Where Are My Keys?

New semi-regular feature at WAMK..

I used to semi-collect sports cards.  I didn't jump into it with both feet, but picked up a pack here and there from time to time.  Whatever happened to those old cards from my youth is anyone's guess.

I got back into picking up some cards here and there in the early 90's.  From 1992-1996, I worked for two different NBA players, and the basketball card "bug" struck again.  Back in the day, you built your sets/collections by trading with your buddies, and buying packs at the store.  Later, collectors shows popped up, and you had hundreds of guys with tables to display/sell/trade their cards.

Now, it's all about eBay.  Missing that obscure card from a 1957 Kellogg's cereal set?  There are probably 5 or 6 on eBay right now.  It's also opened up the International market to find those missing cards you've been searching for.  I've bought cards from Japan, Korea, France, Phillipines, and Australia.  Pretty cool time for the hobby.

Anyway, I don't dabble too much in the newer stuff, and it's 95% basketball in my collection.  I'll be posting a random card or two from my collection here and there, and for the cards that have a back story, I'll fill you in on those as well.

If you have any cards (regardless of which sport), and want to drop one in, feel free to send along, and I will post.

With all that being said, here's the first card to share, one of my favorites:

That's Darryl Dawkins #29 from the 1981-82 Topps set.  Dawkins had the nickname "Chocolate Thunder", and had names for his dunks.  For those that aren't basketball fans, Dawkins is the guy in the middle of all those arms, clutching the ball.  If there is a card/picture that better exemplifies the raw power and physical nature of what happens in the paint in an NBA game, I haven't seen it.

Also note the skinny white guy in the red Sixers jersey, with his elbow in Grevey's back.  That's Doug Collins, who has been a coach for many teams, and an announcer for NBA broadcasts.  Collins is the guy NBA owners talk out of coaching retirement when they have a young team that needs discipline and structure.  He coached the Pistons when I was in Detroit, and I had the opportunity to meet him a few times.  Super nice guy.

Here is the back of the Dawkins card:

Good on the NAACP..

Sharpton is definitely over the top this time.  Is NBC paying attention?

I've never seen this reaction from a cat..

Pooch missed Dad a bit:

 

His tenure gets shorter and shorter every time.

Keith Olbermann, out at CurrentTV:

Current TV said Friday afternoon that it had terminated the contract of its lead anchor Keith Olbermann, scarcely one year after he was hired to reboot the fledgling channel in his progressive political image.

Mr. Olbermann did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Current indicated that he had failed to honor the terms of his five-year, $50 million contract, giving the channel the right to terminate it.

In a letter to viewers, the channel said Friday, “We created Current to give voice to those Americans who refuse to rely on corporate-controlled media and are seeking an authentic progressive outlet.  We are more committed to those goals today than ever before. Current was also founded on the values of respect, openness, collegiality, and loyalty to our viewers.   Unfortunately these values are no longer reflected in our relationship with Keith Olbermann and we have ended it.”

Mr. Olbermann will not be given an opportunity to sign off. Starting Friday night, the former New York governor Eliot Spitzer will replace him at 8 p.m., according to the letter to viewers. His program will be titled “Viewpoint with Eliot Spitzer.”

The decision to dismiss Mr. Olbermann was unanimous among the senior managers of Current, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Merchants of Despair..

 

Hey JDJ, you ready for this?

Parents are taking out student loans.  To pay for their kids kindergarten.

I'm no human calculator of financial wizardry, but if you are taking out loans for private kindergarten, then you will also have to take out loans for private elementary school, and private middle school, and private high school, and you better hope your kid gets some crazy super-scholarship to college that includes like a check for $100k, because you will have a shitload worth of loans to pay off before the kid even sets foot on campus.

When I went to ASU, in-State tuition was $495 per semester.  When I graduated, it was $707.  To keep the math easy on a Friday morning, lets say the average semester was $600.  It took me 4 1/2 years to get out (that's 9 semesters to my readers in Tuscon).  $600 x 9 = $5400 to get a degree from a University.

The little Duper goes to a private school, and is in kindergarten.  It's near the bottom of the private school options around us, in terms of tuition.  Her tuition, you ask?

$4700.  For kindergarten.

Yep, it's costing about the same for my daughter to learn the basics for one year, as it did for me to get a college degree.

I don't know if that speaks more to the quality of education my daughter is getting (excellent, by the way), or what I got from ASU (no complaints from me), or just good old inflation.  Maybe a combination of all three.

And they called the Republicans "The Party of No"?

Not a single House Dem voted for Obama's budget yesterday, and not a single one voted for Ryan's today.

What is left for them to vote "yes" on?

I want that ball so bad!

 

 

 

Weekly IUC continues to trend down..

This week the number is 359,000:

Remember this image..

The next time a President wants to take credit for a 700-mile stretch of border fence.

Feeling any safer?