The Clinton administration launched an attack on people in Texas because those people were religious nuts with guns. Hell, this country was founded by religious nuts with guns. -- P. J. O'Rourke
I watched the Buffalo v Pittsburgh game last night. It was truly an exciting game and I was pulling for the Bills to win. I saw Steve Johnson drop that beautiful pass in the end zone and figured, "That's it." And it was.
I then watched Mr. Johnson at the post game interview and thought he handled it pretty well, accepting fault for a perfectly thrown ball that should have been caught.
Steve Johnson, Buffalo Bills wideout, blames God on Twitter after dropping game-winning pass
It wasn't his own hands or the Pittsburgh secondary Sunday that foiled Buffalo Bills wide receiver Steve Johnson from hauling in what should have been the game-winning TD catch in the end zone.
It was God.
"I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!!" the 24-year-old tweeted from his iPad at around 5:15 Sunday after the Steelers' 19-16 overtime victory. "AND THIS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO..."
Johnson had a perfect pass in his hands that would have given his team an overtime victory over the heavily favored Steelers.
Instead of walking off the field the hero, however, he dropped it.
I believe the Creator and Master of the Universe doesn't need a tweet to understand the immaturity of some people. God demands obedience over sacrifice or praise (1 Sam 15:22).
So relax Steve, God does indeed expect you to learn from this. It may just take some time for the lesson to sink in...
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Our cousins on the other side of the Atlantic are upping their game and bringing the pain in a land that God has allowed to be cursed with the ravages of Islam. From the UK Mirror:
British troops take out 271 Taliban in six-day blitz
Nineteen Taliban commanders and 252 fighters were killed or captured as British troops launched a bloody assault.
Four enemy leaders masterminding a deadly explosives campaign against our forces in Afghanistan's Helmand battleground were among the dead in the six-day blitz, ending last Sunday.
And British soldiers helped capture a senior Taliban warlord who was acting as a "shadow governor" in the flashpoint province.
Generals say the offensive across Afghanistan has left many insurgents stranded without leaders and supplies. It came after 387 enemy commanders were killed or captured in previous three months, according to Nato.
It's like playing Whack-A-Mole at the state fair, except it seems like they'll never run out of moles. No problem. We have lots of mole whacking munitions and men who enjoy the sport.
The race for New York's 25th Congressional District is nearing the finish line. The counting of absentee ballots is almost over and Anne Marie Buerkle's camp says her lead is now insurmountable.
Syracuse, NY -- U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei did not pick up enough votes from Onondaga County absentee voters to reach his challenger, Republican Ann Marie Buerkle, according to results from the Onondaga County Board of Elections.
After all of Onondaga County's absentee ballots were opened, Buerkle was still ahead across four counties by a count of 103,483 to 103,224.
In Onondaga County, 3,580 absentee voters chose Maffei and 3,015 chose Buerkle.
There are still about 1,400 unopened absentee ballots in Wayne County and about 60 unopened ballots that have been challenged by the campaigns in Cayuga and Monroe counties.
Maffei is almost toast. Wait a bit for the recounts and challenges to subside. In the meantime, Take the strawberry preserves out of the fridge, get a knife out of the silverware drawer while I clear off the counter. This is gonna be tasty.
The New York State liquor distributors have refused to sell an alcoholic beverage which apparently targets young people. One can of Four Loco has the same alcohol content as four cans of beer.
New York's largest beer distributors agreed late last night to stop selling caffeinated alcoholic drinks that come in tall, colorful cans and to purge their inventory of the products, the state's Liquor Authority said.
Details of an undercover sting intended to determine whether the fruit-flavored concoctions were being sold to minors were also expected to be announced today.
New York's liquor regulators said that they had determined there was insufficient evidence to show that the products were safe.
[...]The popular drinks, which can have up to four times as much alcohol as four beers and have cartoon-worthy names like Four Loko, have been banned in Washington, Michigan, Utah and Oklahoma.
College students have been hospitalized after drinking the beverages, including in New Jersey, where one school banned them on campus.
The company that makes Four Loko, Phusion Project, didn't respond to an e-mail Saturday requesting comment about the deal. On its website, the company said it doesn't "agree with the notion that mixing caffeine and alcohol is inherently unsafe."
