Several thoughts from last Friday's news

By Jeff Orvis

It's been five days since many of us first heard the terrible news out of Newtown, CT, where 20 young children and six educators were executed at their school. In the days following this incident, the formerly peaceful New England community has been flooded with hundreds of media clamoring for some sort of fresh angle on this story. This many days later and it's still difficult to turn on a newscast without being reminded again what happened. I suspect an unfortunate fallout of all this might be a surge in the use of Ipods and satellite radio as we try to escape for at least a few minutes.

Almost immediately, the politicians and news-types have suggested that now may be a good time to begin a “conversation” on tighter gun laws in this country. Excuse me! A “conversation” is something you might do over the back fence in the morning with a neighbor. A “conversation” is something we might do with our fellow parishioners after church this Sunday.

No, that conversation ship sailed several years ago. It's time for any one of us who is sickened by what happened on Friday, in fact what may have happened as many as 70 times in our nation's schools since 1994 (according to research presented by David Letterman last night) to shout to the heavens, “We're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore!”

Growing up, I never had much of an interest in guns or hunting. I had friends who enjoyed going out with an older sibling or a father for a fall hunt and I saw nothing wrong with that. But for a time we lived next door to a family which included an older boy who had definite mental issues. He also had a love of firearms and I think he might still be serving time in the federal system for weapons violations. I still don't know how my sister and I survived those years.

It's time for immediate legislation to ban the manufacture and possession of rapid-fire weapons and ammunition clips that allow a person to fire off many rounds without reloading. The National Rifle Association would have you believe that if you take away those items, it would be a slippery slope and soon “they” would be knocking at your door to confiscate your pheasant and deer guns or that six-shot pistol you might keep by your bed for protection.

Pardon my language, but that's a load of crap!

The next time you have a “conversation” with a sportsman who tries to feed you this line, ask him or her when was the last time they felt the need to go hunting with a semi-automatic rifle or even a pistol with an extended ammunition clip.

The NRA is a powerful group that pours hundreds of thousands of dollars into the bank accounts of legislators on the state and federal level. I suspect much of their financing comes from membership dues and contributions from those who produce guns and ammo. In a tragic turn of events, some retailers and manufacturers have finally come to the realization that the continued manufacture and sale of some of these awful weapons of mass destruction may not be the wisest public relations move going forward.

In a way, I feel sorry for the NRA and its members. I suspect this association is getting a bad rap in the name of this misguided fear of some sort of possible total elimination of firearms in this country. It would seem that a group such as this would have plenty to do with protecting and increasing good hunting grounds as this country is increasingly becoming covered in concrete and development. It could also spend more resources in gun and hunting safety

Hopefully, when the contributions and the membership renewals begin to dwindle, the leadership of this organization might take the hint.

Another comment that has come from this event is a call for more funding for mental health care in this country. It seems like every year, our state government makes some rumblings about changing funding for mental health care. After living in Independence for more than 18 years, where a major mental health institute is located, I can tell you that this causes no small amount of trepidation until cooler heads prevail in Des Moines.

A horrible by-product of our continued involvement in wars in the Middle East are the thousands of mentally wounded soldiers who are returning home. This is certainly not the time to cut funding for mental health issues.

One last note on this subject: Some of my friends on Facebook made some comment that seemed to indicate that they believed that the reason why this happened in Connecticut was because we don't allow God in our schools. At the risk of offending some of those friends, this suggestion is more than a little ludicrous. If you don't believe God was there when those teachers risked their own lives to protect their precious students, you are WRONG! It is my firm belief and hope that those victims were immediately welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven and those left to remember them could take some comfort in that fact.

The memorial service held on Sunday night was so impressive in its diversity. Many religions were represented and the victims came from a variety of religious experiences. I firmly believe that God, in whatever form you might embrace, is at work in that community.

My fear is that if we allowed government-mandated religion in our public schools, the religion provided would be determined by those with the loudest voices in the community. In this era when we are all so concerned with bullying in our schools, what sort of persecution would some students who might not believe as the majority of their classmates be subjected to?

We are in the midst of holiday preparations and celebrations. We all unfortunately tend to get so caught up in the planning, preparing, etc. that it's easy to forget about peace on earth, good will toward all men. The outpouring of support from all over the world for Newtown has been tremendous. Those folks will still need our support and prayers long after the satellite trucks and TV cameras leave town.

Back on the soapbox

By Jeff Orvis

Hello faithful readers! It's been awhile since we last communicated and I have been collecting some random (some say weird) thoughts and questions. Here goes:

The other day, we commemorated 12-12-12, one of those strange days when all the numbers in the date line up. Some folks around the world waited for some monumental event at 12:12 p.m. While they were waiting for the end of the world, or at least a major earthquake, I was thinking about lunch.

Here in the Quads, a local couple celebrated the date and time with the birth of a daughter. The local TV news folks did the customary hospital interview and the family seemed really happy, especially since the father had to deliver his daughter when she decided to arrive early. While the focus should have been on the beautiful baby and her mother, I wonder how many other viewers were drawn to the appearance of the father. He had tattoos covering the visible upper parts of his body and more piercings in his face than I could count.

I realize that I officially became a member of the “over-the-hill club” more than nine years ago. But whenever I see anyone with a tattoo, especially a lot of them, or any piercings of the face, nose, lip, tongue, breasts...you get the idea...several questions come to mind like: “What were you thinking?” “Do you really think you improved your appearance or were you simply trying to draw attention to yourself?” For those of you who have piercings, how difficult is it for you to pass through airport security screenings?

As we are in the thick of the televised basketball season, we are being bombarded by the spectacle of tattooed players. What really puzzles me are those guys who have stories, full paragraphs, tattooed on their arms. If these guys are such good athletes, how often are they going to stand still long enough for us to read their vital messages carved on their bodies? What happens in five or 10 years when their bodies begin to change? Will these crucial messages become just black blemishes?

I've always had an aversion to needles and the only ink I've had on my skin was back in my newspaper days when I helped get the issues out by inserting and loading the finished product for delivery. I guess if I have to belong to a minority class, being a member of the non-tattooed class is okay for me.

Switching gears – How many of you are aware that the National Hockey League is currently in a labor dispute and the season is in serious jeopardy? Me either. No, I am aware of the dispute, but I must say that the only ice that concerns me is the ice I put in my tea each day. Maybe if I didn't think of an ice rink as a broken hip just waiting to happen, I would be more upset. Hockey can be an exciting sport and it's worth taking in an occasional game, either in person or on TV. But it's not like the end of NFL football or NASCAR, at least to a lot of us.

Because there are real hockey fans out there, as well as a few thousand folks who rely on the sport for their main source of income, let's hope the two sides can reach an agreement and some of the season can be saved.

On to a couple of more serious topics for a moment: Violence has reared its ugly head here in Iowa and across the country in recent days. The discovery the bodies of the two girls in Bremer County who disappeared from just outside of Waterloo this summer has ignited new rumblings for the reintroduction of the death penalty in Iowa.

Question: Why mar the memory of these two happy little girls with talk of taking other lives? Another question: Why is it that the most vocal proponents of death penalty legislation are the same ones who are so opposed to any form of abortion, including in the case of the life of the mother or rape or incest? Anyone else see the conflict here?

When the Kansas City Chiefs player killed his girlfriend and then committed suicide a couple of weeks ago, NBC's Bob Costas read a portion of an opinion piece from another journalist suggesting that this country is in the midst of a “gun culture.” It didn't take long for the gun nuts to call for his scalp. But Costas explained that he is not against the Second Amendment. But it just seems that the availability of certain guns (handguns for example) can lead to more violence, especially domestic violence.

When many athletes become pros and suddenly see a lot of money, their first thought may be that they have to buy a handgun for protection. Unfortunately, they may not stop to think that just because they're outstanding on the playing field or court, they may not have the mental or emotional maturity to deal with that sudden fame and fortune.

