Archive for 2008

Be Gay and Shut Up

Thursday, December 11th, 2008

I was going to call in gay yesterday, but I was out of days off. So instead I came in straight and earned my paycheck. I would like to think that if I was gay, I would have still gone to work and honored my responsibilities.

For those who were lucky enough to not know, the gay community declared December 10th to be “Gay Day.”

This is not to be confused with “Dre Day,” the Gangsta Rap album by Dr. Dre that launched Snoop Doggy Dogg on the way to starizzledom (or as the we say in the mother tongue, stardom).

Gay Day is the next angry protest against California Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage.

Gay Americans vowed to skip work today, and “call in gay.” This would be the equivalent of “calling in sick.”

This is ironic since many anti-gay people say that gay people are sick, and gay people have argued that they are normal and healthy. Therefore, adopting an approach of “I am gay, I am sick,” is about as intelligent a marketing ploy as Chevrolet marketing the Chevy Nova in Mexico, unaware that “Nova” means “doesn’t go.” At least Chevrolet was being truthful. Gay Americans are not sick, and therefore lying by claiming they are. Also, calling in sick is quite unethical, but that is for another time and place in case my boss reads my blog.

So did “Calling in Gay” revolutionize America? Did the economy notice? Is orange the new blue?

In order, no, no, and I have no idea what I just said. I am not a fashionista. I am your stereotypical unkempt straight guy with jeans and sneakers.

So why did gay day fail?

The reasons that gay day fell flat is actually a successful, optimistic reason for all Americans.

Dear gay America…listen to me closely…there is a word to describe you…

Gay people…I am officially declaring you…

(Grabbing a bullhorn): NORMAL!

That is right. You are normal. You are not special. You are boring. You are generic. You are “been there, done that.” Being gay is soooooooooo 2007 the same way that being black was all the rage in 2006. I hope I live long enough for everybody to be Jewish Republicans, but I will not hold my breath.

The reason why I am tired of listening to gay people is because I am tired of listening to everybody. My father’s favorite holiday was “Shut the hell up and go to work” day. It crosses all of the human strata, and everybody should try it at some point in their lives. Many people feel I should shut up. They do not read my blog. I survive.

For boycotts to work, there has to be a special skill set.

For instance, police officers have been known to have massive sick days that are know as a “Blue Flu.” The Blue Flu has a chance of succeeding because being a police officer requires a certain skill set. Jokes about donuts aside, police officers do things that many of us are not qualified to do.

Being homosexual is not a skill set. It is a lifestyle.

Most people are not pro or anti-gay. We are pro-productivity.

I don’t care who my CPA sleeps with. I just want my taxes done right. My oil change was done by a guy at Jiffy Lube. Now as much as I am tempted to make an infantile remark on how I do not like getting a Jiffy Lube because I prefer she take her time, the bottom line is when I bring my car in I just want my oil changed.

Gay Americans are fighting for the right to have gay marriage become the law of the land.

I personally stay far out of the culture wars. My attitude towards gay people has always been, “Be gay, but don’t raise my taxes or fly a plane into the towers.” Coincidentally, that is my attitude towards the heterosexual community as well.

The issue that the gay community must accept is that any movement lives or dies by the number of disinterested moderates it persuades. The Civil Rights movement needed white moderates. Dr. King understood this. The Jewish community needs support of Christians.

There are not enough gay people in America to influence the law on their own. They need straight people to show solidarity. They need people like me. I am a moderate on gay issues. I can be persuaded. Yet what I really despise more than many things in this world is traffic congestion.

I love President Bush, but I get mad even at him when his motorcade blocks traffic. I live near a Federal building, and every week it is something different. One day it is “Anti-animal rights activists and Feline eugenics.” The next day it is “Persians and Global Shawarming.”  The day after brings “Lesbian Vegans for Libya.” The other day a  group of protesters wanted to hang Luke Perry for breaking up with Shannon Doherty on “Beverly Hills,  90210.” A counter protest came about with the group chanting, “No Noose Lukes.”

Americans are a tolerant bunch. We just like order. We dislike chaos. Disrupting traffic, or skipping work, are bad approaches.

This is not about the merits of the gay marriage issue. It is about tactics and strategy.

At best, boycotting work will have no effect. The gay receptionist can be replaced by the straight receptionist. Temp agencies have tons of workers looking for assignments. With the economy the way it is today, slacking off from work is unwise. If the boss fires any of these people, it will not be because they are gay, but because they disrupted the workplace.

At worst, such tactics lead to a backlash.

Americans are reasonable people. We are like data. 99.7% of us fit within 3 standard deviations of normalcy. Beyond those parameters are the extremes, which include yelling “We’re here, we’re queer” at innocent bystanders to yelling anti-gay slurs, or God forbid, physical violence such as what happened to Matthew Shephard.

Yet most Americans do not see the struggle for gay marriage to be a struggle for gay rights. This is not Selma, Alabama. Gay people are not having fire hoses turned on them.

This is not the Holocaust. They are not being sent to concentration camps, unless one considers wealthy enclaves in San Francisco and West Hollywood to be punishment. While not all gay people are wealthy, many of them are financially successful. They are getting high paying jobs somewhere. This is not because they are gay, but because they have marketable skills as all people do. Again, it is another example of being less different than some think. They are the same.

The bad news for America is that Gay Day was a flop. What the gay community called Gay Day, I referred to by its given name…Wednesday. At least nobody made a comment about why they chose “hump day.”

(At the risk of a completely irrelevant tangent, “Law and Order” just came on. A gay guy was killed. I am guaranteeing that a straight person did it. Law and Order has a clear political agenda.)

A tree fell in the forest, and it may or may not have been gay. It made not a sound.

Gay people should be happy about this. Most Americans did not even know about Gay Day. We did not bash gays. We did something that we consider better and they might consider worse. We shrugged our shoulders.

(Second and last irrelevant tangent: “Law and Order” just ended. Naturally, a gay man was wrongly convicted, and the actual murderer was a heterosexual hard charging business executive. This show is as predictable as it is politically disgraceful. In real life, corporate executives do not go around committing murders, and poor downtrodden people accused of things actually did it.)

If gay people want to be accepted the way everybody else is, they should do what everybody else does. They should fight the good fight, pursue the noble struggle, but avoid causing moderates to move away from them.

They need to do what I and many others are forced to do. They need to celebrate “Shut the Hell up and go to work” Day.

We all do.

eric

How Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich Can Survive

Wednesday, December 10th, 2008

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested yesterday morning on corruption charges that are wider and deeper than anything we have seen in the political sphere in some time.

Liberals, whose sole reason of existence is lashing conservatives, will be the ones reminding us that there is a presumption of innocence.

Yet today is not about them. It is not even about Barack Obama. After all, if “Blago” has any evidence on Obama, he will use it to save his own skin. He is not the Vince Foster type, one who will tragically fall on his sword over despair of hurting somebody he respects. Blago is being portrayed as a narcissist. Also, while it only takes one deranged Obama supporter to simply take Blago and kill him, the more realistic scenario is Blago quietly implying he can implicate Obama, and then having his bluff called.

Perhaps he can get an advance on a tell all book, and then disappoint people.

Nevertheless, the Tygrrrr Express takes pride in sitting back and letting stories play out.

There are ways that Blago (typing his last name repeatedly is a royal Chicago pain.) can escape, but they require major lifestyle changes. First, in the spirit of Dr. Seuss and his son Jesse Jackson Jr., I offer a rhyme of condolence for Blago.

No more Morton’s, Ruth Crists’ or Spago…

Time for Illinois prison food, Blago…

No more vacations in Mari Lago…

Surrender your passport Mr. Blago…

Sorry Bloggie. As a blogger, I almost feel bad for a guy named Blago.

Ok, enough of that. Now I know why people detest when Jesse Jackson does it.

Blago once held the same Congressional seat that Dan Rostenkowski and Rahm Emanuel did. Maybe the seat itself is corrupt. I will check with the CEO of Home Depot, or whoever installed the seat. It is leaking, so a plumber might be necessary. Then again, political plumbers are what started this corruption probe.

Perhaps members of the Chicago Department of Water and Power can take the fall, given that something in the water there seems to make people corrupt.

So what can Blago do to survive?

His first option is to immediately announce that he is a homosexual. Much of gay America, when not rampaging and engaging in violence against store owners and others that disagree with them (It is still ironic that they do not support republicans who wage war to spread peace), are spreading hypertolerance.

Hypertolerance does not mean being treated equally. It means that they get special treatment, which includes immunity from prosecution for any and all crimes.

Those who dispute this should examine how former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevy survived.

I personally could care less who he slept with. The fact that he chose a former soldier in the Israeli Defense Forces means he values protection. Some people like guns on their pillows, others want the entire soldier. Jim McGreevey was a corrupt politician who happened to be gay. He then held a tearful press conference announcing that he was gay, and played the gay card to perfection.

He resigned, but why is he not facing a prison term? Some felt that he “suffered enough.” This would be valid except for the fact that he was the sole cause of his own suffering. The media, lazy and boring, lost interest in the story.

The second option for Blago would be more difficult. He needs to become black. Whether this is done surgically, or by some other method I am unaware of, it would work.

William Jefferson had $90,000 stashed in his freezer. This was before the banking crisis that made such an option reasonable. My late Grandfather (rest his soul) found the mattress more appropriate, but may have used the freezer a couple of times. Then again, my grandfather obeyed the law.

William Jefferson is a corrupt politician who happens to be black. Yet apparently even Louisiana has a threshold for bad behavior. Remember, David Duke and Edwin Edwards are from Louisiana.

William Jefferson had his office raided by the FBI. Rather than support this, Nancy Pelosi condemned the raid. For some bizarre reason, Dennis Hastert gave Pelosi cover. Perhaps he wanted to be liked. Then again, Hastert is from Illinois as well. Who knows what is in his closet.

There are plenty of law abiding black Americans, but their persecution throughout history has led them to tolerate bad behavior among their own. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton should both be in prison. Jackson shakes down corporations with threats of boycotts. That is extortion. Sharpton never paid the money to Steven Pagones, and he never was held to the carpet for the riots that led in Jewish deaths.

Mel Reynolds eventually went to jail, only after he was caught in an underage sex scandal. Being a minority is a normally solid defense, but even that is not a defense against violating children.

Barack Obama could be caught smoking crack in a public bathroom without consequences, but even he would not escape punishment if a child was in there with him. Franklin Raines was the CEO of Fannie Mae, and he is going to retire wealthy, and unscathed. So will the black former CEO of Merrill Lynch, who pocketed $180 million dollars while driving the company down.