•Death: 1,825 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle crashes (Hingson et al., 2009).
•Injury: 599,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are unintentionally injured under the influence of alcohol (Hingson et al., 2009).
•Assault: 696,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking (Hingson et al., 2009).
•Sexual Abuse: 97,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape (Hingson et al., 2009).
When you strike at a king, you must kill him - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Yesterday we read about the incohesive, nearly incoherent ramblings of President Obama during his 60 Minutes interview with Steve Kroft. These out takes reveal a man who is lost without a script. For bonus points I threw in a site that reports some rumors circulating around DC regarding scenarios for the replacement of Obama - a coup in other words.
Think of it. A freakin' coup in 21st Century America.
Now I am reading what Rush Limbaugh has to say about the events of the past week since Election Day. Mr. Limbaugh does not come out and say that the Dems are sharpening their knives, but he doesn't say they are not. See for yourself.
Look at what's just happened here. This is the biggest drubbing since the thirties, the biggest drubbing. This is not insignificant. I think the House leadership, the Democrat leadership in the Senate, I think this narrative to keep that leadership in both houses the same is an attempt to cover up something that is far worse. I think this party knows that it is in far greater trouble in the White House and on down than they want to admit. And I think there are members of the media covering the White House who know it. I think that deep in the bowels of the Democrat Party they realize, some people realize that Obama is an utter disaster and that they're going to have to do something about it. And I think this Politico story, "Obama Isolated Ahead of 2012," is made to look like a hit piece on Obama. I don't think it's a hit piece on Obama per se. I think it is the beginning of sort of setting the table for what might happen, set the foundation for what might happen as the months ahead unfold. [emphasis mine ~sig94]
If nothing else I trust Rush's instincts. His nose is up in the air and he thinks he has caught a scent of ... something.
[...]The Democrats making it clear here that they're going to stick with the same leadership team is an effort I believe to cover up what is really going on behind the scenes and that is a total shakeup some way to limit the damage of Obama going forward into 2012. Folks, I wish that I could tie this to something substantive that I know, 'cause there isn't anything. Common sense. This kind of drubbing is not reacted to in such a cavalier manner as they are reacting to this. You don't send the president out of the country for ten days after such a drubbing unless you want him offstage domestically. [emphasis mine~sig94]
One of the rumors deals with dems planning to declare the President incapable of discharging his duties and replacing him with the Vice President as per Section 4 of the 25th Amendment of the Constitution. It reads in part:
Section 4. Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.
The real fun begins when the President contests this action. Basically, the matter is then decided by Congress. If this drags on past mid-January, the Republicans will be in charge of Congress. Rush continues:
[...]I've always trusted my instincts, particularly in matters political. But it just strains credulity for me to believe the Democrats think nothing's wrong here except messaging, that all they need is to go talk to George Lakoff and come up with a different way of presenting their case. They know full well why they got trounced. Now, they're not gonna admit it. They're obviously gonna come up with, "Yeah, bad marketing, bad packaging, bad messaging," but there has never been this huge a personal repudiation of a president in just two years, especially one who was messianic, he has fallen from heavenly heights.
Rush refers to a Politico story that he thinks was planted by democratic insiders. It is not complementary.
President Barack Obama has performed his act of contrition. Now comes the hard part, according to Democrats around the country: reckoning with the simple fact that he’s isolated himself from virtually every group that matters in American politics.
Congressional Democrats consider him distant and blame him for their historic defeat on Tuesday. Democratic state party leaders scoff at what they see as an inattentive and hapless political operation. Democratic lobbyists feel maligned by his holier-than-thou take on their profession. His own Cabinet — with only a few exceptions — has been marginalized.
And that's about as kind as it gets. The Politico story is a recitation of the slights and insults Obama has inflicted on his fellow Democrats. And they are multitudinous. It's almost as if Obama was deliberately seeking to alienate himself from his supporters. And if that's the case, what is he up to? Can it all be explained by a supremely arrogant, overachieving communist who cares not a whit if he gets re-elected as long as he trashes America?
