate over proposed new governmental programs that affect health care, energy, banking, and other areas. There are valid ideas and proposals on both sides of these issues, but these ideas are often lost in the heated political discourse. Rather than ask "What's good for our country?" both sides are asking first "What's good for my party?". Statesmanship has gone by the wayside as both Republicans and Democrats have coarsened the debate and seek to score points for their side. And our country is the worse for it.

Today's subliminal thought is

James Mirtle is a very good writer for the Toronto Globe and Mail and blogs on his From the Rink site. James and a friend made a trip to Nashville last season to see Predator hockey firsthand. James has written a six part series about hockey in Nashville. Part six has just been posted, and it can be found here: http://www.fromtherink.com Predator fans should take a look at this good read.

Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?

Today, Time Magazine announced that they were cutting 6% of their workforce. This announcement comes on the heels of the New York Times announcing that 200 staffers were losing their jobs. Television and the traditional print media continue to face upheaval and job losses as news and information dissemination continues to evolve. Blogs and social media have become the new channels by which information is becoming more popularly distributed. This especially holds true for the sports media, as mainstream outlets continue to downsize their reporting staff. Kudos to the NHL for embracing the new media and the changing manner in which information is broadcast. And props to the Predator nation for a plethora of quality bloggers to augment coverage (or lack thereof) by the traditional press.

What did they go back to before they invented drawing boards?

And that, my friends, is my view.

My View... From 13,000 Feet

Boarding the helicopter. Here we go!

Prepping for the jump in the helicopter

And we are out!

Turning a few somersaults after we leave the helicopter

Rangers jumping out of the helicopter after we have jumped

In space

Soaring through the sky

Notice the Rangers that are flying behind us

Our landing zone is the runway area on the right

The view was amazing

Deploying the chute

Coming in for a landing after a great jump

A happy jumper

Being congratulated by Col. Andrew Poppas, the base commander at Ft. Campbell

The Jumpers and the support team

I was privileged to spend the day at Ft. Campbell, the home of the 101st Airborne, the famed Screaming Eagles, to participate in my first parachute jump. We were hosted by Colonel Andrew Poppas, the base commander, and several of his officers. This was my first parachute jump, and if it was going to be my first, I might as well jump with the best.

These young men and women were some of the most impressive individuals that I have ever met. Eager, professional, and very well trained, they made all of the novice jumpers feel secure and at ease. Our jump master, Captain Jerry Lancaster, was a confident 25 year old Captain that had already recorded 2300 jumps. His commitment to us was to bring us down safely, and his confidence made us feel that there was no other possible outcome.

Captain Lancaster was the jumper that would jump in tandem with us. There were five other members of the Air Assault squadron that jumped with us. They were jumping solo to get some jumps in before they deployed to Afghanistan, which was to occur in the coming week. All were ready to go and serve. Truly amazing young men.

We were to jump from a CH-60 helicopter from 13,000 feet. Quick math tells you that is approximately 2.5 miles up. Quite a jump for the first time.

Once aboard the helicopter, it took approximately 15 minutes to climb to altitude. 15 long minutes to think about leaving the tangible steel of the helicopter and stepping out in to space. Suited up and strapped in, we began our ascent. When the Captain called out "one minute", the doors were opened and we were greeted by the rush of the wind, the sound of the motor, and a 30 degree temperature change (65 degrees on the ground, 35 degrees at altitude). When I was hooked in the harness to Captain Lancaster, he told me to sit in the door and hang my feet out of the helicopter (you want me to do WHAT!!). A member of the jump team equipped with a camera went out, and a tap on the shoulder to signal go, and we were out of the helicopter.

Frankly, I could not have done that except for the faith I had in Captain Lancaster to fulfill his word and bring me down safely. Sitting in that door way at 13,000 feet violated every tenet of common sense I had, and yes, I had butterflies. The size of elephants. Surprisingly, once I rolled out of the helicopter and was in free fall, I got very relaxed. I knew that everything that was going to happen was out of my control, and I had to rely on Captain Lancaster.

The free fall was absolutely exhilarating. We turned a couple of lazy somersaults and then deployed the drogue chute, which stops you from spinning. Getting in to the dive position you have time to observe the scenery. From that perspective, the view is awesome. Falling at 120 miles an hour, we covered 8,000 feet in about a minute. Captain Lancaster deployed the main parachute at 5,000, and then we began to fly. He allowed me to fly the chute for while, then took the controls and brought us in for a smooth and, yes, safe landing. This has to be as close to being a bird as a person can experience, and it was indescribable.

