Weekend watchdog

How do you know the college football regular season is over? Army and Navy play.

The annual battle moves to FedEx Stadium this year, on CBS Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

It hasn't been a great gridiron year for either team - no bowl trips like in 2010. But over 100 years of history permeates the matchup, which will make its first trip to the Nation's Capital.

The end of the regular season means awards season starts. ESPN has most of the awards Thursday at 9 p.m., and the Heisman Trophy presentation Saturday at 8 p.m.

The old I-AA continues its march to a national championship with the quarterfinals this weekend.Northern Iowa takes on Montana Friday at 8 p.m. on ESPN, and Saturday at noon Montana State battles Sam Houston State on ESPN.

Another AFC team visits Washington this week - Tom Brady and the Patriots take on the Redskins on CBS at 1 p.m. CBS has the doubleheader, with Oakland's visit to 12-0 Green Bay highlighting the late schedule. FOX in Washington offers the Bears' trip to Denver at 4 p.m.

The Cowboys and Giants battle for the top of the NFC East Sunday on NBC, while ESPN has the Rams heading to Seattle Monday night.

In college basketball, CBS has Duke facing Washington Saturday at noon, warming up for the Army-Navy game.

ESPN2 shows the battle of Richmond Friday at 8 p.m. as VCU plays the Spiders. ESPN offers a pair of contests Saturday - Ohio State at Kansas at 3:15 p.m. followed by the border war of Kentucky-Indiana.

ESPN2 has a full day of hoops Saturday. The day begins in Cincinnati, with the Bearcats taking on Xavier at noon. Oklahoma State plays Pittsburgh at 2:30 p.m., then it's east on the turnpike to show Villanova-Temple at 5 p.m. West Virginia visits Miami at 7 p.m., and Michigan State closes the night with a game at Gonzaga.

Comcast has four contests on Saturday, starting with Austin Peay at Tennessee at noon. Then it's west for BYU-Utah at 2 p.m. and Clemson's trip to Arizona at 4 p.m. George Washington faces Syracuse at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, MASN brings a pair of Big East games - Howard at Georgetown at noon and Fairleigh-Dickinson vs. Louisville at 4 p.m. - with the NEC contest between Loyola and Mt. St. Marys at 2 p.m. Sunday at 2 p.m., South Florida hosts Florida A&M.

Comcast brings the Capitals hosting Toronto Friday at 7 p.m.

NBC has the Shark's Shootout Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.

Time to give big

Christmas is the season of giving.
In Augusta County, several churches and ministries are having a Big Give at Expoland Saturday morning.
Lots of volunteers helping lots of people.

Vote for killer

President Obama, or President Rambo as he likes to be called.
Tim Kaine took up the flag Wednesday.
Allen asked Kaine why he spent the final year of his gubernatorial term serving as DNC chairman — “the most political, partisan job in America,” as Allen put it — rather than focusing on the needs of Virginia. Kaine’s answer: “To serve the president, the president who is our commander in chief, the president who helped capture [Osama] bin Laden and wipe out al-Qaida leadership.”
Vote for killer Obama. The best killer we've ever had.
If only he'd talked about that in 2008.
UPDATE: Linked by Paco.

How can you walk with that chip on your shoulder?

My college newspaper tells the story of a poor employee, planning to sue after her termination.
She likes wearing a baseball hat and keeping her hair short.
So some people have called her "sir."
What incident really got her in trouble? When she was representing the university at the county courthouse.
Entering the courthouse as a Towson University parking official with a University identification badge, Petrides said she was able to routinely bypass the metal detector at the building’s entrance to the room where the citation was being judged. On Nov. 17, she entered in the same fashion, but the bailiffs at the entrance called after her.
“They started yelling at my back, ‘Sir, sir, sir.’ And I wasn’t turning around because I’m not a sir,” Petrides said.
But Petrides said she went back to the entrance, where the bailiffs questioned if she had the proper credentials to pass the metal detector.
“Before I walked away, I said, ‘I would appreciate it if the next time I come in, you address me by the correct pronoun,’” Petrides said. “At that point, I walked away, and I could hear them saying things behind my back. And I know they were trying to get me to turn around to start something.”
Were they trying to start something, or do their job securing the facility? And watching a person walk past and ignore their calls?
It's a nice lengthy story, but should be an easy decision.
You can wear what you like. But you have to deal with what happens.
Most people will see a look and make a decision. Sorry if it's the wrong one.
Nothing against you, because people don't think about you. You're not the center of our lives.

Who ya gonna blame?

Blago's sentencing Wednesday brings an end to one of the great sagas of the 2008 post-election period.
It inspired my first political song parody.
And began tarnishing the Obama image before he took office.

