Accountability

Now that the playoffs are underway, perhaps it is appropriate to review how well my predictions for the Major League Baseball season shook out.

After reviewing my choices, it appears that I better not quit my day job. My predictions skew to my marked pinstripe bias...apparently, my love for the Yankees precludes my ability to make sensible choices.

For starters, lets look at the American League East.

American League
I chose:
Boston
Cleveland
Seattle
With the Yanks nabbing the Wildcard.

What actually happened:
Tampa Bay
Chicago
Los Angeles Angels of the OC
Boston

OK. The Yanks failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 1993. That much we know. If I were to have done this over, I would have picked Tampa to get the Wildcard over Boston and the Yanks to win the division. Regardless, I would have been wrong.

I can't get over how badly I swung and missed with the Mariners, but I never would have predicted that Erik Bedard, a strikeout machine in Baltimore, was going to move to the Pacific Northwest and become a clubhouse cancer and .500 pitcher!

The Indians were in a solid division, yet still underachieveed, but at least they broke .500.


Now for my choices of Award Winners:
MVP: Magglio
Cy Young: Beckett
ROY: Joba/Bucholz
Manager: Joe Maddon
Executive: Shapiro


OK, we get it, you like to dive a lot

Keeping with my pro-Yankees bias, I hate Dustin Pedroia. With a passion. That said, I have to think that he's the trendy pick for MVP, and considering the way he played in Manny's stead, deservedly so.

For Cy Young, please show me anyone that predicted Cliff Lee would go 22-3. Yeah, exactly.

If healthy and if the Yanks made the playoffs, I'd imagine Joba would have had a shot at the Rookie of the Year honors. Clay Bucholz really spit the bit, so I have to take that one on the chin. It looks like Evan Longoria will take home ROY honors, again, well deserved by the Tampa Bay 3B.

I bet Joe Maddon takes home the Manager of the Year, and Tampa Bay GM Andrew Friedman (who is 31--what the Hell am I doing wrong?) gets executive of the year.

National League
I chose:
Mets
Cubs
Arizona
WC: Colorado

What actually happened:
Phillies
Cubs
LA Dodgers
WC: Milwaukee



Now I don't hate the Mets as much as I hate the Red Sox, nonetheless, I shouldn't have believed the hype! What are the odds--back to back years getting eliminated in game 162 at home?

The Cubbies made the most sense, but I'm shocked that the youthful energy of Arizona or the September experience of 2007 didn't translate for the Rockies.

MVP: Matt Holiday
Cy Young: Dan Haren
ROY: Fukudome

I have to figure that Ryan Howard's ridiculous post-steroid era home run numbers for a playoff team put him at the top of the list for MVP, although I imagine that Pujols deserves strong consideration.

Dan Haren's teammate Brandon Webb should get the NL Cy Young, but I think CC Sabathia should get some serious consideration--dude led the AL and NL in shutouts this year! Think about that.

While Fukudome was a big contributor (and All Star) for the Cubs, so was catcher Geovany Soto, who is also deserving.

Manager: Willie Randolph
Executive: Hendry

Yeah, about Willie Randolph... I think you have to go with the Cubs' Lou Pinella here.

I like my pick of Hendry. I really hope that Ned Colletti, the Dodgers GM, doesn't get more credit than he deserves.

Playoff Predictions
What I thought:
American League
Cle over Bos
Yanks over Sea
Yanks over Cle

National League
Mets over Colorado
Cubs over Arizona
Mets over Cubs

World Series
Yanks in 4

Fearless (Revised) Predictions
Philly over Mil
LAD over Cubs (I have the benefit of knowing the result of Game 1)

LAD over Philly

Tampa over ChiSox
LAA over Boston

Tampa over LAA

Dodgers over Tampa in 6!



Manny being Manny

It's fun to have a chance to root for Joe Torre again while at the same time I'm happy to now let my love and admiration for Manny be known to the world! That freaking guy can hit. He's Joe DiMaggio.

