The New Year's Eve addition of Friday Funnies showcases one of our favorite drunk characters from the past:
And here's two for the price of one:
Funny stuff, but drinking and operating machinery is not.
If you are celebrating tonight, remember these words:
If you drink do not drive, if you drive do not drink.
From the editorial staff here at PYY:
Have a happy and safe New Year celebration.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Kicking Off The 2012 Campaign Right
With the coming of 2011, I do not think it's too early to begin turning our attention to the next election, where the goal is to fire more of the corrupt House members, the inept and corrupt Senators who are up for re-election, and the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. As we approach this monumental task, we need to start the vetting process early so there can be no surprises along the way.
AC has a good discussion going on his blog, about how the Bushies are already starting to demonize Sarah Palin. As AC does so very well, he got me thinking again.
My thoughts about this are two-fold:
1. Historically, I am an anti-establishment type who wants a smaller federal government with less control over our lives. I do not want Dem Lite anymore, I want someone who could shake things up and have the guts to do the things necessary to save our republic, from the certain future ruin this bunch has been heading us toward.
Sarah Palin does represent that same kind of sentiment. But in my opinion, this does not necessarily make her the best choice to run against Barack Obama in 2012. Don't misunderstand me though. She would be a far better choice than Obama, by a Texas mile. But remember, we want the BEST choice to do the job once Obama is defeated, not the one who strikes a chord with our emotions.
Palin has proven to be a very popular figure since the day she was announced as McCain's running mate. She has the ability to raise tons of cash and is quite the energizing force in the GOP. There is no better cheerleader for what America needs right now.
For these reasons, I think she'd be the best fit for the GOP Chair currently being held by Richard Steele. In addition to her fund raising capabilities, a person of her great influence could be very beneficial in an number of races, not just the one for the White House. There is more power in being the king/queen maker than being the king/queen.
Instead of concentrating on just one race, she could split her time up and help swing the gavel back to the GOP in the Senate and solidify the GOP's control over the House, further choking the life out of the Progressive movement.
While she is doing that, someone with the same value system like Mike Pence, Michelle Bachmann, or someone like them with some experience in Washington would make better choices to run for the White House.
Both are TEA Party favorites and would work hard to undo the damage that has been done over the past several years, with the last two being the most severe in our nation's history. Both have a working knowledge of the workings behind the scenes and are capable of winning against a weak Obama.
2. Despite my concerns Sarah Palin not being the best choice this time around, it is very counterproductive for GOP elites to take potshots at her so early in the game. There may be a time when she is a more seasoned candidate and the country could use her. Having Republicans demonize her now only sets up the party for a fracture down the road and could lead to the re-election of the President.
If we want more serious damage to our nation, think of a Barack Obama with no more accountability. He has already appointed more czars than any other previous president. We cannot afford to have him in power for another 4 years, or we may not be able to undo his damage for decades, if ever.
Unless you want this nightmare to be a reality, we need Sarah Palin and her followers to stay in the fold. If the GOP elites are content to vilify her, she and her powerful voting bloc could defect to a third party and that will split the conservative vote.
The GOP elites will need to get used to the fact that they are going to be targeted in the next primary if they do not get on board with what the bulk of the American people want. The people made their voices heard this past election and it would behoove all of them to get on board now. Otherwise, they will face the same challenges and may lose their jobs to more conservative candidates who will represent the people better.
But at the same time, all conservatives must know that the best choice isn't always the feel good choice. Palin is young, she has time to mature. I don't think there is any folly in allowing someone with more practical political experience, who shares her worldview, to take a shot at the President while he sits as an incumbent.
Let the jockeying begin, but lets keep it clean and confined to policy.
AC has a good discussion going on his blog, about how the Bushies are already starting to demonize Sarah Palin. As AC does so very well, he got me thinking again.
My thoughts about this are two-fold:
1. Historically, I am an anti-establishment type who wants a smaller federal government with less control over our lives. I do not want Dem Lite anymore, I want someone who could shake things up and have the guts to do the things necessary to save our republic, from the certain future ruin this bunch has been heading us toward.
Sarah Palin does represent that same kind of sentiment. But in my opinion, this does not necessarily make her the best choice to run against Barack Obama in 2012. Don't misunderstand me though. She would be a far better choice than Obama, by a Texas mile. But remember, we want the BEST choice to do the job once Obama is defeated, not the one who strikes a chord with our emotions.
Palin has proven to be a very popular figure since the day she was announced as McCain's running mate. She has the ability to raise tons of cash and is quite the energizing force in the GOP. There is no better cheerleader for what America needs right now.
For these reasons, I think she'd be the best fit for the GOP Chair currently being held by Richard Steele. In addition to her fund raising capabilities, a person of her great influence could be very beneficial in an number of races, not just the one for the White House. There is more power in being the king/queen maker than being the king/queen.
Instead of concentrating on just one race, she could split her time up and help swing the gavel back to the GOP in the Senate and solidify the GOP's control over the House, further choking the life out of the Progressive movement.
While she is doing that, someone with the same value system like Mike Pence, Michelle Bachmann, or someone like them with some experience in Washington would make better choices to run for the White House.
Both are TEA Party favorites and would work hard to undo the damage that has been done over the past several years, with the last two being the most severe in our nation's history. Both have a working knowledge of the workings behind the scenes and are capable of winning against a weak Obama.
2. Despite my concerns Sarah Palin not being the best choice this time around, it is very counterproductive for GOP elites to take potshots at her so early in the game. There may be a time when she is a more seasoned candidate and the country could use her. Having Republicans demonize her now only sets up the party for a fracture down the road and could lead to the re-election of the President.
If we want more serious damage to our nation, think of a Barack Obama with no more accountability. He has already appointed more czars than any other previous president. We cannot afford to have him in power for another 4 years, or we may not be able to undo his damage for decades, if ever.
