Sunday, August 31, 2014

The last cut is the deepest

It's hard for non-fans to understand the odds against Michael Sam right now.
He was cut by the Rams along with 20 others after the last exhibition game.
The other 31 teams all cut about 20 players as well.
Some of them will be brought be for the eight-member practice squad.
At best, half of the players cut this weekend won't have a landing spot.
Maybe if there are injuries -and they keep working out - a spot might open up.
If not, next spring another class of college players will be ready for the NFL.
He played a lot in the preseason to give him the chance.
But the roster spot wasn't there.

No strategy for current reality

Bill Kristol argues President Obama doesn't have a strategy because he doesn't want to deal with current reality.
But, as President Obama acknowledged in his August 28 press conference, “We don’t have a strategy yet” to deal with the Islamic State. That’s kind of unfortunate. Especially because an American president who was serious about marshaling and mobilizing the elements of national power behind a strategy for victory could, we suspect, defeat the Islamic State more quickly and more easily than President Obama thinks. But President Obama doesn’t have such a war strategy because he still doesn’t want to accept that we’re at war. He believes, after all, that “the tide of war is receding.” So even when he deploys some of the mechanisms of war, he does so hesitantly, defensively, and haphazardly.

No Almond joy

The Atlantic sees trouble with increased almond usage.
How can you enjoy something that's good for you but uses so much water?
Because they taste good.
Next question.

Stick it where the sun doesn't shine

Powerline reminds us of the problem with solar energy - it's not always there when you need it.
[T]here is a major problem with these renewable energy sources. Their electrical output is not dispatchable. Their output is entirely unable respond to electricity demand as and when needed. Energy is contributed to the grid in a haphazard manner dependent on the weather, and certainly not necessarily when it is required.

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Is it a vacation at your own house?

It always interesting to see Obama defenders talk about vacation days - look how many days George W. Bush spent away from the White House.
Where did Bush spend his time?
At his house in West Texas.
Where does Obama spend his time?
Martha's Vineyard and Hawaii.
Vacation destinations.
Very few people vacation in west Texas.
If Obama spent more time in Chicago, the comparison would be valid.

Better than an Indy Car race

This Labor Day weekend, Navy is playing Ohio State in Baltimore.
The first-place Orioles are hosting the Twins.
Last year, the streets were closed for an Indy Car race.
This year's choices are much better.

Have you seen it?

Powerline's weekly collection of cool pictures includes this one of Obama looking for his strategy.

Saturday song

Driving to work Thursday, the radio brought out this golden oldie.


Facebook quote of the week

Be an encourager...the world has plenty of critics as it is!

Bacon, bacon, bacon

Happy International Bacon Day.
Ford knows how to celebrate.

Friday, August 29, 2014

"No strategy" is better than his strategy

Michael Ledeen tells the truth about Obama's Middle East strategy.
The central theme in Obama’s outreach to Iran is his conviction that the United States has historically played a wicked role in the Middle East, and that the best things he can do for that part of the world is to limit and withdraw American military might, and empower our self-declared enemies, whose hostility to traditional American policies he largely shares.
If we look at the current crisis through an Iranian lens, our apparent indecisiveness is easier to understand, for it systematically favors Iran’s interests.

Farewell to postseason hopes

Is Derek Jeter dragging down the Yankees' postseason hopes?
So sad.
Enjoy watching October baseball at home.

Weekend watchdog

Hope you're ready for some college football.
Because there's plenty coming this Labor Day weekend.
The road to the Division I championship game continues Friday with a pair of games on ESPN, with BYU-Connecticut at 7 p.m. followed by UNLV against Arizona at 10:30 p.m. Colorado and Colorado State battle on FoxSports1 at 9 p.m.
Saturday's action begins in Ireland, with Penn State facing Central Florida on ESPN2 at 8:30 a.m.
Virginia hosts UCLA on ESPN at noon.
Notre Dame starts its season on NBC, facing Rice at 3:30 p.m. Fox brings Southern Cal against Fresno State at 7:15 p.m.
ABC has an afternoon doubleheader, featuring West Virginia-Alabama and California meeting Northwestern. ESPN2 will show the game not over the air in your area. Top-ranked Florida State battles Oklahoma State at 8 p.m. from Cowboys Stadium.
Appalachian State travels to Michigan at noon on ESPN2.
Clemson and Georgia have their top-20 battle between the hedges on ESPN at 5:30 p.m. followed by Wisconsin-LSU at 9 p.m.
FoxSports1 starts its day at noon with Iowa State hosting North Dakota State, while Georgia Tech hosts Wofford on Comcast at 12:30 p.m.
Sunday, Baylor battles SMU on FoxSports1 at 7:30 p.m. and Alabama A&M faces North Carolina A&T at 11:45 a.m. on ESPN.
Louisville makes its ACC debut Monday against Miami at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
ESPN2 has high school football from California Friday at 11 p.m., with Jesuit against DeLaSalle.
The Orioles host the Twins for a four-game set starting Friday on MASN, while Washington heads to Washington State, playing the Mariners on MASN2.
FoxSports1 brings the Pirates and Reds Saturday at 4 p.m. The Tigers and White Sox play Sunday at 2 p.m. on TBS, and ESPN2 caps the weekend as the Royals host the Indians at 8 p.m.
Brush up on your NASCAR knowledge as the Sprint Cup circuit visits Atlanta Sunday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. The Nationwide series goes Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
The Indy Car circuit visits Fontana Saturday at 9 a.m. on NBC Sports network.
It's the middle weekend of the U.S. Open, with coverage on CBS Saturday, Sunday and Monday at 11 a.m. ESPN has early round action Friday at 1 p.m., and there's primetime play on ESPN2 Friday at 7 p.m.
There's the second game of the WNBA Western finals Sunday at 3:30 p.m. on ABC, with Phoenix going against Minnesota.
The United States faces Finland in the World Cup of basketball Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN, then takes on Turkey Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
NBC offers Everton against Chelsea Saturday at 12:30 p.m. NBC Sports network gets the day going at 7:45 a.m. with Manchester United-Burnley, then Manchester City plays Stoke City at 10 a.m. Tottenham Hotspur takes on Liverpool Sunday at 8:30 a.m. and Arsenal battles Leicester City at 11 a.m.
D.C. United takes on the Red Bulls Sunday at 2:30 p.m. on NBC Sports network, while Houston plays Kansas City Friday at 8 p.m.
Seattle plays Kansas City in women's soccer Sunday at 3 p.m. on ESPN2.
The PGA tour visits Boston for the Deutsche Bank Championship Sunday at 3 p.m. and Monday at 1:30 p.m. on NBC.
The Woodward Stakes runs on NBC Sports network Saturday at 6 p.m.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

