Distrust and verify

It's amazing the respect now given the CIA and other intelligence agencies by Democrats.
And the demands that Donald Trump go along with the thought that Russians got involved in our election.
Powerline know the reason to be skeptical.
But the Obama administration has been so chronically dishonest, and the Democrats’ hysteria over their electoral defeats is so intense, that I don’t think they can be accorded the usual presumption of accuracy and truthfulness.

Churches and McDonalds

Peggy Noonan talks with a photographer who's traveled the country this year, learning what institutions help people survive.
Two great and underappreciated institutions play a deep role in holding it together.
The first is small churches, often Pentecostal and Evangelical. They’re in a dead strip mall or on a spur off a highway and they give everyone an embrace. “Any church that has a sign that says We Welcome Everybody, that’s where I go.” He looks for the ones “that are often literally on the edge of town.” One in Alabama was a former Kentucky Fried Chicken. “It’s clear they don’t have a lot of money. They tend to be more welcoming because they’re used to people walking in off the street.” Though a stranger he is often hugged. He has been invited to speak from the pulpit. “I am a bit of an outcast being a progressive who finds a lot of value in faith beyond just my faith, but faith in others. We progressives, we only seem to celebrate faith among poor blacks, not poor whites.”
The other institution that helps hold people together is McDonald’s. Mr. Arnade didn’t intend to discover virtue in a mighty corporation, but McDonald’s “has great value to community.” He sees an ethos of patience and respect. “McDonald’s is nonjudgmental.” If you have nowhere to go all day they’ll let you stay, nurse your coffee, read your paper. “The bulk of the franchises leave people alone. There’s a friendship that develops between the people who work there and the people who go.”
Maybe the new year bringing hope to people who depend on those places.

Facebook quote of the week

Dear 2016, there's still time to take Keith Olbermann!

Saturday song

Firefall has a strange way to end 2016.

What a year it was

Dave Barry does his annual review of the year we're completing.

Six crucial words

Via Instapundit, Ralph Peters sums up President Obama's worldview.
"Praise Muslims, Ignore Christians, Blame Jews."
Simple and true.

Weekend watchdog

Sunday marks the end of another NFL regular season.
And a celebration of ice hockey's history.
All 32 NFL teams play Sunday, capped by the NBC game matching the Packers and Lions at 8:25 p.m. The NFC North title will be on the line for the winner.
The Ravens end their season against the Bengals on CBS Sunday at 1 p.m., with Raiders-Broncos meeting in the late afternoon. Fox brings Cowboys-Eagles at 1 p.m. before the Redskins face the Giants at 4:25 p.m.
The NHL goes outside to celebrate in the Centennial Classic Sunday at 1 p.m. on NBC, as the Maple Leafs kick off their 100th season in the NHL by meeting the Red Wings.
The action shifts to St. Louis Monday as the Blues face the Blackhawks on NBC at 1 p.m.
Indoors, the Capitals visit the Devils on Comcast Saturday at 1 p.m. before facing the Senators Sunday at 7 p.m.
College football gets one step closer to its national champion on Saturday, with top-seed Alabama facing Washington from Atlanta at 3 p.m. followed by Clemson-Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl at 7 p.m. The winners of those contests advance to the National Championship game January 9.
Bowl season continues Friday at noon with Georgia taking on TCU at the Liberty Bowl on ESPN. CBS has the Sun Bowl matchup between Stanford and North Carolina at 2 p.m., with Nebraska meeting Tennessee in Nashville on ESPN at 3:30 p.m. Campus Insiders have Air Force and South Alabama from Arizona at 5:30 p.m., with the Orange Bowl contest between Michigan and Florida State on ESPN at 8 p.m.
Louisville battles LSU Saturday at 11 a.m. on ABC from the Citrus Bowl, with Georgia Tech-Kentucky from Jacksonville at 11 a.m. on ESPN.
There's four games on Monday, starting at 1 p.m. as Florida meets Iowa in Tampa on ABC. Western Michigan takes on Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl on ESPN at 1 p.m., followed by the Rose Bowl matchup between Penn State and Southern Cal. Auburn and Oklahoma tangle in the Sugar Bowl at 8:30 p.m.
ESPN has the Under Armour high school football all-star game Sunday at 1 p.m.
Comcast has the Wizards against the Nets Friday at 7 p.m.
ESPN2 has four contests Friday, starting with West Virginia-Oklahoma State at 4 p.m. Oklahoma battles Baylor at 7 p.m., followed by Kansas-TCU and Arizona against California in the nightcap. Oregon faces Southern Cal on FoxSports1 Friday at 10 p.m.
CBS brings Indiana against Louisville Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
Virginia Tech hosts Duke Saturday at noon on ESPN2.
FoxSports1 has a pair of games Saturday, with Xavier-Georgetown at 11 a.m. before Villanova clashes with Creighton.
North Carolina State meets Miami on Comcast Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
ACC network brings North Carolina-Georgia Tech at noon and Pittsburgh's contest with Notre Dame at 2 p.m.
SMU visits East Carolina on MASN Saturday at noon.
St. John's faces DePaul Sunday at 2 p.m. on FoxSports1, then it's Marquette-Seton Hall at 4:30 p.m. On the women's court, Marquette meets Georgetown Friday at 2 p.m. on MASN.
ESPN2 has three contests Sunday, starting at 2 p.m. as Alabama faces South Carolina. Kentucky takes on Tennessee at 4 p.m. before Temple meets Memphis at 6 p.m.
Hull City clashes with Everton Friday at 2:55 p.m. on NBC Sports network.
Manchester United meets Middlebrough Saturday at 9:55 a.m. NBC brings Liverpool against Manchester City at 12:30 p.m.
The New Year begins in the Premier League with Watford-Tottenham Hotspur at 8:25 a.m. and Arsenal's contest with Crystal Palace at 10:55 a.m.
NBC Sports network has Cricket Saturday at 3 a.m. between Adelaide and Sydney.

Let there be light

Sometimes it's nice to see a new traffic light added to the mix.
U.S. 250 in western Albemarle will be getting a new light at the intersection with Rt. 151, bringing more safety to the trip on Afton Mountain.
I usually take Interstate 64 down the mountain, but I know there will be times when traffic accidents make U.S. 250 the better option.
This light will help.

Coming attraction

Donald Trump has 22 days to get his inaugural speech ready.
Sounds like he's getting a good start.
A person familiar with Trump’s comments said he is “enamored with Reagan’s confident style and how he connected with the country.”
“He went on and on about Reagan and how much he admires him. But it wasn’t all about Reagan. He spoke about Kennedy and how he was able to get the country motivated, to go to the moon. He’s thinking about both men as he starts to write the speech, which is something he’s now taking the lead on,” the person said.

This deal is the bomb

Powerline looks at the Obama's administration's lies in its dealings with Iran.

State of the Democratic Party

Political Clown Parade has the perfect picture to represent the Democratic Party since the election.

Time to learn

Over at DaTech Guy, a list of political lessons from 2016.
For some of us, the future is about building on the successes of 2016 and applying our newfound DC dominance towards solving problems. For a number of stalwart conservatives who are still skeptical about what the future holds, there are lessons to learn and challenges to address in order to steer the Trump administration and GOP Congress in the right direction.

From Christmas past

At every daily newspaper, there are people who have to work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
I got the assignment a few times between 1989 and 1993.
My first Christmas Day putting the paper together led off with sad news - the death of Yankees manager Billy Martin.
Gone but not forgotten.

Rock your Christmas

Driving home Saturday, the youngest and I talked about Christmas music.
I noted how all kinds of artists will take usual Christmas song and put them on a Christmas album to make some money during the season.
Then this morning I see Twisted Sister.
Not my idea of Christmas musicians, but they put their stamp on this one.

What they wanted for Christmas

Cleveland Browns fans finally got their wish Saturday - their first win of the season.
How about two in a row against the Steelers next week?

Saturday Christmas song

Hope you have a peaceful Christmas Eve as you and yours await Christmas morning.

Facebook quote of the week

Hearing the O at the Washington football game cheered me up. Baseball season is coming soon.