Unless you want this nightmare to be a reality, we need Sarah Palin and her followers to stay in the fold. If the GOP elites are content to vilify her, she and her powerful voting bloc could defect to a third party and that will split the conservative vote.
The GOP elites will need to get used to the fact that they are going to be targeted in the next primary if they do not get on board with what the bulk of the American people want. The people made their voices heard this past election and it would behoove all of them to get on board now. Otherwise, they will face the same challenges and may lose their jobs to more conservative candidates who will represent the people better.
But at the same time, all conservatives must know that the best choice isn't always the feel good choice. Palin is young, she has time to mature. I don't think there is any folly in allowing someone with more practical political experience, who shares her worldview, to take a shot at the President while he sits as an incumbent.
Let the jockeying begin, but lets keep it clean and confined to policy.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Academic Welfare
Many years ago I read where the federal government was appropriating money to study the mating habits of the Japanese quail. It incensed me then.... and today when we read this story, it still irritates the hell out of me.
But this one is worse.
Now that we have learned the deepest physical and psychosocial aspects of this bird's reproductive process, we must reach out further to understand it more. For a grant of $181K, we must know what the bird's sex drive is like on cocaine.
Will we learn anything from this? Only that birds on dope have sex more, or less. That's about all.
If so, how will it affect people to know this? Gee, how hard can answering this question be?
If this gets you upset, then maybe this will just push you over the limit into "really pissed off" status, real quickly. There's a whole lot of waste you may not be aware of, much of tied to research grants like this one.
If you are not fully agitated by now, you either know or are one of those academics, possibly a Senator's nephew/niece or friend of the family who could not get a job with a doctorate in zoology. So that means you (or someone you know) told dear uncle/auntie and he/she asked what you were interested in doing. He/she told you to go to some university with a government grant in your pocket. He/she then tagged it on and earmarked it, into the next piece of legislation. You were then able to study some bonehead concept on the taxpayers' dime.
We have all heard the arguments for and against both social and corporate welfare, now let me introduce you to academic welfare.
It's a simple thing. When a professor (or someone trying to become one) gets taxpayer money from the government to study something, it's academic welfare. This doesn't mean anything to the man or woman who has been out of work for a month or longer and cannot pay their bills. It doesn't mean anything to the man or woman who busts their rear ends everyday to stay free from government dependence, and may have to work until they die because they must foot the bill for this kind of crap.
In 2011, the TEA Party supporters must make this an issue on a huge scale. The elected officials must listen or they can/will be fired in 2012.
But this one is worse.
Now that we have learned the deepest physical and psychosocial aspects of this bird's reproductive process, we must reach out further to understand it more. For a grant of $181K, we must know what the bird's sex drive is like on cocaine.
Will we learn anything from this? Only that birds on dope have sex more, or less. That's about all.
If so, how will it affect people to know this? Gee, how hard can answering this question be?
If this gets you upset, then maybe this will just push you over the limit into "really pissed off" status, real quickly. There's a whole lot of waste you may not be aware of, much of tied to research grants like this one.
If you are not fully agitated by now, you either know or are one of those academics, possibly a Senator's nephew/niece or friend of the family who could not get a job with a doctorate in zoology. So that means you (or someone you know) told dear uncle/auntie and he/she asked what you were interested in doing. He/she told you to go to some university with a government grant in your pocket. He/she then tagged it on and earmarked it, into the next piece of legislation. You were then able to study some bonehead concept on the taxpayers' dime.
We have all heard the arguments for and against both social and corporate welfare, now let me introduce you to academic welfare.
It's a simple thing. When a professor (or someone trying to become one) gets taxpayer money from the government to study something, it's academic welfare. This doesn't mean anything to the man or woman who has been out of work for a month or longer and cannot pay their bills. It doesn't mean anything to the man or woman who busts their rear ends everyday to stay free from government dependence, and may have to work until they die because they must foot the bill for this kind of crap.
In 2011, the TEA Party supporters must make this an issue on a huge scale. The elected officials must listen or they can/will be fired in 2012.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Down Playing, Minimizing, And Lying
One cannot help but notice something when they read this story. It doesn't take a rocket scientist (or even a political one) to figure out what this biased account of the top gaffes of 2010 is about:
Racism, pure and simple -- There is only one black man on that list.
I know Richard Steele is sometimes an idiot and certainly what he said was not true. And I don't think much thought went into the choice to make him GOP Chairman, either. But as flippant as I am being and as sorry as it was, the writer of this list is wrong on two fronts.
1. She puts Blumenthal's lie and classifies it as a gaffe, so as to minimize the severity of of the event. A gaffe is a mistake, Blumenthal intended to lie right through his teeth. She wants you to think he simply misspoke on something little like whether he served in Vietnam or not.
2. If she wants to classify lies as gaffes, she left some more significant ones out of her short list -- some big whoppers that she selectively chooses to ignore.
She left out Charlie Rangel telling people he has always played by the rules. She left out the blatant misrepresentation of a Congressional candidate's words in an ad for his own re-election.
If she wants to look at true gaffes, there are some she could have replaced Blumenthal's lie with, starting with Harry Reid's report on job loss. She could have had a field day with Biden, who had too many to count.
She also left out the one about Rick Sanchez and his "cotton-picking president" remark. And his typical scripted anti-Semitic "Jews control the world" moment that got him fired.
I could go on, but you get the drift. There are so many it's not really funny.
The silly gaffes we can overlook. But when we have public figures who state something falsely, minimize the severity of given truths, or deliberately communicate racist statements, should we minimize them as mistakes?
This is but one way people can break the moral fiber of a civilization. They minimize wrong behaviors, which only serves to positively reinforce them. They want you to think it's no big deal. As long as you can justify it with some measure of victimhood, it's okay.