*Clearly, I have much to learn in terms of predicting the 162 game labyrinth that is Major League Baseball. So don't go to Vegas and try to cash in on these predictions.

Old Gray Lady on Chaminade: Home of the Flyers

My alma mater is one of Long Island's premier private schools.

Oh, you don't believe me? Well, ask the New York Times:

Indeed, more than 1,600 boys from as far as Manhattan and Westchester County applied last year for 425 freshman seats at Chaminade, which many consider one of Long Island’s premier private schools and a relative bargain at $6,660 a year. Chaminade, founded in 1930 and now the Island’s only all-boys Catholic school, has thrived by staying unabashedly Catholic and traditional.

In all seriousness, it was a thrill to see Chaminade receive some great press in a Sunday Times profile that provides a terrific snapshot of the current state of the institution.

This week, we had a Marianist brother, Ray Dominguez, come visit the Mission with one of the semi-regular contingents of Catholic groups we often receive. Even though Brother Ray wasn't one of the Long Island Marianists, it was still a thrill to talk with him and share how much the brothers mean to me.

I consider myself very fortunate to have attended Chaminade, although I'm glad I'm not competing for admission now--the school's getting better and tougher by the minute!


Graduation day, by the grace of the good Lord

One of the recent improvements that the school's most proud of is their new, state-of-the-art activity athletics center:

But perhaps no place is more popular than Chaminade, which has top-notch academic and athletic programs and last summer expanded its campus with a $20 million sports and activities complex. Donations from a high-powered alumni network that includes former Senator Alfonse M. D’Amato, County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi and the television commentator Bill O’Reilly paid for the project.

(Editor's Note: That's how you know the Times is still the Times--it gives Suozzi top billing over Bill O'Reilly.)

If any of my dear readers are interested in helping donate to the facility--which really is one of the best, if not the best, on Long Island--send me an email at morgan_obrien3@yahoo.com.

To enjoy the complete article, here's the link:

At a Boys’ Catholic School, Tradition Fuels Demand
By WINNIE HU
Published: September 28, 2008
Unlike most Roman Catholic schools in the New York area, which embrace students regardless of their religion, Mineola’s Chaminade High School requires a baptismal certificate to register.

Air Force Heroes: James Meredith

Tonight's debate in Oxford, Mississippi, on the campus of Ole Miss will bring national attention to a place that has a notorious position in our nation's history of race relations.

On October 1, 1962, Ole Miss was integrated thanks to the courage of a black Air Force veteran named James Meredith, who faced some hellacious opposition to his presence on campus.

[Meredith's] enrollment, virulently opposed by segregationist Governor Ross Barnett, sparked riots on the Oxford campus, which required federal troops and U.S. Marshals, who were sent by President John F. Kennedy. The riots led to a violent clash which left two people dead, including French journalist Paul Guihard, 48 soldiers injured and 30 U.S. Marshals with gun wounds.

In spite of the obstacles, Meredith graduated on August 18, 1963, with a degree in political science and later earned a law degree from Columbia University.

Prior to attending Ole Miss, Meredith was an Airman. Between 1951 and 1960, he served, in Peru, Indiana at Grissom Air Force Base and in Japan.

James Meredith had joined the Air Force after high school. To him, this was the only way he would be able to receive the type of education he desired. After leaving the military, he realized that the only way he would be able to fulfill his craving for a good education was to go to college. He also realized that the same quality of education offered to white students was not available to him. There were black colleges available to him. He did not believe that black students were offered an education as good as white students were offered. He decided that the only place he could receive the education he wanted was to enroll in the University of Mississippi. (link)

Meredith's example is a terriffic display of the social mobility and countless opportunities the military can offer. When the right person puts on the uniform, the example of men like James Meredith shows that it isn't hyperbole (and one of the rare opportunities in life where this is true) to say that their potential is limitless. And institutionally, the opportunities and openness of the Air Force provided an unparalleled launching pad for Meredith's potential.

