Friday, November 30, 2012

What a difference a year makes

A year ago, Virginia Republicans were gathering at the Homestead and going bowling with Bolling.
This year, they're at the beach and it's time for complaining about Cuccinelli.

Weekend watchdog

Which team is going to which BCS bowl game?
Time to find out.
Top-ranked Notre Dame has its ticket to the national championship game on Jan. 7, and awaits the winner of Saturday's SEC title game between Alabama and Georgia. CBS has the action from the Georgia Dome Saturday at 4 p.m.
The Pac-12 crowns its champion Friday at 8 p.m., with UCLA meeting Stanford. ESPN2 has the MAC championship between Northern Illinois against Kent State at 7 p.m.
Nebraska takes on Wisconsin in the Big 10 championship Saturday at 8 p.m. on Fox, while the ACC battle between Florida State and Georgia Tech goes at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
Conference USA matches Central Florida and Tulsa in its championship at noon on ESPN2. In the Big 12, regular season play closes with Oklahoma-TCU at noon on ESPN. Oklahoma State faces Baylor at noon on Fx, and it's Texas taking on Kansas State on ABC at 8 p.m.
ABC shows Nevada against Boise State at 3:30 p.m., sharing the country with Cincinnati-Connecticut. ESPN2 has Pittsburgh at South Florida at 7 p.m.
After the dust settles, ESPN has the BCS Selection show Sunday at 8:30 p.m., and the bowl selection show follows at 9:30 p.m.
The Ravens can basically clinch the AFC North when the wounded Steelers visit Sunday at 4:25 p.m. on CBS. Earlier in the day, the Patriots take on the Dolphins. Fox has the Vikings at Packers at 1 p.m.
The Redskins try to win another against divisional foes, hosting the Giants on Monday night football on ESPN. The Eagles travel to Dallas on NBC Sunday night.
The MLS crowns its champion Saturday at 4:30 p.m., with the Galaxy meeting the Dynamo on ESPN.
ESPN has the Nuggets taking on the Lakers Friday at 10:30 p.m. The Wizards face the Knicks Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
ESPN has a college basketball doubleheader from the Big East/SEC challenge Friday. Georgetown meets Tennessee at 6:30 p.m., followed by Syracuse-Arkansas. The challenge continues Saturday at 3 p.m. on ESPN2 with Cincinnati taking on Alabama. Vanderbilt faces Villanova at 5 p.m.
Comcast offers four college basketball games Saturday, starting with American against Saint Francis at noon. It's off to the ACC at 2 p.m. with Duke-Delaware before Virginia hosts Wisconsin-Green Bay. Belmont battles VCU at 7 p.m.
MASN brings Big East Saturday at 1 p.m., when Louisville hosts Illinois State. The BB&T Classic tips Sunday at 12:15 p.m. when Manhattan meets George Washington. Maryland takes on George Mason at 2:45 p.m. Liberty battles Georgia State at 3 p.m. on MASN2.
NBC Sports network shows college ice hockey between Boston College and Boston University Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Wisconsin heads to Denver Friday at 10:30 p.m.
The PGA's World Challenge tournament is on NBC Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Get ready for the crash

ZeroHedge sees bad news behind the third quarter economic numbers.
Why?
Because a quick glance at the underlying numbers shows the true picture of the economy which contracted far more than most expected, with personal consumption collapsing to 1.4% Q/Q, on hopes of a 1.9% rise, and down from 2.0%.

Brave cheerleaders

Two Colts cheerleaders had their heads shaved Sunday to support coach Chuck Pagano.
What was the bravest part of the event?
Cutting off their hair or having a mascot do the job?
And what are those green things in his snout?

Good news for Republicans

Amidst the Republican wailing about the 2012 election, Blue Virginia offers a look at the Obama machine - and whether it can be transferred to other candidates.
Note to all Democratic hopefuls: the OFA field organizers did nothing without guidance and were held on a short leash. Not a one was required or allowed to demonstrate initiative or individual competence. They followed a well designed call-center playbook; they might as well have been selling time shares. Political acumen was not in their terms of reference. They consistently alienated their local Democratic contacts. Check beyond their references before bringing them on.
OFA can support Obama. But will 2013 look like 2009?

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Take your Bolling ball and go home

It's been an interesting day in Virginia.
Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling announced the end of his campaign for governor.
Then there's speculation he'll run as an independent.
Bolling has money and consultants have to eat, you know.
Ken Cuccinelli vs. Terry McAuliffe (for now) in November 2013.
Ought to be plenty to keep bloggers busy.

Alternet reality

We live in two Americas after the election.
One sees enoromous debt looming and wants to live a way through.
Another sees no problem, just rich people trying to keep their money.
I guess if you don't know where tax money comes from, you don't see a problem getting more of it.

Got debt?

Think the "budget cliff" is bad?
There are more cliffs ahead.
The actual liabilities of the federal government—including Social Security, Medicare, and federal employees' future retirement benefits—already exceed $86.8 trillion, or 550% of GDP. For the year ending Dec. 31, 2011, the annual accrued expense of Medicare and Social Security was $7 trillion. Nothing like that figure is used in calculating the deficit. In reality, the reported budget deficit is less than one-fifth of the more accurate figure.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Rice and the Senators

Apparently Susan Rice's meeting with Republican senators didn't go well.
Especially when she said she misspoke on blaming Benghazi on a certain Youtube video.
They were actually protesting the Gangnam Style video.

Hey punk, you didn't build that

Via a friend on Facebook, a mosaic of Clint Eastwood made with Rubik Cube keychains.

Give us what we want

Frank J. Fleming explains the basics of society.
Society is organized into three groups. First and most important, we have politicians — mostly unsullied by the stench that comes with having worked in the private sector — who decide the nation’s direction. Then we have everyday workers whose main job is to elect and re-elect those politicians.
And on society’s lowest rung, we have job creators and business owners. They’re awful people who often like to be all rich even though others find that infuriating — but thankfully, they’re not numerous enough to have much voting power. The only reason we keep these wretches around is for the jobs they provide and the tax money we get from them.