While I had a great experience, I left with the utmost respect for the young men and women that serve our country and stand in harm's way on our behalf. They are brave and unhesitant to do their duty. They deserve our sincere gratitude and respect for all they sacrifice and do on our behalf. They deserve our prayers for their safety.

I never thought I would enjoy jumping out of a perfectly good aircraft. I am ready to go again. My sincere thanks to Colonel Poppas, Captain Lancaster, and all the men and women that made this possible.

A Simple Game

Hockey is a simple game. Score more than your opponent and you win. Keep the puck out of your net and you win. Both have been a challenge for the Nashville Predators this season.

Through ten games, the Predators stand 3-6-1 and have seven points. Offensively, it was known that the Predators would need scoring from the top two lines to be successful. Scoring from the top lines has been spotty at best. The point totals for the top six forwards are:

J. P. Dumont 7

Patric Hornqvist 7

Jason Arnott 5

Steve Sullivan 2

David Legwand 1

Martin Erat 1


Dumont's seven points come by virtue of a five point effort against Ottawa; Arnott is on IR and has missed the last two games. His replacement, Cal O'Reilly, is without a point.

Notable in this list of forwards is the production, or lack thereof, of Sullivan, Legwand, and Erat. In the off season, all three were rewarded with new contracts. Erat, Legwand, and Arnott are the highest paid players on the team; Sullivan is the fifth highest paid player. Production from these forwards has not been commensurate with their compensation, and this is being reflected in the record of the team.

Obviously, you have to shoot the puck to score. This fact seems to be lost on some of the forwards. In the first ten games, Erat is averaging 2.1 SOG; Sullivan 1.8 SOG; and Legwand a paltry 1.3 SOG. It is a simple game- shoot the puck and you have an opportunity to score. This has to change quickly for the offense to have a chance at being productive.

Third and fourth line scoring has been virtually non-existent. These lines have combined for two (count 'em- two) goals. This simply means that the top two lines face the best D pairings of their opponent every night and they are effectively being contained. Secondary scoring has yet to materialize and thus the offense continues to sputter.

One of the supposed strengths of the Predators was their defense. This strength has turned into a disappointing weakness. The first D pairing of Shea Weber and Ryan Suter are both even in the plus/minus column. The second pairing of Dan Hamhuis (currently out due to injury) and Kevin Klein have been atrocious. In seven games, Hamhuis is -7 and through ten games Kelin is -8. The third pairing of Teemu Laakso (who was sent to AHL affiliate Milwaukee after seven games) and Francis Buillon are -2 and -4 respectively. Defensive breakdowns have left players alone in front of the net or in prime scoring positions and have resulted in the puck in the back of the Predators net. Through ten contests, the D corps has yet to look settled and the result is that the Predators are typically out shot in every contest.

General manager David Poile staked the season on young players being able to make the jump to the NHL level and be productive. Adding free agents to bolster the offense or to replace free agent losses to the defense were shunned in favor of bringing up young talent from Milwaukee. So far, this experiment has not yielded the results expected, and this is being reflected in the play on the ice. The youngsters on the roster show promise, but the question is when will this promise translate into performance?

Ten games do not make the season, but ten games allow trends to emerge. Those trends do not bode well for the Predators- anemic offense and shaky defense. How quickly veterans start to produce and young players make the adjustment to the NHL will determine if this season will be successful.

My View

Some random thoughts from a warped and fevered mind...

I was privileged this past Tuesday to spend some time with the men of the Bastogne Brigade, 1st Combat Division, at Ft. Campbell. These young men are consummate professionals and their training is absolutely the best. They are eager and ready to stand in harm's way on our behalf. The air assets of this division are being deployed this coming week to Afghanistan, and these men are ready to go. We should be grateful for each of these men and women who are ready to defend our freedoms. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

The definitive cause of Michael Jackson's death has been determined. It was a defective Billy gene.

There is an old Arab proverb that says "Once the camel's nose is under the tent, he is soon inside". The "public option" for nationalized health care is now back in the discussion. Despite all claims that this will not lead to other insurance companies vacating the health care market, I would remain skeptical. Once the federal government enters any market, that market immediately becomes skewed as market forces of cost and profit are altered. Pay attention to this debate, as it will impact all of us.

Wouldn't it be delicious irony to have the workers at a bowling alley go on strike?