The Air Force had been recently established after World War II, and did not have the same legacy of racism as the other branches did. Meredith was sent to Japan shortly after joining the Air Force. In Japan, Meredith stated, he was never conscious of his racial identity as he was in the US. Meredith was amazed by the attitude of racial tolerance in Japan in the mid-1950s. Meredith spent lots of time following the news of racial strife within the US during the 1950s. He also began to study race relations while serving his military duty (link)

At the same time, the fact that Meredith was a veteran played an important role supporting his argument for admission into Ole Miss. Institutionally, the cache provided by the military--the simple fact that this American willingly served his nation for nearly a decade--transcended race.

Today, Meredith lives in Jackson, MS, with his wife. As Americans, we all take a moment to appreciate that the first black candidate for president will engage in a debate at Ole Miss-- which owes a debt of gratitude to the courage of one of the finest Americans to wear the Air Force Blue.

Morgan O'Brien's WiGO 09.26.08

Kudos again are due to Gen. Norton Schwartz, the Air Force Chief of Staff for some adroit handling of a tenuous situation.

Not only has Schwartz--along with new AF Secretary Donley--called out a number of flag officers for their recent failures in properly handling our nuclear enterprise, but he named names.

From working to reinstill pride in the service to actually holding people accountable Schwartz deserves credit for his clear understanding of his mandate for change. Regarding the nuclear enterprise, Schwartz' actions were impressive on a number of levels:

• Blame went where it belonged--to the top of the pyramid. Too often stories like this end up with blame laying with 18-year-old Airmen. That is ridiculous--THESE ARE NUCLEAR FREAKING WEAPONS! Blame belongs at the top. This is a zero-fail careerfield.

• AF.mil covered the story as a top story, ensuring that the service would not try to hide the warts (well, most of the warts) behind this less than flattering story.

• The Air Force Times had names and pictures. Nothing's better than seeing the mug shots of this lineup--it sends a clear message that accountability runs from top to bottom, and reinforces accountability throughout the chain of command.

For the record, here are the names and punishments of those officers (Gosh, I hope these megalomaniacs Google themselves and have to read this page. That would make my weekend):

The Air Force generals receiving administrative actions include:
* Lt. Gen. Kevin J. Sullivan, deputy chief of staff for logistics, installations and mission support, Air Force Headquarters;
* Lt. Gen. Michael A. Hamel, commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center;
* Maj. Gen. Roger W. Burg, commander, 20th Air Force, F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo;
* Maj. Gen. Kathleen D. Close, commander, Ogden Logistics Center, Utah;
* Brig. Gen. Francis M. Bruno, director of logistics, Air Force Material Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; and
* Brig. Gen. Arthur B. Cameron III, director of Resource Integration, Air Force Headquarters.

LTG Sullivan = PWND
On a related note, I really hope that FE Warren checks this page--Wyoming remains the lone state to not have visited www.morganobrien.com since we began tracking these things.

Again, this is a great direction, and this adept handling of a terrible situation is straight out of 12 O'Clock High.

Unfortunately, it looks like this vigilance must spread towards the area of protecting our women in uniform.

Two stories this week showed that there's a clear divide between where we're going and where we need to be:

Woman gets nearly $1 million in suit against Tyndall

A former civilian employee at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., won nearly $1 million in federal court, as a jury was convinced that her on-base superiors passed her over for promotions in retaliation for testifying about gender discrimination.

Here's hoping that this case sets a clear precedent. Whistle blowers and squeaky wheels are too often tamped down for fear of retribution. It's great to see the Air Force get its comeuppance here.

Lt. describes alleged assault in nuke bunker

Now I think that the ballistic nuclear missile mission is incredibly important to our national defense and international relations efforts. At the same time, the job freaking sucks.

It is bad enough when you have to worry about sexual predators not only in the O'Club, but while you're behind an 8-ton blast door, the Air Force really does have some issues that need serious attention.

A lieutenant stationed at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., testified Wednesday that a higher-ranking officer sexually assaulted her as the two operated a nuclear launch facility bunkered 30 feet deep in Teton County.