Weekend watchdog

Some people open their presents Christmas Eve.
Others Christmas morning.
The Steelers and Ravens hope to find a division championship in their possession Christmas evening.
The teams meet on NFL network at 4:30 p.m., with the AFC North basically on the line. A Ravens win means a season sweep that gives them the tiebreaker for the title, while a Steeler win clinches the crown with one game left.
The NFL weekend continues Saturday afternoon, with the Redskins visiting the Bears on Fox at 1 p.m. CBS brings the Patriots and Jets at 1 p.m., and Fox covers the late afternoon slot with Saints against Buccaneers.
NFL network has a Saturday night contest between the Bengals and Texans. The Chiefs take on the Broncos Sunday at 8:30 p.m., and ESPN has Cowboys against Lions Monday at 8:30 p.m.
Bowl season continues Friday with three games on ESPN, starting at 1 p.m. with the Bahamas Bowl matching Old Dominion and Eastern Michigan. Navy faces Louisiana Tech at 4:30 p.m. in the Armed Forces Bowl and Ohio takes on Troy at 8 p.m. from Mobile.
Hawaii tangles with Middle Tennessee Saturday at 8 p.m.
NBA basketball fills Christmas Day, starting at noon as the Celtics take on the Knicks. ABC takes over at 2:30 p.m. with the Cavaliers hosting Golden State, followed by Bulls-Spurs. The Thunder battle the Timberwolves at 8 p.m. before the Lakers and Clippers meet at 10:30 p.m.
On the college court, ESPN2 has Connecticut-Auburn Friday at 2:30 p.m., then Harvard faces Houston at 8 p.m. There's also semifinals of the Diamond Head Classic at 4:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. The championship of the Diamond Head Classic will be Sunday at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2, after the third place game at 6 p.m.
FoxSports1 offers Rutgers-Seton Hall at 6:30 p.m.
The Capitals host the Lighting Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
NBC Sports network has Rugby matching Northampton against Sale Friday at 2:30 p.m.

Have a nice trip. See you next fall.

How do you get college basketball publicity during the Christmas season?
Do something wrong.
Duke's Grayson Allen found attention Wednesday after tripping an opponent.
Not the attention Duke wanted.

After the fun is gone

A month before inauguration day, are we already in a rut on President-elect Trump?
The wailing on the left continues.
Trump ontinues gearing up for his administration.
The wailing doesn't bother him at all.
If this is how the left will act, it won't be too much fun following politics in 2017.
If the left can't think of another tact to take on Trump, it's going to be a boring four years.

Awaiting disaster

If you think the presidency of Donald Trump will be a disaster for the United States and the world, now you're in the watch and wait phase.

He's going to be president.

Despite your opinion that it's a terrible move.

So you're left waiting for bad things to happen to prove your opinion right.

Or having to deal with the fact you were wrong.

The stock market already appears to be making your life tough - daily record highs mean many people think Trump in charge is the right move.

How much time will you waste waiting for bad things to happen?

We changed the norms, now you must keep them

Andy Schmookler takes an interesting tact - attacking Donald Trump for being outside the current norms.
And wondering why conservatives are not defending norms like they used to?
Maybe it's because the norms have changed.
And conserving norms means not conserving the norms Schmookler wants conserved.
The media should help the citizenry to think through: Is this a norm that should be swept aside, because it gets in the way of our doing the nation’s business at it needs to be done? Or is this a norm that serves the nation well?
We'll see lots of reviewing norms in the next few years. If Schmookler's norms don't serve the nation well, they will be swept aside.

Ready for their Christmas present

Kids are ready for Santa to arrive on Sunday.
The Ravens are ready to battle the Steelers on Sunday.
Who's more excited?

What's the worst thing that can happen?

Scott Adams looks at the climate change debate, focusing on the thought we must do something so terrible things don't happen.
Your life is full of worst-case scenarios that you ignore because you have to. You can’t live a life that manages to the worst-case scenario or else you would never have sex, apply for a job, or drive your car. The worst-case scenario for you EVERY SINGLE DAY involves you getting zika, AIDS, and bird flu right before the brakes on your car fail and you plunge into a ravine.

Celebrate

It's official - the electors have elected Donald Trump president.
Sorry, those who don't like Trump.
What's your next move?

Time for the final exam

Monday, the electors will vote to lock in Donald Trump's victory in the November 8 election.
One more step to the reality of a Trump presidency - in less than 33 days.

Did you know they played Saturday night?

The NFL had a rare Saturday night contest this week.
I forgot it was going on.
And as a former sportswriter, I ought to know when there's a game on the schedule.
But it was the Dolphins and Jets.
Not much to miss.

Facebook quote of the week

I wish to thank the Baltimore Raven's tonight for allowing me to go to bed at my regular bedtime.

Saturday song

Brighten your morning with some Ambrosia.

Weekend watchdog

On January 9, one team will raise the overall championship trophy.
Before then, many teams will celebrate a victory in their final games of the season.
Bowl season begins Saturday with six games, with contests every day except three between then and Jan. 2.
Action starts on ABC at noon with Grambling against North Carolina Central from Atlanta, followed by Houston-San Diego State from Las Vegas at 3:30 p.m.
New Mexico and Texas-San Antonio battle in the New Mexico Bowl at 2 p.m. on ESPN, and Toledo takes on Appalachian State in the Camellia Bowl at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN.
CBS Sports network has the Cure Bowl between Central Florida and Arkansas State, and the night ends in New Orleans with Southern Mississippi facing Louisiana-Lafayette on ESPN at 9 p.m.
NFL network has the Dolphins facing the Jets Saturday at 8:25 p.m.
Fox has the Eagles' visit to Baltimore Sunday at 1 p.m., and some areas in Virginia will see the Giants meet the Lions. The Steelers battle the Bengals at 1 p.m. on CBS, followed by Broncos-Patriots.
The Cowboys host the Buccaneers on NBC Sunday night, and the Redskins host the Panthers Monday night on ESPN.
James Madison tangles with top-seeded North Dakota State in the FCS semifinals Friday at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
Division II crowns its champion Saturday at 4 p.m. on ESPN2 with North Alabama facing Northwest Missouri State.
The Lakers face the 76ers on ESPN Friday at 8 p.m., then it's Mavericks-Jazz.
The Wizards take on the Pistons Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast and host the Clippers Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
CBS has three college basketball contests Saturday, starting with Oklahoma-Memphis at 12:30 p.m. UCLA takes on Ohio State at 3 p.m. followed by Kentucky-North Carolina.
Georgetown meets Syracuse on ESPN Saturday at noon.
ESPN2 starts its day at noon with Arizona-Texas A&M. Notre Dame plays Purdue at 2 p.m., with Kansas-Davidson at 7 p.m. and UNLV meets Oregon at 11 p.m. to close the night. It's Gonzaga-Tennessee Sunday at 4 p.m.
Wagner visits Providence on FoxSports1 Saturday at noon, then it's Chicago State-DePaul. Wake Forest faces Xavier at 8 p.m.
Comcast brings ACC basketball Saturday at noon, with Eastern Kentucky meeting Louisville.
VCU tangles with Middle Tennessee State on MASN Saturday at 7 p.m., while MASN2 shows Jackson State against Baylor Saturday at 6 p.m. and John Brown-Baylor Sunday at 4:30 p.m.
On the women's hardcourt, UCLA meets South Carolina Sunday at 2 p.m. on ESPN2.
The Capitals host the Canadiens Saturday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
NBC Sports network has the Penguins against the Kings Friday at 7 p.m. and the USOC women's hockey Winter Festival Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
ESPN has NCAA volleyball championship between Stanford and Texas Saturday at 9 p.m.
Crystal Palace clashes with Chelsea Saturday at 7:25 a.m. on NBC Sports network. AFC Bournemouth battles Southampton Sunday at 8:25 a.m. followed by Manchester City-Arsenal.
NBC Sports network offers Alpine skiing Sunday at 8 and 9:30 p.m.

Oh the weather outside is frightful

In honor of James Madison football playing in Fargo Friday night, we have North Dakota weather in Virginia tonight.
They can keep that weather.

Winning the transition

Scott Adams gives several examples of why Donald Trump is showing fear of his leadership isn't being backed up by events.
Recent visitors to Trump Tower continue the trend.
10. Trump keeps demonstrating that he likes black people. Kanye West is the latest example. Football great Jim Brown also met with Trump and had good things to say. None of that makes sense if you think Trump is a racist.

Moldy oldies

Now that Democrats finally admit that Donald Trump will be president, they can begin thinking about 2020 choices.

• Joe Biden
• Bernie Sanders
• Elizabeth Warren

Can we find someone who's below retirement age?

Waiting for college to start

It's about a week until the Electoral College meets.
Donald Trump needs the 306 electors he won to officially put him in the White House.
Do the anti-Trumpers have any hope before the college meets?
There's one announced Texas elector who won't vote Trump. Are there 36 more?
The sort of deluded thinking on display here is typical of what we have seen from the Democrats since November 8. What is most striking is that Democrats see Trump’s election as some kind of fluke, an anomaly, a weird disturbance in the universe. In fact, it is just one more manifestation of their party’s long-term decline. A party that refuses to acknowledge reality, let alone deal with it, doesn’t have a bright future.

Latest Scooby Doo adventure

I can hear what was said at Hillary Clinton's house this weekend.
"I would have won this election, if not for those meddling Russians."
Guess it's time for more Scooby snacks.

The rogue one

If you don't like Donald Trump, any accusation becomes a true tool to attack him.
An anonymous CIA person tells the Washington Post about Russian activity in the election?
Totally believable.
How dare Trump question this great agency?
Maybe this CIA accusation is the rogue one.
What if it's not Trump trying to weaken the CIA, but rogue CIA agents working with the press to weaken the newly elected president?
The left has accused the CIA of tampering with governments around the world for years.
Why believe this report entirely now?

