Tressel: You want answers?
Kaffee (Tom Cruise): I think I'm entitled to them.
Tressel: You want answers?
Kaffee: I want the truth!
Tressel: You can't handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has
good offensive and defensive schemes. And those schemes are run by good
coaches and players. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Mark May? I have a
greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for our
running backs and you curse the offensive line. You have that luxury.
You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that the running back
tackle for a loss of yards, while tragic, probably wins games. And my
existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, wins games...You
don't want the truth. Because deep down, in places you don't talk about
at parties, you want me calling those plays. You need me calling those
plays. We use words like fundamentals, zone blocking, ball security...we
use these words as the backbone to a life spent refining something. You
use 'em as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to
explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the
very winning program I provide, then questions the manner in which I
provide it! I'd rather you just said thank you and went on your way.
Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a clipboard or line up. Either way, I
don't give a damn what you think you're entitled to!
Kaffee: Did you call the power running play?
Tressel: (quietly) I did the job you sent me to do.
Kaffee: Did you call the power running play?
Tressel: You're goddamn right I did!!

The following is text from an email sent by Hope Brustein, Executive Director of the Geauga County Humane Society's Rescue Village, related to Issue 2 which is on the ballot this November. Issue 2 appears to be a wonderful idea at first glance but you should read it closely and seriously consider voting NO. It will be akin to putting the fox in charge of the hen house.





“Things are seldom what they seem, skim milk masquerades as cream...” from Gilbert & Sullivan, HMS Pinafore



Earlier this year, 2 large farm pigs came to Geauga Humane Society’s Rescue Village, where I work as the Executive Director. Minnie and Cricket already had star credentials, having been featured in the HBO documentary, “Death on A Factory Farm.” In this difficult to watch film, the public saw what life (and death) is like for animals being raised for food on one of the big factory farms in Ohio.



The fact that Issue 2 in Ohio has kicked up such a firestorm of controversy is not surprising. People in urban, suburban and rural areas, including farmers, are more concerned with food than ever before ~what we eat, how it is grown, what goes into it, and, when it involves meat, how the animals are treated. And, of course, farmers and all of us are concerned about economic survival as well.



I have read wild claims that Issue 2 divides out between vegans versus meat-eating and meat-producing farmers. This is clearly, in Minnie and Cricket’s words, if they could speak, hogwash!



Fact is that opponents of Issue 2, just like the general population, run the gamut from happy carnivores to vegetarians to vegans. Fact is that the Issue 2 debate does not break down based on what is on our dinner plates. Fact is that just about everyone on both sides of this issue is concerned about improving the standards that govern care and treatment of livestock and poultry. But saying “just about everyone” is not the same as “everyone.”



Hard-fought battles were waged in Michigan and California to win even small reforms in the laws governing standards. No, not everyone agrees that laying hens should live in cages bigger than a notebook paper. Not everyone agrees that livestock should be able to turn around or lie down comfortably. Most everyone agrees, but NOT everyone. This is where the power of BIG agribusiness comes in.



It is no secret that big agribusiness emphasizes profits. However, it is possible to provide humane conditions and care without breaking the bank. Humane treatment can be cost effective.



In our state an amazing thing has happened. In Ohio, one of the centers for big agribusiness, there has seemingly been a miracle. Issue 2 came up and got on the ballot in what felt like record time. Before anyone could catch their breath, we had a massively funded campaign to convince the voters to make a constitutional change. And, what’s more, the language of that change seemed almost too good to be true. Here in Ohio we are going to get to vote on having it in our constitution that there would be a 13 person Board regulating standards; a board that would allegedly see to it that livestock and poultry were treated more humanely. Suddenly this state, which has been so stubbornly backwards on standards and laws protecting animals seemed to be born again animal welfare fans. Issue 2 seemed like the crème de la crème!



Curiously though, not a single humane society was contacted or consulted in the creation of Issue 2. Hmmm. This was strange given it is the humane societies that enforce Ohio state cruelty law in most counties. So I asked myself a question: would the Minnie and Cricket’s of this world benefit from passing Issue 2 and enshrining this 13 member board in the state constitution?



The Board that will be enshrined in the state constitution if Issue 2 passes will sit above the voters, with no accountability, no oversite (even from the Ohio Assembly) and no guarantee that it will involve people, or enough people, who are not tied to the narrow political or economic interests of BIG AGRIBUSINESS.



If you ask me, Issue 2 in Ohio is both a response to the small reforms that have been won in other states and a precedent setting power move. Because if Issue 2 passes it will be that much harder, not easier, to challenge the status quo. This, indeed, would not benefit Minnie and Cricket. Things are seldom what they seem; this is a case of skim milk masquerading as cream. Vote NO on Issue 2.



