December, 2009 - THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

Archive for December, 2009

My 2010 State of the Blog Address

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

The Tygrrrr Express is offering my 2010 State of the Blog Address to the nation. Big Ears does not give his until January, but I wanted to get an early start. Besides, I doubt mine will be less consequential or require a teleprompter.

Auto companies are already releasing their 2010 models, giving more time to return them when the promised quality fails to materialize.

This is the State of the Blog Address, which means that it deals with the Tygrrrr Express, not me personally.

I cannot talk about women I am sleeping with or want to sleep with in case other women or their mothers are reading this.

Roger Goodell will be handling his State of the League address so football can wait this one time.

California does a State of the State, which seems redundant. We were broke. Now we are twice as broke.

Anyway, here is my 2010 State of the Blog address.

My fellow Americans…distinguished guests…(blah blah blah list of people nobody cares about)…

We have all seen the State of the Tygrrrr Express…and it…is…strong!

(Thunderous applause, standing ovation)

Being a blogger is great because I live in the greatest nation on Earth.

(Thunderous applause, standing ovation)

When I began this blog on March 11th, 2007, we were living in the past. By tomorrow, this blog will have been in existence for two separate decades.

(Just stay standing and applauding after every third sentence so I do not have to keep emphasizing this. My blog is less than 3 years old, but through sleight of hand I implied it has been around for 20 years, longer than the internet itself. That is how congress does budgeting.)

I have 3 Fatwas against me, but with hard work we can all come together and get me another one.

I have been a radio guest of big people.

I have hob-nobbed at functions with big people.

I know big people.

This is a long way from my humble beginnings as a little fella only 5 ft 5.

I did not let being vertically challenged stop me from typing on a keyboard. I did not let the Randy Newman song about short people affect my ability to let my fingers hit keyboard buttons.

Even the littlest among us can dream big.

(Thunderous politically correct applause at meaningless statements. Standing ovation by people who want to seem like they care.)

In calendar year 2009 I published my first book. 2010 brings more literary prowess.

In calendar year 2009 I went on a nationwide speaking tour that will be extended well into 2010.

Today I will speak about the fact that I speak about stuff. Now I have spoken about it and you have heard it.

(Wild applause)

I did this because I live in the greatest nation on Earth where people can speak about what they speak about and then let you know they spoke about it in America.

(Ridiculously wild applause that goes on long enough for me to sneak away and drink a beverage)

The Tygrrrr Express went from a 2007 condo in Los Angeles to 2009 speaking engagements and book signings in Arizona, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, DC, and Texas, to rouse the faithful.

(People in those states cheer)

In 2010 we will be going to Idaho, Wyoming, Florida, New York to rouse more faithful.

(Now those states cheer)

I will be going to other places everywhere.

(Now everybody else everywhere can cheer).

In late 2010 I am sure that as we prepare for 2011, the State of the Tygrrrr Express will be even stronger.

(cheers)

This will be because we live on the greatest nation on Earth, America.

(cheers)

My fellow Americans, the challenges are many, but the Tygrrrr Express will only get stronger because it is made in the greatest nation on Earth, America.

(I don’t care if you just sat down, the person next to you is standing and applauding so you have to as well.)

God Bless You, God bless the Tygrrrr Express, and God Bless America.

(Thunderous endless applause as patriotic music plays in the background.)

(I make sure my microphone is disconnected before making comments about drinking soda off the belly of Republican Jewish brunettes. The rebuttal to my State of the Blog Address will also be given by me. I will report on that as well if anything newsworthy comes out of it.)

This concludes the coverage of the 2010 Tygrrrr Express State of the Blog Address.

(I will now pipe in crowd noise and clapping sounds in case any of you forgot to do so on your own the entire time.)

eric

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments »

The Top 10 Significant Moments of the Decade

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

If ever there was an excuse to avoid getting back to hard core politics, writing a list is a lazy way to do it.

Like an athlete playing one play to keep a consecutive games streak alive, I post once a day.

These events are not the best or the worst, but the most significant.

The problem with a year ending in a “9” is that the year itself gets shafted by coverage of the entire decade.

Besides, in this case the entire decade is also the entire century, making it double special.

We got spoiled because the last decade was the millennium, and how often does that occur?

(That was rhetorical. Put away the calculators. It happens rarely.)

I will not be making predictions for 2010 and beyond, because I reserve my predictions for football, which are always wrong anyway.

Tomorrow will be my First State of the Blog Address. My speechwriters are feverishly preparing.

(Actually I will be winging it while searching for which New Year’s Eve party will have the hottest Hebrew Tang.)

Ok, here is the list of the most significant moments of the decade. For those who disagree, submit your own events.

10) Social Networking–The 1990s brought us the Internet. This decade really took it to the next level in 2007 with MySpace. In 2008 Facebook became very popular. By 2009, a ton of people were on Twitter.

While many people including myself find social networking sites to be irritating, they do have their positive used. Like most people, I want to cringe when I see people telling me what they are doing every moment of their life in a desperate attempt to appear less boring than they really are. We truly have become the nation of Narcissista.

Yet these sites also bring some positives. Iranian young people fighting for their freedom are standing up to the Mullahs and trying to get their messages out as quickly as possible. People are making friends all across the world, and reconnecting with old friends. These sites also have business purposes. It has been a boon to commerce. Social networking will be with us forever, and we have yet to scratch the technological surface.

9) The 2000 Election–George W. Bush became President only after a hotly contested race against Al Gore. A movie writer could not have written this script. Al Gore finished ahead in the popular vote, although if every vote were counted that number would flip several times. President Bush was ahead in every recount. The Florida Supreme Court ruled one way and the U.S. Supreme Court reversed them. Gore considered defying the Supreme Court and risking a constitutional crisis by arguing that the Florida legislature had the final say.

Gore was talked out of this, and the ticket that had the first Jewish vice presidential candidate in Joseph Lieberman finally surrendered. The left, bitter over losing, waged an all out war to destroy George W. Bush. Yet 8 months into his presidency, events occurred that would render the election itself to the back burner.

8) A GOP female Vice President–In 1984 Geraldine Ferraro was the first female vice presidential candidate. The Democrats got shellacked, which made bold choices take a back seat. A quarter of a century later in 2008, John McCain introduced the world to Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who electrified the crowd. She would have ranked higher except they lost the election due to events higher up on this list.

Sarah Palin immediately became a polarizing figure, as conservatives loved her and liberals tried to rip her to shreds in ways that made the George W. Bush presidency seem a love fest. She is now on a book and speaking tour, and she might be the most sought after speaker in the country. No matter where she goes from here, she will always be the first Republican female vice presidential candidate. That matters.

7) A black opposition leader–While many were rightly celebrating a black President, the leader of of the opposition is also black. In 2009 Michael Steele went from being the former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland to being the head of the Republican National Committee. A black man headed the RNC for the first time. This would rank higher except the number of votes required to win were few, and the influence of political parties has been waning over the years. Some would argue they barely matter. Nevertheless, this is a milestone.

6) Hurricane Katrina–In 2005 an entire city was devastated by a natural disaster. Thousands of people were displaced from their homes. The city was cut off from civilization. Frustration boiled over at federal, state, and local officials.The levees broke, but many felt the system was broken as well.

One of many times when sports helped heal people, the town turned to the New Orleans Saints. A year after the tragedy of Katrina, the Superdome reopened. The greatest blocked punt in history was blocked by Steve Gleason and fallen on for a touchdown by DeLoach.

5) The blogosphere–Online diaries had been taking place since the late 1990s, but some people started blogging after the towers went down and others reacted in both directions. In 2004 the modern blogosphere really came of age. Citizen journalists have been responsible for breaking big stories. Matt Drudge broke the Lewinsky story in 1998, but by 2004 it was Hugh Hewitt that became the most notable. Today Andrew Breitbart is still breaking news regarding ACORN.

The downside of the blogosphere is that information is often inaccurate, unverified, and vicious, often anonymously vicious. Yet the upside is that traditional media are forced to get their own stories right. Dan Rather and the New York Times have wilted under pressure from fact checkers.

Not all blogs are political. One of the most popular blogs of all time is “I Can Haz Cheeseburger,” which is simply pictures of kittens wearing sweaters and playing with yarn. It may seem silly, but advertisers pay big bucks to top bloggers. My blog led to a book and public speaking career.

4) Capturing Saddam Hussein–The Iraq War split America, as many people wanted to allow sanctions to contain Saddam. Others like myself believed that he was a threat to the world, and that a corrupt U.N. mired in the oil for food scandal would not allow sanctions to be followed. Some still insist that the war was about WMD. It was not. It was regime change. In 2004 Saddam was found in a spider hole. In a true test of a fledgling democracy, Saddam was tried, convicted, and given the death penalty with more humanity than the millions of people his regime murdered. The world is better off with him gone.

3) The Financial Crisis–The United States in 2008 came dangerously close to a complete financial breakdown. Two months before a presidential election, Lehman Brothers burned. Debates took place over whether certain companies were too big to fail. Ben Bernanke and Hank Paulson took controversial and decisive steps to prevent the entire global economy from collapsing. Politicians talked boldly, but the truth is that nobody had seen anything like this in terms of complexity and ferocity. The American Way of Life still hangs in the balance.

2) A black President–No matter where anybody is on the political spectrum, the election of Barack Obama is one aspect of what makes America who we are. While many people voted for him because of his race, and fewer voted against him because of it, the economy was the main issue in the 2008 election, proving that most Americans really found his race to be irrelevant. That is what Dr. King meant by a colorblind society. While his election was a source of pride for many minorities, in the long run he will be judged by his job performance, as every President should be.

1) 9/11–Although Islamofascistic terrorism began in 1972, and continued unabated for almost 30 years, most people outside of Israel could not have imagined the horrors of September 11th, 2001. This event defined a generation, not just a decade. In the way people now discuss where they were on Pearl Harbor Day or when JFK was shot, everybody remembers where they were on that Tuesday morning at 8:46am.

