I am mulling my post about anger … need to set aside some time for it.  Maybe tonight.  Meanwhile, I’ve added a local legal group to my list of annoyances (sorry, AMR).  They are an advocacy group who I would normally be very much in support of, as their mission is to defend the rights of people who might not otherwise have a voice.

In practice, however, they are too often unreasonable and prone to insert themselves where their activities are actually quite counter-productive from a clinical point of view.  The fact is that good mental health treatment can sometimes put providers and clients at odds … and working that through is part of the process of recovery.  Insert an attorney and things get all f-cked up.  But they don’t see it … and man can that ever be a pain in the butt.  Especially when they cop an attitude, too.

Ugh – let’s talk soccer.

England is playing in the Cypress Cup, where they are not having the tournament they’d like … but did pull out the win against Italy (with 2 goals by our own Alex Scott)!

Here’s a profile of Breaker newbie Katherine Reynolds … as the season draws nigh …

And congrats to Chrsitie Rampone and family … who welcome another daughter … Reece … to the world!

And what do YOU think … is UConn TOO good?  Let’s get a discussion going here …

Pia has called Lil back into camp … first time since 2008 for the former captain. Congrats. Lil – and good luck making the roster!  “If Lilly makes the game roster and gets into one of the Mexico matches, she will have represented the USA in four different decades. “  Yikes, is all I can say.  Here are the 24 players .

Goalkeepers (3): Nicole Barnhart (FC Gold Pride), Jill Loyden (Chicago Red Stars), Hope Solo (St. Louis Athletica)

Defenders (8): Rachel Buehler (FC Gold Pride), Stephanie Cox (Boston Breakers), Whitney Engen (Chicago Red Stars), Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers), Heather Mitts (Philadelphia Independence), Meghan Schnur (Sky Blue FC), Brittany Taylor (Sky Blue FC), Cat Whitehill (Washington Freedom)

Midfielders (7): Yael Averbuch (Sky Blue FC), Shannon Boxx (St. Louis Athletica), Kristine Lilly (Boston Breakers), Lori Lindsey (Philadelphia Independence), Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue FC), Heather O’Reilly (Sky Blue FC), Megan Rapinoe (Chicago Red Stars)

Forwards (6): Lauren Cheney (Boston Breakers), Alex Morgan (California), Casey Nogueira (Chicago Red Stars), Kelley O’Hara (FC Gold Pride), Amy Rodriguez (Philadelphia Independence), Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom)

Writing this just reminded me that I dreamed about soccer … and about former coach Greg Ryan playing in goal and making a series of hapless, dunderheaded plays, humiliating himself and kinda making me a wee bit happy, have to say.  Weird, huh?

Got me thinking about how much anger I drag around with me … unprocessed, sapping energy and snagging me at inopportune times.  Grist for a future post. 

On the sibling rivalry front, do you ever wonder what Liz Cheney and Mary Cheney actually think of one another?  Can you imagine what lurks under the surface at family Thanksgivings in that household?  Man … if any one of them every were to open up and actually experience the internal dissonances and conflicts that they each harbor it would be so amazingly and gloriously messy!  I wonder if they actually dissociate, as a way of coping … or are content to just be deeply and unrelentingly hypocritical.  It’s a question I sometimes ponder when running uphill (anger helps energize me for those climbs)!

Big Ben … WTF?  And this, right before your sister is gearing up for Tournament time?  That stinks, any way you look at it.

Speaking of Tournaments … are you ready?  Here’s the TV schedule (Central time, remember) through Selection Monday (that’s the Women’s selection date … the one that most of the world is ignoring … but not us!!!):

SATURDAY, MARCH 6
Big East Second Round Game 1……….11:00am……….Big East Regional Sports Network
Atlantic Sun Championship……….11:00am……….CSS
ACC Tournament Semifinal 1……….12:00……….Fox Sports Net
Summit League Quarterfinal 1……….12:00……….Metro Sports
Big East Second Round Game 2……….1:00……….Big East Regional Sports Network
Pac-10 Wildcard Game……….2:30……….Fox Sports Net
Summit League Quarterfinal 2……….2:30……….Metro Sports
ACC Tournament Semifinal 2……….2:30……….Fox Sports Net
SEC Championship Semifinal 1……….2:30……….ESPNU
Big Ten Tournament Game 8……….4:00……….Big Ten Network
SEC Championship Semifinal 2……….4:30……….ESPNU
Big East Second Round Game 3……….5:00……….Big East Regional Sports Network
Big Ten Tournament Game 9……….approx. 6:30……….Big Ten Network
Big East Second Round Game 4……….7:00……….Big East Regional Sports Network
Texas A&M at Kansas……….7:00……….Sunflower
Montana State at Northern Arizona……….8:30……….NAU Dish Network Channel #9411