They were tired, they were not thinking straight. They are the targets of a smear campaign by their opponents. It makes no difference what the subject, there is always a "justifiable" excuse for the deceits, and they will use anything possible to distract from the lies they tell.
But the sad thing is, we tolerate it. We accept this as a core value of politicians and this wannabe journalist Holly Bailey facilitates it, with this poor effort she calls a list.
Well, I say it's time to change the way things are being done. It's time to start holding these people accountable. These left leaning, excuse masking, no principled media types can write all of the crap they want. But we need to call directly on the liars to stop.
After the New Year, the moment the new Congress is sworn in, we need to reaffirm to our elected officials that we are still paying attention. We need to put them on notice that in two years there will be another election and they will be fired, if they do not start to change this corrupt culture that has been become known as Washington. We didn't reject the last Congress only to replace them with another group of corrupt members with Rs behind their names.
And..... we should be prepared to do it without blinking an eye. It's our nation. We live here in the full force of the incompetent decisions these bottom feeding liars have made for us, without our full consent.
Racism, pure and simple -- There is only one black man on that list.
I know Richard Steele is sometimes an idiot and certainly what he said was not true. And I don't think much thought went into the choice to make him GOP Chairman, either. But as flippant as I am being and as sorry as it was, the writer of this list is wrong on two fronts.
1. She puts Blumenthal's lie and classifies it as a gaffe, so as to minimize the severity of of the event. A gaffe is a mistake, Blumenthal intended to lie right through his teeth. She wants you to think he simply misspoke on something little like whether he served in Vietnam or not.
2. If she wants to classify lies as gaffes, she left some more significant ones out of her short list -- some big whoppers that she selectively chooses to ignore.
She left out Charlie Rangel telling people he has always played by the rules. She left out the blatant misrepresentation of a Congressional candidate's words in an ad for his own re-election.
If she wants to look at true gaffes, there are some she could have replaced Blumenthal's lie with, starting with Harry Reid's report on job loss. She could have had a field day with Biden, who had too many to count.
She also left out the one about Rick Sanchez and his "cotton-picking president" remark. And his typical scripted anti-Semitic "Jews control the world" moment that got him fired.
I could go on, but you get the drift. There are so many it's not really funny.
The silly gaffes we can overlook. But when we have public figures who state something falsely, minimize the severity of given truths, or deliberately communicate racist statements, should we minimize them as mistakes?
This is but one way people can break the moral fiber of a civilization. They minimize wrong behaviors, which only serves to positively reinforce them. They want you to think it's no big deal. As long as you can justify it with some measure of victimhood, it's okay.
They were tired, they were not thinking straight. They are the targets of a smear campaign by their opponents. It makes no difference what the subject, there is always a "justifiable" excuse for the deceits, and they will use anything possible to distract from the lies they tell.
But the sad thing is, we tolerate it. We accept this as a core value of politicians and this wannabe journalist Holly Bailey facilitates it, with this poor effort she calls a list.
Well, I say it's time to change the way things are being done. It's time to start holding these people accountable. These left leaning, excuse masking, no principled media types can write all of the crap they want. But we need to call directly on the liars to stop.
After the New Year, the moment the new Congress is sworn in, we need to reaffirm to our elected officials that we are still paying attention. We need to put them on notice that in two years there will be another election and they will be fired, if they do not start to change this corrupt culture that has been become known as Washington. We didn't reject the last Congress only to replace them with another group of corrupt members with Rs behind their names.
And..... we should be prepared to do it without blinking an eye. It's our nation. We live here in the full force of the incompetent decisions these bottom feeding liars have made for us, without our full consent.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Mon AM QB
Colts 31 - Raiders 26
This is always a tough game to watch because the Raiders were my AFL/AFC team as a boy and man, for many years. Long before the Colts came to Indy, they were the team I could talk smack to others about and they delivered in most games.
Lately they have stunk.... because their owner is an idiot. This year they have been very competitive and my hats are off to them and their efforts this year.... despite how stupid Al Davis is.
Two factors I will point out about this game. The Raiders gave the Colts opportunities from stupid immature penalties, but the Colts had to work... for both their points, and to keep the Raiders out of the end zone for most of the game.Their FG kicker (whose name I will not try to spell) is still one of the best in the league, but FGs will not win games unless your defense is flawless.
Manning's hard counts gave the Raiders DLs fits down the stretch, on key drives. There were some key mistakes at critical times in the secondary. Oakland showed their hand too soon on one drive by showing blitz with 14 seconds left on the play clock. That mistake resulted in a Colts TD.
So Indy is still alive.... and Oakland will soon be a more formidable force to be reckoned with, once the defense gets more experience and Campbell learns to make better decisions on offense. He is not a flashy QB, so he needs to be more like Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson. That is to make good decisions by distributing the ball well, and relying on the strong running of McFadden to set up the passing game.
Pats 34 - Bills 3
The juggernaut continues. Some will say it was just the Bills. But the Bills have played some damned good football this year and gave NE a run in their first game. Buffalo is maybe one of the best lousy teams in the league because they play hard against everyone. If they could only play for four quarters, they might be in the middle of the pack.
NE has home field wrapped up now, so nothing to play for next week. Not that they need my help, but if it were me, I'd tell them to play loose next week and do not make any diving catches or other kinds of plays that would result in an injury. Play to win, play to stay in form, but "do not get hurt" should be the goal.
Bears 38 - Jets 34
If the Bears win out and get help from a team that plays against the team with the dog-killer on it, they could get a first round bye. They looked like crap against the Pats awhile back, but they are still a good team when they set their minds to play.
I think Cutler will be a good QB someday and has done much to improve this year. Next year, he should be even better.