The images are indelible. President George W. Bush picking up the bullhorn and hugging a firefighter on 9/14. His speech to the nation on 9/20. New York City Rudy Giuliani became America’s Mayor.The picture of the three firefighters became as symbolic as the original photo of the men planting the flag at Iwo Jima.

Everything in the following days was magnified. ESPN Announcer Chris Berman brought painful images as the New York Football Giants played Kansas City. David Letterman interviewed Dan Rather as both fought back tears.

Lee Greenwood sang “God Bless the USA” as total stranger hugged. While 9/11 was the face of pure evil, Americans were united in those days. The halcyon days of the 1990s were gone. America was a nation at war, and it was going to be a long, hard slog.

I have no idea what the next decade will bring, but I do know that I was a young man about to turn 28 when the decade began. A few days into 2010, I turn 38. The differences seem exponential.

Whatever 2010 will bring, it will be here in less than 48 hours.

Like many of you, I pray for peace, love and health for myself, and wish that for all of you.

eric

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

A Mormon Question

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

Around this time of year I think a lot about world religions. Lately I have been thinking a ton about the Mormon faith.

No, I am not converting. I am very happy being Jewish. Yet it is impossible not to notice Mormonism lately. The television has been flooded with commercials for the Mormon Faith.

The music is inspiring and the messages are positive. Then it tells you to check out the “Foundation for a better life.” I did not know what that was until somebody told me it was the Mormon Church. At that point my interest stopped only because while we could all use a better life, I had no interest in changing religions.

Yet different questions kept coming to me.

The first question came with regards to the Mormons themselves. Why are there so many people, especially fellow Christians, that are troubled by them?

The only things I know about Mormonism I learned from watching one episode of “South Park.” People may scoff, but the producer of the cartoon used to be a practicing Mormon. Also, the portrayal of Mormonism was even-handed and fair, and in the end, positive.

In fact, a young kid that is Mormon points out that while they may practice some strange things, they are happy and not bothering anybody else.

While no one family or person represents the faith, what little I have seen is impressive.

Look at Mitt Romney. He is happily married, and his children seem to be well adjusted. If they were living dishonorable lives, the media would be all over it.

Look at Harry Reid. I disagree with him politically, but he has been happily married for 50 years. His wife is Jewish, but he is Mormon.

Many Mormon families are very large, but things seem to turn out ok. In this sense they are very similar to Chasidic (Ultra-Orthodox) Jews, who also have large families.

The real first question comes with the notion of the commercials. Is it wrong for a religion to advertise on television?

I am perfectly fine with it. One does not have to join the faith to appreciate the beauty of the commercials.

In a world of crime, drugs, and war, I think we could use more positive messages. The world would be a better place if more people took time to love their neighbor. I don’t even know who my neighbors are. I live in a condo building, and have never met them.

People need to be taught positive as well as negative behavior when they are young. Kids need to give up their seat on the bus when an elderly person comes on the bus.

How many suicides could be avoided if people just reached out to troubled people and gave them a hug when needed?

How many children turn out to be terrible at sports, yet through positive reinforcements find out that they have other talents, such as singing?

Some will claim that all these commercials do is suck you in and then try to convert you to Mormonism when you click on the website?

This is ridiculous. I never clicked on the website. Even if I did, people either convert because they genuinely want to, or because they are weak in the mind. Nobody gets “tricked” into believing any religion.

I am amazed how many atheists and environmentalists and animal rights activists condemn religion with a fervor and zeal that religions supposedly possess.

One does not have to embrace the Mormon faith to give them credit for spreading messages that are right. Even if some Mormon families have problems that we all share, that does not make them hypocrites. It makes them human.

An ex-girlfriend of mine comes from a Mormon family. While we did not make it as a couple, her family was lovely. When it came time to meet them they welcomed me into their home and their hearts. They never tried to convert me. They just treated me with kindness.

When I had the first serious conversation with her father, I was expecting the usual questions about whether I could be a good provider, and all the other material issues. Instead he looked at me and said something poignant.

“As long as you make my daughter happy, you’re good with me.”

I know plenty of parents that are not this open-minded.

Every minute I was in their home, I felt cared about.

The relationship failed because I simply did not have what it took to make the woman happy on a long-term basis. For one thing, religious differences loomed very large.

Even her extended family consisted of people that on the surface seemed very happy and well adjusted.

Her grandmother was a matriarch that reminded me of Jane Wyman of Falcon Crest. She was a tough lady who was deeply protective of her family. Yet she also welcomed me in.

Apparently these people seem to practice what they preach. So why criticize what they preach? In fact, why criticize preaching at all?

This leads me to the second issue, the notion of prosetylizing.

I have always asked why Jewish people do not prosetylize. The response is “we just don’t do that.”

Well maybe we should.

The world has 7 billion people. We have only 14 million. That’s it. We do so many positive things, and are so incredibly misunderstood.

Fancy commercials with inspiring music will not win over Islamofascists, but it very well could influence more people in America to look more favorably at Jews and Judaism.

More importantly, it might take many unaffiliated Jews to return back to their faith. Too many Jews are secular. We have a disproportionate share of atheists and agnostics. Too many of these people grow up under a stigma of being Jewish.

Yet Judaism has plenty of joy as well. It has beautiful traditions.

I think we should absolutely be doing television commercials. The only commercials we do are the depressing ones about homeless Holocaust survivors. Why would people want to join a religion of perpetual victims? Is is that hard for Jewish people to discuss concepts such as success, victory, and triumph?

My Chabad friends run a drug treatment center that has cured hundreds of people. Outside of their annual telethon, this does not get mentioned. Jews simply do not advertise.

The choice to me seems to be to remain misunderstood or to stand up and say why we are good people.

Everything and everybody needs to be marketed. Coca-Cola is the most recognized name in the world. They don’t cut back on advertising. They advertise more.

Nobody should be forced to convert against their will, but forced conversions have not occurred in hundreds of years.

Rather than have concerns about what Mormons supposedly believe, why not just ask them? The ones I met, and I have met enough of them, are as normal and healthy as anybody else. In many cases, they are healthier.

Either way, keep those commercials coming. If it gets another human being to reach out to somebody, offer a handshake or a hug, it is money well spent.

We do not have to join the foundation to appreciate having a better life.

Love thy neighbor is one concept that everybody should preach…and practice.

eric

Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments »

The Christian Jewish Question

Monday, December 28th, 2009

Several days ago I addressed the Jewish Christmas Question. Today is about the Christian Jewish question.

I speak before many Republican audiences. The bulk of the attendees are Christians.

My impression is that while these Christians have an overwhelming respect and admiration for the Jewish people, they do not know much about my religion.

I have no problem with this. I know very little about Christianity. It is not my faith. I know what Christmas and Easter are, but certainly not much more. They have heard about Hanukkah but probably could not tell me the ins and outs of the holiday.

Yet there is a difference between a religious organization and a political one containing religious people.

Various Republican organizations are having a raging internal debate about how to do the invocation at the beginning of their meetings and conventions. I know that the Republican Women’s Federated has wrestled with this issue.

I occasionally speak to socially conservative Christian groups in their Church. Since this is an official Christian group meeting at an official Christian place of worship, I find it completely reasonable that they would have a Christian invocation at their meeting.

Yet Republican groups are not Christian, despite a majority of Christin members.

In fact, one criticism of the Republican Party is that it is seen as a Christian party. This is not true. I as a Jewish person feel completely comfortable in the Republican Party.

While every GOP organization is different, I will stick with the Republican women since they are the bulk of my speeches. While they are a top down organization with clear rules on many issues, individual chapters gave their own policies regarding invocations.

The debate among some chapters is whether to pray to “God” or “Jesus.”

This is a serious issue.

Many of the chapters have actually asked me my opinion before I speak to them.

The notion that these Christian women are zealots is nonsense. If they were zealots, they would not bother to ask me my opinion.

Some chapters, mainly the very small ones, decide to stick with the mention of Jesus. The larger chapters prefer a more non-denominational prayer.

Even the prayer mentioning Jesus is not a sermon. The prayer usually involves praying for everybody, especially our troops. The last line of the prayer says, in (insert) name.

Sometimes they say, “in his name.” Sometimes they mention the lord, or God. Yet others do mention Christ.

The ones that mention Jesus do not force me to do so. I just say a different silent prayer.

Yet the issue that other non-Christians in the room may feel uneasy is an important one.

One chapter was serving ham because it was their Christmas party. They did not call it a holiday party. Yet when the food came out, I was given a turkey plate instead of ham. I never said anything, and had no idea what the menu was. When one of the ladies asked how she could get a turkey plate, the President explained, “He gets a special plate. He is Jewish. He cannot eat ham so we made him turkey. We have done that before.”

This was such a beautiful gesture. I was genuinely touched. It showed a knowledge of Judaism that many Christians do not possess, that Jews should not eat pork products.

(I heard something about Meat and Fridays, but I would be lying if I said I knew exactly what that was or how it related to Christianity.)

Some people will say that every chapter should refuse to mention Jesus. If 100% of their members are Christian, and believe, why should anybody else care? Who are they hurting?

Would I prefer a non-denominational prayer? Sure.

Yet I am also aware that this is a Christian nation. I am a minority.

I also have to explain to people that I am only one individual. I do not represent an entire religious faith. For one thing, most Jews do not share my politics.

The best thing the Christian community can do is what all people should do. Just ask questions and get educated. I can tell you now that the day before my next Church speech, I will research rituals to make sure I do not make any blunders while in their place of worship.

As long as nobody forces me to engage in Christian worship, I am fine. Such coercion has neve roccurred to me, not one single time.

When the ladies ask my opinion, I will tell them. After all, I have the right to refuse to speak to their group.

They are such wonderful people that I do not anticipate that happening one single time either.

