SWITZERLAND FORUM

[Baglady]

Bittersweet feeling here. Thrilled my childhood, hometown NYG are playing in the SB , what a contrast to the miserable season for my Colts

Indy locals are most definitely pulling for the 'other' Manning and his team.
This went up on Monument Circle in downtown Indy yesterday, (you need to scroll down to see the whole thing - I think), pretty cool....

SB 46, Indy.jpg (97.22 KiB) Viewed 14667 times

[Emeritus]

To be perfectly honest, I'm not enthusiastic about either team in the Super Bowl. I'm ready to start the 2012 season!

[cklaurence]

You sure sound crabby, Em. The only reason I care at all about the SB is to cheer Ms B's team along. We all know how I feel about the Patriots, and to see them make it back there again only gives me heartburn. We came so close to having fresh teams in there, which would have been really cool for a nice change, but somehow we ended up not only with the same old, same old, but with a rematch of a couple years back. Oh dear, anyone but the Patriots. Except maybe the Jets. Or, er, Buffalo or the Raiders. Or, or, or...

[Emeritus]

LOL, I think that we see where you are going with that, ck. Hey, I don't think that I'm being crabby about it. I don't dislike either team - I'm just uninterested. I'm sure that I'd feel differently if there was a team from our division or my part of the country involved, but two teams from the Northeast playing just doesn't excite me.

[cklaurence]

I do understand where you're coming from, Em. Same old teams. Green Bay rose its ugly head a couple of times in between though, and it looks like SF is an up and comer, and Indy was in it regularly for all the Peyton years. Your boys are most definitely working up to becoming a dominant force for many years to come, so I can certainly see why you're anxious to move ahead. I want to go forward simply because I want to see what the hell is in store for my Fins, but I can't get excited because to my ears and eyes, Jeff Ireland is still calling all the shots and that does not bode well for us. He's the klutz that's made most of the mistakes that have put us where we are. Just a couple of days when he was shooting off his mouth, he mentioned that he's fine w/o Parcells' help. Uh huh...

[Emeritus]

What do you think of the Dolphins new coach, ck. I just hope for your sake that he wasn't picked because he was willing to let Ireland call all of the shots.

[cklaurence]

I like him, Em. He's the one I had hoped for out of the entire list of Ross' choices. Unfortunately, that was definitely the caveat and I've not heard a word from Coach, only from Ireland, who seems to be calling all the shots. It makes me ill...

[Emeritus]

I don't guess that it matters who does the talking, as long as the coach makes the coaching decisions. Some really successful teams have operated that way, because some good coaches don't like dealing with the media.

[cklaurence]

Unfortunately, (as I understand it) Ross relies heavily on Ireland because he sees him as an extension of Parcells (and Ireland never misses a chance to remind him that he was Parcells' baby). He wanted Fisher really badly--and if he got Fischer, his buddy Peterson was willing to consider coming to the Fins, but Ross wouldn't relinquish Ireland's control. As I may have mentioned once or twice before, the man is a total moron when it comes to football sense. Jeff Ireland talks the talk to make sure that everyone knows who's in charge. Sad, but true. I had hoped to see a stronger presence from Philbin (at least initially?)--but we've heard nothing at all, and to me, that speaks volumes...

[Emeritus]

I wonder if it would take a disavowal of Ireland by Parcells to change that situation?

[cklaurence]

Couldn't hurt--you have connections so we could get one?

[Emeritus]

LOL, I don't have enough connections to get a ticket. The Sporting News polled the NFL coaches and GMs and they voted Wade Phillips Coordinator of the Year.

[cklaurence]

Hey Em. I didn't dump you because you don't have connections, lol. I took an emergency trip to NY without notice to anyone and was without my computer. My Aunt Thelma, who in many ways was more a mom to me than an aunt, was attacked several weeks ago. I don't remember what I've said or not said about her, but she's 96 and behaves and has the health (knock wood) of a forty year old. She was out for a brisk was a couple of months ago and was viciously attacked, thrown to the ground and kicked. She broke her hip and had emergency surgery, and was up and walking within about two weeks. Unfortunately, she developed double pneumonia and has been fighting for her life ever since. She never regained her swallow reflex and finally asked that all the tubes be removed and was taken to her daughter's home with hospice brought in. She initially refused all drugs and nourishment, so I ran up there to be with her and family; however, while I was there she started taking food and asking to go outside and showed a perceptible difference in the direction she wants to take. My son Josh went with me, so I had to come back when he did, as he had to be back for work. I am, however, seriously considering going back up there for a longer stay--in which case I'll either bring my lap top or use my cousin's so I don't lose touch,,,
How have you been, Em?

[Emeritus]

Everything is always fine with me. I certainly hope that your aunt does well. Just don't forget to take care of yourself, ck.

