Who Will Take Joe Torre's Place?

After twelve seasons, and four World Series titles, New York Yankees manager Joe Torre has called it quits yesterday. Just about a week ago, the Yankees failed to make it past the American League Divisional Series, getting defeated by the Boston Red Sox- who, by the way, forced a sixth game in the ALCS, after beating Cleveland 7-1 last night at Jacobs Field in Cleveland.

You know that the pressure was on Torre, especially over the past couple of seasons. Last year, they failed to stop the once lowly Detroit Tigers from going to the World Series. And before that, of course in 2004, they blew a 3-0 lead in the ALCS to the team that won the 2004 World Series champion- and a team that could very well win the 2007 World Series (provided that they get past the National League champion, Colorado Rockies)- those pesky Red Sox.

King George Steinbrenner gave Torre an offer- manage for another year for $5 Million, with incentives worth $3 Million, and $8 Million vesting option, if the Yanks return to and win the World Series.

No dice, Joe sez.

So, he walked away. And it may have been the smartest thing he ever did in the dozen years he's been with the Yankees. The relationship between Torre and Steinbrenner have been chaotic at best. In the seven years since winning the last World Series, George has been breathing down Joe's neck, with that steam getting a lot hotter over that period. Torre's walking away couldn't have happened at a better time. The front office itself is in flux- George's two sons Hal and Hank are handling day to day operations. George- who is 77- is ailing. It looks like the Yankees will be rebuilding next year.

So, the $64,000 question: Who gets to put up with George Steinbrenner next year? Who will be in the hot seat as the Yankees new manager?

A few possibilities:

DON MATTINGLY: For thirteen seasons, Mattingly has served as the Yankees' bench coach. Some would say that he's a shoo-in for the job.
JOE GIRALDI: The fired Florida Marlins manager was named National League manager of the year last year.
TONY La RUSSA: St. Louis manager has brought one (World Series) title to the Gateway city, and he could breathe new life into the Yankees organization. Now if only George & Sons could woo him from the Cardinals' job. And I mean REALLY woo him!
TREY HILLMAN: He's respected in Japan, but he's pretty much a wild card here in the US. And the Yankees' front office- and the Bronx, for that matter- is a tough bunch to please. He really has to have the conjones to handle the managerial duties of the House and Team that Babe Built.

Whoever the Yanks choose, a lot will ride on that person to bring several more world pennants to the Bronx.

Copyright (C) 2007, by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

The Countdown to Leopard

In ten days, Apple will release the latest version of Mac OS X, Leopard. In the clips that follow, here's what's expected in Leopard.(All clips: dell1032/YouTube.com/Apple, Inc., unless otherwise noted)

First, the desktop.



Finder:


Quick Look (gaelmacman/YouTube.com/Apple, Inc.)


Time Machine:


Mail: (barnux/YouTube.com/Apple, Inc.)


There is a lot more to Leopard, and you can be sure that on October 26, at 6:00PM, I'll be in line to get my copy.

Copyright (C) 2007, by Darren W. Alexander.
All Rights Reserved.

Mac OS X, Leopard, are Trademarks and Copyright (C) 2007 by Apple, Inc.

Nobody Loved Asa

Two days prior to yesterday's shooting at Success Tech High School, in the city center of Cleveland, Ohio, Asa Coon was suspended for fighting with another student. On Wednesday, he shot four people- none of them seriously- then shot himself to death.


dominicysacha/YouTube.com/CNN

Asa Coon walked in the school Wednesday, and caused rampage and chaos. But this rampage and chaos had a beginning- at home.

Asa was abused- I don't know if both parents abused him, or if just one of them did. But then Asa apparently retaliated by striking his mother numerous times, and he was placed on probation and placed in a juvenile detention hall.

But Wednesday's events has students, parents, teachers, and the Cleveland school superintendent scratching their head over why this happened. Angry parents petitioned for the Success Tech school to have more security guards, given its' central city location and most of the student body being of low income students.

More lives could have been lost in this.

Still, I mourn for the one troubled 14-year-old soul who appeared to be lost from the day he was born.

Copyright (C) 2007, by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

What a Pest!

There is this guy...I won't say his name, but I'm tempted to because hew his fucking irritating. In fact, sometimes I wonder if the Almighty Jehovah has brought this guy on the planet just to irk folks.

There are times when i just want to strangle this cat. A friend of mine- again, no names, please, tells me that he can't help the way he is. He's allegedly has emotional and mental disabilities.

Horse pucky!

This guy can get under the nails at times, as if he continuously scratches those claws on the chalkboard. All. Fucking. Day. Long.

It's ridiculous! Maddening.

I'd better stop while I'm ahead, lest I punch the computer screen.

Don't get me wrong. I don't hate the man- it's just not Christian (or Muslim, for that matter. Tell that to the latter group ) to hate- but there are things that I strongly dislike about the man. He walks around like he has nothing better to do; he has a severe case of ADHD; he talks too loud...need I go on?

Where's my Sig Hauer? where's my Smith & Wesson?

I'm beginning to think twice about letting that concealed carry permit expire. I meant to renew it, but...well, I can still get another one.

And hopefully, I won't have to take my weapons out. But if he keeps it up...

Copyright (C) 2007, by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

We, The People of the Dis-United States of America

Is the United States in danger of losing a few states?

