The Democrats have held their convention in Denver and dragged out the likes of Jimmy Carter, Teddy Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi, and Bubba and Hillary Clinton to warm up the stage for Obama the Messiah. Unfortunately for the Democrats, the most exciting thing about convention week was the arrival in Dayton, Ohio of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

The Democrats are so predictable. Their convention program consisted of “refried” class warfare, pitting men and women of accomplishment against those who lag behind, largely due to their own ineptitude. The message: “If you invest in an education, start a successful business or labor hard to gain increased job responsibility and the income that comes with it, we’re going to raise your taxes and re-distribute wealth to those who have chosen not to work so hard.” Now that’s how to grow an economy; punish the producers!

Another dominant message of the Democrat naysayers is that opportunity no longer exists in the United States of America. This is an outright falsehood. The United States remains the number one destination for those who leave their native lands in search of a new life. Young men and women in this country have boundless opportunities to receive a higher education. This is still a country where one needs to do only three things to succeed. #1 Show up! #2 Show up on time! #3 Show up ready to work!

The rhetoric at the recent Democratic convention was predictable, promising free health care for everyone, better schools, more industrial jobs, higher pay, fixing of the nation’s bridges and roads, energy independence, reduction of green house gasses, and the defeat of Al-Qaeda. Of course, all of this is going to be accomplished while taxes on the middle class are reduced! Does any sane person really believe this?

Speaking of sanity, how about this Sarah Palin! She broke up a scandal in Alaska, ran crooked Republicans out of office, and did it with a smile on her face! While Obama promises “change” and a new political path, what does he do? He drags out “stale bread” Washington insider Joe Biden as his VP pick! Meanwhile, McCain goes up to Alaska and brings down a mother of five, lifetime NRA member, commercial fisherwoman, track star, beauty contestant, no nonsense Republican Governor Sarah Palin with an 80% positive approval rating among her constituents. Palin is a straight-talking chick that, unlike Obama, will get specific on issues. The Messiah might have some competition if he and Ms. Palin ever get into a debate!

This week we get to experience the Republican National Convention, which will also be a non-event. No one in the Republican Party (except for perhaps Sarah Palin) is even serious about balancing the Federal Budget, let alone making the Federal government smaller. As the United States heads steadily down the path to socialism, some of our European competitors (notably Ireland) are moving toward free markets and seeing the predictable prosperity that results. Meanwhile, in this country, Republicans and Democrats are stepping all over each other’s feet to see which party can be the first to shove the United States over the cliff of socialism! Anyone want to go to the Ron Paul convention this week in Minneapolis?

This fine morning I’m blogging from the front patio area of our greystone flat on Chicago’s north side. It’s a small patio, right off of the sidewalk, gated by a small iron fence. Next to me is a wooden bench, weather-worn from at least a dozen Chicago winters. Every summer I vow to take it apart for the purpose of re-finishing the slats, and as in all previous summers, I’ve not yet accomplished the task. The sun has risen, but the tall buildings will block it out until mid morning, when it will creep across the southern sky and illuminate the north side of the house.

In front of me pass joggers, mostly twenty-something’s; some wearing the cubbie blue baseball caps that dominate this neighborhood. I-pods and water bottles abound here. For the young folks Wrigleyville is a place of temporary passage, a place where they will party and schmooze, eventually meeting Mr. or Ms. Right. After marriage some couples will remain for a while in this neighborhood stuffed with restaurants, bars, and theatres. You will see baby buggies on the sidewalks of Wrigleyville all the time, but you don’t see too many kids older than five. By then, parents must make schooling choices and that often sends them west to the suburbs.

The religious, racial, and socio-economic diversity of this neighborhood is legendary. Diagonally, about 300 feet across the street is our neighborhood mosque. Down the street is a Buddhist temple. On any given day you will routinely interact with first generation Americans from virtually every continent on earth. Poles, Mexicans, Slavs, Africans, Indians, Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans are just a few of the nationalities that come to mind. One thing is certain; the Chicago public schools don’t have to worry about exposing their students to cultural diversity.

In the alley are street people; more than you would think in a neighborhood like this. They go through dumpsters looking for aluminum cans and other items of value thrown away by those that have good things to waste. With few exceptions the street people are quiet and respectful, often giving or returning a friendly greeting. They won’t accost you or openly steal from you. They’re just trying to make a living. But don’t leave your bicycle unlocked for very long or a “crime of opportunity” might occur!