Not good if you disagree with me

Scott Adams has mentioned cognitive dissonance of Clinton voters many times, including today.
They are struggling with the conflict between their view of Trump and the reality that he's been voted into the White House.
Andy Schmookler has been writing pieces that show the struggle.
He sees people he lives around doing good things, and yet they voted for Trump.
How can that be?
He sees them helping others in the area.
But they voted for evil Trump.
Does that vote overwhelm any good they do in their non-political lives?
He tries to solve this problem by looking at the recent past.
In the South even well into living memory, the social order was one of racial terror and oppression. Jim Crow and segregation were clearly evil by any reasonable measure, and mighty few were the whites in the region who refused to support it.
Would we want to conclude that in the Old South — of the days of slavery, and all the way up into and past the 1950s — there were virtually no “good” or “decent” white people? Is there anyone here who would want to say that?
As Adams says, the struggle will continue.
So you would expect in this situation that Clinton supporters would enter a type of dream state in which they interpret their reality as being surrounded by racist-sexist-stupid citizens who just elected a genocidal dictator. They have to enter this dream because the only alternative involves believing that they themselves are gullible and deluded. 

I hear Fargo is lovely this time of year

James Madison football fans woke up Saturday wondering where their next game would be.
A home game looked possible when South Dakota State got off to a Jackrabbit start - leading 10-0 early.
Unfortunately for JMU, top-seed North Dakota State came to life and took the contest.
It was -2 outside at gametime.
Fortunately, they play indoors at the Fargodome.
But you have to get to the place for the game.

Important reminder

The Ace of Spades sidebar has an important reminder.
Hillary Clinton will not be president.
And six weeks from now, Donald Trump will be.

Saturday song

Rupert Holmes wasn't happy with what he found out about "Him."

Facebook quote of the week

No way you can outrun a zombie from Kenya.

Surviving the Trump era

It's now been 30 days since Donald Trump clinched the presidency.
How are you feeling about that?
It’s going to be a long four years and there will be plenty of real decisions to get outraged about. If you keep losing your mind every time Donald Trump acts like Donald Trump, you’re going to guarantee a long eight years.
One month down, many more to go.

Weekend watchdog

Army vs. Navy offers one of the best visuals in college football.
This year, it marks the farewell of an iconic TV voice.
CBS's Verne Lundquist calls his final football game Saturday when the Midshipmen and Cadets battle at Baltimore. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m., but tune in early for ESPN College GameDay at 9 a.m. and the pregame show with the arrival of both student bodies.
Lundquist and partner Gary Danielson have called the game since 2009 after finishing their SEC regular season. Lundquist also had part of the ABC coverage for two years in the 1970s. Navy has won 14 straight contests, and both will be playing once more after earning bowl berths.
James Madison has a primetime matchup in the FCS playoffs Friday, hosting Sam Houston State on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. Another quarterfinal match will be on ESPN Saturday, with South Dakota State facing North Dakota State.
ESPN carries the Heisman Trophy presentation Saturday at 8 p.m.
The Redskins take on the Eagles Sunday at 1 p.m. on Fox, followed by Seahawks-Packers. CBS offers the Steelers and Bills at 1 p.m.
The Cowboys meet the Giants on NBC Sunday night, with Ravens-Patriots on ESPN Monday night.
MLS closes its season with Seattle facing Toronto for the league championship Saturday at 8 p.m.
Watford faces Everton Saturday at 7:25 a.m. on NBC Sports network, followed by Arsenal-Stoke City. NBC brings Leicester City's contest with Manchester City at 12:30 p.m.
Chelsea clashes West Bromwich Albion Sunday at 6:55 a.m., then Manchester United meets Tottenham Hotspur. Liverpool takes on West Ham United at 11:25 a.m.
The Thunder take on the Rockets Friday at 8 p.m. on ESPN, with Suns-Lakers in the nightcap. The Wizards host the Nuggets on Comcast Thursday at 7 p.m. and the Bucks Saturday at 7 p.m.
On the college court, Creighton hosts Longwood on FoxSports1 Friday at 7:30 p.m.
CBS brings Villanova against Notre Dame Saturday at noon and Utah travels to Xavier on Fox at 5:30 p.m.
Kansas meets Nebraska at 3:15 p.m. Saturday on ESPN before Duke battles UNLV.
ESPN2 has six contests Saturday, starting at noon with Arizona-Missouri. It's Georgetown against LaSalle at 2 p.m. followed by Wichita State taking on Oklahoma. Texas faces Long Beach State at 6 p.m. before UCLA-Michigan with BYU meeting Colorado in the nightcap at 10 p.m.
Providence tangles with Massachusetts at noon on FoxSports1 before Wisconsin battles Marquette. Cincinnati clashes with Butler at 4:30 p.m.
Comcast offers three ACC contests Saturday, starting at noon with Syracuse hosting Boston University. Louisville faces Texas Southern at 2 p.m. followed by North Carolina State-Tennessee State.
Princeton visits Liberty on MASN Saturday at 2 p.m. and UNC-Wilmington takes on St. Bonaventure at 6 p.m.
TCU clashes Wofford on MASN2 Saturday at 5 p.m.
St. John's hosts LIU-Brooklyn on FoxSports1 at noon. ESPN brings Kentucky-Hofstra at 3 p.m. followed by Tennessee taking on North Carolina.
The Capitals tangle with the Sabres Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
On the college ice, MASN has Massachusetts against Connecticut Friday at 7 p.m. before Minnesota-Duluth takes on Denver at 9 p.m. NBC Sports network has Boston College-Notre Dame Saturday at 7 p.m.
The world swimming championships are on NBC Sports network Friday and Sunday at 6:30 p.m.

Cheering for Trump

The Washington Post heads to West Virginia to visit hopeful Trump voters.
Life has been tough in recent years.
The Post throws all the bad things out about the people interviewed.
But they remain hopeful.
“But I’m really looking forward to this president,” he said. “It’s kind of refreshing to see people come into government who know how business works.”

A Mad Dog Christmas

There's a great story going around about General Mattis.
“Jim, what are you doing here on Christmas day? Why do you have duty?” General Mattis told him that the young officer who was scheduled to have duty on Christmas day had a family, and General Mattis decided it was better for the young officer to spend Christmas Day with his family, and so he chose to have duty on Christmas Day.

Time for change

John Fund details reasons for conservatives to be happy with the Trump transition so far.

Conservative are cheerful at the thought, in large part because the Trump transition team is relying heavily on groups such as the Federalist Society. Among such groups, perhaps the biggest role is being played by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank that played a major role in Ronald Reagan’s transition in 1981.

Following Reagan's footsteps is a great way to start.

Check your filter

Scott Adams focuses on persuasion to explain the world.
If you view an action through trying to persuade, you view Donald Trump one way.
If you view Trump's actions as a man who doesn't know what he's doing, you view it differently.
I think Adams is more persuasive.
Because how did Trump get where he is - and stay on top for years - if he doesn't know what he's doing?

Taiwan on

The news has been abuzz with Donald Trump phone call with the president of Taiwan Friday.
Was it a mistake by a guy who doesn't know what he's doing?
Scott Adams knows better.
But if you look at this situation through the filter of a Master Persuader, it makes perfect sense. Trump is “setting the table” for future negotiations with China. He just subtracted something from China’s brand that they value, and later he will negotiate with them to maybe give it back in some fashion. Probably in return for some trade concessions.
But what about the risk? Does it ever make sense to poke a nuclear power? In this case, probably yes. As I have said in this blog before, China’s leadership is both mature and competent. Many of them have engineering degrees. They understand what Trump is doing, and none of it is a path to war because neither side has any interest in war. None. Zero.

Hope this makes you feel better

Powerline found a picture that should help deal with the election result.

Facebook quote of the week

God did not make us hateful & ignorant !!!!

Saturday song

Take a morning escape with Rupert Holmes.

