Thursday, January 06, 2011

Field Of Dreams.

This coursing season started back in October, with a few posts, like this one, about the lack of jackrabbits in all the usual places.  We had days where we'd walk and walk and only scare up one in a couple of hours, and it would usually suffer a quick fate, because it couldn't move any faster than the dogs in the unusually thick and high cover.

Things were looking grim.

Then, towards the end of October, I piled the crew in the Mitsubishi and headed out to explore an area that Margaret and I had found almost by accident last Spring while attempting to take shortcut from the highway by the Aerostat station about 20 miles southwest of Deming, to the Victorio Mountains some 25 miles west of Deming.  As it turned out, it was shorter, but took about 90 minutes longer than if we had just driven around on the normal highways and county roads.

The area is huge, and is about 99% Federal and State land, leased for grazing some pretty large herds of cattle.  The cover is much more reasonable than any of our usual fields this year, and the ground is as walkable as a walk in the park, meaning there's no "bunchgrass", or big holes, or boulders.  It's flat.

That's all well and good, but is meaningless if there are no jacks!  My first exploratory trip was to the area we'd first driven through in the spring.  Jackrabbit "sign" was plentiful, but I saw no jacks.  I did some more exploratory driving and discovered that there were at least a half dozen distinct separate areas where one could hunt, including  a mammoth, flat plain that seemed to stretch out forever in all directions.  It was time to bring in Dutch and his dogs to see if there were, indeed, rabbits in this ideal area.

The first couple of trips were fruitless, and I think Dutch was losing faith as he would prefer to go back to the old places, rather than make the long drive out to this field.  But I kept at it, trying out new, different sections, and finally started getting some races.  Got Dutch back, and for the last two months we've been getting in some really exciting races, with about a 25% catch rate.  In that time we've probably seen and/or run close to 40 jacks, and we're really only scratching the surface.  Dutch is now so confident in the fields that he has decided to run his famous Pack Hunt and Desert Hare Classic on them.

The new fields also came with an unsuspected bonus!  With such a large expanse of flat, open land, the opportunity for great coursing photos was like nothing we've experienced in any of the other fields we hunt in southern New Mexico!  The hounds actually have an opportunity to turn the hare many times, and often back in the direction of where they started.... where I wait with my camera.

The images below, are all from a single run on January 5, 2011.  The dogs weren't lacking for opportunities to catch this jack, first with Willow in the lead, and later with the black and white Saluke, Bisa, who had several opportunities, but as we saw with the  hare in the previous post, this field is starting to establish a reputation for strong jacks that will take anything your pack of hounds can dish out!  This was another 3 minute marathon, that ended when the hare made it to the safety of the creosote bush patch on the north side of the draw, and Willow with a very sore foot.



Monday, January 03, 2011

Scanners! Gut Wrenching.


Since this metal man was photographed on the Notre Dame campus many years ago, perhaps he is bemoaning a tough Irish loss. I wonder if he's still there?

Sunday, January 02, 2011

Perfectly Executed 180° Turnaround.

We had one of those runs the other day that tend to get more spectacular, the more time separates it from the actual event.

Dutch brought along "the incorrigible Bob Schulz" (Gazehounds & Coursing, pg 142), and Bob came with his truck box full of young, old, black, red, and silver staghounds. I brought the girls, Willow and Ashley. Dutch's gang included Phyllis, and Stretch (his new hotblood). We were at the big, open field that has produced some very photogenic runs already this season.

We had a couple of 30-second sprints that ended with a spectacular, diving grab by Willow that ended with her muzzle on the hare on the ground and her back legs straight up in the air in the first, and Dutch's Phyllis making the most of the second.

Now, Dutch has a bad back, which has curtailed a lot of his walking in the field over the last month or so. He generally walks with us as far from the trucks as he feels comfortable getting, then waits while the rest of us make big loops in the desert, looking for more jacks to chase. He then watches with his binoculars, and kind of acts like a de-facto "judge". It was during this "resting" period that the third jack jumped. Immediately in front of me, as it turned out, and it wasn't the most fortuitous of starts, as there were no less than two hounds right in front of him.. in his path of travel.