New York Times unarmed

Whenever the New York Times writes about Michael Brown, the words used cause trouble.
Now it's "burly."
Apparently "unarmed" is the only word that matters.

Keep the coal coming

Coal trains rumble through Fishersville headed toward the coast.
Empty coal trains head back to West Virginia on the same tracks.
With all the power plant construction in Germany, it looks like coal trains will continue to rumble through.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Ready for the battle of the Bluefields

Some big rivalries will start the 2014 high school football season Friday - with one getting shown online.
Bluefield and Graham share a stadium on the West Virginia/Virginia border, and Great American Rivalry will start its season with the game.
I found my coverage of the 1994 game here, on page 26.
Enjoy the action.

Back where it belongs

Ten years ago, NASCAR decided to have a new Labor Day tradition - moving its race from Darlington.
In 2015, they will be back at Darlington on Labor Day weekend.
Traditions are there for a reason.

The pain of Kaine wanting Obama to explain

Tim Kaine wants a vote before authorizing military force against ISIS.
Not all Democrats agree.
Vulnerable Democrats fighting for their political lives are frustrated that Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, is pressing for a debate on giving President Obama new war powers at a time when the commander-in-chief has become a political liability for them.
“Asking anybody to take that vote within two months of an election is just stupid. Why would you put people in that position?” said a Senate Democratic aide.
Is Kaine trying to help Obama share the blame?
Might be time to explain that.

Jayvee explanation

Powerline looks at the spin over President Obama's "jayvee" comment on ISIS.
There is no getting around it. And given what ISIS has since achieved — plus the administration’s recent concession that ISIS has designs on attacking the U.S. — Obama’s “jayvee” comment will probably become the tag line of his presidency, in something like the way “Mission Accomplished” is President Bush’s.
Should Obama be consider "jayvee?"
Mission accomplished.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Lois Lerner storage service

Lois Lerner lost emails.
Her hard drive crashed.
Now her Blackberry.
It's like she worked at the beach, and wrote her notes in the sand at low tide.
No traces left.

End of the paper chase

Megan McArdle looks at the gloomy future for newspapers.
Newspaper circulation has fallen only a little bit among readers older than 65, but it has started low and fallen lower among the under-35 demographic. It doesn’t seem reasonable at this point to believe that those folks will ever pick up the newspaper habit.
It was a good run.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Home of the Whopper, eh

Give me Tim Horton's donuts.
And Burger King a tax break.
What's not to like?

If the alarm clocks don't work

Chris Graham sees a way for Virginia to beat UCLA Saturday - the noon start will be 9 a.m. on their body clocks.
Not a problem for the Bruins.
I'm available to help if needed.
My youngest slept until noon all summer. But when school started, I was able to get him up at 6:30 a.m. to catch the bus.
I think UCLA will be able to handle East Coast time as well.

Quake up call

Via Instapundit, data on how the Napa earthquake impacted sleep patterns.
Napa, Sonoma, Vallejo, and Fairfield were less than 15 miles from the epicenter. Almost all (93%) of the UP wearers in these cities suddenly woke up at 3:20AM when the quake struck. Farther from the epicenter, the impact was weaker and more people slept through the shaking. In San Francisco and Oakland, slightly more than half (55%) woke up. As we look even farther, the effect becomes progressively weaker — almost no UP wearers in Modesto and Santa Cruz (and others between 75 and 100 miles from the epicenter) were woken up by the earthquake, according to UP data.

Watching the collapse

The next few months will be fun, watching liberals run away from Obama's failures.
He wasn't liberal enough.
He didn't attack Republicans like they wanted.
Reality is tough.
For Obama and his friends.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Challenge to be different

What's one of the best things about the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge?
Besides the money raised.
It's seeing the creativity of people.
We don't do the bucket challenge the same mandated way.
People use different size buckets.
Sometimes family members do the honor.
Others dunk themselves.
I bet you liked how Bill Gates did his.
I just saw one at a farm, with a front-end loader bucket full of cold water falling onto a couple.
That's a real cold shower.
Everyone is different, but working toward a common goal.
Not having to follow a common directive, but doing it our way.
George W. Bush has done his challenge.
When does Bill Clinton answer?

He doesn't know what he doesn't know

Belmont Club sees the reason for the Obama administration's panic over ISIS.
In retrospect it was clear Obama didn’t know the true state of affairs. He didn’t even suspect he had got it wrong; it was an “unknown unknown” to him. And not just in some insignificant detail but an error lurking in the facts which made up the very cornerstone of his strategic thinking. The Remnick article clearly illustrates just how critical the mistakes were.
For a gang that can't admit they made a mistake, this is the hardest part.

