#433, November 20, 2006

COLUMBUS: I see where the foreign minister of Syria suggests we withdraw our forces from Iraq to stop the killing. That’s a good idea, but I wish he had first ordered all Syrians out of Iraq. Then he could call up the minister of Iran and tell him to do the same thing. You get all the Syrians and Iranians to leave, and take their guns and bombs with them, the killing in Iraq would pert near stop whether we withdrew or not.

I read where a Congressman wants to bring back the draft. (You notice he made the announcement after the election, not before.) He says a draft would stop us from starting a war. Now whether us having a draft would have stopped Osama bin Laden from starting a war, I got my doubts.

Ohio State University beat Michigan 42-39 Saturday. I was one of 105,000 in the stadium. Over the next few years you can bet at least a million will claim they were there because it will go down in history as a classic football game. The man sitting behind me paid $800 for his ticket and said it was worth every penny. Michigan mourned the death of their former coach Bo Schembechler, and he was the best coach they ever had. But I tell you, Coach Jim Tressel will go down in history as not only a great coach but a great leader and teacher. He is a soft-spoken, humble Christian and his players have adopted his principles completely. Troy Smith is the quarterback, and you’ll see what I mean when you listen to Troy after he receives the Heisman Trophy in December. If O.J. is offered $3 Million to write a book, Tressel should be offered $10 Million.

After the game the students and most of Columbus celebrated. There were no fires, no fighting, no problems. It just shows what you can accomplish with clean sportsmanship, common sense, and 10,000 police officers.

Historic quotes from Will Rogers:

[I shouldn’t pick on Michigan, but here’s an item about Prohibition that’s too good to pass over.] “For her fourth offense selling liquor the great State of Michigan sent the mother of ten children to the penitentiary for life. I guess that will just about blot out the liquor business in the State. I suppose she was the last one selling. Any woman that tries to raise ten kids in that cold State not only ought to be allowed to sell booze, but the State should furnish it to her to sell, and guarantee that it was pure. That would make her the greatest life saver in Michigan. It certainly ought to be a lesson to people with ten children to never move to Michigan.” DT #742, Dec. 12, 1928.

(A Thanksgiving quote) “It’s not a bad old Thanksgiving at that. Outside of Notre Dame, let’s see what we got to be thankful for. Congress adjourning, I know will be the first thing that comes into your mind. But that blessing will be short-lived, for they are soon to meet again. Wall Street stocks are about back up to where the suckers can start buying again. The farmers can be thankful. Didn’t the Farm Board decide in Washington last week that they could have cheaper interest? All the farmers have to do now is to find something new to put up as security. Please pass the cranberries.” DT #1042, Nov. 27, 1929.