Yet outside of that extreme, Blago might wish to put on the song “Smooth Criminal,” and then head to the local plastic surgeon for a reverse Michael Jackson.

Speaking of Jackson, normally a democrat can rely on the good will of the black community. However, Jesse Jackson Jr. does not like Blago. Therefore, Blago is done.

He could have a religious conversion, but it would have to be to a protected religion. Judaism and Christianity would be out of the question. The only options would be Islam, or if he really wanted to be creative, Atheism. Religious zeal caused his illness, but now he no longer believes. The only thing more powerful than discovering religion is publicly turning against it.

If changing his sexual orientation or race is too difficult, and the religion angle is a no go, then the cliched and overused “illness” defense is Blago’s only salvation. This can come in various forms, all involving rehab.

Blago can enter alcohol rehab, and claim that his tape recorded corrupt tirades were the rantings of a drunken man who just needs love, help, and support.

While alcohol rehab is a conventional approach, drug rehab is more powerful. After all, if it was not for drug rehab stories, Hollywood celebrities would eventually be forced to get real jobs.

Mental illness is an option. Physical illness is not heart wrenching enough, unless it is AIDS. Cancer does not move enough heartstrings, and heart disease usually results in the victim being blamed. Former Arkansas Governor Jim Guy Tucker was dying, but that did not stop him for being convicted of corruption involving his predecessor.

Mental illness is difficult to understand. There are so many shades of gray. I have a relative who does viciously bad things. My family insists that they can’t help the way they are. They are just sick.

No. They are faking. It is an insult to people with real mental illnesses that we give an ounce of credence to people who are”b*tchy,” spiteful, and just downright mean.

Yet even allegations of mental illness give many people cocoons of protection because separating the fakers from the real victims is sometimes difficult. Therefore, in the same way it is better to free a guilty person than imprison an innocent one, giving a faker a pass is better than doubting a genuinely ill person.

The key to dodging a scandal is to make it boring. That means that something else must be more interesting.

With Bill Clinton, escaping Whitewater was easy because it was boring. Complicated financial transactions bore the media, and when the media, lazy slobs that they are, get bored, a scandal dies. Sex scandals keep them wide awake. The Lewinsky scandal was “just sex.” Democrats repeated this over and over again, and republican attempts to portray the issue as one of “the rule of law,” fell apart when Larry Flynt began exposing adulterous republicans. The situations were not analogous, but perception became reality.

Eliot Spitzer was not caught in a sex scandal. He was caught in a financial scandal involving money laundering and interstate commerce violations. Sex was the least relevant part of the scandal. His extortion of corporations was no different than that of Jesse Jackson. Yet in the same way sex scandals saved Clinton and Jackson, Spitzer is already repairing his image and mounting his comeback.

John Corzine was caught driving down the highway at a speed of 91MPH. He also had a former mistress on his payroll. Yet Corzine was hurt in the crash, and therefore had “suffered enough.” A guilty white socialist fighting to recover his health is almost as heartwarming as a Hollywood meth addict conquering addiction.

Blago needs to immediately discover some mistresses. He needs to possess pornography on his laptop, provided it is not kiddie porn.

He needs to drop the swagger and embrace the Swaggart, that being Pastor Jimmy. Once he is done crying about how he “has sinned,” all will be forgiven.

Right now people look at Blago and see a man that tried to sell a Senate seat. Granted that does not mean as much as 100 years ago when the Senate was respected, but it is still valuable to some. Besides, trying to extort money from a hospital is bad, especially a pediatric one. Again, scandals involving children are much tougher to defend.

Mike Tyson got to box again. Marv Albert is a well paid sports announcer. Americans are a forgiving people.

Blago is not a conservative republican. The media really do not want to destroy him. They want this to go away, because if it does reach Rahm Emanuel or Barack Obama, the media wants no part of it.

Blago has a ton of options. All he needs to do is figure out which approach he should embrace.

In the mean time, he could always pacify the black community onto his side by engaging in a bizarre move. He could show solidarity by appointing William Jefferson to the open Illinois Senate seat.

It would be a shining move of unity. After all, Mr. Jefferson has not been convicted of any crimes. Besides, any community run by Richard Daley would heartily embrace Mr. Jefferson. He would fit right in.

Of course there would be a scandal that smacks of quid pro quo when Blago runs for the Louisiana Congressional seat in 2010, but try proving it. Unless Blago and Jefferson are caught having sex with each other, the scandals will wither on the vine, hiding in plain view for all to see and few to care.

eric

WWWD? What Would Weezie Do?

Tuesday, December 9th, 2008

William Jefferson has been fired.

When somebody is too corrupt for Louisiana, there is no redemption for them.

Then again, this is not your father’s Louisiana. Bobby Jindal is the Republican Governor, and the swamp is getting drained.

Several months ago, I pointed out why everything would be fine for the Jeffersons.

“Life in Manhattan is too tough, So William and Weezie head to Louisiana. Now normally people might consider this a step down, but when you are rich in Louisiana, the quality of life is better because there apparently is no such thing as ill gotten gain. While George Jefferson owned a laundromat, William realized it was easier to just launder money. I can still picture the other William Jefferson (Clinton) as bank manager H.L Whittendale, formerly played by James B. McDougal. Actually given that Bill Clinton thinks he is black, perhaps he could play neighbor Tom Willis (although Hillary is no Roxie Roker, except for the part where she intimidates her husband). Anyway, enjoy the theme music.

‘Cash can hide in the freezer…

Giving ethics the chills…

Took a whole lot of bribin’…

To stay on Capitol Hill…

Now I’m in the big leagues…

A powerful democrat…

As long as I live, I’ll take what you give…

Nothing the Feds can do about that…

I’m moving on up (moving on up)…

With nothing to hide (nothing to hide)…

Its Lousiana…

We take it in stride (take it in stride)…

I’m moving on up (moving on up)…

I’m getting my bribes (getting my bribes)…

Taking every piece of my constituents piiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeee.’

Mr. Jefferson is as innocent as Marion Barry having a relapse (picturing the late Burl Ives singing ‘The mayor smoked crack, but we don’t care…’).

A famous mafia joke has the lawyer for a mobster telling the judge “You promised my client a jury of his peers. These are law abiding citizens.” Folks, How many Lousiana politicians does it take to screw in a lightbulb? I don’t know, but I still wonder how many Louisiana dimbulb politicians it takes to screw over their constituents. Whether it is klansmen or governors sleeping with call girls, Louisiana is just different. It is governed by French law, which may or may not make it subjected to the US Constitution.

Now there is Louisiana fatigue. As sad as we are about Katrina, Mayor Ray Nagin did not win over much of America when he basically decided to ruin the good work of the Civil Rights movement by recommending Louisiana go back to segregation. David Duke must have been proud. Perhaps when Nagin said he wanted a chocolate city, he meant that a benefit concert by 70s soul group Hot Chocolate singing ‘You sexy thing (I believe in miracles)’ would have lifted morale.

I have met the people of Louisiana. They are lovely people. The best food I have eaten has been in Louisiana, and the second best music outside of Chicago is there as well. It’s just that for some, politics is a craft. For Louisiana politicians, it’s graft.

Louisiana is basically one or two bada booms and bada bings from New Jersey, which is South America minus the pleasant climate.

As Texas oil baron J.R. Ewing used to say, ‘It’s just business darlin’.’ Everybody does it. It’s no big deal. Perhaps those $100 bills are napkins Mr. Jefferson uses for his mouth when having his morning corn flakes. Actually Louisiana, make that bacon, sausage, eggs, and crab flavored vodka (ok, I made that up).

Louisiana…it’s not crime. It’s just politics and business. Then again, we do not know the depths of Mr. Jefferson’s crimes. Weezie did die under mysterious circumstances, and we do not know everything that was in his freezer. Actually, it’s no big deal. It’s just Louisiana politics…democrat style.”

Well 3 cheers for Louisiana. They have elected the first Vietnamese American to Congress. Will the Jayson Blair Times give this man the news equivalent of a ticker tape parade as they did with Muslim Keith Ellison or Indian Bobby Jindal, who everybody to the right of Leon Trotsky adores? Of course not. Ahn Joseph Cao is a republican.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Cao

As William Jefferson prepares his next move, (most likely protest rallies with Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, where they blame the Jewish-Vietnamese Conspiracy), I look at the bracelet on my arm for answers.

WWWD? What Would Weezie Do?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weezie

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabel_Sanford

Weezie was not, as one character innocently asked, George Jefferson’s pet weasel. Louise Jefferson was his wife. She did not suffer fools gladly, and she was incorruptible.

William Jefferson went down the wrong path. Yet George Jefferson was no saint either.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Jefferson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherman_Hemsley

Weezie would not have blamed other people for her problems. William Jefferson may have had to deal with David Duke and the racism of the Old South. So what? George and Weezie had to deal with Archie Bunker.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archie_Bunker

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carroll_O%27Connor

Some would insist that Weezie would have voted for William Jefferson anyway. She was a black woman, and black women voted with the democrats over 90% of the time.

Some would insist that Weezie would have voted for Ahn Cao, because she was colorblind, and she believed in honesty, integrity, and personal responsibility.

Neither of these trains of thought are right. Weezie lived in New York. I would like to think she would have been respectful and proud of a female Senator. George would most likely be in the back room with a stogie playing poker with Governor Pataki, Senator D’Amato, and Howard Stern.

Besides, George would never have hid money in the freezer. Florence the Maid would have found and kept it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Johnston#Florence_Johnston

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marla_Gibbs

Moving to 227 is expensive, but that is no excuse. You don’t steal from a good woman like Weezie.

Some will say that the lull between the election and the inauguration has become unbearable, especially with columns like this.

(Full disclosure: Isabel Sanford is deceased, and never endorsed my column. I was a bigger fan of her than she was of me.)

George once gave marriage counseling to a couple by pointing at Weezie and saying, “Do you know why our marriage works? Because I put up with all her faults! She’d do the same for me if I had any!”

It was always Weezie that was tolerant and patient. Yet her tolerance and patience drew a firm ethical line. She was fiercely protective of George, and equally loyal to him, but she never allowed him to stray past the line of the law.

The bottom line is that Weezie would rather associate with a Jefferson who worked hard and spent hours laundering other people’s clothing to reach the American dream than a Jefferson who laundered money and betrayed the American public.

It is about doing the right thing. The right thing…

That is what Weezie would do.

Thankfully the voters of Louisiana felt the same, and honored her memory at the voting booth.

eric

Airlines, Worries and Priorities

Monday, December 8th, 2008

Yesterday was supposed to be my day of relaxation. While I did watch plenty of football on Sunday, some events occurred in the morning that concerned me.