Again, Rush thinks this is all a set up; there is movement afoot in the highest Democratic Party circles. I am no political prognosticator by any means, but Obama's trip to the Middle East at this time could be an attempt by the herd to isolate itself from what is perceived as a threat. Do wildebeests do this? Rush continues:
This Politico story shows there is something bubbling up way below the surface and it's getting closer and closer to reaching the surface -- and if it does, I think people are gonna be shocked and stunned at what might happen. Listen to this again: "[A]nd in his icy relations with Republicans, the media, and most important most voters, and it's easy to understand why his own staff leaked word to Politico that it wants Obama to shake up his staff and change his political approach." Icy relations? Let me tell you something: His own staff leaked word to Politico that "it" wants Obama to shake up his staff? That means they're making efforts behind the scenes to get Obama to shake up his staff, and he is rejecting it, and so they're going the route of the media.
[...]Boy, how times change, folks. I mean just a few weeks ago it was Obama looking around for asses to kick, and now it's his ass being kicked by unnamed Democrats in The Politico. Somebody needs to tell whoever leaked this all to the Politico that Obama's 9,000 miles away in India. If you want to make a change now's the perfect time. He's 9,000 miles away. If you think the adults need to step up here, this is the perfect time to do it. Change the lock on the Oval Office or worse.
From Fox News, the top ten quotes from Obama's 60 Minutes interview with Steve Kroft.
10. “…one of the things that I think is important for people to remember is that, you know, this country doesn't just agree with The New York Times editorial page.”
9. "We have a long tradition in this country of a desire for limited government, the suspicion of the federal government, of a concern that government spends too much money. You know? I mean, that's as American as apple pie. And although, you know, there's a new label to this, I mean those sentiments are ones that a lot of people support and give voice to. Including a lot of Democrats.”
8. “I think the Republicans were able to paint my governing philosophy as a classic, traditional, big government liberal. And that's not something that the American people want….I think the Republicans were successful in creating a picture of the Obama Administration as one that was contrary to those commonsense, Main Street values about the size of government. And so, it I think it is fair to say that, you know, the American people don't want to see some massive expansion of government.”
7. “I do get discouraged, I mean, there are times where you think, "Dog-gone-it you know, the job numbers aren't movin' as fast as I want." And you know, I thought that the economy would have gotten better by now. You know, one of the things I think you understand -- as president you're held responsible for everything. But you don't always have control of everything. Right? And especially an economy this big, there are limited tools to encourage the kind of job growth that we need.”
6. “I think a lot of businesses still don't know what the economy is doing. They don't know, are consumers gonna start buyin' again? You know, are we gonna start getting the virtuous cycle, where because businesses start hiring, the people who get hired start shoppin', which means other businesses are hirin', and everybody starts feelin' better about the economy. There's still a lotta uncertain data out there. And we're still workin' through some big problems of the economy.”
5. “One of the things that we got in trouble with -- and this is an example of, 'are there some things you'd do differently' -- we made an estimation that unemployment would peak at eight percent when we were still at the beginning of the crisis… Well, it wasn't because The Recovery Act didn't work; it's because the modeling, in terms of what to expect where unemployment would go to, turned out to be wrong. So, you know, I don't wanna pretend like I've got a crystal ball.”
4. “I don't think I was naïve. I just think that these things are hard to do. You know, this is a big country.”
3. “…there are more efficient ways to recirculate dollars out there and get people to spend. I mean unemployment insurance, most economists will tell you, is probably the single most important thing we can do to improve the economy.”
2. “We still we've got a couple of trillion dollars worth of infrastructure improvements that need to be made around the country.”
1.“…when you're campaigning, I think you're liberated to say things without thinking about, "Okay, how am I gonna actually practically implement this."
The economy is big and scary.
The Recovery Act worked, the model didn't.
The answer to a sluggish economy is to get everyone on unemployment insurance.
America is big and scary.
We need to piss away more money that we don't have to create temporary, high paying union jobs.
When I'm campaigning I don't have to tell the truth.
This is not a President, nor is it a Senator or a Representative or even a member of the Rotarians. It is an incompetent, whiny kindergarten teacher who is completely nonplussed by a few unruly five year olds.
Want to loose some more sleep? Read this collection from one of the DC rumor mills.
Obama is out of control, chain-smoking and on anti-anxiety meds.