Somehow, the hare negotiated that obstacle, with a hard left turn that left the dogs with their jaws snapping at air.  And the race was on.

When you hear the term, "survival of the fittest"... this is the kind of critter they're usually talking about.  For nearly three minutes- more than a mile and a half- the hounds chased, and turned this jack until they ran out of our site into the draw to our south.  Even then we knew the dogs were still turning it, because we could see periodic puffs of dust arise from the horizon.  Finally the dust stopped, and we knew that either the jack had been caught, or it had made its escape into the heavy creosote bush field across the draw.  It was several more minutes before the very knackered pack of hounds made it back to the trucks. Bloodless.

Later, when we were reliving, and embellishing the tale of the third race over steak and enchiladas at The Campos' Cafe, Dutch remarked that there was one time when he saw Phyllis running right next to the hare, and was looking right at it, when it doubled back, and gained some serious separation from its pursuers.  He thought that was pretty spectacular.

When reviewing my images from the day, I was very happy to find the exact sequence that so impressed Dutch.  And so, without further ado-




We can only hope that this hare, having survived the best our hounds could throw at it, survives further attacks from coyotes, and golden eagles, and bobcats, and other predators, to procreate, and pass these amazing survival skills on so we can continue to have  exciting chases for years to come.  Here's looking at you, kid.

Scanners! Weather Ball Red....


The title of this post should be more than ample hint as to the location of this town setting from my college days in 1974. My feeling is that many, if not most of the buildings in this shot are long gone.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Scanners! After The Flood.


Don't worry, kids. I went outside the immediate family for this one. I'm thinking I need to photoshop in some water snakes.

"Tech.": Combination of Picnik for the color and "HDR" effect, and ACDSee filters for the water and "mirror" effects.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Scanners! Before the Scourge of Pantyhose!

More 1960's reality enhanced.


I'm running out of black and white prints of  Mar .... this model. Not to worry.

Friday, December 24, 2010

You Can Now Follow This Blog On Facebook.

If you're like me, you spend an inordinate amount of time on Facebook, making it difficult to surf around and read the blogs you enjoy. I've now established a Facebook page for Hare-Brained at Home. When I post something new here, I'll post the link on the Facebook page. If you follow the above link, and "Like" the page, you will then get updates in your Facebook news feed. It couldn't be easier.

Go there. Now.

It's Become A Holiday Tradition!

Ladies & Gentlemen, Boys & Girls, Lesbian, Gay, Bi, and Trans-gender- For your entertainment and amusement, presenting the undisputed Greatest Christmas Song Ever:


Enjoy the Holiday Season and be safe everybody!

Darwin's Mountaineers.

A follow up article in the local paper goes into more detail on the four "hikers" who had to be rescued from the top of the mountains last week, but it fails to make them appear any... brighter.

Take a look at this picture:


The arrow at the bottom of the mountain is the parking lot and picnic area. The arrow at the top is Florida Peak, (partially obscured by clouds in this 2009 image), some 2500' above the lot, with no trails between the two. On a day when the sun sets around 5:30, who in their right mind decides to make a climb (not a hike) at 2 O'Clock? They may be in college, but they're obviously not math majors.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Fencing.

One of the most important abilities a hound should have when hunting jackrabbits on rangeland, aside from the obvious talent for running at high speed, turning at said speed, and catching the damn thing, is the ability to fence. No, I'm not talking about grabbing the rapier and challenging the hare to a duel. I mean the ability to clear the barbed wire without tearing up their back, and to do it at speed so as to not lose ground to the hare.

Willow demonstrates:

make gif
Make gif

She learned the hard way. On her first crossing last winter, she tried to go through the middle strands. The technique can be trained with the simple use of bait and a leash or long rope and, of course, a fence. One without barbs would be ideal, but not necessary. Two people make it easier, too, but again it's not necessary.

With the dog on one side of the fence, and you, with your bait (food, cookies, etc) on the other side, run the lead under the bottom strand of the fence and call the dog. Stop him if he tries to go come through any part of the fence except the bottom strand of wire. When he does it right, give him the treat and praise him. Do it a couple of times a day, without being excessive, then start doing it without the leash or rope. Soon you'll have a hound who can dive under the wire after the hare without even appearing to slow down. The best dogs at this are a wonder to observe.