The Chicago Cannonball took a flight to Washington, DC, for work. There was a “problem” involving a “security issue.”

Neither of us know exactly what the problem was, but for about a couple of hours I was worried for her safety. While this was not 9/11, or even the Bruce Willis movie “Die Harder,” it could have been.

I travel a lot on business. Although it pays me a decent living, my dad on many occasions has said, “You fly too much.”

I don’t mind flying. I am a well organized, well oiled machine. I travel light, with no luggage. One carry on bag holds everything. The time I get to the airport to the time I get to the gate usually takes about 15 minutes.  I sleep well on planes, and often get upgrades to First Class.

Yet today I am thinking of an expression my Rabbi tells me. “There is no such thing as an Atheist in a bear market or on a turbulent plane.”

The Chicago Cannonball is fine. She does not get rattled easily.

Normally I do not either. Yet for some reason, this set of events was taxing. To be 3000 miles away, and unable to do anything, forced my mind to think some disjointed thoughts.

For one, I hate airlines. They might be the only big business I hate besides record companies. I am under no illusion that the only reason I get First Class upgrades is because so many people higher than me on the food chain have given up on the airlines.

Forcing people to pay for food in coach is disgusting. Also, ticket prices went up when oil rose in price, but crashing oil prices have not lowered fares.

As somebody who worships capitalism, I believe that companies should charge whatever they want. However, collusion is illegal, and the airlineas are masters at collusion. They call it price leadership, but we all know what that means for airlines.

Also, the hub and spoke system is atrocious. Non-stop flights are fewer and fewer, and I do not want to stop in Atlanta or Charlotte to go from Los Angeles to New York. Many Airlines do not even fly straight from Los Angeles to Chicago. These are major cities.

Yet what really bothers me is that political correctness is killing air travel, in addition to the rest of society.

I want to make it clear the the Chicago Cannonball does not share my political views, and that I am only speaking for me. I also want to make it clear that I have no idea what the security issue was on her plane.

Nevertheless, I want profiling at airports.

I have had it. We are at war, and unlike a failed 2004 Presidential Candidate, I do not want to fight a “more sensitive war.” The Chicago Cannonball totally disagrees with me on this issue. Her thought process is that if we profile people, the terrorists will just change their profile.

I don’t believe it i that simple to just recruit an entire new group of people. If anything, the Arab terrorists are running out of homicide bombers. They are starting to recruit the physically and mentally handicapped.

Some people feel that they did not consent to be profiled. While I did not consent to be blown to Kingdom Come. My right to be alive is more important than somebody else’s bruised ego.

Others will argue that if I was the one being profiled, it would bother me. What it would do would be to force me to turn inward at my own community. I constantly accuse liberal Jews of being screwups that engage in ideological bigotry. I am not shy about going after my own. When enough Arab Muslims go after their own, then things will get better.

Until then, asking Jewish men to take off their hats while Muslims are not asked to take off their turbans is insane.

Most Muslims are not terrorists,. but most terrorists are Muslims. Either we crack down and admit who we are fighting, or we will continue to help our enemies destroy us.

Everybody profiles. We judge each other based on education level when applying for a job. We “discriminate” in terms of wanting to live in a “good” neighborhood with less crime.

Women profile men based on money, and men profile women based on weight. Is this good? No, but it is the world we live in.

There are so many terrorists, that trying to kill them all is like trying to play wack-a-mole at warp speed. Yet the least we can do is not help them.

Islamic Fundamentalism is a cancer that has murdered people everywhere from Madrid to Bali to London to Glasgow to Mumbai to New York to Pennsylvania.

They also hit Washington, DC.

My girlfriend takes business trips to DC. There is nothing I can do about it.

Maybe it is totally hypocritical to be relaxed on my own flights but worried about hers. Yet I drive much more safely when I have a passenger than when I am by myself.

My parents keep telling me not to worry about them, yet they worry about me.

I tell the world I will be fine, yet I worry about others.

I just know what my priorities are.

I hope that one day I will live in a world where getting on a plane is as safe as walking on the sidewalk in a neighborhood with no cars.

I know that is unrealistic, but I wish Americans did not do everything possible to stack the deck against us.

I doubt I will ever know what happened with my girlfriend’s plane yesterday.

What I do know is that such “security problems” are not acceptable.

Not when it hits this close to home.

eric

NFL 2008–Week 14 Recap

Sunday, December 7th, 2008

Before getting to football, I want to wish a hearty thank you to all the veterans in our armed forces.

December 7th, 1941 was Pearl Harbor Day. Because of our brave soldiers, on December 7th, 2008, we are free. I shall use my freedom to enjoy a Sunday of football.

As November turns to December, it is with great pleasure that the NFL Hall of Fame has included former defensive standout John Randle as one of the 25 finalists for induction. As great as he was on the field, he was even better for a fun quote. He would playfully jawbone with teammates, opponents, and even the officials.

His best quote is one that is dedicated to December. You see, in September, all 32 teams are little puppies. They all have a dream that they will grow. Yet December separates the puppies from the adults.

As John Randle says during December…

“This is when the Big Dogs come out.”

With that, Week 14 of the NFL is now recapped.

Oakland Raiders @ San Diego Chargers was the Thursday night game. Yes, I left work early on Thursday. My priorities are set. I have done my part. It was up to the Raiders to do theirs. In the beginning of the game, it seemed that even Norvelous Norv Turner could not prevent the Chargers from success. The Chargers took the opening kickoff, and Philip Rivers threw deep for a 46 yard bomb. Despite having first and goal, the Silver and Black defense held San Diego to a field goal and a 3-0 lead. The Raiders opening possession was typical, in the sense that it was a disaster. Russell was hit and fumbled, and the Chargers took over at the Oakland 12. On 3rd and 1 form the 4, Ladanian Tomlinson walked into the end zone untouched to put the Chargers up 10-0. Yes, it seemed that the remaining 54 minutes would be a waste of time.

The Raiders do have a good punter, as if a team wants to be known for that. Yet Shane Lechler buried the Chargers at their own 4 yard lijne, and good field position seeme din store for the Raiders when the Chargers had 3 terrible plays. Yet after the 3rd down play weent nowhere, a personal foul after the play ended kept the drive alive. Yes, the nightmare keeps getting worse. Rivers eventually moved the Chargers 96 yards in 15 plays. On 4th and 1 from the Oakland 26, Rivers picked up 2 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the 8, Rivers hit Darren Sproles for the easy touchdown to make it 17-0.

Russell then moved the Raiders from the Oakland 19 past midfield, until he was intercepted at the San Diego 37. The Raiders confirmed their status as a joke of a franchise when another deep pass from Rivers to Jackson went for a 59 yard touchdown and a 24-0 San Diego lead.

For some reason the game continued. After a punt, the Raiders began at the San Diego 43. They actually reached a 1st and 10 at the 23, before collapsing in penalties to 2nd and 35 at the 48. They then ran the ball badly. On their next series, Russell was intercepted again. San Diego began at the Oakland 37, but it really did not matter. A field goal had the Chargers up 27-0 with 32 seconds remaining in the half.

Justin Miller returned the ensuing kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown with 10 seconds left in the half. Normally that would get more celebration, but on the way to 3-10 and getting slaughtered minimized the thrilling play that had the Raiders down 27-7 at halftime. Out of respect for the game of football, and because the tears fried my keyboard, I will skip the second half. After all, the Raiders did, to secure their 6th straight 10+ loss season. 34-7 Chargers

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Chicago Bears–A nightmarish season for the Jaguars got worse when David Garrard 3 plays into the game at the Jacksonville 47 and returned to the 5 yard line. Kyle Orton hit Clark from 2 yards out to put the Bears up 7-0. Both teams led 6 minute drives that led to field goals, and the Bears added another field goal to take a 13-3 lead. Orton then hit Devon Hester for a 31 yard gain, and then hit Greg Jennings for the 22 yard touchdown with seconds left in the half to break the game open at 20-3. The Bears coasted from their to improve to 7-6, one game out of thier divison. The Jaguars at 4-9 are out. 23-10 Bears

Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions–The Vikings lead the division, and the Lions lead the league in futility. 3 times in the first half the Lions drove inside the Minnesota 10. Twice they settled for field goals, and on the 3rd trip Dante Culpepper failed to convert on 4th and 1 from the 6. The winless Lions did lead 6-3 at halftime. Gus Frerotte was intercepted 3 times in the first half, and was injured as well, requiring Brad Childress to do the unthinkable, and bring in Tarvaris Jackson at halftime. Perhaps Childress might wish to remember what happened when his former boss Andy Reid benched Donovan McNabb a couple of weeks ago in a winnable game. Unless Frerotte was in a wheelchair, it was a gamble.

Minnesota has a running game, and even much maligned Jackson can hand the ball off. A 22 yard run by Adrian Peterson was followed by a 17 yard touchdown run by Chester Taylor to put the Vikings up 10-6. Yet the Pride of the Lions came in the form of a 70 yard bomb from Culpepper to Calvin Johnson. The Lions were back in front 13-10. Yet an 11 play, 5 1/2 minute drive had Jackson hitting Vincent Shiancoe from 11 yards out to put the Vikings back in front 17-13 with 11 minutes left in the game.

The Lions would not quit, and on 3rd and 11 from the Minnesota 21, Culpepper hit Johnson at the 8 yard line. However, Childress challenged the call, and on further review,a  reversal meant an incomplete pass and 4th down. Jason Hanson nailed the 39 yard field goal to pull the Lions within 17-16 with 5 minutes left. Ball security was a nightmare for Adrian Peterson in this game. He dropped it 4 times, but fell on it each time, saving disaster.

Everything came down to one play. With 27 seconds remaining, the Vikings had failed to run out the clock. Childress sent Ryan Longwell in for a 50 yard field. A missed kick would give the Lions fabulous field position with only a field goal to win it. It was not to be. Longwell nailed it. The Lions did not return the kickoff for a touchdown, and Drew Henson came in for Culpepper to try the hail Mary. The ball did not leave his hand, and the sack extended the misery of the Lions. The last time they were 0-12, they got the win. This time 0-13 is a reality. The Vikings at 8-5 remained in first place. 20-16 Lions

Cincinnati Bengals @ Indianapolis Colts–This game almost seemed unfair on paper. A perennially terrible team on the road against a perennially good team at home. Late in the opening quarter, Peyton Manning led a 79 yard drive, which was capped off with Dominic Rhodes running it in from 17 yards out to put the Colts up 7-0. Ryan Fitzpatrick did lead the Bengals on a long drive from the Cincinnati 20 to the Indianapolis 2, but on 3rd and goal at the 2 the Bengals failed to score. Marvin Lewis opted for the field goal to make it 7-3. Yet later in the quarter, Fitzpatrick was intercepted in his own territory by Hayden. With a penalty on the Bengals tacked on, the Colts began at the Cincinnati 7. Manning hit Marvin Harrison for the 5 yard score to give the Colts the 14-3 lead at the half.