SUNDAY, MARCH 7
Big East Quarterfinal 1……….11:00am……….ESPNU
Southern Conference Semifinal 1……….11:00am……….SportSouth
MAAC Championship……….11:00am……….MSG/MAAC TV
Atlantic 10 Semifinal 1……….11:30am……….CBS College Sports
ACC Tournament Championship……….12:00……….Fox Sports Net
Summit League Quarterfinal 3……….12:00……….Metro Sports
Big East Quarterfinal 2……….1:00……….ESPNU
Atlantic 10 Semifinal 2……….1:00……….CBS College Sports
Southern Conference Semifinal 2……….1:30……….SportSouth
Texas at Baylor……….2:30……….Fox Sports Net
Summit League Quarterfinal 4……….2:30……….Metro Sports
Big Ten Tournament Championship……….3:30……….ESPN2
Oklahoma State at Oklahoma……….4:00……….Sooner Sports Network
Big East Quarterfinal 3……….5:00……….ESPNU
SEC Champhionship……….5:30……….ESPN2
Big East Quarterfinal 4……….7:00……….ESPNU

MONDAY, MARCH 8
Sun Belt Conference Semifinal 1……….12:00……….Cox Sports/CSS
WCC Championship……….2:00……….ESPNU
Sun Belt Conference Semifinal 2……….2:30……….Cox Sports/CSS
Atlantic 10 Championship……….4:00……….ESPN2
Southern Conference Championship……….4:00……….SportSouth
Big East Semifinal 1……….5:00……….ESPNU
High Point at Liberty……….5:00……….Flames Television Network
Big East Semifinal 2……….7:00……….ESPNU

TUESDAY, MARCH 9
Sun Belt Conference Championship……….1:00……….ESPNU
Summit League Championship……….3:00……….ESPNU
Big East Championship……….6:00……….ESPN

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10
C-USA Championship Semifinal 1……….5:00……….CBS College Sports
C-USA Championship Semifinal 2……….7:30……….CBS College Sports

THURSDAY, MARCH 11
MAC Seminfinal 1……….11:00am……….Fox Sports Net
Southland Conference Semifinal 1……….12:00……….Southland Conference Television Network
MAC Seminfinal 2……….1:30……….Fox Sports Net
Southland Conference Semifinal 2……….2:30……….Southland Conference Television Network

FRIDAY, MARCH 12
Big 12 Championship Quarterfinal 1……….11:00am……….Fox Sports Net
C-USA Championship……….12:30……….CBS College Sports
Big 12 Championship Quarterfinal 2……….1:30……….Fox Sports Net
Big 12 Championship Quarterfinal 3……….5:00……….Fox Sports Net
Southland Conference Championship……….7:00……….Southland Conference Television Network
Big 12 Championship Quarterfinal 4……….7:30……….Fox Sports Net

SATURDAY, MARCH 13
Pac-10 Semifinal 1……….TBD……….Fox Sports Net
Pac-10 Semifinal 2……….TBD……….Fox Sports Net
CAA Semifinal Game #1……….11:00am……….The Comcast Network/CSS/Comcast SportsNet/WSKY
Big 12 Championship Semifinal 1……….12:00……….Fox Sports Net
MAC Championship……….12:00……….Fox Sports Net
Big South Conference Semifinal 1……….12:00……….SportsSouth
Big West Championship……….12:00……….Fox Sports Net Prime Ticket
CAA Semifinal Game #2……….1:30……….The Comcast Network/CSS/Comcast SportsNet/WSKY
Big South Conference Semifinal 2……….2:00……….SportsSouth
Big 12 Championship Semifinal 2……….2:30……….Fox Sports Net
WAC Championship……….3:00……….ESPNU
SWAC Championship……….5:00……….ESPNU
MVC Semifinal #1……….5:00……….Fox Sports Net
Patriot League Championship……….5:00……….CBS College Sports
MVC Semifinal #2……….7:30……….Fox Sports Net

SUNDAY, MARCH 14
Pac-10 Championship……….TBD……….Fox Sports Net
MEAC Championship (tape delay)……….10:00am……….ESPNU
CAA Championship Game……….11:30am……….Comcast SportsNet/CSS/The Comcast Network
Horizon League Championship……….12:00……….ESPNU
Big 12 Championship Final……….12:30……….Fox Sports Net
Big South Conference Championship……….1:00……….SportsSouth
NEC Championship……….2:00……….ESPNU
MVC Championship……….2:30……….Fox Sports Net

MONDAY, MARCH 15
Selection Monday……….6:00……….ESPN/ESPNU
NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection Special: Extended Coverage……….7:00……….ESPNU

It’s no wonder that some many GOPers seem awfully cranky.  Their heads must be near-to-exploding with cognitive dissonance!

Here’s a nice piece by Yael Averbuch, chronicling her Algarve experience and sharing her excitement for the upcoming WPS season!  Love what she’s picking up from Pia … something I’ll keep in mind as I enter my day today …

On Tuesday, I jotted down a few notes in our team meeting. At the top of my paper it says, “TWO MORE STEPS.” This was something that Pia had written on the dry erase board. It means that in the attack we want to make each run just two steps longer. When defending, we want to close that space just two steps more so we can tackle. But the philosophy behind it is to just do that little bit more. We can all give a little more to make ourselves better and to invest in the team’s success. After writing “TWO MORE STEPS,” I listed some of the things that I want to focus on moving forward into this W.P.S. season. I can’t wait to get home and continue working on those things!