That's what Costas was saying. There's a big difference between the responsible hunter and some young men who gain instant wealth and may drop their game controllers and pick up a gun if they become angry or threatened.

The other recent act of violence happened in Oregon, where a young man allegedly stole an assault rifle, went into a shopping mall filled with holiday shoppers and opened fire with the weapon capable of firing several shots in rapid succession. What do you suppose the original gun owner was hunting with that kind of gun?

One more time: no matter what the National Rifle Association may lead you to believe, revisiting and revising the Second Amendment is not a threat to our civilization. If you are a hunter and you think you need to hunt with a multi-shot assault rifle, take up golf instead. If you think that assault rifle will protect you in the event of an attack from an enemy, odds are that enemy will have the drop on you or will have some sort of chemical weapon that trumps your rifle. If you think you can be safer by owning a handgun, at least have the common sense to take a gun course and don't be afraid to submit to a background check, including any past criminal history, as well as any history of mental illness.

Remember, when the Constitution was written, those who advocated the right to bear arms, those arms did not include a gun that can shoot dozens of bullets per minute.

If at first you don't secede...

By Jeff Orvis

Well, it didn't take the Tea Party kooks to resurface. Just days after a slim majority of us gave President Obama a hesitant vote of confidence for another four years, a campaign was started to sign petitions to allow some states to secede from the union.

Apparently there's a spot on the White House web site where residents may petition the federal government to allow for secession. The site indicates that when there are at least 25,000 signatures from any state, the White House will comment on the petition. At last count, there were 11 states with at least 25,000 signatures.

Not too surprising, Texas leads the way with 117,373 signatures. I wasn't surprised, since I have relatives there who reflect the traditional independent nature of Texans. In fact, when we visited Dallas a few years ago, I was informed that the Texas constitution allows for the state to leave the United States whenever enough voters wanted to. This was while we were still languishing under the failed presidency of a former Texas governor who somehow was elected president twice. My immediate response was that if that happened, I had a suggestion on who they could get as their president...”W,” enter stage right!

The days after the election, I heard a few people who voted for the other guy grumble that they were thinking about moving to Canada. But a lot of those people were strongly against the Affordable Health Care Act (Obamacare). As soon as they realized that Canada is even more progressive when it comes to providing health care to all of its residents, the talk of heading north faded away.

Then came this secession movement. More than 1 million of our friends and neighbors have signed the petition. Of the 11 states who have had at least 25,000 signatures, 10 of them are south of Iowa. That may explain another reason why they have taken on this form of protest and frustration rather than the move to Canada talk. This is the time of year when a lot of people move to Texas and points south. There's already a lot of snow in Canada.

At the very least, this talk of secession has provided plenty of fuel for discussion by professors and students of constitutional law. The possibilities and potential problems are enough to easily spill over to another column. The next time a major hurricane hits Texas or Florida, if those states were no longer part of the United States, how long could they go it alone? Even in peaceful weather times, how many billions of dollars would be lost if the United States suddenly pulled out all military personnel from bases in those states? No more Medicare or Social Security. If Texans are upset with the federal tax rate now, what would they pay in state income taxes if they suddenly had to go it alone?

I can empathize with those who were frustrated with the election. Some of the points made by the Republicans, specifically the dire warnings of our sick economy, have plenty of merit. It's just that most of the messengers the GOP put out there, especially several of the presidential candidates, were merely prime ammunition for Saturday Night Live skits and Leno and Letterman. When the other party can promote a sensible candidate who is not afraid of the word “compromise,” then things could be different next time.

Let's just hope there are still 50 states voting in 2016.

A not-surprising endorsement

By Jeff Orvis

We are finally on the eve of the presidential election. So far, I have refrained from doing a lot of commentary on this whole process, other than to point out the obvious – that too much money is spent on the very annoying tactics the representatives of the candidates are using to promote their person.

But after reading countless posts from some of my Facebook friends, people I believe are otherwise really intelligent individuals, here's my one shot at a response.

Last week, I went to our county auditor's office and proudly voted for President Obama. I voted for the man, what he stands for, what he has attempted to do to right the ship these past four years despite overwhelming odds from the far right. I voted for him because of the party he is affiliated with. The Democrats have historically represented the philosophy that most closely reflects mine.

The current crop of Republicans represent the party of Glen Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Bachman, Sarah Palin, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Newt Gingrich, that congressional candidate who had to convince her voters that she wasn't a witch, that congressional candidate who claims that women who are raped will magically find a natural way not to get pregnant, another congressional candidate who claims that it's God's will when someone is raped and the list goes on and on. And let's not forget that gleaming national spokesman, Donald Trump.

Some of my Facebook friends actually quote Beck and Limbaugh, as if they are somehow equal to Cronkite, Huntley or Brinkley. I find it interesting that some of the candidates I've heard try to claim that the Republican party is the party of Lincoln or Reagan. I didn't hear anyone claim it is the party of Bush or Agnew or Dan Quayle.

This race is coming down to the wire. A lot of people who claim to have voted for Obama last time are now so frustrated with the economy that they are apparently willing to try anything different. I hope that those who have not yet cast their vote will take a minute to think before they fill in that circle next to the candidate.

President Obama has experience helping those who are down and out. He has grown in his tenure in the White House and has shown that he is a strong commander-in-chief. Even though I am one of those definitely affected by the sour economy, I have faith that if given more time and a more responsive congress (Republican and Democrat) that will truly represent their constituents and work as a team with the executive branch, we can get this thing turned around.

I have no doubt that Mitt Romney is a good person. He has a strong wife who has battled serious health issues to be a strong advocate for her husband. His family is personable. He is apparently a man of faith. As a successful businessman, he probably entered the race because of his fears on the future of the economy.

Although he has won the endorsement of several newspapers across the country, perhaps the Salt Lake Tribune said it best in its endorsement of Obama. I'm paraphrasing here, but the editors said they really wanted to endorse Romney. He did a good job heading up the Salt Lake Olympics. But since then, it has been difficult to figure out which Romney we would be voting for. He has changed his positions on several issues in recent years, seeming to see which way the political winds are blowing. As the leader of the free world, we need someone whose stand is known and not subject to change.

Although he has made some decisions over the past four years that he might want to change, President Obama has stayed strong in his principles. We know where he's coming from. I am more confident with where we can go if he is given a vote of confidence on Tuesday.

Pro football: it takes an army

By Jeff Orvis

Today's topic has nothing to do with political prognostications. You won't find any highly-charged emotional notes here. This time, we're talking about football, but not specifically about the recent success of Peyton Manning with the Broncos, or the Iowa Hawkeyes or even my alma mater, the undefeated Pleasant Valley Spartans.

There's an old saying that behind every successful man is a loving, caring woman. It's probably an outdated saying, since more and more women are as successful – or more so – than their male counterparts. The point is, it's almost impossible to succeed by yourself.

If it takes a village to raise a child, as Hillary Clinton very wisely pointed out, it appears that it takes a virtual army to ensure the success of a pro football team. Even on the high school level, the quarterback or wide receiver may grab the headlines for a great performance. But even before he stepped out on the field, somebody had to make sure he had a chin strap, his helmet was adjusted properly and his ankles were taped. I speak from personal experience, after spending my high school years as one of those behind-the-scenes guys on my high school team.

Back then, our high school team existed with a head coach, a couple of assistants and a couple of student trainers who doubled as equipment guys. Most larger high schools now have an adult trainer and there's usually a doctor on scene at games and and ambulance standing by on the sidelines.

It would appear that as the caliber and level of play and the accompanying national noteriety increases, so do the available resources for a football program and the number of folks it takes to make sure the success continues. A small college team might have four or five assistant coaches and three or four trainers, equipment people, etc. Major colleges might have three or four times that number.

