Golfer word play question

how come we haven't seen any play on words with yesterday's play down in Tucson? For instance:

In synch Tiger sinks Cink

or

unsynched Cink sunk by Tiger

or

synched Tiger sinks Cink

Any suggestions from fellow wordsmiths out there?

Yes to Golf in Loogootee, Yes for Tiger, Yes to the Story of Stuff.

Yes we did some golfing at Lakeview today. Though we didn't have 45 degrees at noon, we did have lots of sun and fast melting snow. By three o'clock, not two but seven of the greens were free of the white stuff, gone for now. The 'over 40 degree boys' (pictured) were down from up north a piece; Curt and Kevin Johnson (pictured) came out and limbered up; Caleb and Montana, too. I went out and tried to make solid contact and not dip into the frozen tundra of Martin County too often. Expect much softer ground tomorrow with the continued thaw; probably be a whole bunch more muddy as well. Give a little, take a little.

Diane took advantage of the nice weather and headed down to Jasper to see if there were any shoppers out and about. Must not have been too many as she was still smiling when she got back home a little after I did.

Did you notice that Tiger did win out at Torrey Pines? The surprise was not that he won but rather that they were able to play with the rains indeed falling into the ocean and maybe elsewhere in sunny California. Beautiful at Torrey Pines though at the end looked like the weather was moving in. Tiger tied Arnie in career wins at 62. Pretty impressive.

Change of pace here: Noticed this at dkos while at the golf course after my walk but before I went out and did some golfing: The Story of Stuff. Since it was a video, I didn't even attempt to watch it with the dial up connection at the club house. However, did download it here at home and watched it. A twenty minute lesson on stuff, where it comes from, where it goes, who has it, who wants it, what we should do with it, what place it has in our continued well being. Did you know in our consumer-throw away society how much of the stuff we consume is still around in six months? If you guessed about one percent, you would be on the money. Wow. Do you remember what President Bush told us to do right after 9/11? The lady in the Stuff video says he told us to go shopping. I remember he told us to get on with the things we normally did; guess for many that is shopping. Not a shopper man myself, nor is Diane a shopper lady (yes, I know what it says up above about her going down to Jasper today...). However, I did see us in the video when she talked about 'perceived obsolescence', also known as fashion or keeping up with the Jones: as one of her examples, she uses an imaginary co worker who has all the latest including a flat screen monitor and how she looked very spiffy with all her high tech and space age stuff having the latest design. She, on the other hand, had the old style monitor, you know, the big and fat and clunky thing that has been part of her life for maybe three years and was wearing last year's shoes. Very unfashionable indeed.

But I go on and on. Let me summarize by saying that this is not anything new - it's a message Diane and I heard back in the 60's and '70's and to a degree heeded: we are a consumer society; we are wasteful; we could do better by buying less and making more, by living a more simple and sustainable life. Of course, things have worsened and sped up in the forty some years since then: resources are disappearing at a more rapid pace, global warming is changing the environment at a more rapid pace, the world is shrinking at a more rapid pace. Jeesh, I think we need a time out. In any case, go check it out. It's an easy watch and listen reminder of who we are and what we are doing and what we maybe should do. I downloaded it first since I can't stand the continual buffering that takes place way too many times during the twenty minutes. (And that means I have it on cd for any of you who still have dial up and want to see it without downloading 54mb of video.)

Here's something very concrete you can do to reduce your own consuming: come out and play some golf with us tomorrow, take in the fresh air and move your body around. Refresh yourself. Sounds like a winner to me. I'll be there at that green place just north of town.

La Vie En Rose, The City of Joy, and Golf

Enjoyed a very good movie tonight: La Vie En Rose, a story of Edith Piaf, a French singer from my Mom's generation and who died young at 47 in 1963. Worth your time; get it. Gets a five star rating from me; from Diane, a six, no, a ten... I think she liked it.

Also finished my first book of the new year, one which took my breath away. The City of Joy by Dominique Lapierre. All about life in a section of Calcutta that is home to the poor and the destitute. Made me tear up more than once.

At the golf course for the afternoon and did play nine holes with Doug Denson. A couple of 36's - pretty good for a January day with ground that was very wet. Doug is a very good putter and more instinctive than analytical in his approach to putting. He does use a couple of 2x4's to groove his putting stroke when it gets out of whack on him. Expect the 2x4's serve the same purpose as this putting track system, making sure that one's stroke is on a line both backwards and forwards.

Alan Swayze pulled up as I was leaving to enquire about the start of the Senior League. His partner last year, Charlie Sheetz, wanted to make sure Alan was on board. Alan is a brand new grandpa and enjoying his new status though would love to see the new granddaughter more than he does - she's way down south in Atlanta.

Pretty mild winter so far - knock on wood. Think we've had more playable days here in January in the first nine days than we had in the entire month of December. Please knock on wood again. And yes we would love to have some more.