From USSF, here are highlights of the final!

On the local scene, the Breakers’ Members-Only Meet The Team Party is set for Monday, April 5th in Cambridge.  Here’s what they say …

Mark your calendars now for the annual Meet The Team Party on Monday, April 5th from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Hyatt Regency, 575 Memorial Drive in Cambridge. This private reception is exclusive for Breakers Members and is free of charge. Be the first to meet every player on this year’s team, hear from the coaching staff and collect autographs and photos from all of your favorite players. Please RSVP your attendance by Monday, March 29th to Bailey Frye at bfrye@bostonbreakers.com. You may bring one person for each ticket in your Membership package. You may also give away your invitations to guests if you do not plan to attend yourself, but we will need to know their names by RSVP.

Alice?  Ron? AMR?  Stephen?  Boltgirl?   Will you represent us if we give ya the passes?  MLD, are you going?  Need more tix?

And then there’s Sarah P – unleashed in Hollywood and definitely showing her true colors there.  No need to comment further.

On a happier note, the USWNT showed their true colors with a win over Germany on a muddy Algarve pitch … and their 7th Algarve title!  Thanks to mld, there’s some highlight video that you can watch – looks like very difficult conditions!  Nice to see Carly start scoring again, eh mld?

I’ve been thinking about it and have come to the conclusion that the big difference between the Democrats and the Republicans comes down to early development and lessons taught (but obviously not always learned) in kindergarten.

It’s about sharing, folks.

That’s it, Texas.  Congratulations on all the toys you have accumulated.  Now, will you share?

No?  Then I think someone needs to send you to the corner, so you can think about it.

Come back when you’re ready to behave like a big boy.

Soccer stuff?  We’ve got the Algarve final today at 11AM.  USWNT vs. Germany.  Sadly, I’ll be out of the office … but here’s to a good showing and another win for Pia’s bunch!

What can I say … it sucks all around!

The USWNT defeated Sweden yesterday on the strength of two second half goals by the Boston Breakers’ own Lauren Cheney.  Nicely done, ladies!  Now it’s on to the final against Germany (tomorrow at 11AM ET – on MatchTracker).

And speaking of the Breakers – they’re in training now.  Jordan Angeli is a rookie defender hoping to gain a spot on the roster for the 2010 campaign.  (Here at JordanCornblog we think anyone named Jordan anything is the bomb!)

Finally – congrats to Tina Charles on her record-breaking night!  Rebecca Lobo does herself proud in this interview with Tina … you gota watch!

HAND!

Over in HollyCornblog territory it sounds like it’s been wild.  She writes …

We have had SO much snow in the past few days (we had at least 2 feet by this morning). I don’t mind snow, but I like a little break between storms and it just doesn’t seem to stop. We are snow blowing 3 times a day here. I was late to work this morning after snow blowing last night ’til around 9:00 figuring it would all be clear for me in the morning………NOT SO! The plow had left piles at the end of our driveway SOOO high (almost as high as me), I couldn’t believe it, and that was after trying to keep up with the storm!

Here in NH it’s been mostly rain, although last night we got about an inch or two of wet snow – so now everything is etched in white.  Looks really beautiful (and I am sure HollyCornblog does NOT want to hear about that)!

In other news snippets – I see that the USWNT won another nail-biter (seems to be a pattern under Pia) … pulling out a 2-1 victory over Norway on a muddy Algarve pitch.  Here’s Cat Whitehill, talking about her final (signature) long ball … the one that led to the winning goal:

“There were a lot of big gaps when it came to their defense today and I noticed that Cheney and Abby were finding them really well. I was like, you know what, we don’t have much time left, let’s try and aim for that gap and I know that Cheney can out-run these girls. I thought she was going to score, but at least it got the ball down there and that’s what led to the goal.”

Lauren Cheney as been in the mix for an awful lot of the USWNT’s scoring this trip.  Tony and I look forward to having her on the pitch for the Breakers.  For me, she brings the added bonus of helping me get over my PTSD related to her last name … that would be nice!

Speaking of Tony and me … we are also looking forward to having Sarah Walsh in Breakers’ Blue.  I have enjoyed watching her explosiveness for other teams and think it’ll be a great addiiton to our offensive arsenal.

On the b-ball from – first, I noticed last night that Conant knocked #1 Somersworth out of the Class M Girls Tournament.  Belmont faces off against Fall Mountain today (assuming that weather doesn’t interfere) … and the Belmont Boys play Conant.

In college hoops, the NESCAC tournaments continue, with the Bates women facing Amherst in the semifinals down in Massachusetts at 2 PM, and the men playing Williams (also at 2 but at Williams) in the semifinals.

I was going to write something about Sarah Palin but, you know what?  Life’s too short. 

Instead, here’s the Women’s hoops TV schedule … UConn-Notre Dame on Monday night might be interesting!  Remember – all times listed are CENTRAL!