Chiefs 34 - Titans 14
KC is back in form with Cassel back. They could be a team that might surprise some people in the playoffs.
It saddens me to see Tennessee in so much disarray. If there were no Colts in Indy, I'd be a fan of the Titans more than any other, because of the tremendous amount of respect I have for Jeff Fisher.
I hope it's not his last year there, but ownership is setting him up to fail by pushing the Vince Young experiment. In my view, Young does not have what it takes to play in this league. He is not a man, he is still a spoiled brat who thinks the damned world revolves around him.
I think ownership wants another McNair, but Young is not going to be that kind of player. Despite his personal flaws that eventually cost him his life off of the field, he was a mature football player on the field. Young is immature both on and off, and if ownership thinks otherwise, they may be losing a great coach to Denver or some other team that needs a superb disciplined coach, who can motivate men to play.
Bengals 34 - Chargers 20
The highly overrated Chargers with the punk Rivers could not compete against a losing team, when the season was on the line. Norv Turner could not coach them to victory either. Both are the most overrated in their positions, in the league. They will be missing the playoffs, which is the way it should be for teams that start off 2-5.
To all of the good fans in San Diego, I have to ask something. Are you now sorry you ran off Drew Brees and Marty Schottenheimer? It does no good to have a punk QB who passes for a million yards and miss the playoffs, or makes the playoffs and gets eliminated in the first game.
Brees has a ring, Rivers doesn't.
Enjoy the playoffs at home.
Skins 20 - Jags 17
Many thanks to Rocket's team for giving the Colts some breathing room. The Jags are still the team that is ready to press through the wall they have built around themselves, but can never seem to press hard enough to get through. They usually beat themselves when the season is on the line.
The talent is there, but they lack discipline to close. Maybe it's time for a coaching change.
When they play the Colts, they let their dislike for Indy get in the way of playing solid hard-nosed football. They allow their emotions to get the better of them by taking cheap shots and getting flagged. They get caught up in the machismo thing and fail to think right when the game is on the line.
From the looks of the score, Jacksonville did that again yesterday.
Lions 34 - Dolphins 27
Congrats to the Lions, who may be the best lousy team in the NFC. They have played harder this year, they have hung in there against some good teams. A little tweaking in the off season and maybe they can compete for a wild card spot soon.
Through it all, the Detroit fans are some of the most loyal around. When some fair weather fans in other towns give up on their teams, the Lions fans are still as rabid as any division leading team's.
The Pistons have won some NBA championships and the Tigers have won a few in baseball. Detroit sports fans are always proud of them. But nothing can sway the faithful Lions fans away from their team.
Good job Lions. Hang in there.
This is always a tough game to watch because the Raiders were my AFL/AFC team as a boy and man, for many years. Long before the Colts came to Indy, they were the team I could talk smack to others about and they delivered in most games.
Lately they have stunk.... because their owner is an idiot. This year they have been very competitive and my hats are off to them and their efforts this year.... despite how stupid Al Davis is.
Two factors I will point out about this game. The Raiders gave the Colts opportunities from stupid immature penalties, but the Colts had to work... for both their points, and to keep the Raiders out of the end zone for most of the game.Their FG kicker (whose name I will not try to spell) is still one of the best in the league, but FGs will not win games unless your defense is flawless.
Manning's hard counts gave the Raiders DLs fits down the stretch, on key drives. There were some key mistakes at critical times in the secondary. Oakland showed their hand too soon on one drive by showing blitz with 14 seconds left on the play clock. That mistake resulted in a Colts TD.
So Indy is still alive.... and Oakland will soon be a more formidable force to be reckoned with, once the defense gets more experience and Campbell learns to make better decisions on offense. He is not a flashy QB, so he needs to be more like Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson. That is to make good decisions by distributing the ball well, and relying on the strong running of McFadden to set up the passing game.
Pats 34 - Bills 3
The juggernaut continues. Some will say it was just the Bills. But the Bills have played some damned good football this year and gave NE a run in their first game. Buffalo is maybe one of the best lousy teams in the league because they play hard against everyone. If they could only play for four quarters, they might be in the middle of the pack.
NE has home field wrapped up now, so nothing to play for next week. Not that they need my help, but if it were me, I'd tell them to play loose next week and do not make any diving catches or other kinds of plays that would result in an injury. Play to win, play to stay in form, but "do not get hurt" should be the goal.
Bears 38 - Jets 34
If the Bears win out and get help from a team that plays against the team with the dog-killer on it, they could get a first round bye. They looked like crap against the Pats awhile back, but they are still a good team when they set their minds to play.
I think Cutler will be a good QB someday and has done much to improve this year. Next year, he should be even better.
Chiefs 34 - Titans 14
KC is back in form with Cassel back. They could be a team that might surprise some people in the playoffs.
It saddens me to see Tennessee in so much disarray. If there were no Colts in Indy, I'd be a fan of the Titans more than any other, because of the tremendous amount of respect I have for Jeff Fisher.
I hope it's not his last year there, but ownership is setting him up to fail by pushing the Vince Young experiment. In my view, Young does not have what it takes to play in this league. He is not a man, he is still a spoiled brat who thinks the damned world revolves around him.
I think ownership wants another McNair, but Young is not going to be that kind of player. Despite his personal flaws that eventually cost him his life off of the field, he was a mature football player on the field. Young is immature both on and off, and if ownership thinks otherwise, they may be losing a great coach to Denver or some other team that needs a superb disciplined coach, who can motivate men to play.
Bengals 34 - Chargers 20
The highly overrated Chargers with the punk Rivers could not compete against a losing team, when the season was on the line. Norv Turner could not coach them to victory either. Both are the most overrated in their positions, in the league. They will be missing the playoffs, which is the way it should be for teams that start off 2-5.