There is such distrust and disarray in the WH that the Country is now being run by Michelle Obama, presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett, and the president's mother-in-law, Marian Robinson.
Top Democrats are considering invoking Article 25, Section 4 of the Constitution to forcibly remove Obama from office.
Former CIA officials are "assembling a dossier of documents on Obama's past, including his education, passport, travel, and residency records." These documents will be used to provoke Obama into an irrational response which will then enable Article 25 proceeding to begin.
I still have nightmares from my first extraction; I was a poverty-striken graduate student and a filling gone bad was giving me plenty of grief During this period of my life I had several part time jobs, one of which was at a gas station. When the owner heard of my desperate plight, he told me that his daughter worked as a receptionist for a local dentist, Dr. Phineas Mendlesohn. As Merv (his name was Mervin) had more fingers than teeth, I should have known better than to accept his recommendation, but, pressed by pain, I made an emergency appointment.
I drove my 1962 Chevy Nova convertible as fast as I could to the small professional center where my oral savior awaited.
Upon entering the office I noticed that the waiting room was empty. A small, closed coffin surrounded by candles was in one corner and the coat rack held nothing but pointy hats and long, heavily stained black robes. The reception desk was situated in the midst of an ornate, inlaid ceramic pentagon. The room's only light came from the coffin display and a half dozen or so candle sconces mounted on the walls. They were crafted apparently from ram's horns.
Merv's daughter was a very attractive, well-endowed blonde who quickly urged me into the the examination room. As I settled into the worn leather chair, I wondered at the sturdy five point harnass that she secured around my waist, neck and chest. Distracted by her considerable physical attributes (I was a young, lusty buck), I failed to notice the long, bloody scratches in the arm rests until too late. But before I could question her about it - she was gone. I then made another unpleasant discovery; I could not move from the chair.
Suddenly the door burst open and Dr. Mendlesohn appeared. The only way I could place him as a dentist was the reflector on his forehead and glistening bands of retainers strung around his neck and biceps. He was naked save for a black leather banana sling and he reeked of sulphur. As I recollect these distant events, I realize now that Dr. Mendlsohn bore a strong resemblance to Barney Frank. His dental asssistant, a tall, sternly visaged matron with "Fannie" printed on her breast name plate, was clad entirely in a heavily starched, white nurse's uniform.
The last words I heard were spoken in a heavy lisp, "Fannie, May I please have the needle?"
What followed was beyond description. I will spare you, Gentle Reader, from the horror of these long-repressed deprivations.
But, lo, as I fast forward these many years, I find myself once again confronted with the consequences of inadequate dental hygiene. Despite flossing and brushing and biannual cleanings, another extraction is scheduled for next week. The pain is not as excruciating as it was nearly forty years ago, but I will not wait for it to progress. To prepare myself for this procedure, I have borrowed from the Stones.
Out of my gum The tooth who once ... had me down Out of my gum The tooth who thought ... he'd get a crown
You're hurting me The difference is in the Novacaine Can't you see? I'll soon be numb You're outta my gum
Aint it the truth tooth?
Out of my gum The tooth who's full ... of decay Out of my gum Two more shots and... you're on your way
Can't feel my lips ... no I can't I just bit my tongue and I feel nothing Can't you see? I'm now all numb You're outta my gum
Anne Marie Buerkle is now winning the 25th Congressional District race in NY. Better late than never, voters in Wayne County went for her in a big way. Now, for every vote Maffei gets, Anne Marie gets two. She is leading by almost 700 votes (99,594 to 98, 935).
Now start counting the absentee ballots, mostly people serving in the armed forces, and it looks like she is going to Congress.
On my local side of the election, the Republican candidate for the 25th Congressional District, Anna Marie Buerkle, is slightly ahead (500 votes) of Democratic incumbent Daniel Maffei. Our polls closed at 9 PM so returns are limited.
A little bio on Ms. Buerkle who is endorsed by the Tea Party:
Buerkle is running as a fiscal conservative, arguing that the federal government "should have a limited role in our life." She wants lower taxes and reduced regulations for the private sector and to get "the government out of the role of creating jobs."
