Wiener of the Month - December

Who else could I chose for Wiener of the Month but the State of Virginia for their colossal fail with snow removal.

There was no competition. It wasn't even close.

In the immortal words of Toes, "The state abbreviation should be IV Incompetent Virginia = the IV State. It needs an IV".
True dat.

Virginia (IV for short), you're the Wiener of the Month for December.

Wiener of the Week

The final WotW for 2009 are the people who showed up for this.

A downtown protest of the climate change talks in Copenhagen became a victim of Wednesday's snowstorm.

"Not many people showed up because of the blizzard conditions," said organizer Clea Major, an international studies student at the University of Utah.

Classic. Absolutely classic.

And a most worthy recipient of the Wiener of the Week.

Soliciting nominees for WotY

In four days I will be naming the Wiener of the Year. As such, I am soliciting nominees for the "honor" from readers.

Currently the strong candidates are Il Duce, Big Media (the BM for short), Government Motors, Harry Reid, Nancy "Air Force 3" Pelosi, Congress, Team Elephant, Team Donkey, last year's winner Judge Barbara Walther, Big Warming (the email scandal was priceless!), plus a mystery nominee I'm keeping to myself.

Feel free to add your nominees via the comments like or email me.

Week 16 - Beating up the 98 pound weakling

The 49ers spent the first half playing down to the level of the competition. Then they loosed the dogs on Detroit, resulting in a 20-6 victory.

The defense looked scary bad on the first two Detroit drives. Then they locked it down and played up to the high level one expects from a Mike Singletary defense. Three forced fumbles, two by Ahmad Brooks, coupled with three interceptions, made the statement that this is an aggressive defense all about forcing mistakes.

Alex Smith played well. Frank Gore had a decent game - more important, he became the first 49ers running back to have 4 consecutive seasons over 1,000 yards. Vernon Davis had a decent game and scored his 12th touchdown of the season.

Yesterday's victory over a toothless opponent was unimpressive. That stated, a win is a win. The 49ers are now 7-8 with another toothless opponent, St. Louis, as the last obstacle on the schedule. An 8-8 season - the first non-losing season the 49ers have had since 2002 - is a near certainty.

Wiener of the Week

This WotW is actually a double-wiener, awarded for last week as well as this week.

As I wrote earlier in the week, Virginia is clueless when it comes to snow removal. Absolutely clueless. The very idea of closing THREE LANES of the Capitol Beltway for Monday rush hour! Un-effing-real!

But Virginia's incompetence apparently knows no bounds. Rosie Cotton reports:

MDOT should get Weiner of the Week for today's shinanigans. During the afternoon rush hour, the clear roads were having the "snow removal" process done for the sides of the road.

Again, during rush hour, there's clueless Virginia with their belated snow removal!

There's no question that the people of Virginia are being poorly served by their State and local governments. They ought to be screaming to high heaven. They're not.

Virginia, you're the Double Wiener of the Week.

Terror Attempt

Great! As if air travel in this country weren't enough of a drag, now another Islamic douchebag has to go and try to blow up another plane.

A senior U.S. counterterror official says a passenger aboard a Delta Air Lines flight in Detroit was planning to blow up the plane but the explosive device failed, the Associated Press reported today.

A White House official said the incident was an attempted act of terrorism.

AP said it learned that early indications were the passenger said he was acting on behalf of Al Qaeda.

Okay, so this bozo tried to flame up some sort of improvised explosive device - and failed. But who failed more, the bozo, or the TSSA (two S's required in order to correctly abbreviate Schutzstaffel)?

If you answered TSSA, go to the head of the class. If you're the TSSA, this just won't do. So, naturally, in order to give the impression that they're "doing something", the TSSA is going to go to extreme, even absurd lengths. After all, nobody does absurd like the TSSA.

God help us all.

Christmas Wishes

He puzzled and puzzled till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!

from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Seuss, 1966 cartoon version

Christmas is more than things? More than presents? More than goodies. You bet it is!

Nearly 2000 years ago a Savior gave us the ultimate gift -- freedom from death and Hell.

For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous...

1 Peter 3:18

May God's blessings be with each of you this Christmas day.

Week 15 - Elimination

It's not like I didn't see it coming. The Eagles have always had the 49ers' number this decade. I was pleasantly surprised that the Niners managed to keep the game close in spite of 4 turnovers. But the loss, by a score of 27-13, was the straw that broke two camels' backs. Camel 1: making the playoffs. Camel 2: finishing with a winning record for the first time since 2002.

To be honest, there's not much to say about this one. Frank Gore was the bright spot offensively, rushing 16 times for 107 yards. Alex Smith played a gritty game, but his three first half interceptions were back-breakers.

No one on the defense shined. Patrick Willis was negated. The pass rush was nonexistent.

Okay, so there'll be no playoffs this year. No 9-7. It's disappointing, but not entirely unexpected.

Congratulations to the Arizona Cardinals, winners of the NFC West for the second time. You deserve it.

Virginia is for Incompetents

I realize that I'm late with the WotW and still have to write about yesterday's gawd awful 49ers loss, but I'm seriously steamed right now and desperately need to vent.

Let me set the stage for you.

I awakened this morning determined to leave the house early to avoid what I expected to be a crush of traffic due to the way people in this region panic at any sort of weather, including bright sunshine. My street and the connector street to the main drag of my community were a little dicey, but from the time I hit the main drag until I hit the VA state line, I drove on roads that were 100% passable and well-plowed. There were a couple of places where the right lane felt a little narrow due to the wall of snow shoved up against the adjacent Jersey wall, but kudos to MDOT for doing an excellent job.

Now, for the rest of the story.

Once I crossed the American Legion bridge of the Capitol Beltway into Northern Virginia, traffic came to a near standstill. There were no signs, no indication that something was amiss. Nope, just a sudden and complete gridlock.

Everyone was trying to merge left. After about a quarter mile, I could finally see signs: Lane Closed for Snow Removal Preparations. Preparations? Huh?

The rightmost lane was closed. Another sign - the lane over was closed. Then I saw to my amazement yet another sign - the NEXT lane was closed! Three of the four lanes on the Capitol MF'ing Beltway were closed for over .2 of a mile at rush hour (this was just after 6 AM)!

There were front loaders moving massive amounts of snow (hey, we DID just have a blizzard!) from the rightmost two lanes. I had to ask myself, what the hell was the State of Virginia doing all day Sunday? WHY was this clearing activity left to be done during Monday morning rush hour?!?!?

There were two lanes open for about two miles, then four for half a mile, then three, then two again. No signs, no warnings. Just lanes disappearing randomly. This is not the first time I've experienced that phenomenon with VA; after the Blizzard of '96 I experienced the spine-tingling thrill of crossing the American Legion Bridge, rounding the bend, and finding my lane completely blocked with snow. No warning. Just gone.

The exit ramp I took into Tysons Corner was poorly plowed. Leesburg Pike -- the main drag of Tysons Corner! -- was poorly plowed. The main thoroughfare onto which I later turned looked like it had been plowed maybe once all weekend; the right turn lane onto that street hadn't been plowed at all. Let me repeat, this is a main thoroughfare.

Neighborhoods in VA hadn't see a plow yet. My neighborhood was drivable by late Sunday morning!

The shear magnitude of incompetence shown time and time again by VDOT is astounding. How the citizens of Virginia put up with this is beyond me. Simply beyond me.

A co-worker told me that the Federal Government had announced that it is closed today. Well, no wonder! With so many Federal employees living in Virginia, how the hell could they POSSIBLY open?

Big fat raspberries all around to VDOT, the State of Virginia, and the citizens of Virginia who put up with this nonsense.