Net neutrality. You may be hearing more of this phrase and concept in the months to come. Simply put, it means that internet service providers cannot discriminate against the content that is carried on their networks. On the surface, this sounds reasonable. Look below the surface. A carrier, such as AT&T for instance, must give the same access to content that hogs bandwidth, such as movie downloads, as it does an e-mail between friends. This means that the proprietary service of a carrier has no priority over any other service. If you are paying tremendous amounts of money to build YOUR network, shouldn't you have a right to prioritize the delivery of your service? The fact is that the U.S. broadband system lags behind other countries, and this rule will stymie efforts to upgrade and build out the system. This is a complicated issue that bears watching.

No matter how much you push the envelope, it will still be stationery.

And that, my friends, is my view.

I'm Still Beautiful

No, not me. The View is anything but beautiful. The "I'm Still Beautiful" Event is a concert and fashion show to benefit young adults that are struggling with cancer or are on the road to recovery from cancer. This event is being held TONIGHT at the Mercy Lounge at 1 Cannery Row in Nashville. Local rock bands will be playing and there will be a fashion show with cancer survivors modeling fashions from local designers.

All proceeds from the event will be donated to I'm Too Young For This, an organization that provides resources and support to cancer survivors from their late teens to their early thirties.

The event starts at 7:00 tonight and runs until 11:00. Admission is $10.00 at the door.

All of us have been touched in some fashion by cancer, whether it is a loved one, a friend, or perhaps us as individuals that have been stricken by this disease. It is especially difficult for the young survivors to maintain a healthy self image after chemo or radiation or surgery. This wonderful organization provides resources to assist those young survivors through this difficult time.

Come out tonight and support a worthy cause.

Predators Give Back to the Community

The Predators make a stop back home in the midst of a five game road trip to spend some time giving back to the Nashville community. On Monday, October 19th, every member of the team will make an appearance at various community service events throughout Middle Tennessee. Appearances will be made at hospitals, schools, youth hockey clinics, and community centers. The players will be reading and interacting with students, visiting patients, conducting youth hockey clinics, and greeting fans.

The events that will be open to the public will be held at:

O'Charley's at 17 White Bridge Rd from 5:00-6:00, where Jordin Tootoo and Colin Wilson will greet and serve guests.

Lexus of Nashville at 1636 Brentwood Cr. in Brentwood. Kevin Klein and David Legwand will be there from 5:00-6:00 to greet guests and sign autographs.

McDonald's 2499 Murfreesboro Pk, Nashville. Dan Ellis and Wade Belak will be there from 5:30-6:30 to greet guests and serve food

Hardee's 508 Waldron Rd in LaVergne. Teemu Laakso and Cal O'Reilly will be there from 6:00-7:00 to greet guests and serve food.

Other members of the Predators will be involved in classroom events and hospital visits that will not be open to the public.

This team plays on the ice with great character and heart. That character and heart does not stop when they leave the ice, but is manifested in many worthwhile events throughout the community. This is an off day for the team, a time when players can spend resting or being with their families. They are giving up this time to make our community a better place and improve the lives of those of those less fortunate.

We in Middle Tennessee are fortunate to have a caring group of athletes in our community who support us as much as we support them.

My View

Some random thoughts from a warped and fevered mind...

There was the sound of great rejoicing in the land as the Dow Jones Industrial Average topped 10,000 this week. The last time the DJIA was above that level was on October 7th, 2008. This is seen as an indicator that the economy has turned the corner and the markets are responding accordingly. In the words of that great market analyst, Lee Corso, "Not so fast, my friend." The economy still continues to struggle with unemployment that hovers close to 10% and anti-business and high tax proposals that are coming out of Washington. A falling dollar has helped to boost market returns, and while we enjoy it in the short term, long term this will be painful. Be cautious about assuming the worst is behind us.

It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to have to paint it.

Yesterday's saga of the balloon boy is beginning to appear as if it was a publicity stunt. Final judgement is awaiting, but in my view, it is a sad commentary that so many in our society have resorted to brazen stunts to garner their 15 minutes of fame. And this is a family that appears to savor the spotlight as evidenced by their previous appearances on reality television shows. My thought- you want your 15 minutes of fame? Try doing something that is worthwhile that betters the lives of others.

If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.

People of all political leanings are frustrated at the bloated and mostly unresponsive government in Washington and a Congress that seems to be disconnected from the people they ostensibly represent. There is much that can be said about that, but perhaps the most succinct summation comes from a founding father and U. S. president, John Adams. Adams said, "In my many years, I have come to the conclusion that one useless man is a shame; two is a law firm; and three or more is Congress." Unfortunately, those words are still ringing true today.

Always practice safe lunch- use a condiment.

And that, my friends, is my view