Hope Brustein

Executive Director of Geauga Humane Society’s Rescue Village

440.338.4819 Ext 16 director@geaugahumane.org

This is at least 15 years old and yet still relevant to the present day...and very funny.

Words fail me. Check this out.

I haven't bought a game in ages so I did not feel guilty when Empire: Total War went on sale on Tuesday. I think it will eventually be a fun game, but it is going to take a long time to to figure out what I am doing. It is not as complicated as the Europa Universalis games but it still has a lot going on.

I am playing a game as the Russians on a supposedly easy level and I am doing okay but I am putting out fires all over the place. Ottomans, Crimean Tatars, Georgians, and some groups I have never heard of are making the Ukraine and Don basin a tough place to call home. Thankfully the Swedes have left me alone as 80% of my army is arrayed against the Turks.

It was very strange how parts of the game last night was similar to the OSU-Texas game. Had OU capitalized on redzone opportunities in the first half, they win that game. When they couldn't score twice in the redzone, I had a feeling OU was going to lose.

I really don't like SEC teams (except Georgia, I like them for some reason) so I am not happy that another SEC team has a BCS title. However, having OU go 0-5 in their last 5 BCS games and 1-3 in title games should get the damn media off of OSU's back for little while...at least until USC nut stomps OSU again next year.

It is really sad how much talent OSU had on its team this year that was hamstrung by a mediocre OL and a so-so DL (although the DL got much better toward the end of the year). OSU WRs were not superstars and did not strike fear in defenses hearts, but they should not have had to with Beanie in the back field. A true freshman at QB will limit what you can do....oh well. while Pryor is only a freshman, he really needs to work on his passing. His short and medium range passes have absolutely no touch on them. There would a couple of times a FB or TE was WIDE OPEN and he skipped the ball into the ground. The screen pass to Beanie, while complete, was ugly..ugly..ugly. He almost put it in the rafters.

I also hope that OSU's young WR turn into the studs I think that they might be. Devier Posey, Lamar Thomas, Dane Sansenbacher....could be really really good. Jake Stoneburner a 6'5" 230 lbs WR who red-shirted this year is supposedly good but I think he will end up at TE. I am also hearing really good things about Chris Carter's kid who will be a true freshman next year. He is not a burner but he is big 6'3" and has great hands. He definitely has the genes.

Still, I have to give Tressel credit. The coaching job in the Fiesta Bowl this year may have been his best job in years. The team was competitive from start to finish and would have won the game barring a broken tackle. Nothing to be ashamed of.

I just realized that even Vanderbilt gets to play a bowl game essentially at home. Got to love the SEC. I think it is in the Constitution that Southerns are not allowed to leave the old Confederate states unless they are being extradited.

I just read where HBO greenlighted a pilot for A Game of Thrones, Book I of George RR Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice. It is just a pilot and not an order for a whole season. Still, that's pretty cool.

Supposedly, the idea would be to do a whole season for each book. Assuming, it gets picked up, I would be shocked it if made it more than one or two season considering ROME only got two seasons.

Now, if Martin would just finish the next book, I will be happy.

That is why I love college football. You just never know what is going to happen.

On another note, Tressel may have trouble in recent years in big games but he does not lose games to unranked scrubs like Pete Carrol consistently does. Oregon State was a 25 point underdog this year and Stanford was a 41 point underdog last year and both teams beat the USC Prophylactics.

USC will probably win the PAC-10 this year. However, I doubt USC will be able to jump a one loss Big 12 or SEC team considering how weak the PAC-10 has looked this year in non-conference games.

This also means OSU might meet USC in the Rose Bowl. Of course, Penn State might have something to say about that. Since Penn State beat Oregon State 45-14 a few weeks ago, you have to wonder how good JoePa's team is this year. I wasn't giving them any credit because they hadn't played anybody yet. The Oregon State win looks pretty good right now.

The Buckeye DL was average. The Buckeye OL was average. They both met great lines...and that was the difference. No pass rush on Sanchez and you might as well have charged USC's DL rent for camping out in OSU's backfield. I don't care how good the rest of the team is. If you lose the battle up front, you are screwed.

Boeckman is an average journeyman QB. Give him a good or great line and he will produce (Penn State 2007), give him a average to bad line and he won't. He can't carry a team by himself....of course very few QBs can (Vince Young, Peyton Manning, etc.)

SEC speed and USC speed is somewhat of a myth. OSU DB were actually quite good in the game against USC as the Trojan receivers were not running by them. However, there is something known as "Big Speed" (Javaris Moss, Glenn Dorsey, etc.), which OSU lacks and hasn't had since Will Smith and Darrion Scott were there. DBs can only cover for so long.

If RichRod does get his system and players humming in Ann Arbor, Tressel is toast. he won't have the athletes on the DL to compete.