So it goes.

Sunday Wrap: Golf, football, etc.

Pictures: Buggies from Saturday afternoon, trees and things from this afternoon.

Today an unusually warm January day and one given over to golfing by some of us. Joined Dave and Doug and Short for eighteen holes of six, six and six. That would be Dave and I taking on Doug and Short in six holes scramble, six holes alternate shot, and then six holes of best ball. This one ended up in a draw, dang it all.

More golfing tomorrow with temperatures in the 60's if not 70's. That is if the rains hold off. Our fingers are crossed.

NFL: Giants won earlier; looks like Chargers are going to beat the Titans. That means the Chargers come to Indy and the Jaguars go to Boston. That's jim dandy. (btw, who is this fellow 'jim dandy'?)

In Women's college basketball, watched a little of the ND-Tenn match yesterday. The Irish were soundly beaten. Caught a little of the UCON-Purdue game this afternoon. The Boilers were lapped with the final score being 100-50. Not a good weekend for Hoosier women.

Edwards not polling well in NH. Obama still hot. Clinton still very much in the race, at least I think she is. What fun.

Ping Eye 2's, Golf and a Movie: Heart and Minds

Picture: Rocking granddaughters, Naomi and Leah.

George Templin is moving up to a new set of Pings and I took over his clubs-with-character, a set of Ping Eye 2's. I came about the desire to get a set of these gems from the past by using an Eye 2 seven iron over the last several months and finding it more accurate than anything in my bag (and I had about a zillion different clubs there ever since my grandson Lucas got my KZG's some time this summer). Doug Denson brought them out this afternoon. And then he and Dave Wininger and I enjoyed a mid December round of golf. Managed a 34 with the new clubs, along with an occasional driver and a putter that did not disappoint. Big thanks to George for the great clubs.

Just finished watching Hearts and Minds, a documentary made in 1974 about the Vietnam War which I read about in Boom! It's graphic and terrible in its depiction of war, and is condemning of the US with its lies and distortions that went into the selling and continuation of the war. Right off the bat, Daniel Ellsberg is telling us that five presidents lied: Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon. You remember Ellsberg, he of the Pentagon Papers. The documentary also shows the good old USA as very militaristic with soldiers and soldiering playing a very big part in life here - the back part of the film is filled with shots of people, both very young and not so very young, in uniform and marching, with drummers and horn tooters and baton twirling cheerleaders and flag waving bystanders cheering and having a good old time. America, land of the soldier. Everybody loves a good parade here; of course, the parades around here are mostly peopled with high school bands, fire engines, horses and their riders, beauty queens, and floats from a wide variety of groups. Maybe a small group of veterans, a flag or two.

So it goes. Earth continues on its journey through space.

Question of the day: Would you climb in your car or get on a train or a bus or a ship without some destination in mind? Us Earthlings have no idea where we're headed, except for maybe six foot under the ground. But the bigger picture, please - where in God's heaven is this planet headed? Somebody please call the captain...

Tuesday's Surprise: Warm Weather, etc.

Pictures: Sunset at the golf course a little earlier.

Unlike so much of the rest of the country that has suffered from sleet and ice and snow and much disruption of normal life, we here in Loogootee had a very pleasant reprieve from the inclement weather of the last three weeks. That would be inclement weather for the golfers among us. Today was dry and a little windy and very mild with temperatures getting into the high sixties. I spent the day at the golf course doing this and that while also playing nine holes first with Ken Hudson and then nine more with Doug Denson, the day's highlight being a driver-sandwedge eagle for me on hole #5 with Doug. What unexpected and welcome fun.

Darin Clements, our neighbor and a Cambodian missionary who is on furlough, was also out for a walk not necessarily spoiled by a little golf. He and his wife Diana do mission work in Phnom Penh, a city of a million inhabitants.

Seems like the weather pushed Washington news to page two. Stories like torture and torture tapes destruction. And how about the report that torture worked? Froomkin at WaPo has more on that along with a little skepticism.

And then there is this CNN report on the impact of Oprah and Bubba (Bill) on Barack and Hillary's campaigns: big advantage to the little lady...

World turns whether we like it or not. That's a good thing.

Pictures from the Desert, Swayze and Norris and Golf

Pictures: Lucas with his Oma Diane and his cousin, Naomi, somewhere out in Palm Springs.

Had a chance to play some golf with Richard Swayze and Bob Norris this afternoon. They were thinking this may be the last day of golf for this year - I assured them that that was not going to be the case. You know that December is going to bring us a day or two or ten that is suitable for the golfers among us...

Golf Games

From about.com, some of the not so familiar games that golfers play. Here's one I've never played and looks like a good one for players of different abilities: Bingo Bango Bongo where points are given for firsts, first ball on the green, one closest to the hole once all golfers are on the green, first one in the cup. Could be fun.