The hearing, held at Malmstrom, was to determine whether there is enough evidence against [redacted] to justify a general court-martial. Pitman is charged with aggravated sexual contact and conduct unbecoming of an officer.

In the wake of the Duke lacrosse case, I'll be careful about naming names in this instance. I do believe in innocent until proven guilty. However, if true, it sounds like this (alleged) creep was really a creep:

During the 72-hour period the two were stationed at the launch facility, the woman had another 12-hour shift alone in the bunker with [the alleged assailant]. She testified that during that time, [the alleged assailant] asked her to “pinky-swear” she wouldn’t tell anybody what happened.

Finally, on a lighter note, the Air Force now has an official blog. Yet, the service is so terrified of the truth and individual thinking (lagging behind the Army it so cheerily derides) that it BLOCKS ITS OWN BLOG FROM .MIL SERVERS!!!


No Trust!

Talk about wanting your cake and eat it too! The service wants to be hip and promote it's venture into Web 2.0, yet it doesn't trust our Airmen enough to take off the training wheels.

That's all for this week.

As always,
With my Greatest Respect,

Morgan

Guilty Pleasure: Breaking Bad

Congrats to Brian Cranston, emmy winner for his role as Walter White in one of my favorite shows, AMC's Breaking Bad.

As a recent resident of Albuquerque, I fell in love with the American Southwest. Since I left that desolate region of the country, I’ve made the most of recent investments made by the Land of Enchantment to draw film crews to New Mexico for television and movies, using these programs to take a cheap trip back to my adopted home.

Through these virtual travels, I’ve enjoyed In the Valley of Elah, hated Wild Hogs and The Eye and fallen in love with Breaking Bad.

Staring Cranston—the dad from Malcolm in the Middle—the show follows a recently diagnosed, terminal lung cancer patient, Walter White.

White’s also a Chemistry genius, but also somewhat of an underachiever who never fully capitalized on his smarts (we meet his incredibly more successful former partner towards the end of Season 1 and are introduced to a plaque celebrating White as a contributor to a Nobel Prize-winning team in Episode 1).



In order to take care of his wife, Skylar, unborn child and teenage son(who has MS), White decides to cash in on his talents—as a Meth dealer.

Using the sparse, vast desert landscape of New Mexico as a metaphor for his hopelessness (ugh, did I just write that?), White exits the safe confines of Suburbia and enters the filthy, unglamorous world of drug dealing, working with one of his former loser students to cook and distribute the product.

Watching Walt work in a mobile meth lab with professional precision is a neat entrance into fantasy, as he’s contrasted with the yeoman’s work done by the considerably more careless. Throughout the first season, the moral challenges presented by Walt’s bargain with the devil are thought-provoking and in most cases unpredictable.

Thankfully, the show doesn’t try to be preachy. Even as one of the neat devices surrounds Walt’s brother in law, who is (of course) a Special Agent in the DEA, this character isn’t used as a foil to talk about the inanities of our nation’s drug policies or to hammer home the sins of drug use. Instead, the show incredibly focuses on solid writing, excellent character acting and an intriguing premise.
Thanks to the writer’s strike, the show’s first season only ran eight episodes. As the second season revs up in production, a word of advice: The show must commit to it’s finite premise.

Here’s hoping the production team commits to another good season, maybe 10 episodes, committed to tying up loose ends. Pushing the show beyond another season will stray from its initial premise and will begin to beat a dead horse.

Here's a link to the pilot episode (and it's free!).

Meeting the Commander in Chief

This morning, President Bush spoke to the personnel of the U.S. Mission at a cozy reception held at the Waldorf. With Secretary Rice by his side, the president spoke briefly, thanking us all for our work and teasing his final address to the UN General Assembly, which he was to give later this morning.

The President then took a photo with children of Mission personnel (telling them to blame him for being late to school) and shook hands with mission staffers.