Today's Tied with me

Technorati gave this blog an Entertainment ranking this week.
We're tied with Gamer Syndrome, which looks at more details on Grand Theft Auto V.

Monday, November 26, 2012

For 2016

Right Wing News gives bloggers a chance to select their favorite Republican for 2016.
Or least favorite - that's you, Chris Christie and Jeb Bush.

Careful. Death spiral states ahead

Where should you put your money in the struggling economy?
Check out Forbes' death spiral list.
And watch out for those with big debt.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Them's the rules

A doctor gives the inside scoop on Obamacare.
How are you feeling?
Do you wear a seat belt?
Why go to the doctor when I can give you a free Obamacare visit?

Four score

Wilson Memorial will host its fourth postseason game Saturday, the most a team can host in the Virginia football playoffs.
The school only had four regular season home games in 2012.
Last year, the Hornets had six regular season home games and two in the postseason.
Sixteen home games in two seasons.
The groundskeeper has been busy.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Be grateful

Via Instapundit, tips to be thankful for what you have.

Why they kick extra points

Wilson Memorial stands a point-after touchdown from an unbeaten season - they lost 14-13 to Robert E. Lee early in the season.
Friday, John Battle pulled within 14-13 of top-seeded Fort Chiswell. The snap went past the holder to the kicker, who found a teammate for a two-point conversion and the win.
Thanks to that PAT attempt, Wilson gets one more home game - next Saturday against Goochland.

Facebook quote of the week

Today is Green Saturday.
Where people will compare what someone else bought on Black Friday and be envious of that deal.
It can get rather ugly.

G, an interesting stat

Wilson Memorial has reached the semifinals in Group A, Division 2 football and will play Goochland next Saturday.
Goochland beat them last year before losing to Gretna in the final.
In the past 10 years, eight times a high school that starts with G has won this division - Gretna, Goochland, Gate City, Giles and George Wythe of Wytheville.
G, it would be great to start a new tradition in 2012.

Saturday song

It's time to Rise from the dinner table and work off those Thanksgiving pounds. Like the dancers in the background of Herb Alpert's "Rise."

Friday, November 23, 2012

Blast from the past

In scanning some old photos, I found one of me reading TV Guide at age of 18 months.


















I was simply brilliant.
But what issue of TV Guide is that?
With the internet, you can find anything. Wikipedia has a list of all TV covers through the years.
Someone else has the copy from Feb. 15, 1964 with Andy Williams on the cover.

Almost game time in Fishersville

The state playoffs are supposed to be times you play against teams from other parts of the state - not have back-to-back games with county rivals.
Wilson Memorial has another rematch Friday - against Stuarts Draft in the state quarterfinals. Telemediaproductions.com will have coverage at 7 p.m.
If John Battle beats Fort Chiswell, Wilson could have one more home game next week.
It might be against Goochland, a team they played in the semifinals last year.

What's wrong with this picture?



I decided to scan some old baby pictures for preservation this weekend.
Here's a picture from March 1963.
Can you imagine bathing a baby without tons of safety equipment around?
Looks like my hand in on the hot water faucet.
How did we survive all those years with the government telling us how to care for a baby?
We made it - with common sense leading the way.

Free for Thanksgiving

Two weeks ago, Johnathan Montgomery thought he would be going home from prison when a judge ordered him released.
But Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli held up the release, thinking the judge lacked jurisdiction.
Tuesday, Montgomery went home with a governor's conditional pardon.
I think the governor has jurisdiction in this case.
Hope the home food tastes good.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

How to help Facebook

Facebook features lots of Thanksgiving wishes and photos of Thanksgiving food - being prepared, ready to go and finished.
If only they could add smells to the posts.
Facebook would really be worth something.

Darth on Thanksgiving


If you're at the dinner table with Darth Vader, let him have whatever part of the turkey he'd like.

Lessons from traveling

Heading north from Fishersville, I got gas for $3.09 a gallon at Sheetz in Harrisonburg.
A few hours later, I passed a Sheetz in West Virginia.
Gas there cost $3.69 a gallon.
Always good to check the gas price website before hitting the road.

