Every point counts Now Playing: Cypher Topic: Politics
On my HS and college track teams I anchored the 4x400 relay team. That's the last event. Which meant the 3-4 times per year the outcome of the meet came down to me with a stick in my hand. I learned a lesson very early in HS. A meet came down to me. Several upperclassmen were giving me crap about not letting the team down. The coach (who'd been a lineman at OSU) called a team meeting in the middle of the meet. He pointed out that our shot putter had fouled on his best throw and finished 2nd. Our #2 pole vaulter made a hinky little technical error and ended up 4th instead of 3rd. These fouls took place 2 ½ hours before the 4x400. Had either of those seniors not screwed up this sophomore would not have the outcome of the meet in his hands.
We won. And not by much. But we learned that EVERY point is the “winning” point in a close meet.
Quote of the .... whatever Now Playing: Jennifer's Body Topic: misc
FROM JOHN HINDERAKER, a series of controversial propositions. Including this one: The French are bad at philosophy, bad at economics, bad at political theory, bad at national security, but excellent at living.
She gets virtually everything wrong here, from what feastday it is, to the kinds of Catholic religious sisters supporting her bastard of a bill.
First off, Nancy, this is not the feastday of “St. Joseph the Worker.” That feast day is May 1, and it is a simple (and optional) memorial. TODAY is the Solemnity of St. Joseph, in his role as the Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Provider and Guardian for the Child Jesus. A solemnity is not an optional feastday, and Pelosi, who was educated by religious sisters and went to a Catholic college, should know that. Her ignorance is almost sublime. “Italian Americans” certainly do honor St. Joseph, but they do not “pray” to him. They ask him to pray for them.
Sands through the hourglass Now Playing: Three Extremes Topic: Politics
As the countdown (or, for the Donks, count UP) continues …. a collection of takes ….
from Pamela Geller comes this from Dr. Jack Wheeler: Valuing the founding American principle that every individual has a moral right to his or her own life, liberty, and the pursuit of their own personal happiness enables a politician to resist the temptation to use power to control other's lives.
It is disregarding that founding principle that provides the path to evil - which we could define as the compulsion to control the lives of others, the willingness to sacrifice the lives and happiness of others in order to achieve your own goals.
And yes, Democrats have a word for this evil. They call it "compassion."
"If the government takes over health care, I will refuse to buy their package, refuse to pay the fine imposed, and make them arrest me. I will broadcast my refusal to cave to socialism on my website, on Facebook, to my students, in my lectures, and on the radio. I will fight this in the courts--or will the DC Fascists suspend the right to trial by jury? I suspect--and hope--that millions of Americans will do the same."
The Gift that Keeps On Giving Now Playing: Rush Topic: Media
Only Good Morning America on Thursday played the cringe-inducing clip of Joe Biden incorrectly asserting that the mother of Ireland's Prime Minister is dead. Speaking at a St. Patrick's Day event, Wednesday, the Vice President ad-libbed, "His mom lived in Long Island for ten years or so. God rest her soul. And- although, she's- wait- your mom's still- your mom's still alive?" [Audio available here.]
If I was the King of College Football Now Playing: Rush Topic: Football
First, we pare down Division I to eight twelve team conferences. Each team will play ten conference games and two out of conference to be scheduled by the school. At the end of the season we get our sixteen team tournament as follows.
Week 1 is the division title game, played wherever the conference sets the game.
Week 2 is a regional game. Conference pairings will remain consistent over time. Pacific will play Mountain, Great Plains will play Great Lakes. In the east Mississippi Valley play SEC while Big East will play ACC. These games will be played at a site selected by the conference which lost the preceding year.
Week 3 is East and West “title” games. Three or four cities on each side of the Mississippi would be selected to host as neutral sites. LA, Dallas, Seattle and Las Vegas all might be valid options. New Orleans, New York, Minneapolis and Atlanta might be suitable eastern locales.
Week four: Championship: Either a fixed site (St. Louis, being somewhat centrally located) or a rotation of four sites.
Big East: Penn State, U Conn, Villanova, Navy, Rutgers, Boston College, Wm & Mary, E Carolina, Richmond, Temple, Syracuse, Maryland
ACC: Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Clemson, North Carolina, Wake Forrest, Virginia, NC State, App State, Duke, Vanderbilt, Elon, East Carolina
SEC: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Auburn, S Carolina, Troy, Central Florida, South Florida, Florida State, Miami-Florida, LSU, La Tech
Taking a page from European soccer, every season the worst four teams drop down and are replaced by the top four teams from I-AA. From the above teams it would mean Maryland, Tulsa, Vanderbilt and Indiana would be dropped and be replaced, in order, by New Hampshire, Idaho, Jacksonville State and Louisville, for example. Might wanna implement a rule that says any team moving up or down must stay up or down for a three year period before they can move again. This should reduce the number of teams jumping each season.
Had a nice little trip to Chicago yesterday marred only by my own inability to stick to a time schedule. Met “The Boy” downtown for a quick breakfast at the 11 City Diner and I gotta put in a plug. I LOVE this place and try to dine there whenever I hafta go to Chicago (a town I really don't care for.)
It's a little on the pricey side (another reason not to like Chicago) but the serving size eases that pain a bit. I went with the TOM WAITS 2A.M. BREAKFAST (2 Eggs 2 Flapjacks 2 Bacon 2 Sausage, House potatoes & Toast) for $12. It's all good, save for the potatoes which were cold and just didn't come close to mom's fried potatoes. THIS Ohio farm boy KNOWS fried potatoes and these weren't it.
The Boy went with a pastrami Reuben on whole wheat. Significant stack o sandwich. Decent fries. Still overpriced at $12 and change. Add in coffee, oj and a tip and we're over $40. Ridicules. But if you're in town, this is STILL he place to eat. GREAT old time feel, record albums on the walls, good service, great music. If only it wasn't 1) in Chicago and 2) priced in Chicago
More fun with headlines Now Playing: Thirst Topic: Media Steve Benen writes that THE GOP STILL JUST DOESN'T LIKE THE UNEMPLOYED.... My immediate response to the headline was the snarky thought, "...as opposed to the Democrats, who are doing everything in their power to make everyone unemployed."