Storms

As I write this there is a blizzard pounding the East Coast. A big one. A real, live Nor'easter. Unofficially, Frederick has received 22" of the white stuff, with the snow projected to last through tomorrow afternoon. The wind has been gusting, so there are drifts over 4' tall alongside the house. The steps out the back door are completely covered.

But this storm is a big, fat nothing compared to two other storms brewing on the horizon. On Friday Il Duce reached an agreement with other nations complicit in the the fraud that is the Hopenhagen debacle. Oh, sure, you say, it doesn't really have any teeth to it; there's nothing to worry about. Ah, but that's where you're wrong. When the details of this little agreement finally trickle out -- from European and Internet sources, NOT Big Media (the BM for short)- you will find that our "leaders" are using this invented "crisis" to sell off our sovereignty.

The other brewing storm is much more worrisome. The last domino has fallen in Der Staat's longstanding quest to take ownership of our very persons via the fraudulently-sold universal health care.

Senate Democrats appear within reach of the 60 votes necessary to pass President Barack Obama's health care legislation after a long year of struggle and a final burst of deadline bargaining with holdout Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska.

There it is. Just like that troll Mary Landrieu from Louisiana, Nelson has sold his soul for over $300 billion in Federal goodies.

So Congress is going to put something worse than a lump of coal in our respective stockings. The steaming pile of legislation we'll find in our stockings is never going to be confused with candied apples.

God bless us -- we're gonna need it.

The Vulture makes it into Uni Watch

Uni Watch is a fantastic blog for nerds like me who actually get bent over uniform designs that are lame, boring, or over-the-top. I submitted a uniform tweak for the 49ers to correct what I see as flaws in the current uniform (if you want to see just how bent I can get over a uniform design, check this out here).

To view my tweak, go here and scroll down about 1/3 of the way down the page to the section entitled "NFL Uniform Tweaks". Mine is the third tweak in the set.

Week 14 - Bringin' it on national TV

You can bet your bottom dollar that Cardinals fan yodaddy is going to like this post about as much as he liked the outcome of Monday night's game. It was a complete dismantling, as the 49ers whipped the Cards 24-9 in a game that was more of a blowout than the score would indicate.

On a night when Alex Smith wasn't his sharpest, and when his receivers all had a case of the dropsies, the 49ers went to an old, reliable friend: Frank Gore. Gore took over the offensive load, rushing 25 times for 167 yards and a touchdown, earning him Offensive Player of the Week honors.

And it's not like Smith was terrible; I swear Michael Crabtree is the worst route runner in NFL history! He's seldom in the right place to receive the ball. So Smith threw for only 144 yards and threw 2 picks, one a fluke on a deflection, the other just a poor pass. But he also threw for 2 touchdowns. He's still looking like the future at QB for the Niners.

Though Michael Crabtree is an awful route runner, he did make a highlight-worthy play on his 32-yard touchdown reception. The catch was a beauty, and the run to the end zone even prettier.

Okay, enough offense. The offense got the job done, to be sure, but it was the heroic effort by the defense that made this game a blowout. The Niners forced 7 fumbles, recovering 6. They also intercepted Kurt Warner twice, ending a streak of 165 passes he had thrown since his last pick.

Safety Dashon Goldson had his best game as a 49er: 6 tackles, an interception, and 2 forced fumbles. He is definitely playing at a high level of late.

Patrick Willis shined on national TV, with 9 tackles - 4 for a loss! - 1 sack, and a forced fumble.

Perhaps the individual who most stepped up his game was Ahmad Brooks - 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles. Others deserving accolades include Justin Smith, who seems to always be around the pocket disrupting, and Tarell Brown, who intercepted Warner.

So...what does it all mean? Had the Cards won Monday night, they would have clinched the Division. Now they have to win twice or win once and have the 49ers lose a game in order to clinch. But last week's loss by the Niners to the Seahawks put them in a deep hole in terms of their playoff positioning. The 49ers can still win the division if the Cards lose twice (not likely; their next two games are Detroit and St. Louis, the two worst teams in the league) and the Niners win out. More likely is a Wild Card spot; it will STILL require that the Niners win out AND it will require help; the Falcons have a tie-breaker, and other teams will as well, depending on their record in Conference. It doesn't help that the next game is against Philly, one of the hottest teams in the League right now.

Still, it's the first time since 2002 that a Niners fan has had playoff hopes for his team. That's certainly worth something.

Update

This just in from espn.com's Mike Sando:

Bill Bidwill owns the Cardinals 363 days a year. The 49ers own them the other two days.

How to tell if you've hit rock bottom

For a scandal-plagued celebrity, the ultimate diss is to get dropped as a spokesperson by a company whose own sleaze is legendary. Tiger Woods, you've been dissed!

Global consulting firm Accenture PLC has ended its relationship with Tiger Woods, marking the first major sponsor to cut ties altogether with the golfer since his alleged infidelities surfaced and he announced an indefinite leave from the sport to work on his marriage.

In its first statement since the Woods' scandal erupted, Accenture said Sunday the golfer is "no longer the right representative" after the "circumstances of the last two weeks."

For those of you who have absolutely no idea who Accenture is, a history lesson is in order. The parent company from which Accenture was spawned was none other than Arthur Anderson. Still scratching your head? Arthur Anderson was the accounting firm that was up to its greedy eyeballs in the Enron scandal. Anderson was so badly compromised by the Enron scandal that it lost its entire client base and had to close up shop.

"Ah", you say, "but Accenture was a completely separate company by the time Enron broke." That is true. What is also true is that the acorn didn't fall far from the parent tree. Accenture is scandal-plagued in its own right.

My own experience with Accenture, (then Arthur Anderson Consulting) back in the 80's was enlightening. They took processes that had been able to complete within the 8 hour swing shift window and, by applying their magic, got those same processes to run in a mere 18 to 20 hours! It was epic in its expense and the scope of its failure.

But they're too good for Tiger Woods.

Wiener of the Week

When I named the WotW two weeks ago, I left a "Bonus Wiener" tease link to what is a classic example of intentionally misleading journalism. That link deserves more attention, especially in light of yet another intentionally deceptive story.

First, the older story. The premise of that story was that global warming was forcing women in some islands of the Philippines to work in hard-labor occupations or even as prostitutes. Global warming.

By the third paragraph "have driven" has softened to "could" and "possibly". And in paragraph eight the truth finally outs: the catastrophe forcing women to work hard-labor jobs or as prostitutes is overfishing. Overfishing. Not warming. In other words, the first half of the article was nothing but a lie, an intentional deception to pimp for the cause of AGW.

This story caught my eye personally, because, as one who suffers from asthma, I am keenly aware of how air quality affects my breathing.

Cutting global warming pollution would not only make the planet healthier, it would make people healthier too, newly released studies say.

Slashing carbon dioxide emissions could save millions of lives, mostly by reducing preventable deaths from heart and lung diseases, the studies show.

So we are led to believe that reducing carbon emissions will help prevent heart and lung diseases. Starting at paragraph three, the theme starts to implode.

The "life saving benefit" of reducing carbon is predicted by a computer model. Uh-huh. A computer model like the one that draws a hockey stick whether it is fed temperature data or the prices from the menu at Wendys?

Paragraph four contains the denouement.

Cutting carbon dioxide emissions would also reduce other types of air pollution, especially tiny particles that lodge in the lungs and cause direct health damage, doctors said. Other benefits could come from encouraging more exercise and less meat consumption, to improve heart health, researchers said.

So, the entire benefit of reducing carbon to improve health is not the carbon. No, it's the reduction of REAL pollutants. And, of course, exercise and meat reduction are also required in order to realize the reduced carbon health benefits. In other words, avoiding pollution, getting regular exercise, and reducing consumption of red meats - things already recognized by the medical profession as promoting good health - NOT a reduction of carbon, as posited in the first paragraphs, are the things that will result in improved health.