Heading to the Cabin for 'breakfast with the birds', I mean Batemans...

The Crossing, Golf with the Boys, Good News from Basra

Finished Cormac McCarthy's The Crossing today. It's deep and it's dark with not a whole lot of things to cheer about in the entirety of the book. Worth reading? Of course. McCarthy's vision for the most part is pretty dismal but the way he puts together the words is absolutely stunning. One reads not only for the message but also for the sound of it all. This author tells truths that might not be to our liking but he does it with a spoon full of sugar with each chapter, maybe with each page.

Golf with the boys today. Eighteen holes and that was just about enough for each of us. Good neighbor Jack Lents took home the most quarters. Lots of not so pretty shots as one can expect this time of year but then also enough good ones to make us want to try it again tomorrow and the next day as well. Wouldn't want to waste this unseasonable weather we're having...

Good news from Basra, Iraq's second largest city, via Firedoglake and the International Herald Tribune:

Attacks against British and Iraqi forces have plunged by 90 percent in southern Iraq since London withdrew its troops from the main city of Basra, the commander of British forces there said Thursday.

The presence of British forces in downtown Basra, Iraq’s second-largest city, was the single largest instigator of violence, Maj. Gen. Graham Binns told reporters Thursday on a visit to Baghdad’s Green Zone.

“We thought, ‘If 90 percent of the violence is directed at us, what would happen if we stepped back?’” Binns said.

Britain’s 5,000 troops moved out of a former Saddam Hussein palace at Basra’s heart in early September, setting up a garrison at an airport on the city’s edge. Since that pullback, there’s been a “remarkable and dramatic drop in attacks,” Binns said.

“The motivation for attacking us was gone, because we’re no longer patrolling the streets,” he said.

Hmmm. Might be something to consider: remove occupying force, reduce violence. Whoever heard of such an idea.

Friday Follies: K of C Sunday Scramble, Mukasey

Important things first: Terry Butcher is setting up a K of C Scramble for Sunday morning at nine. All are welcome; just bring your loose change and some kind of golf game. I expect he would appreciate some kind of notice that you intend to play. Drop in at the K of C or call here.

And tomorrow's scramble starts at 10 am.

That takes care of the important stuff.

-I see that Mukasey has already been confirmed after a day, actually 4 hours, of 'impassioned floor debate' in the Senate. From Glenn Greenewald via dKos:

[The most amazing quote was from chief Mukasey supporter Chuck Schumer, who, before voting for him, said that Mukasey is "wrong on torture -- dead wrong." Marvel at that phrase: "wrong on torture." Six years ago, there wasn't even any such thing as being "wrong on torture," because "torture" wasn't something we debated. It would have been incoherent to have heard: "Well, he's dead wrong on torture, but . . . "

Now, "torture" is not only something we openly debate, but it's something we do. And the fact that someone is on the wrong side of the "torture debate" doesn't prevent them from becoming the Attorney General of the United States. It's just one issue, like any other issue -- the capital gains tax, employer mandates for health care, the water bill -- and just because someone is "dead wrong" on one little issue (torture) hardly disqualifies them from High Beltway Office.]

Jeesh... The depths that we have arrived at her in the land of the free...

More Lakeview - Washington Golf Challenge Results

Alternate Shot Results:

(WCC players listed first, LGC second in each match)

Stiles and Dick Smith defeat Bird and Souerdike.
Johnson and Brochin defeat Chapman and Ken Hudson
Summers and Steimel halve their match with Rex Hudson and Roach
Dinkens and Joyce halve their match with Byron and Wallace
Gingerich and Doyle lose to Lents and Gray
Neil Smith and Lancaster halve their match with Shaw and Elliott
Bledsoe and Dayton defeat Strange and Streepy

Totals Alternate Shot
WCC 4.5 LGC 2.5

Singles Matches

Stiles loses to Bird
Dick Smith defeats Souerdike
Johnson loses to Chapman
Brochin loses to Ken Hudson
Summers loses to Rex Hudson
Steimel loses to Roach
Dinkens defeats Byron
Joyce defeats Wallace
Gingerich defeats Byron
Doyle loses to Gray
Neil Smith defeats Shaw
Lancaster loses to Elliott
Bledsoe ties Strange
Dayton defeats Streepy

Total Singles Matches
WCC 6.5 LGC 7.5

Total All Matches
WCC 20.5 LGC 14.5

Trophy resides in Washington for the year.

Congrats to the Washington squad and thanks to all who participated.

Washington Completes Sweep of Lakeview

Pictures: The Washington Country Club squad and two of the stars, Charlie Bledsoe and Dick Smith.

In the first golf challenge between the two courses, Washington Country Club completed its sweep of the competition by winning the Alternate Shot and Singles matches played today at the Washington Country Club by a score of 11 to 10. That gave the boys from the west a final score of 20.5 to the 14.5 for the boys from the east. More details to follow.

