No-brainers that made it: Bruce Smith, Rod Woodson, Randall McDaniel.

Who made it instead:

Ralph Wilson Jr – Bills owner, AFL founder. Deserving

Derrick Thomas – on my 50/50 list. Was a pure pass rusher, didn't EVER drop into coverage. I thought his one dimensional approach would hurt him. Instead the voters relied on the fact that he was the best ever at what he does and that he changed games.

Bob Hayes – he was my special case. Fame wins. He's in.

Those that didn't:

Shannon Sharpe: anti-TE bias wins out again. Sharpe is the best TE NOT in the Hall and as good as any of those that ARE in.

Chris Carter: Inexplicable.

Andre Reed: Not a HUGE surprised, especially since Carter didn't make it. Reed was 6^th on my list. Tasker might have been a better component on those 4 SB teams.

No Brainers:  Bruce Smith, Rod Woodson,Randall McDaniel, Shannon Sharpe, Chris Carter, Andre Reed

Maybe next time:  John Randle

50/50: Derrick Thomas, Dermontti Dawson

Not Really: Cortez Kennedy, Richard Dent, Claude Humphrey, Bob Kuechenburg, Russ Grimm

Special Case: Bob Hayes.   It IS a Hall of "Fame" and Hayes WAS famous. And I'm not just talking about the drug busts.  Worlds fasterst man and all that.  So normally I'd put him in the "not really" catagory but he probably belongs in the 50/50 slot. 

Last night's House vote on the Obama-Pelosi-Reed Multigenerational Theft Act.  Only Donks voted for it. Every Elph and 11 Donks (thankyouthankyouthankyou) voted against it.  Time will tell what the Senate will do.  But at LAST we have the much-ballyhoo'd bipartisanship that Obama andthe media have been talking about.  Stong, principled bipartisan opposition to the boondoggle that is the "stimulus" package.

On a related note - hafta love Nancy Pelosi for telling the new Prexy "I didn't come to Washington to be bi-partisan, I came to represent my consituants!"

 Y'all keep on bein' patriotic, y'hear?

For years that's what we've heard from the left.  But the tune seems to be chaning.  And I of course want to get along so I'll change my tune as well.  I'll take my lead from those  on the left as suggested by Big Hollywood

1. I support him as much as Code Pink supports our troops.
2. I support him as much as N.O.W. supports Ayaan Hirsi Ali.
3. I support him as much as the Hollywood community supported Theo Van Gogh.
4. I support him as much as Nancy Pelosi supports her Church’s teachings on life.
5. I support him as much as Al Gore supports cutting down on his personal carbon footprint to save the world.
6. I support him as much as John Edwards supports The National Enquirer’s right to publish pictures of his girlfriend and baby.
7. I support him as much as Western gay rights groups support Mehdi Kazemi.
8. I support him as much as the Castro brothers support Oscar Biscet’s right to free speech.
9. I support him as much as Ted Kennedy supports renewable wind energy off the coast of his summer mansion.
10. I support him as much as Bill Clinton supports Hillary’s ambitions for higher office.
11. I support him as much as the National Education Association supports the rights of students and parents to get a quality education over the security of a teacher’s job.
12. I support him just as much as he supports the right of a baby who survives an abortion to not spend its only living moments waiting to die in a storage room.

I hope that clears everything up. Now could someone please tell what time the oceans are going to start receding because I’d really hate to miss that one.

I'll be updating this one regularly.  A few observations

Paper is giving him a "kept" on this one: No. 125: Direct military leaders to end war in Iraq.  As Orwell said, the qucikest way to end awar is to loose it.  This order is a disaster for the country if executed immediately.  Which it won't be.  There's a difference between ending the war and ordering someone else to end the war.

Along the same vein, Gitmo has NOT been closed.  I asked a dear liberal friend of mine yesterday: "Is Gitmo still open?  Are there still prisoners there?"  Obviously the answer was yes.  If it's open, then it hasn't been closed.  And it won't be.  Although the French (and John Murtha) have both volunteered to take some of the captives.  The nice ones.