Despite repeated warnings to not ask for autographs, Mrs. Morganobrien.com took the bull by the horns and had the leader of the free world sign an official Rawlings baseball commemorating the last season of Yankee Stadium. Kudos to my better half for having the guts in the family.

(It should be noted that one of my all time favorite events at the Stadium was the 2001 World Series, when the president fired a strike to kick off Game 1.)

The President happily obliged, signing the ball and striking up a conversation about the Yanks with my Mrs. Just a terriffic moment, one we will never forget. Man, I'm a lucky guy.



ENDNOTE: I never had the opportunity to meet the President at Kirtland, despite serving as the base lead for a half dozen visits (I would say 'thanklessly' serving as base lead, but Junior Suminsby awarded me with the Air Force Achievement Medal for my efforts, which was pretty sharp and much appreciated). Nonetheless, I got his autograph: how you like them apples, Kirtland!!!

All-Time Good Guys: Bert Sugar

For about three hours tonight at the Waldorf, I was stuck at the Lexington Avenue entrance of the Waldorf conducting business I won't go into here. Needless to say, it was an incredibly monotonous work detail.

Then, all of a sudden amidst the boredom, comes this old codger wearing a fedora and striking up a stogie. It ends up that this character was none other than noted sportswriter and boxing hall of famer Bert Sugar.

I didn't tell Mr. Sugar that I had a blog, nor did I tell him that I'd write about him, so I'm not going to go into detail about our conversation in the interest of not being a DB. However, there were a few observations I'm compelled to share:

He's a class act--he talked to me for a solid 25 minutes and was actually engaged in the conversation, coloring his vivid answers with some great anecdotes.

The overwhelming majority of people that recognized him were black and Hispanic. I would imagine that Bert thinks that this speaks to the univerality of the sweet science. It was pretty cool to see these twenty and thirty somethings call Bert 'a legend'

He looks great. For a 72-year-old, life-long smoker he's quick and makes it hard to believe that he's hung out with Yogi, Joe D and Teddy Ballgame.

Personally, as a guy that's constantly searching for a life path, having Mr. Sugar basically fall into my lap and regale me with stories for nearly a half hour was a fantastic gift, for which I'm incredibly thankful. Thanks, Bert.

Gen. Schwartz is GANGSTER

I typically rush to judgment and I know it's still early in the game, but early reports are showing that Sec. Gates has the Midas touch. After sackign Moseley and Wynne, it looks like putting Gen. Norton Schwartz at the helm of the world's greatest Air and Space Force has been a stroke of genius.

You have to love how Norty decided to use the AFA to go Suge Knight on some punk ass retired generals:

What I think we need to avoid is to have Americans believe that their military leadership can be bought

I also think that sending pilots straight to UAV training before UPT is the right call, but I'm pissed that their bringing officers in off the line to fly UAVs. I missed that boat. It would be like playing video games all day for work--I was already a pro at doing that while I was in the Air Force.

Finally, I think his move to blues on Mondays was just the economic stimulus package needed by AAFES...more on uniforms later.

Schwartz was given the mandate for change and he's chosen to take the ball and run with it. Asa an organization clearly in need of an identity alteration, things are looking up in the early going.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday, United States Air Force. We've had a love-hate relationship over the last decade, but I can't help but always come to the conclusion that I'm a better person for having served. Even if you do stuff like this (link--biting my tongue).

PS- Happy birthday to the CIA and Joint Chiefs, as well. God Bless the National Security Act of 1947.

Beat Ohio State!!!

Woman wrongfully put on 'Wall of Shame' is suing

Very interesting story out of Newsday today:

Woman wrongfully put on 'Wall of Shame' is suing
Driver who suffered medical condition taking legal action against Nassau, Hempstead Village

The Bellerose woman whose name, photograph and hometown were featured on Nassau County's "Wall of Shame" after her May arrest -- though she was neither intoxicated nor drug-impaired -- is suing the county and the village police department that arrested her, the woman's attorneys said Friday.