As a longtime fan of the Chicago Bears, I was wondering how many people worked on a daily basis to try and produce a winner. So I did a quick computer search and downloaded five pages of the Bears' staff directory. There are more than 160 positions listed and that doesn't even include the 53 players on the active roster or the eight-member practice squad.

There are nine members on the board of directors, with six of them members of the McCaskey family. The management division lists seven positions. Nine people are needed for the accounting department and five work in information technology. One of the more interesting divisions is the administration division. Twenty-five positions are listed here and includes team and building operations, stadium operations, three “stadium experience” personnel, four groundskeepers and five security people.

Two men are in charge of business development. The corporate communications division has 32 staff members who are in charge of media relations, broadcast operations, community relations, player appearances, the team web site and even a mascot coordinator.

Five positions are listed under “football administration and legal counsel. The sales and marketing department has 30 positions. The coaching staff has 20 positions. There are three assistant athletic trainers, four in charge of equipment, ten in player personnel and four in video services.

So now you have some idea what it takes to run an NFL team. Some former standouts from Iowa colleges were hired for various team practice squads. Each team can have eight players on that team. While each of the 53 members on the active roster are paid at least $390,000 per year, practice squad members receive a minimum of $85,000 a year. It's a chance for them to continue their dream, but hardly gold bling or expensive sports car territory.

There's much more to a Sunday game than suiting up and throwing a football on the field. Somebody back home has to be in charge of the transporting, feeding and lodging of perhaps 80 or more members of the traveling party each time the team goes out of town.

Thinking about all of the details each game takes might make your head hurt. But sometimes it's nice to realize that before Jay Cutler threw that first touchdown pass, a lot of things had to happen just right, thanks to that small army.

Perhaps a new career path?

By Jeff Orvis

I've recently resumed in earnest my job search. Since I still have about three years before I could claim the minimum Social Security, I've got to get busy. As I've been thinking about what I might be qualified to do, a unique idea popped into my head.

I could become a certified human backdrop.

No I didn't stay doorstop. And yes, I will continue to hold the door for folks who I encounter in entrances to buildings.

So just what is a human backdrop? As we've seen endless appearances by our presidential candidates, there is quite often a common factor. As the candidate speaks to his supporters, there's usually a bunch of folks standing behind him. We can't be sure that everyone in that crowd supports the speaker, but usually they are carrying signs of support or are wearing t-shirts supporting their man, or both. I could do that. For the right price, I could even do it, without laughing out loud, for the guy I don't support...but only for a few minutes.

Campaign rallies are only the tip of the iceberg. I recall one day when President Obama was addressing some folks in the White House on the subject of health care. Everyone in the audience and those behind him were wearing doctors' coats! It looked like the White House staff had pulled a bus up to the front door of a major hospital in the Washington area and ordered everyone with a white doctor's coat onto the bus for a free tour of the White House and a quick meet-and-greet with the top man.

I realize it might be a stretch for anyone to think I could look like a doctor. But it seems that at least once a week, the President makes a public statement on law enforcement, education, the economy, etc. and there's usually a group of common, ordinary folks standing behind him. I could pretend to be an ordinary guy, for the right price.

When you watch the evening news and there's a report of some natural disaster somewhere, the mayor or governor of the affected area is usually flanked by a bunch of folks, presumably government officials or law enforcement people. Some are in uniform, many are not. A few are usually asked to speak to the assembled media, but some just stand there until the news conference is over. I could stand there and look concerned and on top of the situation, as long as nobody asked me any questions.

This practice is probably as old as TV. The people who make a living making a public figure look good early on discovered that in an era where the average attention span of a typical viewer is somewhere around 30 seconds, filling up the screen behind their guy would give him some instant credibility.

“If all those people behind this guy believe him when he says the world is flat, it must be true!”

Some folks who are familiar with my past ask me why I don't try for a careeer in TV news. My instant response is that I long ago realized that I have a face (and body) for radio or print media, not the screen. So maybe I should keep on looking for something else to do. Besides, I really don't like to travel very far and a credible human backdrop would probably spend a lot of times in airplanes.

Now, on to another topic. If you are a Quad-City area high school football fan and were watching the late night sports report on Friday, there was a story that undoubtedly brought you from your possible drowsy state. For those of us who are proud alumni of Pleasant Valley High School, it was a shock: Pleasant Valley 38, Bettendorf 0.

It was the first time Bettendorf had been shut out in six years, it's worst conference defeat in history and the worst loss it had experienced since 1970. The Spartan win came after 12 straight losses to the Bulldogs.

“This win was for all the PV players past and present,” PV linebacker Dallas Carter was quoted as saying after the game. Truer words were never spoken.

Back in the late 1960s, Pleasant Valley was a new football program. We had convinced some schools like Camanche, Northeast of Goose Lake and Clinton St. Mary's to play us. But perhaps no game was more anticipated than an October encounter with the Bettendorf JV team. The Bulldogs had agreed to play their JV against our more inexperienced varsity on the Bettendorf field. I was a manager on that team. Since it was just a few miles to the field, our guys suited up and boarded the bus. That's when the snow began to fall. It was one of those early snowstorms, with big, wet flakes. We sat there for a few minutes, wondering where our coaches were.

Soon, the coach boarded the bus and said, “Boys, I've got some bad news. Bettendorf just called and canceled the game. They don't want their field to get chewed up in this wet weather.” I thought there would be a full-scale riot. I've never seen a team as upset, especially before the first kickoff. Our guys had no choice than to climb off the bus, change clothes and go home. We didn't have a lighted football field yet, so there was no other alternative.

As the years went by, the Bulldogs went their way and we went our way, until the two schools grew closer to similar enrollment and became members of the same conference. That led to a decade of disappointment and Bettendorf dominance until last Friday night.

I realize that most of the officials of the two schools who made the decision to cancel that game more than four decades ago are long gone. But I'd like to think that our coaches from back then are smiling this week.

So, congratulations to the 2012 Spartan football team. Decades of alumni salute you!

The journey ends and another begins

By JEFF ORVIS

She was supposed to live to be 100.

When we had my mom's 80^th birthday celebration in February, the talk was that next major milestone would be a good time for another big bash. We knew she was slowed by some arthritis that caused her to use a walker. But she didn't let that slow her down in the ensuing months as she continued with her church work, worship and study, looking after her flowers and occasionally engaging me in an evening political debate.

None of us could have imagined that little more than five months after that birthday celebration, she would be facing the first of three major abdominal surgeries in a month, two weeks of frustrating and grueling rehab and ultimately, her last glorious voyage.

Mom, Waneta Orvis-Mosier, died last Tuesday. We had her funeral today (Saturday). She was laid to rest on top of the hill, next to my dad, at Pleasant Valley Cemetery.

When we took her to the emergency room at Trinity Medical Center-Bettendorf on July 29, a quick evaluation and some tests indicated the need for immediate surgery. The word went out and soon we had about a dozen family and close friends filling the surgical waiting room. That was a long night, but the wonderful surgeon came out after more than two hours of surgery to carefully explain just what he had to do to repair the injury.

A week later, we moved her to a local care center for what she realized would be rigorous rehabilitation. Her aim at that point was to quickly regain the strength she needed to get around with that walker and return to an active life. But her appetite was next to non-existent. Dehydration set in and that, coupled with an alarming (and virtually undetected) spike in her potassium level caused a return to the hospital. Two more surgeries in the span of 48 hours were required. This time, she was placed on a respirator. When it was determined that another major infection had set in, it was soon apparent that her body was wearing out.

I realize that many of you have had relatives that have faced major health problems. I detail what Mom experienced mainly for those who have asked me what caused her to go from a vibrant, smiling, loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother to critical condition within such a short time.