Lots of rain

It's raining hard in Fishersville.
I took the dog out to take care of her business.
She looked at me like "Are you kidding me?"

Harry Morgan, RIP

Harry Morgan, well-known as Colonel Potter on MASH, died Wednesday. Remembering him with a song.

Working with Obama

Robert Gibbs was on the Today Show Wednesday, saying how Republicans in Congress need to work with the president.
Nancy Pelosi and Democrats worked with him for two years.
Look where it got them.

Looking ahead to 2012

DaTech Guy boils the 2012 election down to a paragraph.
What a handicap the left is operating under! They have to manufacture and peddle a storyline and hope the voters buy it. All we have to do is remind people of what they’ve already lived and we’re supposed to be afraid of these guys?

Famous speeches by ex-presidents

Blue Virginia seems awfully excited by Barack Obama giving a speech where Teddy Roosevelt talked in 1910.
Roosevelt was the former president in 1910.
Obama will be a former president in 14 months.
Didn't Roosevelt give any speeches when he was in power that Obama likes?

Today's Tied with Me

Technorati has this blog tied with Simplemom.net, which offers tips on saving on Christmas wrapping.
How many rolls of half-used Christmas wrap do you have?

Newt's challenge

Can Newt Gingrich be an outsider after years inside the D.C. establishment?
He's the insider that insiders hate, making him an outsider among the insiders.
If Nancy Pelosi knows the skeletons buried in his closet, then he knows the skeletons in all the closets throughout Washington.
Becoming popular for being unpopular.
Using insider hate to become the outsider candidate.
Gingrich has past successes and past failures. How he manages the balancing act determines whether he can move forward.
And a Virginia resident, Gingrich now gets the hometown edge.
UPDATE: Linked by Smitty at the Other McCain and Conservatives with Newt.

Strikes and spares

Let the fun of the 2013 campaign begin.
SWACgirl posted some pictures from Bill Bolling's event Friday night, and immediately Not Larry Sabato was analyzing the photos for their implications in the Republican race.
The Democrats hope they have a chance in 2013. They might not even get noticed.

Two years ago

We've avoided the Dec. 5th snow that happened two years ago - and several others in recent memory.
The snow word appeared on TV this evening - maybe Wednesday night into Thursday.
I'm rooting for some global warming.

Dreams die hard

The Other McCain looks back at the dreamers who rode the Cain Train.

Cuccinelli - who leaked?

The biggest news of the weekend is Ken Cuccinelli's announcement that he'll run for governor in 2013.
Why announce now?
Right before the Republican Advance, when top Republicans gather to go Bowling with Bolling?
With this timing, who leaked the news?
A friend?
A Cuccinelli foe, forcing his hand?
The timing doesn't seem to help Cuccinelli - not even halfway through his term.
With a gathering of Bolling supporters from across the state looming.
It's going to be an interesting battle, but Cuccinelli seems to have started on the wrong foot.

Undefeated team watch

The Giants made it tough, but the Packers pulled out the win and remain unbeaten.
Up next, the fading Raiders.
The Raiders lost to the 2011 Miami Dolphins Sunday. The 1972 Dolphins continue to keep watch.

Occupy the homeless

Why has the #Occupy movement lost its sizzle?
I checked out Charlottesville's Hook, which profiled eight members of Occupy Charlottesville for the latest edition.
Two people are under 30, the idealistic people the movement would like you to think sparked it all.
There's one guy, age 58, who's been protesting for years.
The others - middle-age homeless people, joining the action.
If #Occupy is mostly young people, then it's got sizzle.
If it's more homeless people, that's a problem we've been dealing with for years.
Nothing exciting for news value, just a repackaging of an old problem.
Occupy Charlottesville has been getting some coverage, thanks to being right near the TV station. We'll see what happens when Lee Park can't be the base.

Three years ago

Instapundit has began featuring posts of his from 2001.
This blog doesn't go back that far.
But what did I say in 2008?
What if Obama is actually New Coke? Sounds good in focus groups, but disliked when unveiled?
That looks pretty good three years later.

Just short

Fishersville's Wilson Memorial fell one game short of the state championship contest, falling to Goochland Saturday.
Maybe next year or two. Wilson should stay in Group A through 2015 while Goochland should go back to Group AA.

Cain train's down the drain, oh such a pain

The Other McCain has his updates on Cain's campaign.
And expect updates from his sources.

Saturday song

This afternoon, all eyes will be on the Tigers - can LSU reach the national championship game?
How about some 80s music "Eye of the Tiger."




UPDATE: I didn't know this was one of the 50 worst videos of all-time.