I am a proud Jew not threatened by Christians who respect and admire my faith and spend time debating how to strike the correct balance.

Proof of their thoughtfulness is that the internal debate is even taking place.

eric

Posted in POLITICS | 4 Comments »

NFL 2009–Week 16 Recap

Sunday, December 27th, 2009

Football sage John Randall reminds us in December that from a gridiron standpoint, the puppies need to leave the field. This is when the big dogs come out.

15 Weeks down, 2 to go. Time for the Week 16 Recap.

San Diego Chargers @ Tennessee Titans was the Thursday night game. As much as it kills me, I am going to have to lay off Norvelous Norv Turner for now. Yes he has been gift wrapped a team by John Butler, AJ Smith, and Marty Schottenheimer that should have won at least a pair of Super Bowls, but the Chargers are finally playing to their potential. Turner has failed to screw it up, and in today’s world, that is good enough. He is the coaching equivalent of a game manager. I still maintain Jeff Fisher might be the best coach in the NFL, and getting the Titans from 0-6 to 7-7 was no small task. Yes the shift to Vince Young sparked the team, but Kerry Collins was 13-3 last year. Anyway, this game like many had playoff implications. Sadly, it was not a good game from a competitive standpoint.

The Titans did kick an early field goal, but the rest was all Chargers. A 13 play, 7 minute drive covered 76 yards, with Ladanian Tomlinson running it in from one yards out to give the Chargers a 7-3 lead they never relinquished. In the second quarter Philip Rivers went deep to Antonio Gates for a 36 yard touchdown and a 14-3 Chargers lead. After a Vince Young fumble near midfield, the Chargers were aided by a roughing the passer call against the Tennessee defense. Rivers hit Darren Sproles from 3 yards out to have the Chargers cruising 21-3. With 3 minutes left in the half Vince Young led an 11 play drive, with Young taking it in himself from 3 yards out to make it a 21-10 game at the break.

The Titans got the ball to start the second half, which gave them a chance to get right back in it. That never happened. In the third quarter, facing 4th and 1 at their own 47, Fisher rightly punted. San Diego took over at their own 15, and Rivers hit Gates for 32 yards and Floyd for 22 more. Defensive pass interference set up another one yard touchdown run by Tomlinson to make it 28-10 and effectively end the game. A 9 yard touchdown run by Darren Sproles had the game a blowout at 35-10. After an interception of Young, Sproles scored again from one yard out on the first play of the fourth quarter to make the blowout 42-10. The Titans did add a garbage touchdown.

The Titans fought valiantly the second half of the year, but a bad loss at home separates even good teams from great ones. Even throwing out the 0-6 start, the team that has been 7-2 since has lost to Indy and San Diego. Tennessee is 7-8 and done for the year. The Chargers have won 10 straight and at 12-3 have locked up the # 2 seed and the first round bye. 42-17 Chargers

Buffalo Bills @ Atlanta Falcons–With no playoff implications, a 7-0 Falcons lead occurred when Matt Ryan threw a 42 yard touchdown pass to Roddy White. Matt Bryant nailed a 51 yard field goal to have the Falcons up 10-0. In the third quarter, starting at the Buffalo 27, Ryan threw a 12 yard touchdown to Marty Booker to have the Falcons up 17-0. An 11 yard fumble return by Sidbury had the Falcons coasting 24-0. An uneventful second half went quickly enough. 31-3 Falcons

Kansas City Chiefs @ Cincinnati Bengals–A bad team on the road against a good team, albeit one facing back to back losses and still trying to clinch the AFC North. At the 2 minute warning the game was scoreless, but a field goal had the Bengals up 3-0. The Chiefs added a field goal of their own just before the gun to make it 3-3 at intermission. In the third quarter the Bengals finally got going as Carson Palmer led a 10 play, 6 minute, 77 yard drive. A 10 yard touchdown pass to Laverneous Coles had the Bengals up 10-3. 3 minutes into the fourth quarter, Matt Cassel fired to Ted Castillo for a 20 yard touchdown as Castillo caught it between three defenders and somehow hung on to the ball for a 10-10 game. An ugly game was decided when Palmer hit Johnson for a 6 yard touchdown pass with 2:03 left in regulation. The Bengals clinched the AFC North for Marvin Lewis. 13-10 Bengals

Oakland Raiders @ Cleveland Browns–For more on the game of the day go to http://www.justblogbaby.com Both of these teams are improved from the cellar, but this game could not have started worse for the Raiders. Charlie Frye was immediately intercepted, setting up Cleveland from the Oakland 17. Jerome Harrison, who ran for 286 yards last week, ran the 17 yards for the score as the Browns led 7-0 only 90 seconds into the game. On their next series, Frye went deep on two successive plays that were incomplete. Shane Lechler punted. Derek Anderson, playing in place of Brady Quinn, moved the Browns into field goal range. Phil Dawson connected, and the Browns led 10-0.

On the next Raiders drive a well executed screen pass to Darren McFadden picked up 15 yards to their own 41. A 16 yard toss to Chaz Schillens followed by a 12 yard Michael Bush run had the Raiders at the Cleveland 23. A completion to Louis Murphy at the one yard line was nullified by offensive holding. On 3rd and 14 from the 26, a perfect pass by Frye was dropped by Schillens. Sebastian Janikowski nailed the 44 yard field goal to get the Raiders within 10-3.

The Raiders got the ball back at midfield and wasted the opportunity, going nowhere. They punted, and Cleveland took over at their own 9. The Raiders held, and a short punt followed by a personal foul on the Browns had the Raiders starting at the Cleveland 30. On 3rd and 3 from the 10, Frye operated out of the shotgun and was sacked. Seabass nailed the 33 yard kick to have the Raiders within 10-6, but it was a lost chance with gift field position.

Cleveland reached midfield, and tried a fake punt that did not work. The Raiders jumped offsides, but luckily it was not enough for the first down. This time Cleveland punted, and Joshua Cribbs had it downed inside the one yard line. Frye moved the ball before the drive bogged down under a sack and a holding penalty. Nevertheless, they got it to their own 40 to avoid punting from their own goal. Cleveland started deep in their own territory, but the Raiders inexplicably self destructed under a hail of personal foul penalties. Richard Seymour was called for unsportsmanlike conduct. Then Stanford Routt, a terrible football player to begin with, was ejected after a head butt. From the Oakland 19, Anderson tossed the touchdown to Massaquoi to have the Browns up 17-6 on a drive that was mostly penalty yardage.

With only 18 seconds left in the half, the Raiders took over on their own 42. A couple short passes had Seabass trying a 61 yard field goal. Seabass is ridiculous. He drilled it good, and the Raiders had a shot of adrenaline down 17-9 at the half.

Momentum shifted back when the Browns nailed a field goal of their own to lead 20-9. The Raiders had a promising drive go bust when Johnny Lee Higgins dropped a pass and Frye was sacked again and called for intentional grounding. Anderson had the Browns moving again with a 28 yard pass to Massaquoi. The Browns were in total control of the game when a touchdown pass was nullified due to offensive holding. The Browns still faced 3rd and 1 at the Oakland 6 when Harrison got belted and fumbled. Greg Ellis recovered for the Raiders, who still had life.

Frye began the drive with a 20 yard pass to Chaz Schillens, but nothing more as the Raiders punted. On the next drive Frye moved the Raiders effectively, but from the Cleveland 24, an interception inside the 10 killed the drive. Anderson took advantage as the Browns tacked on another field goal to lead 23-9 with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Another Raiders defender was ejected from the game, and on offense a 27 yard pass from Frye to Schillens was spoiled by taunting on Schillens after the play.

On 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 32, Frye hit Murphy for the 1st down at the 26. Frye went deep to the end zone and was intercepted again, but defensive pass interference made it 1st and goal at the 2 instead. Choosing not to run, a pair of incomplete passes was followed by a 3rd down fade route that was intercepted. Cable challenged the call, as it appeared the defender did not get both feet down inbounds. The call was overturned, and the Raiders again had life with 4th and goal at the 2. Frye threw to Louis Murphy incomplete. A flag appeared to be on the defense, but it was picked up.

With 4 minutes left, Cleveland only took 30 seconds off the clock. The Raiders got the ball back near midfield, and a short pass to Schillens went all the way to the Cleveland 17. From the Cleveland 6, Frye, despite being 26 of 45 for 333 yards, was intercepted for the 3rd time. As an insult to injury, the final Raiders drive, with the snow coming down, resulted in Frye being sacked. The Raiders have their 7th straight 10 loss season, while the Browns have won 3 straight as Eric Mangini tries to convince new football Czar Mike Holmgren to keep him around. Tom Cable saw his team leap forward last week, but fall back again this week. 23-9 Browns.

Seattle Seahawks @ Green Bay Packers–The Walrus Mike Holmgren is off to Cleveland, rendering this just a game of a bad team on the road against a good team that was one play away from 6 straight wins. Aaron Rodgers threw a short touchdown pass to have the Packers up 7-0. Ryan Grant had a short touchdown run and then broke off a 56 yard run sandwiched around a Seattle field goal to have the Packers up 21-3. On the last play of the half the Packers had 4th and goal at the one, but a touchdown pass was nullified by offensive pass interference. The field goal had Green Bay up 24-3 at halftime.

The blowout continued in the second half as Jackson ran in a pair of touchdowns from 6 and 4 yards out to have the Packers cruising at 38-3. Matt Hasselbeck had 4 interceptions in what was an entire team embarrassment in a season of them. Owner Paul Allen is battling cancer, a much bigger concern than his team. However, deliberately giving Mike Holmgren an inferior offer that was meant to be refused allowed Holmgren to go to Cleveland. Whoever fixes Seattle, it had better come soon. As for Green Bay, Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson might not be burned in effigy as they improved to 10-5 and a wildcard playoff spot. 48-10 Packers

Houston Texans @ Miami Dolphins–A pair of 7-7 teams in an elimination game had the Texans on the board first with a 48 yard field goal. The Texans got the ball back, and on 4th and 1 from the 10, Gary Kubiak decided to go for it. Rather than run it, a touchdown pass from Matt Schaub to Andre Johnson had the Texans up 10-0. Schaub came back on the next series with a 44 yard touchdown strike to Jacoby Jones to have the Texans up 17-0. A Miami turnover set up the Texans in the red zone, and Foster, which is Australian for beer mate, ran it in to have the Texans up 24-0. Another field goal goal had it 27-0. Miami drove deep near the end of the half but settled for a field goal and a 27-3 halftime debacle.