Weekend watchdog - Thanksgiving edition

There's three NFL games on Thanksgiving Day - will any be turkeys?
NBC joins the rotation when the Jets host the Patriots at 8:20 p.m. The traditional hosts play in the afternoon, with the Texans going to Detroit at 12:30 p.m. The Redskins and Cowboys renew their rivalry on Fox at 4:15 p.m.
There will be special awards. Gather the family around the TV and enjoy the tradition.
Sunday, the Ravens head to San Diego at 4 p.m. on CBS. Fox has the doubleheader, with the Vikings facing the Bears at 1 p.m. before the 49ers take on the Saints.
The Packers take on the Giants Sunday night on NBC, while the Panthers and Eagles battle Monday night on ESPN.
North of the border, NBC Sports network brings the Grey Cup at 6 p.m. between Calgary and Toronto.
ESPN has a Thanksgiving night contest between Texas and TCU at 7:30 p.m.
After you've done your Black Friday shopping, there's plenty of college football on the schedule. ABC's doubleheader starts at noon with Nebraska-Iowa, then West Virginia heads to Iowa State.
Fox has the Apple Cup between Washington and Washington State at 3 p.m., while CBS offers LSU-Arkansas at 2:30 p.m.
The new Pac-12 rivalry between Utah and Colorado goes on Fx at 3 p.m. ESPN2 starts the day at 11 a.m. with a Big East contest between Syracuse and Temple, while ESPN offers a pair of primetime games - South Florida at Cincinnati at 7 p.m. followed by Arizona State against Arizona.
Top-ranked Notre Dame tries to claim a berth in the national championship Saturday at 8 p.m., traveling to Southern California on ABC. Earlier in the day, Michigan plays Ohio State at noon and it's Florida-Florida State at 3:30 p.m.
The Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn is on CBS at 3:30 p.m. Fox has Baylor against Texas Tech at 2:30 p.m., then Stanford battles UCLA at 6:30 p.m. NBC offers the Bayou Classic between Grambling and Southern at 3:30 p.m.
The ACC network closes the regular season with Miami facing Duke at 12:30 p.m. Comcast offers Maryland against North Carolina at 3 p.m.
ESPN starts its day at noon with Georgia Tech-Georgia, then Oklahoma takes on Oklahoma State. In primetime, it's the battle of the Palmetto State between South Carolina and Clemson. On ESPN2, Rutgers meets Pittsburgh at noon before Wisconsin-Penn State. New members of the SEC get together when Missouri faces Texas A&M at 7 p.m., then it's San Jose State against Louisiana Tech.
Fx has Tulsa-SMU at noon while NBC Sports network shows Air Force against Fresno State at 3:30 p.m. Connecticut tackles Louisville in the Big East game of the week Saturday at noon on MASN. The clash between Idaho and Utah State follows at 3:30 p.m.
ESPN has the finals of the NIT preseason tip-off tournament Friday at 5 p.m., with the third place game at 2:30 p.m. ESPN2 shows the Old Spice Classic and Anaheim Classic throughout the weekend. There's six games Thursday, starting with West Virginia-Marist at noon. Vanderbilt plays Davidson at 2:30 p.m., then it's out west for Drexel against St. Mary's. The evening starts at 7 p.m. with Drexel taking on Oklahoma, then Clemson plays Gonzaga. The night closes with Drake facing California at midnight.
There's a game from the Old Spice Classic Friday at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN, and two more on ESPN2 at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Creighton meets Wisconsin at 10 p.m. The Old Spice Classic title game airs at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, followed by the championship game from Anaheim.
NBC Sports network has the Battle 4 Atlantis, starting Thursday at 7 p.m. with Memphis against VCU. Louisville meets Northern Iowa at 9:30 p.m. There's two semifinal games Friday starting at 7 p.m., with the consolation game at 7 p.m. and championship at 9:30 p.m.
Connecticut meets Stony Brook Sunday at 4 p.m. on MASN, while Comcast has Southland/Houston against Texas A&M Corpus Christi Sunday at 3 p.m.
The Wizards host the Bobcats Saturday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Thanksgiving dining

Show of hands.
How many people are replacing pumpkin pie with Twinkies at the Thanksgiving table?
I've heard more about twinkies in the last week than in the past several years.

On the Thanksgiving road


It's a day of packing up early from work, traveling and getting ready for the big meal. Keep an eye on that turkey.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

The ACC isn't what it used to be

Powerline commends Maryland for moving to the Big Ten - since the ACC is rapidly changing from its historical basketball strength.
As a Maryland fan for 50 years, I would not favor leaving the ACC if it were still an 8 or 9 team league in which we played Duke, North Carolina, and Virginia at home every year. But the ACC has changed. This year, it consists of 12 teams. In two years, who knows? In any case, the old system in which Maryland played each team twice every year in basketball is long gone (but not forgotten).

Another special Sesame Street Thanksgiving

In 1982, the actor who played Mr. Hooper on Sesame Street died.
The producers struggled with how to let their young audience know what happened.
On Thanksgiving Day 1983, they ran a special episode letting Big Bird and the cast deal with the character's passing.
This Thanksgiving season, we're dealing with the departure of the voice of Elmo.
Any special plans for next Thanksgiving, Sesame Street?

Can it help T-Mac?

Democrats want to use data gained during the 2012 campaign to help future candidates.
First up, Terry McAuliffe.
How can it help him?
They asked if you like annoying candidates?

Those who can...

Those who can do.
Those who can't - regulate those who do.

Today's Tied with me

Technorati gave this blog a big boost in the politics ranking, tied with Downshore Drift.
Go forth and read the post.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Home where he belongs

ESPN's Rick Reilly praises staying home to enjoy NFL games.
Pretty interesting from a guy who gets paid to go to the games.

Next for the ACC

Can the ACC find a school to replace Maryland?
Yes, UConn.

The war continues

Allen West's hopes in the recount for his House race appear to be dimming.
Doesn't mean he'll be gone from the public scene.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly

It's already Thanksgiving week.
Time for a holiday tradition from WKRP.


Prison of debt

Via Instapundit, a lengthy look at the debt crisis.
P.S. It's not all George W. Bush's fault.

Hang down your head, Derek Dooley

Tennessee has fired its football coach, former Virginia player Derek Dooley, after three seasons.
The Vols problems aren't limited to the field.
Tennessee faces some financial issues as it chooses its new coach. The university's athletic department posted a $3.98 million budget deficit for the 2011-12 fiscal year in part because of buyouts it was paying to Fulmer, former athletic director Mike Hamilton, former men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl and former baseball coach Todd Raleigh.
The football program is on probation until August 2015. The NCAA handed Tennessee a two-year extension of its probation Friday after ruling former assistant Willie Mack Garza provided impermissible travel and lodging for an unofficial visit by former prospect Lache Seastrunk, who eventually signed with Oregon and has since transferred to Baylor. Garza worked as an assistant on Kiffin's staff.
Who wants this job?

Shakeup Saturday

Just a typical Saturday in college football.
Top two teams in BCS standings lose.
Two teams may jump to the Big Ten.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Good words from Reagan

Powerline highlights a speech given by Ronald Reagan early in the Carter presidency.
Some wisdom for dealing with widespread Democratic gloating and giving of bad advice.

Facebook quote of the week

It's okay, kids. We still have Little Debbie.

Saturday song

The number one song the week Iranians took Americans hostage in 1979 was the Eagles' "Heartache Tonight."
Been lots of heartache the last few nights since the election.


Friday, November 16, 2012

Can't bear the Twinkie news

In honor of the end of the Twinkie line, I liked this commercial from 1996.