While they are in the minority, there are quite a few seniors living here. Their rents and property taxes have risen with the “gentrification” of the neighborhood. Many seniors remember when Wrigleyville was a slum in the 50’s and 60’s. No more. There are a lot of rich people living on Chicago’s north side; some a lot richer than even major league baseball players. Many Cubs players make Wrigleyville their home, walking a few short blocks to work at the “Friendly Confines.” Even baseball players hate to commute!

It’s time to go. The neighborhood is waking up. Beer trucks the size of semi-trailers are unloading their wares on Clark Street for the noon Cubs game up the street at historic Wrigley field. I’m not sure if I’ll go to the game today or not. It depends on the weather at game time and the demand for tickets. Yesterday the scalpers sold me a ticket with a $56 face value for $25. Who says scalpers always make money! I thought I had a great deal until the wheels fell off for the Cubs and they lost 13-5. Ah…baseball!

You can stay at Don’s building in Wrigleyville. Check it out at: www.wrigleyflat.com

Next week the Minnesota State Fair will commence in St. Paul. The largest state fair in the United States (as measured by daily attendance), this twelve day event brings in over 1.6 million persons. The Minnesota State Fair is known for many things, but mainly it is known for gluttony!

The first thing you notice about the food items is that except for cheese curds, funnel cakes, batter fried pickle slices, corn on the cob, and French fries, almost everything else is “on a stick”. We’ve got alligator on a stick, corn dogs on a stick, pork chop on a stick, chicken on a stick, cheese cake on a stick, even deep fried snicker bars on a stick! The only thing that they haven’t thought of yet is batter fried batter on a stick!

Virtually everything that you can put in your mouth at the State Fair is bad for you. It will cause your arteries to clog, your blood pressure to raise, your stomach to ache, and your waist line to expand! But no matter; there are hundreds of people lined up ten deep in lines to purchase the stuff. There is virtually no end to the demand for batter fried, buttery, gooey food! Almost everybody overeats at the State Fair. This is not a time for diets; it is a time for eating half a bucket of Martha’s famous cookies and ignoring fat grams, calories, and cholesterol. If the state fair is today, healthy eating is manana.

Of course, no State Fair wants to admit that they sell death food, so there are a couple of booths that sell healthy products such as fresh fruit and vegetables. You don’t have to wait in line at these booths. There will be a couple of granolas from south Minneapolis hanging around feeling suite self-righteous about their “lifestyle” choices, but otherwise no one at the Minnesota State Fair wants an apple, unless it’s batter fried.

Every animal on earth is shown at the State Fair. Guinea pigs, horses, cows, llamas, sheep, pigs, chickens; you name it, there’s a show class for it. Whenever you’ve got all of these animals, you have a lot of animal waste, which smells a bit. There aren’t that many bulls at the fair, but the ones who do reside at the fair create a substance called “bull shit”. The only place where there is more bull shit than the animal barns are the booths where the politicians hang out! In one of the barns, if you’re lucky, you can even witness the birth of a baby cow. If that doesn’t make you want to run for a meal at the food building, nothing else will!

Last but not least, the State Fair is good for the Minnesota economy. Food booth workers, wholesale food companies, sellers of kitchen knives, purveyors of fluffy dusters, cardiac surgeons and neighbors who sell lawn parking, all make money during the fair. The only product that doesn’t increase in sales during the Minnesota State Fair is laxatives. Laxative sales fall precipitously during the Fair’s 12 day run; grease, after all, is a natural lubricant!

When Brett Favre was acquired from Atlanta by Packers General Manager Ron Wolfe in 1992, no one could have guessed how much benefit that trade would bring to the entire Packers franchise and its fans. Thus began the “Favre Era” which would see 12 playoff seasons, two super bowl appearances, a super bowl victory, and the rebuilding of Lambeau Field (the house that Brett built). Many players contributed to the success of the team during those sixteen years, but it is doubtful that any of the above accomplishments would have come to pass without the iron man from Mississippi. That said, as a Packer fan, I’m glad that Brett is now wearing a New York Jets jersey and gone from Green Bay.

