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.

Wiener of the Week

You might notice that I haven't made a show of opining about the debacle that is Health Care "Reform". I've thought about it, but considered it redundant. After all, anyone who's ever read this blog knows how I feel about governmental intrusions into the lives of the American people.

But if, perchance, you're new around here or, God forbid, actually SUPPORT the government's attempted takeover of 1/7 of the American economy, to be run as a Fascist cooperative, you'll be enlightened when you read this post.

This week's Wiener is the person who may someday have the award named after her, she's received it so many times. I give you ChairTool Pelosi and her $15,000 "free" health care.

Today, Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee Dave Camp (R-MI) released a letter from the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) confirming that the failure to comply with the individual mandate to buy health insurance contained in the Pelosi health care bill (H.R. 3962, as amended) could land people in jail. The JCT letter makes clear that Americans who do not maintain “acceptable health insurance coverage” and who choose not to pay the bill’s new individual mandate tax (generally 2.5% of income), are subject to numerous civil and criminal penalties, including criminal fines of up to $250,000 and imprisonment of up to five years.
[...]
Speaker Pelosi’s decision to leave in the jail time provision is a threat to every family who cannot afford the $15,000 premium her plan creates.
[...]
According to the Congressional Budget Office the lowest cost family non-group plan under the Speaker’s bill would cost $15,000 in 2016.

$15,000 is a small price to pay for trading in the Cadillac of health care for what will soon become the same nightmare of waiting and rationing that the British and Canadians now endure. Not to mention that we will be handing over to government lackeys the power of life and death over us once we reach a certain age or if we contract a disease whose treatment cost is deemed excessive.

Now THERE is "change you can believe in" [/sarcasm].

Nancy "Air Force 3" Pelosi, you're the Wiener of the Week.

On Profanity

Let's face it: the Vulture is a potty mouth. Big time. It drives Deadeye bonkers. She thinks it reflects poorly on the kind of person I really am.

Personally, I've never understood what the big deal is with "bad" words. I tend to think of spoken profanities as the equivalent of punctuation in written communication. But Deadeye, my mother, and my in-laws completely disagree. They think it's a terrible thing to use profanity. *shrug*

It's not like I'm proud of my filthy mouth. It has been cause for embarrassment for me for many years. And it's certainly NOT a good representation of my Christian faith. The same mouth I use to praise my Lord I use to call Stamp a **********. Not good.

I've heard it said that the use of profanity reveals a dearth of vocabulary. Yeah? So how many non-profaners do you know who use words like "dearth"? I'll put my vocabulary (in TWO languages, thank you) up against that of any non-swearer anytime.

The reason I bring up the subject is that it turns out that there is actual benefit from using profanity.

Cut your finger? Hurt your leg? Start swearing. It might lessen the pain.

Researchers from the school of psychology at Britain's Keele University have found swearing can make you feel better as it can have a "pain-lessening effect," according to a study published in the journal NeuroReport.

Colleagues Richard Stephens, John Atkins and Andrew Kingston, set out to establish if there was any link between swearing and physical pain.

"Swearing has been around for centuries and is an almost universal human linguistic phenomenon," says Stephens.

"It taps into emotional brain centers and appears to arise in the right brain, whereas most language production occurs in the left cerebral hemisphere of the brain. Our research shows one potential reason why swearing developed and why it persists."

Their study involved 64 volunteers who were each asked to put their hand in a tub of ice water for as long as possible while repeating a swear word of their choice.

They then repeated the experiment using a more commonplace word that they would use to describe a table.

The researchers found the volunteers were able to keep their hands in the ice water for a longer when swearing, establishing a link between swearing and an increase in pain tolerance.

Stephens said it was not clear how or why this link existed but it could be because swearing may increase aggression.

"What is clear is that swearing triggers not only an emotional response, but a physical one too, which may explain why the centuries-old practice of cursing developed and still persists today," he said.

Ha! See? I'm not a potty-mouthed loser! I'm an expert in pain management! So there!

Attempted balance

In a post last week, I excoriated the Left for their penchant for GroupThink. I certainly stand behind what I wrote. But it did get me thinking. Well, that and the Team Elephant leadership and their BS "big tent" (read: "Donkey Lite") electoral philosophy.

GroupThink isn't limited to Leftists. Life-long Republicans are just as guilty. "What?!?!?!?", you say. "Not ME!!!" Really? Answer honestly, dear Republican. Have you ever said or thought:

• A vote for a third-party candidate is a vote for the Democrat.
• A vote for a third-party candidate is a wasted vote.
  
• It doesn't matter who the candidate is, I vote for the guy with the 'R' after his name.
• Our nation's well-being can only be assured by Republicans.
• A RINO (i.e. John McCommie, Olympia Dukakis) is STILL better than a Democrat.
• The Republican party has the REAL interests of America at heart.
• Oh, he just says that stuff during the election to get moderate votes - he doesn't really BELIEVE those things; after all, he's a Republican.

If you answered "yes" to any of those questions, you need to take a little quiet time to think things through. Because Team Elephant is led by individuals that are every bit as venal as those from Team Donkey and Team Elephant's record on ethics is every bit as tawdry as that of the Donkeys.