It's been said that Mom had the mind and spirit of a 40-year-old in the body of an 80-year-old. She loved her family, friends and especially her church family. The first Christmas I was home after moving from Belle Plaine, we had a huge blizzard on Christmas Eve. Although authorities pleaded with motorists to stay home, she was determined to drive across the city to her church. I tried to remind her that God was everywhere and He would find her in our condo as quickly as he could when we got stuck on the side of a snow-covered city street.

Since it was Christmas, I said I would ride along, but I was NOT driving! In fact, I had plans on curling up on the floor of the front seat until we got there. When we did arrive at the church, some of her friends were amazed that I had not volunteered to drive. I just told them that it was entirely her idea and they quickly understood.

I've learned a lot in the last five weeks. After taking for granted that we had a new hospital just down the road, I learned there are many dedicated, compassionate health care professionals working there. Most of the nurses and CNAs I encountered were certainly not only more knowledgeable, but stronger than I am!

I learned how understanding my sister's employers are as they allowed her to travel to Iowa twice in a month for extended stays and how loving and understanding her husband has been as he balanced holding the household together in Florida, watching an active three-year-old (his grandson) as his daughter (my niece) recovered from some scheduled surgery. All this, and more, as he serves as an interim pastor at a church in St. Augustine.

Mom would be pleased to know that her passing enabled me to become better aquainted with my awesome niece and nephew and great-nephew (that active three-year-old who already shows that he has a heart of gold just like his mom and uncle).

I learned that Mom was loved and respected by a whole host of people in this area. Through those final days, I was reminded again and again by her pastor and mine that Mom was ready for that final journey. I have no doubt she had the best seat in the house today as we all celebrated her life.

I've never held the hand of someone as they took there last breath. Everybody has been concerned about how I'm doing. Mom needs to know that I listened to her and later to those two wonderful pastors and when she took that last breath, nine hours after the respirator was removed, my first thought was not one of sorrow, but a thought of celebration for a wonderful life and her even more wonderful eternal future.

There will undoubtedly be some rough days and weeks ahead, as I wrestle with this loss and look ahead to my future. But she seemed to know that I would come out okay. She prepared me well and pointed me in the right direction. I just need to remember that.

Dad's photographic legacy

By Jeff Orvis

If you are blessed to have had a good relationship with your parents, you know they will leave a part of themselves with you when they are gone. Sometimes it takes us years to realize just what that part may be. For some, it may be a hefty bequest or a thriving business. For others, it may be a positive mannerism you may not have even realized where it came from until you start exhibiting the same mannerism and you suddenly realize that Mom or Dad did or thought the same way.

In my recently enforced idle hours, I have started to attempt to preserve what I can only describe as my father's legacy. For much of his adult life, Dad worked in a lab at Alcoa, testing metal. As a sideline, he was a photographer, specializing in wedding photography. When his bosses at the plant learned he could use a camera, he was assigned the additional duties of plant photographer for the public relations department. I still remember those late Saturday mornings, watching him load that bulky Graphic camera, complete with the slide film holders and heavy tripod into the Buick for a trip to a wedding. Although he didn't attend many parties that weren't family-related, he seemed to thrive in the organized chaos of a wedding and reception.

Dad also like to fish, a passion that I only shared grudgingly. Living near the Mississippi River, he would often take a pole and drive over to the lock and dam and try to land enough panfish for a later dinner, stopping only when night fell or the mosquitoes won the war. When it came time for family vacations, one of our favorite destinations was north central Minnesota, where friends of my folks had a wonderful cabin overlooking Sylvan Lake near Brainerd. Mom and Dad continued these trips after my sister and I had left home. On one trip, I'm not exactly sure when this happened, as they headed north out of Minneapolis, instead of heading northwest toward Brainerd, they headed northeast toward Duluth and the Arrowhead region bordering Lake Superior.

That's where this legacy began to develop. The Arrowhead region of Minnesota, including the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, probably has some of the best fishing in the Midwest, if not the whole country. But it also has some of the best scenery available east of the Rockies. While Dad probably had the fishing pole in the car, he began packing a camera and plenty of film. They would jump in the car first thing in the morning from their cabin or motel room and try to get lost along the roads that jutted off of the famed Gunflint Trail.

When they returned home from these week-long excursions, they usually didn't bring many fish home, except for the wonderful smoked salmon they picked up from a rural outpost. But they did bring several rolls of spent film. A couple of weeks later, the mailman would deliver packages of 4 x 5 proofs showing some of the most wonderful Minnesota scenery – peaceful trails, raging streams, wonderful waterfalls and of course, that inland sea known as Superior.

The best time for photography in this area is late September, when the fall colors are at their peak. Since Mom was still working, Dad often took this trip by himself. In this era before cell phones, we would always spend an anxious week, praying that he wouldn't get lost or attacked by the black bears that were definitely in the area. In fact, one of the pictures he shot was accompanied by the story that he had this sense that he was being watched. In the shadows of one of the pictures, it could be argued that there was a bear lurking, watching him.

Another picture he shot is one we call the “ray” picture. As he was shooting the shore of Lake Superior, the sun was just in the right angle to create a ray of light shining from the top corner to the center of the frame. It was as if God was saying, “Well done!”

Dad has been gone for more than 30 years now. But he left behind binders full of these prints. In hopes of preserving his work, I have begun the time-consuming exercise of scanning these prints onto my computer, hoping to transfer them to DVD for more lasting storage. Dad was a man of few words, but I feel like he's talking to me with each picture I scan. He was not one to shy away from new technology, although it did take us several years to get our first color TV. As I scan these pictures, I can imagine what it would be like if he were still here. He would have been 85 years old this year. He would probably spend fall days capturing more spectacular scenes, undoubtedly with a digital camera. Then he would spend the snowy winter afternoons in front of a computer screen with a photo editing software program, making minor changes in his work in an attempt at perfection.

You may have heard that old joke about St. Peter giving a tour to new arrivals in Heaven. They come to a closed door and someone asks what's behind that door. St. Peter replies, “We've got to be quiet. Those folks in that room are all (insert a religion here). They think they're the only ones here.”

I can envision Dad walking down this corridor, passing the various religion rooms, along with rooms containing various political groups, etc. He's got a fishing pole in one hand and a camera in the other until he comes to the area where there's a small boat along a dock on a small lake in an area that looks a lot like a sunny Minnesota fall day.

He turns to St. Peter and says, “Thanks, I'm home now.”

Not your father's minor league ball park

By Jeff Orvis

The other night, I did something that I hadn't done for at least 20 years – I went to a minor league baseball game. I realize that those of you who know me may find this hard to believe. Much of my professional life, as well as free time, has been centered around sports. But with numerous high school teams to cover and my rabid interest in the Chicago Cubs, I just hadn't found time to make the effort to go to a minor league game.

On this night, the pastor of my mom's church was scheduled to throw out the first pitch at a Quad-City River Bandits game. 

The team was hosting a church night promotion and she was able to get tickets at a discounted price. Before the start of the game, the pastor even arranged for a short Bible study. He got the club to allow him to use one of the luxury suites for a few minutes. I thought maybe he was going to suggest that Abner Doubleday had been at the Last Supper, but instead he found an interesting Biblical reference to Bandits.

The River Bandits play in the Lower A Midwest League. Their park, Modern Woodmen Park, sits on the banks of the mighty Mississippi and has often been cited as one of the most picturesque parks in minor league baseball. The area has hosted a pro team since 1901, when the River Rats began play. Over the years, the name has changed, as has the major league affiliation. Some of the more colorful names for the local team have included the Riversides, Knickerbockers, Prodigals, Blue Sox, Quads and DavSox, as well as the names of several major league teams. The team has been affiliated with 10 big league teams over the years, starting with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1936. Their current affiliation is with the St. Louis Cardinals.