Marching to the sea again

Victor Davis Hanson sees parallels between the IDF campaign in Gaza and Sherman's famous march to the sea in 1864.
Sherman accepted southern hatred, but he assumed that after he left the Deep South, civilians would start to see a logic to his devastation: The homes and property of the middle classes and poor were largely spared, the infrastructure of the wealthy and of the state were not. That ruthless selectivity would spawn endless arguments among southerners over who was to blame for such destruction — well beyond Sherman himself. Certainly, for all the popular hatred, Georgians and Carolinians were far more likely to be alive after Sherman left than Virginians were after Grant was finished.
The Israeli army was eerily Shermanesque when it went into Gaza. The IDF targeted the homes of the wealthy Hamas elite, the private sanctuaries of the tunnels, and the rocketry and other infrastructure of the Hamas terrorist state. The homes of civilians who did not have rockets in the backyard or tunnels in the basement were usually not hit, and that sent a telling Shermanesque lesson. Long after the international media’s cameras have left, Gazans will argue over why one man’s house was leveled and another’s was not, leading to the conclusion more often than not that one was being used by Hamas, either with or without its owner’s consent, while the other was not.
Don't stop until Hamas has learned the lesson.

Making it a foursome

Instapundit found a great image to go with increasing criticism of President Obama's golf addiction.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Sounds of your life

Via one of Ace's idiots, the pretty sound effect for your jokes.
And some other choices as well.

Down for the struggle

A rally in support of Officer Wilson in Ferguson attracted an on-duty postal worker - who pretended to be dead as the cameras rolled.
Hands up and do your job.

Remembering the summer of Pete

ESPN looks back on Pete Rose's ban from baseball, 25 years after the ruling came down.
As the summer dragged on, Rose's attorneys pursued remedies through the legal system. A Cincinnati judge named Norbert Nadel gave Rose a temporary reprieve when he blocked a hearing at which Giamatti could have banned Rose from the game. But the escape hatches eventually closed for good, and Rose was finally forced to come to grips with reality. He accepted a lifetime ban on Aug. 23, and his lawyers and MLB drew up the paperwork.
Forever oblivious to appearances, Rose flew to Minneapolis that night to hawk memorabilia on the Cable Value Network. The next morning, he appeared at a news conference, apologized to fans and steadfastly denied he had bet on baseball. The interview room at Riverfront Stadium was so packed with reporters I had to watch the announcement from outside the front door.
The next year, the Reds won the World Series.
And still Rose remains outside of baseball.

Facebook quote of the week

We need a Nationwide ban on Liberals!!!! PERIOD!!!

Saturday song

Ready for a morning song? This is it.

The most important meal of the day

Via Instapundit, word of new research about breakfast.
After six weeks, their body weights, resting metabolic rates, cholesterol and most measures of blood sugar were about the same as they had been at the start, whether people ate breakfast or not. The one difference was that the breakfast eaters seemed to move around more during the morning; their activity monitors showed that volunteers in this group burned almost 500 calories more in light-intensity movement. But by eating breakfast, they also consumed an additional 500 calories each day.
Guess SpongeBob needs a new song.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Hail to the Editorial Board

How nice of the Washington Post editorial board to say they won't use the Redskins name in editorials.
If only they'd stop writing about the subject.

Hail to the Editors.
Hail ennui.
Writers on a warpath
Fight to be P.C.

Weekend watchdog

If you want to make NASCAR's Chase for the Cup, you have to shine at night.
There's three night races left and four spots left before the 16-car chase, which features race winners this season plus the tops in points among non-winners. Twelve different drivers have locked in their places, and the rest will continue the battle Saturday in Bristol.
ABC has coverage at 7:30 p.m.
Jeff Gordon leads the pack with three wins after taking the Michigan race, with Dale Earnhardt Jr, Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson close behind in points with three trips to Victory Lane also.
Nationwide racers hit the track Friday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.
The Formula One racers will be in Belgium Sunday at 7:30 a.m. on NBC Sports network. There's practice Friday at 8 a.m.
IndyCar visits Sonoma on NBC Sports network, with the race Sunday at 4 p.m. after qualifying Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
The Orioles finish their week in Chicago with a three-game set against the Cubs on MASN. The Nationals host the Giants for the weekend - Friday on MASN and Saturday and Sunday on MASN2. Saturday's game will also be on FoxSports1 and Sunday on TBS.
FoxSports1 shows Braves at Reds Saturday at 7 p.m., and the Angels and A's close the weekend Sunday at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
The Little League World Series closes its run Sunday at 3 p.m. on ABC, matching Saturday's winners. South Korea plays Japan for the International title Saturday at 12:30 p.m. on ABC, then the United States champion will be crowned at 3:30 p.m. as Nevada plays Chicago.
ESPN has the third place game Sunday at 10 a.m.
The Redskins and Ravens battle in the NFL preseason Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on Comcast.
CBS has the Raiders facing the Packers Friday at 8 p.m. and Colts-Saints Saturday at 8 p.m. The Chargers visit the 49ers' new stadium Sunday at 4 p.m. on Fox, and NBC closes the weekend with Bengals against Cardinals Sunday at 8 p.m.
Arena Football ends its season Saturday at 8 p.m. on ESPN, with Arizona battling Cleveland for the title.
The college season get an early kickoff on ESPN. Bowl Championship Series members Sam Houston State and Eastern Washington meet Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
Miami Central meets Hoover of Alabama on the high school gridiron Saturday at noon on ESPN. Trinity Christian takes on Buford of Georgia on ESPN2 Saturday at 9 p.m. Sunday, it's off to Tennessee at noon for Oakland-Blackman on ESPN2. Florida's Dwyer and American Heritage play on ESPN 3 p.m. Sunday.
Everton faces Arsenal Saturday at 12:30 p.m. on NBC. Aston Villa meets Newcastle United Saturday at 7:45 a.m. on NBC Sports network, followed by Chelsea-Leicester City. Sunderland takes on Manchester United Sunday at 11 a.m.
Real Salt Lake takes on Dallas Friday at 9 p.m. on NBC Sports network while ESPN2 brings Portland-Seattle Sunday at 5 p.m.
Women's soccer has a semifinal match between Kansas City and Portland Saturday at 1 p.m. on ESPN2, then Seattle takes on Washington Sunday at 11 p.m.
NBC carries the U.S. women's gymnastics competition from Pittsburgh Saturday at 8 p.m.
The PGA tour's Fed Ex playoff run begins this weekend at the Barclays in New Jersey. CBS has coverage Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
CBS prepares for the U.S. Open with Arthur Ashe Kids Day Sunday at noon. The men gear up for the tournament in Winston-Salem, with semifinals Friday at 3 p.m. on ESPN2. CBS carries the final Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Connecticut hosts top women, with semifinals Friday at 1 p.m. on ESPN2. The final will be Saturday at 3 p.m.
In international basketball, the United States faces Puerto Rico Friday at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
The WNBA playoffs continue on ESPN2 Saturday at 5 p.m. with Washington-Indiana, followed by San Antonio against Minnesota. Sunday at 7 p.m., Atlanta faces Chicago on ESPN2 before the Sparks face Phoenix.
The Travers Stakes from Saratoga will be Saturday at 4:30 p.m. on NBC.
The Pacific Classic will be on NBC Sports network Sunday at 8 p.m.
NBC Sports network has the fifth stage of the U.S. Pro cycling championships Friday at 3:30 p.m., with coverage continuing Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The seventh stage will be on NBC Sunday at 4 p.m.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Trust