The Colts took the second half kickoff, and Manning led a staggering 81 yard drive that took 8:45 off of the clock. From the Cincy 20, Manning hit Gonzalez for 17 yards before hitting Gonzalez again for a 2 yard toss and a 21-3 Colts advantage. After a Bengals punt, Manning threw a short pass to Harrison that went for a 67 yard gain. On the next play, Manning hit Dallas Clark for the 4 yard score. The Colts led 28-3. This is NOT why they play the games. The Colts improved to 9-4 with the win. 35-3 Colts

Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Giants–Throw out the records. This was expected to be an ugly defensive game. In the first quarter, David Akers nailed a 51 yard field goal. In the second quarter, the John Carney had his 47 yard attempt blocked. At the 2 minute warning, the Eagles had the ball at the New York 30. For those who do not know, the Eagles do have a running back named Bryan Westbrook. Pass happy Andy Reid actually handed the ball off, and Westbrook went straight up the middle for the 30 yard touchdown to give the Eagles a 10-0 lead. On the last play of the half, Akers lined up for a chip shot 32 yard field goal. Simplicity turned to shock as the kick was blocked and returned 71 yards for a touchdown by Ken Dockery. Instead of taking a 13-0 lead into the locker rooms, the stunned Eagles held a fragile 10-7 advantage.

The Eagles stayed calm, and the defenses ruled the 3rd quarter as they had for much of the first half. McNabb eventually led an 11 play, 6 minute drive. From the New York 40, He hit Westbrook for the 40 yard touchdown pass to give the Eagles a 17-7 lead just over one minute into the 4th quarter. With 9 1/2 minutes remaining, the Giants faced 4th and 1 from the Philly 38. Manning threw incomplete, and McNabb then led a 7 minute drive. A field goal made it 20-7. The Giants did score a touchdown with 15 seconds remaining, but the onsides kick failed. The Eagles stayed alive at 7-5 with the upset, while the Giants still remain atop the NFC at 11-2 despite the stunning home loss. Due to the Dallas loss later in the day, the Giants clinched their division. 20-14 Eagles.

Cleveland Browns @ Tennessee Titans–With Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn out for the season, Ken Dorsey led the Browns to a pair of field goals and a 6-0 lead. Yet the Titans finally got going, as Kerry Collins led a 68 yard drive. In the 2nd quarter, Jeff Fisher decided to go for it on 4th and 1 from the Cleveland 28. Rather than run up the gut, Collins went deep to Hall for the touchdown to give the Titans a 7-6 lead. With 6 minutes remaining in the half, the Titans took over at their own 7. Collins moved the team, and a pair of 20 yard passes to Alge Crumpler and Justin McCareins, combined with a defensive penalty, led to Lendale White running it in from 3 yards out. The Titans took the 14-6 lead into the locker rooms.

In the second half, Dorsey was intercepted again, setting up the Titans at the Cleveland 11. Collins hit Justin Gage for the 9 yard touchdown to put the Titans comfortably in front 21-6. They coasted form there, and remain the top team in the NFL at 12-1. They clinched their division, dethroning the Colts after 5 years. 28-9 Titans.

Atlanta Falcons @ New Orleans Saints–Matt Ryan was intercepted by David, setting the Saints up at their own 48. Reggie Bush ripped up a 43 yard run, leading to a 5 yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Bush to put the Saints up 7-0. In the second quarter, the Saints had a chance to do damage, facing a 3rd and 1 from the Atlanta 8. Deuce McAllister got stuffed, and Sean Payton decided not to gamble. The Saints settled for a field goal.

Ryan made up for his earlier interception by hitting White for a 59 yard bomb down to the New Orleans 15. Michael Turner ran it in from 5 yards out to get the Falcons to within 10-7. Brees did lead the Saints to a field goal on their next drive, but Ryan kept firing away. A 22 yarder to Douglas and a 15 yarder to Jenkins led to a 2 yard pass to Finneran for the score and the 14-13 Atlanta lead. Yet Brees ran the 2 minute drill to perfection, and a 3rd field goal had the Saints leading 16-14 at intermission.

In the third quarter, the game slowed considerably when Ryan led a 15 play drive that chewed up 9:15 off of the clock. However, the drive bogged down at the 5 yard line, and the Falcons settled for the go ahead field goal to lead 17-16 after three quarters.

The see-saw game saw a 4th lead change when Brees took over at the New Orleans 13 and went right to work. From midfield, Brees hit Devry Henderson down to the Atlanta 13. Brees hit Thomas for a 7 yard touchdown to give the Saints the lead. Reggie Bush fumbled on the 2 point conversion. He may have broke the plane, but the Saints were out of challenges. The Saints led 22-17 with 13 minutes left. The aerial show from both teams continued. Ryan led the Falcons 73 yards in 11 plays and 5 minutes. Ryan ran it in himself from 12 yards out, and a successful 2 point conversion put the Falcons back on top 25-22 with 8 minutes left.

One great thing about the NFL is that it does not involve French culture. However, Louisiana does, and Pierre Thomas returned the ensuing kickoff 88 yards to the Atlanta 16. The crowd may have yelled “Vive Le Thomas,” when he ran it in from 5 yards out for the 6th lead change to put the Saints up by 4 with 6 minutes left. The Saints finally stopped Ryan on defense, and held on for the win. The Falcons fell to 8-5, while the Saints improves to 7-6. Both teams are in playoff contention, but trailing the Buc and Panthers, who play each other on Monday night. 29-25 Saints.

Houston Texans @ Green Bay Packers–On the 3rd play of the game, Matt Schaub, back from injury, threw a 58 yard bomb to Walter to put the Texans up 7-0. In the second quarter, Schaub was intercepted in his own own territory by Williams. Starting at the Houston 23, Ryan Grant ripped off a 20 yard gain. On the next play, Rodgers hit Lee for the touchdown to tie the game 7-7. The Texans added a field goal before the half, and in the 3rd quarter, Gary Kubiak opted for another field goal rather than gamble on 4th and 1 from the Green Bay 23. Kris Brown converted to put Houston up 13-7.

Schaub then led an 8 minute drive that moved the Texans from their own 10 to the Green Bay 16. It all went for naught when Steve Slaton fumbled. The Packers quickly took advantage, as Aaron Rodgers went deep to Greg Jennings for a 63 yard gain as the 3rd quarter ended. On the first play of the 4th quarter, Grant ran it in from 6 yards out to give the Packers the 14-13 lead. Schaub came right back, hitting Andre Davis for 21 yards, and then tossing an 11 yard touchdown pass to Andre Johnson. The 2 point conversion had the Texans up 21-14 with 10 minutes left.

Green Bay took over at their own 11, went nowhere, and punted. The punt was fumbled, and the Packers took over again at midfield. A 22 yard run by Grant led to a 9 yard toss from Rodgers to Nelson. The game was tied 21-21 with 6 minutes left. The Texans faced 4th and 1 at their own 44 and Gary Kubiak played it safe. The Texans punted. At the 2 minute warning, Green Bay faced 4th and 23 at the Houston 38. A 55 yard field goal was bypassed by Mike McCarthy, the man who traded Brett Favre. The Texans were pinned at their own 3 yard line.

Schaub stayed calm, and hit Leach for a 22 yard gain. He then Anderson for a 17 yard gain, and Daniels for 25 yards. With 4 seconds left, Kris Brown came in for a 40 yard field goal to win. He nailed it, and the Packers are virtually eliminated from playoff contention at 5-8. The Texans kept faint hopes alive at 6-7. Brett Favre leads his division. 24-21 Texans

Miami Dolphins @ Buffalo Bills–After an exchange of punts to start the game, Miami took over at their own 46. Chad Pennington hit Anthony Fasano for a 20 yard score to put the Dolphins up 7-0. Field goals reigned for the rest of the half as Miami took a 13-3 lead at intermission. The second half was all defense. The only Buffalo threat ended when J P Losman, on 1st and goal from the Miami 3, was intercepted in the end zone. After a 4-0 and 5-1 start to the season, the Bills are now on the brink of elimination at 6-7. The Dolphins have gone from 1-15 to a 3 way tie for the division lead at 8-5. The Tuna has done it again, as the Bill Parcells legend grows. 16-3 Dolphins

New York Jets @ San Francisco 49ers–An ugly touchdown put the 49ers up 7-0. Driving deep, the 49ers fumbled. One of their players picked it up and fumbled again. Eventually the 49ers fell on it in the Jets end zone for the score. In the second quarter, Favre led a 61 yard drive that ended with Favre running it in himself from 2 yards out to tie the game 7-7. Sean Hill led the 49ers back with a 14 play, 6 1/2 minute drive that covered 74 yards. Hill hit Vernon Davis for 20 yards, Ziegler for 13 more, Isaac Bruce for 19, and Frank Gore for the last 4 for the score and a 14-7 49ers lead.

In the third quarter, a punt had the Jets starting with a short field at the San Francisco 45. Favre hit Baker for 15 yards, and Thomas Jones ran it in from 17 yards out to tie the game 14-14. Hill moved the 49ers 12 plays in 5 1/2 minutes, but the drive bogged down at the New York 14. A field goal put the 49ers back in front 17-14. The always dangerous Leon Washington returned another kickoff back for a touchdown, but his 99 yard return was nullified by a penalty.

After a punt, the 49ers took over at midfield. Hill bled the clock, taking 12 plays and 6 1/2 minutes to go half the field. A 3 yard touchdown pass to Johnson gave the 49ers a 10 point lead with 6 minutes remaining. The Jets the tried a lateral on the kickoff return, and the results were disastrous. Luckily for the Jets, Leon Washington fell on the free ball, and just avoided a safety by getting it to the one yard line. Nevertheless, the Jets had too much ground to cover and not enough time trailing by two scores. They fell into a 3 way tie atop the division at 8-5, and have now lost 2 straight after knocking Tennessee from the unbeaten ranks. Mike Singletary seems to be giving the 49ers some attitude. 24-14 49ers

New England Patriots @ Seattle Seahawks–A miserable Seattle season had Seneca Wallace starting for Matt Hasselbeck. Wallace led a 13 play, 87 yard drive that ate up 6 1/2 minutes. Wallace hit Deon Branch for a 14 yard touchdown to put the Seahawks up 7-0. Leading 7-3, Wallace hit Carlson for 21 yards, scrambled himself for 11 yards, and hit Carlson again for the 10 yard score that had Seattle leading 14-3. Ellis Hobbs returned the ensuing kickoff 55 yards to the Seattle 43. With the short field goal, Matt Cassel hit Watson for a 2 yard touchdown to pull the Patriots to within 14-10.