Weekend watchdog

By the end of the weekend, four teams will know their New Year's Eve plans.
The college football regular season closes with several conference championship games and the announcement of the four teams involved in this year's playoff Sunday at noon on ESPN.
The big weekend begins Friday on ESPN2 with the MAC championship between Western Michigan and Ohio. Fox brings the Pac-12 title contest between Colorado and Washington Friday at 9 p.m.
Top-seeded Alabama faces Florida in the SEC championship game on CBS at 4 p.m.
In primetime, ABC has the ACC title game between Clemson and Virginia Tech, while Fox has the Big Ten championship between Wisconsin and Penn State.
The Mountain West contest matching Wyoming and San Diego State goes at 7:45 p.m. on ESPN.
The day starts on ABC at noon with Navy against Temple in the American Conference finale, while ESPN has Conference USA action between Western Kentucky and Louisiana Tech.
FoxSports1 has Big 12 action between TCU and Kansas State at noon followed by Baylor-West Virginia at 3:30 p.m.
Fox brings Oklahoma against Oklahoma State at 12:30 p.m.
Georgia Southern faces Troy on ESPN2 at noon and Arkansas State takes on Texas State at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, 80 college teams will officially find out their bowl destinations - with the top four going to Atlanta and Phoenix for a chance at the national title.
The Ravens host the Dolphins Sunday at 1 p.m. on CBS. Fox has the Eagles against the Bengals at 1 p.m. before the Redskins head to the desert to meet the Cardinals.
The Panthers visit Seattle Sunday on NBC, with Colts-Jets on ESPN Monday night.
ESPN brings the Cavaliers clashing with the Bulls Friday at 8 p.m. before the Rockets take on the Nuggets. The Wizards visit the Spurs Friday at 8:30 p.m. on Comcast.
On the college hardcourt, top-ranked Kentucky takes on UCLA Saturday at 12:30 p.m. on CBS.
ESPN brings Stanford-Kansas at 3:30 p.m. followed by Arizona against Gonzaga. Baylor battles Xavier on ESPN2 at 3:30 p.m. before Duke meets Maine.
North Carolina State faces Boston University on Comcast Saturday at 4:30 p.m. while MASN has Mount St. Marys against Loyola at 4 p.m. and Providence plays Rhode Island on MASN2 at 4:30 p.m.
Georgetown hosts Elon Sunday at 1:30 p.m. on FoxSports1 and Indiana takes on Southeast Missouri State on ESPN2 at 4 p.m.
On the women's court, Tennessee battles Baylor Sunday at 2 p.m. on ESPN2 and Texas takes on Connecticut on ESPN at 4 p.m.
Mississippi State meets Iowa State on MASN Saturday at 2 p.m.
The Capitals visit Tampa Bay Saturday at 7 p.m. on Comcast. The Flyers face the Blackhawks Saturday at 1 p.m. on Comcast.
On the college ice, Notre Dame visits Massachusetts Friday at 6 p.m. on MASN.
NBC Sports network has Manchester City against Chelsea Saturday at 7:25 a.m., followed by Tottenham Hotspur battling Swansea City. AFC Bournemouth faces Liverpool Sunday at 8:25 p.m. then it's Everton facing Manchester United.
Hit the slopes with Alpine Skiing Friday at 12:30 p.m. on NBC Sports network.
The AT&T swimming Winter National championships will be on NBC Sports network Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
The Sale Sharks meet the Exeter Chiefs in rugby Friday at 2:30 p.m. on NBC Sports network.

Unsung hero

Via Powerline, the story of an American POW who saved the Jewish soldiers imprisoned with him.

Three weeks later

Blue Virginia liked this analysis of the Trump win - as another Voxer can't quite understand how Donald Trump won.
He does have one good insight.
Rural whites feel left behind economically and disdained socially. They have what they see as a hostile entertainment/media/academic/urban elite and in the end were willing to vote for just about anyone who promised to punch those elites in the nose.
How does it feel?

Ugly thoughts

Andy Schmookler continues trying to deal with the idea of a Trump presidency.
What's the ugly thought behind his latest column?
Calling Trump and his crew part of the ugly side of American life.
Likewise, Trump’s being in thrall to ugliness means that he is drawn to other ugly people. So he surrounds himself with a veritable Rogues’ Gallery of ugly people, like Steve Bannon and Rudy Guiliani. And now we have, day by day, additions to the roster of ugly people who will be sitting around the table with Trump.
(It is my intuitive sense that it is Bannon more than Trump who has determined these ugly appointments. It looks that way to me because I have not seen Trump as having the kind of firm commitment to an ugly hard-right ideology as these appointments represent. Whereas Bannon, seems much more driven by an ideologically-determined set of goals toward which he wants the power of this presidency to take the nation and the world.)
Ugly thoughts about Steve Bannon.
Instead of thinking how Trump wants to make America great again.

On the road again

President-elect Trump plans to visit the country before moving to the White House in a few weeks.
Visiting the voters instead of Hawaii.
Imagine that.
We will have a different president on January 20.

When I kneed you

Do you participate in Fantasy Football?
Results in the fantasy world don't always match the real world.
Which is why SI says you should consider Colin Kaepernick to your team.
His team stinks - losers of 10 straight - so he's always behind.
Thus he's always throwing for yards in the second half.
Good for fantasy, bad for reality.

Climategate carol

I've posted this Climate carol for years.
The lights shine each year.
And the threat of government regulations seems to dim each year.
Such a great Christmas present.

Al Gore speaks, no one's listening
In the lane, lights are glistening
Oh what a sight
With houses really bright
Seeing all the Christmas lights are on

Gone away is good science
Here to stay, blind allegiance
We're singing our song
Yet lights come on
Look how all the Christmas lights are on

On computers we can cook some data
then pretend that it is warmer now
They'll ask: Are you sure?
We'll say: You know, man
And here's the hockey stick
that we have found

Later on, we'll conspire,
With warnings, that are dire
Make the people afraid
We'll pass cap and trade
No more seeing Christmas lights turned on

On computers we can cook some data
And say skeptics are just circus clowns
We'll have lots of fun with our bad data
Until our own emails knock us down.

When we speak, ain't it thrilling
People's hearts, they are chilling
We'll frolic and play, the socialist way,
No more seeing Christmas lights turned on

No eye in the sky

The signs remain.
But there's no planes watching for speeders.
Until more money arrives.
There's plenty of officers on the roads, especially today.

Proper sendoff for Fidel

In four words, Donald Trump summed up the thoughts of many - Fidel Castro is dead!
Was it diplomatic?
No.
But for those lives shattered by Castro's lengthy rule, it said what they felt.
Compared to President Obama, who talks about himself in the midst of the statement.
During my presidency, we have worked hard to put the past behind us, pursuing a future in which the relationship between our two countries is defined not by our differences but by the many things that we share as neighbors and friends – bonds of family, culture, commerce, and common humanity.
You can't forget the past.
The suffering for many for years was real.
Trump's tweet expresses the relief of the end of that chapter.

List of demands

The Washington Post presents the case of a University of Virginia second-year concerned about the recent election.
It starts trying to present sympathy for his plight.
It ends with a list of demands to make him and his friends feel better.
The university must refuse to bend to any federal legislation that may be passed in the coming months and years that would directly harm its students. Female students deserve access to reproductive health services, undocumented students deserve access to education as well as protection from dislocation or deportation, and Muslim students deserve to learn at our university without fear. This school has the power to ensure these things, and it must take the side of student protection if it wishes to fulfill its mission of educational excellence.
It's my way or the highway, says the student.
He's got more learning to do.

Facebook quote of the week

Can't get more politically incorrect than calling Hamilton "overrated" lol

Saturday song

Steely Dan has a song about yesterday's shopping.

Ready for a strange Big Ten day

Saturday marks a big contest between Michigan and Ohio State.
And conflicted feeling for other schools.
If Michigan wins, they win the division.
If Ohio State wins, then Penn State holds a tiebreaker if it beats Michigan State later in the day.
So you have Penn State fans rooting for Ohio State at noon.
And maybe Michigan fans rooting for Michigan State in the late afternoon.
Sounds like a fun day.