These stories are intentionally deceptive. They combine a grain of truth with a healthy dose of propaganda to link AGW to real issues that are related to AGW not at all.

To the authors of these flaming propaganda pieces, congratulations: you're the Wieners of the Week.

Media Priorities

Dateline dedicated its Friday installment to the Tiger Woods saga. Shocker there.

A major theme of the story dealt with why the media was so obsessed with reporting on the story. It was almost like the reporter felt compelled to justify the over-the-top, wall-to-wall, Tiger-24x7. It was almost like the reporter was embarrassed and felt dirty about the whole idea that Big Media (the BM for short) would stoop to such tabloid-like behavior.

Of course, he didn't feel bad enough about it not to do his OWN report.

Contrast the coverage of the Tiger Woods scandal with the BM's coverage of the most important scandal of the 21st century: Climategate. *queue sound of crickets chirping*

I would like to see a reporter from one of the Big 3 networks old media dinosaurs go to the same lengths of justification that the Dateline reporter went through in explaining WHY everyone was beating on the Tiger Woods story to explain why the BM is NOT reporting on Climategate.

I'm waiting.

I'm still waiting.

I'll probably be waiting til the day I die.

Bastards.

Better than WHAT?!?!?!

Has the DoublePlusGoodHopeChange jumped the shark? Apparently it has, so much so that even King George the Dim's dismal reign is seen as preferable to 44% of a recent poll's respondents.

Perhaps the greatest measure of Obama's declining support is that just 50% of voters now say they prefer having him as President to George W. Bush, with 44% saying they'd rather have his predecessor. Given the horrendous approval ratings Bush showed during his final term that's somewhat of a surprise and an indication that voters are increasingly placing the blame on Obama for the country's difficulties instead of giving him space because of the tough situation he inherited.

Gee, what a surprise [/sarcasm].

It may well be the biggest insult that one can make to a President. "You suck so bad I'd rather have a dim-witted Neocon with the common sense of a lamp post than you."

Consider the question as posited by the pollsters. Which practitioner of Fascist economics would you prefer, the Neocon, or the Neo-Commie? It's like asking you about your preference for your own execution: death by fire ants, or death by drowning.

I noticed that the poll results didn't add up to 100%, so perhaps the missing 6% of respondents answered (as I would have) with a resounding, "You want me to pick one of those two bozos? Go sell crazy somewhere else!"

Blame it on racism

Just what you wanted to see - another post about Czaban and FSR's ass-headed decision to let him go. I only bring it up again because of something a commenter posted in response to the flood of comments posted in response to Czabe's original post (the complete text can now be seen here).

I wish I could link to the whole chain of comments, but it only exists as a snapshot in my personal coComment account, inaccessible to others. You'll just have to take my word for it that I'm not making this up. Anyway, this is what a commenter using the handle 'Billy Ray' wrote.

Czabe sucks! Y'all are a bunch of racists for hating on Steven A Smith!

Racists. Not "I disagree with your assessment of the situation and welcome Mr. Smith as a replacement for Mr. Czaban, whose show I did not enjoy." No, Mr. Stereotype goes straight to the race card. Nice.

Let me clear things up for 'Billy Ray'.

1. Every post written prior to yours was written by a Czaban FAN. As you can expect, those of us who are fanboys of Mr. Czaban are unhappy with FSR's decision. It goes without saying that, as fans of Czabe's show format, his style, and the topics he discusses, we'd be a little less than enthused for his replacement.
   


2. Screamin' A. Smith is a disciple of the ESPN faux "debate" school of sports radio and an adherent to the motto, "He who yells loudest wins the argument". As such, those of us who find this radio format annoying are going to voice our displeasure.


3. If it was JP 'The Brick' (another adherent to the "he who yells loudest" school of thought) who had been named as Czaban's replacement instead of Mr. Smith, I guarantee there's not one of the 77 commenters who preceded you who would have responded any differently than they did.


4. Prior to your post, not a single person commenting on the thread mentioned that Mr. Smith is black.


5. Ergo, given points 1-4, you're an idiot and a tool.
   

There, wasn't that easy. Logic 1, Dipstick 0.

Overplaying the race card is SOOOOO done! C'mon! Use your brain. Think for yourself. See the world how it really is.

Race relations in this country will never heal until tools like 'Billy Ray' STFU.

Proof that there is no intelligent life in network programming

Steven Czaban announced today that his radio show will be canceled effective December 23rd.

File this one under “Horrible and Ironic Ways (For Your Radio Show) To Die.”

My contract with Fox Sports Radio has not been renewed. The last day of the “Steve Czaban Show” is scheduled for December 23rd.

Steven A. Smith will be my permanent replacement.

Now, you can chew on that one for a bit.

Wait. Let me get this straight. Someone in programming at FSR thought it would be a good idea to replace Steve Czaban, the guy who increased the number of FSR morning terrestrial affiliates from 106 to 186, with Screamin' A. Smith?!?!?!? SCREAMIN' A. SMITH?!?!?!?!? WTF?!?!?!??!

Screamin' A. Smith is HORRIBLE. Even ESPN couldn't take this guy any more!

My commute just got a lot longer. Vaya con Dios, Mr. Czaban. In spite of what the empty suits who made this ass-headed decision think, you're still the greatest!

Update

The link to Czabe's announcement has been severed. FSR must have noticed the commotion and "asked" him to take it down. God forbid Czabe's fans should discomfit the empty suits at FSR!

Update II

Czabe has a new "Th-th-th-th-that's all folks" post on his website.

Week 13 - the word 'cluster' comes to mind

Lucy: Okay, Charlie Brown…I’ll hold the ball, and you come running up and kick it...

Charlie Brown: I can’t believe it! I can’t believe that anyone would think I was so completely stupid!

Lucy: I won’t pull it away like I usually do, Charlie Brown…I promise!

Charlie Brown: Ha! I know your promises!

Lucy: Look…we’ll shake on it, okay? Let’s shake on it…this proves my sincerity...

Charlie Brown: What could I do? If someone is willing to shake on something, you have to trust her...[he runs...Lucy yanks away ball...] AAUGH! [he lands flat on back.]

Lucy: A woman’s handshake is not legally binding!

And that, in a nutshell, sums up my feelings about yesterday's 49ers loss to the Seahawks by a score of 20-17. Me, Charlie Brown. 49ers, Lucy. Me, drinking 49ers Kool-Aid all week in anticipation of a 49ers win to set up a showdown with the Cardinals for first place in the Division. 49ers (and Cardinals), pulling away the football, the former by losing to a pathetic, old team; the latter by WINNING against a superior team.

This loss was a team effort. The coaches couldn't get out of their own way. The 49ers had to burn a time out on the first play of the game because the defense didn't have the right package out on the field. Coach Singletary then proceded to burn the other two first half time outs before 10 minutes had elapsed in the first quarter.

The special teams coach decided that this would be the ideal game to put a gadget play in to have one punt returner hand off to the other on a reverse. Result: fumble, setting up a Seahawks TD.

The game announcers stated that it is commonly known around the league that the 49ers are susceptible to screen passes - right before Hasselbeck throws a screen pass that results in a huge gain. Hey [Defensive Coordinator Greg] Manusky! If the fricking ANNOUNCERS have figured out that your defense has a problem with screens, why haven't YOU?

The officiating was putrid as well. On a first quarter pass to Delany Walker in the end zone, DB Lawyer Milloy committed an act that, if it wasn't pass interference, it was certainly a Class 4 sexual assault. No call. Later in the game, 49ers WR Brandon Jones was flagged for offensive pass interference for having his left arm extended and barely touching the DB just before the pass arrived. Awful officiating, just dreadful.