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27
Georgetown at Connecticut……….11:00am……….Big East Regional Sports Network/CPTV
Bloomfield at Caldwell……….11:00am……….CBS College Sports
Kent State at Bowling Green State……….11:00am……….Fox Sports Net
Middle Tennessee at Florida Atlantic……….11:00am……….Cox Sports/CSS
East Carolina at Memphis……….1:00……….CBS College Sports
Montana State at Montana……….3:00……….KPAX
Vermont at Hartford……….3:00……….CTSN
Wright State at Cleveland State……….3:30……….SportsTime Ohio
Pac-10 Wildcard Game……….4:00……….Fox Sports Net
San Diego at Pepperdine……….4:00……….CBS College Sports
Oklahoma at Texas……….4:00……….Fox Sports Net
Oral Roberts at UMKC……….4:00……….Metro Sports
Middle Tennessee State at Florida Atlantic……….10:00……….Sun Belt Network
Detroit at Youngstown State (tape delay)……….11:00……….My YTV

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28
Richmond at Saint Louis……….12:00……….CBS College Sports
UNC Wilmington at Drexel……….12:00……….Comcast SportsNet/Time Warner Cable
South Carolina at Vanderbilt……….12:00……….Fox Sports Net
Big Ten wildcard game……….1:00……….Big Ten Network
Arkansas at Georgia……….1:00……….SEC Network
Northeastern at Hofstra……….1:00……….FiOS1
Oklahoma State at Texas Tech……….2:00……….Fox Sports Net
Duke at North Carolina……….2:00……….Fox Sports Net
Florida State at Maryland……….2:00……….ESPN2
Alabama at Florida……….2:00……….CSS
Penn State at Indiana……….3:00……….Big Ten Network
Kansas at Baylor……….4:00……….ESPN2
Ole Miss at Tennessee……….5:00……….ESPNU

MONDAY, MARCH 1
Arkansas Pine Bluff at Jackson State……….3:30……….ESPNU
Connecticut at Notre Dame……….6:00……….ESPN2

I wonder what the woods look like … and spent some significant time worrying about how it is in Upstate NY (including at the lake) where it looks like they had snow, rather than the rain we got.  Hope they didn’t get the wind … that would wreak havoc coupled with wet snow!

Noodling around the net (and trying to avoid news of the infuriating, ongoing healthcare stalemate) I came upon a new (to me) and interesting-looking women’s hoops blog called Swish Appeal … and Pat Griffin’s excellent LGBT Sports Blog (which has been focusing on Focus on the Family and the NCAA of late).

I am loving that Claire Danes is back front and center. After seeing “Me and Orson Welles” last week, I’m looking forward to catching Temple Grandin!

This is more random than usual, eh?  I’ve got an article about unsung heroines, for Black History Month, that Beeg sent me.  Her particular focus?  The nurse practitioner who does house calls, of course!  Scharmaine Lawson-Baker sounds like an extraordinary woman … as do the rest.  Thanks be to Beeg!

If it weren’t for Scharmaine Lawson-Baker, some of the elderly, poor and disabled in New Orleans would receive any medical care. She’s willing to make house calls, whether it is to a FEMA trailer, the projects, group homes or assisted living facilities.

Lawson-Baker, DNP, FNP-BC, a nurse practitioner, initiated Advanced Clinical Consultants in 2005 with a mission to provide a house call to every senior or disabled person in New Orleans who is unable to visit their regular primary care physician. In addition, she runs a non-profit clinic two days a week.

Lawson-Baker also created a non-profit, Geriatric Initiatives, that is staffed with volunteers to assist patients/clients with obtaining resources to maintain their housing/residence, address their mental and behavioral health concerns, purchase medications, obtain medical equipment, transit services, scheduling of medical appointments, obtaining food stamps, among other services. Her philosophy is that no one, especially and 85-year-old woman surviving off of $300 per month in Social Security Income should have to decide whether to purchase sanitary needs or buy medication.

Several months after she opened her business, Hurricane Katrina hit, making her services more vital than ever. She visited crumbling houses on abandoned, debris-strewn streets.

“I love everything I do. I enjoy meeting a need. A lot of my patients are in the 9th Ward and lack heath care. Where care is available, there is a long waiting list to see a health care provider. If I didn’t see them, they otherwise probably wouldn’t get care. This is my passion,” says Lawson-Baker.

Today she remains the lone nurse practitioner making house calls, but she one day hopes to be able to add someone part-time assistance. Growing her business is a challenge as her primary source of income comes from Medicaid and Medicare. But, Lawson-Baker, 42, doesn’t do what she does because she’s motivated by money. “I like making a difference.”

As I write, and glance out the wondow, I see the clouds (maybe) breaking up on the eastern horizon.  A hopeful sign, even if only temporary.

In sporting tournament news … RPE has got to be happy, as the Bates College men’s and women’s basketball teams are both involved in tournament play this Saturday … as are the Belmont High School Boys.  The BHS girls play Fall Mountain today.

And I’m off … with time to spare.  Phew!

This is the Cheney-monster I’m obsessing about – THAT Dick.  Is it just me, or are you checking on-line for breaking news about his demise? I feel like a shark with blood in the water.  Circling.  Waiting.