Have fun, keep your dogs safe, and every day will feel like today was for us

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Scanners! Margaret. And Women Who Are Not Margaret.

I have a lot... a lot... of black and white images and negatives, and recently I've begun to manipulate them using the tools available on an editing website called Picknik. I may be on to something here, which I'll call selective coloring. It's easy, but mostly it's fun! I see no reason I couldn't also manipulate color images as well, once I've converted them to black and white. I can create my own reality. In fact, the Hooters model on the Harley, below, began as a color print.

A quick note on the image above. My memory is sharp! 45 years or so after I took that picture, I still nailed the correct color of the dress! Margaret confirmed it. Is that love, or what? And the cigarette? Everybody did it then. Don't judge.

The inset is the original black and white image, which was taken with an Argus 75 and (now defunct) 620 roll film. Also, off topic but interesting, is that the clothing Margaret is wearing in this and the previous Scanners! images, were made by her, and that includes the swimsuits. She was, and is, hell on a sewing machine! Now if I could only get her to move the buttons on all my trousers.

Following are more selectively colored images of women who are not Margaret. If I can build a big enough collection, maybe we'll work on prints or notecards.



Tuesday, December 21, 2010

I'm A Roadrunner, Baby...!

...and I sound like this. Not like this.

He was on the front porch! I've been trying to get a picture of one of these shy suckers on the run for, like, years. Hallelujah!

Scanners! Vogue.

Living it up in high fashion Vogue-style in Millington, TN, around 1966. If my memory is correct, (and I know that it is), there was also Playboy, but alas, those are gone like so much dust in the wind, (and you wouldn't have seen them here, anyway). I still get that look, and it still drives me mad.

Men: Take Care of Your Walnut!

Seriously. Eat right, exercise, and do all you can to avoid the dreaded Slide #10

One Magical Night in December, 2010


Last night was a night to stay up and enjoy (and capture) the show.

Soundtrack provided by the Paul Winter Consort and their iconic composition, "Icarus". It would not surprise me at all if the Consort was playing at the Cathedral of St John the Divine in New York last night, as they do most Winter Solstices.

Enjoy.

UPDATE Dec 22: I was close. I just checked the schedule, and the Winter Consort played the cathedral on the 16th, 17th, and 18th. But I also found a free music download while on the website!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Scanners Plus! O Tannenbaum.

Yes.. it's a Shoe Tree. Don't strain your eyes, the original image will appear in its full size in a future post. Meanwhile- the best to you in this holiday season!

Scanners! I Think She Named It "Danny"

Polaroid. The digital camera of the 60's.

A Holiday Message from Ricky Gervais: Why I'm An Atheist - Speakeasy - WSJ

A Holiday Message from Ricky Gervais: Why I'm An Atheist - Speakeasy - WSJ:

.... It’s when belief starts infringing on other people’s rights when it worries me. I would never deny your right to believe in a god. I would just rather you didn’t kill people who believe in a different god, say. Or stone someone to death because your rulebook says their sexuality is immoral. It’s strange that anyone who believes that an all-powerful all-knowing, omniscient power responsible for everything that happens, would also want to judge and punish people for what they are. From what I can gather, pretty much the worst type of person you can be is an atheist. The first four commandments hammer this point home. There is a god, I’m him, no one else is, you’re not as good and don’t forget it. (Don’t murder anyone, doesn’t get a mention till number 6.)...


...But what are atheists really being accused of?

The dictionary definition of God is “a supernatural creator and overseer of the universe.” Included in this definition are all deities, goddesses and supernatural beings. Since the beginning of recorded history, which is defined by the invention of writing by the Sumerians around 6,000 years ago, historians have cataloged over 3700 supernatural beings, of which 2870 can be considered deities.

So next time someone tells me they believe in God, I’ll say “Oh which one? Zeus? Hades? Jupiter? Mars? Odin? Thor? Krishna? Vishnu? Ra?…” If they say “Just God. I only believe in the one God,” I’ll point out that they are nearly as atheistic as me. I don’t believe in 2,870 gods, and they don’t believe in 2,869.