[cklaurence]

Thanks, Em. I am totally wiped out (mentally). This aunt is so very special, and as silly as it sounds, it just seemed she would go on forever and that death had nothing on her. This has all been such a shock to our family--so close to my dad and all.

This afternoon I spent 3 hours in my husband's dental chair. They are doing neuro muscular dentistry on me. All this new-fangled stuff promising to make pain go away and turn me into the old healthy woman I was when I was young...meanwhile, the way to get there is damn near torture! The lab bills alone are a fortune, but if Peter weren't doing it, I believe it costs somewhere int he fifty to seventy-five thousand dollar range. I kid you not. They have cases of people who had diseases such as fibromialgia and were bedridden in the fetal position, unable to work or do every day activities who now lead active lives. Anyway, it is a long and exhausting process, which I can only hope will give me some relief from the arachnoiditis--but I can't help but have my doubts. Fibromyalgia and Arachnoiditis are a long, long way from one another. Fibromyalgia has only the word of the sufferer as proof someone has it; whereas, when someone is suffering from Arachnoiditis, it can clearly be seen on an MRI of the spine. The arachnoid layer of the spine is bundled and knotted like scar tissue. Enough about me and my stuff!

I couldn't believe Brandon Marshall made the Pro Bowl--he was so so impossible throughout the season. Like Ted Ginn Jr.--the easy catches he'd drop--regardless of how crucial they were, and then he'd make these outstanding, absolutely impossible catches that meant nothing--but they chose him for the Pro Bowl. Then, finding out he made MVP totally freaked me out!!!!! To boot, now the little prick is demanding a better QB for the Fins. The nerve! He couldn't catch some of the most beautifully thrown balls Moore had to throw, and now he has the nerve to DEMAND a better QB. He just needs a good hard spanking from his mama!!!!!

[Emeritus]

In choosing the Pro Bowl MVP, I'm afraid that they don't consider season performances. He was spectacular in that one game and that's all that counts. At least the Dolphins has somebody to represent them, whether you like him or not. A lot of teams didn't even have that. I noticed that some teams had an awful lot of players there. My Texans were mostly represented by the coaching staff, which isn't subject to vote.

[cklaurence]

I don't like to kick my own tires, Em, but there were plenty of far more deserving wide receivers around the NFL who should have been in the Pro-Bowl rather than Mr. Maybe I Will and Maybe I Won't Catch This Ball. Yes, he was something else again in the ProBowl--all the better to negotiate a bigger, fatter contract with, m'dear. I so prefer players you can count on every time the ball is thrown their way. We gave up Wes Welker, an understated man, white guy who doesn't say much, doesn't look like much, but you know for damn sure that when the ball comes anywhere near him, it will be caught. No histrionics. No bullshit. That's my kind of receiver. I guess it just remains to be seen what this new regime will bring...

[Emeritus]

I agree about the players that you can depend on, ck. Some buy into the team and accept responsibility without forever considering what is in it for them. For reasons that I don't understand, some don't seem capable of doing that. One thing that I have learned is that there is no way to change a self-centered person into something else.

[cklaurence]

I don't know, Em. It just seems the Fins get saddled with more than their share of the hit or miss players. Worse yet, when we get the solid guys, like Wes Welker, we have schmucks calling the shots who trade them away. Worse yet, they trade the away to our division rivals. Twice a year we get haunted with Welker--like a recurring nightmare. At least Drew Brees didn't go to a division rival, but we've had to watch while he's out there breaking Danny's records... It's been a most frustrating thirteen years. Maybe thirteen is the charm. Perhaps now we'll start a run of decent luck--if ONLY!!!

[Emeritus]

I certainly wish you good luck, ck. The Dolphins fans deserve it.

[Emeritus]

I was just reading an article on the college recruiting wars. Texas signed a kid who scored seventy touchdowns as a high school senior. As a junior in the state championship game he had eight touchdowns.

[cklaurence]

I guess we know who the Texans will be recruiting in a few years. He sounds too good to be true, Em. Hope they can keep him healthy!
My webmaster sent me the first page of my new website last night and I'm really happy with it. I liked my old one (maybe because I designed it, lol), but she really brought it to a new dimension. The person who did this one was very limited in abilities, so I was limited as well. My new webmaster is a true pro and she questioned me thoroughly about what I wanted to say through the site and in my writing, and asked for tons of pictures. Of course, one of the things I wanted represented was the Swiss Family--past, present and future. I always have hope that this blog will pick up again, if not to the level it once was, at least to a place where you can visit and find some degree of conversation going on. I always enjoy our visits, Em. It's been a great comfort knowing that regardless of who comes and goes, you are always here, and you know it's been an enigma to me that nearly 300 people who always seemed to enjoy the fun and games, arguments and 'make-up time,' football and other discussions, simply disappeared. I know the rationale about facebook taking over blah blah blah, but I think facebook is very different than Switzerland. Here it's more of a togetherness thing, whereas, at facebook, it's all over the place and you miss so much of what's going on.
I don't know--maybe that's what people like about it--the ability to block people out. I have blocked a couple of people out myself, but only after they have 'unfriended' me, which is, I guess, the same as if you would leave Switzerland. Yet I still can't imagine that nearly 300 people would be that unhappy with that many people that they would need to leave. Especially after I had it set up so that people could set up their own pages and weren't stuck on the same page all the time.
Ah well, we shall see. Maybe the re-issue of DEMONS with the changes and new title, new publisher that will be promoting it far more actively than my original publisher, and the e-book, nook editions will attract some of the old family back and perhaps some newbies who you and I (and dred, Ms Bags and Try) will enjoy. Hopefully we'll see more of dred, Bags and Try as well. I know Try has been extremely busy with work and I miss him terribly.We never know what tomorrow will bring...