And this has got me thinking about Dick more broadly.  Wondering what it does to your head when you have a heart attack at 37.  When you’re already probably a kind of angry, ambitious guy.  You probably grab what you can, fear lots of stuff, and also feel done-to a lot.  (You might even be angry enough to shoot a good buddy in the face from time to time.)

I think that to deal well and wisely with one’s mortality, a hefty bit of wisdom and gravitas is needed.  Not the kind of fake gravitas that you can get with power and a manly, snarly voice.  No, the real thing.  Dick ain’t got it.  Dick is a dick.

I think he has lived his whole life in terror … so battling terrorists comes kinda naturally to him – in his very scared and simplistic and childish way.  Dick works off of terror … seeing it everywhere, and sharing it generously.

Thanks, Dick!

In other quick news … the USWNT beat Iceland in their first game at the Algarve yesterday … with the help of Hope Solo … who saved 2 PK’s on the way to the win!  Breakers newbie Lauren Cheney had a goal!  (And I caution myself here … A-rod had gals under Pia, too … not so much with Tony.  Let’s stay tuned!)  Next up for the USWNT is Norway tomorrow – 10 AM (ET).

And good news from the NCAA … they have dropped their Focus on the Family ads … thank you!

The decision by the NCAA came in response to vocal protests from advocates for gay and lesbian athletes — which quickly grew into a broader audience of critics who sent e-mails and set up what has now become the standard, a Facebook page — who complained that the group’s views that homosexuality and abortion are immoral are inconsistent with the NCAA’s stated nondiscrimination policy.

“Focus on the Family did have a banner ad on NCAA.com. Today, it was decided to remove the ad from the website as a result of concerns expressed by our membership,” Bob Williams, an NCAA spokesman, said via e-mail late Tuesday.

And speaking of heart … I like what Scott Brown is showing in his first days in the Senate.  Maybe there’s hope.

Meanwhile, I missed Edna St. Vincent Millay’s birthday … which was yesterday.  Thanks, Alice!

The Breakers announced yesterday that they signed Australian National Team forward Sarah Walsh. She joins England’s Alex Scott and Kelly Smith, Brazi’s Fabiana, and Spain’s Laura Del Rio as Boston’s fifth international player.

I’m very psyched about Walsh … she’s a firebrand up top!  Here’s what Tony had to say:  “Sarah has fantastic speed and attacking abilities.   She loves to get behind defenses and has the ability to score herself and create goals for her teammates.  Her leadership and experience will also provide a lot to our success. I look forward to coaching her and I think the Breaker fans will love her work ethic and abilities.”

Expect some exciting things from Walsh and Weimer for the B’s!

On the baseball front … here’s a Tweeted photo of the Phillies’ Jayson Werth … love the Paul Bunyan look!

… and Chan Ho Park has gone to the Yankees.

Maybe we’ll see him in November, eh?

In other soccer tidbits, here’s a profile of Seymour, Connecticut’s Alyssa Naeher – the Breakers’ second pick in the college draft and former Penn State keeper.

In college B-ball, I see Tennesse rolling toward their title … Lady Vols 70  LSU 61.  Er, maybe “rolling” is a little strong.

High school hoops?  The Prospect Mountain Timberwolves weren’t able to take it to Belmont twice, succumbing last night to stifling defense and their own cold shooting.  One couldn’t help but feel that Jeri Blair’s Timberwolves were being bested by the defense that he had coached for many years at Belmont … an irony for sure.  Prospect Mountain will be back next year … as will BHS.

And finally, loved this piece from the Writer’s Almanac this morning …

Meanwhile .. bad blood between the B’s and Sky Blue FC, eh?  Breakers’ GM Andy Crossley sounds (not surprisingly) PO’d as he responds to Gerry Malone (Sky Blue FC GM) over-sharing in his tweets.

First we had OCNN – Ochocinco News Network – and now apparently we have the Sky Blue News Network. That’s not an official transaction on the league website nor has it been formally announced by the Breakers and it is our transaction after all.

If a rival league exec chooses to tweet what he sees on the waiver wire before it is public knowledge – whatever, I don’t consider that an arms race of information that I need to take part in. We make our own announcements at our own pace. I don’t break Sky Blue transactions on my Twitter account, but then again, I’m also not engaged in a “Twitter War” to generate followers at the moment and he is, so maybe I’m just not in the proper competitive mindset.

Anyway…yes, Christine Latham was put on waivers on Friday. You will see a formal announcement in the next day or two, because as RevsFan1 has surmised there will be a simultaneous announcement of the addition of a new international.

Who could it be?

In other soccer news, Lori Chalupny is taking an “indefinite leave” from the USWNT and from the St. Louis Athletica due to concerns about concussions.  That is very worrisome – and I’m glad she’s taking care of herself – one of my favorites in women’s soccer these days!