When, after 16 years, your quarterback has started 275 consecutive games (most ever for an NFL quarterback) and holds virtually every NFL career passing record, along with most wins as a starting quarterback, it is easy to be a Packer fan. It is also natural to do anything in your power to make a fellow like Favre feel wanted. For the last sixteen years it’s been “all about Brett” in Packerland. Despite his “aw shucks, country boy persona”, Brett has eaten it up. He lives on publicity and the idolatry of his fans. Who would blame him?

In spite of his great performance on the field, after the 2004 season, Favre remained elusive about whether or not he would retire. His indecision caused a flood of speculation in the media. Just a few weeks prior to training camp Favre finally indicated he would return. The same “retire or not retire” scenario occurred after the 2005 and 2006 seasons, with Favre keeping Packer management, fans, and the media on pins and needles until the last minute. Oh, the satisfaction Brett must have been experiencing! When Favre finally retired after the 2007 season, it isn’t surprising that some people doubted his intentions.

Finally, Packers General Manager Ted Thompson decided that it was time to move on, and do what was best for the Packers in the long run. “It’s all about Brett” time was over. The Packers forced the trade of Favre to the Jets, where he will get plenty of publicity, and enjoy every minute of it. With Brett gone the talented Packers can get on with preparations for their 2008 season.

God bless you, Brett. Every Packer fan loves you. As you said in your press conference in New York, you’ll always be a Packer. Over time the hard feelings over the past few weeks will abate. You’ll enter the NFL hall of fame as a Packer and history will honor you in the green and gold. As Packer fans, we know that you have served us well, but as much as we love you, you’ve also toyed with us one season too long. It’s time for both you and the Packers to move forward. We wish you the greatest success in your final years in New York!

Today I want to praise the world’s producers. Anyone can be a producer, but not all can claim that honorable title. A producer is someone who adds value to society each day. In other words, at the end of the day, due to the actions of producers, the world is slightly better off than it was when the sun rose. Producers are the most important people in the world.

Producers are as diverse as human kind. Some producers, like Henry Ford or Bill Gates, end up creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and inventing products that literally revolutionize society. They achieve great wealth and are famous in their time. They may be criticized or praised, but there is no doubt that they end up changing the world for the better. I salute them and admire them.

The vast majority of producers will never be famous, nor will they be credited with creating grand achievements in their lifetimes; yet, in the aggregate, the human race would cease to exist without them. It is to these unsung producers that we owe our very lives. They are farmers, assembly line workers, engineers, scientists, teachers, landscapers, botanists, and common laborers. They are the people who drag themselves out of bed each day and go to work. They don’t always like their work and may consider it drudgery at times, but they do their best.

Whether it is a limping, aging woman in China who assembles toys for America’s children or a machismo foundry worker in Wisconsin who pours grey iron into a mold to create manhole covers, these people are producers. Every day when they leave their shift, there are more toys or more manhole covers than existed when they came to work. The world needs toys and manhole covers!

Arguments as to which jobs or which workers are more valuable have always fascinated me. Certainly the scientist who developed the polio vaccine is generally accepted to be more valuable to the society than a man who pushed a wheel barrow on construction sites during his entire working career. The scientist producer required much more education and skill than the producer who pushed the wheel barrel. For that skill the scientist was paid a higher wage than the laborer. But the fact remains that both got up each morning and put their feet on the floor and came to work. In work there is dignity, regardless of what is produced.

At last count, Manny Ramirez (now a Los Angeles Dodger), has earned roughly $165 million during his baseball career. School teachers often retire without making even $50,000 a year. Is someone out there really going to suggest that Manny Ramirez has contributed more to society during his baseball career than a school teacher who has spent 35 years inspiring children to go on to rewarding and productive careers? Of course not. The pay differential stems from the fact that professional athletes have unusually rare skills that are scarce, relative to the demand for them, allowing them to make “mega” bucks. That fact makes them no more intrinsically valuable to society than a teacher, or any other producer.

Tomorrow morning when you strap on your wingtips, construction boots, or the therapeutic footwear that will sustain you all day during your nursing shift, smile just for a moment. This day you will make something for somebody, or help somebody solve a problem, or otherwise make our world a better place. You may grumble about your boss, your pay, the drudgery or other inconveniences that always accompany hard work, but no matter. In the final analysis, you are a producer; mankind’s highest calling.