[Emeritus]

I don't understand it either, ck. Perhaps I'm just the wrong generation for Facebook, but it is not the same to me. What I especially liked when Switzerland first started was that most everybody was there by invitation. I can only speak for myself, but I invited people from all different teams who had impressed me as being intelligent and funny. It was a wonderful crew! To tell the truth, I wonder if a lot of them are on line at all. There are many that I never see anywhere any more. A few have shown up on the Patriots site at Fox Sports and said that they haven't done anything on line for years. As I said, I don't understand it. Perhaps some people just don't enjoy writing?

[cklaurence]

No, I see a lot of the oldies over on facebook. Some even interact with me over there, and some say they'll come over and say hello, and some do occasionally, but when they do, because there's no one ever here, don't come around again. Kind of a catch-22. You and I are the only regulars and we leave messages back and forth. Everyone wants instant gratification, which I understand--as that's the way it used to be here. I see PAO, Absolute Truth and so many others on facebook, but I've never gone back to faux. It's just inconceivable to me that so many people never came back! I know a certain person who left and took a number of people with them, just because they could--people that I enjoyed a great deal, and who I'm sorry followed that person. There's not a lot I can do about mean-spirited people though, and if folks want to believe what others say when they know me just as well or better, then so be it. I'm not going to beg. I miss some people more than others, but most of all I miss being able to come here almost any time, day or night, and always having a conversation to jump into. Oh, and the laughter--didn't we just laugh so much? There was some great chemistry here. There were the arguments for sure, but passions run high during football season. We always got past the anger and ended up laughing though...

[Emeritus]

I assume that you have seen the news that Komen has cut their funding to Planned Parenthood, which was used for scans. They claim that it was not the result of political pressure, which leaves me incredulous. The latest on the story is that Mayor Bloomberg has pledged a quarter of a million dollars to Planned Parenthood. It is going to be interesting to follow the story. The critics of Planned Parenthood are loud, but I've never notice them being especially generous. I wonder how all of this will impact contributions. I've always given money to support fighting breast cancer, but I will find another way to give it.

[cklaurence]

Yes, I know about it and I am horrified that they would bend to the pressure of the anti-choice groups. I don't believe for a moment that this isn't a political move and Komen will never see another dime from me either. If you go to my page in facebook, I have a petition you can sign to show Komen your displeasure. There hasn't been any difficulty in getting signatures, as most people have the same reaction as you and me.There is no justification for this, and of all causes to bow to that narrow-mindedness--it is a terrible disappointment.

[cklaurence]

Apparently Komen people felt the pain really quickly. http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2 ... apologizes Only 3 days after they pulled their funding they did a back flip--not before changing their story 3 times. I don't think I will be donating to them again anyway. They were dishonest and made a bad decision in the first place. There are plenty of other organizations to donate dollars for cancer. I'll have to research to be sure the money is all going to the cause, for sure, but I've lost my faith in Komen.

[Emeritus]

I agree, ck. I have completely lost trust in them. First they hired a virulent anti-abortionist as their director of public policy. Next, they decided to cut the funding to Planned Parenthood. Then they concocted the "criteria" excuse for doing so. There are too many conflicting stories coming from within the organization. The whole thing was a hatchet job cloaked in lies. The fact that their actions would deny screening for thousands of poor women was obviously never considered. I'm deeply disappointed.

[cklaurence]

They've lost me forever, and that's for sure. I don't stand for that kind of b.s., and that's exactly what it is. Three days of lies and distortions and then an 'oopsie--we made a mistake. never mind. erase. erase. erase!' Uh uh. I don't buy any of it and I'll never trust them again. I hope everyone is as smart as we are, Em, and they lose everything. This is just incredible.

[Emeritus]

What is incomprehensible to me is that anybody believes that the government should make decisions about people's bodies. Even the religious zealots should find that idea appalling. It reminds me of the Nazi baby factories. The whole idea gives me the creeps.