Another writer I enjoy posts an annual review of "where he watched the Super Bowl" growing up. I know I've only missed one, but sadly I can't remember where I watched each of them. Here then are those I recall:

1
2
3
4 Chiefs v Vikings - My father's boyhood home on the Middle Pike where we lived for half a dozen years. TV was in the "sitting room.. Watched the Heidi Bowl in this house too, but the TV had been moved to the front room by then
5 Colts vs Cowboys - My Aunt Margaret and Uncle George's house, on Park Avenue in London. Sounds fancy, right? That's London, Ohio. Plush deep red carpet in the good room. Cornish game hen for dinner.

6

7 Dolphins vs Redskins, My maternal grandparents house on the Glade. Christmas tree was still up. Was only January 14! Garo The Tie Maker's pass attempt. Undefeated Dolphins

8

9
10
11
12
13 Steelers / Cowboys Stambaugh Hall @ Ohio Northen University. With Suzy Croft. She was a Steelers fan, but I liked her anyway. Jackie Smith's drop in the end zone

14
15 Eagles vs Raiders. ONU law library. Studying for exams
16 49ers vs Bengals My mobile home in Ada OH. Roommate was ONU TE Jim Percival...he and his eventual wife had fixed me up with Monica Miklos, and we had bbq rabbit in a crock pot!
17 Missed it. Studying for the bar. ONLY one I've missed. Passed the bar.
18 Raiders vs Redskins. Marcia Minnich's in Marion. TV in the back room. Marcus Allen's big cutback run.
19
20 Patriots vs Bears. Watched in a house on Godown road with Lisa Sharf. The Fridge!

21
22 Redskins vs Broncos. Alone in the room I rented on Annadale from Chuck. It was NOT a good time in my life. Or for the Broncos.

23 49ers vs Bengals again. At Mac's Cafe, after I got off work at the Short North Tavern across the street. Weren't half a dozen people there.

24  Short North Tavern.  Behind the bar.  Virtually empty.
25 Bills vs Giants. House on Westmont in Upper Arlington. Lived with Finn and Verno. Wide right.

26
27 Cowboys vs Bills.  With George & Trudy on Glenmawr.
28 Cowboys vs Bills. My first with D, on Ardmore.  She painted The Boy's face, a Dallas Star on one check and the Buffalo logo on the other. 

29 49ers/Chargers - George and Trudy's on Glenmawr. For some reason they went great guns for this one - bought hats and t shirts - the works.
30 Cowboys/Steelers.  G & T's again.  Brown's ints!
31  Packers vs Pats.  G&T's.  SOB from that school up north is the MVP
32
33
34
35 Ravens/Giants. Brommers, but this time on Noe Bixby.

36.  Patriots/Rams.  Was doing "Arthur and the Magic Sword" @ CCT, had the game on in the dressing room.  Scott Willis, Don Roberts and I kept track, giving each other updates between scenes.

37 Bucs/Raiders. Brommers, Noe Bixby. Sara and Corey were in Ohio, Brommers were in New York

38 Pats and Panthers. Back to the Brommers with my spot in the middle of the couch.

39.  Patriots/Eagles.  George and Trudy have moved to Hilliard, but a GREAT TV and I got a good seat.  Evderybody else stays in the other room, drinking wine.

40 Steelers/Seahawks. I was playing the father in Little Women at CCT. Missed the first half due to a performance. Nobody wanted to join me so I walked over to the little club across from the theater. Good crowd but too many Steelers fans. And no, he didn't cross the goal line.

41 Colts/Bears. George & Trudy's in Hilliard. Took spin dip from Ciao.
42 Giants/Pats Back to the Brommers, this time in front of the fancy BIG SCREEN, which Uncle Ralph won't watch because he knows Dick Chaney is watching back.

TV's Andy Levy has some GREAT advice for those on the right over at one of my new favorite sites, Big Hollywood ....

DON’T question the motives - question the policy. When you disagree with Obama’s policies, say so, and make it clear why. But remember that President Obama is doing what he thinks is best for the country, as President Bush did. Both men love America and want what’s best for her. End of story.

