I spoke of the rise in season ticket prices on Thursday. I neglected to note within my renewal packet that there was a letter from Vikings Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Steve LaCroix who explained why it was necessary to raise prices yet again.

And while I can be against the price increase, I can agree with the reasoning behind it. From the letter it states, "Unfortunately, the price increase is necessary to help offset financial challenges presented by the lack of adequate revenue opportunities in the Metrodome, as well as rising team expenses."

I think the Twins could have used this same letter when they sent out their season ticket renewals earlier.

But good news from the Minnesota Legislature as they have added a new author to House bill HF18. You know, the bill introduced requiring cell phone use in motor vehicles to be hands-free except in case of emergency.

Uh, I have an emergency! There is a moving van pulling up to the back of Winter Park! Help!!!! Anyone? Please, help. With sugar on top.

Looks Like Hovan Will Get Booted?

Reminder to vote in the Vikings Survivor series of polls that just started this week.

In light of the boring off-season period, for the next 10-weeks we are going to try something fun. Each of the next 10-weeks we will vote to kick one Vikings player off the ship. Someone you think is the weakest link...or maybe just dislike.

Each following week, I'll repost the poll with one less player and the process will start all over again! So we'll start with ten and end up that you will have to make a choice between two players! We'll select the one player you cannot live without. That one player that gives you the most confidence each time you see him in purple. Who will it be!?!?

Leading vote getter so far is Hovan. So unless there is a sudden flurry over the next few days, come next Thursday we'll be down to nine survivors and Hovan won't be among them.

From the Sidelines I

Not all that long ago, the Democrats gave Billy Clinton a standing ovation during one of his State of the Union speeches for suggesting private Social Security accounts. Jump ahead to 2005 and these same Democrats are jeering President George Bush for saying the same thing. Typical.

After Bush's SOTU speech this week, I saw that the evil CNN presented some video of a previous State of the Union speech by Clinton. I didn't catch the year of but it had to be '98 because '98 was Clinton's year of save Social Security first.

On the tape, Clinton suggested private accounts for Social Security. He was talking about the surplus that they had, a $5 billion surplus that was projected for the next ten years and he wanted to take 60% of that and put it into Social Security to save Social Security first.

Recall that when a Democrat was in the White House back in '98 there was a crisis in Social Security? All the Democrats gave him a standing O when he mentioned this private account business.

So, you know, fast forward seven years and you find out that the same Democrats who were applauding the concept of private accounts are now doing everything they can to defeat them today.

Clinton also talked about a lot of things that needed to get done, terrorism for one, but didn't do diddly-squat on any of them. Enter Bush, and he arrives on the scene and starts tackling these things, with the express purpose of getting it done. But the Democrats just put up those obstructionist roadblocks, and it's doing nothing but harming themselves.

The State of the Union speech by Bush spoke of ambitious goals and on every one of them the Democrats are in opposition. They're in opposition to success of the war on terror, they're opposed to what we're doing in Iraq, they are opposed to Social Security reform. They are opposed to Bush's judges. They're going to be opposed to the president's budget. They're opposed to everything.

And at some point in the near future, their opposition is going to be obvious to one and all. The positions the president is taking are a win-win, because the Democrats are never going to be able to say "we helped" when these solutions come to pass and when they work. And if the Democrats on some of these issues succeed in blocking the president's agenda, the failure to fix these problems will someday show up and they will be known as the ones who stood in the way of the solution. So they've once again politically maneuvered themselves into a no-win situation with whatever position, any position that they are taking.

Fine by me. I want to be responsible for a portion of my Social Security. I manage both my wife's and my retirement accounts. I'm in there daily. I have grown it beyond our wildest dreams. I want to have my own Social Security account (you don't have your own account now....that's a misconception....it's all in a big pot people!). I want to manage it myself.

Get it done George. And if you have to leave Democrat road-kill to get there, so be it.

From the Sidelines II

Ever watch those poorly dubbed movies from the Far East? Their lips stop moving but the words keep pouring out. Funny stuff. Well, the shoe fits on the other foot as well. The following are actual English subtitles that have appeared in Hong Kong films:

• I am darn unsatisfied to be killed in this way.
• Fatty, you with your thick face have hurt my instep.
• A normal person wouldn't steal pituitaries.
• Darn, I'll burn you into a BBQ chicken
• Take my advice, or I'll spank you a lot.
• Who gave you the nerve to get killed here?
• This will be of fine service for you, you bag of the scum.
• I am sure you will not mind that I remove your toenails and leave them out on the desert floor for ants to eat.
• Quiet or I'll blow your throat up.
• I'll fire aimlessly if you don't come out! I will surround their house by myself.
• You daring lousy guy.
• Beat him out of recognizable shape!
• Yah-hah, evil spider woman! I have captured you by the short rabbits and can
now deliver you violently to your doctor for a thorough extermination.
• I have been scared silly too much lately.
• I got knife scars more than the number of your leg's hair!
• The bullets inside are very hot. Why do I feel so cold?
• How can you use my intestines as a gift?
• Greetings, large black person. Let us not forget to form a team up together and go into the country to inflict the pain of our karate feets on some of the giant lizard persons.
• Your western eyes will be fingered from your face.
• This hot sword will pierce your family dynasty.
• The Americans will not save you for Christmas.
• Both of you will die when the sun hits the bell.
• Feeling sexual we will invade into your women.
• You always use violence. I should've ordered glutinous rice.