After losing an election for an at-large seat on the Syracuse Common Council, she was appointed to fill a vacancy in 1994. She became an assistant New York state attorney general in 1997, representing the state on behalf of Upstate Medical University in Syracuse.
She's hoping an endorsement from Sarah Palin will bring in much-needed contributions and an Independence Party endorsement will draw votes.
Buerkle has not ruled out backing a proposal to privatize Social Security, and said she'll push to repeal the March 2010 health care overhaul. She wants competition across state lines for medical insurance to keep a lid on costs.
Maffei worked as a senior staffer for Rep. Charlie Rangel for seven years before winning the 25th seat when long time Republican Jim Walsh retired from Congress. He has been in office for only two years. Perhaps it will be only two years. His accomplishments?
Maffei is emphasizing pocketbook issues as voters' main concern and avoiding references to the health care reform, which he backed. He has proposed legislation to provide incentives to companies to keep jobs in the United States.
Maffei voted in favor of the 2009 $862 billion economic stimulus bill.
He has chosen to stay silent on President Barack Obama's statements regarding Muslims' right to build a mosque near ground zero.
Maffei speaks with pride about his role in bringing jobs to the 25th District. In July, he secured an $8.5 million grant for a new bus depot in Syracuse.
It sounds more like Danny was ducking and dodging rather than campaigning. I know he restricted his town hall meetings to "invitation only" in order to avoid screaming mad voters. But thanks a million 'cause, hey, that new bus thingie will really rock. And unfortunately it looks like Rangle will have no problem getting re-elected.
UPDATE: It is now 11:05 PM, so an hour later her lead grew by almost 3,000.
UPDATE: 11:45 - Rats! - Buerkle is now down by 5,000 votes, 90,000 to 85,000.
UPDATE: 12:14 AM - she's down by 3,7oo now.
UPDATE: 7:45 PM - she's down by 2,300 and the absentee ballots are still being counted. She still has a good chance to win as these ballots tend to favor Republicans.
Well, her boots are gone from the kitchen again. Soldier Girl was home on final leave before her deployment to Afghanistan. A week ago Sunday she drove up from North Carolina and got home a little after midnight. We were hoping that she could stay the full two weeks but there is so much for her to do that she had to leave this morning. She registered her car in NY (she bought it while stationed in Monterrey) and will leave it with us for her sister, College Girl to use. College girl, the youngest, was also off on fall break so she was home on Thursday for the weekend. She'll drive the car back to school.
When all the girls get together it is constant pandemonium. Laughing and goofing and poking fun at each other. And yes there is wrasslin'. We mocked College Girl's boyfriend and his new "faux mohawk" haircut. I said he looked like Gumby. That was at Saturday's T-giving meal. When he came over Sunday the do was G.O.N.E.
The week went by so fast. During the mid-week Soldier Girl helped Mummsy bake the pies and all the trimmings as we celebrated an early Thanksgiving on Saturday. Mummsy is healing from surgery on her rotator cuff two weeks ago and she is still very sore. Friday night I took charge of the turkey cooking. The next day around noon I had to leave the house for a few hours. Upon my return every window and door in the house was open, my wife and daughters were running around like madmen and I could smell smoke. Apparently the bird had been over basted and the basting juices slopped over when College Girl tried to move the roasting pan. The oven was overdue for a good cleaning anyway but the floor had to be mopped four times before all the grease was off. We were almost two hours over schedule but the bird and everything else was perfect. It was truly one of the most delicious meals we ever had. As I write this, there is about seven quarts of homemade turkey soup now simmering on the stove.
Sunday (yesterday) we visited some relatives after church and had an afternoon deployment party for her at the house. Then after the party, we turned off all the upstairs lights (Halloween - bah!- buy your own candy) ; we all went downstairs to the TV room and just sat together and watched some spooky movies and ate pie.
Then at 1145 this morning Soldier Girl flew back to Ft. Bragg. Mummsy, College Girl and I got boarding passes and stayed until her plane took off. We prayed with her in the gate waiting area. I hate teary goodbyes. She leaves in ten days for Kandahar where the 525 Battlefield Surveillance Brigade is quartered but she doesn't know where her station is. Ultimately she is in God's hands and that's always a good place to be.