The CPACers have continued their shrill rhetoric … from wherever the hell they are meeting.  Glenn Beck got the already-rabid crowd even more fired up with his typically irresposible and error-filled verbal vomitus.  Here’s an image you’ll want to keep in mind …

Talking about personal responsibility, Beck brought his own redemption story. Before becoming a wealthy television host, Beck said that 15 years ago he was drinking, had lost his family, and found himself in the fetal position of his one-bedroom apartment.

Lucky family, I’m thinking.

Not that I’m against redemption … but I like these stories better when they also include a smidgeon of self-awareness and a dash of humility.  Sadly, these are not ingredients that will be found at CPAC … where pseudo redemption is bought with the coinage of repression.  It’s a transaction that inevitably leds to hatred, judgment, self-alienation, inauthenticity … lots of putrid ooze and vileness right under the self-rightous surface.  Glenn Beck – ugh!  Rush Limbaugh – ugh!  Newt Gingrich – ugh!  There are twisted skeletons in those dark closets.  I’d stay away if I were you.

In the meantime, life goes on, the days lengthen, snow falls and melts, and who should be reappearing on the landscape but Mitt Romney!  He’s starting to make the rounds, beginning with a stint at the podium at CPAC (that’s the Conservative Political Action Conference, for the curious) praising the likes of Dubya and Dick.  Here’s the odd intro from HuffPo:  “The annual Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, is known as a mecca for conservatives nationwide. This year luminaries like Glenn Beck, Mitt Romney, Marco Rubio and Andrew Breitbart will be speaking before an audience of thousands.”

Luminaries?  Glenn Beck?  Same sentence?  Come on, HuffPo, ya didn’t have to do that!  I will admit that Sarah Palin makes Mitt look like an intellectual heavyweight (as opposed to a washed up but well-preserved star of old, B-grade Dracula movies).  Maybe that’s been the plan all along.  But enough, already – I’m only upsetting myself.

On a much happier note, the Breakers have released their 2010 schedule … with more games (and a lot fewer of ‘em on Wednesday nights).  Here’s the rundown:

So … there’s a glimpse of what we’ll be doing in these parts, come spring!  Nice that the B’s will be on TV a fair amount, too.

Looks like Prospect Mountain gets home court for round 1 of the Class M Girls’ B-ball tourney no matter what happens tonight in their rematch with Somersworth.  (They defeated Epping last night 26-18!)  Congrats to Jeri Blair and his Timberwolves!

Here’s the Tournament schedule …

Preliminary Round Mon. 02/22/10 Home of Higher Seed 7:00 p.m.
Quarterfinals Fri. 02/26/10 Home of Higher Seed 7:00 p.m.
Semifinals Sat. 03/06/10 Southern NH University 1:30; 3:30 p.m.
Final Wed. 03/10/10 Southern NH University 6:00 p.m.

And finally, here’s a nice glimpse of Pia’s style with the USWNT … compliments of Yael Averbuch.  You Can Get It id You Really Want … with a Swedish accent … nice!

But you know what – I gotta run!

One item of note from the feed – a brief piece about Pokey Chatman celebrating the Saints’ win!  Miss ya, Pokey!

And another … about Rutgers suspending C. Vivian Stringer for one game.  The comments that follow the article are interesting … sounds like it’s a very hot topic for some folks.  Clearly, there’s more than meets the eye here.

Finally, on the high school hoops front, the Belmont and Prospect Mountain girls go head-to-head tonight at BHS.  It should be a fascinating match-up, as it’s the first visit that ex-BHS coach Jeri Blair has paid to his old stomping grounds.  We’ll be going against long habit and rooting for the Timberwolves … wonder how THAT will feel!?

The one commercial that didn’t make it was probably the funniest of the lot …

Keeping Peyton off the field worked marvelously … and that on-sides kick to start the 2nd half?  Guts and genius!

And I love it that the GOP favored the Colts.  Sorry, guys.  You still have Scintellating Sarah, though -- who is apparently actually considering a run in 2012.  And then you always also have Dick and Dubya and other dull-witted, despicable detritus.  I’m hoping that both smirky and snarly were sorely disappointed and went to bed with indigestion.

I’ll take this guy Brees … a breath of fresh air!

The City of New Orleans is back on track and partying down!

You’re back!  No more fly-overs by a distant, disingenuous and disconnected Dufus.

Congratulations, Saints, you did it … the bad taste is gone -- even though lots of work remains!

Good night, America, how are you?
Don’t you know me I’m your native son,
I’m the train they call The City of New Orleans,
I’ll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done.

Party on … party on!

Good night, America, how are you?
Don't you know me I'm your native son,
I'm the train they call The City of New Orleans,
I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done.

I also found, noodling around on Damallsvenskan Soapbox, another nifty site – Women’s Soccer Weekly – great to scan for soccer news (and will add it to the sidebar here)!  WSW is where I found this story about Jill Oakes, whose pregnancy is taking her off the Red Stars’ 2010 roster (where she was a defender).  Maybe that’s why they went for Whitney Engen in the college draft.  I know I’m hoping to see Emma Hayes make some things happen for the Red Stars this year … and yeah, hoping to see the same from Tony!