When I was much younger, I attended some games and other events at the old ball park. When the California Angels were the major league affiliation, our town was the first stop for one of the first “bonus babies,” a big, strapping outfielder who was signed for a $200,000 bonus. As I recall, he went on to play in the majors for a few years, but never quite made the Hall of Fame. I remember being one of the members of a capacity crowd who saw the California Angels big league club play our local Class A team in an exhibition. We also were there for a pro wrestling program and I was in the stands when the late, great Johnny Cash performed a free concert, at the invitation of a local clergyman.

When we attended games as kids, we would wait for somebody to foul off a pitch, then scramble to the top of the stands and look out through huge openings in the wall to see if the ball hit any cars. The stadium featured a great view, but the benches were uncomfortable and the stadium could be drafty.

My first thought when I stepped inside the stadium on my most recent trip was, “This certainly isn't your father's baseball stadium!” Over the years, it has undergone several renovations and the most recent is truly awesome! I already mentioned the luxury suites. For those with limited mobility, they were easily accessed via an elevator. When the elevator doors open, you are not met by the river breezes, but you step into a climate-controlled, carpeted lobby. Walk down a hall and you see doors to 20 suites on your right. To your left, is a large dining area, complete with linen tableclothes and silver. This area is available all year for special events. Each of the suites include comfortable seating inside, a TV and a kitchenette.

Back downstairs, where the common folk mingle, the old wooden benches have been replaced by individual seats. There's a stadium club behind the seats for those who would like to take a break from the action for some refreshment. There's a wide variety of concessions with plenty of attentive and helpful personnel ready to see to your every need. There's a huge TV screen in left field which offers replays, etc.

If you go to a minor league game expecting to see the next major league superstar, you may or may not succeed. The oldest kid on the River Bandits' team is 24. Many of them make no more than $1,200 per month. But the hopes, dreams and potential on that field is beyond measure.

At one time, baseball was thought to be America's game. Lately, stock car racing and football have shared that designation in the minds of many fans. But it's not difficult to see the argument put forth by baseball fans. The Davenport team is one of 16 teams in its league. There are 14 other teams in the other “Low A” class. Add to that 30 teams in three leagues in High A, 30 teams in three leagues in Class AA, 46 teams in three leagues in Class AAA, as well as 22 other teams in Short Season A Basll in two leagues, 18 teams in two leagues in Advanced Rookie ball, 69 teams in four leagues in Rookie ball and six more teams in one league in Fall ball. That's more than 250 minor league baseball teams playing in four countries. That's a lot of young men who undoubtedly all harbor the dream of being the next multi-million dollar star of a World Series champion.

Modern Woodmen Park may not be Wrigley Field. But it's a chance to wander in, grab a dog and a beer and be entertained for two or three hours without having to take out a second mortgage on your house for the privilege. The chance to see a future superstar is not guaranteed, but is offered as a bonus at no additional charge.

Both candidates miss an opportunity

By Jeff Orvis

We still have nearly six months before the presidential election and if what we've seen in the past few weeks is any indication, both major parties will be spending an obscene amount of money on ads trying to sell their man like he was a new and improved breakfast cereal.

The Republicans attempt to show what the first few days of a Romney presidency would be like. Please! The first three times gave me enough ammunition for a year's worth of bad dreams. The next few times you see the ad, ask yourself, “Where is there any mention of how a 'President Romney' would work with other countries?”

The president of the greatest nation on earth is not restricted to our country's borders, either ideologically or physically. Recent history (of three administrations) shows us that our president must travel abroad as readily as a major business executive. Of course, not many other executives travel with two 747s, a cargo plane carrying a limo and an entourage of more than 100 folks. But you get the general idea.

The Obama campaign is also out with repeating ads. These warm and fuzzy spots try to remind us that things are getting better, but they aren't good yet. The campaign is apparently trying to take the high road and has not chosen to directly refer to the past administration of the currently exiled George Bush. But there's still nearly six months left and who knows which direction either campaign will go?

In the past few weeks, both candidates fell short of what could have been very positive moments. Somebody uncovered the fact that Romney apparently was ahead of his time when he performed an act we might now call “bullying.” He didn't deny it, but said it was nearly 50 years ago and all but said “boys will be boys,” with no real compassion for the victim. He missed a golden opportunity to go on record against bullying. Many parents across this country, regardless of political preference, are becoming more and more concerned with how their kids are treated by others. I doubt Romney condones bullying. But he missed a chance to condemn it.

President Obama finally came out in favor of gay marriage. That was fuel for TV commentators for quite a few days after. But the president's statement sounded like a johnny-come-lately attempt to appease a certain segment of the population. He missed a golden opportunity to come out in favor of a more sensible federal civil union law. Regular readers of this column may remember that my position is that gay people who are in a committed relationship should have all of the legal rights of those who possess a “marriage” license. Many people connect that word “marriage” with a deep religious conviction. The government doesn't need to be in the marriage business. Civil union is a civil rights issue. Couples should be allowed to go to their courthouse and get a civil union certification, then if they wish, they could go on to a house of worship of their choice for a marriage.

Those are just a couple of thoughts on politics for today. I'll try to find something more pleasant to talk about next time. In the meantime, don't forget to check out the Alcoa Eagle Cam on the web. The three youngsters are peering over the edge of the nest and it won't be long now before they take flight!

Romney promises more jobs - how?

By Jeff Orvis

We've got about six months before we decide who will be the leader of the free world for the next four years. Now that the Republicans have somewhat unified and quit openly criticizing each other the Democrats can declare “open season” on Mitt Romney. It's going to be an interesting, brutal, wicked, insanely expensive six months. We can only hope that the last man standing won't be too bruised to lead us forward.

Both political parties seem to be banking on the notion that since we all live in a world of sound bytes, their message has to be brief and to the point and, hopefully, accurate. If you believe Romney, then I'd better get my work clothes rounded up, since I'll be assured of having a job on Jan. 21, 2013, if he's elected. 

Meanwhile, if Obama gets another term, the day after this whole tax inequity question is answered, we will all be in a better place, if you believe what he says.

One of the things that troubles me about Mitt Romney is his pledge that more jobs will be created if he's elected. There's that sound byte again. I have yet to hear anyone challenge him on how this is going to happen. As near as I can figure, his idea is to keep giving preferential tax treatment to the wealthy. He apparently figures that the rich folks, out of the goodness of their hearts, will use those tax savings to create jobs for the rest of us.

Pardon me if I'm a bit skeptical. We've seen this trickle down theory before and it just doesn't seem to work. I don't begrudge anyone who strives to be able to live a life of privilege. I just don't think that privileged life should be paid for on the backs of the rest of us. But I also don't think the government ought to penalize wealth with tax rates higher than the rest of us pay.

It would seem to me the best way to create jobs and reward business owners for job creation would be to first of all close some tax loopholes, make such things as property taxes on business property more equitable, then provide tax breaks to business owners when they hire more Americans. Instead of giving them the money up front in the form of unfair tax breaks, make them prove they are serious about improving the American job climate, then reward them for that good business sense.

A lot of us dream about what we'd do if we suddenly came into more money than we would ever need. If the folks from Publishers Clearing House come knocking on my door, I admit my first thought would not be “how can I go into business and hire a bunch of people?” I'd help family members, buy some things I want, then invest the rest of it in something safe, sound and conservative.

So if Romney is serious about this more jobs promise, he'd better let us know how this is going to happen. And it had better include something instead of simply cutting taxes for his rich friends.

Romney is apparently starting to look at who might be a suitable running mate. One word of caution for my Republican friends. Dick C heney has a new heart. Remember how well that went nearly a dozen years ago? Cheney was put in charge of a committee to find a vice presidential running mate for W. After several hours of exhaustive research, he had a devine revelation that he would be the ideal candidate. It will undoubtedly be years before we discover the full extent of the damage shadowy figure may have done when he was our vice president. At this writing, there might be a battery of constitutional attorneys researching whether he could run again as vice president. What a scary thought!