Game time in Fishersville

Wilson Memorial takes on Riverheads tonight in the second round of the high school playoffs.
You can watch here.
UPDATE: Wilson wins 22-21.

Weekend watchdog

After a pair of Thursday night losses, Virginia Tech returns to Saturday afternoon football. Will the Hokies return to the postseason?
At 4-6, they need to win this week at Boston College and beat Virginia next weekend to become bowl-eligible. Coverage will be on the ACC network at 12:30 p.m.
Notre Dame faces Wake Forest Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on NBC, while CBS offers Mississippi at LSU. ABC brings either North Carolina State at Clemson or Ohio State-Wisconsin at 3:30 p.m., with the other game on ESPN2. In primetime, second-ranked Oregon hosts Stanford.
Fox has USC against UCLA at 3 p.m., then Oklahoma battles West Virginia at 7 p.m.
ESPN starts its day at noon with Iowa against Michigan. Top-ranked Kansas State heads to Baylor at 8 p.m. Northwestern battles Michigan State at noon on ESPN2. Tennessee tries to win a conference game at Vanderbilt at 7 p.m., followed by BYU meeting San Jose State.
On Fx, Washington heads to Colorado at 1:30 p.m. Comcast has South Florida at Miami at 3 p.m.
NBC Sports network starts the day with Yale at Harvard at noon, followed by Colorado State at Boise State. James Madison takes on Old Dominion at 7 p.m.
Rutgers tackles Cincinnati in the Big East game of the week Saturday at noon on MASN, followed by Charleston Southern meeting Coastal Carolina. MASN2 has Lafayette at Lehigh at 1:30 p.m.
The Ravens battle the Steelers Sunday on NBC, while the Bears head to San Francisco Monday on ESPN.
Fox has the Redskins against Eagles Sunday at 1 p.m. CBS throughout Virginia - except Washington - has the Browns game at Dallas at 1 p.m., followed by the Colts taking on New England.
Brad Keselowski tries to clinch his first NASCAR Sprint Cup championship Sunday at 2 p.m. on ESPN, when the final race of the season goes at Homestead. The Nationwide racers close their campaign Saturday at 4 p.m. on ESPN2.
The MLS decides its conference champions Sunday. D.C. United plays Houston at 4 p.m. on NBC Sports network, and the Galaxy and Seattle play on ESPN at 9 p.m.
ESPN's Friday doubleheader has the Jazz meeting the 76ers at 7 p.m., then the Knicks meet the Grizzlies. The Wizards host Utah Saturday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
There's a pair of college basketball games Friday beginning at 5 p.m. on ESPN2. Sunday, the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic goes at 4:30 p.m. The championship of the Puerto Rico tournament is at 6:30 p.m., then the Charleston Classic crowns its champion at 8:30 p.m.
Comcast has Miami hosting Jacksonsville Friday at 7 p.m. MASN offers Big East play Sunday, as Western Michigan plays South Florida on MASN2 at 3 p.m. and Louisville hosts Miami of Ohio at 4 p.m. on MASN.
In women's basketball, Texas A&M takes on Connecticut Sunday at 2 p.m. on ESPN2.
NBC Sports network has college ice hockey Friday at 7:30 p.m., with Harvard taking on Cornell.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

News from Israel

Legal Insurrection gathers links to bloggers in Israel sharing their views on the ongoing troubles.

It also involved a woman named Rice

Instapundit remembers another politician who asked people to come after him.
Interestingly, the woman was also named Rice.
UPDATE: Part of Rule 5 Sunday.

$22 billion down, trillion to go

Powerline does the math because President Obama can't.
Raising taxes on people earning above $250,000 might raise a little money - but not much compared to the expected deficit.
The Joint Committee on Taxation has done the math. Raising the top two rates as proposed by Obama would increase revenue by $22.35 billion in FY 2013, assuming that no economic activity is deterred by the higher rates. Which means that higher taxes on the rich, Obama’s only proposal to deal with the nation’s impending fiscal calamity, would cover around 2% of the current federal budget deficit, and would make no contribution at all toward dealing with our $16 trillion debt. So, Barry, what’s your plan for the other 98%? And, hey, how about that debt?

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Dealing with sore winners

Powerline shows how unhappy liberals can be at the suggestion of working with Republicans.
The Economist had endorsed Obama for re-election the week before, unlike the crowd of American newspapers that endorsed Romney, but that didn’t stop lefties from heaping calumny on The Economist this week for the heresy of suggesting President Obama deal with the party that still controls one-half of Congress. “I HATE this magazine” read one tweet I took in. And as several folks have noticed, Obama’s lefty allies descended on the White House this week demanding that Obama refuse to compromise. Have fun, Barry!
We have a trillion dollar deficit to deal with.
Good luck doing anything with this crew.

Better pizza, better decisions

Papa John got into hot water by saying how much pizza prices will rise due to Obamacare.
Legal Insurrection remembers him taking another side during the Rush Limbaugh/Sandra Fluke episode.
Can't keep some people happy.
Let's see how Papa John's Appreciation Day goes.

Bad timing

Usually, re-elected presidents have a press conference the day or two after their win.
President Obama waited until today.
Ought to be interesting.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Today's Tied with me

Technorati has this blog tied with Yid with Lid today.
He tries to keep track of the Love Pentagon.

Lessons from a video game release

Another Tuesday, another video game release.
At a local store, a teenager arrived at noon Monday for a chance to buy the game at midnight.
After 12 hours, the store opened.
And the would-be buyer learned he was too young to take the game home.
I hope he gained some wisdom from his 12 hours.