Weekend watchdog

The big meal is done.
But there's still plenty of sports to enjoy with your leftovers.
Black Friday brings plenty of college football, starting at noon with North Carolina-North Carolina State on ESPN and Houston meeting Memphis on ABC.
Missouri takes on Arkansas on CBS at 2:30 p.m. and Nebraska goes to Iowa at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.
FoxSports1 brings the Apple Cup between Washington and Washington State at 3:30 p.m.
ESPN closes the day with a pair of contests, with Baylor battling Texas Tech at 6 p.m. and Arizona against Arizona State at 9:30 p.m.
Virginia and Virginia Tech tangle on ESPN2 Saturday at noon.
ABC has the big contest between Michigan and Ohio State at noon, followed by Notre Dame-Southern Cal at 3:30 p.m. and Florida facing Florida State at 8 p.m.
Top-ranked Alabama meets Auburn on CBS at 3:30 p.m. and Fox has the PAC-12 meeting between Colorado and Utah at 7:30 p.m.
ESPN starts its day at noon when Louisville faces Kentucky, followed by Michigan State-Penn State at 3:30 p.m. and Clemson's contest with South Carolina at 7:30 p.m.
Duke meets Miami on ESPN2 at 3:30 p.m. California battles UCLA at 7 p.m. with a nightcap featuring Wyoming and New Mexico.
Kansas clashes with Kansas State on FoxSports1 at noon followed by West Virginia-Iowa State.
Pittsburgh plays Syracuse on the ACC network at 12:30 p.m.
Comcast offers Boston College-Wake Forest at 3 p.m.
Southern clashes with Grambling State at 5 p.m. on NBC Sports network.
The pros return Sunday, as the Ravens try to stay atop the AFC North at 1 p.m. when the Bengals visit on CBS. The Patriots take on the Jets in the late afternoon slot, with Fox showing Browns-Giants at 1 p.m. The Broncos host the Chiefs Sunday night on NBC, with Packers-Eagles on ESPN Monday night.
North of the border, ESPN2 has the Grey Cup between Calgary and Ottawa.
It's tournament time on the college hardcourt, with action continuing Friday with the championship and third place games at the Las Vegas Invitational Friday at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on FoxSports1.
It's the championship of the Battle for Atlantis on ESPN Friday at 3:30 p.m. ESPN2 brings the championship game of the NIT tip-off tournament at 3 p.m. after games at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. from Advocare and Atlantis.
Maryland meets Richmond on MASN in the Barclay Center Classic Friday at 9:30 p.m. after Kansas State-Boston College. Oklahoma hosts Abilene Christian on MASN2 at 3 p.m.
Northern Iowa takes on Xavier Saturday at noon on MASN, and it's James Madison-George Mason at 6 p.m. The Barclay Center Classic championship tips at 9:30 p.m. after the consolation game at 7 p.m. on MASN2.
ESPN has the finals from the Advocare Invitational Sunday at 1 p.m. and Wooden Classic at 8:30 p.m.
Georgetown hosts Howard on FoxSports1 Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
In women's basketball, South Carolina takes on Louisville on ESPN Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Wizards meet the Spurs Saturday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
NBC has ice hockey Friday at 1 p.m., with the Rangers visiting the Flyers.
The Capitals host the Sabres Friday at 5 p.m. on Comcast.
On the college ice, MASN brings the Friendship Four Friday. Vermont takes on Massachusetts at 11 a.m. before Quinnipiac battles St. Lawrence at 3 p.m. Winners advance to the championship game will be Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
The MLS playoffs continue with the Western Conference final between Colorado and Seattle at 4 p.m. on ESPN.
NBC Sports network offers Burnley-Manchester City Saturday at 7:25 a.m. followed by Liverpool against Sunderland. NBC brings Chelsea against Tottenham Hotspur at 12:30 p.m. Manchester United meets West Ham United Sunday at 11:25 a.m.
Formula One has its Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Sunday at 7:30 a.m. on NBC Sports network, after practice Friday at 8 a.m.
There's rugby on NBC Sports network with Northampton-Newcastle Friday at 2:30 p.m., the Exeter Chiefs meeting the Worcester Warriors Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and Bath Rugby clashing with the Harlequins Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

Singing with his savior

I missed the news last week of the passing of Cliff Barrows, who led songs for Billy Graham crusades for 60 years.
I was fortunate enough to meet him once during my time in South Carolina 30 years ago - since his son was pastor at the church I attended. He eagerly told his story yet again to me, a young reporter, while spending time with his grandchildren on the church grounds.
The news clip has a very interesting part - video from Graham's 95th birthday celebration three years ago.
Guess who's at the next table to Rev. Graham - Donald Trump.

Blow back

It's been an enjoyable two weeks watching Democrats and liberals struggling to deal with the looming Trump presidency.
Charles Blow of the New York Times is the latest to take a swing.

I will say proudly and happily that I was not present at this meeting. The very idea of sitting across the table from a demagogue who preyed on racial, ethnic and religious hostilities and treating him with decorum and social grace fills me with disgust, to the point of overflowing. Let me tell you here where I stand on your “I hope we can all get along” plea: Never.

You are an aberration and abomination who is willing to do and say anything — no matter whom it aligns you with and whom it hurts — to satisfy your ambitions.

Nice blast.
What will it accomplish?
You can vent and complain, but January 20 is coming.
You need more than anger to deal with the Trump presidency.
The problem for liberals?
They think Republicans only fought President Obama over anger, or superficial issues.
To win again, they need policies that work for more than a few Americans who vote for them.

Alt-reality

Will we have to hear about the "alt-right" community for four years?
Or eight?
Or more?
Do they have more influence because Donald Trump won, or does the media publicity give them more recognition than they deserve?
Why would The Los Angeles Times give the GQ treatment to a guy who “heils” victory and quotes Nazi propaganda onstage in German, as Richard Spencer did this weekend? I suppose it’s the same reason every major publication gave David Duke, who was polling at 3-4 percent in his Louisiana Senate race all year, their undivided attention. (What am I talking about? We’re still hearing about Duke on a daily basis.) It’s to create the impression that they matter.
Time for a reality check for the media.

As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly

Behind the scenes of the WKRP in Cincinnati "Turkey Drop"

Liberals want to lock her up

Donald Trump seems to have decided not to continue investigating Hillary Clinton's email server.
Which disappoints which groups more?

• Trump supporters?
• Hillary supporters?

Sounds like they would like Trump to keep up the pressure.
Why do they dislike Hillary so?

The Art of the Failed Deal

Huffington Post continues looking at how the Clinton campaign failed.
Such an enjoyable way to spend my time.
But for the top ranks of the Clinton campaign, the failure is not so much about poor decisions as it is about poor data. Their models showed that the best way to defeat Trump was to paint him as unqualified for the office of the presidency, which they successfully did. Voters just ended up not caring. As one top official asked: When your own polling shows you are likely to win and the public polling says the same, “what would you have done differently?”

You might be persuaded

Scott Adams asks you to imagine how the campaign would have gone without Donald Trump.
If Trump didn’t win because of his persuasion skills, which other Republican candidate can you imagine beating Clinton?
You might be thinking that Clinton’s email problems and the Comey announcements made her an unusually weak candidate, and that means any sane Republican could have beaten her. But you’d be wrong. The reason that the emails, the Comey decisions, and Wikileaks were so effective is that Trump had been labelling Clinton “Crooked Hillary” for months. That created the confirmation bias trap that made everything Clinton ever did sound suspicious. None of the other candidates would have crafted such a perfect persuasion trap.
I also have a hard time imagining any other candidate going after Bill Clinton so hard that it took him out of the game. Was Jeb going to do that?
If you're happy to avoid President Hillary Clinton, thank Donald Trump.

Who's the next birthday email?

Being part of the Democratic party email list, I see they love birthdays.
Wish President Obama a happy birthday.
Or Michele Obama.
Or Joe Biden this week.
And don't forget the Clintons.
But who will be the focus of emails in 2017?
I doubt we'll hear about Hillary's birthday again.
I can't see being excited about the birthday of the new DNC chair.
How will they seek donations and email addresses in the future?

Who over-reacted?

Friday night at the theater, the cast of Hamilton had words for Vice President-elect Pence.
Saturday morning, President-elect Trump responded.
Who's to blame?
Well, they started it. Both sides say.

Curtains for the curtain call talk

DaTech Guy likes free speech.
But thinks the Hamilton cast could have used a different venue to challenge Mike Pence.
The show Hamilton is one of the most popular ones on Broadway, the cast has a very platform and easy access to media, particularly in NYC who would like nothing more than to hear them publicly hit the incoming administration. The cast of Hamilton could have achieved the same effect by having making their statement in an open letter that I’m sure the NYT would have gladly published and the MSM endlessly repeated. Given that fact the necessity to violate the bounds of propriety by challenge a paying customer would seem rather pointless.

Saturday song

The mannequin videos reminded me of the Mannequin movie - and this video by Starship.
It's now the Trump theme song.

Facebook quote of the week

In 2018, Senate Dems must defend 10 seats in these states won by Trump
WV +42
ND +36...
MT +22
MO +19
IN +19
OH +8
FL +1
PA +1
WI +1
MI <1

Recycling update

The latest trip to the recycling center brought 40 cents per pound for aluminum cans.
A good start to the pre-Thanksgiving weekend.