Matt Walsh sees all the trouble in the world and seeks some help.
And remembers we are here for a reason.
The truth is that God knew what challenges we would face before we faced them. He knew where our society would be before we were born into it. He knew of the despair, violence, and misery before we felt it.
He knew that our time would call for warriors, and so He sent us.
He sent us — you and me and everyone. He sent us here, now, today, because we have work to do. We have a mission to complete, a purpose to fulfill.

Until this weekend

Wall Street Journal tells of the declining attendance at Wrigley Field.
Hopefully not this weekend.
The Orioles are in town.
They might make the friendly confines more friendly for the AL East leaders.

No dinosaurs harmed in this post

Apparently you can't write about shooting a dinosaur with a gun in Summerville, South Carolina.
Stick to football, Green Wave.
All living dinosaurs are safe from gun violence.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Obama is bland

Althouse answers why President Obama is letting his fans down.
Maybe because he didn't act stupidly.
5. Obama doesn't want a replay of the Skip Gates fiasco, where he blurted out that the police "acted stupidly," when he didn't really know the the facts, and it turned out that what the police did was not stupid at all. In the case of the Ferguson incident, we don't know the facts. Today, I'm seeing: "Police sources tell me more than a dozen witnesses have corroborated cop's version of events in shooting #Ferguson." (Ezra Klein brings up Skip Gates, but doesn't mention that Obama got the facts wrong because he spoke too soon, only that "the White House no longer believes Obama can bridge divides.")

What does the DOJ know?

Gateway Pundit's reporting that Officer Wilson suffered an eye injury in the Ferguson confrontation opens the question - does the Department of Justice know this?
If the officer was injured, how can this information be released?
Can his picture after the incident be shown?
The Friday release of the video from the store brought out angry words and property destruction the next night.
This could be much bigger, and thus harder to control.
It would be nice for Eric Holder to stay next to Wilson and tell people to turn their anger elsewhere.
Now.
Sooner better than later.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Don Pardo, just tell me now what I didn't win

Don Pardo stole the scene during Weird Al's "I lost on Jeopardy."
Sorry, no Turtle Wax for you.

Headline writers hardest hit

Hail to the Redskins.
Or Skins.
When you're writing a headline for the newspaper, shorter names let you put more action into it.
Or
Give a
chance
to stack
stories
Washington won't fit in one column.
But announcers can say Washington all they want.
It leaves fewer syllables for silly commentary.
HTTR.

Don't beat on the police

Rule number one in life - don't hit the police.
That goes for you too, media.

Indictment of the indictment

DaTech Guy enjoys seeing the New York Times come out in support of Texas Governor Rick Perry.
low info voters Democrats depend on simply love Youtube videos of drunken people making asses of themselves might not think it’s unreasonable to require the head of a public integrity unit to be someone other that a lady who makes drunken threats against police.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Flighty Senator

Pat from Shreveport drops the bad news on Senator Mary Landrieu and her trouble paying for campaign flights.
CNN broke the story last Tuesday and, embarrassed, Landrieu’s campaign claimed it was all a big mistake, it wasn’t her fault, and that the charter company had billed Landrieu’s Senate office rather than the campaign.  It’s a good effort – the Blame-Someone-Else method works pretty well for Obama, so I can see why Landrieu would try it.
Let's retire this Democrat.

Ups and downs of the first day of school

It's good in the morning to send the kids off on their first day of school.
But not looking forward to the evening - filling out all the first day of school paperwork.

They're going back

Viewing the Staples commercial never gets old.


Sunday, August 17, 2014

A-maze-ing in New Jersey

Sports Illustrated found a corn maze for Yankees fans.
This will give them something to do in October when the playoffs start and their season is over.

Happy Back to School Eve

So what if it's August 17?
It's two weeks until Labor Day, and the day before Augusta County schools start again.
Can the boys wake up and get to school on time?
We'll find out early Monday morning.

The price isn't right

Powerline examines the price of having Hillary Clinton speak at UNLV.
Whatever she had to say, it's not worth the price.

You bet your life

The opening of a new casino just south of the Baltimore Ravens' stadium prompts David Frum to examine the losing bet of casinos.
The casino market is nearing saturation, if it is not already saturated. Two casinos have closed in Mississippi this yearFour have closed or will soon close in Atlantic City, including the glitziest hotel on the boardwalk, Revel.  
Casinos that do stay in business yield less to their towns and states. Revenues from Maryland’s first casino, in Perryville, at the northern tip of Chesapeake Bay, have already dropped 30 percent from their peak in 2008, and are expected to decline even more rapidly in future as competitors proliferate.