After New England kicked a field goal, Wallace hit Branch on a short swing pass that went for a 63 yard gain to the New England 9. Wallace hit Branch a couple plays later for a 4 yard touchdown and a 21-13 Seahawks lead after three quarters. On the last play of the 3rd quarter, on 3rd and from their own 23, Cassel hit Jabar Gaffney for a 28 yard gain just past midfield. The drive bogged down at the Seattle 9 yard line, but a field goal had the Patriots within 21-16 with 12:20 left.

After a Seattle punt, New England took over at their own 29 with 8:47 left. Cassel led a 14 play, 6 minute drive. On 3rd and 5 from their own 34, Cassel hit Kevin Faulk for 11 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Seattle 49, Cassel hit Gaffney for 5 yards. The Seahawks could not get off of the field, and on 3rd and 10 from the Seattle 44, Cassel connected with Wes Welker for 13 yards. With 3 1/2 minutes left, on 3rd and goal from the 1, Sammy Morris got stuffed for no gain. With 2:50 left, with everything on the line for both teams, 4th and goal from the 1 saw Sammy Morris get the ball again. This time he scored, and the 2 point conversion to Welker had the Patriots up 24-21.

Wallace had 3 touchdown passes on the day, but the 21-13 lead had evaporated just as Seattle’s entire season had weeks ago. Yet at the 2 minute warning, the Seahawks had the ball at the New England 44, needing only a few more yards to be in long field goal range. The Seahawks never got the chance, as Wallace was sacked, causing a fumble. The Patriots recovered and ran out the clock. Mike Holmgren is a good coach, but this team has just suffered all season. The Walrus is too proud to say it, but the 2-11 record is eating him. As for the Patriots, they are in a 3 way tie for 1st place in the division with 3 games remaining. It was not easy, but they avoided the upset. 24-21 Patriots

Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos–Kansas City drove deep on their second possession, but stalled at the 8 yard line and settled for a field goal. Jay Cutler the completed a 27 yard touchdown pass to Leggett, who plays defense for the Chiefs. It was the second consecutive week that Leggett had a defensive touchdown. Trailing 10-0, Cutler came back with an 11 play, 5 1/2 minute drive that covered 80 yards. Peyton Hillis ran it in from 18 yards out to make it 10-7. In the second quarter, Tyler Thigpen responded with a ridiculous 17 play drive that went for 80 yards over 7 1/2 minutes. An interception was overruled on replay, keeping the drive alive. Thigpen hit Tony Gonzalez for a 13 yard touchdown pass to put the Chiefs up 17-7. Cutler responded with a 14 play, 7 minute drive that went 80 yards. Cutler hit Brandon Marshall for the 12 yard score to make it a 17-14 game at halftime.

The Broncos took the second half kickoff and moved 12 plays in 6:43. The drive stalled in the red zone, but the tying field goal made it a 17-17 game. While Denver had a pair of missed field goals, and no timeouts with 13 minutes remaining, they did manage to retake the lead. From their own 5, Cutler moved the team in 95 yards. Tatum Bell ran 22 yards,and Cutler hit Marshall for a 6 yard touchdown pass to put Denver up 24-17 with 10 minutes remaining. Thigpen drove the Chiefs from their own 24 to the Denver 5, and on 4th and goal from the 5, Thigpen ran a quarterback draw up the middle. It appeared he had the hole, but it closed at the last second, and he ended up inches short of the goal line.

With 4 1/2 minutes, Denver threw the ball instead of grinding it out. On 3rd and from their own 1, Cutler went back to pass from his own end zone and hit Marshall for 19 yards. On 3rd and 9 from their own 21, Cutler hit Tony Scheffler for 11 yards to lock up the victory and run out the clock. Denver moved to 8-5, all but locking up the division. Kansas City, despite shocking Denver earlier in the year, fell to 2-11. It was not pretty, but it was a win. 24-17 Broncos

St. Louis Rams @ Arizona Cardinals–The Cardinals used to play in St. Louis, but now the football misery of the town is led by the Rams. The Rams used to be the Greatest Show on Turf. Now Kurt Warner is with Arizona, and they are the Greatest Show in the Desert. After all, trading NFL MVP Quarterbacks is all the rage among teams that wish to fail. The Cardinals took the opening kickoff and went 76 yards in 10 plays and 6 minutes. Tim Hightower crashed through from one yard out to put the Cardinals up 7-0. After a punt, Kurt Warner hit Anquon Boldin for 36 yards, and then tossed a 12 yard touchdown to Larry Fitzgerald to have the Cardinals up 14-0.

Arizona was dominating the game when Warner was intercepted in his own territory, with the return and a penalty allowing the Rams gift field position at the Arizona 6. Marc Bulger hit Stephen  Jackson for a 3 yard touchdown to pull the Rams to within 14-7. Neil Rackers nailed a pair of field goals for the Cardinals, sandwiched around a missed field goal for the Rams. The Cardinals led 20-7 at halftime. The game was broken open in the third quarter when Stephen Jackson fumbled and Dockett returned it 11 yards for the score to put the Cardinals up 27-7. The Cardinals cruised from there, improved to 8-5, and clinched their 1st division title since 1975, their first playoff game since 1998, and their 1st home playoff game since 1947. Between them and Ball State, this is the year of the Cardinals. A 99 yard interception return off of another Bulger pass set a franchise record and icing on a sweet 2008 cake. The Rams at 2-11 are losing badly week after week. 34-10 Cardinals

Dallas Cowboys @ Pittsburgh Steelers–No, this is not the 1970s, or even the 1990s, but a pair of very good teams faced off in the 8-4 Cowboys and 9-3 Steelers. The game was scoreless when Tony Romo was intercepted with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half by Taylor. With 2:44 left in the half, facing 4th and goal at the 6, Josh Reed kicked the field goal for a 3-0 Steelers lead. Yet Romo, who had been stymied the entire half, worked the 2 minute drill. The Cowboys tied it 3-3 at halftime. For defensive gurus such as Wade Phillips and Mike Tomlin, this was their type of game.

In the third quarter, Choice ran off gains of 22 and 12 yards. Romo then hit Terrell Owens, who loves him some him. Nevertheless, the end zone had finally been reached, and Dallas led 10-3. Later in the period Romo hit Choice for a 50 yard gain to the Pittsburgh 10, setting up a field goal to make it a 10 point game. Ben Roethlisberger finally connected, hitting Santonio Holmes for a 47 yard gain. Pittsburgh faced 1st and goal at the Dallas one. A pair of Willie Parker runs set up 3rd and goal at the one, where Big Ben completed a pass for no gain. On 4th and goal from the 1, Russell was blown up in the backfield for a 2 yard loss. The goal line stand kept the Cowboys up by 10 with 12 1/2 minutes left.

As routine and businesslike the first three quarters were, the 4th quarter was a shocker. A 35 yard punt return with under 9 minutes left had the Steelers at the Dallas 25. They kicked a field goal to get within 13-6. Dallas went 3 and out, and Pittsburgh took over at their own 33. Big Ben hit Nate Washington for gains of 21 and 16 yards. After 58 minutes of futility, Big Ben hit Heath Miller for the 6 yard touchdown pass to tie the game 13-13 with 2:04 left.

Romo then threw a bad pass that was intercepted by Townsend in front of an elated crowd. Townsend returned it 25 yards for a score to give the Steelers the 7 point lead. WIth 1:40 left, the Cowboys got the ball back and went nowhere but home in a stunning loss. A 13-3 lead evaporated in a 4th quarter collapse. Pittsburgh improved to 10-3, while Dallas is now at 8-5. 20-13 Steelers

Washington Redskins @ Baltimore Ravens was the Sunday night game. The first 5 minutes were very ugly for the Redskins. Ed Reed intercepted Jason Campbell, allowing the Ravens to take over at their own 45. Joe Flacco hit Derrick Mason for 26 yards. A 21 yard run by Rice was followed by an 8 yard touchdown run by McCLain to make it 7-0. Clinton Portis then fumbled at his own 22, and once again it was Ed Reed around the ball. Reed picked the ball up and raced to the end zone for a 14-0 Ravens lead. The Ravens added a field goal in the 3rd quarter to lead 17-0 entering the final quarter.

One minute into the 4th quarter, the Redskins finally got in the board with a field goal of their own. A Baltimore fumble took a game completely in hand and gave Washington life. Starting at the Baltimore 30, Jason Campbell hit Betts for a 23 yard gain down to the 7. On 4th and goal at the 5, Campbell hit Antwon-Randle El for the touchdown to make it 17-10 with 11 1/2 minutes left. Yet Joe Flacco stayed calm, and led an 83 yard drive that ate up 8 minutes. The 12 play drive culminated in Flacco hitting Mason for the 28 yard touchdown to ice the game. As the game began, Jason Campbell ended it by being intercepted by…who else? Ed Reed. After a 6-2 start, the Redskins have struggled against the better teams. The Ravens at 9-4 are one game out of 1st place with a showdown against Pittsburgh next week. 24-10 Ravens

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Carolina Panthers was the Monday night game. A pair of 9-3 division rivals battled for the division lead. It was expected to be a defensive slugfest, and in the first half, it was. A 3-3 game was changed late in the second quarter when Williams broke through for a 40 yard gain, leading to a 2 yard Stewart touchdown and a 10-3 Panthers lead at the half. Out of nowhere, the second half saw both offenses moving at will against defenses that are solid year after year.

Early in the 3rd quarter, Jeff Garcia hit Antonio Bryant for a 50 yard touchdown to tie the game 10-10. Jake Delhomme came right back and hit Steve Smith for a 38 yard touchdown to put Carolina back up 17-10. Garcia hit Bryant again, this time for 39 yards to set up a 4 yard run by Williams. The game was tied 17-17 entering the final quarter, and defensive specialists John Fox and Monte Kiffin had no answers.

Stewart had runs of 18 and 9 yards, and capped off the next Carolina drive with a 4 yard run to put the Panthers back on top 24-17. After a Tampa punt, Carolina simply gashed one of the perrenniall best defenses with surprising ease. Williams ripped off a 41 yard gain, followed by Stewart adding 30 more. Williams ran the final 16 yards to give the Panthers a 31-17 lead with 8 1/2 minutes left.