RTWT, but if you don't, the gist of the entire essay is distilled in the final two sentences: "You won’t burn in hell. But be nice anyway."

Blocked Memories

Hey, check this out! Sandia is there, (and also hangs on my office wall). Very cool stuff from Margaret's future DIL!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Darwin Award Candidates, Deming NM & Points (Far) East.

Yeah. Looks like a good place to hike when inclement weather is approaching, and you're wearing shorts and T-Shirts. Maybe you'd go up on "Lover's Leap", huh?. Then use your cell phone when you're completely out of your element and experience. Duh.

Cabinetlandia.

Yesterday, I posted about the Cabinet National Library, discovered while geocaching. Since then, I've done a lot of reading and discovered there's much more to this astonishing little half-acre in the middle of nowhere in Southern New Mexico. I decided it deserved another post.

While the library was built by members of Rebar, the rest of the features of the half acre plot, were created by editorial staff of a magazine called Cabinet, which curiously has nothing to do with cabinets, but art!


Their story can be found here. Be sure to read about the rebuilding of the library after the ravages of the great flood of 2005, and definitely don't miss the photos at the bottom of the page of the celebratory "Prom Night", when the reconstruction was completed. Also beware: "plumber butt" image exists.


The more I dig, the more impressed I become with both the artists from the East Coast who created Cabinetlandia, and those from the West, who built the Library. What can you find?

Scanners! Dan's Hot Ride in the Mid Sixties.

The car, by the way, is a 1963 Chevrolet Impala, black, with a 327 cu. in. V8, and 4 barrel carb.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Scanners! Another Semi-Dressed Human.

The year is 1969. The place is a tropical paradise, many thousands of miles away. I'm still trying to figure out where I misplaced that body.

Scanners! Under-age Hotness.

Yeah, that's somebody's mama at 15. I'm pretty sure the statute of limitations has run out by now; besides, I have it on good authority, this model is old enough now. How could I not fall for that... ever?

I've been burning up the scanner of late, so watch this space for more images from 45 years ago.

Art Is Where You Find It.

A couple of weeks ago, I got an email notification about a new geocache in the area. It was out beyond the interstate in a forgotten "subdivision" called Sunshine Valley Ranchettes.* The name of the cache was "Dry Well Cache", and sure enough.. there was a dry well there. The cache was pretty easy to find, but I was more interested in this cryptic note at the end of the cache description: "Be sure to check out the "Library" 1/3 mile to the East". Trust me.. there is nothing out there but dust and mesquite, so I had no idea what this was referring to. Being only a third mile away, I was about to find out. I assumed it was some joke, and was probably a pile of old "mens' magazines" someone had dumped out there.

I was totally unprepared for what I found:
A library!

These are the kind of things that make you go "WTF?"

Looking about, I found that someone... or probably several "someones" had put a lot of work into the landscaping and design of this... installation. Because that's what this is- an art installation. I found the clue in the bottom drawer of the file cabinet.
(Below the drawer with every issue of Cabinet Magazine.. the top drawer contained the card catalog).

Not only is there the Library, but a horse shoe pit, (with horse shoes), a cemetary, and even a "Biodegradable Toilet"!

But who put it here? And when? Being the desert, things remain pretty much unchanged from season to season. I would have to wait till I got home to get the story.

Which is what I did. Googling "rebargroup.org", I came face to face (after navigating a few pages), with the very installation I had just been exploring! You'll have to admit, that's quite a story!

So, who is REBAR Group?

"REBAR is an interdisciplinary studio operating at the intersection of art, design and activism."

Be sure to check out their website to see some of the many installations they've done all over the country. Very clever. Very entertaining. The story of the building of the Cabinetlandia National Library (with pictures!) can be found here. I wonder how many people, other than me, and a handful of geocachers, have seen this place? Somehow, I think that's not important to the artists.

*This part of New Mexico was peopled by schemers and dreamers who, decades ago, laid out dozens of subdivisions in anticipation of the housing boom that never happened. If you look at a detailed Google map of Luna County, NM, you'll see the roads, hundreds, maybe thousands, of them. In reality, they don't exist, which is why, if you're going to visit us: don't trust your GPS for directions!