She knows winners

DaTech Guy looks at who knows about the right candidates - Sarah Palin.
A Time for Choosing looks at her choices.
Always listen to Sarah Palin. Chances are you’ll have better results. A couple of other candidates lost their primaries, but for the most part, if Sarah Palin endorsed you in the primary, you won.
That brings us to the general election. Sarah outperformed the Republican Party by a bunch. Out of the eight candidates she endorsed, six of them won:

Cuccinelli upholds law

The headline looks shocking - Cuccinelli blocks innocent man's release.
Read the story, and Cuccinelli agrees the man should be released.
It just needs to be done right - according to the law. Even though it's hard for the family.
On Friday, Hampton Circuit Judge Randolph T. West tossed Montgomery’s felony convictions and ordered him released from prison.
But when relatives went to pick Montgomery up at the prison in Jarratt, they learned Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli’s office had declared the order invalid because the judge lacked jurisdiction.
“This is a tragedy, and the attorney general is very concerned about it,” Cuccinelli spokesman Brian Gottstein said in an email. “However, Virginia law will not allow the release.”
Montgomery likely will need to ask the state court of appeals to declare him innocent before he can be released, but Cuccinelli would support such a petition as he has in other wrongful conviction cases, Gottstein said.
If you'd followed Ken Cuccinelli as Attorney General, he follows the law as written. If it needs to be changed, there are ways to do it.
The right way.

Monday, November 12, 2012

What did Obama know?

We're trying to get answers about what President Obama knew of the trouble spots.
What did he know Sept. 11 about Benghazi?
When did he learn about the Petraeus investigation?
It reminded me of an old Saturday Night Live skit.
I guess here's another way Obama is not like Reagan.


Infatuation

Did Obama win because of changing demographics, or just because he's Barack Obama?
May mean bad news for Democrats - if Republicans settle down and focus.
It is in the nature of personality cults to fail at most things beyond generating and disseminating propaganda. This inability is the result of two things. First, the personality’s popularity is not results-driven. Since adoration hasn’t been earned by achievement but by the advent of charisma, why kill yourself trying to get results. Second, few people are willing to candidly critique the personality at the center of the cult, so there is little chance of course correction. None of this bodes well for Barack Obama. And for the country’s sake, let’s hope it’s wrong.
UPDATE: Part of Paco's assortment.

I didn't learn that

Legal Insurrection reminds us that David Frum got his wish - Romney as the nominee.
But he doesn't expect any blame for Election Day.
Frum is a tool the mainstream media uses to attack Republicans, because to Frum Republicans always are wrong, and conservatives always are to blame.
Even when Frum gets what he wants from the Republican Party, Republicans still are wrong and conservatives still are to blame.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Seven weeks to go

There's only seven Sundays left in 2012.
Seven weeks left in the NFL regular season.
Already time to look at playoff possibilities.

New national anthem

Todd Rundgren offers a song that catches the mood of many Americans after election day.

What are you Ghana do?

My church has focused its mission efforts this year on a tribe in Northern Ghana known as the Wala.
Two of the African pastors spoke at this morning's service, where the focus was an offering to support their ministry.
Simple things - transportation and solar-powered Ipods - to spread the word about Jesus.

Undefeated team watch

The Atlanta Falcons made it to 8-0.
Not 9-0.
The Saints went marching in Sunday.
The 1972 Dolphins watched, and celebrated as they have for the past 40 years.

Good job, West Virginia

Don Surber details a good election day for Republicans in West Virginia.
Keep building on that success.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Would Palin have done better?

Enough with the post-mortems that think Mitt Romney wasn't inclusive enough.
Go the other direction.
Would Sarah Palin have done better this election?
Obviously, the media portrayal of Palin is a major weight on her chances.
But as a different candidate, it would have made for a different election.
If it was a base election, then Palin would have brought out those voters who cast ballots for her and John McCain in 2008.
Romney's strengths became easy targets for Obama ads - his business record and 1950s demeanor.
It was easier to tie him to George W. Bush than it would have been with Palin.
Would there have been a major "war on women" focus with a woman on top of the other ticket?
Establishment Republicans worry about a negative effect of Palin's candidacy on other races. But they lost Senate races with Romney there.
Republicans spent the fall and winter trying to find a Palin-type candidate to take the nomination. But Romney had the money and organization to get the nod.
When you lose, it helps to look at all possible options.
Not just the ones pushed by the winning side.

Katrina on the Hudson

Winter is closer than recovery in parts of Staten Island.
President Obama plans to visit the area again.
His present?
Federal money.
If you make more than $250,000 and live on Staten Island, he wants to tax you more to pay for his plans - and you might get a trickle.

Facebook quote of the week

Looking at paint chips and then googling them to see how they look in real life. Every color shows up different in every photo, so it looks like my careful planning will end up being a giant crap shoot. Damn you HGTV for giving me unrealistic home decor expectations.

Saturday song

Gotta love the energy of Steve Martin as he sings about King Tut.

Friday, November 9, 2012

To lift your spirits

No matter how you feel about the election, you can enjoy Gene, Gene the Dancing Machine.