After the seemingly countless and pointless serious of debates by the Republican presidental wannabes I never thought I would say this. But I can't wait for the Obama-Romney debates. Obama is a great orator. Romney is slick. Romney will probably be armed with all sorts of economic statistics and accusations. His shortcomings will probably emerge when the President begins talking about world affairs.

How ever this turns out, we've only got about six months before we find out. Then the next day, the two parties will probably start looking ahead to 2016. Maybe it just seems that it never ends....

A hectic weekend for NFL fans

By Jeff Orvis

For parts of three days late last week, pro football fans were glued to the TV set, watching what amounted to a sophisticated slave auction. Thankfully, actual slave auctions ended in this country about 150 years ago. What I can remember from school studies and various movies is that these brutal events determined whether men and women would live or die and how they would be treated the rest of their lives, depending on their owners.

It might seem a stretch to compare slaves to potential pro football players. Slaves hoped and prayed that they would have a warm place to sleep and food to eat, while rookie football players who make their team's final roster will earn at least $390,000 their first year.

But as we watched the “experts” critique each draft pick on Thursday and Friday nights and Saturday afternoon, it wasn't difficult to notice some similarities in slave vs. pro athlete. As each draftee's name popped up on the screen, we heard a rundown of his physical attributes, his size, speed in the 40 yard dash, amount of weight he could lift in the weight room and what he did during his collegiate career that drew the interest of the pro teams.

While it can be argued that a drafted player can decide not to join the team that drafts him, if he wants to play in the NFL, he can only play for that team until the team decides to trade or release him.

It must have been a humbling experience for hundreds of young men. One minute, they are the big men on campus, hearing the cheers of tens of thousands of fans on a Saturday afternoon. The next minute, their futures were being decided by a room full of men who may or may not decide to place a call telling the player that he would have a chance to continue an activity which had consumed him for 10 or 15 years.

The whole process begins earlier in the spring, when the top players are invited to a tryout, called the NFL Combine. They are run through a series of drills, measured, interviewed, and unfortunately, tested. Note to prospective NFL players: be prepared to be in the best physical shape in your life, be humble, yet confident when you speak to the coaches. And for heaven's sake, don't fail the drug test! Yes, there were at least a couple of idiots who failed the league's drug test during the combine. Smoke a little weed and be prepared to forfeit a chance at millions of dollars. Hope it was worth it.

The draft was “must see TV” for many football fans. But after awhile, I got exhausted listening to Mel Kiper and others on ESPN or the NFL Network dissecting each potential draft pick. It still was nice hearing what they had to say about the Iowa and Iowa State players chosen. I was watching to see who from those two teams might be drafted, as well as who were picked for the Chicago Bears.

After the smoke cleared, Iowa had six players drafted and another five who quickly signed free agent contracts, meaning they were invited to try out for a specific team. Later this summer, as we get closer to the Iowa-Iowa State game, here's a stat for Hawk fans to use in their discussions with their Cyclone neighbors as to whether or not this is a Hawkeye State. Since the 2008 season, 24 Hawks have been drafted. That's six players each season.

The excitement of draft weekend is over. Several more free agents will be signed by each team. Then we have a couple of months before training camp opens, when each team can a maximum of 80 players in camp. That's 2,560 veterans and rookies vying to be among the 1,696 who will begin earning a pro football paycheck. When the first game of the regular season rolls around in early September, that means 864 men who at one time had visions of hearing the cheers on Sunday afternoon suddenly will be faced with finding something else to do with their lives.

 For pro football fans, the countdown begins!

It's a bird! It's a plane!

By Jeff Orvis

I just got back from a short trip to my spot to clear my head and gain inspiration – our screened-in porch. I was only out there for about two minutes before a gold finch flew in and perched on our feeder. He sat there eating for a couple of minutes, then as if he realized he should sing for his supper, he began a two or three minute concert.

I could never figure out how to describe a bird call in print. But it was beautiful and I'm sure it was much more meaningful to his brothers and sisters flying around in the area. He was probably calling, “Hey dummies! Lunch is over here!”

Mom's condo is less than a mile away from Davenport's busy 53^rd Street and about the same distance from Interstate 80. But it's also a driveway and a building away from the Crow Valley Golf Club, so we get a variety of winged wildlife coming in for a free meal at all times of the year.

Before Homeland Security got into the necessary act of making air travel and even going to the airport less fun than it once was, I liked going out to the local airport just to watch the planes take off and land. Most of the planes out there were private, single engine or twin-engine aircraft. Once in awhile you might see a corporate jet. The airlines serving our area generally bring twin-engine jets into Moline, although in recent years, improvements to the runways have allowed for the occasional visit by the President's Air Force One 747.

Our neighborhood is the feathered equivalent to our local airport. We have our share of gold finches, sparrows, chickadees, etc., similar to the single engine private planes. We also have some corporate jets – robins and cardinals come to mind. The smaller airlines – mourning doves, blue jays and starlings are also well represented. Then sometimes a 747 or B-52 comes flying over in the winged form of our red-tailed hawk. He doesn't ever get close enough to feed, but then we don't offer baby rabbits or ground squirrels at our feeder. Hawks couldn't make it on finch food!

The only time I've seen the wide bodies locally was a few minutes ago when I checked out Alcoa's Eagle Cam. Dad was busy feeding the three youngsters last time I checked. They're starting to get their feathers and aren't quite as ugly as they once were.

Most of our time is consumed by worrying about the world situation, our political fights here at home, the economy or worrying about whether the Black Hawks can force a game seven in the NHL playoffs or if the Cubs can get their act together this year. Sometimes it's nice to take a deep breath and watch some of God's creatures whose only cares include where they will get their next meal, how they can avoid predators and which tree will they fly to next.

The simpler life is sometimes appealing...

Circumstances beyond our control

By Jeff Orvis

“Due to circumstances beyond our control.”

When we hear those chilling words, we soon realize it's not good. Well, I've been the victim of several circumstances beyond my control in recent times. And though they aren't necessarily life-threatening and in the grand scheme of things, they might seem a bit trivial. But they tend to really tick me off!

I appreciate the concept of on-line banking. I enjoy being able to manage the meager amount of money I still have in my bank account by making a few clicks on my computer. One day, as I attempted to see if I was still in the black, there was a message that the bank was making a routine security check and asked me for one of my security questions. This automatically sent up a red flag for me. I knew this was not going to be easy.

When you set up your account, you are asked to create answers to three security questions so the computer at the bank knows that the computer trying to access a certain account is being operated by the account holder. So they ask you to answer questions like where you were born, your mother's maiden name, the name of your father's first pet, etc. They also recommend that you memorize the answers to these questions and don't write them down. If some thief breaks into your house, you don't want him finding the answers so he can steal the $27 you have in your checking account!

The bank's computer asked a certain question and I thought I typed in the right answer. No dice. I tried again. No dice. I got frustrated and tried a different answer and this time, the bank's computer said I was again wrong and would have to call the bank to straighten things out.

I envisioned calling an 800 number and getting an automated answer and referral and then being put on hold for 45 minutes. Instead, I tried the old-fashioned approach and drove downtown to the bank and thought I would try the face-to-face approach. The teller politely told me that they couldn't access that information and I was referred to an 800 number at the bank's Iowa City office. I promptly lost the phone number and that's where I stand with that one. I can still use my ATM card and that way I know what my bank balance is. But I still have to drive somewhere where there's an ATM machine.

So much for computer convenience!

 

Back when I still had a few extra dollars, I decided to subscribe to the daily on-line edition of the Cedar Rapids Gazette. Although I've moved back to Davenport, I still care about what happens in eastern Iowa. Things went well for a few months. Then the other day, when I attempted to log on, I was informed that the Gazette was making some “improvements” to the site. I got those old familiar chills again as I realized this was again not going to be easy.