Friday, December 17, 2010

Fanny. A Fine Staghound.


Fanny. Past co-winner of the Golden Hare TCC Hunt (now the Holiday Run), and one AK shy of a TCC title. Participant in epic 5 minute jackrabbit race that Dutch Salmon called one of the 5 best courses he's ever seen. Drama queen. Tone deaf "singer". Official "Dashboard Dog" of the Hare-Brained Express. Trophy winner at the Loomis races. We'll miss her.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Hockey! Everything Else is Just..... Sports.

(Leon Halip/Getty Images)

That was the scene in Ann Arbor this afternoon, as a Guinness World Record Breaking crowd watched the University of Michigan hockey team shut out arch rival Michigan State 5-0 in "The Big Chill At The Big House". Michigan has led the nation in attendance at football games for most of the last 4 decades, but football has never hosted a crowd this big: 113,411!

The increase over the previous Guinness record hockey crowd could hardly be classified as incremental. The previous record? 77,803 last Spring, in Germany. For a little icing (no pun intended) on the cake, this was also the largest crowd to ever watch any NCAA sporting event.

Adding to the fun, the ceremonial puck drop before the game was performed by Michigan Alumnus, Lawrence Kasden. But that only seems appropriate, doesn't it?

And, as if that wasn't enough cool hockey for one day? NHL Network is broadcasting Hockey Night In Canada... in 3D... Canadians v. Maple Leafs! Does it get any better than this for a hockey fan?

Fun For a Winter's Day..

Among the many and sundry email alerts and newsletters I receive, is the Tech Talk from PC Pitstop. And among the topics in the newsletter I received today, is one titled, "Steve Bass's Top 15 Time Wasters of 2010"... How could I resist?

I haven't checked out all of the time wasters yet, but there were two I really need to share.. Ball Droppings.. has all the elements of a classic time waster, as you work harder and harder to come up with more and more complex sounds and visuals.

The other is just stunning.. as you tour the known Universe in six and a half minutes..

I've reduced the size to fit here, but make sure you go to YouTube and watch the full size version. This reminds me of a film that first blew my mind at the Ontario Science Centre way, way back in 70s...



...but which takes the concept many steps further by not stopping when it returns to Earth.

Lots of other fun time wasters at the link. Have fun!

Thursday, December 09, 2010

Lane Changer..

make gif
Make gif

Why this? Why now?

This is what's known as a "workaround".. Animated .gifs don't animate if you put them on Facebook by themselves. But.. if you share them as a link.. they do! At least that's my hope.

So, if you're also a "fan" on the Shot On Site Facebook page, you're getting a sneak preview of tomorrow's "Today's Image".

That is all.

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

Crockpot Bound...

Yes, that's Willow running ahead of Sandia! Momentarily, she will turn that hare, and Sandia will then be in the lead... until he turns the hare yet again, and Willow (oh yes!) will make her first take! Good girl!

This run lasted about 90 seconds, featured lots of turns, and two journeys under the barbed wire. They didn't quit on this jackrabbit, and I'm proud. They will also enjoy it mixed with their kibble tomorrow.

Thursday, December 02, 2010

Winner.. And Still Champion!!

This is a re-post from December 2007, because... well because, unofficially, this is the single most visited posting in the entire history of this blog! Why? Beats the hell out of me, (although I have my suspicions), but since it's once again December here it is for all those sickos out there:

********************************************************************

This will irritate Todd, but I can't help myself. There's just too much raw material. I'm just at a loss for this guy's motive.
All that's missing is "Mama", and "Prison". "D-i-v-o-r-c-e" is probably in his future, if this loser's even married.



********************************************************************

Oddly, it's also the post with visitors from the largest number of foreign countries.. especially nations of a certain, uh, religious bent. Things that make you go "hmmmm".

If you don't believe me, just check the FEEDJIT Live Feed widget on the sidebar.. look for "...December 2007". This has been going on for 3 years.

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Call, Email, or Write Your Congressperson.


(But don't send a cable if you don't want to be immortalized by WikiLeaks)

Click on the post title above, or here, to see why-
"There's no single action Congress could take that would help the economy more than putting money in the hands of people who'll spend it right away."