Weekend watchdog

The road to March Madness starts Friday - at sea.
The second Carrier Classic will air on NBC Sports network from the deck of the USS Yorktown off Charleston, S.C. Marquette plays Ohio State at 7 p.m., after a women's game between Notre Dame and Ohio State.
ESPN has a doubleheader - Michigan State against Connecticut at 5:30 p.m. followed by Maryland-Kentucky. MASN has Virginia facing George Mason at 7 p.m. while Syracuse heads to San Diego State at 8 p.m. on MASN2. South Florida takes on Central Florida Saturday at 7 p.m. and Manhattan meets Louisville Sunday at 4 p.m.
ESPN's NBC coverage Friday has Utah taking on Denver at 10:30 P.M. The Wizards meet the Bucks Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast, then travel to Indiana Saturday at 7 p.m.
The college football weekend starts Friday as Pittsburgh takes on Connecticut at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.
Virginia, off a surprising win over North Carolina State to end a six-game losing streak, hosts Miami Saturday at noon on ABC. Other parts of the country will see either Syracuse-Louisville or Iowa State at Texas. At 3:30 p.m., Penn State meets Nebraska while West Virginia takes on Oklahoma State, with the other game showing on ESPN2. In primetime, Notre Dame faces Boston College.
CBS offers a doubleheader Saturday, with Arkansas visiting South Carolina at noon before Texas A&M tackles Alabama. Fox begins its coverage at 3 p.m. with Oregon State at Stanford, followed by Kansas State at TCU at 7 p.m.
The ACC game of the week matches Georgia Tech against North Carolina at 12:30 p.m.
ESPN starts Saturday with Michigan hosting Northwestern at noon. Mississippi State tackles LSU at 7 p.m., followed by Oregon-California. ESPN2 offers Wisconsin against Indiana at noon, then Georgia plays Auburn at 7 p.m. UCLA meets Washington State at 10:30 p.m.
There's three games on NBC Sports network, beginning at 3:30 p.m. with Air Force facing San Diego State. It's Boise State vs. Hawaii at 7 p.m., followed by Fresno State against Nevada.
Fx offers Colorado against Arizona at 1:30 p.m.
Comcast starts in the CAA Saturday at noon with William & Mary at Old Dominion, then shows Wake Forest at North Carolina State.
MASN offers the Big East game of the week between Cincinnati and Temple Saturday at noon, followed by Stony Brook at Liberty.
NBC has a highlight of the NFL weekend when the Texans head to Chicago Sunday night. ESPN has the Chiefs taking on the Steelers Monday night.
The Redskins have the weekend off, so FOX shows the Giants at Cincinnati at 1 p.m. The Eagles and Cowboys meet at 4:25 p.m., while CBS offers the Ravens taking on the Raiders.
Jimmie Johnson has won two straight races, and has two more to go for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. This week, it's off to Phoenix Sunday at 2 p.m. on ESPN, while the Nationwide drivers go Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN.
The MLS playoffs continue with the conference finals this weekend. Houston faces D.C. United Sunday at 4 p.m. on NBC Sports network, while the Western final starts Sunday between Seattle and the Galaxy. ESPN has coverage at 9 p.m.
The ATP concludes its season with a round-robin event matching the top players. ESPN2 has a match Friday at 2 p.m and the semifinals are Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
The Big East men's soccer champion will be crowned Sunday at noon on MASN.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Is this covered?

Remember the aftermath of the 2004 election, when some Democrats said they had "Post Traumatic Election Disorder?"
Is that covered by Obamacare?
Should all Republicans ask the government to pay for their care for this syndrome?

Progressive taxation

As a newly-minted 50-year old, I've seen taxes go down since my first election in 1980.
If you were a first time voter in 2012, how much higher do you think taxes will be in 2044 when you reach 50?
No one mentioned that to you before the election, did they?
Progressive taxation doesn't just mean tax the rich more.
With the debt, the young are going to be taxed more as the years go by.

It's hard to beat Santa Claus

Rush Limbaugh brings his thoughts on Election Day.
There's just a demand that the gravy train continue, and we have an administration that's promising an endless gravy train. All you have to do to stay on that gravy train is vote. But it doesn't matter.
We keep waiting for America to grow up.
What will it take?

Now, the rest of the story

What lies ahead the next four years?
Lots of things we've seen coming. Maybe the media will notice now.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Our House, is a very, very, very fine House

President Obama may have four more years in the White House.
How many more years does the Republican party have in the House?
Add it up, assuming Democrats hold their leads in the uncalled races (including for Florida's 29 electoral votes), and Obama beat Romney in these eight states 115-15, while Republican House candidates beat Democratic ones 77-37. That's enough to account for both Obama's margin of victory and, in all likelihood, the Republican margin in the House.
Thanks to majority-minority districts, it looks like a long run for Republicans atop the House.

Is it an "Obama only" electorate?

The baffling thing about Tuesday is the reappearance of Obama voters from 2008.
In Virginia, they disappered in 2009 as Bob McDonnell lead a sweep. Republicans took three Congressional seats in 2010 and maintained their dominance in the 2011 elections.
Then the Obama voters give him the state in 2012.
Will they be dormant for four more years since we vote for Obama's replacement?
Or do these voters only come out for Barack Obama. If Democrats nominate an old white guy in 2016, will he struggle at the polls?
Wisconsin made some major changes in the past two years. Republicans held the governorship and retained the state legislature.
It was enough progress to think Romney had a chance there.
Then Obama wins the state big enough for an early call Tuesday.
Obama couldn't transfer his popularity to Creigh Deeds. Are his voters only his?

Our best days lie ahead

Ben Stein tries to boost morale.
We always come back because our principles are better suited to human dignity and human happiness than the other side's. We will come back stronger than ever this time, too. We are not afraid and we shall overcome. Our best days as a party and a movement lie ahead. We will rest, regroup, and fight for our beliefs, and next time, it will be different and better. Truth crushed to earth will rise again, as the saying goes -- as the truth goes.

Lots stayed home

Interesting that President Obama won despite receiving 10 million votes less than in 2008.
Hard to get your mind around that.

Make connections

The Insta-wife provides some ideas for dealing with Tuesday's disappointing results.
One important way of coping is to realize how many conservatives and libertarians are out there and connect with them. I spent some time out in California last month and was amazed and delighted to see so many people who had a similar take on politics as myself. We ate dinner, went to events and shared stories about our experiences as right-leaning individuals in left -leaning professions. It was refreshing and good for my emotional health.

On to 2013

A disappointing night for Mitt Romney and Republicans.
If you run against someone offering free candy, it's hard to offer tougher choices.
We'll see what the days ahead bring - besides more debt.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

2016 Presidential frontrunner

Remember Democrats, win or lose, soon to be 70-year-old Joe Biden is your frontrunner for the 2016 presidential nomination.
Sleep well tonight.

Big Gulp of government

What's the most important job of goverment?
Protecting its citizens?
Or protecting its citizens from themselves?
They want to limit the size of Big Gulps.
But not limit the size of government they gulp up.

Voting in Fishersville

My ballot has cast.
There was a nice line at my Fishersville polling place. Probably around 350 people had voted by 8:45 a.m.

Halo, let's go and vote

For gamers, it's release night for Halo4.
For Republicans, we're hoping it's release night for Obama.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Polling place violation?