I tried to jump through the hoops as directed on the newspaper's site, then decided to call the circulation department in an attempt to iron things out. After a few minutes on hold where you get that “all of our operators are currently busy. Your call is important to us, please hold” followed by some elevator music, I reached a real person. She tried to talk me through the process. But I have only two hands and had to hold the phone with one hand while typing with the other.

As you can guess, I soon gave up and get whatever news I can from the Gazette's web site.

Next week is the start of the baseball season. We have Direct TV and I was looking forward to a season of watching the Cubs try to finally make it to the World Series. But one day, as I attempted to watch a rerun of “Walker Texas Rainger” on WGN, I was informed that due to a fight over rights fees between the station and Direct TV, subscribers might lose the station at the end of March.

It seems that WGN wants Direct TV to pay a fee for each of its subscribers to continue viewing the station. This not only affects Cubs fans in Iowa, but people all across the country who rely on watching Tribune-owned local stations via the satellite. At this writing, all of this might disappear at midnight Saturday.

This is a fight that seems ridiculous. Both sides are crazy. Direct TV should certainly be able to afford to pay rights fees. I counted 43 shopping channels on my package and you know that the company is getting lease payments from each of these stations. Direct TV keeps sending me letters, asking me to reconsider and become a customer again. But Mom already gets the service and I don't need to pay again. In one of those mailings, Direct TV says that every seven seconds, someone switches to their service. With that kind of income, you would think they could quit sending me meaningless letters, cut back a bit on those stupid ad slicks that fall out of our newspapers each week and pay the rights fee!

On the other side of the coin, how would you like to be an ad salesman for a Tribune-owned TV station who had to call on clients on Monday and explain why your viewership suddenly dropped by 75 percent? Somebody has to blink or maybe somebody from the Cubs and White Sox can storm into the negotiations with a big, 36-inch bat and demand a settlement!

Maybe it's time to switch off the TV, quit worrying about the bank and the newspaper and go out and sit on the porch and watch the birds. As long as I keep seed in the bird feeder, at least they won't stay away chirping, “Due to circumstances beyond our control!”

Where's George?

By Jeff Orvis

There was a game that was popular a few years ago called “Where's Waldo?” One of the things I remember about it was you were shown a picture of many figures and you were supposed to pick out Waldo.

As this seemingly endless and often pointless Republican presidential campaign drones on, some of us who are fortunate enough to be on the outside looking in may wonder, Where's George? You remember George, don't you? He's the guy who ran for president in the year 2000 and since he couldn't decide who should run with him, he asked a guy named Dick Cheney to head up a group to do it for him. After an exhaustive search for just the right vice presidential nominee, old wily Dick had a major revelation, “Why not me?”

So with the Republican ticket in good hands, we proceeded to November. When the dust cleared on Wednesday morning following the election and neither candidate was a clear winner, we had the ultimate privilege of allowing the Supreme Court to elect our president! What a concept!

Four years later, we had the chance to do it all again. But those of us who favored the other party may have realized that it didn't matter who we put up against the incumbent, the fix was in and the George and Dick show had four more years.

Now we come to the circus of 2012. George Bush has been out of office for over three years. But he seems to be a forgotten man, in exile in his Texas home. When's the last time you heard of a two-term president being virtually ignored by members of his own party? George is more lonely than the Maytag repairman.

Recently, members of the Bush family have started to endorse Mitt Romney for the nomination this time around. Barbara Bush was the first, then son Jeb (maybe the smarter son of the family) was next and this week, dad George H.W. Bush was supposed to board the Mitt Express. Don't you just supposed that young George's people got in contact with Mitt's people and offered to endorse him and the response was “Oh, please don't do us any favors! Don't call us, we'll call you.”

It's not that the Republicans don't refer to history in their attempt to unseat the current president. Some of them, most notably Newt Gingrich, have done everything but conduct a séance to resurrect the memory of Ronald Reagan. Things were so much better when that dear old former actor was in charge of things. But it seems like everybody conveniently suffers short term memory loss if the name of the most recent past president is brought up.

A lot of us would like to forget the blunders forced on us during the Bush administration. It's too bad it took a heart transplant for the former vice president for us to be jolted back to those bad dreams.

President Obama and his crew are certainly not without fault. Things are certainly far from great. The administration has probably spent too much time and energy blaming the current mess on poor old George. It's time to man up and deal with the hand you have been dealt. To that end, things appear to be turning around.

The problem is that many voters forget just how bad the situation was when Obama took office. They may be seduced into wanting to try something else. But before they mark the ballot for another Republican president, they should realize that their guy will probably adopt more of the same splendid actions that served us so well (please note the sarcasm) from 2001 through 2008. This is not the 1980s. Reagan is long gone folks. Remember that before you decide to hand the reigns over to the elephant brigade.

Many view the Bush years as an eight-year mistake. But for the sake of the legacy of the presidency, for heaven's sake, find something meaningful for this guy to do in retirement! President Carter had his faults during his administration, but he's become perhaps the best former president this country has ever had with his work in the Carter Center. President Bill Clinton weathered some personal scandal and even an impeachment to fill out eight years. But he's emerged as another great past president with the various charitable endeavors he has tackled. There must be something poor George can do. Just don't let him near the Oval Office any time soon!

Free as a bird

By Jeff Orvis

Free as a bird.

We've all heard this phrase and most of us probably didn't think much more about it. But I'm sitting here on the porch in Davenport, not far from the fairway of the Crow Valley Country Club and as I watch my winged neighbors gobble up the food I put in the feeder the other day, that phrase is beginning to hold special meaning for me.

I've never been much for the formal study of the habits of wildlife. Maybe it's better that way for in my ignorance of the real reasons birds do what they do, it allows my imagination to run a little wild.

Currently, our feeder is sustaining a flock of sparrows, a couple of cardinals and a few mourning doves. I've seen a robin or two and sometimes a bird that I really can't identify swoops down for a brief bite.

We also have a red-tailed hawk that sometimes makes an appearance, landing on a large utility pole across the yard. If he's lonely or simply wants to announce his presence, sometimes his calling is so loud you can't hear the TV in the living room!

I realize that birds lead a tough life. We might offer them a bit of seeds to eat and a bird bath for water, but they have to cope with changes in weather, watching out for bigger birds and other creatures that would harm them and scouring the countryside for twigs and leaves to build their homes each spring.

But they do have one advantage over us: They don't watch CNN or the nightly news. They couldn't care less that there are numerous men strutting around the country, claiming to have all the answers to the world's problems as they seek the nomination for the presidency. Birds know nothing about war, unless they are close to the fighting and the noise scares them. They don't care that state legislatures across the country are working to make better lives for their citizens but sometimes seem to get in our way. But if mourning doves had lobbyists in Des Moines last year, they may have had some concern about certain new hunting laws!

I've noticed that we share certain traits with some birds. For example, sparrows appear to believe in strength in numbers. Sometimes, a lone sparrow will land on the feeder and peck away for up to five minutes. Then he lets out a yell and is soon joined by six or eight of his best friends. One of the cardinals that is a frequent visitor prefers to come in very close to nightfall. I don't know how he can see to eat, but maybe he likes to wait for the crowd to thin out a bit.

We've put up a hummingbird feeder. The experts may frown on this idea as it seems a bit too early. But seven straight days of record high temperatures make us wonder if the whole natural process might be speeding up this year. Hummingbirds are wonderful creatures. Despite their tiny size, they migrate from thousands of miles away each year. I wish we had a way to communicate with them so we could find out how their travel went. I went to Florida last summer and I'm still recuperating – and I was traveling in a Buick!

Well, that's enough nature observations for one day. Time to put the computer aside and perform the only task that matters to our winged neighbors...fill the feeder, then get the heck out of the way!