After an exchange of punts, Garcia fired to everybody. He hit SMith for 20, Ike Hilliard for 8, Warrick Dunn for 5, Jeremy Stevens for 8, and finally Bryant for 15. The Panthers, as they have done so mnay times in big games, blocked the extra point.

In a Panthers-Bucs game several years ago, the Panthers led 9-3 when Keyshawn Johnson caught a touchdown pass for Tampa Bay on the final play of regulation. a 10-9 win for the Bucs instead became a shocker when Carolina blocked the point after, and won the game in overtime 12-9. In this Monday night game, they led 31-23. It was still a once score game, but the Panthers running game made it all moot. The onsides kick with 2:07 left failed, and the key play of the game came with the Panthers facing 3rd and 4 at the Tampa Bay 36. Williams broke through all the way for the touchdown to ice the game.

The Buccanneers at 9-4 are still headed for the playoffs, one game behind the 10-3 Panthers. Carolina is one game behind New York, who lead the NFC. Carolina has a showdown later in the year with the Giants in a game that could possibly be for home field advantage. Both Tampa Bay and Carolina are unbeaten at home, so getting home field is vital. 38-23 Panthers

O J Simpson Got Screwed

Saturday, December 6th, 2008

O J Simpson will be doing hard time in a Nevada prison, for a term of between 9 and 33 years. As much as many people will be surprised to hear a law and order conservative republican say it, I believe O J Simpson got screwed.

For the sake of ethics, disclosure requires that I am obsessed with the National Football League. While O J  was before my time, his close friend Marcus Allen was my hero when I was 11 years old. Marcus Allen wore the Silver and Black. I want to make it clear that my love for the Oakland Raiders does not cloud my judgment on this issue.

In 1994, in the beginning, I was positive that O J was innocent. AFter all, he was not some dumb jock that was down on his luck after football. He was a successful business executive. He had it all.

Also, the idea that he would be obsessed with one woman when he was out sleeping with gorgeous women all the time did not add up. Paula Barbieri was stunning.

My thought process on this was affected by a 33 year old black man that I worked with. When asked if he thought O J did it, he said, “I don’t know.” Yet he told me, “Man, you could have every woman on the planet, and one woman can just blow your heart up. Many men will have that one woman that blows their heart up, and they go crazy.”

By the time the trial had ended, I was not completely positive he was innocent. However, I would have still acquitted based on the timelines. The prosecution had a 45 minute timeline from arriving home to committing the murders and leaving. The defense reduced the timeline to 5 minutes. Based on both presentations, I believed the defense’s timeline. One I believed the defense’s timeline, I felt that O J could not have done it because killing two people in five minutes seemed virtually impossible. Also, how does a guy do this without having a scratch on his body?

If the prosecution’s timeline was accurate, then they should have presented it better. So while that does not prove his innocence, I had enough doubt where acquittal was my decision.

Once O J was acquitted, I immediately moved on. I believed in the rule of law. Our system of justice is not perfect, but it is all we have.

Yes, I have found O J’s behavior unctuous. That horrible idea for a book he was going to write turned many people against him. However, it is quite possible that he was acting in a disgusting manner without being guilty.

I hear people say that if you believe he innocent, then you are an imbecile. Well I don’t know. I will never know. I was not there.

What I do know is that in 2008, O J got screwed.

He was sentenced to a lengthy prison term for a crime that was simply not proportional to the sentence.

What we know is that O J Simpson took a gun and brought friends of his to another man’s home to take possessions, by force if necessary.

Was the gun illegally obtained? Did he have a permit? If not, that is a crime that would involve a few months of jail time. If he legally owned the gun, then that is a non-issue.

O J did illegally enter a person’s home. Yes, that is a crime. Yet what did he do when he was there? Did he shoot anybody? Did he tie anybody up? No. He stole stuff. More importantly, that point is debatable because he was stealing back his own stuff.

I am not justifying his methods, but how many people, if they were robbed, would become frustrated when the legal system failed to get their possessions back?

Again, this is where O J went off track. He did not operate within the legal system. He took the law into his own hands. He acted like a vigilante. While vigilantism is the choice of many, actions have consequences. So yes, as flimsy as the case was, he did bring a gun to a home to steal stuff.

Now as a tough on crime law and order conservative, I would normally be fine with someebody who acted like O J did being forced to do hard time. However, that would only be fair if we did that with everybody that acts this way. O J’s crimes do not lead to legnthy prison sentences for most people. The law has to be followed consistently.

So why did O J get such a harsh sentence?

Because of 1994. People are calling this “poetic justice,” and “karma.” I am not interested in poetic justice. I want actual justice.

So for those who do not understand, it must be made crystal clear that O J Simpson was found not guilty of the 1994 murders. His 2008 robbery attempt was his first offense.

Therefore, despite being a celebrity, O J is a first time offender, not a recidivist criminal. People can scream until they are blue in the face that O J “did it,” in 1994, but that is not what the law said.

The 2008 case should not have had anything to do with 1994. There was no conviction.

I am not in any way saying that O J is a good person. What I am saying is that to convict a man in 2008 based on vengeance for 1994 is a breakdown in the system. Some say the system broke down in 1994, but that remains irrelevant.

If Orenthal James Simpson the Football Hero was Oliver John Thompson the Bus Driver, the publicity would be zero, and the 2008 case would have been based on the 2008 facts, and that alone.

The 2008 case was not about a brutal double murder in Los Angeles. It was about a botched robbery in Las Vegas, with the victims having some culpability. The victims in Los Angeles were completely innocent.

The reason why this matters is because justice cannot and should not ever be a popularity contest.

Some say that O J was acquitted in 1994 because he was likable. I freely admit that I wanted him to be innocent. In 2008, O J was simply much less likable, base don his own behavior and comments.

Yet this popularity often explains why gorgeous female schoolteachers in their twenties can engage in statutory rape with underage male students and receive much lighter sentences than an old male teacher would get for sexually assaulting a female student.

Martha Stewart went to jail because she was arrogant, and unlikable. Yet her “crime,” was simply not as serious as it was made out to be. She was not the CEO of the company she illegally traded. She was not the big fish. She was simply famous.

O J Simpson did break the law, and was convicted. A sentenc eof 18 months would be fair, and maybe as much as three years would be tough but not unreasonable.

Yet a prison sentence lasting a decade for a botched robbery is simply not consistent with how our penal system normally metes out  punishment. The sentences could be longer, but at this moment they are not.

This is not about O J. It is about believing that every defendant will be treated fairly. People complained that O J had a better defense than most people would ever get in 1994. That is not his fault. This time he was given a tougher sentence than would normally be handed down.

O J Simpson should not be punishe din 2008 for a deadly event in 1994 that the law said he did not do.

O J got screwed.

I hope and pray that O J was guilty in 1994, because if he truly was innocent, then he was railroaded twice.

eric

My Interview With Jim Nicholson

Friday, December 5th, 2008

At the 2008 Republican Convention in Minnesota, I had the pleasure of meeting Jim Nicholson. From 1996 through 2000, Mr. Nicholson was the Chairman of the Republican National Committee.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Nicholson_(U.S._politician)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/nicholson-bio.html

While conditions on the ground are often beyond the control of the RNC Chairman, in the end they are judged by wins and losses. Jim Nicholson went out a winner as the Republican Party retook the White House.

Yet the pendulum that swung to us swung back to the other side in 2006. Yet Mr. Nicholson was in good spirits when I met him, and was very generous with his time.

With that, I bring the wisdom from a fine strategist that the Republican Party is lucky to have, Chairman Jim Nicholson.

1) What are the most important issues of 2008, and where has the Republican Party gone astray?

JN: “We have wandered off of the track. We need to lower taxes, lower spending and government, increase freedom, and increase our national security. We have wandered off track on spending and government. Those are two defining principles of the Republican party, and we have violated them.”

2) Who are your 3 favorite political heroes?

JN: “My 3 political heroes are Ronald Reagan, Abraham Lincoln, and George W. Bush.”

3) What do you think of the Vice Presidential selection of Governor Sarah Palin?

JN: “It was great. It was a bright, bold move. She is not well known by the national media, so they are in a frenzy. She projects strength and leadership. She adheres to conservative principles. There is phenomenal excitement with her nomination, and you can feel the palpable excitement at this convention.”

4) How would you like to be remembered 100 years from now? What would you want people to say about Jim Nicholson the person?

JN: “I was a West Point Graduate. I believe in Duty, Honor, Country. On the political front, we won everything in 2000 during my four years at the helm of the RNC.”

5) What is the story coming out of this convention?

JN: “John McCain has the authenticity. His story is compelling. He is a maverick. He has at some point in his career stood up to everybody, and made them mad.”

While Jim Nicholson did not have the astonishing publicized success of Haley Barbour or the groundbreaking celebrity of Ken Mehlman, Jim Nicholson is what conservatism at its best is all about. Jim Nicholson was a workhorse, not a show horse. His job was to help take back the WHite House, and hequietly and effectively did his job. Based on what has happened in recent years, we could sure use a man like Jim Nicholson at the helm.

Several people are vying to be the current RNC leader. Michael Steele was one name that inspires universal praise. Yet before settling on the top dog for the party of the elephant, I would be wise to talk to the wise man himself.

After all, the Republican Party did well when we listened to Jim Nicholson. We should continue to do so.

eric

My Interview With John Stossell

Thursday, December 4th, 2008

At the 2008 Republican Convention in Minnesota, I had the pleasure of meeting John Stossel.

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Stossel/

http://townhall.com/columnists/JohnStossel/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stossel

For those who do not know, John Stossel  is one of the few voices of reason in a world gone mad.

” When we hear that the U.S. Treasury is doing this or the Federal Reserve is doing that, we should remember that these agencies are run by mere mortals, and as such, they cannot know how to “fix” something as complex as an economy. But they certainly are capable of wrecking one.

That’s what their inflationary policies will do.”

Those words are from his most recent column a couple of days ago. He also has more to say.

“Without prices, economic coordination is impossible, which is why attempts at state planning produce, in Ludwig von Mises’s words, ‘planned chaos.'”

His subsequent comments get to the heart of the current financial mess we are in.

How can the economy straighten itself out if it is being systematically skewed by government inference with prices?

“We are in the mess we’re in precisely because of earlier government interference. Easy mortgage terms and guarantees contrived a housing boom and irresponsible lending that could not be sustained. The consequences have shaken the foundation of the financial industry. But instead of freeing the market and allowing the errors to be corrected, the government is seducing the economy into a whole new set of errors. That will lead to the next bust.”