Saturday, August 16, 2014

New field of dreams

After three weeks in West Virginia, the New Orleans Saints headed home.
They'll be back at the Greenbrier.
And so might other events.
Justice said possibilities for professional baseball, professional soccer, high school games and in-state college football games are being discussed, and plans are being finalized for West Virginia, Marshall and Virginia Tech to each spend a weekend during spring practices at the facility.
He built, and wants teams to come.

Know your collectors

Megan McArdle recommends a story about the world of really old debt.
The multiple layers of debt collection makes for an enforcement nightmare if you fall prey to them.
The Federal Trade Commission, which is in charge of regulating this stuff, is not really equipped to rid the world of a bunch of fly-by-night collection shops operating out of temporary office spaces or the back of some guy’s warehouse; it's good at wrangling with corporations that have big, marble-floored headquarters that can’t easily be moved to a nearby shed if the government comes knocking.

Facebook quote of the week

Stopping by Martin's and found a grocery cart where none of the wheels wobbled on me. Then a bag boy came out from around the corner with a hammer and said, "Here sir, let me fix this for you" and immediately started to hammer one of the wheels on the cart. It wobbles now like all the others. "You're welcome" as he walked away.

Saturday song

On hold the other day, I got a long listen to this song.

Friday, August 15, 2014

Drunk and a pain

You may have heard Texas governor Rick Perry was indicted for misuse of his veto authority.
Have you seen the person the veto was focused upon?
She was drunk and a pain.
0.238.
Ought to be her support level when this video goes out.

The motives in Ferguson

Ace looks at motives after today's developments in Ferguson, Missouri.
I can understand why Brown would grab for a gun, or assault a cop -- he had just committed a robbery. He would have a reason to do that. (Not a good reason, but a reason.)
On the other hand, I have trouble understanding why a cop would just gun Brown down. The entire theory seems to hang on the motive: Because he hated black teenagers and wished to murder them on general principles.

Weekend watchdog

Will Johnny Manziel have a big impact in his rookie season?
Monday might be a time we'll find out.
Manziel and the Browns close the second week of the NFL preseason Monday at 8 p.m., visiting the Redskins at FedEx field.
The Browns dropped their preseason opener 13-12 to Detroit, with Manziel completing seven passes for 63 yards and rushing six times. RGIII and the Redskins opened the preseason with a 23-6 win over New England.
With most teams using their third preseason game to set the season's lineup, the battle between Manziel and Brian Hoyer should keep interest late in the second half.
The Ravens make their first visit to Jerry's World, facing the Cowboys Saturday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
Fox has the Chiefs taking on the Panthers Sunday at 8 p.m.
The Nationals visit Pittsburgh Friday and Saturday on MASN before moving to MASN2 Sunday at 5 p.m. The Orioles travel to Cleveland for the weekend, with games Friday and Saturday on MASN2 before going to MASN Sunday afternoon.
FoxSports1 has a doubleheader Saturday - Yankees against Rays at 4:10 p.m. following the Padres taking on the Cardinals. ESPN has the Braves and A's Sunday night, while the Mariners take on the Tigers Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Little League World Series continues Friday at 1 p.m. on ESPN with Mexico-Canada before Pennsylvania takes on Tennessee. ESPN2 has Venezuela facing Japan at 5 p.m. before ESPN returns at 8 p.m. when Rhode Island plays Texas.
Action continues Saturday in the loser's bracket at noon and 7 p.m. on ESPN, 2 p.m. on ABC and 5 p.m. on ESPN2. First game winners play Sunday - at noon and 7 p.m. on ESPN2, 5 p.m. on ESPN and 2 p.m. on ABC.
There's more double-elimination action through the week before the champion will be crowned next Sunday.
The new Premier League season starts this weekend, and NBC offers Arsenal against Crystal Palace Saturday at 12:30 p.m. NBC Sports network brings Manchester United-Swansea City Saturday at 7:45 a.m., and a pair of games Sunday - Liverpool plays Southampton at 8:30 a.m. followed by Newcastle United meeting Manchester City.
D.C. United hosts Colorado Sunday at 8 p.m. on Comcast. Philadelphia visits Houston on NBC Sports network Friday at 9 p.m. and Seattle takes on Real Salt Lake Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
NASCAR goes to Michigan Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN. The Nationwide racers hit the track on ESPN Saturday at 2:45 p.m.
NBC Sports network has the IndyCar race from Wisconsin Sunday at 3 p.m.
The PGA tour visits Greensboro for the Wyndham Championships Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. on CBS.
ESPN2 has the Western and Southern Open, with quarterfinals Friday at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. and semifinals Saturday at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. The women's final will be Sunday at 2 p.m., followed by the men at 4 p.m.
The United States takes on Brazil in international basketball Saturday at 9 p.m. on ESPN.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Meet the unemployed

Farewell to David Gregory from Meet the Press.
Might not be a big going away party.

Precise measurements

My 17-year-old had his yearly checkup today.
They checked his height.
It's not 6-foot.
It's 6-foot, 1/100 of an inch.
Then he got his haircut this evening.
I wonder if that clipped the 1/100 of an inch off his height.

The conversation is depressing

Matt Walsh answers those who read - and who commented without reading - his post on Robin Williams and suicide.
Most discouraging is the fact that many were so eager to jump onto the dog pile that they didn’t take the time to figure out what the fuss was all about. Here is a rough estimate: I’d say a good 75 percent of the hate has come from individuals who clearly did not read what I wrote. I know they didn’t read it because their objections are often wildly disconnected from the content of the post.
Walsh explained his writings.
If only people would read that, instead of tweets that don't tell the whole picture.

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

A fight - whether you want it or not

Jonah Goldberg sees the struggle against Islam continue - despite the hopes of some that a change of presidents would make a difference.
No one in the West wants a generational struggle with jihadism any more than Israel wants perpetual war with Hamas in Gaza. The problem is the enemy always gets a vote. It just may be that the Middle East will become the West’s Gaza. And, so far, nobody has a good answer for what to do about it. 