The Dolphins appeared to be getting back in the game with a touchdown and an interception, but a field goal attempt to make it a 2 score game was no good, and the Dolphins still trailed 27-10. Miami again tried to get back in with a 62 yard touchdown pass from Chad Henne to Ted Ginn, but offensive holding nullified the play and the Dolphins were still far down. In the fourth quarter Henne hit Ike Hilliard for a 10 yard touchdown that stood, and the Dolphins were within 27-17 with much of the fourth quarter remaining.

With about 2 1/2 minutes remaining Miami kicked a field goal to have it a one score game. Yet the furious rally fell short when the Texans recovered the onsides kick and ran out the clock. Miami at 7-8 was eliminated form playoff contention while the Texans, who started 5-3 and then lost 4 straight, have won 3 straight to get to 8-7 and have playoff life. Bob McNair may fire Gary Kubiak, and next week will tell a lot. The Texans squandered the big lead but survived. 27-20 Texans

Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers–These teams played a defensive slobberknocker earlier in the year that justified why we watch football. The rematch had the 8-6 Ravens and 7-7 Steelers fighting for the playoffs. The Steelers made one play last week to keep them from losing 6 straight. Joe Flacco had his arm hit while throwing, and the interception had the Steelers at the Baltimore 9. The defense held, and a short field goal had the Steelers up 3-0. Flacco brought the Ravens back, but inside the Pittsburgh 10 again it was defense that stood tall in a game where defense was expected. The 27 yard field goal made it 3-3.

A strong kickoff return had the Steelers starting at the Baltimore 47. One first down got them in field goal range, and in this war of attrition it was the Steelers up 6-3. When Rashaard Mendenhall banged it in the end zone from short yardage, the Steelers led 13-3. Flacco responded with a 30 yard touchdown to Todd Heap to get the Ravens within 13-10. From the shadow of his own goal, Ben Roethlisberger went deep to Mike Wallace for 45 yards and then threw a 24 yard touchdown to Santonio Holmes to make it 20-10 Steelers.

In the third quarter Flacco led a 10 play, 64 yard drive that took 5 1/2 minutes. A 7 yard touchdown pass to Todd Heap had the Ravens within 20-17. Baltimore got the ball back, and a 35 yard field goal by Billy Cundiff had the game tied 20-20. It seemed only fitting that the teams that met last year in the AFC Title Game and went to overtime a few weeks ago would be tied entering the fourth quarter.

On the opening play of the fourth quarter Flacco, from the Pittsburgh 20, found a wide open Derrick Mason, who dropped a perfect pass. Penalties set up 3rd and 30 followed by a punt. A golden opportunity wasted ended up costing the Ravens as the Steelers took the lead on a field goal with 5 1/2 minutes remaining. With 2 1/2 minutes left, Flacco was hit as he threw, and the ball was plucked out of the air for an interception.

For the second week in a row Mike Tomlin made a bizarre coaching decision. needing to run out the clock, Tomlin called a pass play. Roethisberger was intercepted, but illegal contact nullified the play. Again Tomlin dodged a self inflicted bullet. The Steelers then ran out the clock. These teams are dead even at 8-7, and both of their regular season games were by 3 points, resulting in an exact number of points in this split series. While a 3rd matchup is unlikely like last year, it would be a thriller. Both teams are alive in the playoff hunt, although the Ravens damaged themselves with the loss. 23-20 Steelers

Carolina Panthers @ New York Giants–The 8-6 Giants are one game out of the final playoff spot, while the eliminated Panthers are coming off a big home win against Minnesota. For the second week in a row, the Panthers rejected the concept of having nothing to play for, while the Giants were just inexplicable. Mario Manningham fumbled to end a promising Giants drive, leading to a John Kasay field goal and a 3-0 Panthers lead. A 29 yard touchdown run by Jimmy Stewart then had the Panthers up 10-0. When Muhsin Muhammad ran it in, the Panthers had the stunning 17-0 lead on the road.

The misery extended when Eli Manning was intercepted, giving the Panthers a short field. Matt Moore hit Jeff King for a 2 yard touchdown pass to have the Panthers up 24-0. This was the final game in the history of Giants Stadium as they move to their new stadium right next door next year. After the season Giants Stadium will be imploded, but the Giants got going early by imploding this game. Tom Coughlin could only watch the demolition before the demolition. Matt Moore hit Steve Smith for a 27 yard touchdown as the Panthers had a 31-0 lead.

An uneventful second half saw a 4th and goal at the 1 where Manning fooled the defense and throw a perfect pass that was dropped. Jerry Richardson is still mulling the future of Jon Fox, but the last couple weeks may save Fox. As for the injured Jake Delhomme, Matt Moore has been impressive. The Giants have gone from 5-0 to 8-7 and most likely done for the year. 41-9 Panthers

Jacksonville Jaguars @ New England Patriots–The Jaguars are part of the 7-7 cluster trying to survive while the Patriots were trying to lock up the AFC East. Early on the Patriots missed a scoring chance when Lawrence Maroney fumbled at the one yard line. On the next New England drive, Tom Brady fired a 2 yard touchdown to Randy Moss to make it 7-0 Patriots. The second quarter effectively ended the game. A 26 yard touchdown by Brady to Baker had the Patriots up 14-0. Sammy Morris ran it in from one yard out, and Brady hit Moss again from 6 yards out as the Patriots led 28-0 at halftime.

After a scoreless third quarter, Brady led a 10 play, 90 yard drive that went for 6 1/2 minutes. Brady connected with Moss for the 3rd time, this time from 17 yards out. The Patriots led 35-0. 3 weeks ago these teams were both 7-5. Bill Bellichick righted the New England ship as the Patriots moved to 10-5 and locked up the AFC East. As for Jacksonville, 3 straight losses have them 7-8 and done for the year, as Jack Del Rio may be on a very hot coaching seat. A garbage touchdown would not change that. 35-7 Patriots

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints–The 1976-1977 Buccaneers went 0-26 before beating the Saints 33-14. In 2009 the Bucs won their second game last week to go to 2-12 while the Saints lost their first to drop to 13-1. Would this be the upset of the decade? No. Pierre Thomas ran it in from 8 yards out to put the Saints up 7-0. A interception by Darren Sharper had the Saints in business again. A 30 yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Robert Meacham had the Saints up 14-0. A 28 yard field goal made it 17-0. The Bucs finally got on the board with a field goal before the half to make it 17-3.

Somewhere on the road to a blowout the game unexpectedly tightened instead. Josh Freeman led a 98 yard drive that extended into the fourth quarter. Cadillac Williams ran for a 23 yard touchdown to have the game within 17-10. The Buccaneers got the ball back and drove deep. On 4th and 1, Raheem Morris decided to go for it. The Saints defense came up big as the Buccaneers turned it over on downs. The Saints could not muster any offense, and with 2 1/2 minutes left the Superdome crowd faced a total shock to the system.

Michael Spurlock, who returned the very first kickoff touchdown for the Buccaneers in their history, took this punt back 77 yards to tie the game 17-17. Now the upset of the year was possible. Brees worked the clock, and as expected, moved the Saints down the field in position. Hartley, in for a benched John Carney, came in for the winning field goal attempt. Again, another shocker as the kick was no good. The mismatch of the year was going to overtime.

The Buccaneers got the ball, and Freeman moved them down the field. On 3rd and 7 he scrambled up the middle for a first down. In front of one of the most shocked crowds in NFL history, a fellow named Connor Barth kicked the Buccaneers to the win from 47 yards out. Forget the score for a second. A couple of weeks ago the Saints were 13-0 and chasing history. Now they have back to back losses both at home. 2-12 took down 13-1 on the road. Sean Payton can still see his team lock up home field throughout the playoffs with a win next week, but they could slip to the # 2 seed. Then again, both of their losses have been at home. If ever a time was appropriate for uber-announcer Chris Berman, this was it. For the second time in 33 years, the Buccaneers shock the Saints. That’s why they play the games. 20-17 Buccaneers, OT

St. Louis Rams @ Arizona Cardinals–10 years ago the Rams were the Greatest Show on Turf. They then got rid of Kurt Warner. The Rams have Marc Bulger and Kyle Boller injured, meaning they starting a quarterback with the last name Null. Warner is now with the Greatest Show in the Desert in Arizona, and continues to make his old team pay. After a scoreless opening quarter, the Cardinals got going.

A rapid 80 yard drive had Warner connecting with Larry Fitzgerald for a 10 yard score to make it 7-0 Cardinals. Another fairly quick 83 yard drive had Warner hitting Doucet for the 18 yard score to make it 14-0. Null did his namesake, and the Cardinals got the ball back. A 14 play, 82 yard drive reached the 2 yard line, and Ken Whisenthunt opted for the field goal and a 17-0 Arizona lead. Another way of saying the score would be 17-nil, or 17-Null.

The Cardinals were in total control in the third quarter when Warner was sacked and fumbled. An offensive lineman tried to pick it up instead of falling on it, leading to the Rams recovering. Null was no longer null or nil, because a 21 yard touchdown pass from Null to Gibson had the Rams within 17-7. The Rams held on defense, but a long punt return was wasted when the ball was fumbled away past midfield. Tim Hightower ran it in from 2 yards out to have the Cardinals ahead comfortably again at 24-7.