There were some bright spots. Patrick Willis had a monster game, with 16 tackles (2 for a loss). Manny Lawson had his best game since he tore up his knee, registering 7 tackles and a sack in addition to pounding Hasselbeck numerous times.

On offense, Alex Smith has one of the best passing days of his career: 27-45 for a career high 310 yards and 2 touchdowns (both things of beauty) and no picks. He's now thrown 7 TDs and 1 INT in his last 3 games. I think it's safe to say that he has arrived.

Also having a great game offensively (if you'll forgive the 2 drops) was Vernon Davis: 6 catches for 111 yards and a touchdown. He is fast becoming a premier tight end.

Players deserving of brickbats include headcase DB Dre Bly (called for a stupid pass interference penalty), RB Frank Gore (fumbled during a drive deep into Seattle territory), Michael Crabtree (dropped 4 passes and appeared to have run the wrong route at least twice), and Arnaz Battle (the villian on the punt fumble).

I think it's safe to say that you can put a fork in the Niners; they're done.

Damn it! I'm lying flat on my back again and Lucy is laughing in my face. Good grief!

Wiener of the Month - November

Big Media (the BM for short) has continued to stonewall or downplay ClimateGate.

James Delingpole of The Telegraph (yeah, you have to go to UK sources to read ANYTHING about ClimateGate) wrote an opinion piece that provides a breakdown of the BM's non-coverage of the issue. In the course of detailing this journalistic malpractice, he makes the following assertion.

But in the case of “Climate Change”, the MSM has been caught with its trousers down. The reason it has been so ill-equipped to report on this scandal is because almost all of its Environmental Correspondents and Environmental Editors are parti pris members of the Climate-Fear Promotion lobby. Most of their contacts (and information sources) work for biased lobby groups like Greenpeace and the WWF, or conspicuously pro-AGW government departments and Quangos such as the Carbon Trust. How can they bring themselves to report on skulduggery at Hadley Centre when the scientists involved are the very ones whose work they have done most to champion and whose pro-AGW views they share?

The sad thing is - he's absolutely right. Environmental reporters are as wedded to AGW as the corrupted "scientists" who are studying it falsifying data to keep the myth alive.

Congratulations, BM - you're the Wiener of the Month for November.

Update

Catching up on my reading, I note that Andrew Bolt is on the same page as Mr. Delingpole. A must read.

Wiener of the Week

He's been The Terminator. He's been Conan the Barbarian. He's been Kindergarten Cop. And now -- he's the WotW because of this.

A map of how California will be affected by climate change in the future was unveiled yesterday by state governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The map, which demonstrates the devastating effects of global warming in just a century, shows how San Francisco Airport would be completely underwater if sea levels were to rise by 150cm (60in).

The coastline on the map was also coloured, highlighting how nearly half a million Californians are at risk from rising sea levels.

The map, named CalAdapt, which was revealed at a press conference on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay by Mr Schwarzenegger and Google CEO Eric Schmidt, was created as part of a plan for the state to adapt to global warming.

'Within a century, Treasure Island, this place where we are right now, could be totally under water,' the governor said. 'It is technology in the end that will save us.'

Oh, mighty technology! Please save us! [/sarcasm]

The ClimateGate scandal is front-and-center -- except in the Big Media (the BM for short) -- and the asshat Governator is still selling AGW. Talk about True Lies!

Ahnold - you're the Wiener of the Week.

Zero tolerance = zero sense

It started in the 80's because the "Law and Order" crowd was dismayed at the way that "lenient liberal judges" were "coddling" criminals. They were also upset that small-time offenders were summarily given probation or even a walk. The result was a slew of laws to "rectify" the situation.

To deal with "lenient judges": mandatory sentencing guidelines.
To deal with small-time crime: zero tolerance.

While zero tolerance in law enforcement didn't really catch on, the concept had a certain appeal to other authoritarians of all stripes.

Everywhere you look now, zero tolerance rules are popping up like zits on a greasy teen. Zero tolerance rules in schools have resulted in honor students being expelled for giving Motrin to a classmate. They've resulted in students being suspended for pointing a stick at a classmate and saying "bang". That's not the worst -- one little boy was suspended for the "crime" of drawing a gun! No, he didn't remove a weapon from its holster. He drew a PICTURE of a gun. That's right, an effing picture.

I thought that the suspension for drawing a picture was the biggest example of ass-headed unthinking zero tolerance up until I saw this story on HLN.

A birthday celebration that culminated in a trip to catch the blockbuster movie "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" could land 22-year-old Samantha Tumpach in prison for three years.

The Chicago, Illinois-area woman captured three minutes of the film on her videocamera while taping part of her sister's surprise party at a Muvico theater in Rosemont.

Theater managers contacted police, who arrested Tumpach. She spent two days in jail. Now she faces a felony charge of illegally copying a movie.

"The motion picture industry has encouraged theater owners to adopt a 'zero-tolerance' policy prohibiting the video or audio recording of any portion of a movie," Muvico Entertainment, which oversees the theater, told HLN's "Prime News."

Excuse me. Am I to understand that a young woman could spend 3 years in prison because the motion picture industry "encouraged" theater owners (read: told them in no uncertain terms) to exercise zero tolerance with ANY video filmed in a theater?

In a common sense world, the young woman would be reprimanded and sent on her way. Hell, in a common sense world, the motion picture industry wouldn't be dictating to private business owners and the judicial system how they should handles situations of this type.

The bottom line is this: zero tolerance = zero sense. It permits authoritarian types to throw their weight around like dime store Barney Fifes. Because zero tolerance takes all thought and reason out of the punishment process, mindless, robotic morons, acting in much the same way as a computer running bug-riddled software, simply process the instructions without regard or thought to the fallout or consequences.

It ain't right. It just ain't right.

An administration of True Believers

There are four types of faith. An event-driven faith, brought on by a life-changing event, which flames hot and then is extinguished over the passing of time. Another type of faith is one that blossoms, but is not strong enough to withstand outside influences or the disapproval of others.

Then there is what I call True Faith.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Hebrews 11.1

This faith is powerful enough to withstand the cares of this world and the disapproval of others. This is a faith that is hardly blind; challenges to the validity of that faith are met with personal research to prove or disprove those challenges. Once disproved, the challenge has had the effect of strengthening the believer's faith.

And then there is the cultish "faith" that willfully ignores all evidence with regard to its validity. Picture if you will a person who, upon receiving some bit of information that would render their faith invalid, closes their eyes, puts their hands over their ears, and chants loudly, "LA LA LA LA LA - I CAN'T HEAR YOU - LA LA LA LA LA!" That is the essence of this type of "faith"

Il Duce and his crony administration have this "faith". Official White House spokesmouth Robert Gibbs on Monday testified to the administration's "faith".

The White House on Monday made exceptionally clear that it wants nothing to do with the furor over documents that global warming skeptics say prove the phenomenon is not a threat.

Despite the incident, which rocked international headlines last week, climate science is sound, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs stressed this afternoon, and the White House nonetheless believes "climate change is happening."

"I don't think that's anything that is, quite frankly, among most people, in dispute anymore," he said during Monday's press briefing.

LA LA LA LA LA - I CAN'T HEAR YOU - LA LA LA LA LA!

Then there was the administration's "science" officials' profession of "faith".

At a Capitol Hill hearing, the president's science adviser and the chief of the agency in charge of climate research said the e-mails did nothing to undermine scientific consensus on climate change.

LA LA LA LA LA - I CAN'T HEAR YOU - LA LA LA LA LA!