Still Rush lives

A Facebook friend posted Lewis Black's rant on Rush Limbaugh.
A rant by Lewis Black? How unexpected.
Both Robin Williams and Rush Limbaugh were born in 1951.
Both came from well-to-do families.
Both have had multiple marriages.
Both have brought enjoyment to fans over many decades.
Williams is gone.
Limbaugh goes on.

Good luck from South Korea

We now know why the Kansas City Royals are playing so well - a fan from South Korea came to visit.
This week will have been one of the most special weeks in my lifetime as a Royals fan. Because you see, Sung Woo didn’t fly all the way here from South Korea to see the Royals win. He came here to be a part of Royals Nation. He came here to be part of a community. He came here to meet us. And an astounding number of people have returned the favor.

Suicide isn't painless

Matt Walsh looks at the media attention over Robin Williams and issues a warning.
There are important truths we can take from the suicide of a rich and powerful man, yet I’m worried that we are too afraid to tackle the subject, or too blind to tackle it with any depth, so we only perpetuate the problem. But worse than the glossing over of suicide is the fact that we seem to approach it with an attitude that nearly resembles admiration.
The issue isn't depression.
It's what he did.
And how his loved ones have to deal with it.
I understand the inclination to be positive, but there is nothing positive to say about it. The cloud is infinitely dark, and there is no silver lining around it. That’s another tragic element to the evil of suicide — it robs your family of the solaces they naturally seek when a loved one passes away.
It's sad, and doesn't need to be sadder for others.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Bucket list

The bucket challenge is going strong, but it will be tough to top Paul Bissonette's venue.
Or his Speedo.

Fracking makes bad guys sad

Powerline likes the Colorado ads on fracking.
The rich Arab and rich Russian don't like the idea.

How about vacation inequality?

The Boston Herald doesn't offer welcome to rich Democrats enjoying the Atlantic beaches during August.
How do you claim to be fighting for the little guy, in a party that demonizes the rich, and then live this lifestyle so utterly unequal to the people you want to elect you?
The Obamas are slumming it in comparison to the Clintons. Their Vineyard retreat is only assessed at $12 million.
I know.
Some are more equal than others.

Monday, August 11, 2014

Shazbot

News of Robin Williams' death has begun filling the airwaves.

Digging your own grave

Powerline gives more info on the Gaza tunnels - how Hamas killed those who worked on the system.
Hamas reportedly executed dozens more diggers in the past few weeks out of fear that they would provide information to Israel about where the tunnels are located.
The executions were reported on an Israeli military blog, based on statements by Palestinians involved in the digging. The Times of Israel could not independently confirm the report. But who can doubt that Hamas, which reportedly spent 40 percent of its budget on the digging and used child labor, would take the most extreme measures to keep the locations secret from Israel?
Israelis head to underground shelters to live.
In Gaza, going underground means you're going to die.

How dare you call me a Democrat

Politico reports on a Democratic strategy for 2014 - appeal to conservatives.
Faced with a treacherous political environment, many Democrats are trotting out campaign ads that call for balanced budgets, tax cuts and other more traditionally GOP positions. Some of them are running in congressional districts that just two years ago broke sharply for President Barack Obama.
The Republican-flavored ads provide an early glimpse of how Democrats will wage their 2014 campaign. Democrats, hampered by Obama’s rising unpopularity and the tendency for conservatives to turn out at higher levels than liberals in midterm years, face the reality that swing congressional districts favorable to them in 2012 will be far less so in 2014.
Sounds like a Republican year.

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Hillary throws Obama under the bus

The big question for Hillary Clinton - how does she use President Obama's electoral coattails while avoiding his policy troubles?
ISIS offers our first glimpse at her plans.
Clinton, in a new interview with Jeffrey Goldberg in the magazine, blasted the administration’s failure to arm Syrian rebels in the early phase of their uprising against President Bashar al Assad – a policy she tried to change.
“The failure to help build up a credible fighting force of the people who were the originators of the protests against Assad—there were Islamists, there were secularists, there was everything in the middle—the failure to do that left a big vacuum, which the jihadists have now filled,” Clinton said.
If only they had listened to me.
The group of people who like Obama - but don't like this policies for being too liberal - is a small number to build your campaign upon.

It's our team, and we like the name Redskins

The University of Minnesota has added the latest fuel to the Redskins name fire.
When the Vikings host the Redskins in early November, the university doesn't want the name used.
Opponents of the name keep coming up with reasons to dislike the name.
But fans of the Redskins like it.
They think it's praiseworthy for Indians.
There are noble characteristics that they want their team to possess, thus giving them the name Redskins.
If you think a name denigrates your favorite team, you wouldn't be proud of it.
Sports columnists focus on Daniel Snyder as the reason for the name not being changed yet.
He is, but not because he's the owner.
It's because he's a fan.
The name Redskins gives him good memories of time spent with his father, rooting for their team.
Fans are the ones who'd have to pay for new gear if the name changes.
They are happy enjoying their team.
Hail to the Redskins, Hail Victory. Braves on a warpath, Fight for old D.C.

Clunker of a program

Remember "Cash for Clunkers?"
According to the findings of three Texas A&M University economics professors, “Cash for Clunkers” ultimately caused auto industry revenue to shrink by about $3 billion in less than a year.
But the government clunkers got their cash.

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Take the plunge

Via Dustbury, an update from the Roman Empire.

How to win in Iraq

Powerline has a simple solution for Iraq - arm the Kurds.
The peshmerga are a brave, competent fighting force. But they need modern weapons–and they are even willing to pay for them! Everyone knows that air strikes are of limited use at best. They can kill a handful of terrorists and momentarily disrupt operations, but they cannot win a war, which is what is going on in Iraq. As in so many other areas, the Obama administration is reaping the bitter fruit of years of bad policies. But better late than never: we should arm the Kurds, immediately.