Monday, November 29, 2010

The Burrito That Botched A Hunt.

The plan was simple. High winds were forecast, with an official advisory-- 35mph or better with gusts up to 55. But they weren't supposed to get up to that level until 11am. So I'd planned to get up early, have a little breakfast, throw the dogs in the car and beat the wind. I should have a couple of hours of running before the wind picked up to dangerous speeds. That was the plan.

It would have worked, too, if I hadn't found the last two eggs in the fridge and decided I wanted to make a breakfast burrito. With Cabot sharp chedder, Biad's Reserve green chile's, diced potatoes and onions, it was delicious. But hardly classified as a "little breakfast".

It added almost an hour to my prep time, but when I got the gang in the car it was still just breezy*. I had a good 45 minutes to drive, though, so anything could happen.

I was feeling pretty good with only about 5 miles to go, when I looked to the west and saw huge clouds of dust. At first, I thought there might be a vehicle out there, because things were still pretty calm where I was. But in the desert, things change in a hurry, and the car was suddenly slammed by heavy gusts, and the cattle ahead in the road were scurrying for heavier cover.

Rather than turn around, I decided to press on and make a loop through the coursing field, just to see if maybe one of the lower areas were out of the wind. How foolish of me. Not only was the wind howling and the dust flying, but I now had 3 pissed off dogs cramped in the back of the little Mitsubishi who realized we weren't stopping, and they weren't getting out.

It's windy again today, so tomorrow will be the next best time to get out and run some more Summer fat off these guys.

Still.. I don't regret the burrito. It was soooo good.

(it was a great day to be a tumbleweed, though.. if you were a tumbleweed that needed to get somewhere)

*In New Mexico, "breezy" is anything around 20mph.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Tumbleweed Road Kill..

Because we had an El Nino winter, and a fairly wet summer, we've got about 40 million acres of tumbleweeds.. or so it seems. Therefore, we don't miss them when they run in front of the car..

make a gif
Make a gif

I was surprised to learn that this ubiquitous symbol of the Old West, didn't exist in the US before the 1870's, when they hitch-hiked with the flaxseed that were imported to South Dakota by Ukrainian farmers. Like so many invasive species of plant and animal, I guess they liked it here.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Don't Worry 'Bout Me.

Despite the fact I've been left on my own for yet another holiday period, I'll get by. MMmmm-mmm-mmm.

Happy Thanksgiving, all!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Shameless Commercial Hucksterism...










The holidays are approaching fast. Let me make a few gift suggestions:

  • All kinds of sighthound wearables, drinkables, and display-ables at our Cafe Press shop
  • The hot new 2011 Shot On Site Facebook Calendar.. available here! or use the widget to the right, on this page. (It's a bargain!)
  • Have Margaret make you a custom item from a photo we've taken of your dog(s) at any event over the last 16 years. Suggestions available here. Or email: shotonsitemargaret@gmail.com.

These goodies have "collector's item" written all over them... don't be the guy watching Antiques Road Show in 30 years who says, "DOH!!"

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

This Just Seems Wrong...

This image of the rare conformationus curmudgeonus captured live at the ASFA Greyhound Specialty Conformation Match.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Fanny.

We've been pretty lucky with our hounds, with Randir living to be as old as Methuselah before we lost him last year, and Buffy's cruciate, and all of Rally's attempts to drive us into poverty, but they weren't life-threatening.

Above is one of a series of X-Rays done by Dr Jim Koschmann at Crossroads Animal Hospital in El Paso. Yesterday we received the results from the bone biopsy done at the same time, and it is as we expected. Osteosarcoma. Bone cancer.

We have limited options, one of which is amputation, as the cancer hasn't metastasized, and her lungs appear clear. But amputation would include removing part of the pelvis along with the limb, and there isn't a lot of references for it being done. Dr. Koschmann has never done it, and even the revered Jim Radcliffe hasn't done it, and could only find one reference for it.

Fanny's going on 11 years old. She's been one of our most consistent jackrabbit chasers and catchers. She's being kept comfortable and pain free with Prednisone and Tramadol. We'll stay with that routine, until we have to do something else.