Yet it is his conclusion that should be mandatory reading for every individual in America. I personally have been saying that anti-market hysteria is what causes normally rational people to hysterically shriek that we must “do something.”

No. We do not have to “do something.” It it is ironic that the same people who refuse to “do something” about killing terrorists, are so obsessed with doing something that they cannot successfully fix. This is important because the anti-market left is willing to watch the world literally burn without any plan to save it. Yet they will not let companies that destroyed themselves burn. In other words, these people only want to do things when it would be counterproductive, and want to leave well enough alone when intervening is right.

“‘But doesn’t the government have to act?’ people ask. ‘We can’t just let financial companies fail!’

I say, Why not?”

Can I get an Amen? Preach on Brother Stossel!

He then goes on to cite one of the most brilliant investors of all time, a man I have met personally and interviewed, commodity genius Jim Rogers.

“Jim Rogers, the successful investor and author, puts it well: ‘Why are we bailing out Citibank? Why are 300 million Americans having to pay for Citibank’s mistakes? The way the system is supposed to work [is this]: People fail. And then the competent people take over the assets from the failed people, and then you start again with a new stronger base. What we’re doing this time is … taking the assets from the competent people, giving them to the incompetent people, and saying, ‘OK, now you can compete with the competent people.’ So everybody’s weakened: The whole nation is weakened, the whole economy is weakened. That’s not the way it’s supposed to work.'”

I have stated over and over again that I am a rah rah cheerleader for corporate America. I believe in corporate America, and I believe that a great CEO should be allowed to have their multi-million dollar salaries, private jets, and other excesses. Every industry has a percentage of crooks, and most CEOs are good stewards of their businesses that earned their luxuries.

Yet my deep love of capitalism requires that I stay consistent and demand that failed CEOs be ruthlessly punished.

This is why Detroit should drop dead. The Big 3 automakers deserve nothing but slaps in the face. Let them all go bankrupt. Let the airlines go bankrupt.

Let everything burn.

The reason for this is exactly as Mr. Rogers and Mr. Stossel understand. With the stock market crashing, people are bargain hunting. On Black Friday, the shopping malls were filled with people looking for discounts.

What could be a better investment for a competent and successful executive than an entire company at rock bottom prices?

JP Morgan bought Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual because JP Morgan believes that these companies have potential to be moneymakers for them. JP Morgan will do what government will not have the guts to do: Fire everybody that needs to go and start over.

Corporations slash and burn. They become lean and mean. Governments become bloated bureaucracies. Try firing a civil servant. Yet when the corporate carnage is done, the corporation can then expand, and hire workers to do actual work.

This has worked as long as government has avoided meddling.

John Stossel understands this, and my only regret in interviewing him is that the interview occurred just before the financial meltdown. The interview had a “happy” feel to it because he is a fun guy with an enjoyable sense of humor. The interview would not be so lighthearted today, but then again nothing in business is static. With that, below is my interview with the dynamic John Stossel.

1) What issues are most important to you personally?

JS: “Limited Government, Limited Government, and Limited Government.”

2) Who are your political heroes?

JS: “Frederick Hayek and Milton Friedman.”

3) Congress wants to pass a windfall profits tax on oil companies. Should we have a windfall profits tax on Congress for anything they make over $1?

JS: “No. That is harsh.”

4) How would you like to be remembered 100 years from now? What would you want people to say about John Stossel the person?

JS: “I want to be remembered as an awesome beach volleyball player.”

He actually found my comment about taxing windfall Congressional profits to be funny, but he is so committed to limited Government, that he would not even tax Congress. That is commitment.

The thing about John Stossel is that what he learned from Milton Friedman is the closest thing to a truism that currently exists. The current economic conditions do not invalidate the message.

The job of a government is to cut taxes and kill terrorists. It is not to be a social worker. It is not to determine winners and losers, or institute “fairness.” The reason for this is simple. Every time government tries to do this, it fails.

John Stossel wants to be remembered as a great beach volleyball player. If I may overanalyze and perhaps misinterpret his comments, he simply wants to be left alone to live his life.

It was a true joy meeting John Stossel, and I hope he gets his wishes in his personal life and in the financial sphere.

I hope that our Government gets the heck out of the way, and lets the market recover. It will recover if we leave it alone. The only thing that is frightening the markets right now are the prescriptions and solutions that will compound the problem.

I wish for true limited government to return to our political prescriptions, so that John Stossel and I can both relax without having to save people from the do harmers in do gooders clothing.

eric

Georgia and Minnesota have saved America

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008

Thank you Saxby Chambliss. In advance, thank you Norm Coleman.

Barack Obama will be forced to govern as a President, despite the media’s desire to turn him into a King.

As bad as Election 2008 was for those that value decency, it is now not hopeless.

The Democrats have 58, but they will not have 60. The republic is safe.

Saxby Chambliss easily won the Georgia runoff by a margin so wide that even Al Gore could not overturn the results. Before getting to Minnesota, it is time to look at the differences between the political parties when controversy strikes.

The 1960 Presidential Election between Richard Nixon and JFK was separated by a few dead people in Chicago. We know that there was fraud. We also know that Richard Nixon refused to contest the election. Whatever flaws he may have had upon gaining power, in 1960 he put the country above his ambitions. He spared the nation a contested election, and refused to undermine JFK when he took office.

Al Gore decided that his own ambitions superseded America. All the worthless awards that liberals give each other as compensation for lack of actual accomplishments does not change the fat that Al Gore tried to steal the 2000 Election.

Richard Nixon never questioned the legitimacy of JFK’s win. Al Gore lost a close election. Yet that was not good enough for the left, who get satiated with republican blood. First their was the Gore campaign breaking the drunk driving scandal four days before the election. If only Gore had comments regarding his own son’s driving. Then the networks called Florida for Gore before the panhandle had finished voting, depressing GOP turnout. Then came the recount.

The issue was not about a recount in Florida. A statewide recount would have been lawful. The Gore campaign wanted a selective recount in four heavily democratic areas. That was against the law. The Florida Supreme Court simply broke the law. Nonsense about “counting all the votes,” and “the interests of justice” were simply code for the differences between the parties.

Republicans are the party of laws. Democrats are the party of lawyers, and of fairness.

The law is not always fair, but without it, anarchy reigns.

The 2000 election was not just about Florida. The Missouri Senate race was just as deadlocked. Mel Carnahan died is a tragic plane crash. He was left on the ballot, which was the only legal thing to do. His wife ran in his place, but his name was on the ballot. Had it been her name the law would have been broken. Yes, perhaps the law needs to be adjusted to reflect such tragedies, but until then, the law must be followed.

By a razor thin margin, Carnahan defeated John Ashcroft. The race had plenty of voting irregularities in St. Louis, a democratic stronghold. A recount would have been mandated, except that John Ashcroft refused to ask for one.

In 2002, another plane crash took the life of Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone. The law required that he remain on the ballot. Liberals ignored the law, insisting piously that justice required cheating. One of the most honest and respected people in Minnesota, former Vice President Walter Mondale, ran for the seat.

This was not legal. Walter Mondale should not have been allowed on the ballot. Wellstone should have remained on the ballot. The democrats found somebody unbeatable, and placed them on the ballot. Only when the democrats got heavy handed and turned Wellstone’s funeral into a political pep rally did GOP challenger Norm Coleman have life. He had pulled all of his ads, but once the backlash over the funeral occurred, he was free to campaign and win.

Republicans were not so lucky in New Jersey. Democrat Robert “The Torch” Torricelli had two talents. One was romancing celebrities, such as Bianca Jagger. The other was corruption. When one is too corrupt to be in New Jersey Government, there is no hope. Like most liberals, Torricelli believed his criminal behavior was justified. Only when the evidence was shown to be overwhelming did he resign. New Jersey law required he remain on the ballot.

The democrats simply did what they do. They found a liberal judge to invent a new eason why the law should be ignored. The democrats then again found one of the most respected members of their party, retired Senator Frank Lautenberg. Lautenberg should not have been allowed on the ballot. The deadline had passed. Yet the law was ignored, and Lautenberg won.

The democrats simply have a history of election corruption. When republicans are caught breaking the law, the party either forces them out or shuns them. Ted Stevens and Larry Craig were treated like Pariahs. Democrats love to cite David Vitter, but his situation did not involve a conviction. Mark Foley was forced to resign.

Democrats simply do not do this. Mel Reynolds had to face jail before he was fired. Eliot Spitzer is already planning his comeback. Bill Clinton is probably still mauling women in his spare time. Ted Kennedy will never face justice. William Jefferson is still in Congress. Apparently finding money in his freezer is not enough evidence.

Democrats are simply a party that will lie, cheat and steal, because to them the ends justify the means.

Now Norm Coleman is facing his second controversial election. Again, a republican victory is facing democratic corruption.

Norm Coleman won a close election by 715 votes. Al Franken managed to shrink the margin to 215 votes before the recount even started. This was similar to how Al Gore shrank the victory of George W. Bush from 1781 votes to 537.  Nevertheless, Norm Coleman won the recount. It should be over.

It is not. Now Franken will follow the Gore lead and move from the protest phase to the contest phase. Several laws have already been broken.

Provisional ballots are to remain secret. Franken is demanding to know the names of those that cast provisional ballots. This is so he can steal the race in the same way the democrats stole the Gubernatorial race in Washington State in 2004.

Democrat Christine Gregoire was trailing on election night. She lost two recounts. She should have conceded. That is not how liberals work. A liberal judge ordered the names of people who cast provisional ballots to be disclosed, a violation of law. Once democratic operatives found the names. They called the people on the telephone. If the person answering the phone was a republican, the operatives hung up the phone. If the people were democrats, the operatives helped them publicly argue for their votes to be counted.

This is not “counting all the votes.” This is selective counting, just like Al Gore did in Florida. It worked. The democrats found 600 people, and a judge willing to ignore state law. Christine Gregoire became Governor.

Liberals think that republicans should just “quit whining and get over it.” That is their way of of saying, “We lied, we stole, we cheated, it worked, get over it.”

This will not happen in Minnesota. If Al Franken cannot find a corrupt liberal judge, he will have to go to the Senate. Democrats in 1984 stole a Congressional seat in Indiana for Frank McCloskey. The backlash was immense, and the Democratic Party does not want this powderkeg.

Barack Obama wants to keep his hands clean. To his credit, unlike many liberals, he actually wants to govern. He wants to do things. I disagree with some of these things, but at least he actually wants to focus on governing. A fight over the Minnesota Senate race would paralyze Washington.