The Rams did kick a field goal, but Null was then intercepted. With the game in hand, Ken Whisenhunt pulled Warner out of the game and gave Matt Leinart a chance to play. Unlike situations in Indianapolis and Minnesota, there was no controversy here. Leinart handed off to Hightower, who ran it in 2 yards to have the Cardinals up 31-10.

Detroit Lions @ San Francisco 49ers–Sometimes bad teams come together to play a good game. This was not that game. A battle of field goals was 3-3 until the 49ers added another one around the 2 minute warning to lead 6-3 in a game that was even duller than it sounded. In the third quarter the 49ers turned out the lights. Alex Smith hit Vernon Davis for a 2 yard touchdown, and Frank Gore added a one yard csore on the ground as the 49ers led comfortably 20-3.

Denver Broncos @ Philadelphia Eagles–After 13 seasons in Philadelphia, Bryan Dawkins returned as a member of the visiting Broncos. He was the only Denver player fired up early on. Kyle Orton threw what appeared to be a lateral that was picked up and returned for a touchdown less than one minute into the game. Upon further review, it was ruled the pass was just forward, and therefore incomplete as the Broncos dodged a bullet. It was academic as Donovan McNabb later on his Deshean Jackson from 2 yards out to make it 7-0 Eagles. David Akers added a 39 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Eagles

In the second quarter Orton led a 12 play, 70 yard drive that took nearly 6 minutes. Orton hit Jabar Gaffney for an 11 yard touchdown to get the Broncos within 10-7. McNabb came right back as the Eagles moved 88 yards in a hurry. A 47 yard touchdown from McNabb to Captain Morgan Brent Celek had the Eagles up 17-7. With less than 30 seconds in the half, Akers nailed another kick to have the Eagles up 20-7 at halftime.

Several minutes into the third quarter a 33 yard field goal by Prater had the Broncos within 20-10. Yet the Eagles kept their foot on the gas pedal as McNabb threw a 15 yard touchdown to Avant to get the lead up to 27-10. Orton was then intercepted. Late in the third quarter the game completely changed. Orton hit Gaffney for a 7 yard score to make it 27-17. The Eagles got blasted on the ensuing kickoff, with the Broncos recovering the fumble. Orton hit Knowshon Moreno for a 16 yard score as the Eagles only led 27-24 entering the fourth quarter.

With 6 minutes to go a 46 yard field by Prater tied the game, and the Eagles big lead had evaporated. The Eagles again fumbled a kickoff, but recovered it themselves. McNabb was then sacked for a 10 yard loss. On 3rd and 25, McNabb pulled the ball down and ran with it. He picked up 27 yards and a 1st down to ignite the crowd and stun the Denver defense. On 4th and 1 from midfield with 3 minutes in regulation, Andy Reid took no chances and punted the ball. Denver took over at their own 8. The defense held and the Eagles took over at the Denver 42 with 1:41 remaining. McNabb went deep to Jeremy Maclin. The play was ruled out of bounds, but on further review Maclin got both feet down inbounds and the Eagles had the ball at the Denver 14. A pair of runs forced Denver to use their timeouts. On 3rd down McNabb took a knee to center the ball.

With 7 seconds left, David Akers came in for a 28 yard kick and drilled it dead center. Despite blowing a big lead, the Eagles moved to 11-4. They clinched the NFC East and are still within striking distance of the # 2 seed and a 1st round bye. The Broncos under Josh McDaniels saw their 6-0 record collapse to 8-7. They no longer control their own playoff destiny. 30-27 Eagles

New York Jets @ Indianapolis Colts–The Jets at 7-7 are clinging to life while the Patriots at 14-0 are still striving for immortality. They have home field locked up but Jim Caldwell played their starters, despite Rex Ryan wishing otherwise.Joseph Addai ran for a 21 yard touchdown as the Colts led 6-0. Adam Vinatieri saw his extra point blocked. Indianapolis drove down the field again but bogged down inside the 10 yard line. A field goal had the Colts up 9-0. The Jets hung tough, and a field goal with less than 2 minutes in the half had Gang Green within 9-3.

The march to immortality took a shocking turn when Brad Smith returned the second half kickoff 106 yards for a touchdown. The extra point was good, and only 12 seconds into the third quarter the Jets led 10-9. The Colts then surrendered and admitted defeat. No, not really. Manning brought the Colts right down the field, as running back Donald Brown turned into the second coming of Mike Allstot. From the 7, Brown barreled over defenders like he was Jim Brown, reaching the one yard line. On the next carry he hit a brick wall inside, somehow bounced to the outside, and waltzed in. Jim Caldwell decided to go for the 2 point conversion only 5 minutes into the third quarter, and the Colts went to the well once too often as Brown got knocked backwards. Nevertheless, the 81 yard drive had the Colts up 15-10.

The Jets crossed midfield, but the drive ended when a 3rd and 3 breakdown had an unblocked Dwight Freeney level Mark Sanchez. The Jets punted, and the Colts took over on their own 9. Before the first snap, a majorly odd occurrence that will be discussed for some time happened. Peyton Manning, who has taken every snap this year, did not go on the field.

He was physically fine. Jim Caldwell took him out to keep him healthy. This is in stark contrast to the Minnesota situation, where Brett Favre refused to come out, leading to a sideline confrontation with Brad Childress. A disgusted Manning dutifully obeyed Jim Caldwell on the sidelines. Manning kept his helmet on. The longtime backup is Jim Sorgi, who is on injured reserve, which begs the question…how the hell does Jim Sorgi end up on IR? A football teammate from my coed league pointed out that maybe he injured himself in the locker room while (redacted). The 3rd stringer is Curtis Painter. on the second play Painter did complete a slant pass to set up 3rd and 1. Yet a run went laterally and was blown up in the backfield.

The crowd booed. The Jets punted, and from the 20 yard line, Painter came back on the field as Manning refused to take his helmet off. Caldwell had Painter pass. Painter went back, got hit as he was trying to throw, and fumbled. the ball went backwards, and the Jets recovered 20 yards in the other direction for a stunning touchdown. Manning had not fumbled all season, but in all fairness to Painter, the defender came in unblocked. The 2 point conversion succeeded, and the Jets led 18-15 with 90 seconds left in the third quarter. Despite no offensive touchdowns, one on defense and one on special teams has the Jets leading.

Jim Caldwell refused to give in to an angry crowd, as Painter came back in the game with the Colts on their own 16. On 2nd down a pass was dropped. Every single pass Pass Painter threw was magnified. Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark were also on the sidelines, as the Colts appeared to be playing backups. 90 seconds into the fourth quarter, another Jay Feely field goal had the Jets up 21-15.

Painter came on the field again and was booed again. Caldwell continued to have him throw. A 6 yard toss on 1st down, led to a 3rd and 4. Painter faced pressure, escaped, and scrambled but came up short. On 4th and 1 Caldwell punted. Sanchez led a time consuming drive on the ground. With 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Jets faced 3rd and goal at the 1. Thomas Jones banged it in. Sanchez hit Braylon Edwards for the 2 point conversion as the Jets led 29-15.

If the Colts had been 13-1 entering the game instead of 14-0, Caldwell’s decision to rest his starters would have been totally non-controversial, and the right thing to do. Yet some will accuse Caldwell of throwing away the season, forgetting that he was the coach through the first 14 games. The goal is not to be the best team ever. It is to be the best team this year. Caldwell has been stoic on the sidelines all year just as Tony Dungy was, and he made his decisions today without emotion.

Painter came in and threw a 23 yard completion, then rolled out, and fired another completion. Manning looked on the sidelines in disgust, and Painter’s third throw of the drive was intercepted. The Colts fell to 14-1, the 1972 Dolphins popped champagne corks, and the Jets improved to 8-7. The Colts 23 game regular season win streak has ended. Rex Ryan got his Christmas wish, and the Jets are in the playoffs if they win next week. Analysts will debate Caldwell’s decision for decades, but the goal is to win the Super Bowl and the Colts still have the inside track and home field advantage. 29-15 Jets

Dallas Cowboys @ Washington Redskins is the Sunday night game. These teams played a few weeks ago in one of the worst games in NFL history. Trailing 6-0 late in the game, the Cowboys won 7-6. They were heled along by a pair of missed field goals by Washington kicker Sean Suisham. After another critical miss that cost them against New Orleans, Suisham was cut. Dallas had kicking problems of their own, and they cut Nick Folk. Yet Dallas replaced him with Sean Suisham. When taking all this time to discuss kickers, it becomes apparent that this game was just as dull as the first one.

In the first quarter the Cowboys began a drive at the Washington 36. Tony Romo hit Roy Williams from 4 yards out to make it 7-0 Cowboys. In the second quarter a very quick 88 yard drive culminated in Marion Barber running it in from 3 yards out as the Cowboys led 14-0 at halftime. The second half was unwatchable. Late in the game Romo led a 13 play, 7 minute drive to the Washington 6. Sean Suisham kicked a field goal against his old team with nothing on the line to complete the scoring. Dallas is 10-5 and in the playoffs. Wade Phillips and Tony Romo were bounced from the hunt last year in Week 17 at Philadelphia. This year those teams face in the finale in the 1.2 billion dollar Jerry Jones Dallas Palace, winner take all for the division. Dallas even has a shot at a 1st round bye. Washington has George Allen and little else. 17-0 Cowboys

Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears was the Monday night game. The Bears are done and Lovie Smith might be as well. The overblown feud between Brad Childress, who is bald and Catholic, and Brett Favre, could have been put to rest. A win would have Minnesota with a chance to win the # 1 seed and home field throughout. This was a fine football game.