Andrea Sangermano, 50, wiped away tears at a Mineola news conference as she spoke of the humiliation she has felt since being arrested May 23 by police in Hempstead village for driving while impaired by drugs.

That was the first day of Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi's plan to publicize the arrests of drunken drivers through a "Wall of Shame." To date, that effort has included the photos and names of nearly 900 people. ( more)

The story goes on to explain that in May, Ms. Sangermano drove erratically and got into an accident. When police arrived, the arresting officer noticed she was speaking with a slur and had bloodshot eyes. Apparently, drunk driving and diabetic shock share these symptons. Ms. Sangermano was exonorated, and is now suing the County for posting her picture on the infamous "Wall of Shame."

While this is an interesting case--Nassau County's calling it 'an anomaly'-- and my heart goes out to Ms. Sangermano, this begs the question: if you are in diabetic shock, and get into an accident, is that not, by definition, a liability to other drivers? If we prosecute driving while texting or not using a hands free, wouldn't you think that we should expect our fellow drivers to recognize the symptoms of diabetic shock, recognize that they pose a threat to us, and pull over? Perhaps I'm oversimplifying, but it bears mentioning.

Also, if more than 900 folks have recieved the "Wall of Shame" treatment, and only one has a complaint, that means that the program is effective 99.9% of the time. There are hospitals that would kill for that kind of accuracy (alright, I guess the hospitals wouldn't 'kill' for that kind of accuracy, but you get the point).

Notably,Newsday and Morganobrien.com both employ a disclaimer that reads, "all are presumed innocent until proven guilty."

God Bless America

For all our differences, these guys know when to come together, and recognize that we're all Americans first and foremost. We win either way, America.

McCain, Obama commemorate 9/11 together

I think I just threw up in my mouth

I knew this day would come, I just never believed it:
Most Disappointing News EVER!!!

Guilty Pleasure: Newsday's Wall of Shame: September

I noticed a disturbing trend this week, a number of those arrested and charged with DUI in Nassau County and subsequently highlighted on Newsday's Wall of Shame this week share names with Major League ballplayers:


Not to be confused with Orioles backstop Ramon Hernandez

Not to be confused with Braves Catcher Javy Lopez
or the other Javy Lopez, for that matter

Not to be confused with the Rays First Baseman

Rest assurred, the cream still rose to the top, here are some lowlights:


I think this guy plays the pan flute at Penn Station


"The Stranger: I like your style, Dude."


What would Jesus do?
Apparently, ride his mule drunk and then smile in his mugshot


No relation to the guy above


A picture's worth 1,000 corny jokes


"I was a roadie for ZZ Top back in '86, on the Afterburner tour"


Rock the SKULLET!!!
On a related note, you may notice that I haven't posted any pictures of female offenders. That's because I looked a few of them up, found their Facebook pages, and they invariably date gues off of HCwDB.com...


Alright, maybe just this once:



*All are presumed innocent until proven guilty

Kid Rock and Weezy tear up the VMA's

Alright, Lil' Wayne was a little bit of a weird fit. During the red carpet show, Rock alluded to the possibility that Weezy didn't make it to rehearsal.

Still, Rock's ability to have fun anywhere was on full display tonight. The guy owns the party.



In related news, the androgynous lead singer from Tokio [sic] Hotel was wearing Tech Sgt. stripes when he received his Moonman. They rock.

Also, Aldous Snow was like the worst host ever. Dude needs to calm down, he was like the illegitimate child of Richard Lewis and Dane Cook.

Sodomize Intolerance, indeed.

Week in Review

I hate Ohio State and I hate the Patriots.  But I have to admit that their respective misfortunes this weekend had opposite effects on me:

If Tom Brady really did tear his ACL, then that sucks. He's either 1 or 1A in terms of pro QBs, and it would be so much more rewarding to watch Favre beat the Pats with Brady at the helm. Now, if the Jets can still beat a solid New England squad, it will have an asterisk.

On the other hand...

If Ohio had pulled off the improbable upset against the Luckeyes in the Horseshoe this weekend, that would have been like the greatest thing to happen to me ever.