Pairings for Lakeview-Washington Golf Challenge Part 2

Pairings for the Lakeview - Washington Golf Challenge, Part 2, to be played at Washington Country Club on Monday, October 15, starting at 9 am. Format: first nine holes: Alternate Shot; second nine holes: Individual match play. All play is straight up this time, no handicap. Reminder: this is a match play format and all scoring is done by the hole with each hole being worth one point, each match one point. Total points available: seven points for the Alternate Shot (one point per match); fourteen points for the Individual Match Play (one for each match); twenty-one points total. Current score: Washington 9.5 points; Lakeview 4.5 points.

WCC		LGC
Stiles, Phil 8		Bird, Mike 4
Smith, Dick 12		Souerdike, Wayne 4
Johnson, Leo 14		Chapman, John 14
Brochin, Mark 14		Hudson, Ken 14
Summers, Bill 12		Hudson, Rex 14
Steimel, Jim 12		Roach, Herb 14
Dinkens, Larry 12		Byron, Jr 4
Joyce, Bill 20		Wallace, Vic 22
Gingerich, Dave 12		Lents, Jack 14
Doyle, Tom 36		Gray, Joe 28
Neil Smith 18		Shaw, Ray 20
Lancaster, Ron 18		Elliott, Bob 26
Bledsoe, Charles 24		Strange, Dave 20
Dayton, Mike 20		Streepy, Leroy 22

Tuesday Notes: Lakeview-Washington Challenge

-The second part of the Lakeview-Washington Golf Challenge takes place at the Washington Country Club next Monday at 9 am. Format: first nine holes: alternate shot; second nine holes: individual play. Expect to post the pairings later today. Play at Washington will be straight up, no handicapping.

-Comment on yesterday's play: I think the Washington players did a great job of adjusting to the conditions at Lakeview and doing what was necessary to win. And, if you didn't notice, it was a resounding win anyway you looked at it, both in the scramble and in the best ball. I did hear a couple of the Washington players (including Charlie Bledsoe) say that their play was exceptional. But I also heard of comebacks after rough starts. I know that Dave and Charlie, the two paired with Bob Elliott an myself, kept making shots that kept them in the game or gave them a point (i.e., after Bob, myself and Charlie had dropped our tee shots into the creek alongside #2, Dave refused to join us and put his shot up to the left of the green - eventual par and point to them guys; Charlie also made a tying sliding downhill putt on #4 and a super chip on #6 that gave Dave a routine five foot putt for the point). And it wasn't that we didn't have our share of grand moments either: Bob Elliott's tee shot on #3 the first time almost went in and gave him a 13" putt for birdie; and my own five iron shot on #10 that that gave me a 24" putt for net eagle which did nothing but tie Charlie who had got himself a par and a net eagle. What does a guy have to do around here to get a point from these guys?! Hey, it was fun, lots of fun; and we look forward to Day Two next Monday.

-Am sure there are lots of shots and recoveries and also some ugly moments that took place yesterday. Got one to share? Put it in the comments.

World turns. Heading to the golf course. Eric has things started.

Washington Routs Lakeview on Day 1

The Washington Country Club's squad of fourteen golfers came east, graciously accepted the welcomes of the Lakeview Golf Course crew, and then went out and did a number on them. In the two seven point matches, the boys from the West took 4.5 points in the Scramble and 5 points in the Best Ball. The results:

				Total
		Scramble	Best Ball	WCC	LGC
WCC	Dinkens, Larry 12	1	1	2
	Joyce, Bill 20
LGC	Byron, Jr 4
	Shaw, Ray 20
WCC	Dayton, Mike 20	1		1
	Smith, Dick 12
LGC	Streepy, Leroy 22		1		1
	Roach, Herb 14
WCC	Stiles, Phil 8		1	1
	Johnson, Leo 14
LGC	Souerdike, Wayne 4	1			1
	Wallace, Vic 22
WCC	Lancaster, Ron 18		0.5	0.5
	Doyle, Tom 36
LGC	Chapman, John 14	1	0.5		1.5
	Gray, Joe 28
WCC	Summers, Bill 12	1	0.5	1.5
	Steimel, Jim 12
LGC	Lents, Jack 14		0.5		0.5
	Hudson, Rex 14
WCC	Bledsoe, Charles 24	0.5	1	1.5
	Gingerich, Dave 12
LGC	Elliott, Bob 26	0.5			0.5
	Bird, Mike 4
WCC	Neil Smith 18	1	1	2
	Brochin, Mark 14
LGC	Strange, Dave 20
	Hudson, Ken 14
	Total	Scramble	Best Ball
WCC	Washington	4.5	5	9.5
LGC	Lakeview	2.5	2		4.5