Tried and true...

The short-post trend will continue here at Hayduke's place at least until later this week. Christmas is dragging on this year with the arrival of my wayward sister tomorrow from Big Sky country. Recovering from the wedding, concert, football games (played and watched), and other activities during the past week is also dragging on. But, such is the bed I've made.

So, here's your allotment of short posts (a.k.a. Round Up) for today. It's enough to get you through, though the taste of dissatisfaction will surely linger.

A postmodern political question if ever there was one: As a strong proponent of de-politicizing local politics (insofar as parties and their national identities go, anyway), this story about local candidates who are being intentionally coy about party affiliation sounds, on the surface, like something worthy of praise. However, upon further reflection, reading it makes me wonder if this is not just a higher level of politicization, inasmuch as voters are so reliant on political parties when voting that these parties become a liability in certain areas, regardless of the candidates' strength, and eschewing the labels is just a tactic in political point scoring. Prone to making things overly complicated, my mind reels.

Adding fuel to the fire, the debate over the historic Carroll-family estate will be around for a while. Read some updates here.

Big night tomorrow for the County Council, as they are scheduled to vote on the various smoking bills and whether to grant a cable franchise for Verizon. The night promises to be exciting, so much so that Hayduke may have to make time to attend (depending on the aforementioned arrival of his sister). Stay tuned!

Finally, congratulations to the Redskins, and in particular, Joe Gibbs. The Hayduke household is 50 percent overjoyed, 25 percent happy, and 25 percent ambavilent. Abbzug is a HUGE Skins fan and has awaited this day for many (well, six) years. The tears of joy she shed over Gibbs's return to the team were not in vain, and her prediction that the team would reach the NFL's second season within three years of the Savior's return was characteristically prescient (However, my prediction that Kyle Boller should be the Ravens' starting quarterback next year lost a lot of value yesterday, but I'm in it for the long run and stand by what I said).

Further bolstering Abbzug's position as the preeminent football prognosticator in this house was her game winning prediction in the fourth quarter. Here's the set up: Following a personal foul that negated a first down and knocked the Eagles back 15 yards, Philly completes a short pass for five yards to their own 20-yard line as the clock dips under 13:00. During the proceeding huddle, Abbzug, nervous over the Redskins 3-point deficit (it was 20 to 17 at the time) and the ebb of time, says, "Alright, the Redskins gotta get a turnover here." I followed this prediction with a remark about the elongated, Bawlmer-style "O" she used in pronouncing "turnover," but the football gods overlooked my pettiness and granted Abbzug her wish--Lamar Marshall immediately tips a pass up in the air and watches it fall back down into his hands. Next play, Clinton Portis takes the handoff, bursts through a broken line, tiptoes along the far sideline, and dives into the endzone. Much jumping, yelling, and dog barking ensues. Lost in the celebration is the completely obvious fact: Game Over.

I wrote a very long and somewhat angry paragraph about why I'm a Ravens fan, why I can't shake a sentimental attachment to the Skins--the team of my youth--and how much I dislike Cleveland, their fans, and the national media that feel compelled to coddle this pathetic city at the same time they vilify Art Modell. But restraint is the better part of something that I don't have enough of, so I didn't bother posting it. Also, it's the New Year, time to focus on the future.

That said, Cleveland sucks.

YEEHAW!