The first half was dreadful. The Vikings did nothing on offense and Favre looked like he had shackles on. Running plays went nowhere as the Chicago defense throttled Minnesota running backs and the defensive line, injury wracked as it was, whipped the Minnesota offensive line in the trenches. 3 Robbie Gould field goals and a 7 yard touchdown pass from Jay Cutler to Greg Olsen had the Bears up 16-0 at halftime. In the second half Childress took the shackles off and let Favre do what he does. Favre unleashed a flurry of passes. Cutler was up to the task as well, and a boring opening 30 minutes gave way to a thrilling finish.

In the third quarter Favre connected with Bernard Berrian for 38 yards. On the next play Favre went deep to Sidney Rice, and defensive pass interference had the ball on the one yard line. Adrian Peterson ran it in. The extra point was blocked, which would loom very large later on as the Vikings trailed 16-6. One disaster for the Vikings all night was their kickoff coverage, as Danny Manning returned the ensuing kickoff 57 yards to the Minnesota 34. Defensive pass interference on the Vikings evened things out and set the Bears up at the 2, where Cutler hit Clark for the touchdown and a 23-6 Bears lead.

A 10 play, 5 minute drive covered 73 yards, with a 6 yard toss from Favre to Vincent Shiancoe had the Vikings within 23-13. Cutler was then intercepted, setting Minnesota up at their own 47. On 3rd and 2 from the Chicago 22, Peterson was blown up in the backfield for a one yard loss. A Ryan Longwell field goal had the Vikings within 23-16.

In the fourth quarter, with 10 minutes remaining, Minnesota took over at their own 21. On 3rd and 10 Favre hit Chester Taylor for 20 yards. Favre hit Lewis for 27 yards, Sidney Rice for 12 more, and Percy Harvin for another 12 down to the one. Peterson took it in, and the game was tied 23-23 with 6 minutes to play.

Yet Manning burned the Vikings again, as another special teams breakdown led to a 59 yard return of the kickoff and the Bears starting at the Minnesota 21. Cutler hit Bennett for the touchdown 2 plays later as the Bears reclaimed the lead at 30-23 with 5 minutes left. The Vikings took over at their own 32.

Favre hit Peterson for 16 yards to midfield. On 3rd and 1 from the 41 Peterson picked up 3 yards out. Favre hit Harvin for 19 yards down to the 19 at the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 9 Favre hit Rice for 11 yards to set up 1st and goal at the 7 with one minute left. Chicago tightened on defense, and it all came down to one final play. With 22 seconds left, the Vikings faced 4th and goal at the 6. This 14 play drive all came down to whether Favre could pull another miracle out of his 19 year hat. Yes, he did it again. A perfect fade pass to Sidney Rice followed by an even better catch had the game tied 30-30. Despite the blocked extra point earlier, Childress did not even consider going for the win, wisely kicking the extra point and going to overtime.

Chicago took over at their own 32, and on the first play of overtime, Cutler went deep to Aromashodu for a 33 yard gain to the Chicago 35. Lovie Smith then got conservative, and on 4th and 2 from the 27, Robbie Gould came in for the 45 yard winning kick. He had already made 3, but this one was no good. It barely missed, and the Vikings had life. They went nowhere, as the offensive line again allowed Favre to get buried for a 9 yard sack. The Bears punted on their next drive as well.

Minnesota took over at their own 17. Favre completed a swing pass to Peterson, who picked up 16 yards. Yet instead of going out of bounds, he fought for a little bit more and was brilliantly stripped of the ball. It was punched out just before his knee hit the ground. The Bears recovered the fumble at the Minnesota 39 as both Peterson and Gould prayed on separate sidelines not to be the goat. Lovie Smith took no chances, and went with what worked all game. On the first play from scrimmage, with Minnesota expecting short percentage plays, Cutler went deep again for all the marbles. A wide open Aromashodu caught the touchdown and the Bears had the win.

Chicago played with pride, and Cutler had 4 touchdown passes, with Favre throwing 3. The last touchdown pass for the Bears was the difference. Minnesota has lost 3 of 4, but this is no Favre fade. He was magnificent when allowed to be himself. Peterson played well but that last fumble killed them. Favre cannot play offensive line or defense. Minnesota at 11-4 lost any chance at the # 1 seed as New Orleans now has it locked up. They also lost control of their own destiny for the # 2 seed. However, if they win next week at home against an eliminated New York team, and Philadelphia loses at Dallas, both strong possibilities, Minnesota will still have the first round bye. At worst they will be the # 4 seed. Yet this team, while loaded with talent, needs to get healthy and get a week off. 36-30 Bears, OT

eric

Posted in SPORTS | No Comments »

The Top 10 2009 PBWGs

Saturday, December 26th, 2009

This is a time of year for lists. While the Summer brings my list of the top political yummy bouncies, this list will be significantly less sexy. While some people think that yummy bouncies run the world, this is not entirely true. The real power rests in the scalps of those we sometimes rarely see.

PBWGs, aka Powerful Bald White Guys, run the world. For those who do not understand PBWGs, watch “Law and Order.”

In 2008, Eliot Spitzer and Fred Thompson would have made the list. Brad Childress of the Minnesota Vikings has to get to a Super Bowl first. Jon Corzine would have made the list had he not been fired again. Henry Waxman and Brad Sherman might make the list in 2010, but so far they have not accomplished anything.

Most of the people on this list are Republican, but by 2010 the Democrats will have been in office long enough to reverse those numbers.

An honorable mention goes to Chesney Sully Sullenberger. He was definitely the most heroic PBWG of 2009.

Here are the top 10 PBWGs of 2009.

10) Karl Rove–Despite being out of office, make no mistake about it. Every Republican in the country consults him for advice. He is one of the leading political strategists of all time. Democrats are praying he stays retired.

9) Bernie Kerik–Despite a cloud hanging over his head, he is being targeted because he has a ton of influence. People do not get targeted for being powerless. Also, whether or not he slept with Judith Regan is irrelevant. Any man even rumored to bed Judith Regan is powerful, since the whole point of obtaining power is to bed women like Judith Regan.

8) Rudy Giuliani–He is not running for senator, governor, or president. Yet as the lead security consultant to Rio De Janeiro for the 2016 Olympics, he will be in the global public eye for years to come.

7) Alan Greenspan–He is the PBWG of the decade. Even though he is out of power, financial markets still hang on his every word. When a retired guy has that much influence, he is on the list.

6) John McCain–Despite losing the 2008 election, he has now settled into his role as elder statesman and leader of the loyal opposition. His war hero status gives him “gravitas.”

5) Dick Cheney–He was a candidate for PBWG of the past decade as well. While McCain leads the opposition in Congress, Cheney leads the opposition as a private citizen, which gives him far more latitude. Joe Biden wishes he were anywhere near as relevant, while trying to plug up his many deficiencies follically and intellectually.

4) David Axelrod–Barack Obama does not make a move without consulting this guy. Everything is political, and this guy plays the hardest of hardball.

3) John Roberts–At first glance this guy has perfect hair. On much closer inspection, he has a bald spot on top. Also, if a list of the top 10 ultra lily white caucasians was compiled, he would top the list. This man can affect every law that is passed.

2) Ben Bernanke–He will most likely be the top PBWG of the next century. He was a very solid choice to be Time’s Person of the Year, although one person ranked above him. He was dealt a nearly impossible situation, and he stayed calm. His steady hand is what leadership is about.

1) Hank Paulson–He should have been Time’s Person of the Year in a close vote. Regardless of whether one supported the bailouts or the stimulus bills, Paulson’s relevance cannot be denied. While Bernanke had to implement the plan, Paulson developed TARP and sold it to Congress. The entire economy hinged on the work of Hank Paulson.

eric

San Diego Chargers @ Tennessee Titans

(Titans by 3, they cover)

Buffalo Bills @ Atlanta Falcons

(Falcons by 9, they win but fail to cover)

Kansas City Chiefs @ Cincinnati Bengals

(Bengals by 14, they win but fail to cover)

Oakland Raiders @ Cleveland Browns

(Browns by 3 1/2, upset special, Raiders win outright)

Seattle Seahawks @ Green Bay Packers

(Packers by 14)

Houston Texans @ Miami Dolphins

(Dolphins by 3, they cover)

Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers

(Steelers by 2 1/2, they cover)

Carolina Panthers @ New York Giants

(Giants by 5.5, they cover)

Jacksonville Jaguars @ New England Patriots

(Patriots by 7 1/2, they win but fail to cover)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints

(Saints by 14.5, they cover)

St. Louis Rams @ Arizona Cardinals

Detroit Lions @ San Francisco 49ers

Denver Broncos @ Philadelphia Eagles

(Eagles by 7, they win but fail to cover)

New York Jets @ Indianapolis Colts

(Colts by 5.5, they win but fail to cover)

Dallas Cowboys @ Washington Redskins

(Cowboys by 4, they win but fail to cover)

Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears

(Vikings by 7, they win but fail to cover)

eric

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

The Jewish Christmas Question

Friday, December 25th, 2009

For those celebrating the holiday of Christmas, I wish you a very Merry Christmas.

Yet every Christmas, my Jewish friends face a very serious dilemma.

What do we do?

Sure, we can sit home all day, and when Christmas falls on a Sunday, NFL Football makes that a very appropriate decision. This evening I will be watching the Tennessee Titans take on the San Diego Chargers in a matchup with major AFC playoff implications.

Yet what about people who do not watch football?

As tempted as I am to have them quarantined, the Constitution gives them the right to exist. What do Jewish people do on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Growing up there were three options.

1) Movie theatres.

2) Chinese food.

3) Bowling alleys.

Sneaking the Chinese food into the theatre was especially difficult.

Thankfully some Jewish entrepreneurs came up with some good ideas.

December 24th is now the biggest Jewish party night of the year. Singles all over the country attend parties in major cities everywhere. In some cities the party is called the “Matzoh Ball.” In Los Angeles one of them is called “Schmoozapalooza.” I am attending one in LA known simply as “The Ball.”