Saturday song

Billy Joel heads back to school, for the first time in the longest time.


Facebook quote of the week

Thought of the day!
When the inventor of the USB dies they'll gently lower the coffin, then pull it back up, turn it the other way, then lower it again.

Friday, August 8, 2014

Watching the Orioles fly

A 12-0 lead is a good time to talk about how the Orioles are so well.
Don’t look now, but the Baltimore Orioles have the third-best record in the major leagues and the largest lead of any of the six division leaders (five games over the Yankees and Blue Jays). Since May 31, more than half of the season to this point, the Orioles have had the best record in baseball, going 39-22 (.639) over that span, a game better than the consensus best team in baseball, the Oakland Athletics. All of that from a team that entered action on May 31 with a losing record, lost its All-Star catcher to Tommy John surgery in early May, and has scored just shy of four runs per game since July 1.
Eight weeks until the baseball playoffs start.

How did the tennis match end?

Did you watch President Obama's speech Thursday?
Constant back and forth between the teleprompters, like each contained only a word or two.
Althouse noticed.
He was speaking in the White House dining room, without an audience, and he used the style of teleprompter reading that has him looking to one side for a while and then to the other, as if he were addressing a roomful of people. I guess there were people in the room, technicians and advisers, but we TV-watchers were the audience, and the side-to-side business felt evasive. He looked and sounded half robotic and half scared.Your head usually doesn't move that fast at center court of Wimbledon.
And he didn't look straight into the camera while I watched.
Evasive sounds right.

Weekend watchdog

Six years ago, Tiger Woods won his 14th major championship.
This weekend is his last chance for number 15 in 2014. If he makes it to the weekend.
Coming off an early exit last Sunday, Woods will try to win the PGA championship at Valhalla. He shot three-over par Thursday, and TNT will have coverage of his attempt to make the cut Friday starting at 1 p.m.
CBS has coverage Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. TNT begins both weekend days at 11  a.m.
The Orioles face the Cardinals on MASN for the weekend (Saturday's game will also be on FoxSports1). The Nationals head to Atlanta for games Friday and Saturday on MASN2 and Sunday night on ESPN.
FoxSports1 has the Indians and Yankees Saturday at 1 p.m. while the Brewers take on the Dodgers Sunday at 2 p.m. on TBS.
The road to Williamsport continues on ESPN Friday at 11 a.m. with a Mid-Atlantic semifinal on ESPN. The second semifinal will be at 3 p.m., with the Midwest final at 1 p.m. The Southeast crowns its champion at 7 p.m. The West regional semifinals are 5 p.m. on ESPN2 and 9 p.m. on ESPN.
Four tickets to Williamsport get punched Saturday on ESPN, starting at 2 p.m. in the Great Lakes region. It's out to the Northwest at 4 p.m., followed by the New England regional at 7 p.m. and West final at 9 p.m.
The Mid-Atlantic final will be on ESPN2 Sunday at 6 p.m.
The Senior League softball championship will be Saturday at noon on ESPN, while the Big League title tilt is 5 p.m. on ESPN2.
NASCAR visits Watkins Glen Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN while ABC carries the Nationwide race Saturday at 2 p.m.
Arizona faces San Jose in Arena Football Sunday at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.
ESPN2 has the quarterfinals in the Rogers Cup Friday at 1 and 7 p.m., with a women's semifinal Saturday at 1 p.m. and men's semifinals at 3 and 7. The women's final is Sunday at 1 p.m., followed by the men at 3 p.m.
D.C. United visits Real Salt Lake Saturday at 10 p.m. on Comcast. San Jose faces the Galaxy Friday at 10:30 p.m. on NBC Sports network while ESPN2 has the Sounders against Houston Sunday at 10:30 p.m.
In friendly action, Liverpool meets Borussia Dortmund Sunday at 7 a.m. on NBC Sports network.
The Lynx face Chicago in WNBA play Thursday at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Callow and shallow

Rich Lowry looks at the small man behind the Obama presidency.
His greatest rhetorical skill turns out to be mockery. The man who once promised to transcend political divisions is an expert at the stinging partisan jab. What Churchill was to thundering statements of resolve, he is to snotty put-downs.

An awesome post

Over at DaTech Guy, A.P. Dillon sings the praises of Lego movie again.
President Business’s character  represents the corporate machine driving Common Core. So obsessed with making everything perfect that he misses the big picture – perfection is our  individuality and the creativity that comes with it. Stifling the world with the ‘Kragle’ (Common Core) means missing out on who we are and what we can do.

Planning your entertainment options

Want to set your movie schedule through 2020?
Nikki Finke can help.
I just paid for the youngest's 8th grade enrollment. He'll be in college when the last of these projects rolls out.

Halftime should be weird

SI reports that some fans want Weird Al Yankovic to do the Super Bowl halftime show.
Definitely no wardrobe malfunctions.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Home, where they belong

Via Ace, the travails of college graduates moving back home.
This spring, the New York Times Magazine commissioned Casarez to continue his series across the country. He ended up photographing 15 people in 15 cities and eight states over the course of 2½ months. Finding subjects wasn’t always easy though, and Casarez had to try every means possible to find them, from asking friends to searching on social media to cold calling Starbucks employees.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Slobs for Bob

Dana Milbank sees no way for Bob McDonnell to win in the current trial - even if found not guilty.
Had he taken the deal, McDonnell would have looked like a sleazy pol. Now, he looks like a sleazy pol and a cad. Even if the former GOP governor beats the 13 counts, the trial is showing him to be not just greedy but also ungallant, allowing his wife and children to suffer to minimize his own shame.
McDonnell’s decision not to make a plea bargain meant that one of his daughters had to testify tearfully last week about improper gifts from Williams and others that financed her wedding, and that the world now knows about the e-mail message the governor’s wife sent Williams after the 2011 earthquake: “I just felt the earth move and I wasn’t having sex!!!!”
The longer the trial goes on, the more stuck in the mud McDonnell gets.