If you go to vote and there's an empty chair there, is that a show of support for Mitt Romney?
Something else for the Democratic lawyers to check.

He knows what's coming

Peggy Noonan has a good piece on the state of the election with just a few hours to go.
I suspect both Romney and Obama have a sense of what’s coming, and it’s part of why Romney looks so peaceful and Obama so roiled.

No matter what, a lame duck

Whether President Obama struggles to a win or loses Tuesday, his role on Wednesday is clear - lame duck.
Definitely less support than 2008.
Not much help in the Senate.
Still a Republican House.
His ideas?
The only idea I've heard this election is giving people free stuff.
But someone has to pay the debt.

Fight through the finish line

Legal Insurrection doesn't worry about the last polls before the one that counts.
Keeping fighting.
The finish line is in sight.

PPP tops itself

When Public Policy Polling brought out a weekend poll giving Democrats a 12-point edge in the electorate, I didn't think it could get worse.
It did.
Monday, they have North Carolina plus-13 Democrats.

Ryan rocks Minnesota

Powerline asked for photos from Paul Ryan's visit to Minnesota.
The crowd and the response were overwhelming.

Undefeated team watch

On primetime TV, the Atlanta Falcons improved to 8-0 by beating the Cowboys.
Halfway to an unbeaten season.
They travel to New Orleans next Sunday.
The 1972 Dolphins are watching.

Sunday, November 4, 2012

It's a gas

Why the long lines for gas in New Jersey and New York?
Here's some reasons.
It ought to be a Manic Monday, just in time for the election.

Silver vs. Marcels

Another interesting look at Nate Silver's work - great when it works, but hard to duplicate. Unless you monkey with the data.
For most players in most years, Silver’s PECOTA worked pretty well. But the world of baseball research, like the world of political psephology, does have its cranky internet termites. They pointed out that PECOTA seemed to blunder when presented with unique players who lack historical comparators, particularly singles-hitting Japanese weirdo Ichiro Suzuki. More importantly, PECOTA produced reasonable predictions, but they were only marginally better than those generated by extremely simple models anyone could build. The baseball analyst known as “Tom Tango” (a mystery man I once profiled for Maclean’s, if you can call it a profile) created a baseline for projection systems that he named the “Marcels” after the monkey on the TV show Friends—the idea being that you must beat the Marcels, year-in and year-out, to prove you actually know more than a monkey. PECOTA didn’t offer much of an upgrade on the Marcels—sometimes none at all.

Remember 2010

The problem with polls in 2012?
How do they measure the Republican wave of 2010?
If you look at historic presidential election data, then Mitt Romney is in trouble.
If 2012 continues the trend of ground glass voters, President Obama is in trouble.

Pictures of change

The New York Times photographer who has followed President Obama in 2008 and 2012 offers his pictures and thoughts on the two campaigns.
He mentions a rally at a Virginia baseball stadium.
This time around many of his rallies have a small-town scale but lack the grassroots feel of ’08. They have a uniform, packaged gloss, typical of most presidential events. At a rally at a baseball field in Virginia the president came out swinging, literally, with an imaginary bat. But the crowd was squeezed into a corner of the stadium to give the illusion of density. Four years ago, he would have been speaking in the center of that stadium with supporters lining the field and filling the stands.
The final line says it all.
Out on the trail this year, I am reminded that you can only elect the first black president once.

You didn't grow that

Before the election, you can buy a Chia Obama or Chia Romney.

When done, the Chia Obama says "You didn't grow that."

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Revenge time

President Obama brought the word "revenge" into the last weekend of the campaign.
Maybe he was thinking about "Revenge of the Nerds?"
Bring your pocket protector Election Day.

Silver will be tarnished

Nate Silver keeps following the state polls over the cliff - now giving President Obama an 83.7 percent chance of re-election.
DaTech Guy breaks it down.
Nate Silver may believe that Barack Obama is riding the greatest wave of his electoral possibilities but rather than looking at the record. Rather than looking at the fact that every single one of these polls show the public thinking the country is on the wrong track, rather than looking at the registration trends over the last 9 years as I did, rather than noticing that even pollsters don’t say their model is likely, he is looking at data that is at best suspect and insisting he is right with Chaping (sic) like dedication.

Ride this wave

To make your weekend more enjoyable, read this take by an election insider.
My #s right now, with all the data I’ve compiled, all my experience, and that gut feeling I told you about, has the governor circling about 300 electorals on Tuesday with the chance for a bit more than that if trending really pops for us in the final 48 like we saw happen for Reagan back in ’80.

Saturday song

Somebody will be celebrating Tuesday night, or early Wednesday morning.
Kool and the Gang will be in Charlottesville next Sunday, and there will be more celebrating.


Facebook quote of the week

CONGRATS Hornets District Champions

Friday, November 2, 2012

Less salt, more saltwater

Mark Steyn looks at the poor leadership choices of New York mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Last week, Nanny Bloomberg, Mayor of New York, rivaled his own personal best for worst mayoral performance since that snowstorm a couple of years back. This is a man who spends his days micromanaging the amount of soda New Yorkers are allowed to have in their beverage containers rather than, say, the amount of ocean New Yorkers are allowed to have in their subway system – just as, in the previous crisis, the municipal titan who can regulate the salt out of your cheeseburger proved utterly incapable of regulating any salt on to Sixth Avenue.

Numbers for Tuesday

Karl Rove gives his reasons for seeing Romney winning Tuesday.
One potentially dispositive question is what mix of Republicans and Democrats will show up this election. On Friday last week, Gallup hinted at the partisan makeup of the 2012 electorate with a small chart buried at the end of its daily tracking report. Based on all its October polling, Gallup suggested that this year's turnout might be 36% Republican to 35% Democratic, compared with 39% Democratic and 29% Republican in 2008, and 39% Republican and 37% Democratic in 2004. If accurate, this would be real trouble for Mr. Obama, since Mr. Romney has consistently led among independents in most October surveys.
More Republican voters in 2012 than 2008.
Not good numbers for the Democrats.