Time for my fearless NCAA predictions

By Jeff Orvis

Okay, the time has finally come. I realize that there are legions of basketball fans out there who have printed off their NCAA basketball tourney brackets and have had their pens poised, just waiting for me to release my predictions. Normally, I make my predictions round by round, so if there are too many upsets in the first round, my whole bracket isn't ruined. But this time, I decided to get the whole thing over with at one time.

Before you take the following picks as gospel, you might want to consider this: Years ago when I was still in Independence, our city clerk, Clark Madison, conducted a friendly tournament pool. We each chipped in a few bucks with dreams of winning enough to make a car payment or a rent payment. Alas, most every year, after the first round, he would stop by my office with the crushing words, “Thanks for the donation,” meaning my picks were so far off-base, I had no chance.

Each year, I try to watch as many tournament games as I can. It was a tradition that I would take a couple of days of vacation to catch the first round games during the day, throw a corned beef brisket in the oven in honor of St. Patrick's Day and sit back and relax. I usually have a few teams I like to follow for various reasons. This year, three teams have Iowa connections. Iowa State opens with the defending national champs from Connecticut with the promise of facing the nation's best team, Kentucky, in round two.

I like North Carolina because one of its big stars is Harrison Barnes from Ames. Creighton is also in the field this year. The Blue Jays feature former UNI Coach Greg McDermott and his son, Doug.

I'm also interested in how four other teams do this week. Murray State deserves a long run because that little team that few have heard of finished with a 30-1 record. Virginia Commonwealth is back in the field after shocking the nation and the so-called experts last year before losing to Butler in the Final Four. I like Duke because I think that Coach K is one of the best of all time. My last sentimental favorite is Harvard, which is in the field for the first time since 1946.

With the preliminaries out of the way, here are my fearless predictions:

First round winners – Kentucky, Iowa State, VCU, Indiana, UNLV, Baylor, Notre Dame, Duke, Michigan State, St. Louis, New Mexico, Louisville, Murray State, BYU, Florida Missouri, Syracuse, Kansas State, Harvard, Wisconsin, Cincinnati, Florida State, Gonzaga, Ohio State, North Carolina, Creighton, California, Michigan, North Carolina State, Georgetown, St. Mary's and Kansas.

Second round winners – Kentucky, VCU, Baylor, Duke, Michigan State, New Mexico, Murray State, Missouri, Syracuse, Wisconsin, Cincinnati, Ohio State, North Carolina, Michigan, Georgetown and Kansas.

Third round winners – Kentucky, Duke, Michigan State, Missouri, Syracuse, Ohio State, North Carolina and Kansas.

Final Four – Duke over Missouri and North Carolina over Syracuse.

National Champion – North Carolina.

There could be some surprises along the way, that's why they play the games, I guess. I realize that the Big Ten Conference was acknowledged to be one of the best conferences in the nation this year, but it's hard to pick against the ACC. I also realize that most folks think Kentucky will win it all, but they proved last weekend that they can be beat.

Three other teams with ties to Iowa or the Quad-City area are in the NIT Tourney. Iowa takes on Dayton and UNI plays St. Joseph's. I'm also interested in Stanford, which plays Cleveland State. One of Stanford's top freshmen is Chasson Randle, who played his prep ball at Rock Island and was Mr. Basketball in Illinois last year. Every time I saw his highlights in his senior season at Rocky High, I was reminded of the film clips of LeBron James when he wowed the state of Ohio a few years ago.

So get ready for what Dick Vitale calls the “best three weeks of the year.” The action starts Tuesday night.

As a post-script, as I write this, the women's tournament bracket show is a couple of hours away. I probably won't make any big predictions on this tourney, although I hope Iowa and Iowa State both make the field. I'll also be hoping Maryland and Coach Brenda Freese of Cedar Rapids and Connecticut and Kia Stokes of Linn-Mar (Marion) also do well.

The loss of a mentor and friend

By Jeff Orvis

If you have been fortunate to find a career that has been fulfilling and at least a little rewarding, chances are you've had a mentor along the way. When I think of a mentor, I think of someone who has been there to show you the ropes, encourage you along the way and someone who is not afraid to kick you in the backside if you sometimes go astray.

I have been very fortunate to have several people in my life who mentored me one way or another as I traveled through the crazy world of community journalism for more than 35 years. But two men immediately come to mind when I think of those most responsible for my appreciation of paying attention to details and picking up on the little things of a story that people want to know.

These two longtime newspaper editor-publishers have book-ended my professional journey to this point. One, Harry Ryder, got me started in this business when I happened to mention that I didn't think his Bettendorf News was giving enough attention to my high school, Pleasant Valley.

I think his reply was something like, “If you think you can do a better job, give it a try.” So, along with my high school studies and activities in band, chorus and manager of the football, basketball and track teams, I began writing recaps of our games and submitting them to the paper as a correspondent.

We lost my most major influence to my professional life last week with the passing of Don Magdefrau, longtime editor and publisher of the Belle Plaine Union and South Benton Star Press. In 1996, after more than 17 years as a reporter at the newspaper in Independence and a one-year failed attempt to publish a competing weekly newspaper in the same city, I was once again looking for a job. Don had an opening at his newspapers and invited me to apply. Apparently he and his partners were satisfied with my interview and I had a new job. But though we liked our home in Independence, we knew the hour-long commute to Belle Plaine would soon have to end. Don and I also knew that in order to immerse yourself in your community, you had to live there.

We found a nice house to live in for the first year. But we knew that the owner was planning on retiring and moving into the house the next year. As time began to run out, Don came through again, this time offering to rent us his boyhood home. So for the next 10+ years, he was my landlord as well as my boss.

By the time I landed in Belle Plaine, Don had been in the business more than 40 years. Going to work each day was like going to school. In his quiet, even-tempered way he let you know when you were doing a good job. I remember one time when I slacked off on a story, the only time he really got mad at me. But even as he reprimanded me, I sensed more disappointment than anger in what he said.

One of the activities he enjoyed almost as much as publishing a quality newspaper each week was his work with the Iowa Newspaper Association. I'm sure he made hundreds of good friends from every corner of the state, as well as neighboring states, over the years. He made sure his staff was able to attend the annual state convention and one year, when he won a prestigious state award, he offered to allow us to stay overnight in downtown Des Moines so we could celebrate in the President's Suite into the wee hours without the long drive back to Benton County.

Don and Fran's son, Jim, was the managing editor of our papers, working side-by-side with his dad for many years. They were responsible for the décor of our office, as we had more state award plaques than wall space to display them. When I joined the staff, Jim had a political ally. His father was a strong figure in Benton County Republican politics. Jim and I were on the other side of the political spectrum and I really enjoyed Jim's subtle needling of his father in their quiet debates. But Don's connections proved quite valuable, as I got to meet governors, a congressman and a senator when they came to town.

Shortly after I went to work in Belle Plaine, Don and his partners got an offer they couldn't refuse and sold the company to the Des Moines Register. It was a good move for them financially and I'm sure they felt it was a good opportunity for their employees. We enjoyed a good association with our new owners for a few years, as they wisely kept Don on in charge of the Benton newspapers. But as I've written about in earlier posts, our newspapers eventually succumbed to the economic realities and corporate downsizing found its way to our operation.

On the day I decided to put Belle Plaine in my rear view mirror for the last time, I stopped by Don and Fran's house to let them know that the house was empty and I was finally on my way to Davenport. We both had tears in our eyes as Don almost apologized for bringing me into a situation where I would ultimately be forced to leave. But I reminded him that he had thrown me a career lifeline 14 years before and that I had learned a lifetime worth of lessons working for him.

From the time I left Bettendorf until I arrived in Belle Plaine I worked for more publishers than I can remember. Each one taught me a few things, either how to be a better newspaper reporter or sometimes what not to do. But none had the love of nor the respect for community journalism that Harry and Don had. I fear that as we move toward more electronic journalism and people like these two leave us, so too will a little bit of the soul of this state.