On the political front, there is, of course, the whole Tea Bagger Convention brouhahahahahaha and the Divine Ms. P’s increasing visibility.

At the same time, MSNBC has posted the searchable collection of Todd Palin e-mails – at least to the extent they have been released.  Wonder what this one is about … sounds fishy, doesn’t it?  It’s pretty cool … search away!  And here are some gems from MSNBC:

The e-mails that were released open a curtain on the behind-the-scenes preoccupations of the Palins, particularly the flash points of family and the media, personal finances and state finances.

• The governor coached her staff on how to disguise the $3,252.35 cost of electrical work at the mansion to hook up her new tanning bed.
• Palin and her staff stewed over the refusal of the state Public Safety Department to provide a plane so their children could fly to Todd’s family’s home in Dillingham; after all, they were going to attend a bill signing, so the travel requests could be justified. Sarah Palin called the decision “outrageous,” and an aide said it provides “a great excuse to privatize” the governor’s jet service.
• The manager of the Palins’ travel schedule searched for a public event to use as justification (“I just need one“) to charge the state for an airplane flight for Palin’s daughter, Willow, who had already made the trip but missed the event given as its justification.
• When Sarah Palin complained that the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner wrote a critical editorial after she did them the favor of meeting with the editorial board, Todd Palin advised the press chief to “take the news miner off the press release address list for a few days, see how long it takes them to realize their not on the list.”
• “Man, that gossip crap bugs me,” Sarah Palin wrote after the Anchorage Daily News wrote about mansion repairs in its Alaska Ear political column. “Any time it has anything to do with home or family, it’s irritating.” A press aide apologized, saying the columnist did not to call check out stories before publishing. The residence director added, “Reminds me of junior high school, where hormonal teenagers are always looking for the drama. … I’ll do my best to avoid giving them any news nuggets.”

And since Sarah is in the news, I want to share this brief snippet from Arianna Huffington … in case you needed further illustration of Sarah’s shallow hypocrisy.

On a MUCH more positive note, we celebrate JPE’s birthday today at the Canterbury Shaker Village (yummy brunch).  Happy B-day!

And here’s the Women’s B-ball schedule (Alice) for the next couple of days …

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7
Connecticut at Louisville……….11:00am……….ESPNU
Northeastern at Towson……….11:00am……….Comcast SportsNet/Comcast Network
Texas Tech at Texas……….1:00……….ESPNU
Ole Miss at LSU……….1:00……….SEC Network
South Carolina at Georgia……….1:00……….CSS
Tulsa at UTEP……….1:00……….CBS College Sports/Time Warner Cable
Kansas State at Kansas……….2:00……….Metro
Auburn at Alabama……….2:00……….Fox Sports Net
Drake at Missouri State……….2:05……….Mediacom
Southern California at Stanford……….3:00……….Fox Sports Net
Virginia Tech at NC State……….3:00……….Fox Sports Net/SunSports/Comcast SportsNet
Iowa State at Missouri……….3:00……….Fox Sports Net
Richmond at Xavier……….3:00……….ESPNU
Michigan State at Iowa……….3:30……….Big Ten Network

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8
UMES at North Carolina A&T ……….3:30……….ESPNU
Virginia at Maryland……….6:00……….Fox Sports Net/SunSports/Comcast SportsNet
North Carolina at Duke……….6:00……….ESPN2
Gardner-Webb at Liberty……….6:00……….Flames Television Network
Gardner-Webb at Liberty……….6:00……….SportSouth
Tennessee at Vanderbilt……….8:00……….ESPN2

So, there’s something else that I wanted to write about.  What the heck was it?  Something about a football game, I think.

If it comes to me, I’ll let you know!

How do you find that stuff, Boltgirl?

The Breakers, in addition to their dispersal draft signings (Stephanie Cox and Michelle Enyeart), re-signed Fabiana and added another international – Forward Laura Del Rio.

Looks to me like the Athletica are the hands down winners when it comes to off-season moves, though.  And I am still puzzled by the Red Stars’ choice to let go of Lindsay Tarpley.

Turning to politics, the tidbit that caught my eye has to do with the former First Dude’s influence up there in Alaska, as reflected in newly-released e-mails.  Are we surprised?  Not really.  Annoyed?  You betcha!

It’s one of those comments that comes along from time to time, and reminds me of the huge and crazy-making gulf that exists in this country.  Here’s what Noah said:

How can you call this grace? O’Bummer is scrambling and he has no idea what to do. Massachusetts a red state now?!? The Democratic Party is falling on it’s face. They had the house and senate majority for years AND THEY STILL CANNOT PASS THEIR AGENDA…epic fail.

Pull your head out of the sand and come over to reality. All of O’Bummers ideas might sound good, but they are fiscally impossible. I’m no history scholar, but I’m pretty sure one of the major reasons the USSR collapsed was because they flat out went broke. Wouldn’t it be a shame if the US collapsed because we ran out of money? Or maybe all of you progressives subconsciously want this…

Noah invites me to “come over to reality” – and that’s what always brings me up short.  We truly do live in different realities, I think.  Noah seems to truly believe that the world as he knows it is in danger … at the hands of people like me.  I am a threat to what he holds dear.  (Of course I don’t actually know Noah … but I do feel, from the tone of his comment, that he is upset with me .. don’t you?)