Final countdown

The Other McCain is outside Cincinnati as the Romney campaign kicks off the final weekend of the campaign.
Four more days.

Obama defectors

The election comes down to those who voted for President Obama in 2008 and will either vote for Mitt Romney Tuesday or stay home.
The Washington Post put the number of Obama defectors at 13 percent.
Ace tries to look at the numbers.
70 million voted for Obama in 2008; 60 million voted for McCain.
13% of 70 million is 9.1 million. Subtract that from 70 million and add it to 60 million and you get... Look, I don't do math. I'm just an unfrozen caveman blogger. Your strange world of magic scrawlings confuses me.
I think it means President-elect Romney.

Weekend watchdog

They met twice last year - including the national championship game.
But it's hard to see this year's loser getting a second chance.
Alabama and LSU renew their rivalry on CBS Saturday at 8 p.m. The Tigers won the regular season meeting last year, but Alabama took the national title game rematch in January. At 3:30 p.m., Mississippi heads to Georgia.
Notre Dame tries to stay in the national championship hunt, facing Pittsburgh on NBC at 3:30 p.m. Fox has a twinbill, starting at 3 p.m. with new Big 12 members TCU and West Virginia playing in Morgantown. Fourth-ranked Oregon heads to Southern Cal to meet the Trojans at 7 p.m.
ABC starts its day at noon, with Temple at Louisville from the Big East or Oklahoma at Iowa State. Midday, Texas takes on Tech Tech while Nebraska goes to Michigan State. The game not on ABC in your area will be on ESPN2. In primetime, it's Oklahoma State at second-ranked Kansas State.
ESPN2 heads west Friday, with Washington against California at 9 p.m.
There's two games featured on the ACC network Saturday. Virginia heads to North Carolina State at 12:30 p.m., while other areas will see Maryland hosting Georgia Tech.
ESPN starts Saturday at noon with Texas A&M taking on Mississippi State. Illinois battles Ohio State at 3:30 p.m.
On ESPN2, Missouri makes a visit to Florida at noon. In primetime, Clemson heads to Duke at 7 p.m. followed by Arizona State at Oregon State. Stanford travels to Colorado at 2 p.m. on Fx.
MASN begins its day with the Big East game of the week between Syracuse and Cincinnati at noon. It's off to the WAC at 4 p.m. for Texas-San Antonio's game with Louisiana Tech, while MASN2 shows Charleston Southern at Liberty at 3:30 p.m.
Towson heads to Delaware at noon on NBC Sports network. Comcast offers James Madison's trip to Maine at 3 p.m.
The unbeaten Falcons take on Dallas on NBC Sunday night, while the Eagles head to New Orleans Monday night on ESPN.
Sunday, the Redskins host Carolina at 1 p.m. on FOX. CBS starts the day with the Ravens at Browns, followed by the Steelers traveling to New York to face the Giants.
NBC Sports network has the CFL contest between Hamilton and Toronto Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
NASCAR is down to the final three races in the Chase to the Cup. The field tries to catch Jimmie Johnson Sunday at Texas, starting at 2 p.m. on ESPN. The Nationwide racers go Saturday at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
The MLS playoffs continue Friday when Salt Lake takes on Seattle Friday at 10 p.m. D.C. United and the Red Bulls start their series Saturday at 8 p.m., then NBC shows Kansas City's opener agains Houston Sunday at 3:30 p.m. Los Angeles and San Jose battle Sunday at 9 p.m. on ESPN.
The Breeders Cup runs this weekend. NBC has the final hour from Santa Anita Saturday at 8 p.m. NBC Sports network has coverage Friday at 4 p.m. and Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
ESPN has a doubleheader scheduled Friday, with the Heat meeting the Knicks at 8 p.m. before the Lakers and Clippers battle. The Wizards host the Celtics Saturday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
The New York City Marathon still plans to run Sunday at 9 a.m. on ESPN2. MASN offers the Big East women's soccer championship Sunday at noon.
The ACC field hockey tournament gets coverage on Comcast, with semifinals Friday at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. The championship airs Sunday at 1 p.m.
ESPN2 shows Big Ten volleyball between Wisconsin and Penn State Sunday at 2 p.m.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Aloha, Obama

Paco has a great graphic for the final weekend of the campaign.

Crank up the poll analysis

Baseball Crank gives his opinion on the world of polling.
We can’t know until Election Day who is right. I stand by my view that Obama is losing independent voters decisively, because the national and state polls both support that thesis. I stand by my view that Republican turnout will be up significantly from recent-historic lows in 2008 in the key swing states (Ohio, Wisconsin, Colorado) and nationally, because the post-2008 elections, the party registration data, the early-voting and absentee-ballot numbers, and the Rasmussen and Gallup national party-ID surveys (both of which have solid track records) all point to this conclusion. I stand by my view that no countervailing evidence outside of poll samples shows a similar surge above 2008 levels in Democratic voter turnout, as would be needed to offset Romney’s advantage with independents and increased GOP voter turnout. And I stand by the view that a mechanical reading of polling averages is an inadequate basis to project an event unprecedented in American history: the re-election of a sitting president without a clear-cut victory in the national popular vote.

PPP - last chance to be wrong

Public Policy Polling continues to say President Obama leads in Virginia.
It continues to have polls with large Democratic edges, this time seven points.
I went back to the final poll of the 2009 gubernatorial race - McDonnell by 14 in an electorate evenly divided.
That underestimated the final margin of McDonnell's win.
You can believe an Obama lead if you want.
You'll be disappointed Wednesday.

President Empty Noise

George Will takes the president to task for a "Forward" looking campaign trying to preserve laws on the books for decades.
Sounds more backward than forward to me.

Addicts in withdrawal

New York City got hit hard by the storm.
For some, the worst thing is limited cell phone service.
Others miss their political polling.
Don't worry, Gallup resumes its polling today.