To all of the good fans in San Diego, I have to ask something. Are you now sorry you ran off Drew Brees and Marty Schottenheimer? It does no good to have a punk QB who passes for a million yards and miss the playoffs, or makes the playoffs and gets eliminated in the first game.
Brees has a ring, Rivers doesn't.
Enjoy the playoffs at home.
Skins 20 - Jags 17
Many thanks to Rocket's team for giving the Colts some breathing room. The Jags are still the team that is ready to press through the wall they have built around themselves, but can never seem to press hard enough to get through. They usually beat themselves when the season is on the line.
The talent is there, but they lack discipline to close. Maybe it's time for a coaching change.
When they play the Colts, they let their dislike for Indy get in the way of playing solid hard-nosed football. They allow their emotions to get the better of them by taking cheap shots and getting flagged. They get caught up in the machismo thing and fail to think right when the game is on the line.
From the looks of the score, Jacksonville did that again yesterday.
Lions 34 - Dolphins 27
Congrats to the Lions, who may be the best lousy team in the NFC. They have played harder this year, they have hung in there against some good teams. A little tweaking in the off season and maybe they can compete for a wild card spot soon.
Through it all, the Detroit fans are some of the most loyal around. When some fair weather fans in other towns give up on their teams, the Lions fans are still as rabid as any division leading team's.
The Pistons have won some NBA championships and the Tigers have won a few in baseball. Detroit sports fans are always proud of them. But nothing can sway the faithful Lions fans away from their team.
Good job Lions. Hang in there.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Merry Christmas
It probably wasn't this time of year and many of the customs we observe in this season were not part of that moment.
But make no mistake, there was a moment.
I can imagine a late evening when people were exhausted from the day's activity, caused by the civil decree that had went out in the land. On that evening they retired like any other night.... but somewhere in that little burg was a very small group of people adoring a newborn, in a stable with animals.
His name and purpose were not well known at the moment. And instead of lightning, thunder, winds, or any other such display of power and force, there was a stillness, a peaceful quiet that had engulfed that barn and the areas that surrounded it:
No one knew the story that was to come to pass about that little child's journeys on this earth. It hadn't been written yet. But he had a goal, an objective that was not to be forsaken along the way.
So, unto you who read this sleepy little blog, may you have a very Merry Christmas.
But make no mistake, there was a moment.
I can imagine a late evening when people were exhausted from the day's activity, caused by the civil decree that had went out in the land. On that evening they retired like any other night.... but somewhere in that little burg was a very small group of people adoring a newborn, in a stable with animals.
His name and purpose were not well known at the moment. And instead of lightning, thunder, winds, or any other such display of power and force, there was a stillness, a peaceful quiet that had engulfed that barn and the areas that surrounded it:
No one knew the story that was to come to pass about that little child's journeys on this earth. It hadn't been written yet. But he had a goal, an objective that was not to be forsaken along the way.
So, unto you who read this sleepy little blog, may you have a very Merry Christmas.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
I'm Outta Here
Today marks the last day in my current position at my place of employment. After taking a week off to relax and get some personal affairs in order, I will start my new position in a new department on January 3rd, 2011.
This present job has been challenging and taxing. But I did enjoy the nature of the work during the course of its run, and I did meet some great people along the way. At times, it was even fun. But after two and a half years of long hours and lots of on-call days and nights, it's time to move on. Basically, you can say I am real, real gone:
This may be the last phase of my career, so I am looking forward to the new challenge.
It will not be too hard, as I have worked with many of the people I will soon be working with before, and I know what they expect. They, too, know me and know the high standards I have set over the many years I have been in the organization. So, I expect it to be another great run.
This present job has been challenging and taxing. But I did enjoy the nature of the work during the course of its run, and I did meet some great people along the way. At times, it was even fun. But after two and a half years of long hours and lots of on-call days and nights, it's time to move on. Basically, you can say I am real, real gone:
This may be the last phase of my career, so I am looking forward to the new challenge.
It will not be too hard, as I have worked with many of the people I will soon be working with before, and I know what they expect. They, too, know me and know the high standards I have set over the many years I have been in the organization. So, I expect it to be another great run.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
CAIR's Undue Foreign Influence
Why should we care about the activities of CAIR?
Watch this video:
In addition to this little snippet, we should also consider this piece of info.
If you tally up the numbers correctly, you will note that approximately 3/5 of the world's richest Arabs are from Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom is a large financier of CAIR and other organizations that hostile towards this country or are actively undermining it.
More than anything, I would like to know why the world's socialists are not trying to redistribute these people's wealth. These people employ very few and are not helping their Palestinian brothers and sisters, in their plight of poverty. Instead, they are blaming Israel and Jews around the world for the situation in Gaza.
The sad part about this ruse is, the world is falling for it.
Watch this video:
In addition to this little snippet, we should also consider this piece of info.
If you tally up the numbers correctly, you will note that approximately 3/5 of the world's richest Arabs are from Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom is a large financier of CAIR and other organizations that hostile towards this country or are actively undermining it.
More than anything, I would like to know why the world's socialists are not trying to redistribute these people's wealth. These people employ very few and are not helping their Palestinian brothers and sisters, in their plight of poverty. Instead, they are blaming Israel and Jews around the world for the situation in Gaza.
The sad part about this ruse is, the world is falling for it.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Mon AM QB
Colts 34 - Jaguars 24
It's weird having the Colts playing for their lives so late in the season. As Greg said a couple of weeks ago, we are spoiled here in Indy.
I saw only the second half. But what I did see was a great effort by the offense, defense, and special teams. You have to have that balance to win games. They made some mistakes along the way but overall, they made the big plays when they needed to, with the biggest play at the end of the game on the onside kick.