What feels tragic to me is that the Noah’s of this world appear to me to be passionately defending people who wouldn’t even deign to spit on them … meanwhile blaming the party that actually is trying to do something to make this country livable for classes other than just the wealthiest.  (And don’t get me wrong … I am probably almost as pissed at the Democrats as Noah is – but for different reasons altogether.)

Joining Noah with bizarre and disturbingly paranoid perceptions of Obama is a large percentage of self-identified GOPers, according to a recent poll.  Here are a few samples from the results … they leave me speechless:

• 39 percent of Republicans believe Obama should be impeached, 29 percent are not sure, 32 percent said he should not be voted out of office.
• 36 percent of Republicans believe Obama was not born in the United States, 22 percent are not sure, 42 percent think he is a natural citizen.
• 31 percent of Republicans believe Obama is a “Racist who hates White people” — the description once adopted by Fox News’s Glenn Beck. 33 percent were not sure, and 36 percent said he was not a racist.
• 63 percent of Republicans think Obama is a socialist, 16 percent are not sure, 21 percent say he is not
• 24 percent of Republicans believe Obama wants “the terrorists to win,” 33 percent aren’t sure, 43 percent said he did not want the terrorist to win.
• 21 percent of Republicans believe ACORN stole the 2008 election, 55 percent are not sure, 24 percent said the community organizing group did not steal the election.
• 23 percent of Republicans believe that their state should secede from the United States, 19 percent aren’t sure, 58 percent said no.
• 53 percent of Republicans said they believe Sarah Palin is more qualified to be president than Obama.

The powers that be at the GOP do not actually believe any of this (they are grown-ups, after all).  But they are what I would call evil, because they are perfectly willing to use fear, prejudice, and disinformation to block progress and recoup/retain power.  They do this in the service of the monied elites that own the party.

People like Noah are being thoroughly duped by their craven machinations. And Noah will be angry and upset to hear this.  He probably won’t believe it … but if he doesn’t wake up, he’ll need to start constructing his ark (if he hasn’t already).  There ain’t a lot Obama (or the rest of us) can do in the face of this much blindness, greed, and dishonesty.

And most likely, when all’s said and done, he’ll continue to blame “progressives” – because that’ll be the lie he’s fed by the elites of the GOP – and why think beyond that?

Why, indeed?

At first I was horrified on hearing it -- PTSD from old WUSA days.  But the model is different (franchises) this time around -- so what happens with the Sol doesn’t drag on the league the way it would have back in the day.  And with two new teams we’re still up one from last year … and most teams (other than the Sol) have modest business models.

Breakers’ GM Andy Crossley weighed in on the situation and gave us some good news about the Breakers’ status:

Crossley is confident that WPS will continue to grow. He’s starting to see interest increase from last year.

“We’re up 20 percent in ticket sales,” Crossley said. “I feel, locally, interest is growing here. I would say the league has certainly picked up momentum from last year.”

“I can’t wait. I think we’ve got a really exciting team this year. Tony and Lisa are happy the way the draft turned out. I think now we have an opportunity to add quality players in the dispersal draft. It’s going to be very, very competitive in training camp.

It was actually that training camp that was my first thought when I heard about the Sol folding and the dispersal draft (2/4/10).  Feeling kinda bummed for the just-out-of-college players who were picked late in the 1/15 draft and were probably ecstatic to be coming into camp … who now may have to compete against the likes of Boxxy, Marta and Karina LeBlanc.  Yikes -- talk about a roller coaster!

Oh, and having just purchased 2 more season tickets from the Breakers, I can attest to the growing interest … as it was pretty slim pickings in the section I was hoping for!

So here’s the dispersal pick order … and the rosters of the Sol and the Breakers … (FA means Free Agent) …

Who do we want in Boston? And who do we have room for? Will this tip Lil into retirement? (Not yet -- one more year, Lil, okay?  We’ll need some warning before you hang up your boots.)

Anyway -- who do I want?  We need scoring.  Do I want Marta?  Oddly enough, I’m not totally enthralled with the idea.  She’d be fun to watch, don’t get me wrong … but a part of me would really like to see the Breakers do it without her … leaving a healthy Kelly Smith with the spotlight all to herself.  (Do I sound like an eldest child?  Worried about dispersal displacement?  Yup!)

Here’s the discussion (from the Breakers’ point of view) on BigSoccer.

Apparently Tony likes Dallstream.  Hey … we’d like forwards who can work with Tony and vice versa.  So, betweem Nikki Washington, Casey Nogueira and Kiersten Dallstream … oh, and Marta … we should be able to pick up something good for the B’s, I’m thinking.

I do wish that Camille Abily were still with the Sol (and therefore being ‘dispersed’).  I liked her a lot!  Gold Pride lucked out on that one!

Any way you look at it, the 4th should be interesting … and the Breakers will pick up some more talent … and the 2nd WPS season is getting closer and closer!