DON’T make it personal. We don’t need another Derangement Syndrome. We don’t need people doing things like emphasizing Obama’s middle name in a derogatory fashion. How anyone would think that’s beneficial to their cause, or to the country as a whole, is beyond me. Also, it’s not even clever. Neither are smushwords like BusHitler, or sillywords like Rethuglicans and Dhimmicrats.

DON’T cozy up to and champion foreign dictators and despots. Sean Penn is an ass. No reason to be like him. ‘Nuff said. (Corollary: Don’t cozy up to and champion foreign dictators and despots and then act outraged when people question your patriotism.)

DON’T pretend you’re being brave when you criticize your government. Not while people in other countries actually, y’know, DIE, when they do that.

DON’T use the word “divisive.” At this point, all that word means is “You disagree with me,” and the English language gets mangled enough these days.

DON’T use the phrase “speaking truth to power.” EVER.

DON’T move to Canada.

DON’T say you’re going to move to Canada and then stay here. (I know it’s too late for Stephen Baldwin, but not for the rest of you.)

DON’T apologize to foreigners and say things to them like, “I didn’t vote for Obama,” or “He’s not MY president.”

DON’T say or do everything in your power to drive this country apart and then claim you want unity when it’s your guy in power. This is like the convicted felon who conveniently finds God when he’s up for parole.

DON’T call people un-American one week, and then talk about how “We are not blue states or red states, we are the United States” the next. (This rule may only apply to Tom Hanks, but I put it in just to be safe.)

DON’T automatically think people who disagree with you are stupid or evil. Some of them are, of course. But most of them aren’t, and you might actually learn something if you listen to them.

And finally, DON’T use the fact that many on the left behaved abominably for the past eight years as an excuse to behave the same way. America needs adults. And if it bothered you when they did it, it’s a good sign that you shouldn’t do it.

 The good folks at the St. Peteresburg Times have set up an Obameter to track the over 500 campaign promises The One made prior to taking the oath of office earlier today. Here's how the list was assembled anbd here's the complete list So far he's kept two which is really pretty good, even if they were easy ones. Here's the ones I'll be keeping my eye on, either because they were what the Left was screaming for, it was silly or downright wrong.

1. Raise taxes on the rich (1, 2, 11, 12, 14, 17, 38, 39, 41, 42)

2. Close Gitmo (177)

3. 5 million green jobs (439)

4. “Transparency” (231, 234, 235, 237, 238)

5. Lower sea level (not on their list but sure made mine!)

6. End use of torture (175)

7. End use of extreme rendition (176)

 and I'll to add a few more in the coming days ... but so far we're about 12 hours in and NONE of these have happened.

here are my three additions, added 1/25.....

8.  No lobbyist influence in government.  #240.  The paper calls this one a "compromise."  IMHO it's like being kind of pregnant.  Either there ARE lobbyists in your administration or there aren't.  There are.  Promise broken

9.  Release medical records and college transcript, just like every other prsident has.  Not a promise but something that should be done.  It makes the list for the same reason #5 does.

10.  TBA.

Here’s the problem: I play on two poker sites (ujogo.com and clubcgn.com.)  These sites offer daily tourneys with prizes ranging from $10-$25 in poker accessories or Amazon cards to $50 in cash.  They also have a weekly game with a prize of $500/150/50.  In the last month I’ve hit for $25 in poker supplies twice, $50 in cash once and took 2^nd in the biggie once.  Not bad for 30 days of amateur play.  But I’ve been SECOND in the $50 game over half a dozen times!!!!!

That’s not good.  Second place is just the first loser.  Now I KNOW my heads up game is weak but that’s just crazy.  I THINK I’ve hit on an answer.  After looking back at the last 6 tourneys I find that I’m playing a tad conservative just to MAKE it to heads up.  My opponent usually has take out #3 and I find myself at a 3-1 or worse disadvantage.  Solution – when it gets down to about 4-5 get more aggressive.  If my assessment is correct I should finish second LESS often but first MORE often. 

Remind me.