Manning did not throw a pick. But there were some easy drops by the receivers. The defense stopped the run well enough to keep the Jags out of their rhythm. But they did blow some big pass coverages at times, which led to some big gains.
Still yet with all of the criticism and prognostications, it was a win. And we'll take it.
The Colts are still alive with a huge game next week at Oakland. If they win out, they are in the playoffs for the umpteenth time in a row. They may get knocked out in the first round, but they will be there with their practice team, making every effort.
So....what did you all see?
It's weird having the Colts playing for their lives so late in the season. As Greg said a couple of weeks ago, we are spoiled here in Indy.
I saw only the second half. But what I did see was a great effort by the offense, defense, and special teams. You have to have that balance to win games. They made some mistakes along the way but overall, they made the big plays when they needed to, with the biggest play at the end of the game on the onside kick.
Manning did not throw a pick. But there were some easy drops by the receivers. The defense stopped the run well enough to keep the Jags out of their rhythm. But they did blow some big pass coverages at times, which led to some big gains.
Still yet with all of the criticism and prognostications, it was a win. And we'll take it.
The Colts are still alive with a huge game next week at Oakland. If they win out, they are in the playoffs for the umpteenth time in a row. They may get knocked out in the first round, but they will be there with their practice team, making every effort.
So....what did you all see?
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Another Blast From the Past
This weekend we feature a couple of my favorite secular Christmas songs from the Rock and Roll world.
Congrats go out to this first artist, as she has just been accepted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in beautiful Cleveland Ohio:
And then we have a song performed by a HOF band inducted in 2005, which was written by one of the original inductees:
Enjoy.
Congrats go out to this first artist, as she has just been accepted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in beautiful Cleveland Ohio:
And then we have a song performed by a HOF band inducted in 2005, which was written by one of the original inductees:
Enjoy.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Friday Funnies
In honor of the long career of Larry King:
Seriously....as funny as this was, we wish him many good years ahead.
Seriously....as funny as this was, we wish him many good years ahead.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Couric vs. Rice: Condi Wins In A Blowout
From the opening question, it was never close:
Many years ago, I thought Katie Couric was one of the smartest, freshest, and cutest faces to hit the news scene. Now she is so embittered, it has definitely affected her ability to even do a simple interview without looking like she still belongs on MSNBC, with the likes of Herr Olbermann, Sgt. Schultz, and Chris "Mr. Tingle" Matthews.
How DID they ever let her get away?
HT for video: IHTM
Many years ago, I thought Katie Couric was one of the smartest, freshest, and cutest faces to hit the news scene. Now she is so embittered, it has definitely affected her ability to even do a simple interview without looking like she still belongs on MSNBC, with the likes of Herr Olbermann, Sgt. Schultz, and Chris "Mr. Tingle" Matthews.
How DID they ever let her get away?
HT for video: IHTM
The Tunnel Vision Of The Left
The National Organization for Women is fixated on Sarah Palin and the Mama Grizzly phenomenon, so much so that they cannot see out of their periphery. They have tunnel vision and nothing will allow them to turn their heads to look to their sides as long as she is part of the discourse. In fact, the new class of conservative women are all in the limelight and are now targets for all unprincipled Leftists.
They cannot resist demonizing Palin, Bachmann, and other women who hold conservative values, as if they alone are responsible for everything that curses the plight of the modern woman. They lambaste, they screech, they shill, and all the while they throw away what little credibility they may have ever had, when they ignore things like this:
Some ideologues on the Left will most certainly say that this really none of our business. They will claim it is men of this local community freely practicing their Islamic faith. Others will deny this is religiously motivated, but rather is permitted by the local customs, culture, and social mores of that particular society.
But most of us know that this is a staple of Sharia law, which is firmly entrenched in the Middle East and is becoming more prevalent in places across Europe. You will have a hard time convincing me that it does not happen in Dearborn, where a person cannot even hand out Christian tracts without attracting a police response.
So instead of petitioning the worthless UN for its useless influence in condemning this kind of practice throughout the Muslim world, NOW and the other worthless entities that ignore this disgusting display are worried about the Mama Grizzlies and their growing influence on American politics.
Is it really surprising?
They cannot resist demonizing Palin, Bachmann, and other women who hold conservative values, as if they alone are responsible for everything that curses the plight of the modern woman. They lambaste, they screech, they shill, and all the while they throw away what little credibility they may have ever had, when they ignore things like this:
Some ideologues on the Left will most certainly say that this really none of our business. They will claim it is men of this local community freely practicing their Islamic faith. Others will deny this is religiously motivated, but rather is permitted by the local customs, culture, and social mores of that particular society.
But most of us know that this is a staple of Sharia law, which is firmly entrenched in the Middle East and is becoming more prevalent in places across Europe. You will have a hard time convincing me that it does not happen in Dearborn, where a person cannot even hand out Christian tracts without attracting a police response.
So instead of petitioning the worthless UN for its useless influence in condemning this kind of practice throughout the Muslim world, NOW and the other worthless entities that ignore this disgusting display are worried about the Mama Grizzlies and their growing influence on American politics.
Is it really surprising?
Monday, December 13, 2010
Mon AM QB
I didn't see much football at all yesterday. I did see the dirty scumbag act by the Jets coach, after the network cut away from the thrashing the Pats were administering to the Bears.
My Super Bowls predictions are as follows: New England vs. Atlanta or New Orleans. Of course I could be wrong, so I would bet any house payments on this. And as always, my opinions are subject to change.
These are the teams that are peaking at the right time with complete performances on both sides of the ball, as well as special teams. Those are the kinds of teams that win titles.
So....what did you all see?
My Super Bowls predictions are as follows: New England vs. Atlanta or New Orleans. Of course I could be wrong, so I would bet any house payments on this. And as always, my opinions are subject to change.