Now, the Bobcat-Buckeye showdown Saturday had all the markings of a trap game, with the Bucks looking towards a showdown with USC next week.  So I'm not so naive as to think that OSU won't show up against USC next week (heck, it's not like Cheaty McSweatervest ever fails to prepare his team for big games. Right? I mean, right?)  

In Cheaty, We Trust

Go Trojans.

In related news, look at what OSU receiver Ray Small had to say about OSU vs. USC:

"Here at Ohio State, they teach you to be a better man," Small said. "There, it's just all about football."

Small's got a point,obviously:

During Tressel's time, Alex Boone (in 2006) did not face suspension from games after a DUI arrest, while players Steve Bellisari (2001), Redgie Arden (2002) and Brandon Joe (2002) were suspended for at least a game for the same offense. Quinn Pitcock (2002) and Fred Pagac Jr. (2002) also served one-game suspensions for alcohol-related offenses.

oh, yeah, and there's this:

Maurice Edward Clarett (born October 29, 1983 in Youngstown, Ohio[1]) is a former American football player. During his freshman year at Ohio State University, he was considered one of the best college football players in the country, leading the Buckeyes to a national championship. He is well known for unsuccessfully challenging the NFL's rule that a player must be out of high school for three years to be eligible for the entry draft, and for his tumultuous life in and out of the courtroom afterwards. Since the national championship game that made him a household name, Clarett has not played another game of football. The former tailback is currently serving prison time after accepting a plea deal amid charges of committing robbery, carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, and resisting arrest.

I'll let my man Carson Palmer have the last word:

It’s amazing to hear what those guys think about that university and what they think about that football program and Tressel and all the crap I got to put up with being back there. I just can’t wait for two years from now when ‘SC comes to the ‘Shoe and I get to, hopefully have a home game that weekend and I can go out there and watch us pound on them on their own turf and kind of put all the talk to rest, because I’m really getting sick of it. I just can’t wait for this game to get here so they can come to the Coliseum and experience L.A. and get an old fashioned, Pac 10 butt-whooping and go back to the Big Ten.

Although for such a big talker Carson might want to throw for at least 100 yards next week.

Destination: Washington

Lower 48 + DC: Mission Accomplished

Great 48!

I'm proud to announce that yesterday, I gained my 48th state visited*, with a stop in Oregon, the Beaver State. Tomorrow, I'll gain state number 49, with a visit to my buddy Weiss in Washington, leaving only Hawaii on the table. I get Hawaii Thanksgiving week, with a visit to the Maui Invitational.

I have to credit my Air Force service with sending me all over the place and exposing me to virtually every nook and cranny of the entire nation. And what I've learned in my 28 years of travels is that I freaking love this country. I've been honored to serve, and am extremely excited about the prospects of representing US foreign policy. I dig that I've actually knocked around from sea to shining sea, and I think it gives me even more credibility if I'm ever entrusted with public diplomacy opportunities abroad.


Who says Diplomats are "cake eaters"?

That said, now's a good time to share that the world is indeed flat. In a way, thanks to the Internet, I've been empowered to engage other cultures via this stupid Web site. As of today, www.morganobrien.com has been viewed in more than 50 nations (from 34 hits in Canada to one hit in places like Chile, Sri Lanka and Belgium), on 6 continents**. I've also tracked visitors from 46 states and DC.



Incredibly, I'm missing hits from Iowa (even with all my wrestling articles, I'm kind of offended), Wyoming (darn, if Officer O'Brien lived there, I might get some hits), Delaware (what?) and Vermont. Although, Vermont is dead to me.

Who know's what's next? Every continent? Then every time zone (Newfoundland, I'm looking at you and all your half-hour weirdness).

The adventure continues. I enjoy having you along for the ride!

Morgan
-----
*How I define "state visited" is an inexact science. Layovers clearly don't count, but driving more than say, 100 miles through a state probably gets you credit.
**Still don't have Antarctica! Maybe if I do this: McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo McMurdo
I'll get some hits.