Weekend watchdog

Jimmie Johnson won five straight NASCAR season championships from 2006-2010.
But he's only won once since then.
Sunday, he'll try for his seventh championship - a feat only reached by Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.
Johnson and three other drivers will compete for the 2016 title Sunday at Homestead. NBC has coverage at 3 p.m.
Joey Lagano and Carl Edwards also advanced to the Championship 4 with recent wins, with Kyle Busch rounding out the field. The driver who finishes best among the four contenders takes home the crown.
The final Xfinity Series race goes Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on NBC Sports network, with the Truck Series finale Friday at 8 p.m. on FoxSports1.
The Ravens visit Dallas Sunday at 1 p.m. on CBS, followed by the Eagles against the Seahawks. Fox offers Giants-Bears at 1 p.m.
The Redskins host the Packers on NBC Sunday night, and the Raiders and Texans travel to Mexico City for their Monday night battle on ESPN.
The college football weekend continues Friday on ESPN2 with Boise State against UNLV at 9 p.m.
Virginia Tech tangles with Notre Dame Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on NBC.
Virginia's game with Georgia Tech will air on the ACC network at 12:30 p.m., with some areas getting Miami's contest with North Carolina State.
Purdue plays Wisconsin at noon on ABC, with either Florida State facing Syracuse or Texas-Kansas at 3:30 p.m. The game not seen over the air in your area will be on ESPN2.
In primetime, West Virginia hosts Oklahoma.
Tennessee takes on Missouri on CBS at 3:30 p.m. while Fox offers Washington against Arizona State.
ESPN starts its day at noon with Michigan State-Ohio State. Michigan meets Indiana at 3:30 p.m., then Clemson tries to bounce back against Wake Forest at 7 p.m. UCLA and USC close out the night at 10:30 p.m.
Kansas State battles Baylor on ESPN2 at noon. Top-ranked Alabama takes on Chattanooga at 7 p.m. followed by Colorado State-New Mexico.
TCU takes on Oklahoma State at noon on FoxSports1, followed by Texas Tech against Iowa State at 3:30 p.m.
Comcast offers Duke-Pittsburgh at 3 p.m.
Lehigh clashes with Lafayette on MASN at 12:30 p.m. and Marshall meets Florida International at 7 p.m.
The Warriors face the Celtics Friday at 8 p.m. on ESPN
The Wizards host the Knicks Thursday at 7 p.m. on Comcast and the Heat visit Saturday at 7 p.m.
On the college hardcourt, MASN2 has Jacksonville State against TCU Friday at 7 p.m.
There's a semifinal from Charleston Friday at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN2, then a pair of games from the 2K Classic at 4:30 and 7 p.m.
Bucknell battles Butler on MASN2 Saturday at 1 p.m.
ESPN brings the championship of the Tip-Off Classic Sunday at 1 p.m., with the third place game at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2. It's the championship of the Tire Pros Invitational at 7:30 p.m. followed by the final from Charleston at 9:30 p.m.
DePaul meets Wisconsin-Milwaukee Sunday at 1:30 p.m. on FoxSports1.
The Connecticut women take on LSU Sunday at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN Sunday.
The Capitals take on the Red Wings Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
Air Force takes on Western Michigan in college ice hockey Friday at 7 p.m. on MASN.
NBC Sports network has Manchester United against Arsenal at 7:25 a.m., followed by Southampton-Liverpool. Chelsea clashes with Middlesbrough Sunday at 10:55 a.m.
ESPN2 has the final of the Barclays ATP World championship Sunday at 1 p.m. There's more action Friday at 9 a.m.

Forced to vote for Trump

David French gave an easy answer why evangelical Christians voted for Donald Trump - survival.

And with all the social pressures on the left driving Democratic politicians to ever-more-vicious acts of religious persecution, the election of 2016 presented conservative Christians with nothing but terrible options: Vote for an immoral man who might help, vote for an immoral woman who will try to hurt, or vote for someone decent who can’t win.

 

Hurry up and wait

The media needs to make up its mind on the presidential transition.
Trump makes Steve Bannon a senior advisor and they question his choice.
Today, they question the speed of his choices for other administration posts.
Do you want him to make decisions or not?
If it's overwhelming the number of people you have to select before inauguration day, maybe there's too many posts in Washington.

Making victory even better

The Other McCain enjoys the pain of feminists lamenting the loss of Hillary Clinton on Election Day.
So you can too.

Can we talk?

I saw someone on Facebook wonder how Joan Rivers would have reacted to the election results.
Simple.
Just use her catch phrase.
"Can we talk?"
There hasn't been much talking to those who disagree with Democratic policies.
The assumptions was people were bigots, and no need to talk.
Now you see how those you called bigots and deplorables voted.
And their strength in numbers.
Can we talk about fixing problems now?
Instead of just blaming others who don't view the world like you do.
Find out the good reasons people had to vote for Trump.
Their hopes and dreams.
You can say Trump will leave his voters disappointed and upset.
Just like Obama and Hillary have left you upset.

Hallelujah

Saturday Night Live opened with their Hillary Clinton singing "Hallelujah."
Funny, millions of Americans said Hallelujah upon hearing Donald Trump would be the next president.

"Used to be" a Democratic stronghold

Ted Koppel visited McDowell County, West Virginia Friday to understand how a formerly Democratic area could go 4-to-1 for Donald Trump.
Look at the decline of the coal industry and it's obvious.
McDowell County today, says Sheriff West, is in desperate straits. “This county was one of the most prosperous in the state at one time,” he told Koppel. “These were the billion-dollar coalfields, and they were just enjoying the richness of it. And now we’re on the bottom and we’re being totally neglected.”

Do you hear me know

Catching up with Mark Steyn's post election column - about the people who rose to elect Donald Trump.
Trump turned the armies of the "culturally dispossessed" into just another aggrieved minority group, and the new minority came out in enough numbers to make them a majority. If both left and right regard Trump's victory as a horror show, well, you created the monster: The establishment of both parties spent the last year telling his supporters they no longer mattered - they're too old, too white, too male, too bluecollar, too rust-belt, too too tootsie, g'bye; they're old and fading and they'll be dead soon.

Facebook quote of the week

my grandson is farting up a storm so he says he is 10.

Saturday song

Barry Manilow makes the post - Even now.

Same school, different world

From the world of TV, I find the opinions of two people who also attended my college - Towson University.
Mike Rowe would be glad to help Donald Trump rebuild America.
Amy Schumer blasted Trump supporters after the election.
Some people learn to think at college - but not all.

Hillary's on-goal

Huffington Post offers a delightful story - the Clinton campaign's voter contacts may have reminded potential Trump voters to hit the polls.
The campaign’s text messaging GOTV effort may have been the worst offender. Volunteers reported as many as 30% of the replies they received from voters they were urging to get out were Trump supporters.
Good job outsourcing this part of your campaign, President-elect Trump.

Weekend watchdog

For Veterans Day, college basketball has some big games at interesting venues.
ESPN has a doubleheader from Hawaii Friday night in the Armed Forces Classic, with Arizona facing Michigan State at 7 p.m. before Kansas going against Indiana.
Harvard and Stanford go farther for their season opener, meeting in China on ESPN2 at 11:30 p.m.
It's back to home courts over the weekend, with Grand Canyon facing Duke on Comcast at 5:30 p.m. Sunday on ESPN2, there's Chattanooga clashing with North Carolina at 4 p.m. followed by Canisus-Kentucky.
FoxSports1 has a pair of games Sunday, as Seton Hall hosts Central Connecticut State at 2 p.m. before DePaul meets Robert Morris at 7 p.m.
Fresh from their trip to the White House, LeBron and the Cavaliers visit the Wizards Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast. The Wizards head to Chicago Saturday at 8 p.m.
The Redskins host the Vikings at 1 p.m. Sunday on Fox, followed by Steelers- Cowboys. CBS will bring the Panthers and Chiefs at 1 p.m.
NBC has the Seahawks taking on the Patriots Sunday night, with Bengals meeting the Giants on ESPN Monday at 8:30 p.m.
The college football weekend continues Friday as Florida State faces Boston College at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2 while Harvard meets Pennsylvania on NBC Sports network at 8 p.m.
ABC will air either Baylor-Oklahoma or Penn State against Indiana Saturday at noon, with the alternate game on ESPN2.
Second-ranked Clemson hosts Pittsburgh at 3:30 p.m., and in primetime Michigan visits Iowa.
There's a pair of SEC games on CBS, with South Carolina facing Florida at noon before Georgia battles Auburn at 3:30 p.m.
Notre Dame and Army visit the Alamodome on NBC at 3:30 p.m. Washington hosts Southern Cal on Fox at 7:30 p.m.
ESPN starts its day at noon with Mississippi State meeting Alabama, and Maryland meets Ohio State at 3:30 p.m. It's Arkansas facing LSU at 7 p.m. before California takes on Washington State.
Wisconsin hosts Illinois on ESPN2 at 3:30 p.m. Louisville tangles with Wake Forest at 7 p.m. with New Mexico-Utah State in the nightcap at 10:15 p.m.
FoxSports1 brings Oklahoma State against Texas Tech at 3:30 p.m. Colorado clashes with Arizona at 10 p.m.
Syracuse faces North Carolina State on the ACC network at 12:30 p.m.
North of the border, ESPN2 has a CFL Eastern Conference semifinal Sunday at 1 p.m.
NASCAR hits the track in Phoenix this week, with the Sprint Cup race on NBC Sunday at 2:30 p.m. The Xfinity race goes Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on NBC Sports network, with the Truck Series Friday at 10 p.m. on FoxSports1.
The Grand Prix of Brazil runs Sunday at 10:30 a.m. on NBC Sports network. There's qualifying Saturday at 11 a.m. after practice Friday at 11 a.m.
The road to World Cup 2018 continues Friday on FoxSports1, with England-Scotland at 2:30 p.m. and the United States against Mexico at 8 p.m. Liechtenstein faces Italy Sunday at 8 a.m. ESPN2 has the contest between France and Sweden Friday at 2:30 p.m.
Comcast has the Atlantic 10 men's soccer championship Sunday at noon, with the CAA title contest at 2 p.m.
The United States women have another international friendly with Romania Sunday at 9:30 p.m. on FoxSports1.