I prefer to be in another city because I know in LA I will run into some burned bridges. I prefer the one in Miami. The women don’t know me, and 75 degrees at 5am makes for some hot nights. I wish more women in LA danced on tables. New York is out of the question because I hate cold weather. Besides, the girls in South Florida are from New York anyway.

On Christmas Day, there is Rabbi Mendel “Schwartzie” Schwartz throwing his annual “Not a Christmas party during the day. In 2005 I met a girl at one of his Passover Seders, and we dated for seven months. So Schwartzie has cred in my book.

Some people are not single. Be quiet and sit down. You don’t need anything to do. Talk to your spouse.

In the mornings, there is always sleeping in. Remember, it is a day off from work.

So between sleeping in, Jewish partying, and football, this is turning out to be the best December 25th ever.

As for my Christian brothers and sisters, I have always felt bad that your religion conflicts with the NFL, especially on the West Coast. May your tivo work perfectly and nobody ruin the score for you until you get to watch it. Just in case, say an extra prayer at Mass that your idiot cousin doesn’t flap his gums or hand you a newspaper with the results.

Peace on Earth, good will toward men, and make sure your fridge is stocked. It is many hours until the 26th.

eric

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

YRs in Simi Valley–Carrie Prejean

Thursday, December 24th, 2009

At the 2009 California State Young Republican Convention, I had the pleasure of speaking with and listening to Miss California Carrie Prejean.

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

I had actually met Ms. Prejean one week earlier in her native San Diego at Sean Hannity’s Freedom Concert. She was lovely to everyone she encountered, posing for pictures and signing autographs.

I also met her parents at the Freedom Concert, and they simply came across as incredibly kind human beings.

They have met multitudes of people lately, so I was surprised when they remembered me at the Young Republican Convention. It was only six days later, but the sheer number of people they meet is overwhelming. They greeted me warmly, which seems to very consistent with how they treat everybody.

The Prejean family is a religious Christian family, which seems to show another example of how religion, when practiced the right way, is a force for goodness and generosity of spirit.

(The family empathy includes warm sentiments toward Miss North Carolina, the official winner. Many people do not know Miss North Carolina’s name, and this is unfortunate. This is important because the Prejean family recognizes that two girls were hurt by unfortunate events, not one. They feel for the other girl, while maintaining love for their own daughter.)

If Carrie Prejean were merely a nice person living in this world, she most likely would not be the celebrity she is today. However, it is unfortunate that her newfound fame comes not as a result of her inner and outer beauty, but due to the fact that this very beauty was attacked by a left-wing ideologically bigoted bully.

She was cruising to being a pageant winner in the Miss USA contest when one of the judges decided to use his power to launch an assault on her.

Perez Hilton is a radical gay activist and vicious human being. He does not reflect the many decent and gay Americans that merely want acceptance and love by society. He despises those that disagree with his views, and decided to turn the Miss USA Pageant into his own political crusade.

He asked Ms. Prejean about her views on gay marriage, knowing full well that she held traditional Christian views on the subject.

In an overwhelmingly polite manner, she stated that while she respected all people and those with opposing views, she personally felt that marriage was between a man and a woman.

Whether one agrees with her or not, the real question that night should have been what a person’s views n gay marriage have to do with a beauty pageant. The answer is absolutely nothing. The purpose of the question was to humiliate Ms. Prejean.

Ms. Prejean could have done what many conservatives do in a liberal setting. She could have hid her views for fear of being a victim of ideological bigotry.

I identify with her.

Before I met the Sacramento Queen, my current Republican girlfriend, my Jewish dating website profile listed my political views as “unspecified” due to fear of being attacked by liberal women. These fears were well-founded based on repeated real experiences, which led to my blogging and authoring a book to begin with. I identify with Ms. Prejean because we both allowed ourselves to triumph over our haters. However, where we diverge is that she exhibited her bravery loudly and proudly. She has inspired me to be more open and proud of my political leanings, and for this I thank her.

Ms. Prejean decided to put her principles above her desire to win a crown and plenty of glory. She had to make a split second decision that should never have been placed in front of her. She lost the crown, but kept her honor intact.

For this and so many other reasons, it was a privilege to hear the inspiring words of Carrie Prejean.

With that, I present the woman that we all know is truly Miss USA.

“Had I not competed to be Miss California or Miss USA, I would not be able to do and talk about things that I am passionate about.”

“I did not talk until I was age 4. My dad says that I have more than made up for it.”

(Editor’s note: With me it was age 3 1/2. My dad says the same thing. That ends the list of strange coincidences.)

“I was a tomboy growing up. I won a national championship in softball, and I have the scars to prove it. I also played basketball and ran track.”

“I come from a big Italian family. I have 26 cousins, and my grandmother has 27 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren. It was hard giving up pasta and bread to compete for the pageant.”

“My grandfather fought at the Battle of the Bulge. My other grandfather fought in the Korean War. My sister is currently serving in the Air Force. My family personally knows the importance of our soldiers, and we love them.”

“I grew up in San Diego. I decided to attend college in Santa Barbara so I could be on my own. That lasted one semester. I called my parents and said that I really wanted to come home. I then went to San Diego Christian State. I wanted to feel normal for choosing to stay home on a Friday night and read the Bible.”

“At age 17 a friend suggested that I enter a beauty pageant. So I did.”

“My athletic career instilled competitiveness in me. I was second runner up in my first beauty pageant, and I wanted to win.”

“My sister is completely liberal, and I am conservative, but I love her. We are a team.”

“Preparing for the Miss California pageant was hard work. It is not just putting on a gown and walking.”

“I won Miss California in November, and I then began to prepare for the Miss USA pageant in April at age 21.”

“My dad and I worked for hours on questions to prepare me for the pageant. We discussed the propositions, the bailout package, and other current events.”

“The pageant was in Las Vegas. Living for three weeks with fifty girls was definitely an experience.”

“The purpose of the question and answer session is to see if the contestants will just be themselves, to see if they can handle the pressure. I prepared myself for 500 questions.”

“When the question I got was asked of me, I knew it was designed to humiliate me. I was torn. Either way, I would be offending someone.”

“As soon as he began the question, my heart sunk. I knew that I was going to lose the crown.”

“I had to choose between truth and a tiara. I had to give up something I wanted for so long.”

“I just believed that God was telling me that ‘This is not what I want for your life.'”

“There was no way I would back down to that stupid judge.”

“I tried to be respectful and acknowledge his point of view. Yet I believe marriage should be between a man and a woman.”

“After I gave my answer, he didn’t even look at me the rest of the night. I still can’t believe I got that question.”

“I am so grateful I got that question. It has been a blessing in disguise.”

“Later that night after the pageant, I just wanted a burger and fries and a Coke.”

“The question was bad enough. Yet the pageant should have been the end fo it. Then the judge had to go call me a ‘Dumb B.”

(Ms. Prejean, ever the lady, does not curse. She actually used the letter “b” rather than say the word. She also said the letter “a”, using the term “Dumb A” rather than the actual word.)

“Why was I called a ‘Dumb B?” Because I wouldn’t give in to that judge to win that crown.”

“I thought this would go away. My sister predicted that I would be on the Today Show, but why would anyone want to interview me? I didn’t win.”

“There was nothing wrong with what I said.”

“I asked myself, ‘Why God? Why am I going into a media firestorm?'”

“I can relate to Esther in the Old Testamanet.”

(Ms. Prejean then went on to tell the story of Esther and Mordechai in a way that would make Jewish scholars proud. I have Jewish friends with less knowledge of the story of Esther than Ms. Prejean.)

“As Esther said, ‘When I go before the King, if I perish, I perish.'”

“Is it that God trusted that I’d answer the question the right way? No, it’s that I learned that I told myself that ‘You have the courage to get through this junk and remain still standing.'”

“We are all tested, and have to choose between right and wrong. We can fight, or we can back down to popular culture.”

“I have no regrets.”

“What I have learned is that we all have a voice. We all have freedom of speech.”

“Yet tolerance is not a two way street with some people. Nevertheless, we have to set the example. We have to show civility and tolerance.”

“God has a bigger crown in Heaven for me than amy man can give me on Earth.”

“We should seek God’s approval, not man’s approval.”

“Some people come up to me and quietly say ‘We support you.’ I ask them why they are whispering, or why they say it off camera.”

“I want to be biblically correct, not politically correct.”

“We all have the right to exercise all of our freedoms, including freedom of speech.”

“Everybody stand…as I am still standing.”

Everybody did stand, in the form of a sustained and well deserved ovation.

For those who do not know, people do truly get what they deserve. Perez Hilton tried bullying somebody affiliated with the music group “Black Eyed Peas.” Unlike Ms. Prejean, they fought back physically, resulting in a Black Eyed Perez.

There is no black mark on Ms. Prejean. Through it all, she maintained her dignity and honor.

Ms. Prejean is well on her way to fame and fortune. She is well on her way to a successful book tour. She is on her way to a lifetime of happiness.

Every ounce of this is well deserved for one reason.

Before she was well on her way to anything, she was who she simply is and who she will be.

She is a kind human being with a good heart, a beautiful human being inside.

That will never be taken away from her.

eric

Posted in POLITICS, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Political Earthquakes from New York to Alabama

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

Political Earthquakes occurred yesterday from New York to Alabama.

For those covering every aching moment in the health care discussion, I am not C-Span. Yes, the issue is incredibly relevant. However, until an actual bill either passes or fails, nothing has changed. Yes, I want to stop the current bills dead in their tracks, but people on both sides need to realize that as of now, absolutely nothing has happened. If I covered everything that may or may not almost happen, again, I would be C-Span.

No actual news has occurred out of Washington, DC.

However, New York and Alabama did have major announcements.

In New York, Rudy Giuliani announced that he is not running for any political office in New York in 2010. This is good and bad.