News Flash!

Oh, dear Lord

You gotta love the Air Force! I'm going to have nightmares about this happening...especially with you-know-who lurking. Interestingly, I didn't know Capt. Kibiloski, even within the small PA world. I'd love to know the whole story...

A welcome separation payment that wasn’t
A year later, DFAS tells captain to return $103K
By Bruce Rolfsen - Staff writer

An Air Force mistake cost Sharon Kibiloski $103,000.

When Kibiloski left the active-duty Air Force as a captain in spring 2007, she walked out with a $103,000 voluntary separation payment approved by the Air Force Personnel Center.

More than a year later, the Defense Department demanded the money back, claiming Kibiloski did not qualify for VSP.

Morgan O'Brien's WiGO 09.04.08

Military Blogging article from The Nation
Yet another reason to love Gen. Petraeus (and All-American fave, Bill Caldwell):

Lt. Gen. William Caldwell, who commanded the 82nd Airborne in Iraq, is calling for more soldier blogging. He argues that instead of blaming the media for negative war coverage, the military should "empower" soldiers to blog and interact directly with the public and the press--even if it leads to some critical stories. In a recent blog entry for Small Wars Journal, Caldwell noted that the military takes many risks on the battlefield but becomes risk averse in "the informational domain." Meanwhile, one of the most prominent military leaders, Gen. David Petraeus, has plunged into the blogosphere from Baghdad to the Beltway. Last year, he e-mailed the popular conservative blog Blackfive to publicly thank "milbloggers" for "accurate" reporting on "the situation on the ground" in Iraq, while crediting them for following "legitimate operational security guidelines."

I'm a huge proponent of the power of information. As I look to learn more about the Foreign Service, I've often searched blogs written by junior FSOs looking for information on the exam process and A-100. I think that the military would do well to promote this type of information exchange among troops looking to enlist and those preparing to deploy. Likewise, as I wrote a few months ago, part of this blog's mission is to hold our military leadership accountable during this period of tremendous importance.

It seems like those self-assurred leaders with the least to fear--heroes like Caldwell and Petraeus-- are the biggest proponents of this openness. Meanwhile, those that earned their rank through less-than-heroic circumstances hit this site, well, we'll continue to keep an eye on you.

This headline needs a play on X-Files or something hacky like that
Thoughts and prayers are going out to Fox Mulder himself, David Duchovny, as he battles addiction. I thought this fantastic Newsweek article explained the fascinating concept and realities of sex addiction rather well.

New 2008 NFL Rules
As the NFL season kicks off tonight, I am using this as a shameless opportunity to nab some hits. New rules for the 2008 NFL season include:

A communication device is now allowed in the helmet of one defensive player.

Teams that win the coin toss can now defer until the second half.

Unless literally carried out by a defensive player, receivers must land with two feet inbounds for a completion.

The five-yard face mask penalty for incidental contact with the facemask was eliminated. Any twisting, grabbing or illegal use of a facemask will result in a 15-yard penalty.

and finally...

Jack Link's Beef Jerky has some funny f'ing commercials





With my greatest respect,
Morgan

Guilty Pleasure: Newsday's Wall of Shame

Thanks to creative thinking by Chaminade alum Tom Suozzi (where better to learn the craft of time-tested, appropriate punishment), each week the mugs of Nassau County DWI offenders hit the Newsday Web site.

While a quick glance would lead one to believe that on Long Island only creepy looking dudes and attractive 21-year old ladies have a severe drinking problem, included within the photos are some gems:


This....is my new Hair Cut!


If Prince and Gerardo had a love child...


I can smell the alcohol through the screen


Must have gotten lost on the way to a casting call for OZ extras (I hope this guy doesn't find my Web site and slaughter me)


How's he ever going to tell his grandkids?


John Mellencamp called, he wants his hair back

* All are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
** Since August 11, 131 of Long Island's best and brightest made the Wall of Shame.