Great way to start

Donald Trump's transition team has a new website.
Remember, things will be great.

New presidents in two words

2009, Barack Obama - I won.
2017, Donald Trump - Let's deal.

Poll about polls

Pollsters didn't feel very good Wednesday.
What did they miss?
They claim they were within the margin of error.
But most were on the wrong side of the error - over estimating Clinton's strength.
The most important concentration of polling errors was regional: Polls understated Trump’s margin by 4 points or more in a group of Midwestern states that he was expected to mostly lose but mostly won: Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Back to the drawing board.

Wasted ad money

Hillary Clinton had lots of money to spend on TV advertising.
Was it spent wisely?
The way I saw it, Trump the candidate may have been erratic, but Trump the advertiser was all about highly effective (for its target audience) message discipline -- whereas Clinton's message discipline was basically, Trump is awful. And I'm your only hope. And Sorry (kinda) about that private email server.
The irony is that the Clinton camp actually did have highly detailed plans of attack regarding the economy, ISIS and more -- in contrast to Trump's silly, empty "I alone can fix it"-style declarations. But, again, the Clinton campaign put all its advertising and messaging eggs in one basket -- one, ahem, deplorable basket -- creating a Clinton-branding vacuum that Trump and his allies were more than happy to fill with relentless messaging about her corruption.

Voters who made a difference

DaTech Guy tells of the passion of a Trump voter friend of his.
My friend Jim, a 60 something Irishman, asked me to take him to vote. He is a two-time cancer survivor, has problems with his spine, fractured both feet two weeks ago, s waiting for six operations to help him walk properly and is in constant pain. I got to his place at 8:45 AM. It took him an hour to get dressed, a solid 10-12 minutes to hobble on his crutches to my car, over 30 minutes to go into the polling place and vote and another 10 minutes to hobble up the stairs back to his apartment and practically throw himself back onto his bed at 10:45 (after a bank trip too) in incredible pain.
He did so to vote for Donald Trump in Massachusetts a state where the presidential race was not even remotely in doubt.

Obama's pen just ran out of ink

It's President-elect Trump.
The next few months, and few years, look different than we expected earlier in the week.
Executive orders can be revoked by future executives.
And the next executive is Donald Trump.

Obamacare update

Being sick to your stomach after watching election results is not covered under Obamacare regulations.
Obamacare is the pre-existing condition causing your distress.

Can Trump beat Romney?

While waiting for the results to roll in, a question to ponder.
Will Donald Trump receive move votes tonight than Mitt Romney four years ago?
Is he does, the NeverTrump crew will have to face facts - Trump did draw in voters into the system.
Despite their protests.

Keep the creepy courthouse

Augusta County voters today get to decide whether the courthouse should remain at the same site as it has since before the Revolutionary War.
In a building built in 1901.
In the middle of congested streets of downtown Staunton, instead of easily accessed in Verona.
It will cost too much, say the foes.
Staunton will help with improvements.
But that's been the state of play for years.
The building looks pretty on the outside, then you see the window unit air conditioner.
And the front doors are blocked.
You can pay now, or pay later.

It's all about the debt

Robert Samuelson laments the issues not discussed much this election.
However this election turns out, the 2016 campaign for the White House will undoubtedly be remembered for its vulgarity, mean-spiritedness and mendacity. It has been a national embarrassment. But a parallel failing is less noticed: the unwillingness of both candidates — Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump — to come to grips with national problems that are staring them in the face but involve unpopular political choices. I refer, of course, to an aging society and immigration.
The issues will bother us the next four years.
They underlie the current battle, with concerns about the debt fueling worries on illegal immigration. When the government runs out of money, who will suffer?
Maybe it's time to grab hold of the budget.

What does Scott Adams do for an encore?

Scott Adams closes the campaign season with thanks to his new readers.
And thank you again for the most fun I have ever had in one year. This was truly special. I will miss it a lot.
Now it’s time to make history. Have fun and stay safe tomorrow.
What does the future hold after Tuesday?
Probably something worth reading, and thinking about.

Isn't this mansplaining?

Keith Olbermann still lives.
He's on GQ, talking to women thinking about voting for Donald Trump.
Isn't that mansplaining?
Believing that a women doesn't have all the information and the men must provide them.
Some women like that kind of commentary.
But women voting for Trump have seen all the stuff you're talking about.
It's been factored in.
They are smart enough to find what you're saying on their own.

Vox tells why to vote Trump

Vox has a lengthy story on why Hillary Clinton's emails are not important.
But there's a great line on why it is important.
What happens when there are rules she doesn't like?
Clinton chose to ignore this guideline and because she was the boss nobody could stop her.
Nobody could stop her.
Nobody could stop her.
Nobody could stop her.
If those four words don't make you vote Trump, the next four years will open your eyes.

But we know he likes women

A Facebook friend posted an interesting whine from Mother Jones - What we don't know about Donald Trump the weekend before Election Day.
Gee, why is that?
Did the media spend the last month talking about Trump and women?
They have had since June 2015 to look into his finances and legal disputes.
Instead they focused on his behavior with women.
I guess they thought that was enough to knock him out.
They were wrong.
Hours to go, and things are tight.
The media still has questions - after wasting so much time.

Saturday song

Start your morning with a bang and the Gap Band.

Facebook quote of the week

Imagine a world where the Cubs win and the Clintons lose.

No wars on Trump's golf courses

Scott Adams gives a reason why Donald Trump won't start a war.
Trump owns buildings and property around the world. As a general rule, people who own a lot of real estate don’t start wars because their own assets are at risk.
All those Trump golf courses would be good news for us.

Weekend watchdog

By the end of the day Sunday, the MLS will be down to its final four.
Sunday brings the second leg of the conference semifinals, with higher seeds hosting the contest.
Unfortunately for those teams, all four lost last Sunday in the opening leg and all went scoreless. If the top seeds win their games Sunday, advancement will be determined by most goals as the away team or an overtime period and shootout.
ESPN has the first two contests, with the Galaxy at Colorado at 2 p.m. followed by the Red Bulls against Montreal at 4 p.m. The action moves to FoxSports1 at 6:30 p.m. with New York FC hosting Toronto and Dallas facing Seattle at 9 p.m.
CBS has the Ravens against the Steelers Sunday at 1 p.m., followed by Colts-Packers. With the Redskins on their bye, Fox shows the NFC East matchup between the Giants and Eagles at 1 p.m.
The Broncos visit the Raiders on NBC Sunday night, and Buffalo battles the Seahawks on ESPN Monday night.
The college football weekend continues Friday on ESPN2 with a pair of contests - Temple clashing with Connecticut at 7 p.m. followed by San Jose State battling Boise State.
CBS offers three contests Saturday, starting at 11:30 a.m. when Navy meets Notre Dame at Jacksonsville. Florida faces Arkansas at 3:30 p.m. and in primetime top-ranked Alabama meets LSU.
Northwestern takes on Wisconsin on ABC at noon, then at 3:30 p.m. it's either Syracuse-Clemson or Oklahoma State meeting Kansas State. ESPN2 has the contest not seen over the air in your area.
In primetime, Ohio State hosts Nebraska on ABC.
Fox has Baylor taking on TCU at 3:30 p.m.
Virginia travels to Wake Forest at 3 p.m. on Comcast.
ESPN starts its day at noon with Vanderbilt-Auburn, then Maryland meets Michigan at 3:30 p.m. It's off to the PAC-12 for the evening, with Oregon-Southern Cal at 7 p.m. followed by Washington against California.
Boston College hosts Louisville on ESPN2 at noon. West Virginia battles Kansas at 7 p.m. with Utah State-Wyoming in the nightcap.
Texas tangles with Texas Tech on FoxSports1 at noon.
The ACC network has split coverage at 12:30 p.m., with Pittsburgh-Miami and Georgia Tech against North Carolina being offered.
MASN has a pair of Conference USA contests, with Charlotte clashing with Southern Mississippi at 3:30 p.m. before Marshall meets Old Dominion at 7 p.m.
Texas hosts NASCAR this weekend, with the Sprint Cup race on NBC Sunday at 2 p.m. The Xfinity Series goes Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on NBC while the Truck Series races Friday at 8:30 p.m. on FoxSports1.
For another kind of horsepower, it's Breeders Cup weekend. NBC has the final races Saturday at 8 p.m., after NBC Sports network coverage Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
The Knicks take on the Bulls on ESPN Friday at 8 p.m. followed by Warriors-Lakers. The Wizards face the Hawks Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
The Capitals host Florida Saturday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
Manchester City meets Middlesbrough on NBC Sports network Saturday at 10:55 a.m. There's three matches Sunday, starting at 6:55 a.m. with Arsenal-Tottenham Hotspur. Liverpool takes on Watford at 9:10 a.m. followed by Leicester City against West Bromwich Albion.
Comcast has a semfinal contest from the ACC field hockey tournament Friday at 1 p.m. and the final Sunday at 1 p.m.
The New York City marathon will be on ESPN2 Sunday at 9 a.m.