The good news is that Rudy is not running for the U.S. Senate. The job is beneath him. He is not a gasbag with nothing better to do than make speeches. He is a leader. He is an executive. Being one of one hundred is not what makes him work best. It is also a step down. You don’t run for president and then run for the Senate unless you are already there, or unless there is no hope for further advancement. Elizabeth Dole did this because her career was done. Jerry Brown seemed to take a step down from presidential candidate to Mayor of Oakland, but that is still an executive position, which helped immensely in his quest to try and get back to the governor’s mansion. While only Rudy knows if he will run for president again, being a Senator is not his path to get there.

The bad news is that Rudy Giuliani is not running for governor of New York. The climate is perfect. Republicans are heavily favored for a 2010 landslide, and David Patterson might be the most vulnerable governor in the country. Rudy could be governor in 2010, get reelected in 2014, and then run for President in 2016. I do not see Rudy running for President in 2012, but in 2016, if Obama gets reelected, Rudy would absolutely be a viable choice. The only person that could have stopped Rudy was John McCain, and that will not be an issue any more.

Instead Rudy decided to do what he did almost a decade earlier, bow out and endorse Rick Lazio. I have nothing against Rick Lazio, but the guy is not exactly inspiring. This is a gubernatorial election gift wrapped for Republicans, and the perception of Lazio is that he is too nice a guy to win.

So what is Rudy going to be doing?

His security firm will be providing security to Rio De Janeiro for the 2016 Olympics.

This makes sense for several reasons, even if I do not like it.

For one, New York is a mess. Rudy has a golden reputation more golden than the Rudy who played at Notre Dame. We know what has happened to Notre Dame since. By not risking failure, Rudy keeps alive his earned image of success at the city level. If anyone can turn around New York State, he can, but maybe even the man who saved Gotham City is overmatched on this one.

Another reason is that maybe he just does not want the job. Rudy loves a good battle, but Albany Democrats make Manhattan Democrats seem almost reasonable. If Rudy cannot get tax cuts through, his agenda would be stalled. Rudy only likes to do a job if he can be effective. New York might be too dysfunctional for him.

Another reason is that he will make a truckload of money as a private citizen. His consulting firm is going to earn him fabulous wealth. Sarah Palin is earning wealth on her book tour, but Rudy’s book has been out several years now. The speaking circuit is always there, but Rudy is a security guy through and through. Unlike Al Gore, Rudy will earn his money by offering real knowledge rather than discredited idiocy and fraud.

(I throw in lines like that so that liberals can go apespit blathering about what they think I meant, despite that I left the line deliberately vague. Now they can go vent without knowing exactly what I meant. Al Gore is a fraud though, while Rudy has actual accomplishments.)

As the world gets closer to 2016, clips of Rudy handling in business with Rio De Janeiro will be contrasted with Barack Obama, who failed to get the Olympics for Chicago. Make no mistake about it, the media will find a story in anything and this can be made into something. If Rudy can do all of his consulting work by 2014, and turn over the business to his successor, he will be fine.

This matters to me because Rudy Giuliani should be president. America needs leadership, and Rudy Giuliani is one of the all time great leaders. The Mullahs in Iran hate him with a ferocity matched only by how little they are concerned with the current White House occupant.

While Rudy was making his announcement in New York, another major political announcement was made in Alabama.

While congressional liberals in the least transparent administration in history are trying to pass a bad bill in the dead of night or morning as we approach Christmas, one Alabama congressman has had enough.

Democrat Parker Griffith has decided to switch parties and become a Republican.

Now in the liberal media world where they wear Eau D’Obama Anus perfume, liberals are always principled while Republicans are evil and calculating. Liberals are bipartisan while conservatives are divisive. So naturally there must be sinister motives for this switch that would not be covered ad nauseum had a Republican tried to become a Democrat. Republicans who move left are referred to as “growing.”

Sure it is highly possible that Mr. Griffith saw the handwriting on the wall for 2010 and is engaging in a desperate move to save his job. That would not make him any more gutless than any other member of congress.

Yet it is also highly possible that this man has become so disgusted with what his party has become under the current leadership that he felt that Republicans better represent Alabama values.

(This is where leftist elitist snobs take a break from sniffing their own backsides to make a harsh remark about trailer parks and Walmarts.)

Mr. Griffith sees what is happening to Ben Nelson in Nebraska. He sees the corruption, and refuses to bow down before the leftist kings. For those who think that Obama or the Pelosiraptor care one bit if some politicians in despised “Middle America,” lose their jobs, they care even less than the currently unemployed people all over this country. Otherwise they would not be focusing on health care to begin with until the economy recovers.

Mr. Griffith does not like the direction this country is going, and he decided to take a stand. The smear campaign against him will begin because unlike the “principled” Arlen Specter, Mr. Griffith went the wrong way. Others may follow.

So while Nebraska and Louisiana conduct “business as usual,” one Republican in New York and one new Republican in Alabama looked deep inside themselves and did what they thought was right.

eric

Posted in POLITICS | 2 Comments »

Climatological Thuggery

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

While cap and trade appears to be collapsing, the health care debate is inching forward. Yet the environmental thuggery that is going on is worse than what is going on with health care. Obamacare is simply a bad prescription. Yet if it passes over my objections, it will be because enough people voted for it. I still suspect if will fail.

Yet those that want to enforce cap and trade are simply thugs.

I have repeatedly stated that I not an expert in climate. I am a finance guy. I totally concede that meteorologists and climatologists know more than me.

Yet I am not an imbecile. I am capable of rational thought. My rational thoughts tell me that when somebody labels me an imbecile for asking questions, then my questions are legitimate.

I am somebody that likes to see hard evidence. I know that 9/11 happened. I saw the planes fly into the towers. This did happen.

(Some people question this event, claiming that images can be manipulated. There are also people that claimed that the landing on the Moon was fake. These events did happen.)

The idea of the planet falling apart is something that we are told “could” happen, but it has not happened yet. Now the argument that we should not wait until it does is a sensible one, but only if the environmental apocalypse truly is coming.

Some say that if we take measures, and nothing happens, that this is fine, no harm done. This is only true if crippling the American economy is not seen as harmful. Most Americans are not wiling to destroy our economy based on speculation. Americans have and will sacrifice for a necessary cause. We did this during World War II and many other times.

All I ask is that I be given hard evidence that a climatological problem exists.

In the 1970s it was global cooling, and we prepared for an ice age. Leftists point out that now our technology is better.

Then it became global warming.

Now it is climate change.

Has anybody ever heard of climate status quo?

If it is 68 degrees today, and either 67.99999 or 68.00001 the next day, that is change.

I was never a climate change denier. I am a climate change skeptic. There is a big difference between being an atheist and an agnostic.

Ironically, many people who criticize organized religion believe in environmentalism with the zeal and ferocity of any televangelist or funny dressed fellow trying to sell me incense at the airport.

The issue is not the science. The issue is the behavior of the scientists.

It is pure thuggery to try and blackball dissenting scientists. It is borderline criminal to try and prevent alternative opinions from being published in academic journals.

So no matter how many times a pompous gasbag like Al Gore says things like, “everybody knows,” “it’s beyond dispute,” “it’s decided and settled,” no it is not.

Some will say that just because the supporters of climate change used, ironically enough, scorched Earth tactics, that does not invalidate the science.

That is a trick way of phrasing it. The science still could be true. Yet it could be false. So while the science is not automatically invalidated, it absolutely is called into question.

Even I can understand that if the people presenting the numbers “fudged” the numbers, then their entire mathematical models are suspect.

If NASA makes this mistake, a mission into space ends up in people dying. Because nothing catastrophic has come out of this climatological scenario, the thugs keep plugging away.

It is not remotely acceptable to use bullying and intimidation to try and quash discussion. There is no difference between the climate change scientists and the Tiennamen Square crackdown. Crushing dissent is crushing dissent.

So what do those supporting the theories do? They simply get personal.

I question them, so I am an idiot that cannot possibly see something that is so incredibly obvious even to the dumbest people on Earth.

Why? Because they say so.

I don’t care how many fancy degrees a person has. If you can’t break down for me why your theories are right, then the problem is your ability to explain it, not my ability to grasp it. If you can’t refute your opposition, then your opposition is just as valid.

Calling people names and trying to destroy their careers is not advancing a valid argument. When government dictatorships want to stifle dissent, they simply kill everybody.

In this case, people have their careers killed and reputations smeared.

This is not about a theory. This is about using logical reasoning instead of societal Jihad against those offering other points of view.

This issue is not settled or decided, no matter how early and often the supporting scientists try to terrorize opponents.

I am not a tinfoil hat wearing member of the Flat Earth Society.

I am a clear thinking individual that can process information.

Al Gore can scream at the top of his lungs like the village idiot in the town square, but it does not make him right.

He can claim that he is doing this because of his noble heart and not because he makes millions if the legislation is passed. How dare we question his motives.

He and the rest of the hippie baby boomers that said that we should question authority and not blindly trust government should have the guts to face us when they become the authority and we are questioning them.

He and his supporters can invoke the Holocaust, because when leftist imbeciles are losing an argument, calling something a Holocaust is trendy among those that think that some temperature issues compare to burning flesh.

Before another aspect of my life gets regulated, I am going to make d@mn sure it is for something that truly will be necessary to save the world.

That is why soldiers join our military. 9/11 did happen.

Perhaps the climatologists supporting this warming theory are the same ones that think that 9/11 was an inside job because of issues of fire melting steel. Maybe they are the same lunatics.

However, I will not advance that theory because I have no evidence to support it.

I guess that makes me unqualified to be a climatologist that gets published in an academic journal.

eric

Posted in POLITICS | 17 Comments »

THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

Archive for December, 2009

My 2010 State of the Blog Address

The Top 10 Significant Moments of the Decade

A Mormon Question

The Christian Jewish Question

NFL 2009–Week 16 Recap

The Top 10 2009 PBWGs

The Jewish Christmas Question

YRs in Simi Valley–Carrie Prejean

Political Earthquakes from New York to Alabama

Climatological Thuggery

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