Now, being the cynic that I am (would you have ever guessed that about me?), I have to question whether the administration's "faith" is in warming, or if their "faith" is in the power the issue gives them to tax and enslave the American people.

Given the track record of this administration (and the one that preceded it), one would have to lean towards the cynical view.

Week 12 - upon further review...

Last week I was about as pessimistic about the 49ers as I've been this year. And I should know better! My mantra is "Never assume a team is as good as they seem to be during a hot streak, and never assume a team is as bad as they seem during a cold spell". I was CLEARLY guilty of assuming that the 49ers were as bad as they played during the first half in Green Bay.

Try selling that to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who got humbled 20-3 by the 49ers on Sunday.

This was the first "complete game" the 49ers have played since the Vikings game week 3. The offensive was impressive and unpredictable. The defense was the best it's been all year. "But Vulture! The defense gave up over 400 yards!" And this is of importance why? The only number that matters to me as far as defense is concerned is the number at the top of the scoreboard. 3 points. 3 piddling points. Now THAT'S quality defense.

Patrick Willis is a MONSTER. He may be the best inside linebacker in football. Twice I saw him run down Maurice Jones-Drew from behind. MJD is no slowpoke! Patrick is just THAT GOOD. 12 tackles and .5 sack good.

The D-line and the secondary had excellent games. The D-line seems to get better and better as the season progresses.

I believe I owe Coach Singletary an apology. I called him stubborn and rigid for sticking with his ho-hum run-oriented offense until the team falls hopelessly behind. This week Coach S. turned offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye loose and Jimmy made the most of it. The offense was, as I said before, impressive and unpredictable. 4th and one in Jacksonville territory? No mincing, fraidy cat punt or long field goal attempt like last week. No, Raye had Alex Smith throwing deep to Vernon Davis for a 30 yard gain! It set up a touchdown.

Alex Smith was very, very good on Sunday. His numbers aren't going to blow your mind: 27-41, 232, 2 TDs, no INTs. You had to see it to appreciate it. You get a sense that Smith is FEELING the role of NFL starting QB now. You get a sense that it's starting to slow down and become manageable, whereas it all seemed to be happening in super fast-forward mode when he was younger. I don't want to get too carried away, but Alex Smith may just be the real deal. I certainly hope so; we haven't had a decent QB for any period of time since Jeff Garcia.

Smith's second touchdown pass, to Frank Gore tip-toeing on the sideline, was masterful. Smith scrambled right, looking like he was flustered. He ran forward just a step or two to suck in the defense, and then he lofted a pretty touch pass to Gore. It was the stuff of Montana and Young days.

The offensive line played well in terms of pass blocking, giving Smith all day to scan the field and giving up no sacks. But Frank Gore was shut down all day until the 4th quarter. The line is going to be a huge off-season priority.

Sunday's win, coupled with a last-second Cardinals loss at Nashville to the Titans, completely changed the complexion of the NFC West race. Now, if the Niners beat the Seahawks in Seattle on Sunday and the Cardinals lose to the Vikings Sunday night -- a real possibility and practically a given if Kurt Warner is out again -- then the winner of the following Monday's game between SF and Arizona will take ownership of the Division.

It's so funny. Last week I was thinking "wait 'til next year". This week - upon further review - I'm thinking that the 49ers can still win the Division.

More 49er Kool-Aid, please!

Wiener of the Week

It's kinda like shooting fish in a barrel, picking Big Media (the BM for short) as the WotW. Yet pick them I must, in light of the fact that 11 reporters were assigned by the AP to fact check Sarah Palin's book while, apparently, NONE have been assigned to fact check -- let alone REPORT ON -- the ClimateGate scandal.

It just goes to show you where the AP's priorities are, right?

Associated Press - you're the Wiener of the Week!

Bonus Wienerage - this is the kind of story our grand kids will be chortling over once the fraud that is AGW has run its course.

The effects of climate change have driven women in communities in coastal areas in poor countries like the Philippines into dangerous work, and sometimes even the flesh trade, a United Nations official said.

You just can't make this stuff up. Is there ANYTHING that AGW CAN'T do? I believe it's responsible for the high murder rate in Chicago. And for the economic meltdown. And for the New Jersey Nets starting their season with an 0-17 record. Why not? Is there anything too ridiculous to attribute to AGW at this point in time?

I think not!

Death Knell Part IV: Climategate

Global Warming - A theory popularized by lying politicians to scare the living hell at of all of us.
From The Urban Dictionary.

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It would appear to the rational that the wheels have fallen off the cart for the Global Warmists. Ah, but do not underestimate the power and resiliency of this powerful neo-religious movement!

For those of you living under a rock, leaked emails from "climate scientists" which openly reveal the fraudulent practices said "scientists" have engaged in has rocked the "climate science" community (read: those charged with ginning up propaganda under the guise of science in order to give world leaders cover for implementing measures that will lead to the "glorious" One-World Socialist Utopia).

One would think that these revelations would put an end once-and-for-all to the charade. One would be wrong.

For starters, there is a media blackout in the United States on coverage of Climategate. Only the Washington Times, Fox News, and the Opinion page of the Wall Street Journal have put any serious coverage into the issue. CNN mentioned the scandal -- but only to dismiss it as a "tempest in a tea cup". None -- let me repeat that, NONE -- of the networks, none of the major US newspapers, NONE of the Big Media (the BM for short) juggernauts have reported jack squat about this.

Oh, excuse me, the New York Times HAS spoken of it...in their Environment blog, NOT on the auspicious gray pages of their daily propaganda rag. Even then, their blogger refuses to post the emails or excerpts from the emails because,

The documents appear to have been acquired illegally and contain all manner of private information and statements that were never intended for the public eye

Oh, THAT'S rich! The assholes who brought us the Pentagon Papers, who published (against the wishes of the Bush administration) details of the methods utilized to track terrorists, and who published excerpts from Sarah Palin's hacked emails, now suddenly have a conscience!

No, it seems that, if one is interested in finding out ANYTHING about this scandal, one has to go to the British press (see here and here for examples) for any sort of honest assessment of the situation.

Okay, so the BM is in the tank with the frauds. What about our ruling class?

Australia has MUCH to be proud of. Five MPs (Members of Parliament) - front bench MPs all - have resigned rather than follow their dopey leadership down the primrose path to ridiculous carbon taxation. To those five brave and distinguished individuals: I salute you.

What about the United States? Predictably, just as the BM has ignored the scandal, so has our political class. James Inhofe has raised a ruckus and called for hearings, but he's been fighting the battle against AGW quack science for more than a decade. The rest of Congress? Queue the sound of crickets chirping.

Il Duce is pressing onwards towards Copenhagen. He has pledged to reduce US carbon emissions 17% by 2020. He's making deals with China and India with regards to carbon capping. In other words, it's business-as-usual in the Duce administration.

And therein is the rub, you see. Climate change was NEVER about any real threat to the planet, any real threat to humanity, any real threat to nature. It was, is, and always will be about pushing towards that "glorious" One-World Socialist Utopia.

That and nothing more.

TVL's second anniversary

This here blog is two years old today. And, much like a common two-year-old, the blog's proprietor can throw a mean tantrum.

A very heart-felt thank you to all of my regulars -- I'd mention you all by name if I didn't think I'd forget one or two of you and risk hurt feelings. I would like to give a special shout out to Toes and Pharisee as two individuals who have kept me on my toes (no pun intended) and who always bring it strong on their blogs.

My readership growth has been slow -- PAINFULLY slow -- but it is growing. I hope it's been as enjoyable for you to read as it has been for me to write.

There certainly is no shortage of things happening in the world that compel me to mount my soapbox, so expect this to go on for a while.

Thanks all!