It's plain staff are the bane of Cain campaign

The Other McCain finds the bane of the Cain campaign - staff wars.
I’m a little pissed” – that one source severely understates the wrath of many people who love Herman Cain, but hate his campaign.
Inevitably, however, the helpless confusion of the campaign reflects on the candidate: He’s the guy whose business expertise is about finding the right people to focus on the right problem. But the people he has found — well, they are the problem.

Facebook quote of the week

I have some dead batteries for sale... No Charge

The force is strong with this one

I wish my governor was a Jedi.
Trog is so lucky.

How many stopped looking?

Rush leads his show with the unemployment numbers

• 122,000 new jobs
• 315,000 people quit looking for work.

If all the unemployed quit looking for work, think of how much Blue Virginia would be celebrating.

Major accomplishment

Wilson Memorial tries to advance to the state football final Saturday at Goochland.
Good coverage of the Hornets at NBC29 and the News Leader.

Weekend watchdog

Saturday, the 12-member Big Ten will host its first conference championship game.
And teams in the 10-member Big 12 will be finishing their regular seasons - too small for a title game this year. That's how we end the regular season.
In the Big Ten, Michigan State meets Wisconsin in Indianapolis for the BCS berth Saturday on FOX. The Pac-12 also holds its first conference title game, matching Oregon and UCLA Friday at 8 p.m. on FOX.
The league that started it all at major college level - the SEC - has its 20th conference championship game Saturday at 4 p.m. on CBS. Top-ranked LSU faces Georgia, with the Tigers hoping to go for another national championship.
 The ACC title game clash between Virginia Tech and Clemson is on ESPN Saturday at 8 p.m.
Other conference championship games include the MAC(Ohio vs. Northern Illinois) Friday at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 and the Conference USA matchup between Southern Mississippi and Houston Saturday at noon on ABC.
Who's going to win the Big East? The last two conference games are Saturday and Cincinnati hosts Connecticut on ESPN at noon. A Bearcat win creates a three-way tie and gives West Virginia the automatic berth. ESPN2 has the future ACC teams (Syracuse at Pittsburgh) at noon.
Without a scheduled championship game, the Big 12 brings some rivals together for the title as Oklahoma battles Oklahoma State on ABC at 8 p.m.
Versus shows TCU vs. UNLV at 2:30 p.m., with BYU ends the season at Hawaii at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
It's the weekend of the Colts matchup with New England, annually one of the best TV draws of the season. Not so in 2011. NBC pulled it from the Sunday night lineup weeks ago, putting Detroit at New Orleans there instead. ESPN has the Chargers playing in Jacksonville Monday night.
Sunday, the Redskins are on CBS in Washington as the Jets come to town at 1 p.m. FOX in Washington can only show one game of the doubleheader, going with Packers at Giants at 4:15 p.m.
The Capitals try to give new coach Dale Hunter his first win Saturday at 7 p.m. when Ottawa visits Verizon Center on Comcast.
Fresh off the ACC-Big Ten challenge, Virginia hosts Longwood Saturday at 1 p.m. on Comcast. Texas heads to UCLA at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Comcast shows St. Joseph's at American at 8 p.m.
CBS starts its march to the Final Four with North Carolina visiting Kentucky Saturday at noon.
ESPN brings a pair of matchups between the Big East and SEC Friday - Florida at Syracuse at 7 p.m. followed by Vanderbilt-Louisville. Saturday, Connecticut hosts Arkansas at 3:15 p.m., then Pittsburgh takes on Tennessee.
ESPN2 starts the weekend Thursday at 7:15 p.m., with St. John's at Kentucky. Georgetown heads to Alabama at 9:15 p.m. Saturday, Gonzaga plays Illinois at 3:15 p.m., followed by South Florida facing Kansas.
MASN has George Washington's trip to Kansas State Thursday at 8 p.m., and two contests Saturday - Charlotte at East Carolina at 5 p.m. followed by Winthrop at Gardner-Webb. It's a pair of games Sunday from Washington, with George Washington playing VCU at 2 p.m. followed by Maryland-Notre Dame.
Tiger Woods gets to play with the big boys this weekend, at the Chevron World Championship Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. on NBC.

Almost Christmas

The country singers kicked off December with a special on ABC.
Jennifer Nettles got to shine as the host.

UPDATE: Part of Rule 5 Sunday, on Sunday.

30 more days of this

It's just the start of December, and I'm already sick of the Obama emails to have dinner with him and Michelle.
Isn't it early to hit on this gimmick?
Just donate $3 and have a chance to eat with both Obamas?
What's next if fundraising doesn't pick up?
Dinner with Bo too?
Give or Joe Biden will visit your house?
It's hard to be excited about "this special opportunity" when you see it day in and day out in your inbox.