Waiting for Bertha

Low tide at Duck, N.C. has small waves while waiting for Bertha to cruise up the coast.

Monday, August 4, 2014

A stiff-necked people

Via Virginia Right, trying to understand why people support Hamas in the current conflict.
Those who oppose Israel ought to examine their motives and their hearts carefully!  Don ‘t be a useful idiot for Satan.  Thank you Jack Kelly for being frank and honest about a leading (of course not the only one – there may be people opposing Israel who are clearly not led by the devil) source of anti-Israel opposition.

Cornhusker kick in the teeth

In 2010, the "Cornhusker Kickback" helped give us Obamacare.
and it might end Obamacare in 2014.
But the circumstantial evidence suggests that the infamous “Cornhusker kickback” with which Nelson’s vote was finally purchased included concessions that are now coming back to haunt PPACA. If Obamacare meets its demise as a result of the political skullduggery the Democrats used to get the thing passed, it would be a sublime manifestation of poetic justice.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Just folks

Powerline looks into how President Obama uses the word "folks."
The juxtaposition of the words “folks” and “torture” was also striking. To describe the subjects of U.S. interrogation, Obama used the most bland, least conclusory word he could come up with. To describe what was inflicted on them, he used the most emotionally charged, most conclusory word available.
Whatever Obama’s other shortcomings — and they turn out to be legion — he is a master at choosing his words. By saying “we tortured some folks,” Obama, it seems, decided to cast his country in the worst possible light.
Looking forward to 2017, when we can say "That's all, folks" to Obama.

You pay and I save

The Democrats are trying to say their "climate change" legislation will help save money.
If we can reduce emergency spending due to "extreme weather," it would sure help the budget.
Except.
Their plans make it harder for current jobs - and their tax payments - to continue. Losing a paycheck now impacts more than possible problems in 2100.
They are more concerned about their money than yours.

Saturday, August 2, 2014

A site with know-how

Via VaRight, a site supporting the Redskins' name.
We believe the Redskins name deserves to stay. It epitomizes all the noble qualities we admire about Native Americans—the same intangibles we expect from Washington’s gridiron heroes on game day. Honor. Loyalty. Unity. Respect. Courage. And more. On this page, you can read more about the storied history of the Redskins identity.

Bob got a Rolex; we got T-Mac

You can feel some sympathy for former Governor McDonnell and his wife as their trial becomes a "bizarro" episode of "This is your Life."
But remember all Virginians are victims.
McDonnell couldn't tout his successes to voters and help the Republican candidate last year - Star Scientific swamped all of that.
If you think Bill Bolling could have done better than Ken Cuccinelli, probably not. Bolling and McDonnell served together for eight years.
If there were problems with the McDonnell marriage, how did a close friend miss it? Or ignore it, hoping it wouldn't hurt?
Virginia got Terry McAuliffe as governor - and we can't exchange him until 2017.

Facebook quote of the week

Yes, people were calling law enforcement in LA when Facebook went down. Smh.

Saturday song

Give Billy Joel a big shot tonight - visiting Philadelphia.

Friday, August 1, 2014

Onion meets Charlottesville

How nice of The Onion to report on eating habits in Charlottesville.
Although it's a long drive from Martha Jefferson to the local Chipotle.

Lamest of ducks

Eric Cantor's term in Congress will end several months early.
He wants it to be seen in a good light.
Guess he thinks nobody cares about his opinion between now and January 3.

Weekend watchdog

The road to Super Bowl XLIX begins this weekend.
NBC brings the first exhibition of the 2014 season Sunday, when the Buffalo Bills meet the New York Giants at 8 p.m. in the Hall of Fame game.
The Bills are awaiting their first postseason trip of the 21st century, while the Giants are three seasons removed from a Super Bowl championship run.
The Hall of Fame enshrinement will be on ESPN2 and NFL network Saturday at 7 p.m. NFL fans, your weekends are now set until Feb. 1 - when NBC covers the Super Bowl in Arizona.
The Nationals face the Phillies on MASN this weekend, while the Orioles host the Mariners over the weekend on MASN2.
The Yankees and Red Sox battle Saturday at 4 p.m. on FoxSports1 and Sunday at 8 p.m. on ESPN. TBS brings the Angels and Rays Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
NASCAR visits Pocono Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN, while the Nationwide series hits Iowa Saturday at 8 p.m.
NBC Sports network has the Honda Indy 200 Sunday at 3 p.m.
CBS has the Bridgestone Invitational Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.
D.C. United hosts Houston Sunday at 8 p.m. on Comcast.
NBC offers the Galaxy meeting Portland Saturday at 2:30 p.m. while Philadelphia plays Kansas City Friday at 8 p.m. and it's Seattle-San Jose Saturday at 10:30 p.m. on NBC Sports network.
In friendly action, ESPN has Bayern Munich against Chivas Thursday at 8 p.m. Liverpool faces AC Milan Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in the International Champions Cup on NBC Sports network and Fox offers Manchester United against Real Madrid Saturday at 4 p.m.
Arsenal faces AC Monaco in the Emirates Cup Sunday at 11:15 a.m. on ESPN2.
Portland plays Houston in women's soccer Sunday at 10 p.m. on ESPN2.
The U.S. Open series continues on both coasts this weekend. ESPN2 has quarterfinals from the Citi Open in Washington Friday at 4 and 7 p.m., with play from the Bank of the West Classic at 11 p.m. The semifinals are Saturday at 3 p.m. from the Citi Open and 5 p.m. out west, with championships on ESPN2 Sunday at 3 and 5 p.m.
The Breeders Cup Challenge visits Saratoga Saturday at 5 p.m. on NBC.