Week 11 - The Truth Hurts

It was painfully apparent at the end of the first half that the 49ers just aren't the team I thought they were. They were behind 23-3 and, truthfully, it wasn't even really that close. Oh, sure, Coach Singletary turned the offense loose in the second half to make the final score a respectable 30-24, but, again, it wasn't really that close.

As I said, Coach S. turned the offense loose in the second half. WHY he insists on waiting until the Niners are 20 points behind before he takes the shackles off the offense is the mystery here.

Coach S. lost a whole lot of his luster yesterday. A crap play call on 3rd and inches leaves 4th and a yard, deep in Packers territory. And he kicks the field goal!!!!! A mincy, fraidy field goal!!!!! To plagiarize TMQ, "I wrote in my notebook, 'Game Over'."

For a man who was a fearless player, Mike Singletary is a big mincing sissy as a head coach...or at least he was yesterday. He's also W-A-A-A-Y too stubborn; it's apparent to anyone who's watched the 49ers with Alex Smith under center that he (Alex Smith) stinks on ice out of a standard pro set, but is something special working out of a spread formation. So......here's an idea......WHY NOT PLAY TO HIS STRENGTHS?!?!?!?!?

This team is NOT going to the playoffs. Not unless the Cardinals' team plane crashes before Week 12.

It wasn't all bad. The legend of Vernon Davis grows - he's having a MONSTER year. If he doesn't go to the Pro Bowl, they shouldn't even hold it this year. Michael Crabtree scored his first NFL touchdown yesterday (cue Homer Simpson, "Hey, how 'bout that?" [/sarcasm]). And after an abysmal first half, Alex Smith was dynamite in the second, throwing for 3 touchdowns and over 220 yards.

But the defense flat-out stunk. The unit that carried the team early on has regressed to the same sorry defense the team played under Drunky Erickson. Sad. Just sad.

So the Niners are going to be mediocre for a 7th straight year. *sigh*

Is it too early to start chanting, "Wait 'til next year!"?

I don't know about you, but I find it offensive in the extreme when Congress tries to hide their mendacity by convening during the weekend when citizen awareness of news events is at its lowest. Such an example occurred yesterday, as a procedural vote on health care reform nationalization went down in the Senate on a Saturday night.

So this is going to be another WotW for Congress, right? Wrong. There was actually a more deserving candidate.

This article, with an AP byline, was the first thing I saw this morning when I opened my newspaper. Gee, I wonder where the "reporter" stands on the issue of health care reform nationalization.

Invoking the memory of Edward M. Kennedy, Democrats united Saturday night to push historic health care legislation past a key Senate hurdle over the opposition of Republicans eager to inflict a punishing defeat on President Barack Obama. There was not a vote to spare.

The 60-39 vote cleared the way for a bruising, full-scale debate beginning after Thanksgiving on the legislation, which is designed to extend coverage to roughly 31 million who lack it, crack down on insurance company practices that deny or dilute benefits and curtail the growth of spending on medical care nationally.

Who wrote this? The AP, or the DNC?

No mention of the potential (and probable) negatives this steaming pile of legislation portends. Just a highly enthusiastic example of media cheerleading, complete with DNC talking points.

Fabulous. Just fabulous.

AP - you're the Wiener of the Week.

The fraud, revealed

It turns out that "scientists", those paragons of virtue on whom the vast community of "Brights" would have us bestow our trust and blind faith, have been playing fast and loose with the facts. All of that "warming" we've been hearing about, ad infinitum? Let's just say it's been "massaged", and now there's proof. Hackers intercepted emails between the scientists of the East Anglia Climate Research Unit (CRU) and discovered this smoking gun.

I’ve just completed Mike’s Nature trick of adding in the real temps to each series for the last 20 years (ie from 1981 onwards) amd from 1961 for Keith’s to hide the decline. Mike’s series got the annual land and marine values while the other two got April-Sept for NH land N of 20N. The latter two are real for 1999, while the estimate for 1999 for NH combined is +0.44C wrt 61-90. The Global estimate for 1999 with data through Oct is +0.35C cf. 0.57 for 1998.

Yeah, you read that right. These guys are deliberately fudging the numbers to make it seem that the planet is warming and continues to warm, while the reality is that we've been in a cooling pattern for at least a decade.

Base on the "evidence" provided by these "scientists", our "leaders" are seeking to pass legislation making each and every one of us responsible for our "carbon footprint".

It's patently clear that the AGW issue has never been about climate, but rather about enslaving people and yoking them to a One-World Socialist Utopia.

That and nothing more.

To the intrepid hacker who exposed these frauds, thank you. To the people who read this, ask yourself this: WHY is this not today's top story on every newscast?

A sign of the apocalypse?

The end of the world is closer than we had ever imagined. Isn't this one of the signs of the apocalypse?

It's official. Fox News' Major Garrett will interview Pres. Obama at 9:20pmET tonight. He tweets:

I will interview POTUS on camera Wed am here in Beijing. 4 other networks will too. 10 mins per. Many had asked. Can say now.

Hide the women and children! Il Duce on Fox News is analogous to the lion lying down with the lamb. It's just unnatural!

Maybe Duce is feeling magnanimous because he's in his element; China, with it's repressive system of government, is right up his alley.

In any regard, I'll be sure to miss this transparently phony attempt by the Dear Leader to present himself as open to being interviewed by the someone outside of the lapdog media. I'm sure Garrett has been instructed to be on his best behavior by his Fox handlers. They want to make sure this thaw in relations with Il Duce has legs; the Neocon network needs the perception of mainstream legitimacy every bit as much as the fawning socialist media, after all.

Idiots on the radio

I got out of the house extremely early this morning, so instead of being treated to Czaban's show, I had to listen to nearly an hour of that retard JT the Brick. I apologize to retards if you're offended by being compared to Mr. "the Brick".

Let's set the stage. Last night Bill Belichick took the road less traveled by attempting to go for a first down on 4th and 2 from his own 28. The try was unsuccessful, meaning that the Colts had 1st and 10 at the Patriot 29 yard line with 3 timeouts in their pocket and Peyton Manning at the wheel. The Colts, naturally, drove the short field and scored while doing their darndest to leave as little time on the clock as possible for Tom Brady to pull a miracle comeback.

The Patriots lost. Hey, it happens. Did Belichick make the right move? Absolutely!

Peyton Manning was DESTROYING the Patriot defense in the 4th quarter. Belichick essentially told his offense that the game was theirs to win. Gain 2 yards (they had almost 500 yards of total offense for the game), keep Peyton Manning on the bench, and win the game. The fact that the Colts stuffed the attempt does NOT mean that it was the wrong tactic. To say otherwise is to engage in the worst sort of Monday Morning Quarterbacking.

Back to Mr. "the Brick". This assclown went on ad infinitum, blasting Belichick for his move. The more he ranted on, the more I became convinced that Mr. "the Brick" is a moron and knows nothing at all about football. The fact that he is a Raiders fan is even further proof that he knows nothing at all about football.

Okay, so Mr. "the Brick" and I disagree. What do other football-savvy radio hosts and bloggers have to say on the subject?

An internet superintelligence agrees with me. Tuesday Morning Quarterback agrees with me. John Fricke, filling in for Czaban this morning, agrees with me. I'm sure Czaban agrees with me (he was returning from a road trip to Green Bay where he watched the Packers commit grievous acts of personal assault on the hapless Cowboys, hence his absense from the airwaves this morning).

Mr. "the Brick", you need to think before you speak...that is, if you're able to do so. Belichick was right, you are oh so very wrong. Period.

Vulture Droppings - the question is when...

Vulture Droppings is a semi-regular feature of this blog. It's a kind of "Random Thoughts" post in which I try to quickly summarize a particularly large event or series of events. Think of it being sort of like what a vulture leaves behind after devouring a horse. You don't get the whole horse, just highly processed leftovers.