As I was about to check my e-mail this morning, I saw thgis interesting articler on a couple of groups that were advocating seceding from the Union. The League of the South, which believes in southern sovergnity and conservative values, and the Middlebury Institute, a liberal secessionist group which believes that the War on Terror is wrong, and rthe federal government has become a bit too imperialistic, are meeting today and Thursday in Chattanooga, Tennessee to talk about secession.

It must be added that the US Constitution does not prohibit secession, but few say that it may actually work.

There are over 25 secessionist groups in this country- beside the two, there's the Second Vermont Republic, a liberal group that's protesting the War in Iraq, and rising oil prices. Plus, there are several in Hawaii- notably because it's been purported that the hawaiians are regretting their ever joining the Union in 1959- and Alaska; South Carolina, and several other places.

So, living here in most liberal Oregon, I wonder if we shoukd secede from the Union, and either form our our nation, or become Canada's 11th province. After all, we have policies similiar to the Canadians, notably:

• A belief that there should be health care for all
• Land growth restrictions- the urban growth boundary here in Portland being a prime example

Of course, should Oregon become Canadian, we'd have to institute same-sex marriage- Oregon voted against it in 2004, but we will have a Domestic Partnership law come January 1, 2008. We would be part of Canada's health care system; and we'd probably have automatic Canadian citizenship.

But being American, I don't think too many Oregonians would go for that. Still, though, it's just a thought.

Going back to the three groups- League of the South; Second Vermont Republic; and Middlebury Institute- the LoS reportedly wants to impose conservative Christian values; and restrict immigration, cracking down harder on illegal ailens. Its' president, Michael Hill, says that the LoS allows people of all racial groups, but Hill himself advocates outlawing interracial marriage and restricting abortion. The website to his group is http://www.leagueofthesouth.net (note: this author tried to go to this site this morning, but after numerous attempts, failed).

The two more liberal groups, the Middlebury Institute- http://middleburyinstitute.org and the Second Vermont Republic- http://vermontrepublic.org - are against the war on terror and what they believe is a federal government that's becoming more like Big Brother. All three groups believe that we can secede peacefully, as opposed to the Civil War some 145 years ago.

Perhaps in several years, I'll either find myself being a Canadian citizen- or a citizen of an independent Oregon (or California) republic.

Copyright (C) 2007, by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

Harry Lee- A Louisiana Legend 1932-2007

Dj0287/YouTube.com/WDSU-TV, New Orleans, Louisiana

The footage you've just seen is from WDSU-TV, the NBC affiliate in New Orleans . The man warning people to leave from the path of Hurricane Katrina is Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee.

He was born the son of Chinese immigrants in 1932, in New Orleans, in the back room of his parents laundromat on Carondolet Street. At the time of his passing this morning, he had a 40 year career in law, from being a federal magistrate, to becoming an attorney of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, and in 1979, began his 28-year run as Jefferson Parish Sheriff.

He was colorful, a shoot-from-the-hip guy. Definitely a stand up person. Controversial at thimes and at odds with some of his constituents. The good. The bad. The take-no-bullshit kind of guy.

All of this was Harry Lee.

Lee was one of eight children of Bing and Yip Shee Lee, and graduated from Nicholls High. His parents ran a laundromat on Carondolet Street in what is now the Warehouse District. He attended Louisiana State University, and graduated in 1956 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He joined the US Air Force and served as a Lieutenant in the Strategic AAir Command; then later served in the Judge Advocate's Office. In 1987, he retired with the rank of Brigadier General.

Upon returning from active duty- being discharged honorably in 1959- he returned to his family restaurant, The House of Lee. In 1964, he was elected president of the New Orleans chapter of the Louisiana Restaurant Association. He was instrumental in the peaceful integration of New Orleans restaurants in 1964, when the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was put into place. It was also at this time, he had studied law at Loyola University. In 1967, he graduated and ran a law practiced in Gretna- across the Mississippi from New Orleans' Garden District. In 1971, he was appointed federal magistrate for the Eastern District of Louisiana. After resigning from that post in 1975, he was appointed Parish Attorney.

In 1979, Sheriff Al Cronvich was embroiled in a wiretapping scandal. Lee saw this as a chance to enter elected office, and he was elected with 57 percent of the vote.

Lee sometimes got himself involved in controversy. At times, He's been accused of being racist- using black crime as examples from time to time. But his black supporters saw through the smoke and found Lee to be inclusive.


harryleejefferson/YouTube.com

Still, during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, he and Jefferson Parish officials were criticized for keeping evacuees from Orleans Parish to enter the (Jefferson) parish city of Gretna.

At the time of his passing, Lee was running for an eighth term as sheriff. His opponents were the police chief of Harahan, Peter Dale, and Harvey contractor Julio Castillo. He qualified for the October 20 election. Louisiana law requires qualifying to reopen if a candidate dies before the election. The election for Jefferson Parish sheriff has been moved to November.


At 10:44AM Central Time (8:44AM Pacific Time), Jefferson Parish lost one of its' most popular and outspoken law enforcement officers. Harry Lee died at Oschner Medical Center, in Jefferson, about a mile from the Orleans-Jefferson Parish line. Harry Lee was never into political correctness, instead, being brutally honest if need be. Jefferson Parish and its' residents never had to worry about rampant crime under his watch.

Harry Lee will be missed.

Copyright (C) 2007, by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.