These are the teams that are peaking at the right time with complete performances on both sides of the ball, as well as special teams. Those are the kinds of teams that win titles.
So....what did you all see?
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Another Blast From the Past
He was an American icon. He just one aspect of the human existence and a huge part of Americana.
Here, he pairs with another talented musician.... who wrote and played in this song:
Many times he looked troubled, many times he looked a bit sad. I think it stopped just short of what I would say, "tortured"..... but he looked like he never really forgave himself for his shortcomings and mistakes.
He really took it hard when the love of his life died and that's when he gave up. He quit. He quit taking his medication and allowed himself to die earlier than he should have, because he was so grief stricken.
One of his latest works was a remake of a Nine Inch Nails song called "Hurt". It was so dark and so sad that I won't post or link to it, you can look it up for yourself on You Tube if you are so inclined.
Musically, he was the kind of artist who could take any song by almost any other artist, and make it his own.... in his own special way. This one you will recognize from U2:
Enjoy.
Here, he pairs with another talented musician.... who wrote and played in this song:
Many times he looked troubled, many times he looked a bit sad. I think it stopped just short of what I would say, "tortured"..... but he looked like he never really forgave himself for his shortcomings and mistakes.
He really took it hard when the love of his life died and that's when he gave up. He quit. He quit taking his medication and allowed himself to die earlier than he should have, because he was so grief stricken.
One of his latest works was a remake of a Nine Inch Nails song called "Hurt". It was so dark and so sad that I won't post or link to it, you can look it up for yourself on You Tube if you are so inclined.
Musically, he was the kind of artist who could take any song by almost any other artist, and make it his own.... in his own special way. This one you will recognize from U2:
Enjoy.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Friday Funnies
There is an unwritten rule, whereby, vets of any given armed force will not divulge the intensity of basic training of that force, at least in its entirety. The recruit asks the vet, "how is it?" The vet answers "it's tough but you'll do fine." When the recruit gets there, he/she then realizes he/she was sandbagged by the vet, when the DIs are fully unleashed.
Many of you may not know this but as my hair and goatee gets grayer and whiter, I have been receiving flyers from Santa Claus recruiters to consider enlistment when I retire from my current career. I must say that I was thinking about it until I saw this:
I am not so sure I can hack this one. Ft. North Pole is way too cold for me.
Many of you may not know this but as my hair and goatee gets grayer and whiter, I have been receiving flyers from Santa Claus recruiters to consider enlistment when I retire from my current career. I must say that I was thinking about it until I saw this:
I am not so sure I can hack this one. Ft. North Pole is way too cold for me.
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Flat Or Fair Tax?
There is a debate between proponents of the Flat Tax and the Fair Tax.
The Flat Tax is a good idea and is better than the current system. But I think it is only the second best tax system we could have:
Under the Fair Tax, everyone will pay voluntarily when they buy goods and services. When the rich man buys his yacht, he'll pay it. No loopholes. When the illegal immigrant buys his beer, boom box, car, whatever, he will pay it. No dodging because his income goes unreported.
The Flat Tax is a good idea and is better than the current system. But I think it is only the second best tax system we could have:
Under the Fair Tax, everyone will pay voluntarily when they buy goods and services. When the rich man buys his yacht, he'll pay it. No loopholes. When the illegal immigrant buys his beer, boom box, car, whatever, he will pay it. No dodging because his income goes unreported.
Monday, December 06, 2010
Mon AM QB
What can I say about the Colts? There are so many reasons they lost that game yesterday. But the one reason I never thought I would be able to say, Peyton Manning.
I cannot believe he is even in the discussion for MVP. He is losing games. Hands down, he has to be the front runner for the 2010 Brett Favre Award for most completions to the opposing team.
The backups in the role positions are not always helpful either. That jackwagon that got the personal foul for leverage late in the game needs to be released. But many of them are playing their hearts out...only to have Mr. Overthink throw the damned ball away in OT when the game is on the line.
I say play for a draft pick and see if Andrew Luck comes out next year. We do need a QB of the future and would have loved to see Curtis Painter get some snaps yesterday, just for general purposes.
It may be time for Manning to think about coaching. On second thought, the play calling in that games sucked too. Maybe not. Maybe this will reduce his value and they will not have to commit so much to resigning him. Maybe, maybe, maybe. but who knows?
I just know this season is done.
I cannot believe he is even in the discussion for MVP. He is losing games. Hands down, he has to be the front runner for the 2010 Brett Favre Award for most completions to the opposing team.
The backups in the role positions are not always helpful either. That jackwagon that got the personal foul for leverage late in the game needs to be released. But many of them are playing their hearts out...only to have Mr. Overthink throw the damned ball away in OT when the game is on the line.
I say play for a draft pick and see if Andrew Luck comes out next year. We do need a QB of the future and would have loved to see Curtis Painter get some snaps yesterday, just for general purposes.
It may be time for Manning to think about coaching. On second thought, the play calling in that games sucked too. Maybe not. Maybe this will reduce his value and they will not have to commit so much to resigning him. Maybe, maybe, maybe. but who knows?
I just know this season is done.
Saturday, December 04, 2010
Another Blast From the Past
Maybe some of you who hang out here at PYY remember the big musical debate of the 70s.
Was it Wakeman?
Or Emerson?
I thought both had an incredible amount of talent and were both worthy of the discussion. But to make a choice was (and still is) most difficult. Both had certain unique qualities within their realm of style and influence.
What do YOU all think?
Was it Wakeman?
Or Emerson?
I thought both had an incredible amount of talent and were both worthy of the discussion. But to make a choice was (and still is) most difficult. Both had certain unique qualities within their realm of style and influence.
What do YOU all think?
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
The World According To LA
Here is a short rundown on some current events as I see them. (As always, I could be wrong.)