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It's been a LOOOONG time since I did a Vulture Droppings. There just hasn't really been anything going on that would merit that kind of in-depth breakdown.

I'm doing something different with this edition of VD. I'm going to address things I'm sick of. Yeah, I know. Not exactly the kind of weighty, issue-oriented post you've come to expect from Droppings. But it's my blog, and my rules. So read it and like it!.

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WHEN is that sub-90 IQ loser Levi Johnson's 15 minutes of fame up? I know it's chic to put that knuckle-dragging monosyllabic douche bag on TV 24/7 because he gins up more anti-Sarah Palin sentiment, but COME ON! There ARE limits! If this guy weren't such a gold mine of anti-Palin material, there's NO WAY anyone would even know his name, let alone be subjected to his Neanderthal-like puss on virtually every talk show known to man. Enough already! Find a new flavor-of-the-day, please!

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WHEN is Big Media (the BM for short) going to stop the Kabuki Dance and admit that the Ft. Hood massacre was perpetrated by a Muslim acting in accordance with the precepts of his religious beliefs, NOT a common soldier who "snapped" under the strain of being exposed to the stresses of other service men and women? People who "snap" don't go around yelling Allahu Akbar! as they mow down innocents.

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WHEN are NFL analysts going to stop with the Brett Fav-re worship? OMG, it's SOOOOOO old! Seriously, there ARE other players making contributions to the Vikings' success this year. Yeah, even besides Adrian Peterson. So...enough, please!

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WHEN is the American public going to demand an end to the ridiculous "War on Drugs"? It's a complete waste of money, police resources, prison resources, and human lives.

In the case of marijuana, we're talking about a product with proven medical use (Federal "studies" to the contrary are heavily flawed - perhaps even falsified). We're talking about a product that is infinitely safer than, less addictive than, and less likely to lead to criminal behavior than alcohol, yet alcohol is legal and universally available, while marijuana possession is still a felony in excess of 1 oz.

It's the stupidest policy enacted by a government known for stupid policies. It's time for a change. Make it legal, tax the crap out of it, and empty the prisons of everyone prosecuted for any marijuana offense.

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Last one. WHEN is the NBA going to come clean and admit that they're every bit as rigged as the WWE?

I'm just saying...

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Wiener of the Week

The U. S. Army has become neutered. Political Correctness has overwhelmed common sense and has turned the Army (with the exception of their elite forces) into meals-on-wheels with guns.

The idea that an Army base has a policy of NO WEAPONS is the quintessence of a complete lack of common sense. It was this ass-headed policy that made it impossible for the soldiers at Ft. Hood to defend themselves when Major Jihad shot the place up.

The idea that an officer can declare allegiance to Islamist practices, proselytize soldiers in an attempt to convert them to Islam, and receive a PROMOTION is the quintessence of a complete lack of common sense.

The idea that this officer should be deployed to a war zone -- where an Islamic enemy is being fought -- is asinine in extreme. That he was even still IN the Army was asinine in extreme.

Congratulations, Army. You suck at so many things, but you have Political Correctness down to a science. Oh yeah, and you're the Wiener of the Week.

Week 10 - winning ugly

On Sunday the Cardinals wiped the floor with the Chicago bears to the tune of 41-21. Last night the 49ers narrowly avoided LOSING....at HOME...to that same team. Oh, sure, it's the NFL, and a win's a win. But a 10-6 squeaker -- on a night where Jay (Santa Claus) Cutler seemed to have an interception for every stocking -- is NOT exactly making a statement. Okay, so he only threw 5 interceptions to 5 different players, including the NOSE TACKLE...still very Santa like, wouldn't you say?

The only touchdown scored by the Niners was set up by a 51-yard interception return. The only sustained drives the Niners managed were their first (which resulted in a missed field goal) and last (which ran almost 6 1/2 minutes off the clock). It was a complete offensive snooze-fest.

Alex Smith played a solid if decidedly unspectacular game. Frank Gore had a MONSTER 4th quarter to end up with 104 yards rushing. Josh Morgan made a HUGE fumble recovery to save one drive that resulted in a field goal. That was the extent of the offense. Really.

The defense played well, particularly Nose Tackle Aubrayo Franklin, who is quickly becoming one of the best NTs in the NFL. He actually DROPPED INTO COVERAGE on the play where he made his interception. Who drops a Nose Tackle into coverage? How cool is THAT?!?!?

I actually saw Patrick Willis miss a tackle for the first time last night...and he did it TWICE. A very un-Willis-like game, to be sure. Still he was, as is his habit, a force on defense.

Still, I'm not happy about BEAR-ly beating a sorry team like Chicago. The Bears came within 8 seconds and 12 yards of winning this game. The Niners really need to get their offensive shit together. If they don't, it's going to be yet another disappointing season.

Coffee is health food

Yes, you read that title correctly. Coffee is actually good for you.

Recent studies indicate that coffee drinkers are less likely to develop Alzheimer's, colon cancer, and diabetes compared to non-drinkers, and they're also less apt to die from heart disease.

Woo hoo! Who knew that I was contributing to my long-term health and well-being all those years I've spent pounding cup after cup after cup of coffee? I can now add "Nutritional Expert" to my titles alongside "Pain Management Expert".

But like all good things, there ARE detrimental effects to coffee in addition to its numerous beneficial effects. It is essential for women to take heed of this risk. Am I referring to insomnia, rapid heartbeat, or irregular heartbeat? Who cares about that stuff? I'm talking about something REALLY important!

Around half of all women possess a gene shown to link breast size to coffee intake.

"Drinking coffee can have a major effect on breast size," said Helena Jernström, a lecturer in experimental oncology at Lund University.
[...]
Studies carried out on almost 270 women showed that there was indeed a clear connection between coffee and smaller breasts. The results of Jernström's findings have been published in the British Journal of Cancer.

No! Not smaller breasts! Oh, the HORROR!

But don't fret. That which coffee taketh, it maketh up for by being a factor in preventing breast cancer!

[C]offee reduces the risk of breast cancer.
[...]
Previous studies have shown that women can reduce this risk [of breast cancer] by drinking at least three cups of coffee a day.

You may lose a cup(size), but you'll gain protection from cancer with three cups (of coffee). It's a tough trade-off, I know. Better healthy than huge, I suppose.

But now you know. The next time some snooty health freak starts giving you flack about your coffee intake, you let them know just how wonderful coffee is for your health.

I'm STILL waiting for the study that proves that bacon is health food....that, and chocolate.

NFL 2009 - the halfway mark

We've reached the midpoint of the NFL season. So, since Toes just LOVES it when I write about football, and yodaddy just LOVES it when I write about the Niners, I'll annoy two of my regulars with one post.

I think it's safe to say that my preseason predictions were a little, uh, off. Here is the breakdown.

NFC
Division/WC	Prediction	Actual
East	Eagles 11-5	Cowboys 6-2
North	Vikings 11-5	Vikings 7-1
South	Saints 10-6	Saints 8-0
West	49ers 9-7	Cardinals 5-3
Wild Card	Giants 11-5	Eagles 5-3
Wild Card	Bears 10-6	Falcons 5-3
AFC
Division/WC	Prediction	Actual
East	Patriots 13-3	Patriots 6-2
North	Steelers 11-5	Bengals 6-2
South	Colts 12-4	Colts 8-0
West	Chargers 11-5	Broncos 6-2
Wild Card	Ravens 11-5	Steelers 6-2
Wild Card	Titans 11-5	Chargers 5-3

As you can see, not TOO bad...but there are holes. I was right in picking the Colts to unseat the Titans, and the Vikings and Saints to rise to the top of their divisions. But the Titans, Ravens, and Bears? Oy!