If Coleman would have been the difference between 59 and 60, who knows what would have happened?

Thank the Heavens, Georgia makes this irrelevant. Ironically, a 1992 race in Georgia is why there was a recount in 2008. In 1992, Democrat Wyche Fowler had more votes than Republican Paul Coverdell. Yet Fowler was short of a majority, so a recount was held. Coverdell won. Since democrats blame the law whenever they lose, they simply changed the rules so a plurality would be enough. At least in this case they did not try to amke the change retroactive. Coverdell took his seat. Republicans changed the law back, which is why the recount occurred in 2008.

Democrats cannot ever accept losing. Something must be dishonest. Barack Obama won 52-46%, but his Electoral College victory was decisive. Democrats are claiming that as a mandate. Yet in 2000 they wanted to abolish the Electoral College for no other reason than they lost.

The only solution for republicans is to win big. Even liberals could not overturn the landslides of McGovern, Mondale, and Dukakis. Apparently Ronald Reagan winning 49 states was enough to allow him to govern.

Saxby Chambliss won in a landslide. He will be seated. This will take the steam out of the liberals and their attempt to again try to steal Minnesota.

Barack Obama will be forced to work with republicans. SOme say he has been moderate so far, but had he been given 60 Senators on his side, he would have been unrestrained.

Bill Clinton had 57 Senators, and 43 opponents led by Bob Dole forced his hand. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky will soon be the devil incarnate to liberals. He is a conservative, and he breathes air. He will want to stifle liberalism. He will be despised by the frothy left, which has not let an election victory dampen their rage. Mitch McConnell will ensure that 2008 does not become a permanent majority.

McConnell now has help. Saxby Chambliss has come to the rescue, and Sarah Palin was apparently more popular on the campaign trail than rapper Ludacris.

The GOP needs to threaten to filibuster every piece of legislation unless Norm Coleman is seated. Al Franken must never be allowed to take that seat.

For once in their miserable thieving lives, democrats will be forced to accept the rule of law. Norm Coleman won on election night, and he won the recount.

It is over. Norm Coleman won. No amount of judicial corruption should alter this.

America is a better place today because Georgia and Minnesota came through in a tough year.

The democrats have cheated long enough. Al Franken will become Senator over my cold, dead political body.

I am not going anywhere, except to congratulate reelected Senator Norm Coleman.

Next time Mr. Coleman, do what Mr. Chambliss did. Do us all a favor. Find the liberal and kick his hide. It saves time and money, and avoids controversy.

Well done Senator Chambliss. Georgia saved the GOP and the country in 1992. May Paul Coverdell rest safely in Heaven, knowing that the people of Georgia have again gotten it right in 2008.

eric

India Burns, Liberals Plan Tea Parties

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008

The world is on fire.

Let me say this again real slowly so that liberals can follow along.

The…world…is…on…fire.

While this is going on, liberals are planning to get to the “root causes” of terrorism.

I never thought that a movie about a comic book character would sum up something as complicated as terrorism so perfectly, but I recommend that every person on Earth watch the 2008 “Batman” movie.

When others are trying to understand terrorism, Michael Caine as Alfred the Butler offers quiet wisdom. He understands why terrorists do what they do.

“Some people just like to watch the world burn.”

That is it. Every PHD in Sociology can now go find something else to do.

There are no “reasons” why some people do bad things. Some people, to quote rocker George Thorogood, are just “bad to the bone.” Continuing with the Thorogood train, some people are just “born to be bad.”

Why did Willie Sutton rob banks? Because that is where the money is.

Why did the guy climb the mountain? Because it was there.

Why do terrorists blow stuff up? Because they feel like it. They enjoy it. It is a hobby for them. It is the same reason some children burn ants with magnifying glasses or put birds in microwaves.

Water is wet, and sadists are sadistic.

Before going any further, many in the media have already decided that a girl on Spring Break in Aruba or a losing Presidential candidate accepting a meaningless job are more important than the fact that terrorists are engulfing innocent citizens of the world in balls of flames. Therefore, rather than look to Deepak Chopra or Deepak Kalpoe for anything about anything, below are some links from people that actually know things.

http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/print.php?url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/12012008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/devils_in_mumbai_141647.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHeB81BbuYU

http://www.slate.com/id/2205710/

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YTM1Y2MyZjMwZTM1ZmM2N2Y5ODdmZWNjMWFkYjZiM2Q=

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122809544395968075.html

Between Ralph Peters, Christopher Hitchens, and the geniuses at the Wall Street Journal, there is hope. Unfortunately, this glimmer of sanity gets drowned out in an ocean of idiocy.

Deepak Chopra is Billy Mays with an accent. Instead of selling home products, he sells new age gobbledygook. Only Larry King could consider his opinion on terrorism to be one of expertise.

I was raised in New York. I watch football. Therefore, I should be the Head Coach of the New York Giants. Who needs Tom Coughlin, just because he won the Super Bowl with them last year? I have 28 years of armchair quarterbacking experience.

For those who find that argument weak, we have a media that thinks the big story of the day is that some woman who married a successful politician but failed on her own was given a job that contributes nothing. She has 35 years of experience, which means that she graduated law school at age 25 and is now 60.

Personally I am delighted that Hill-Dawg is Secretary of State. The feminists can now cheer that the man got the CEO job and the woman became a secretary. How traditional. What matters is what does not matter. What does not matter is the Secretary of State. Hillary is out of the Senate. New York no longer has to fear becoming a banana republic with her as Governor.

Unlike the Secretary of Defense, who has to save lives, Secretaries of State engage in “diplomacy,” which is code for having tea parties and accomplishing nothing. Worthless phrases such as “tough diplomacy,” and “aggressive diplomacy,” are code words for fancy dinner parties at five star restaurants to decry world hunger and poverty. John Kerry or Al Gore could have bored the enemy to death, but instead Hillary could just nag them to death. After all, men will do whatever it takes to stop a woman from shrieking.

Oh no, wait a sec. That is in America, where we have free speech. In Arab Muslim countries, the women that nag just get shot to death. Other offenses that get women shot to death include speaking and breathing.

Hillary has already failed before being sworn in. Her speech today spoke about how we need to move beyond force. Apparently the terrorists seem to be doing quite well with the force approach. We might wish to fight fire with superior fire.

True, Hillary could emulate Nancy Pelosi, put on a burkha, and sip tea with Bashar Assad. That worked out real well. I mean he has renounced violence, and promised to be more understanding.

Oh no, wait again. That would be Congressional demotards. They can’t support a single worthwhile military mission, but they can issue resolutions on whether or not their visit with Armageddonijad should be centered around Mint Medley or Earl Gray. Liberals will understand the use of military force the day Islamofacist terrorists have their children Bar Mitzvahed.

It is not about poverty. Osama Bin Laden inherited 300 million dollars.

It is not about the United States. We are not located anywhere near India, or Madrid, or Bali.

It is not about Israel. There are only 1,000 Jews in Mumbai, and 10,000 Jews in all of India.

It is not about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

It is about a radical Islamic culture of violence that has existed for 1400 years.

America is told by pious liberals that we should consider another approach besides force. How about the terrorists try another approach besides murder? Why is nothing demanded of them?

America gets criticized for subjecting Muslim prisoners to hijinks one would see in the fraternity movie “Animal House.” ACLU liberals wring their hands over the equivalent of a college fraternity hazing while Jews and Christians, as well as moderate Muslims, get blown to bits trying to enter a pizza shack or a nightclub.

The only solution is to let the liberals get their wishes against their will. We should give them what they want until they realize they no longer want it.

Liberals love multilateralism. They think we need to be more humble. They are also against Americans using coercive interrogation techniques, preferring to ask nicely.

Therefore, we should turn the genocidal lunatics over to the foreign governments that we know, but pretend not to know, will beat the tar out of them. After all, to try and convince India, Pakistan, or other nations not to waterboard somebody would be America bullying another nation.

Rather than argue about Guantanamo Bay, we can deport the terrorists to the most brutal regimes that support us, and wash our hands.  When the brutality “leaks,” conservatives can express shock and outrage while privately high-fiving.

Or we can be honest and loudly state that we are not here to have tea parties.

The only successful diplomatic missions that liberals have ever engaged in have been the ones that accomplished nothing. Even conservatives benefit when diplomatic movements lead to wonderful photos, good food, and status quo. Think Annapolis for a perfect example of a useless meeting that succeeded wildly by leading to nothing.

The stock market crashed almost 700 points today. Liberals are crying that we must “do something.” No we must not. The same applies for foreign policy. Don’t do something unless it is going to be done right.

Those that keep insisting that only political solutions will work do not understand the military or politics.

Until we trust Ralph Peters over Deepak Chopra, the problems will continue.

We do not need to sit down with animals. We need to kill them and use them to feed the likable animals at the San Diego Zoo.

Good people are burning. The world is failing to protect them. Good people need to support military actions by democracies. Those democracies must have the courage to use it. When we see militants gathering at a funeral, we have to eliminate them all, rather than let some nonsensical cultural norms allow them to walk away.

The death penalty prevents repeat offenders. When terrorists have their own villages razed, their own families executed, and their own plans forcibly disrupted, things will be better. Will this change their hearts? Who cares? The goal is to defeat them, not get them to behave.

Liberals will issue pious speeches about the tragedy in India. Then they will follow up their speeches with more speeches. These are the same people that change the ribbons on their shirts more than they change their underclothing. I believe burnt sienna ribbons show solidarity with “Lesbian Vegans for Libya.”

It is time to stop talking and actually do something.

President Bush leaves office soon. There are no consequences to anything he does that he will have to deal with. His successor will cope.

Until then, Dubya needs to quietly work with India, help them find the monsters that committed the most recent atrocities, and help burn their entire villages to the ground.

Collateral damage? I will sleep like a baby knowing terrorists are dead.

No more dialogue. No more tea parties. No more anti-American and anti-Semitic U.N. resolutions.

We talked. They murdered. The liberals dithered.

If liberals want to be liked, they should just talk to each other. After all, they are the only people who listen to them.

Terrorists don’t like us. They will not listen. They only understand brute force.

Terrorists want to die. We should happily oblige every last murderous zealot.

Liberals will spend the next century not learning, not understanding, and not accomplishing.

Given their short attention spans, I will again remind them why terrorists do what they do.

They like watching the world burn.

India does not need platitudes from Dipstick Hopeless. It needs American solidarity.

We will kill terrorists, and turn over the ones we capture to India provided they promise to use brutality against them. Don’t worry if we publicly criticize. Like most American diplomacy, it will not mean a thing.

eric