The fact is that every one of the statements in the bullet points is demonstrably false. A vote for a third-party candidate? It's an absolute DUTY for individuals in this country to vote their conscience and to vote for candidates -- regardless of party -- who reflect their beliefs. The only wasted vote is a vote for some despicable assclown for the sole reason that they have an 'R' after their name. If you have to hold your nose in order to vote for a candidate (i.e. John McCommie) then YOU'VE wasted your vote, NOT the individual who voted third-party.

RINOs have made much of the road to serfdom under a Fascist economic system possible. RINOs have made the abuses of the Education Department possible. RINOs -- particularly NeoCons -- made King George the Dim's Eternal War possible.

The bullet point that you need to rethink more than any other is this one: "Oh, he just says that stuff during the election to get moderate votes - he doesn't really BELIEVE those things; after all, he's a Republican."

It was THAT little gem of illogic that got King George the Dim elected.

Wiener of the Month - October

Team Elephant has been WotM before. Team Elephant will, no doubt, be the WotM again. And again.

The elitist snobs currently at the helm of the party just don't get it. We the people want a Congress and President that respect and abide by the Constitution of the United States. We do NOT want "Democrat Lite", which is what they insist on force feeding us.

In a New York House special election, a nobody running under the banner of the Conservative party nearly beat a well-funded liberal who was, in fact, endorsed by Team Elephant's own candidate!

Democrat Bill Owens has captured the special election for a New York congressional seat that became a fight over the identity of the Republican Party.

Owens defeated Conservative Doug Hoffman and Republican Dierdre Scozzafava (skoh-zuh-FAH'-vuh) in the heavily Republican 23rd congressional District in rural northern New York. Scozzafava abruptly withdrew Saturday and supported Owens.

Hoffman has conceded the race.

With 88 percent of the precincts reporting, Owens had 49 percent of the vote to 46 percent for Hoffman. Scozzafava had 6 percent.

Hoffman got 46% of the vote in spite of the fact the the Team Elephant elite essentially sabotaged his campaign!

Remember last Fall, when I was excoriated for refusing to vote for McCain? What I told you then, I'll repeat now. If you keep holding your nose and voting for whatever disgraceful human being the Team Elephant elite foists upon you, you'll continue to get candidates that require that you hold your nose when you vote for them.

I applaud the run of Mr. Hoffman. I hope that Team Elephant gets the message, but I don't think they will. The right message is that we want conservative candidates from them. The message they'll probably come away with is that they have to work harder to shut up those stupid conservatives in flyover country.

Team Elephant, you're the Wiener of the Month for October.

Week 8 - moral victories don't count in the standings

For the second week in a row the 49ers played just well enough to lose. However, I count this game as a complete moral victory for the Niners. After all, they came T-H-I-S C-L-O-S-E to beating one of the top three teams in the NFL, the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts 18-14 victory brought their record up to a perfect 7-0. The 49ers are the first team to provide any sort of challenge to the mighty Colts, who won their previous four games by an average of 24 points, since Week 2.

But moral victories don't count in the standings. It's still a loss. Thankfully, the Cardinals played down to their potential in crapping the bed against Carolina by a score of 34-21 (message to yodaddy: "Ha Ha!"). That leaves us still one game back with an easier opponent (Tennessee) coming to town next Sunday.

Alex Smith played a very good game. He threw one interception, but it was on a ball tipped by the receiver, whom it hit right in the hands (*cough* Michael Crabtree *cough*). It wasn't the only time Smith was let down by his receivers; Vernon Davis would have had a first down catch in the first quarter if he had bothered to drag his effing foot, and certain Hall of Fame WR Isaac Bruce dropped a ball that hit him right in the hands.

Frank Gore has gone from a poor man's Emmitt Smith in 2007 to a poor man's Barry Sanders in 2009. He broke a run of 64 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, but his other 12 carries netted only 27 yards. You take away his touchdown runs of 79, 78, and 64 yards, and he's having a poor year.

LT Joe Staley hurt his knee on the first play from scrimmage. Since he is the best offensive lineman on the team, I thought it was a sign of impending doom. But Barry Sims came in and played great. In fact, the whole line played a ton better than they had in the previous weeks. Now I'm starting to wonder if Shaun Hill wasn't at fault for a lot of the sacks the O-line gave up.

The defense played GREAT. Oh, sure, Peyton Manning threw for over 340 yards, but you expect that. The important thing was keeping him out of the end zone (the only Colts touchdown scored on a HB option pass) and keeping him off of the field -- I couldn't count the number of times the Colts went 3-and-out.

Patrick Willis had a great game (naturally). But the defensive star of the game was Dashon Goldson, who had 10 tackles from his Safety position and seemed to always be in the right place. CB Shawntae Spencer also played a great game, as did the front three, which registered 3 sacks.

Michael Crabtree had a strange game. Two turnovers were his fault (the Smith interception, and a fumble later in the game). He also managed to run a 12-yard route on 3rd-and-14. But he's making plays; he looked GREAT on a 28-yard strike from Alex Smith during the touchdown drive at the end of the 2nd quarter.

The Niners aren't out of the hunt for the West just yet. They need to win the next two, against Tennessee and Chicago, or it probably won't happen. We shall see. We shall see.