Can the 49ers still rally to win the West? That depends on which Arizona Cardinals team shows up for the second half of the season; the one that crapped the bed against the Panthers, or the one that wiped the floor with the Bears. I can realistically see the 49ers winning 6 of their remaining 8 games; there are only two legitimate playoff teams left in their schedule (the Eagles and Cardinals).

I picked the Giants to win the NFC. I'm amending that posthaste. Either the Vikings of the Saints will win the NFC. No one else is even close to their level.

Dallas will NOT win the East. No team coached by Wade Phillips will ever win squat. The Giants are my pick to win the East, since the Eagles can't seem to beat pushover teams like the Raiders.

The Bengals are the real deal, but they'll be a Wild Card. The Steelers look invincible.

The Broncos are starting to come back to earth. As flawed as the Chargers are, I believe they'll pass the Broncos and win the West.

The Patriots (my preseason pick for AFC and Super Bowl Champions) are rounding into form and playing quite well. The Colts are undefeated, but they're hardly a super team; they'll lose soon enough, and won't have enough to win the AFC. I stand by my pick of the Pats to win the AFC, barring a surge by the Steelers.

The season is half way over (*sniff*). There is much great football left to play. Let's hope the Niners can overcome the Michael Crabtree curse and rise to the top.

On Hypocricy

Apparently, only people with actual religious views and non-Liberal beliefs can be hypocrites. Let me explain.

I've been sitting here watching HLN (CNN Headline News) owing to the fact that (a) there's nothing else of interest on TV right now, (b) the changer is on the other end of the couch, and (c) I'm too lazy to reach for it.

I was watching the news, but the news morphed into Showbiz Tonight, a gawd-awful celebration of celebrities, their affairs, their drug problems, their journeys out of the closet, etc. And yes, I said celebration. Okay, maybe they don't CELEBRATE the drug problems, but they're sure happy to celebrate a celebrity's 18th "successful" completion of rehab.

Today, however, the subject is hypocrisy. Specifically, the hypocrisy of Carrie Prejean. Ms. Prejean is accused of hypocrisy because she pretends to a position as a Young Conservative Woman Role Model, but it turns out she made a sex tape. A sex tape! Oh, dear!

Understand, I have little use for Ms. Prejean. I'm not at all impressed with her as self-appointed voice for young conservative women. She talks a good game, but she has so many skeletons in her closet that she's useless as a role model.

Nonetheless, the over-the-top slamfest by HLN is grating. In extreme.

Returning to the premise of this post, that only people with actual religious views and non-Liberal beliefs can be hypocrites, I feel like my head is going to explode as I watch this. You want hypocrisy? Let's start with:

• NOW supporting Bill Clinton throughout his impeachment for having relations with a subordinate, but demanding action against David Letterman for essentially the same offense.
  
• The outcry over Larry Craig trolling for gay sex; contrast it with the muted reaction to Barney Frank's live-in lover hosting a gay brothel and dealing drugs in Mr. Frank's own residence.
• The media running wall-to-wall stories on Governor Mark Sanford's shameful affair while barely mentioning PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE and Breck Girl John Edwards fathering a child with a mistress while his wife was fighting cancer!
• Lastly, in their rush to see 1/6 of the US economy subsumed into the ravenous maw of the federal government, no one (except Camille Paglia) is decrying the fact that Congress is exempting itself from the draconian nightmare of collectivism being forced down the throats of the American people.

One could go on and on (and you know the Vulture LOVES to go on and on). But why? None dare call it hypocrisy when it benefits the coming One World Socialist Utopia or those who are working towards it. Apparently everyone is a hypocrite EXCEPT Big Media (the BM for short) and true-believer collectivists.

The irony of THAT hypocrisy is completely lost on hypocrites inclined to sling the "hypocrite" label at others.

Political Correctness kills

Reading this, I don't know how you can come to any other conclusion than that the people who were killed or wounded at Ft. Hood were victims of Political Correctness run amok.

U.S. intelligence agencies were aware months ago that Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan was attempting to make contact with people associated with al Qaeda, two American officials briefed on classified material in the case told ABC News.

According to the officials, the Army was informed of Hasan's contact, but it is unclear what, if anything, the Army did in response.

The Army was informed. And did nothing.

Nothing.

How could they?!?!?

Easy. Major Hasan is part of a protected minority.

An officer who took action against him would imperil any chance of future career advancement. So his superiors sat on the information. Rather than deal with him, they shuttled him from Walter Reed out to Texas, where he could be some other officer's problem.

Instead he became the problem for 13 dead and 38 wounded people. People who would still be alive and whole today had the Army had the balls to do the right thing instead of the PC thing.

PC kills. It's time to cut the BS and let reason rule the day. An Army officer trying to contact al Queda should be brought up on charges of treason - NOW! Said officer should NOT be treated with kid gloves simply because the anti-American tools at CAIR will be offended. Lives depend on it.

Hey, Army! It's time to stop the madness. No more protected minorities. Every soldier is a unique individual and should be judged as an individual, NOT by their group identity. STOP IT! Stop endangering the innocent out of fear of fringe identity groups. Show the courage at the top that our troops show in executing their duties in the field.

You owe it to the troops under your command. You owe it to the American people. And you owe it to the survivors of Thursday's attack.

Week 9 - will the real Alex Smith please stand up?

Yesterday's 34-27 loss to the Titans (the f'ing Titans, for crying out loud!!!) was just plain ugly. U-G-L-Y. After playing quite well for 3 quarters, resulting in a 20-17 lead, a meltdown of Biblical magnitude resulted in a 34-20 deficit. A late garbage touchdown made the score respectable, but a loss is still a loss.

The prime architect of the meltdown was Alex Smith. He played quite well for 3 quarters. Then, in the fourth quarter when the Niners sorely needed him to display leadership, he became Interception Man.

The Titans scored a touchdown to make it 24-20. Smith throws an awful-looking interception (his second of the day; the first was a tipped ball). The defense stiffens and holds the Titans to a field goal, so the Niners can still drive down the field and tie the game. Then Smith throws an even worse interception, a Pick-6. It's 34-20 and all hope is lost. NOW Smith decides to start playing like an NFL quarterback, leading a nice drive for the garbage time touchdown.

His numbers were good if you throw out the 3 picks and a fumble: he was 29-45 for 286 yards and 2 touchdowns. It's the four turnovers, particularly the final two, that killed us.

So who is Alex Smith? Is he the guy who led an awesome drive to put the Niners ahead 17-10 at the half? Or is he the choke machine who threw the two gawd-awful picks late?

Frank Gore had a nice game: 83 yards rushing, 75 yards receiving, and 1 touchdown. Vernon Davis was a monster: 10 catches for 102 yards. Jason Hill, who hadn't been getting a lot of playing time, caught two touchdown passes.

On defense, Patrick Willis (of course) played a monster game. Also playing quite well were Aubrayo Franklin and Parys Haralson, who had 2 tackles for a loss each. But the defense never really got any pressure on Vince Young without blitzing. It was a disappointing effort. And -- not that it's anything to be ashamed of, with him being the NFL's leading rusher and all -- the defense allowed Chris Johnson to rush for 135 yards and 2 touchdowns.

I think it's safe to say that, at 3-5, the team's chances of making the playoffs are now on life support. Nonetheless, the schedule is kind the rest of the way; only Philadelphia and Arizona are playoff-caliber teams among the Niners' remaining games.

Four weeks ago I was ready to "crown their ass". Last night I was ready to throw in the towel. It's going to take a memorable coaching effort from Mike Singletary to turn around this 4 game losing streak and right the ship.