US To Bail Out EU
Really now. This should come as no surprise, should it? The EU is entirely too big to fail.
But let's not forget, they are far superior to us.
And who knows? Maybe they are. I do know we are shoveling borrowed money from China to bail them out.
At Beneficial, they are good for more.
Sarkozy Thin-Skinned, Authoritarian
Not unlike any other French leader I have ever known of, in my lifetime. Must have been a slow news minute, when this one broke.
Friction Between Parker And Spitzer
Why she would even want to be on the same set as him (for any reason) is way beyond me. But she agreed to. And by signing a legal contract to this effect, she has demonstrated she has sucker written all over her face.
But moreover, it's not like anyone watches this show anyway. If she wanted to be accepted as a serious journalist, she would not have cheapened herself by taking this gig.
Dodd Says Farewell
GOODBYE
US To Bail Out EU
Really now. This should come as no surprise, should it? The EU is entirely too big to fail.
But let's not forget, they are far superior to us.
And who knows? Maybe they are. I do know we are shoveling borrowed money from China to bail them out.
At Beneficial, they are good for more.
Sarkozy Thin-Skinned, Authoritarian
Not unlike any other French leader I have ever known of, in my lifetime. Must have been a slow news minute, when this one broke.
Friction Between Parker And Spitzer
Why she would even want to be on the same set as him (for any reason) is way beyond me. But she agreed to. And by signing a legal contract to this effect, she has demonstrated she has sucker written all over her face.
But moreover, it's not like anyone watches this show anyway. If she wanted to be accepted as a serious journalist, she would not have cheapened herself by taking this gig.
Dodd Says Farewell
GOODBYE
A Rose By Any Other Name.....
....is still a rose.
And feces by any other name, is still feces.
What do I mean by this?
Give a listen to this speech by Nigel Farage of the European Parliament:
Did you hear him?
Did you listen?
What he said has everything to do with the current condition of the European continent, and much to do with state of America's present situation.
Were you paying attention at the end when he said:
When we think about what this present American government has tried to do in the past two years, we realize that it has made every effort to pattern its policies after that of Europe's. We who are enlightened are able to see the fallacy of such a system, because we know that it is historically a failed economic model. It has failed in the past, and is still failing now.
Has anyone else noticed that forms that have been rejected in the past have resurfaced under different names?
For instance, China has a system they call state capitalism. People were so tickled to see China reject the agrarian communist policies that Mao implemented, they forgot something along the way: Economic reform is not necessarily and indicator of freedom.
Let's not forget Mussolini and Hitler were huge proponents of state capitalism. But they called it fascism, which meant a corporate state. In reality...there is very little difference between today's China and Germany under national socialism.
Another example is the Green movement. Under the pretenses of environmental concerns, the left has hijacked this movement to use it for the specific purpose of redistributing wealth.
After the fall of the USSR and the reinvention of the Chinese economy, beret wearing activists (who wanted to see a global communist utopia) invaded the Green movement. They invented this scenario whereby they could shake down rich countries to allow less developed ones to catch up, under the guise of fairness.
It's being played out right now in the global warming debate.
So, it would be wise to keep our eyes open and watch the demise of the Europeans play out. We see that liberty and freedom are antithetical to state sponsored socialism because it is restrictive in nature. The people are freest when they can have choices, with as little government regulation as possible.
Whenever a government overreaches its power into the market place, we see that it is a recipe for disaster....just like we are seeing in Europe today. We must keep our foot on the throat of our government, if we expect to live in a world where we can flourish as a nation and a culture.
As for other nations, let them do what they want. They are responsible for their own successes. We need to stop allowing idiots to interject guilt into our national psyche, for being an exceptional nation.
And feces by any other name, is still feces.
What do I mean by this?
Give a listen to this speech by Nigel Farage of the European Parliament:
Did you hear him?
Did you listen?
What he said has everything to do with the current condition of the European continent, and much to do with state of America's present situation.
Were you paying attention at the end when he said:
....if you rob people of their identity, if you rob them of their democracy, then all they are left with is nationalism and violence.
When we think about what this present American government has tried to do in the past two years, we realize that it has made every effort to pattern its policies after that of Europe's. We who are enlightened are able to see the fallacy of such a system, because we know that it is historically a failed economic model. It has failed in the past, and is still failing now.
Has anyone else noticed that forms that have been rejected in the past have resurfaced under different names?
For instance, China has a system they call state capitalism. People were so tickled to see China reject the agrarian communist policies that Mao implemented, they forgot something along the way: Economic reform is not necessarily and indicator of freedom.
Let's not forget Mussolini and Hitler were huge proponents of state capitalism. But they called it fascism, which meant a corporate state. In reality...there is very little difference between today's China and Germany under national socialism.
Another example is the Green movement. Under the pretenses of environmental concerns, the left has hijacked this movement to use it for the specific purpose of redistributing wealth.
After the fall of the USSR and the reinvention of the Chinese economy, beret wearing activists (who wanted to see a global communist utopia) invaded the Green movement. They invented this scenario whereby they could shake down rich countries to allow less developed ones to catch up, under the guise of fairness.
It's being played out right now in the global warming debate.
So, it would be wise to keep our eyes open and watch the demise of the Europeans play out. We see that liberty and freedom are antithetical to state sponsored socialism because it is restrictive in nature. The people are freest when they can have choices, with as little government regulation as possible.
Whenever a government overreaches its power into the market place, we see that it is a recipe for disaster....just like we are seeing in Europe today. We must keep our foot on the throat of our government, if we expect to live in a world where we can flourish as a nation and a culture.
As for other nations, let them do what they want. They are responsible for their own successes. We need to stop allowing idiots to interject guilt into our national psyche, for being an exceptional nation.
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