If the basket fits

Over at DaTech Guy, JD Rucker explains the difference in scandals between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
I’m not going to apologize for Trump’s major character flaws. I’m not going to throw out talking points like “we’re not electing a Pope” or “he’s a changed man.” I do hold character as an extremely important attribute to weigh when deciding on the next President and Trump’s character is laughable. However, the left’s attempts to paint Hillary’s incomprehensible actions as big nothingburgers are reproachable. Her election would be untenable and her apologists are fraudulent in their attempts to make it happen. Shall we call them deplorables? If the basket fits…

Make Staunton Great Again

The principal of Robert E. Lee High School in Staunton appears to be in trouble.
Dressing like Donald Trump on Halloween.
He looks the part.
The secretary as Hillary Clinton in prison garb?
If nobody mentioned it, you might not know it's supposed to be Hillary.
Now more people are looking of Hillary in prison garb.
Great.

Thanks, global warming

Game 6 of the World Series is tonight.
November 1.
In Cleveland, right off the lake.
And it's 75 degrees just before game time.
Let's play two, the Cubs say.
One would be enough for the Indians.

Ready for the post election battles

The last three days show those hoping for reduction of the political tensions are dreaming.
We always knew a Trump election would bring great chaos - from those who can't believe people would vote for him.
The email story revives the hopes of Republicans - instead of a trouncing, there will be plenty of ammo to toss after November 8.
And it will be tossed.

Outside Wrigley

So nice to see a big banner with "Hillary for Prison" behind the Fox team prior to tonight's Game 5.
Maybe there's hope for Chicago.

You show me yours and I'll show you mine

Watching Fox News Sunday, Chris Wallace mentioned a report that Anthony Weiner turned over the computer in question to the FBI.
He's in trouble for sending texts to an underage girl.
He has motive to tell the FBI what he knows about Hillary Clinton.
If he saves his skin by sacrificing her, what difference does it make?

That's what friends are for

The New York Times gives us a look at the relationship between Hillary Clinton and Huma Abedin.
The jolting development highlighted not only the intersecting lives of Mrs. Clinton, Ms. Abedin and Mr. Weiner, but also the pattern that has characterized the Clintons’ relationships with the sometimes oddly behaving inhabitants of their insular world: Even amid accusations of sexual or financial impropriety, the Clintons’ first instinct is to hunker down and protect those in their orbit, sometimes leading to more ugly eruptions later and, eventually, to messy public breakups.
Are the Clintons loyal to their friends?
Or do they attract dysfunctional types like themselves?

Trump will be up 10 next week

Last Sunday, the ABC/Washington Post poll was big news - Hillary up 12.
Today, her lead is only two.
At that pace, Trump will be running away with things November 8.
Or the first poll with a 12-point lead was lousy bad.

Facebook quote of the week

"This is like Christmas. No, wait--that will be Nov. 9. This is like hearing the sound of reindeer hooves on the roof before Christmas actually arrives" ~ Adam

Saturday song

Friday's birthday boy gets this Saturday going.

Great eight

This blog has made it to eight years.
It's been a scary eight years.
And who knows what lies ahead.
But we stand strong and move on.

If I could turn back time

Megan McArdle looks at the difficulty looming next year - if Democrats want to "tweak" Obamacare.
And this is true of every idea that starts with “All we need to do.” If “All we need to do” to fix some substantial problem were cheap and politically popular, it would already have been done, and we wouldn’t be talking about it. The stuff we argue about is, almost by definition, the stuff that’s hard.
Needless to say, Republicans are not going to be eager to do something hard and unpopular largely in order to save a program that was passed over their strenuous objections and is now hurting their political opponents. So if all we need to do is persuade Republicans to abandon their objections to Obamacare, and possibly their own electoral futures, in order to bail Democrats out of the mess they created, then we’re all going to be living with these problems for a very long time.

Are you sure about this?

Maybe Hillary Clinton appearing to have a big lead two weeks before Election Day was a good thing.
With most of the attention on Trump the entire year, people have had a chance to focus on what would happen in a Hillary presidency?
It reminds me of the computer warning you used to get when planning to delete something.

Are you sure about this?

 

And Friday's email news helps those thinking about what lies ahead.

It's not something new.

But it gives an easy way to comprehend what concerns you about the candidate.

Just like the Billy Bush video did to Trump.

Eleven days to go.

Plenty of time to think about making the right decision.



Weekend watchdog

May the best drought end.
We're two games into a World Series for the ages, with three weekend games looming at a site that hasn't hosted them in 71 years - Wrigley Field.
The Indians snagged Game 1 and the Cubs even the series Wednesday. Three more Cubs wins will bring them their first championship in 108 years. The Tribe last topped the baseball world 68 years ago - against the Boston Braves.
At least their ballpark - opened in 1994 - had seen World Series play before this week.
If there's a 3-2 split after the weekend, the final two games will be held at Cleveland Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Redskins make their initial visit to London, taking on the Bengals on Fox Sunday at 9:30 a.m. CBS has the Patriots' visit to Buffalo Sunday at 1 p.m. Fox brings Seahawks-Saints at 1 p.m. followed by Packers facing the Falcons.
The Cowboys battle the Eagles on NBC Sunday night, with the Vikings taking on the Bears on ESPN Monday night.
The college football weekend continues Friday with Navy at South Florida on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. followed by Air Force against Fresno State at 10:30 p.m.
NBC Sports network brings Yale and Columbia at 7 p.m.
Virginia tangles with Louisville on ABC Saturday at noon, with the game on ESPN2 in areas where Penn State-Purdue goes out over the air. Texas battles Baylor at 3:30 p.m., with Clemson facing Florida State at 8 p.m.
Undefeated West Virginia heads to Oklahoma State on Fox at noon. NBC brings Miami-Notre Dame at 3:30 p.m.
Party in Jacksonville with Florida and Georgia at 3:30 p.m. on CBS.
ESPN starts its day at noon with Michigan meeting Michigan State. Ohio State tries to bounce back against Northwestern at 3:30 p.m. and Wisconsin meets Nebraska at 7 p.m.
Texas Tech tangles with TCU on ESPN2 at 3:30 p.m. South Carolina plays Tennessee at 7:15 p.m. with Washington State facing Oregon State at 10:45 p.m.
Fourth-ranked Washington meets Utah at Utah at 3:30 p.m., followed by Kansas-Oklahoma at 7 p.m. It's Stanford against Arizona in the nightcap at 11 p.m.
The ACC network offers Boston College against North Carolina State at 12:30 p.m.
Georgia Tech tangles with Duke on Comcast at noon, followed by Army-Wake Forest.
MASN has a pair of games from Conference USA, with Western Kentucky-Florida Atlantic at 3:30 p.m. before Marshall meets Southern Mississippi at 7 p.m.
NASCAR visits Martinsville, with the Sprint Cup race Sunday at 1 p.m. on NBC Sports network. FoxSports1 has the Truck Series Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
Opening week in the NBA continues on ESPN Friday as the Cavaliers visit Toronto at 7 p.m. before the Warriors take on the Pelicans at 9:30 p.m.
Comcast has the Wizards' visit to Atlanta Thursday at 7 p.m. and contest with Memphis Sunday at 8 p.m.
The Capitals take on Vancouver Saturday at 10 p.m. on Comcast and Calgary Sunday at 9:30 p.m. on Comcast-plus.
The MLS playoffs continue with conference semifinals Sunday. The Red Bulls meet Montreal on ESPN at 3 p.m., followed by the Rapids and Galaxy. The action shifts to FoxSports1 at 7 p.m. with Toronto taking on New York, then Seattle meets Dallas at 9:30 p.m.
NBC Sports network has Sunderland and Arsenal Saturday at 7:25 a.m. followed by Manchester United-Burnley. Everton faces West Ham United Sunday at 9:25 a.m.

Fighting the Hillbullies

Scott Adams has enticed Hillary Clinton supporters to go crazy.
Just by noticing how quiet terrorists have been lately.
I engineered the offending tweet to make the point that ISIS appears to prefer a Clinton presidency. That puts Clinton’s supporters on the same side as ISIS, at least in the narrow sense that they might prefer the same candidate. That creates a conflict between Clinton supporters’ self-image as good people and the uncomfortable reality that they might prefer the same candidate as ISIS. If my point is credible, the predicted result is that it would induce cognitive dissonance and a literal hallucination.
And it did.
And he wants you to join the fun.
Watch the ongoing Twitter battle at @ScottAdamsSays as I trigger the #Hillbullies to annihilate their moral authority by acting on their cognitive dissonance and coming after me in full-bully force. It is good entertainment.