A Hot Product: A Shot On Site Calendar!

As you probably know, we have a Facebook page, where we post pictures on a daily basis, and throw in the occasional promotion for items in our CafePress store. A while back, I had the brainstorm that we could create a 2011 calendar featuring the most popular images of the year, based on the number of "Likes" they got from the page's members. Margaret now has the calendar 99% done! Above is the cover.

The calendar will be available through Lulu.com, at our storefront there. The price will be $20 each, (includes postage).

BUT!!!

If you act now... you can receive your 2011 Shot On Site Facebook Calendar for only $15! (Includes postage). To get this $5 savings, you must order, prepaid, directly from Margaret: shotonsitemargaret@gmail.com, before Midnight November 14. That's this coming Sunday, folks! You can pay using your PayPal account, or make alternate arrangements with Margaret. After that, you may order your calendars from Lulu.com at the link above.

It's a heck of a deal. I'd jump right on it!

UPDATE 11-16-10: Pre-Orders are now closed. Standard price orders can be made by clicking the new link at the top of the right sidebar.


Thursday, November 04, 2010

George "Sparky" Anderson, 1934-2010


Detroit, never short of colorful characters in the sports world, is mourning the loss of one of the most colorful. Sparky managed the 1984 Tigers to a Major League record 35-5 start and never looked back, winning the World Series against the Padres that Fall. They didn't win another Series during Sparky's tenure, but they were always competitive. He also skippered Cincinnati's "Big Red Machine" to a World Series victory in the 70's.

My favorite Sparky moment came in Game 5 of that same 1984 World Series. Goose Gossage is pitching in relief, and the Tigers' Kirk Gibson is at the plate. The San Diego manager goes to the mound.. he wants Gossage to intentionally walk Gibson. Sparky yells to Gibson incredulously,

"[Gossage] doesn't respect you! He thinks you can't hit him! He don't want to to walk you!"

(NOTE: video of this exchange exists; I've seen it a million times, but I'm damned if I can find it anywhere online.. so there's this):





That's how a great manager challenges a great player..... to be greater.

RIP, Sparky

(Image, Detroit News archives)

Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Misery Loves Company Dept.

So... you may be asking: What does Dan do to take his mind off the current bleak and devastated political landscape? What is his... diversion?

Glad you asked! Every week, I turn to SB Nation and read Brian Cook's This Week in Schadenfreude.. a collection of hand-wringing, sad, and pathetic posts gleaned from the discussion boards of colleges and universities across the nation following yet another week
end of their schools losing inexplicably to "that terrible team from......." name your poison. It's always good for a laugh at the expense, especially, of Ohio State,
say, or Michigan State, or Notre Dame. Mixed with Brian's witty, and barbed comments, it's normally an entertaining way to forget about the serious side of life, and the dangers of Republicans.

Alas, there's no solace to be had even here, this week, because Brian leads with the sad plight of the Wolverines football team in the throes of three straight losses.

I don't know where to turn...

We Found 'Em..!!

The jackrabbits, that is...


...and it's a secret.

Mencken Knew..

"No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people," - H. L. Mencken

So, let me see if I can sort out the just completed mid-term elections in as few words as possible.

As I understand it, the exit polling determined that the number one, over-riding thing on voters' minds was the economy, and by extension, jobs. OK, fair enough, but here's where it gets tricky.. Progress, admittedly slow progress, is being made, so the obvious answer is to what? Turn out the folks who are trying to accelerate that progress, and put in their place people who want to reverse the process.... return to those bad old days?

Friends, it makes me...



More amazingly prescient 100 year old commentary from H. L. Mencken can be found here.

Now, things could have been worse. Laurence O'Donnell made a good point on MSNBC last night. Considering the economy, the voters' (mis-placed and ill-advised) anger with Washington, the high unemployment rate, this should have been much worse, and the Republicans should be scratching their heads wondering why they didn't do better. Much better. This barely lived up to the level of the '94 mid-term "massacre". Maybe Americans aren't nearly as stupid as I give them credit for. Well, except for Kentuckians. And Oklahomans.

Terrierman, Pat Burns, ties it all up in a neat bow for you.